Borderline Music Leaving Boystown, Cites Loss of Gay Appeal

After 13 years selling dance records in Boystown, Borderline Music is closing up shop in Lake View with plans to relocate in the city, ChicagoPride.com reports.

Owner Scott Jannush says the community’s changing demographics is his primary reason for the move, with a small reason also being Lake View’s recent uptick in crime.

He says he’ll close the store at 3333 N. Broadway and begin to scout for a new location in either Andersonville or Uptown. Borderline Music’s final day in Boystown will be Sept. 1

"The neighborhood has changed drastically and it is no longer my market," Jannush told ChicagoPride.com on Tuesday. "In the past the gay community would come into the area to shop and dine, but that isn't the case anymore."

Borderline Music is best known for snagging big-name artists for in-store events, including Lady Gaga, Donna De Lory, Wynter Gordon and Dragonette. But the music store focused on LGBT favorites has to change when the market changes, Jannush said.

That’s including the changes in crime.

“Another small reason that I want to move is that there has been a lot of crime in Lake View lately,” he said. “That's another reason, but that's not the main reason. It's just another factor in my move. It affected me in the beginning. The storefront had some problems. But I haven't had problems lately. I don't see it being fixed in Lake View. It's just getting more dangerous.”

The North Broadway location is offering 50 percent off hundreds of titles as it prepares to close.

Read Jannush’s full Q&A with ChicagoPride.com here.