Logan Square

Expensive and not the quickest… Waited an hour for my oil change– and I had an appointment. I come here for the convenient location.

I’ve lived in this neighborhood my whole life. Hermosa, Logan Square and Humboldt Park is my childhood stomping grounds and still where I live to this day. I think this neighborhood has plenty of potential but crime is still pretty high in these parts. I like that these neighborhoods are dominated by Latin cultures, cuisines and entertainment and I love that these areas are also becoming more trendy to live in, adding in a mix of urban hipster flare. As far as a newly married non ghetto couple buying a home here to raise little Billy in… Not such a good idea

Logan Square is a nice neighborhood. It is not quite the hustle and bustle that Wicker Park brings but it is also not as quiet as some other neighborhoods further north on the Blue Line.
I feel like Logan Square is more for the people who are young and hip but aren’t into drinking so much and partying all night. Though Logan Square has its fair share of bars and night spots, I get the impression that people in Logan Square go to nice brunches and meet their friends for a chill evening in the park.
More people probably live in Logan Square and go to Wicker Park to have fun than those who live in Wicker Park and go to Logan Square. The reason I compare the two is because they are only separated by a few Blue Line stops and draw the same residents.

Recently I took a Nostalgic Visit to the Neighborhood of Logan Square,
the neighborhood where I was raised.
I lived off the corner of Schubert and Kimball from 1963 through 1976
and yes, back then Logan Square was very different, but in some respects
it still remains the same.
Funny thing about Logan Square, I walked through my old hood recently
and noticed a few things.
There is a major contrast of how things look along Milwaukee Avenue,
if you start at Kimball and walk towards the Logan Theater which was
my childhood/​teenage years theater, spent many afternoons/​evenings
there with my friends, the area looks quite for lack of a better word «Ghetto»
and, honestly, I don’t quite understand that because more than a few
hipster businesses have come into the area.
But, if you find yourself in the area you can notice what I’m saying is
definitely true.
Back in the 70’s/Early 80’s Logan Square was a Gang Infested Area, and
I’m not talking small time thugs here, even then there were major gang
crimes going on.
Hopefully those 2 major gangs have all but disappeared and moved on
with their lives.
When I was a kid living in Logan Square there were many thriving businesses
down Milwaukee Avenue such as Goldblatts, Woolworths, Walgreens, some
really cool restaurants too!
But, as I walked down those 2 stretches of blocks there was absolutely
nothing, empty deserted storefronts or run down looking little stores.
So terribly sad to me.
But, I do have some of my best memories of the Logan Theater, I knew
the original owner back in the 60’s and the Logan used to be 1 large theater
showing usually 1 movie or if you were lucky a double feature.
Now, I have seen the renovations of the Logan as it looks now, and I will
admit it’s impressive, they have divided the original theater into I believe
4 cinemas, a good idea of changing with the times I guess.
But, I will never forget being snuck in to see the «R» rated movies when I
was 13 and 14 by my friend Joe Brabec who was an usher at the Logan,
he’d sneak me in the side door. Rebel Child Lorelei.:)
So, some things are still the same, The Blue Line is there at Kedzie and
Milwaukee and McDonalds is still there at Milwaukee and Sawyer, I was
12 when the original McDonalds was built at this location, year 1974.
It has had a facelift and I will admit it’s looking good!
And, no trip down memory lane would be complete without a walk past my
childhood home at 3435 W Schubert, sad and bittersweet.
So, am I in a hurry to return to Logan Square?
Honestly, No, did my walk down memory lane,
Did what I needed to do, time to move on…

I have lived in logan square and recently opened a business here. Let me say best neighborhood in the city by far! I have lived all over Chicago and have never encountered nicer people than the ones in logan square! The neighborhood is strong with the best community feel I have ever encountered! My neighbors were great and my customers are just as good!

Much smaller than I thought and the statue platform is swarmed by your teens and punk asses. Though it’s good to have a green area in the urban hipster-​esque environment that is the historic Logan Square.

It is an urban park, how could you not love it? Live music in the summer. Clandestine drinking and people/​car watching on late summer nights. Get a burrito from El Cid and chill the f out!

We’ve lived in Logan Square for 7 years now. We used to live in Wicker Park but it was getting too congested. Yes, there is some crime from time to time in Logan Square, there is also crime in any other area of the city, affluent or not. As with any neighborhood, be smart/​aware and you’ll be safe. My place was robbed while living in Wicker Park, haven’t had any issues in Logan Square. I walk my dog at all hours of the day and night and have never felt unsafe. Years ago Logan Square had a bad rep, I think it’s time to let that go. I remember when it wasn’t very safe on Logan Boulevard in the evening… now you see moms jogging with strollers.
We really love the open green spaces in LS compared to many other places in the city. The architecture along the boulevards is beautiful. The people who live here are very neighborly and will spare a moment to stop and say hello. The restaurant selections get better every year and you can get anything from diner food to high end fare. The farmer’s market in the summer is a nice place to walk to on Sunday morning.
My only negative is what has been said by other reviewers, a nice grocery/​produce store in the area would be a plus.

Ever since 2009, Logan Square seems to be the it neighborhood that everyone keeps talking about. The neighborhood is definitely gentrifying but I do like the fact that it is still very much Hispanic family based. It makes sure the hipsters keep it real. Therefore, it is no surprise the area has many authentic taquerias and churches. If that’s not your cup of tea, Logan Square is starting to develop some definite go to stops for every category.
Breakfast — Longman and Eagle, Lula’s Café, Cozy Corner
Mexican — Taqueria Moran, Cemitas Puebla, etc.
Puerto Rican — Café Borinquen
Pizza — Boiler Room
Brewpubs — Revolution Brewing
Italian — Buona Terra
Thai — Anong
Café — Moustache, New Wave Coffee
Bars — Whistler, etc
Theater — Logan Theater
Parks — Palmer Square
Liquor Store — Vas Foremost
Of course there are tons more I didn’t list. In a nutshell, Logan Square is only on the up and up. The California and Logan Square train stops are right there and the boulevards lend themselves nicely to bicyclists. Viva Logan Square!

We just moved to Logan Square about 4 months ago. This neighborhood is great. Close to everything but not too expensive like Lincoln Park or Lakeview.
You can find here everything: American, Mexican, Cuban, Polish restaurants.
Blue Line CTA — 3 min walk and in 25 min you are Downtown. We are going to stay here for good.

Logan Square is an awesome neighborhood, and it’s certainly changing. (From bad to good.)
There’s still some crime around, but here is how to avoid it:
1. Don’t be in a gang.
2. Don’t go to parties hosted by people in gangs.
3. Don’t live in the same house or be in the same family as someone in a gang.
If you obey these 3 rules, you will magically be as safe from street-​crime in Logan Square as you would be in any good neighborhood in Chicago.
Most parts of Logan Square are very nice– and the architecture is beautiful– but now and then you can still turn down the wrong street and be confronted (or «eye-​raped») by low-​class people who hit their kids and have barking pit bulls. What can be done to correct this problem? I don’t know.. .but with God’s help, we will find a way.

Logan Square definitely feels like home after three years and I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere else anytime soon!
I am so excited to see all the development happening even in this economy! New coffee shops, art galleries, bars, and developments!
This neighborhood has an amazing diversity. I can walk to the square for some hipster worthy grub, hit up Sunrise for some Carne Asada and other Mexican flare, walk further up Milwaukee for some Polish sausage (actually, try the fresh bacon at Kurowski’s — amazing!) and if that’s not enough, we have Joong Boo up Kimball for all of my Asian needs.
More important than my belly, we have this fantastic sense of community. What other neighborhoods have their own farmer’s market and co-​op (i heart the dill pickle) but we also have developments like the Green exchange and Hairpin lofts which show our commitment to the arts and sustainability. Also places like the Logan Square Kitchen which offer a beautiful place for the community to gather.
Then there’s the night life! You can go from class to trash in just a few steps depending on your mood. Milwaukee is always active and there are so many great bars to call home.
I can find everything I need within walking distance, but it’s easy enough to get away with the blue line and the Kennedy right out my door. Talk about convenience. I’m dropped off at my loop office 15 minutes after departure, or I can fly to cancun in my dreams but it’ll only take 45 minutes to get to the airport.
I think there are a lot of great people who live here who take pride in this place I’m proud to be among you and hope to meet some more of you soon!

300(th review)!
That number is pretty special to my life. And not just because I went to Michigan State (SPARTANS!) but because it’s a reason why I moved to Logan Square. Well, not the number 300 so much as the fact that I moved to my neighborhood in 2003 in no small part because of the Fireside Bowl. Which, at that time, wasn’t even a bowling alley but a punk and ska music venue. A venue I went to all the time. Back at the time, though, the Fireside Bowl was pretty much the only game in town. When I moved in, my friend Lynn still heard gunshots at night living above El Cid.
My how things have changed. Now I don’t even really listen to punk anymore, unless I’m feeling nostalgic and the Fireside Bowl is now a bowling alley again. And you’d be far, far more likely to hear a screaming baby being pushed in a stroller on Kedzie under El Cid than a gunshot. Logan Square has, for better or for worse, made it!
And it’s well deserved. The city planners had it right when they laid out a neighborhood about halfway to Jefferson Park (then the outer edge of civilization) along Milwaukee Avenue. They didn’t know that the CTA would put a train line along said street and residents could get downtown in 15 minutes from it, but that’s the case. What they did plan on is a beautiful stretch of the Boulevards system along Logan (and its converted into condos and apartments and non-​converted turn of the last century mansions) and Kedzie which in the summer turns into a picnic ground leading all the way to Humbodt Park.
They didn’t know there’d be a farmer’s market, two neighborhood festivals (Metronome and Milwaukee Avenue Arts) with a third debuting this year, and a vibrant nightlife with a new hot bar or restaurant seemingly opening every minute. But I’m sure they knew it would grow and change.
But the thing that’s wonderful about Logan Square is that while it’s been gentrified it hasn’t lost its edge. One is still as likely to stumble upon a taqueria or a dive bar that’s been there since the 1950s as the next big thing. And one is still as likely to hear Spanish or Polish being spoken as hear a 15-​year old with a Valley Girl accent chattering away on one of the many buses running through the neighborhood linking it with the lakefront. Sure there are still some rough patches west of Central Park Avenue but there are also some amazing Mexican restaurants in the same area!
Yeah, from the thrift and cut-​rate shops of Milwaukee (one of which supplies seemingly the entire neighborhood in bargain Converse All-​Stars) to the shiny new sushi places on California, from the classic constructions of the Logan (movie) and Congress (music) Theaters to sold out newly renovated condos, Logan Square is a mixture of everything historic and forward-​thinking about Chicago. And now, finally, the entire city is seeing it.
Tonight, we dine under the Centennial Monument (and not in Hell)!

What to say about the Square… well I was born and raised there and stayed for 20 years. It wasn’t always «sketchy» but it did take a turn for the worse in the 70’s. (same could be said for Humboldt Park!) Friends still in the area swear it’s «getting better» but I’ve yet to witness that. They’ve been saying that for 15 years.
It has its good points and bad like any other hood. I’ll say this, you’re mostly safe if you stick to the major streets and avoid the side streets at night, unless you know the area. Used to love going to the Logan Theater and the Congress, catching the subway, and the stores along Milwaukee Ave or «The Avenue» as mom would say. Not sure how it is to live there now but I do still visit and if I had to choose a neighborhood in the city this would be one of them near the top of the list.

Logan Square is a great place to live. Safe, affordable, and full of character.
Pros:
–We have the beautiful boulevards, where you can have a cook out, play with your dog, or just sit back under a tree and strum your guitar.
–The Logan Square Farmer’s Market is lovely.
–The historic architecture.
–So many great, affordable restaurants!
–Easy access to mass transportation, many cyclists and bike lanes.
–It’s safe. You can walk home from the L at 3 AM and not get hassled.
–The best part is the people who live here and love it here. My lovely neighbors make Logan Square the diverse, friendly place that it is.
Cons:
–People who don’t live here have often heard that Logan Square is a «bad» neighborhood. So untrue!
–People who live in the neighborhood and think that the epitome of culture is Lincoln Park… move if that’s the kind of place you want to live. Quit complaining and enjoy what makes Logan Square unique!
Logan Square rocks :)

We’ve lived here for just over a year now and inked another lease or 2 years. It’s relatively quiet, inexpensive and the boulevard is beautiful. On the other hand, there is less of a density of restaurants and shops than we would like. After living in Wrigleyville, I’ll take fewer bars and restaurants over the constant piss and vomit on the sidewalks.
Pros:
–Great parking
–The farmer’s market in the summer is rad
–Close to ⁹⁰⁄₉₄
–Cheap
–Very diverse
–Neighbors seem to know each other a lot more
–My spanish is improving
Cons:
–Can get a bit sketchy towards the border of Humboldt Park
–Trash on the (main) streets

This is the best neighborhood I’ve ever lived in, hands down. I lived in Near South for awhile (at the UIC dorms), the Loop (Presidential Towers), Bridgeport, Noble Square and now Logan Square (I’m obviously not native to the city of Chicago). I am so much more happy about Logan Square than any of the other neighborhoods that I’ve lived in, and I liked the other places I lived!
Logan Square has everything from old, huge single family homes to three flats to large apartment buildings to town homes to condos! It really has everything you could ever want in terms of housing.
There’s also a wide variety of people — this isn’t posh Lincoln Park, Wrigleyville or Lakeview. I really like the community feel that Logan Square has — all of the residents seem invested in the health and well-​being of the neighborhood and there are many residents of all colors and ethnicities involved with the Logan Square Neighborhood Association. Living here makes me feel like I’m part of a community. A lot of my friends in other neighborhoods (like the aforementioned) say that they feel like they always need to mind their own business — no one in the neighborhood really seem to want to mingle with anyone else. Or it seems as if there’s a certain kind of person who can live in a certain area (i.e. the Stroller Mafia) and they don’t seem to welcome outsiders into their cliques. Logan Square makes me feel like I’m still living at home in the suburbs — people smile and say hi as you pass, you know all of your neighbors (or most of them), everyone is out walking dogs, running, walking, having fun. It’s really a great place to live.
The Square is also very beautiful. It has two large boulevards that run right through it (Logan Blvd. and Kedzie Blvd.) and they meet each other at Palmer Square, which is the big roundabout in the middle that marks «The Square» of Logan Square. The boulevards have a lot of beautiful green space that’s perfect for walking, picnicking, etc. and the Square itself has some nice historical markers to read and greenspace and benches so you can spend some time soaking in the sights and sounds of Logan Square.
The businesses around the Square are great! There are a lot of restaurants and specialty shops. Café Lula is by far my favorite (see my review here:
) and I love the shops nearby. Down Milwaukee (north west of the Square) there’s a few fast food restaurants (McDonalds, El Pollo Loco) and some other neighborhood shops. There’s also the Logan Theater (see review here:
) which is my favorite movie theater in the city! Every movie is $ 3! How can you go wrong with a ticket, popcorn and pop under $ 10?! There’s also a Gap Outlet up Milwaukee as well as some other shops. Yes!
There’s seriously so much to do. Even down California there’s a Starbucks (so amazing!
), a dry cleaner, restaurants — everything within walking distance of all the residents! There’s also the HUGE shopping area at Logan and Elston (Target, Strack and Van Til, etc) that can provide everything and anything you can think of! Almost everything in Logan Square is within walking distance of all the residents. Logan Square has everything you could possibly need including a real, down-​to-​earth community. There’s great parks, businesses, houses, condos — everything.

What’s not to love about Logan Square? It’s a few blue line stops away from the hipster havens of Bucktown and Wicker Park while still maintaining a strong, cultural identity. I enjoy the cultural mix of Hispanic and Polish. Walk down Milwaukee and you’ll come across Polish bakeries and restaurants. You can’t go wrong with the Red Apple especially while gorging on kielbasa and kraut. Or head to a bakery on Mardi Gras to get a paczki. If you walk in the opposite direction, there’s a haven of Hispanic restaurants especially El Pollo Loco, Dunlay’s on the Square, Logan Theatre, and of course the square. On Fullerton, there’s some nice small businesses, cafes, and bars like Hotti Biscotti. Tony’s Finer Foods serves as the grocery store for those in the area. Don’t forget that there’s a cult (I think) that makes it home in Logan Square on the corner of Fullerton and Spaulding.
Logan Square is lined with beautiful old homes on the boulevards. Logan Square maintains its character of a community with a mix of houses and apartments on tree lined streets. While small restaurants gems like Buona Terra thrive near these streets. I used to live in Logan Square and miss it at times. Like every Chicago neighborhood, there are some spotty areas, but I loved living there and shopping at the bodega down the street and the produce market just down Kimball. While it’s becoming an up and coming Chicago neighborhood, it retains that special character that makes it Logan Square.

There are definitely two sides to «the Square» as a recent Tribune/​Red Eye article illuminated.
Newbie xenophobes hang out at the Starbucks on California and the new Burlington without much more movement in the neighborhood.
That’s just a crying shame as Logan Square has so much more to offer than that! Greasy spoon Johnny’s Grill coexists next to Lula Café. Fleur and Wolfbait and B-​Boys keep the hip factor real with locally owned businesses. Feel like going out on a budget? See a movie at the $ 3 Logan Theatre. Eat at some of the many sabroso Mexican restaurants on Milwaukee Ave., then head to Whirl-​A-​Way on Fullerton for a nightcap.
Need to go to Wicker Park or Bucktown and don’t want to drink and drive? Blue Line it, baby! You can throw a frisbee on the greenspace around the Boulevard or head to Humboldt Park on a bike. Palmer Square Park is walkable. The seasonal Farmer’s market is a gem in the summer. Logan Square has it all within reach.

Great neighborhood unless you hate life and spend most of your energy projecting anger in an attempt to fill the emotional void in your soulless existance.
(the reviewer that I am referring to above deleted his rant which called Logan Square a gang laden hellhole for people who can’t afford to live in Bucktown/​Wicker Park)
UPDATE: The reviewer who I refer to above re-​entered their logan square reivew (their name is G.V.) and wrote me a private message that borders on scary.
Here’s the private message:
Don’t be silly. You and I both know that people like you and the neighborhood in which you live in merely feed my insatiable desire to expose Chicago for the mindless poserdum that truly exists in this city.
And if you call my lifestyle and salary of $ 450,000+ a year miserable, I strongly advise you move back out to podunk Mt. Prospect with the rest of the sheltered world.
You my friend are merely exhibit A in the case of poserdum in this city.
And here is my response:
people like me? you don’t know anything about me
poserdum? what am I posing as?
I know nothing about your lifestyle but I do know that money can’t buy happiness. Alot of very rich people are very miserable and I’ve noticed that people who are happy generally don’t spend time and energy finding faults in others, or the neighborhoods of others.
And why would I move to Mt. Prospect because I think you’re miserable? I fail to see the logic in that statement.