I have been hearing more and more people my age freaking out (in a good way) about one neighborhood in particular: Logan Square. Having never really spent much time there (besides going to an occasional play or blues club, rarely ever knowing which neighborhood I was in at the time), I decided it would be a good destination for my next adventure.
This is what I knew about this area before traveling to it:
1. It’s inexpensive to live there.
2. It’s off the blue line (quite out of the way for me, living in Rogers Park, but supposedly easier to get to via buses).
3. Artsy people are opting to move there instead of Wicker Park recently due to the cheaper rent and easy access to the Blue Line (which takes you right downtown from Northwest of the city).
4. Revolution Brewery is there. They make good beer.
And that’s it!
I decided to take the Western bus south to Milwaukee and then walk west from there towards the heart of Logan Square (a 3 way intersection of Milwaukee Ave, Logan Blvd and Kedzie Blvd). Not the best idea, but I did get to see more of Milwaukee (the good, the bad, and the ugly) as a result of not taking the Blue Line directly to the Logan Square stop. You could also take the Milwaukee bus (#56) or the Kedzie/California but (#52) to Logan Blvd.
This is what I knew about this area before traveling to it:
1. It’s inexpensive to live there.
2. It’s off the blue line (quite out of the way for me, living in Rogers Park, but supposedly easier to get to via buses).
3. Artsy people are opting to move there instead of Wicker Park recently due to the cheaper rent and easy access to the Blue Line (which takes you right downtown from Northwest of the city).
4. Revolution Brewery is there. They make good beer.
And that’s it!
I decided to take the Western bus south to Milwaukee and then walk west from there towards the heart of Logan Square (a 3 way intersection of Milwaukee Ave, Logan Blvd and Kedzie Blvd). Not the best idea, but I did get to see more of Milwaukee (the good, the bad, and the ugly) as a result of not taking the Blue Line directly to the Logan Square stop. You could also take the Milwaukee bus (#56) or the Kedzie/California but (#52) to Logan Blvd.
Walking northwest on Milwaukee from Western was not the most pleasant stretch of street. I saw shirtless men, bikini clad women, people changing diapers on the street, graffiti and abandoned and barred up stores. So far my impression was not so good. I kept walking with purpose, thinking this must not be the neighborhood everyone is raving about, I must be a bit off. I did manage to stumble upon one diamond in the rough, a roller derby store called Rebel Rebel. I have the skates and derby gear at home, and I like to think someday I’ll be tough enough to participate in this sport, but I have yet to take the first step of learning to skate well. Still, I enjoyed poking around the place. Wheels, helmets, laces and fishnets of every color of the rainbow… knee socks that say a variety of comical things like “Zombie” “Nerd” or “Broke” written up the sides and many, many hot pants.
(*Disclaimer: I later found out that Rebel Rebel is sadly closed).
Once I hit the California stop at the blue line, I started to see signs for Logan Square, I was starting to feel a tad safer, but there was nothing inviting about where I was. Trash was everywhere. The first intriguing store I saw was Bucket O’ Blood Used Books, a tiny hole in the wall store that specialized in Sci-Fi, Fantasy , Horror and Creative Non Fiction books as well as vinyl records. After poking around a bit, I noticed the entire store smelled strongly of body odor. Was it someone in the store or the store itself? I decided it was time to move on.
I spotted Revolution Brewing Company and I decided I was for sure coming back there later. The next place I wandered into is a resale store called Threads Etc. Resale. It’s like Brown Elephant but more specifically for furniture, but they also had some very cute and affordable clothing (mostly vintage). I found some interesting furniture pieces and vowed to return next time my place needs some sprucing up. Next I passed a cool looking dance studio space called Mixed Motion Art. I noted that next Saturday (June 23) they are having a sampler day so you can sample 20 min classes in yoga, mambo, Booty Beat (what is that??) and break dancing, and each class is only $1! I think I might check that out if I can squeeze it in.
(*Disclaimer: I later found out that Rebel Rebel is sadly closed).
Once I hit the California stop at the blue line, I started to see signs for Logan Square, I was starting to feel a tad safer, but there was nothing inviting about where I was. Trash was everywhere. The first intriguing store I saw was Bucket O’ Blood Used Books, a tiny hole in the wall store that specialized in Sci-Fi, Fantasy , Horror and Creative Non Fiction books as well as vinyl records. After poking around a bit, I noticed the entire store smelled strongly of body odor. Was it someone in the store or the store itself? I decided it was time to move on.
I spotted Revolution Brewing Company and I decided I was for sure coming back there later. The next place I wandered into is a resale store called Threads Etc. Resale. It’s like Brown Elephant but more specifically for furniture, but they also had some very cute and affordable clothing (mostly vintage). I found some interesting furniture pieces and vowed to return next time my place needs some sprucing up. Next I passed a cool looking dance studio space called Mixed Motion Art. I noted that next Saturday (June 23) they are having a sampler day so you can sample 20 min classes in yoga, mambo, Booty Beat (what is that??) and break dancing, and each class is only $1! I think I might check that out if I can squeeze it in.
The historic Congress Theater
I was getting impressed with the cute eclecticness of this place, but then I was passed on the street by a crying woman and a man cursing to no one in particular. Ahh, life in the city.
I passed a couple more cute cafes and restaurants, I then saw the main intersection of Logan Square, marked with the Illinois Centennial Monument (you can’t miss it) built in 1918 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of IL statehood. I was so happy I made it because it was getting pretty hot out, but tell you what... I was not impressed with what I saw. The park space was covered with dead grass, there were pawn shops and it was dirty. The place just looked neglected. I got whistled at by a guy passing right by me on a bike and I finally admitted to myself I was not comfortable in this neighborhood, at least not by myself.
I saw a sign for my friend’s play in the window of a book store called Uncharted Books and went in to check it out. Joanna Newsom was playing on the speakers and there was an adorable white husky puppy sprawled out on the floor. Plays and books by authors I know and liked were piled up everywhere. The hardwood floor was old and cheap and was kind of billowing under my feet, but it was a place I could normally have spent a lot of time in. However, soon my stomach started growling, so I headed out.
Dunlays on the Square was the place I chose for lunch and I was quite impressed. The place had a good beer selection, the Bloody Marys sounded fantastic, and the descriptions on the menu made me want to try everything. I ordered a flatbread pizza and an Ommegang beer. There was not a crumb on my plate or a drop in my glass when I was done. This was definitely a place to come back to. The atmosphere and the art was great and the servers were attentive and friendly (but not annoyingly so). Perhaps the restaurants were a part of Logan Squares charm that I’ve been missing up to that point. Maybe it’s not so much about what it looks like to a newcomer, but knowing the restaurants and hidden gems that make Logan Square an acquired taste, like sour beer.
I saw a sign for my friend’s play in the window of a book store called Uncharted Books and went in to check it out. Joanna Newsom was playing on the speakers and there was an adorable white husky puppy sprawled out on the floor. Plays and books by authors I know and liked were piled up everywhere. The hardwood floor was old and cheap and was kind of billowing under my feet, but it was a place I could normally have spent a lot of time in. However, soon my stomach started growling, so I headed out.
Dunlays on the Square was the place I chose for lunch and I was quite impressed. The place had a good beer selection, the Bloody Marys sounded fantastic, and the descriptions on the menu made me want to try everything. I ordered a flatbread pizza and an Ommegang beer. There was not a crumb on my plate or a drop in my glass when I was done. This was definitely a place to come back to. The atmosphere and the art was great and the servers were attentive and friendly (but not annoyingly so). Perhaps the restaurants were a part of Logan Squares charm that I’ve been missing up to that point. Maybe it’s not so much about what it looks like to a newcomer, but knowing the restaurants and hidden gems that make Logan Square an acquired taste, like sour beer.
I found this random monopoly art piece on the sidewalk near the main square. If you look around, there is art all over the place, you just might have to move some trash to see it!
My next stop was a store called Wolfbait which was awesome. It had mostly handmade women’s clothing, jewelry and other eclectic and artsy finds. Revolution Brewery was next on my agenda, so I headed back towards the California Blue Line stop. My dogs were barking and it was hot, but I couldn’t skip over this spot I had heard so much about. The bartender recommended I tried the Coup D’Etat, a saison that is fruity and summery. It was delicious, and the ambiance was supurb - - an old fashioned bar with a wood fire oven and lots of hipster servers with interesting tattoos. I ran into somebody I used to work with at Uncommon Ground who is a bartender there now, and I also struck up a conversation with a very nice writer. We talked about Logan Square, beer, writing, theater and making a life in the city.
Even after a very nice time at Revolution and a great lunch, something about this neighborhood that was rubbing me the wrong way. I guess I went to Logan Square thinking I’d check it out as a potential place to live, and that was probably not the right attitude to have going in to a place I’d never been, because I kept seeing the dirtiness, the hoards of hipsters and artists moving into this cheap neighborhood and seemingly colonizing it. Gentrification at work.
The evolution of the city is interesting, and Logan Square is going through some big changes and is undoubtedly a dynamic and energetic place to be. In fact, if you’re planning a day trip there, consider visiting the weekend of July 20-22 for the Milwaukee Ave Arts Fest. There’s a kick off party on June 26th at the Revolution Brewing Company (don’t ask me why it’s nearly a month before the fest). Check out the site: http://milwaukeeavenueartsfestival.org/
Hope to see you there.
Cheers and happy exploring!
Amy
My next stop was a store called Wolfbait which was awesome. It had mostly handmade women’s clothing, jewelry and other eclectic and artsy finds. Revolution Brewery was next on my agenda, so I headed back towards the California Blue Line stop. My dogs were barking and it was hot, but I couldn’t skip over this spot I had heard so much about. The bartender recommended I tried the Coup D’Etat, a saison that is fruity and summery. It was delicious, and the ambiance was supurb - - an old fashioned bar with a wood fire oven and lots of hipster servers with interesting tattoos. I ran into somebody I used to work with at Uncommon Ground who is a bartender there now, and I also struck up a conversation with a very nice writer. We talked about Logan Square, beer, writing, theater and making a life in the city.
Even after a very nice time at Revolution and a great lunch, something about this neighborhood that was rubbing me the wrong way. I guess I went to Logan Square thinking I’d check it out as a potential place to live, and that was probably not the right attitude to have going in to a place I’d never been, because I kept seeing the dirtiness, the hoards of hipsters and artists moving into this cheap neighborhood and seemingly colonizing it. Gentrification at work.
The evolution of the city is interesting, and Logan Square is going through some big changes and is undoubtedly a dynamic and energetic place to be. In fact, if you’re planning a day trip there, consider visiting the weekend of July 20-22 for the Milwaukee Ave Arts Fest. There’s a kick off party on June 26th at the Revolution Brewing Company (don’t ask me why it’s nearly a month before the fest). Check out the site: http://milwaukeeavenueartsfestival.org/
Hope to see you there.
Cheers and happy exploring!
Amy
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