Connections to Chicago: Logan Square

For the Connections to Chicago project, my group and I decided to visit Logan Square. It
is a relatively sizable neighborhood located in Chicagos northwest side. According to the
Encyclopedia of Chicago, the space was initially founded in 1836 and additions to the property
continued throughout the years, especially growing rapidly after the Chicago fire in 1871. The
dimensions of the neighborhood were officially completed in 1889 when the rest of Logan
Square had been annexed. From this point, the city renovated the community and paved what is
know the iconic boulevards. Tons of people from all backgrounds flocked: Scandinavian,
German, Poles and Russian Jews. At this point Logan Square was booming up until the
construction of the Kennedy Expressway in the 1950s which displaced many of the citizens.
However the neighborhood began to regrow throughout the years. By the 1990s, most of its
population came to be comprised of Hispanics: Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Central and South
American.
Today the neighborhood continues to fill its diverse shoes. City-Data records that the
neighborhood is home to nearly 64,500 occupants today with a median income resting at $48,250
and average rent of $796. It is estimated by Statistical Atlas that today there is approximately
46.2% Hispanics, 42.2% Whites, 6.7% African American, and 4.8% other. Out of these many
people, it is also estimated that 13% do not have a high school diploma, 38.1% do, and 48.9%
have a higher degree. Overall, Logan Square is a very up-and-coming neighborhood with a
racial mix.
My group, comprised of Nick and Zoe, and I decided to choose this neighborhood in an
effort to learn something new about a place we had never been to while making it reasonably
accessible. We decided to go on Monday October 17th by taking the Red Line Lake and
transferring off to the Blue Line until we reached Logan Square.
Id have to say I didnt really enjoy visiting my neighborhood. For the most part my
group had the mentality of getting it over with, making it difficult to really enjoy. However the
neighborhood itself seemed pretty homey. In some ways a did feel a bit like an outsider because
there wasnt all that many people walking on the sidewalks. It seemed as if most people were
driving. I really did feel like an observer. As we were in search of a record store we came across
a great gathering of people outside a business. As we approached closer we saw that these people
were in line in front of a food pantry. Most looked like they had arrived on foot. I had never
really confronted such an event before and it really struck me. We continued to walk through the
crowd.
I enjoyed looking at the homes and little shops and restaurants that lined the square. But I
didnt like that we ended up getting stuck in the residential area, too far from the square after we
had been walking around for a while. Either way, I learned that I love Chicago even more. I
encountered something I hadnt before and really basked in the culture. The project did solidify
the problem of poverty in the city for me from the food pantry, but also reminded me of the citys
beautiful artists in the murals scattered throughout the neighborhoods walls.

Works Cited
Educational Attainment in Logan Square, Chicago, Illinois Statistical Atlas. 22 April 2015.
http://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Illinois/Chicago/Logan-Square/EducationalAttainment
Logan Square Encyclopedia of Chicago, http:// www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org.flagship
.luc.edu/pages/761.html. Accessed 12 Oct. 2016.
Logan Square neighborhood win Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60647 detailed profile City-Data,
http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Logan-Square-Chicago-IL.html. Accessed 12
Oct. 2016.
Race and Ethnicity in Logan Square, Chicago, Illinois Statistical Atlas. 22 April 2015. http://
statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Illinois/Chicago/Logan-Square/Educational-Attainment