Logan Square: Pros and Cons of Living in Suburban Chicago

Logan Square is commonly referred to as a developing neighborhood. It had a rough crime history several years ago. It seemed to be a pretty safe neighborhood when I lived there. However, there was one incident when random gun shots were fired, and, of course, three police cars pulled up in no time to investigate. No one was shot or hurt, since the bullets were fired straight up into the sky.

Logan Square does have many attractions including great Mexican restaurants. I would highly recommend El Cid. The Mexican food is very authentic and by all means delicious. Also many of the restaurants serve the best margaritas and Mojitos in all of Chicago. Many of the restaurants also have very affordable lunch specials: a sandwich, fries, and drink for $3, now that's a deal.

Ease of shopping in Logan Square depends mostly on whether or not you have a car. I didn't have a car, and since there aren't that many brand name clothing stores in Logan Square itself, and also grocery stores are pretty spread out, using public transportation wasn't the very convenient. However if you do have a car, there are always plenty of free parking spots, and as long as you don't mind driving, shopping shouldn't be a hassle.

Logan Square is a very diverse neighborhood. In my own apartment building there were all kinds of different peoples, some working as bartenders, others as musicians etc. There is definitely some presence of the artsy crowd. Also many college kids tend to live in Logan Square because of it's cheap rent. Renting an apartment or owning a house in Logan Square is very cheap in comparison to other Chicago neighborhoods. Also since Logan Square is very close to downtown, it's a very attractive neighborhood for commuting business professionals.

One drawback about Logan Square is the night life. There aren't that many trendy bars or clubs in Logan Square. I can see this changing in the future since it is a developing neighborhood. Overall however I think you get what you pay for. With Logan Square's affordable housing, and plenty of car parking space, it is an attractive neighborhood. Also as it develops, there will be more stores and shopping venues emerging increasing convenience and raising the property value. I would recommend for anyone to try Logan Square. It does tend to attract more families as a neighborhood, since it's mostly houses and very few apartment buildings.