Logan Square, Chicago
Encyclopedia
Logan Square is one of the 77 city-designated community areas
located on the near northwest side of the City of Chicago
. The name, used here to describe the community area defined by U.S. census tract
s, also applies to one of a number of smaller, more loosely defined residential neighborhoods within the Logan Square community. The Logan Square neighborhood is centered on the public square
that serves as its namesake. Logan Square proper houses the 3-way intersection of Milwaukee Avenue
, Logan Boulevard and Kedzie Boulevard.
The community area of Logan Square is, in general, bounded by the Metra/Milwaukee District North Line railroad
on the west, the North Branch of the Chicago River on the east, Diversey Avenue on the north, and Bloomingdale Avenue
on the south. The area is characterized by the prominent historical boulevard
s and large bungalow
-style homes.
who served in the Civil War
, and later in Congress. One of the most striking intersections in the city, the square itself is a circular green space located at the center of a traffic circle
formed by the junction of Kedzie and Logan Boulevards and Milwaukee Avenue. At the center of the circle is the Illinois Centennial Monument
, built in 1918 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Illinois
' statehood. The monument, designed by Henry Bacon
, famed architect of the Lincoln Memorial
in Washington, DC and sculpted by Evelyn Longman
, is a single 70 feet (21.3 m) marble
Doric
column
topped by an eagle, in reference to the state flag. The monument was funded by the Benjamin Ferguson
Fund. Reliefs surrounding the base depict figures of Native Americans, explorers, farmers and laborers intended to show the great changes experienced during the state's first century.
At one time, Logan Square boasted a large Norwegian-American population, centered along the historic boulevards. With relatively inexpensive housing and rent available, this neighborhood was a favorite for immigrants and working-class citizens. Logan Square was the site of the Norwegian-American cultural center, Chicago Norske Klub
. Many elaborate, stylish, and expensive houses and mansions line historic Logan(2600 N) and Kedzie Boulevards where the club was once situated. Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church
(Norwegian: Den Norske Lutherske Minnekirke), also known as Minnekirken, is also located on Kedzie Boulevard in Logan Square.
Today, the neighborhood is home to a diverse population including Latinos (primarily Mexican and Puerto Rican, with some Cuban), African-Americans and a number of ethnicities from Eastern Europe
, (mostly Poles). Additionally, the increase in housing costs in nearby Bucktown/Wicker Park has led to many of the Chicago's aspiring artists to begin calling Logan Square home.
, the historic Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church located on the public square, and a meeting house of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints one block west. Just south of the square on Kedzie Avenue, Armitage Baptist Church is located in the former Masonic Temple, and to the east of the square on Logan Boulevard are the Episcopal Church of the Advent, a new Seventh Day Adventist Church and St. John Berchmans Catholic Church. Just north of Logan Boulevard, on Francisco Ave., is St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square. Bucktown has three of the city's most noted Polish Cathedrals
- the former Cathedral of All Saints
, St. Hedwig's
, and St. Mary of the Angels
. On Fullerton just east of Milwaukee is a Christian Science church offering services in Spanish. On Ridgeway, just north of Fullerton, is Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church and School while Storehouse Church resides on Altgeld. Palmer Square is home to St. Sylvester Catholic Church and School and the Serbian Orthodox Church of the Holy Resurrection.
, and northwest of the Loop. Bucktown gets its name from the large number of goat
s raised in the neighborhood during the 19th century when it was an integral part of the city's famed Polish Downtown
. The original Polish term for the neighborhood was Kozie Prery (Goat Prairie
). Its boundaries are Fullerton Ave. to the north, Western Ave. to the west, Bloomingdale Avenue. to the south, and the Chicago River to the east.
Bucktown is primarily residential, with a mix of older single family homes, new builds with edgy architecture, and converted industrial loft spaces. The neighborhood's origins are rooted in the Polish
working class, which first began to settle in the area in the 1830s. A large influx of Germans
began in 1848 and in 1854 led to the establishment of the town of Holstein, which was eventually annexed into Chicago in 1863. In the 1890s and 1900s, immigration from Poland
, the annexation of Jefferson Township
into Chicago and the completion of the Logan Square Branch of the Metropolitan Elevated Lines contributed to the rapid increase in Bucktown's population density. Three of the city's most opulent churches designed in the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style
'- St. Hedwig's
, the former Cathedral of All Saints
and St. Mary of the Angels
date from this era.
The early Polish settlers had originally designated many of Bucktown's streets with names significant to their people – Kosciusko, Sobieski, Pulaski and Leipzig (after the Battle of Leipzig
). Chicago's City Council
, prompted by a Bucktown-based German contingent with political clout, changed these Polish-sounding names in 1895 and 1913. In its place the new names for these thoroughfares bore a distinct Teutonic hue - Hamburg, Frankfort, Berlin and Holstein. Anti-German sentiment during World War I brought about another name-change that left today's very Anglo-Saxon sounding names: McLean, Shakespeare, Charleston, and Palmer.
Polish immigration into the area accelerated during and after World War II
when as many as 150,000 Poles are estimated to have arrived in Polish Downtown
between 1939 and ’59 as Displaced Persons. Like the Ukrainians in nearby Ukrainian Village, they clustered in established ethnic enclaves like this one that offered shops, restaurants, and banks where people spoke their language. Milwaukee Avenue
was the anchor of the city's "Polish Corridor", a contiguous area of Polish settlement that extended from Polonia Triangle
to Avondale's Polish Village. Additional population influxes into the area at this time included European Jews and Belarusans
.
Latino
migration to the area began in the 1960's with the arrival of Cuban
, Puerto Rican, and later Mexican
immigrants. Puerto Ricans in particular concentrated in the areas along Damen and Milwaukee Avenue
s through the 1980's after being displaced by the gentrification of Lincoln Park
that started in the 1960's. The local Puerto Rican community lent heavy support for the Young Lords
and other groups that participated in Harold Washington
's victorious mayoral campaign. In the last quarter of the 20th century, a growing artists' community led directly to widespread gentrification
, which brought in a large population of young professionals. In recent years, many trendy taverns and restaurants have opened in the neighborhood. There also have been a considerable number of "teardowns" of older housing stock, often followed by the construction of larger, upscale residential buildings.
Bucktown has a significant shopping district on Damen Avenue, extending north from North Avenue (in Wicker Park) to Webster Avenue. The neighborhood is readily accessible via the Blue Line
.
Palmer Square neighborhood of Chicago is a pocket neighborhood
located within Logan Square. Although there is no clear consensus on this neighborhood's exact boundaries, the City of Chicago Neighborhoods Map shows that it is generally bound by Fullerton Avenue (2400 N) to the north, Armitage Avenue (2000 N) to the south, Kedzie Boulevard (3200 W) to the west, and Milwaukee Avenue (~2400-2800 W) to the east.
The neighborhood’s name originates from the large 7 acres (28,328 m²) Palmer Square Park (pictured to the left) that sits near the western edge of the neighborhood. New Belgium Brewing Company
's Tour de Fat takes place in Palmer Square Park every summer. The City of Chicago
in 2005 received a matching grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
to develop a children's play space, walking trails, soft surface jogging trail, open lawn areas, lighting, seating, and landscaping in Palmer Square. After extensive community input and prolonged design and construction periods, the Chicago Park District
(CPD) finished construction of the park and opened it to the public in July 2009.
Palmer Square neighborhood's vibrant character, bustling business corridors, and charming tree-lined streets make it a popular neighborhood for a diverse group of individuals and families. Its location is directly west of Bucktown, north of Humboldt Park
, and northwest of Wicker Park, and places its residents within walking distance to a number of shops, coffee houses, bars, and restaurants. Easy access to the highways
and the public transportation system also makes it a popular neighborhood for commuters who work in Chicago
's Loop or for students who attend colleges nearby or downtown. The neighborhood is just west of the Kennedy Expressway
(routes 90/94) and near the California and Western stops of the CTA's
Blue Line
for a quick ride to Chicago’s downtown and O'Hare International Airport
. The CTA's
bus routes #52 (California), #56 (Milwaukee), #73 (Armitage), and #74 (Fullerton) also run through this neighborhood.
.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
runs Our Lady of Grace School in Logan Square.
Community areas of Chicago
Community areas in Chicago refers to the work of the Social Science Research Committee at University of Chicago which has unofficially divided the City of Chicago into 77 community areas. These areas are well-defined and static...
located on the near northwest side of the City of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The name, used here to describe the community area defined by U.S. census tract
Census tract
A census tract, census area, or census district is a geographic region defined for the purpose of taking a census. Usually these coincide with the limits of cities, towns or other administrative areas and several tracts commonly exist within a county...
s, also applies to one of a number of smaller, more loosely defined residential neighborhoods within the Logan Square community. The Logan Square neighborhood is centered on the public square
Town square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
that serves as its namesake. Logan Square proper houses the 3-way intersection of Milwaukee Avenue
Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)
Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...
, Logan Boulevard and Kedzie Boulevard.
The community area of Logan Square is, in general, bounded by the Metra/Milwaukee District North Line railroad
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
on the west, the North Branch of the Chicago River on the east, Diversey Avenue on the north, and Bloomingdale Avenue
Bloomingdale Line
The Bloomingdale Line is a elevated railroad running east-west on the northwest side of Chicago that the city of Chicago has proposed to convert into a greenway...
on the south. The area is characterized by the prominent historical boulevard
Boulevard
A Boulevard is type of road, usually a wide, multi-lane arterial thoroughfare, divided with a median down the centre, and roadways along each side designed as slow travel and parking lanes and for bicycle and pedestrian usage, often with an above-average quality of landscaping and scenery...
s and large bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
-style homes.
Background
The community area and neighborhood are named for General John A. LoganJohn A. Logan
John Alexander Logan was an American soldier and political leader. He served in the Mexican-American War and was a general in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He served the state of Illinois as a state senator, congressman and senator and was an unsuccessful candidate for Vice President...
who served in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and later in Congress. One of the most striking intersections in the city, the square itself is a circular green space located at the center of a traffic circle
Traffic circle
A traffic circle or rotary is a type of circular intersection in which traffic must travel in one direction around a central island. In some countries, traffic entering the circle has the right-of-way and drivers in the circle must yield. In many other countries, traffic entering the circle must...
formed by the junction of Kedzie and Logan Boulevards and Milwaukee Avenue. At the center of the circle is the Illinois Centennial Monument
Illinois Centennial Monument
Illinois Centennial Memorial Column, Logan Square Monument or Illinois Centennial Monument is a public monument in the Logan Square community area and the Chicago Landmark and National Register of Historic Places-listed Logan Square Boulevards District...
, built in 1918 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
' statehood. The monument, designed by Henry Bacon
Henry Bacon
Henry Bacon was an American Beaux-Arts architect who is best remembered for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. , which was his final project.- Education and early career :...
, famed architect of the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
in Washington, DC and sculpted by Evelyn Longman
Evelyn Beatrice Longman
Evelyn Beatrice Longman was the first woman sculptor to be elected a full member of the National Academy of Design in 1919. Her allegorical figure works were commissioned as monuments and memorials, adornment for public buildings, and attractions at art expositions in early 20th-century America.-...
, is a single 70 feet (21.3 m) marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
topped by an eagle, in reference to the state flag. The monument was funded by the Benjamin Ferguson
Benjamin Ferguson
Benjamin Franklin Ferguson was an American lumber merchant and philanthropist whose 1905 $1 million charitable trust gift funded seventeen of the most notable public monuments and sculptures in Chicago, Illinois, United States...
Fund. Reliefs surrounding the base depict figures of Native Americans, explorers, farmers and laborers intended to show the great changes experienced during the state's first century.
At one time, Logan Square boasted a large Norwegian-American population, centered along the historic boulevards. With relatively inexpensive housing and rent available, this neighborhood was a favorite for immigrants and working-class citizens. Logan Square was the site of the Norwegian-American cultural center, Chicago Norske Klub
Chicago Norske Klub
Chicago Norske Klub was a Chicago, Illinois based Norwegian-American cultural and social organization.-Background:Chicago Norske Klub was founded in 1911 through the merger of two prior organizations which had dated to 1890, the Norwegian Club in Chicago and the Norwegian Quartet Club .Its...
. Many elaborate, stylish, and expensive houses and mansions line historic Logan(2600 N) and Kedzie Boulevards where the club was once situated. Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church
Minnekirken
Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church , also known as Minnekirken, is a Lutheran church in Chicago, Illinois...
(Norwegian: Den Norske Lutherske Minnekirke), also known as Minnekirken, is also located on Kedzie Boulevard in Logan Square.
Today, the neighborhood is home to a diverse population including Latinos (primarily Mexican and Puerto Rican, with some Cuban), African-Americans and a number of ethnicities from Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
, (mostly Poles). Additionally, the increase in housing costs in nearby Bucktown/Wicker Park has led to many of the Chicago's aspiring artists to begin calling Logan Square home.
Churches
Logan Square has many churches along its boulevards including MinnekirkenMinnekirken
Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church , also known as Minnekirken, is a Lutheran church in Chicago, Illinois...
, the historic Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church located on the public square, and a meeting house of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints one block west. Just south of the square on Kedzie Avenue, Armitage Baptist Church is located in the former Masonic Temple, and to the east of the square on Logan Boulevard are the Episcopal Church of the Advent, a new Seventh Day Adventist Church and St. John Berchmans Catholic Church. Just north of Logan Boulevard, on Francisco Ave., is St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Logan Square. Bucktown has three of the city's most noted Polish Cathedrals
Polish Cathedral style
The Polish Cathedral architectural style is a North American genre of Catholic church architecture found throughout the Great Lakes and Middle Atlantic regions as well as in parts of New England...
- the former Cathedral of All Saints
Former All Saints Cathedral, Chicago
The former Cathedral of All Saints of the Polish National Catholic Church in Chicago, referred to in Polish as Katedra Wszystkich Świętych is a historic church building located in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States...
, St. Hedwig's
St. Hedwig's in Chicago
St. Hedwig's Church is an historic parish church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois. Constructed in traditional grand Polish architecture and design, it is one of the many monumental Polish churches visible from the Kennedy Expressway...
, and St. Mary of the Angels
St. Mary of the Angels in Chicago
Saint Mary of the Angels - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.Located at 1850 North Hermitage Avenue in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood, it is an example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches. Along with St. Stanislaus Kostka, St....
. On Fullerton just east of Milwaukee is a Christian Science church offering services in Spanish. On Ridgeway, just north of Fullerton, is Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church and School while Storehouse Church resides on Altgeld. Palmer Square is home to St. Sylvester Catholic Church and School and the Serbian Orthodox Church of the Holy Resurrection.
Bucktown
Bucktown is a neighborhood located in the east of the Logan Square community area in Chicago, directly north of Wicker ParkWicker Park, Chicago
Wicker Park is a Chicago neighborhood northwest of the Loop, south of Bucktown and west of Pulaski Park within West Town. Charles and Joel Wicker purchased of land along Milwaukee Avenue in 1870 and laid out a subdivision with a mix of lot sizes surrounding a park...
, and northwest of the Loop. Bucktown gets its name from the large number of goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s raised in the neighborhood during the 19th century when it was an integral part of the city's famed Polish Downtown
Polish Downtown (Chicago)
Polish Downtown was Chicago’s oldest and most prominent Polish settlement. Polish Downtown was the political, cultural and social capital of not only Poles in Chicago but Polish Americans throughout North America as well...
. The original Polish term for the neighborhood was Kozie Prery (Goat Prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
). Its boundaries are Fullerton Ave. to the north, Western Ave. to the west, Bloomingdale Avenue. to the south, and the Chicago River to the east.
Bucktown is primarily residential, with a mix of older single family homes, new builds with edgy architecture, and converted industrial loft spaces. The neighborhood's origins are rooted in the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
working class, which first began to settle in the area in the 1830s. A large influx of Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
began in 1848 and in 1854 led to the establishment of the town of Holstein, which was eventually annexed into Chicago in 1863. In the 1890s and 1900s, immigration from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the annexation of Jefferson Township
Jefferson Township, Cook County, Illinois
Jefferson Township is a former civil township in Cook County, Illinois, United States that existed as a separate municipality from 1850 until 1889 when it was annexed into the city of Chicago. Its borders were Devon Avenue on the north, Harlem Avenue on the west, Western Avenue to the east, and...
into Chicago and the completion of the Logan Square Branch of the Metropolitan Elevated Lines contributed to the rapid increase in Bucktown's population density. Three of the city's most opulent churches designed in the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style
Polish Cathedral style
The Polish Cathedral architectural style is a North American genre of Catholic church architecture found throughout the Great Lakes and Middle Atlantic regions as well as in parts of New England...
'- St. Hedwig's
St. Hedwig's in Chicago
St. Hedwig's Church is an historic parish church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois. Constructed in traditional grand Polish architecture and design, it is one of the many monumental Polish churches visible from the Kennedy Expressway...
, the former Cathedral of All Saints
Former All Saints Cathedral, Chicago
The former Cathedral of All Saints of the Polish National Catholic Church in Chicago, referred to in Polish as Katedra Wszystkich Świętych is a historic church building located in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States...
and St. Mary of the Angels
St. Mary of the Angels in Chicago
Saint Mary of the Angels - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.Located at 1850 North Hermitage Avenue in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood, it is an example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches. Along with St. Stanislaus Kostka, St....
date from this era.
The early Polish settlers had originally designated many of Bucktown's streets with names significant to their people – Kosciusko, Sobieski, Pulaski and Leipzig (after the Battle of Leipzig
Battle of Leipzig
The Battle of Leipzig or Battle of the Nations, on 16–19 October 1813, was fought by the coalition armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden against the French army of Napoleon. Napoleon's army also contained Polish and Italian troops as well as Germans from the Confederation of the Rhine...
). Chicago's City Council
Chicago City Council
The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 aldermen elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms...
, prompted by a Bucktown-based German contingent with political clout, changed these Polish-sounding names in 1895 and 1913. In its place the new names for these thoroughfares bore a distinct Teutonic hue - Hamburg, Frankfort, Berlin and Holstein. Anti-German sentiment during World War I brought about another name-change that left today's very Anglo-Saxon sounding names: McLean, Shakespeare, Charleston, and Palmer.
Polish immigration into the area accelerated during and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when as many as 150,000 Poles are estimated to have arrived in Polish Downtown
Polish Downtown (Chicago)
Polish Downtown was Chicago’s oldest and most prominent Polish settlement. Polish Downtown was the political, cultural and social capital of not only Poles in Chicago but Polish Americans throughout North America as well...
between 1939 and ’59 as Displaced Persons. Like the Ukrainians in nearby Ukrainian Village, they clustered in established ethnic enclaves like this one that offered shops, restaurants, and banks where people spoke their language. Milwaukee Avenue
Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)
Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...
was the anchor of the city's "Polish Corridor", a contiguous area of Polish settlement that extended from Polonia Triangle
Polonia Triangle
Polonia Triangle , also known as the Polish Triangle, is located in West Town, in what had been the historical Polish Downtown area of Chicago. It is bound by Division, Ashland and Milwaukee Avenue. A single-tiered fountain made of black iron with a bowl about nine feet in diameter is installed...
to Avondale's Polish Village. Additional population influxes into the area at this time included European Jews and Belarusans
Belarusian American
Belarusian Americans are Americans whose ancestors where born in the territory of Belarus.The total estimate of Belarusian immigrants to the USA is between 650,000 and 750,000...
.
Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
migration to the area began in the 1960's with the arrival of Cuban
Cuban American
A Cuban American is a United States citizen who traces his or her "national origin" to Cuba. Cuban Americans are also considered native born Americans with Cuban parents or Cuban-born persons who were raised and educated in US...
, Puerto Rican, and later Mexican
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
immigrants. Puerto Ricans in particular concentrated in the areas along Damen and Milwaukee Avenue
Milwaukee Avenue
Milwaukee Avenue may refer to:*Milwaukee Avenue, a prominent street in Chicago*Milwaukee Avenue Historic District in Minneapolis...
s through the 1980's after being displaced by the gentrification of Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park, Chicago
Lincoln Park, is one of the 77 community areas on Chicago, Illinois North Side, USA. Named after Lincoln Park, a vast park bordering Lake Michigan, the community area is anchored by the Lincoln Park Zoo and DePaul University...
that started in the 1960's. The local Puerto Rican community lent heavy support for the Young Lords
Young Lords
The Young Lords, later Young Lords Organization and in New York , Young Lords Party, was a Puerto Rican nationalist group in several United States cities, notably New York City and Chicago.-Founding:...
and other groups that participated in Harold Washington
Harold Washington
Harold Lee Washington was an American lawyer and politician who became the first African-American Mayor of Chicago, serving from 1983 until his death in 1987.- Early years and military service :...
's victorious mayoral campaign. In the last quarter of the 20th century, a growing artists' community led directly to widespread gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
, which brought in a large population of young professionals. In recent years, many trendy taverns and restaurants have opened in the neighborhood. There also have been a considerable number of "teardowns" of older housing stock, often followed by the construction of larger, upscale residential buildings.
Bucktown has a significant shopping district on Damen Avenue, extending north from North Avenue (in Wicker Park) to Webster Avenue. The neighborhood is readily accessible via the Blue Line
Blue Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The Blue Line consists of a long trunk line in the Chicago Transit Authority's rapid transit system which extends through Chicago's Loop from O'Hare International Airport at the far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway, and across the West Side to its...
.
Palmer Square
Pocket neighborhood
A pocket neighborhood is a grouping of smaller residences, often around a courtyard or common garden, designed to promote a close knit sense of community and neighborliness with an increased level of contact...
located within Logan Square. Although there is no clear consensus on this neighborhood's exact boundaries, the City of Chicago Neighborhoods Map shows that it is generally bound by Fullerton Avenue (2400 N) to the north, Armitage Avenue (2000 N) to the south, Kedzie Boulevard (3200 W) to the west, and Milwaukee Avenue (~2400-2800 W) to the east.
The neighborhood’s name originates from the large 7 acres (28,328 m²) Palmer Square Park (pictured to the left) that sits near the western edge of the neighborhood. New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company is a regional brewery located in Fort Collins, Colorado. It opened in 1991 after Jeff Lebesch, the brewery's founder, took his home-brewing passion commercial. In 2009, it produced over 582,000 barrels of its various labels...
's Tour de Fat takes place in Palmer Square Park every summer. The City of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 2005 received a matching grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is a cabinet-level department of the state government of Illinois. It is headquartered in the state capital of Springfield...
to develop a children's play space, walking trails, soft surface jogging trail, open lawn areas, lighting, seating, and landscaping in Palmer Square. After extensive community input and prolonged design and construction periods, the Chicago Park District
Chicago Park District
The Chicago Park District is the oldest and largest park district in the U.S.A, with a $385 million annual budget. It has the distinction of spending the most per capita on its parks, even more than Boston in terms of park expenses per capita...
(CPD) finished construction of the park and opened it to the public in July 2009.
Palmer Square neighborhood's vibrant character, bustling business corridors, and charming tree-lined streets make it a popular neighborhood for a diverse group of individuals and families. Its location is directly west of Bucktown, north of Humboldt Park
Humboldt Park, Chicago
Humboldt Park is one of 77 officially designated community areas located on the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois. The Humboldt Park neighborhood is widely known for its large Puerto Rican presence...
, and northwest of Wicker Park, and places its residents within walking distance to a number of shops, coffee houses, bars, and restaurants. Easy access to the highways
Kennedy Expressway
The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a long highway that travels northwest from the Chicago Loop to O'Hare International Airport. The expressway is named for the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy. The Interstate 90 portion of the Kennedy is a part of the much longer I-90...
and the public transportation system also makes it a popular neighborhood for commuters who work in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's Loop or for students who attend colleges nearby or downtown. The neighborhood is just west of the Kennedy Expressway
Kennedy Expressway
The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a long highway that travels northwest from the Chicago Loop to O'Hare International Airport. The expressway is named for the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy. The Interstate 90 portion of the Kennedy is a part of the much longer I-90...
(routes 90/94) and near the California and Western stops of the CTA's
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
Blue Line
Blue Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The Blue Line consists of a long trunk line in the Chicago Transit Authority's rapid transit system which extends through Chicago's Loop from O'Hare International Airport at the far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway, and across the West Side to its...
for a quick ride to Chicago’s downtown and O'Hare International Airport
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
. The CTA's
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
bus routes #52 (California), #56 (Milwaukee), #73 (Armitage), and #74 (Fullerton) also run through this neighborhood.
Education
Residents are zoned to Chicago Public SchoolsChicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago was established as a diocese in 1843 and as an Archdiocese in 1880. It serves more than 2.3 million Catholics in Cook and Lake counties in Northeastern Illinois, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries...
runs Our Lady of Grace School in Logan Square.
See also
- Polish Americans
- Polish Cathedral stylePolish Cathedral styleThe Polish Cathedral architectural style is a North American genre of Catholic church architecture found throughout the Great Lakes and Middle Atlantic regions as well as in parts of New England...
- Norwegian Americans
- Knute RockneKnute RockneKnute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
- Football Coach and childhood resident of Logan Square
External links
- Official City of Chicago Logan Square Community Map
- Bucktown Community Organization
- The Northwest Chicago Historical Society's history of Bucktown
- Logan Square Preservation
- Logan Square Chamber of Commerce
- Logan Square Neighborhood Association
- Wicker Park & Bucktown Chamber of Commerce
- Bucktown Information And Apartments At Domu
- Logan Square city page
- Palmer Square
- Rath House
- Chicago Norske Klub
