Info on Logan Square (Roscoe, Palmer: real estate, apartment, condos)

[Libertine]

I'm thinking about moving to Logan Square and I know it's a neighborhood in transition, so I'm wondering what parts of Logan Square are most desirable. My criteria are: a strip of good restaurants/bars/shops within walking distance, safety, affordable housing (~700 per person/per month), proximity to the el, and a younger crowd. In general, I was wondering what kind of people live in what portions of Logan Square (since it's a big neighborhood). I was also thinking about the Southport area in LakeView (close to the brown line), what's that area like (using the same criteria)?

[Libertine]

Is the area around Palmer Square safe and active (with restaurants, cafes, etc.)?

[Drover]

Basic rules of thumb: stay between Fullerton to the south, Diversey to the north, Western to the east and Kedzie (maybe Kimball) to the west.

[Avengerfire]

I think you can find a place around Southport . How many BR's do you seek and how many people will be living in it?

Lake View is far preferable to living in Logan Square. The Southport station on the Brown Line is reopening in April. It is really convenient to use if you move in that area.

There are tons of bars and places to eat (and more) on Southport between Grace and Roscoe.

[Humboldt1]

Palmer Square is basically okay with lots of yuppies and artsy people moving in. The previous posters are correct that southport and lakeview are preferable if you want more upscale. I personally recommend julius menl at addison and southport for a trendy coffeeshop with awesome desserts.

I go to church directly north of there at fullerton and kedzie. I have only been going there three years but have noticed more and more yuppies in the congregation. Others, who have been there longer speak of how much the area has improved the past 10 years.

Palmer square is a nice green space where you can find lots of people out and about reading and playing frisby and out with their dogs. I am sure there are challenges but it seems like a decent place to live. I personally find the people in logan square more intersting than the typical big ten educated person from iowa that I often run into in the more gentrified areas. Then again. I prefer humboldt park to lincoln park as the people here more real and too busy worrying about their next meal to be superficial.

[Humboldt1]

Libertine,

Not a lot of retail or restaurants in the palmer square area. There is a nice coffeehouse at the corner of. Armitage and Kedzie. The nearest staebucks at the corner of california and logan. Fullerton has more of a commercial strip but it is a work in progress.

Drover,

I would extend your safe area south to armitage. A developer buddy of mine is building condos around armitage just west of western for the low 500s. Bruce fogelson, not a buddy of mine, is working to complete his bucktown station project just south of armitage on western.

As Drover will likely attest be careful west of kedzie near kimball. Starbucks had looked at going in at the corner of kimball and fullerton and instead chose the corner of kimball and north. The reason was too many shootings and gang activity. Kimball and north isn't exactly a picnic either, though there is a nat city and new dunkin donuts there.

Starbucks is also building another location at kostner and north as part of the menards development. You can find more info thru stone realty's website.

[Drover]

So the bottom line... if you can do $700/mo per person in the Southport corridor, go for it. $700/mo/person is going to limit your options in that area, but it's not out of the question.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Drover

So the bottom line... if you can do $700/mo per person in the Southport corridor, go for it. $700/mo/person is going to limit your options in that area, but it's not out of the question.

Agreed. I would only move to Logan Square if I was going to own real estate there, or had a REALLY great deal on an awesome apartment. Why bother otherwise? Ukranian Village strikes me as a much safer neighborhood with more hipster appeal and similar rents.

I drove down Milwaukee Avenue at midnight in Logan Square just a couple of weeks ago, and was struck by the incredible amount of police and arrest activity I saw. I must have seen at least five different guys with their hands on the hoods of cop cars spaced apart by several blocks. The gang crime flair-ups in Logan Square still happen with pretty good frequency.

[Drover]

Yeah, Milwaukee Avenue is pretty busy stretch crime-wise well into Bucktown. Lots of dealing going on there along with the other problems it inevitably draws.

[Chicago60614]

I moved from Iowa in 2001 and lived at Fullerton and Kedzie. The Blvds in that area are awesome. I never had any issues with crime at all, just stick near Kedzie and Logan blvds and go to the restaurants, etc. on the traffic circle. The Blue Line right there was also a huge asset - and underground (warmer in winter).

The area west of Kimball is a little scetchy, but honestly I never went over there once in the 3 years I lived there (there was no reason to).