Young Student Looking to Move to Logan Square (Chicago, Palmer: apartment, dorms)

[emilyinwonderland]

I hope I don't get attacked for writing this, I read all of the other posts on Logan Square, but I feel the need to be specific.

I am a 18 year old freshman college student. The dorms are much more expensive than an apartment. I will be living alone. I found an apartment, and looked at it, and really enjoyed the apartment, and didnt feel nervous. However, the apartment is in Logan Square, on North Central Park ave. Please tell me what you think, I'm originally from Philadelphia, so I don't know much about Chicago still.

Thank You!

[Drover]

Central Park is in the gangland part of Logan Square. Take that for what it's worth.

[surlycue]

Way too far west. Wrightwood and Central Park is an epicenter for drug dealing, gang disturbances and shootings.

If you are south of Palmer don't go west of Sacramento. Between Palmer and Wrightwood don't go west of Kedzie (or Kimball at the furthest). North of that I'd stay east of Kimball. The best way to figure it out is to stay within five blocks or so of the three blue line stops that serve the neighborhood.

ETA: It's a great neighborhood for college students. The rents are cheap, the 'hood is bike friendly if you don't have a car, there are cheap bars for when you're old enough to drink and some crooked bars if you aren't. Eastern Logan Square is gentrifying much faster than west so if you aren't able to find a cheap place in the most desirable areas you should still be able to get a steal if you go a little further out as long as you stay within a few blocks of the train.

[williepotatoes]

I'm gonna echo the two previous posters because any stretch of Central Park that runs thru Logan Square proper has serious gang war problems. it doesn't necessarily make this neighborhood unliveable, but summertime can be pretty raucous. I would definitely avoid anything south of Wrightwood.

It takes a certain level of tolerance and urban moxy to live in some Chicago neighborhoods and West Logan Square is one of those.

[Chi-town Native]

ok, but let's also remind the poster that if she's not planning on dealing dime bags or meth that she's likely to be a target for gangs.

I'd say it's more a question of your lifestyle - the women I know in Logan have all said they generally feel pretty safe, except there is the occasional machismo-fueled hooting from the stoop riff-raff.

are you going to be hitting the bars and staying out late? definitely stay east, preferably Sacramento or further.

if you will be hitting the books every night and won't be out late, Central Park is fine. we almost bought at 26xx Central Park, and I have friends all over the place right there, the street traffic was more of a concern than the safety factor.

FWIW, it's the isolated little pockets in Logan Sq I think are truly dangerous - you might as well be lost in the Bermuda Triangle late at night when you get on those little cul desac'd/diagonal streets off of Milwaukee.

[quadrokeith]

There's been some good advice so far. Logan Square can be a great place to live, especially for students. However, be cautious when you venture west of Kimball (and as surlycue noted, that line slides east as you head further south).

I don't know what part of Philly you're from, but it's possible that you have a high tolerance for urban living. Going through an area on a warm night will give you an idea the types of people you will meet. This week the weather is going to be fairly nice. If I were you, I'd take a stroll through this neighborhood tonight or tomorrow night and see if you feel safe (it might be smart to take a friend). Make sure you walk down a side street or two as well.

When I was looking for places to live, I'd go running through the areas I was interested in. It is surprising how quickly you can go from feeling totally safe to not safe at all, especially in Logan Square.

[Chi-town Native]

(smacking head), um, big edit needed by myself here:

ok, but let's also remind the poster that if she's not planning on dealing dime bags or meth that she's NOT likely to be a target for gangs.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by quadrokeith

There's been some good advice so far. Logan Square can be a great place to live, especially for students. However, be cautious when you venture west of Kimball (and as surlycue noted, that line slides east as you head further south).

I don't know what part of Philly you're from, but it's possible that you have a high tolerance for urban living. Going through an area on a warm night will give you an idea the types of people you will meet. This week the weather is going to be fairly nice. If I were you, I'd take a stroll through this neighborhood tonight or tomorrow night and see if you feel safe (it might be smart to take a friend). Make sure you walk down a side street or two as well.

When I was looking for places to live, I'd go running through the areas I was interested in. It is surprising how quickly you can go from feeling totally safe to not safe at all, especially in Logan Square.

Well said. I've never seen a neighborhood that can vary so much block-by-block.

[Chi-town Native]

very disturbing:
As reported in Chicago SunTimes

Alert issued after women robbed, raped in Logan Square

<div> March 31, 2010

SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE

[emilyinwonderland]

thanks everyone for your feedback, i took all of what you said into mind. Turns out I found a better deal, in a better neighborhood (Now i'll be two blocks from wrigley field!) Again, thank you all.