Logan Square Overview
In 1870, the City of Chicago drew up plans to encircle the city with a 28-mile “Emerald Necklace” of grand boulevards, but the original plan to complete the Chicago Boulevard System all the way to the lake was never completed, and the boulevards ended at Logan Boulevard near Western Avenue and near where the Kennedy Expressway runs today.
Logan Square was named after General John A. Logan, who led The Army of The Tennessee, helping General Sherman defeat the Confederacy at the Battle of Atlanta on July 22, 1864. He served as an Illinois Congressman, and in 1886 made an unsuccessful run for Vice President of the U.S. He is best known, however, as the founder of Memorial Day.
In 1918, Illinois celebrated its centennial by commissioning Henry Bacon, who was the architect of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, to create a classic-style columnar monument, with an eagle on top, to be placed in the actual center of Logan Square itself. For nearly 90 years now, that eagle monument has symbolized both the Illinois Centennial and Logan Square community.
Sadly, most of the great "emerald necklace" boulevard system of Chicago has deteriorated over the years. However, the 2 1/2 mile stretch in Logan Square, along Kedzie and Logan Boulevards, has remained virtually as it was for over a hundred years. The vintage houses in this area were rarely, if ever, converted into rooming houses or low rent apartments like they were in other parts of the city and along the boulevards themselves. And thankfully, many of the structures and houses in the Logan Square neighborhood have retained their rich woodwork, beautiful stained glass windows, and of course, their original charm.
Logan Square Homes for Sale
Today, Logan Square is as well known for its prosperous, mansion-lined residential streets as it is for its robust, diverse commercial districts. In season, beautiful flowers and majestic trees line the streets, and the homes are well-kept creating a warm and friendly feel. The neighborhood still presents its air of old-world wealth, but incorporated nicely with that is a new, progressive attitude.
In September, visitors to the Historic Mansion Walk are offered a close-up view of several of the century-old mansions. You can also get the chance to sample the community’s culinary diversity at the Taste of Logan Square each August. There are well over 100 restaurants, cafés, bakeries and bistros, packed into this relatively small area; and it's convenient, too. All this is only about 5 miles northwest of downtown Chicago and The Loop.
Public transportation is available. Commuters can catch the CTA Blue Line L for a 25-minute ride to downtown; it's about a 40-minute ride to O’Hare International Airport; and the Kennedy Expressway also runs right through the area.
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