Chicago comprises 77 community areas and even more neighborhoods, each with their own distinct flair. With so many vibrant and thriving cultural hubs, it should come as no surprise to locals that one neighborhood has just been named among the coolest in the world: Logan Square.
The Northwest Side community area lands at No. 34 in Time Out’s 2024 list of the coolest neighborhoods in the world. In total, 38 neighborhoods in cities across the globe made the cut, selected by our team of writers and editors. A number of different criteria were taken into consideration—including food, drink, arts, culture, street life, community and one-of-a-kind local flavor.
Of course, “cool” is a subjective quality, but Logan Square is certainly filled with some of the best things the city has to offer. While it’s no longer a well-kept secret (or a secret at all), the neighborhood continues to be a hotbed for young professionals and creatives, as well as acclaimed restaurants and trendy bars.
It’s possible to spend days exploring the eminently walkable neighborhood and only scratch the surface of everything there is to see, eat and do. Hungry? Start your mornings with brunch at James Beard Award winner Lula Cafe, where diners line up for breakfast burritos and rotating breakfast sandwiches. At night, Midwestern pasta palace Daisies is the move, featuring a menu of creative dishes like beet-filled agnolotti topped with crème fraiche and trout roe; fritto misto-style cheese curds; and “potted” carrots blended with duck fat and served with gnocco fritto.
For a nightcap, find a spot at dimly lit cocktail haven Meadowlark, or sip rare and vintage whiskeys at Longman & Eagle. If you’re looking to see a show, head to Lincoln Lodge for laugh-out-loud comedy or Logan Theatre to catch the latest blockbuster. Logan Square is also home to numerous small businesses, boutiques and green spaces, so wander down Logan Boulevard to gaze upon rows of historic limestone houses or Milwaukee Avenue to go shopping.
This year’s edition of the coolest neighborhoods in the world is topped by Notre-Dame-du-Mont in Marseille, France. Other American neighborhoods recognized are Kerns in Portland (No. 5), Little River in Miami (No. 12), Flatbush in New York (No. 17), East Hollywood in Los Angeles (No. 26), Mount Pleasant in Washington, D.C. (No. 29), Brewerytown in Philadelphia (No. 32) and Union Square in Somerville (No. 38).
Chicago neighborhoods that have been previously honored by Time Out include Hyde Park (2023), Avondale (2022), Andersonville (2021), Uptown (2020), Pilsen (2019) and West Loop (2018).