Since I’m just about done upstairs, I’m soon going to be sticking a FOR RENT sign in the front yard and trying to get strangers to move into my home.  Though obviously cool stuff like stainless steel appliances and nice back porches go a long way, the neighborhood really does most of the work.  When I first moved to Logan Square just three years ago, people were still talking about it as if it were the place to go if you wanted to get mugged or, even worse, be bored.  Fortunately, the last several years have seen both the mugging and boredom rate go down.

Since muggings fall nicely into the “It can’t happen to me” category of things that may in fact happen to you, I like to talk to potential tenants more about the decline in the average per capita boredom rate in the area.  Unlike muggings, boredom falls quite squarely into the “It will most likely happen to me” category of things that may in fact happen to you.  Assuring would-be renters of this goes a long way in getting them to call the Square their new home rather than Wicker Park or Ukrainian Village or wherever else.  It also helps ensure I successfully get the exorbitant rent I’m hoping for.

So, I claim that boredoms going down, but why?  Answer:  new bars, new restaurants.  In the past year or so, 7 new places will have opened up within 4 blocks of the house, two in just the last month, plus another two scheduled to open in the coming months.   The best part: they range from awesome to still pretty okay- not a single real bummer of a place.  Add to that total the three new tattoo parlors that have opened in the last year…  well, you still have  a lot of good restaurants and bars. Some of them are better than others, and the sad(?) truth is that every new, fun place to eat or drink or do whatever at is just a step closer to making Logan Square more like Wicker Park.  As a cool, hip dude, that sort of bums me out.  As a property owner and tenant-looking-for-er, however, I’m stoked.   When an Urban Outfitters opened up around the corner from my last apartment, I was bummed.  If another one opens up near here, I’m throwing a welcome party.