The Square by Bailey Lecat

the square Bailey Lecat

c o n t e n t 1

3 The Heart of Logan Square 5 Curiosities 8 From My Eyes 9 The Senses 11 People of the Square 12 Activity 13 Getting There 16 An Encounter 17 Interview 25 End

t s 2

The Heart of Logan Square When

I moved to Logan Square at the beginning of August, I was lucky to move into an apartment with two women who were super enthusiastic about the area of Chicago in which they lived. They invited me to walk with them into downtown Logan Square to grab coffee, get food, and relax in “the Square”. “The Square” being a perfect little oval of manicured grass, inviting benches, and intertwining walkways to allow for people of different walks of life to maneuver their way through. It is located in the heart of Logan Square and surrounded by several busy streets. Eventually I began to visit this spot on my own and with friends. Over time, I noticed it attracted all different kinds of people. Gentrification is slowly making it’s way to Logan Square and consequently, it is an intriguing and comfortable space to hang out for a wide

range of individuals. During my visits to the Square, I eventually realized that the main elements that grabbed my attention were the type of people going there, how they spent their time while in the Square and when the Square was most popular. This investigation led to my realization that this space is almost never without people even though I have yet to venture here during the latest hours of the night. People are constantly using the Square for an endless amount of reasons, such as using it simply as an area to walk through to get to their next destination. Others use it to stop, think and just be. Sunny summer Sundays in the Square bring out a whole different creature that is totally alive and excited to provide as a destination for all the people who want to bring their positive energy into the area.

Curiosities There

are still many things that I am eager to learn about involving the Square. What do people do when they come here? Is it known for anything illegal? Has the square always been a destination space? During the colder times of the year are there as many people? During the fall are the leaves from the many trees tended to or left to turn into manure? Has this space always been clean and safe? Was there a time when it looked trashy and unloved? Before the gentrification of Logan Square, was it more forgotten about or brushed aside by police (I say this because Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve noticed several times that police patrol the area)? Was there a time when the square was just grass? When did the square become more publicly accessible? Is there a particular culture that goes to the Square most often? Or does it attract a certain age group more than another? Is the Square more often for people to meet up or for people to take some space and be alone?

From My Eyes One Wednesday, I recall sitting on a bench half shaded by a tree. Near my feet were two pigeons coming closer and closer. I assumed that they must often be fed by other people in this park, because otherwise I don’t believe they would have come so close to me. It was mid afternoon, just after the typical lunch break hour. The people of the Square include a 30ish year old man who occupies the bench next to mine. Three men sit together on the higher steps of the monument. One of them has a shopping cart which leads me to believe that he is homeless. An assumably Hispanic couple sit on the bench of the monument. Another couple lounges on the lower monument steps and they look like they’re enjoying the sunshine just as much as I am. The only children of the Square are accompanied by what appear to be their mother and father. They are playing and laughing and getting in trouble. I wonder why they’re not in school. The cool fall breeze rustles the trees and makes leaves touched by autumn float through the air and onto my lap. A tree I sit beneath is dropping leaves the same shade as the turtle neck I’m wearing and I feel unexpected satisfaction to be matching with my surroundings. This is a place where I come with my friends when we’re looking for something to do or somewhere to walk to. It makes me wish for people to accompany me if I’m ever there alone. Don’t get me wrong,

it is nice to just be alone sometimes but I definitely have moments when I sit there enjoying a moment in the Square and wish I had someone there to enjoy it with me. Looking around once more I try to take notice of things I may have looked past. There is a tar-looking stain on the pavement a few feet in front of me and I wonder how it got there. Was it the aftermath of something that was burning? Was it the remains of a bike tire? Who was involved with this pavement marking and when did it get there? I don’t think that I would ever be able to answer a question like this because only those who were in the Square at that moment would be able to share the story of that stain. This space is kind magical in that way because it brings people together and allows stories and moments like this to occur. I also see that there are telephone wires that are tethered through the Square. Normally I wouldn’t see anything strange about this, but it seems like a few of the wires lead to nowhere and are wrapped around the trees. They don’t have any connection to anything needing electricity. This makes me think that they may have once connected to lights, but the lights were removed or broke off. There are endless possibilities for the stains on the pavement or the wires. It will always be interesting how the space can feel comfortable if you’re alone but simultaneously make you long for company.

The Senses The Square appeals to all of the senses. I see people walking, biking, rollerblading, skateboarding, sitting by themselves or sitting with another person talking. Some dogs delightfully accompany their humans on their walk through the park, but there are also humans without their pooches- some walking alone, and some walking with friends or presumed lovers. I see people occupying benches, spaces in the grass, sitting on the cement steps of the Illinois Centennial Monument, walking along the outlining sidewalks. I see flourishing trees spread throughout the Square, of different species and sizes. The Illinois Centennial Monument stands 70 feet tall, made of marble, and holds

an eagle at the top. I see paved walkways kept in good condition going through the Square. Benches made of metal line the paved walkways and cement benches are placed along the monument. There are light posts conveniently placed along the walkway if you are in the Square after dark. One of the light poles has nearly 100 bike tires with the metal removed wrapped around the pole like rings on a finger. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m curious to learn the story behind this unusual element of the Square. Other found images in the Square were small wheat-pasted stickers made by Chicago artists. These tags can typically be found all around the city, especially on the sides of buildings stuck to light posts or street signs. The tags that I found in the Square were stuck to a couple of light boxes. Flags and city banners representing the USA and the city of Chicago blow gently in the wind. Alphabetic text in the Square includes

stop signs, street signs, restaurant signs, an informational board that tells the history of Logan Square, and a plaque on the center memorial statue. The streets surrounding the Square include Wrightwood Avenue, Kedzie Avenue, Logan Boulevard, and Milwaukee Avenue, all of which have a relatively consistent flow of traffic. The restaurant or store signs that are visible from the Square include Johnny’s Grill, Ruby’s Cleaners, Dunlay’s, the Bird’s Nest Salon, Wolfbait & B-Girls, Tri Electronics, Webster’s Wine Bar, and Billy Sunday. If I close my eyes, I hear leaves rustling in the trees when the wind blows. Since the temperature is still comfortable to sit in, I can hear bugs making their noises in the trees and in the grass. I hear the engines of cars, buses, motorcycles, and trucks making their way along the surrounding streets of the Square. I hear bikers ped-

aling, skateboarders keeping their speed pushing off of the ground, the wheels of rollerbladers, and the footsteps of runners and people walking. I hear the CLINK CLINK CLINK jingling from dog leashes and collars. I can hear the near and far voices of people conversing. The familiar sound of the Blue Line subway makes its way below ground to the Logan Square stop. If I seriously tune into my sense of taste, the city becomes almost a mixture of vehicle exhaust and some of the fresh air from the plants, but I know that saying Logan Square tastes like gasoline and trees is a stretch. Smells also include exhaust, trees and grass and some flowers. If it’s the right time of day you can smell the grease coming from Johnny’s Grill and sometimes smoke from weed or cigarettes. I can feel the grass below my feet, the sun on my face, and many other sensations are created from each visit to the square.

The People of The Square

The people of the Square at night are often a unique group. The latest I’ve found myself in the Square is 9:30 (mind you this was during the summer, so by 9:30 “night time” had just begun) but there are far less people actually staying and spending time in the Square. The majority of people just walk through the pathway and get on their way. The evening that I was there late though, I noticed more people who seemed drunk and possibly homeless. This makes me think that the light from the time of day seems to match the people of the square at that given moment. On Sunday, early mornings through the afternoon bring people who are spending their days off here. But week days only bring in passersby who may be stopping to spend their lunch break here. And evenings draw in the people who may not have a home of their own. For the people of the Square, the Square becomes like a home.

Activity Once I am in the Square I have come to realize that the amount of people and the variety of activity depends on the day of the week as well as the time of day. From my experience I have noticed that the most popular time for Square activity is early on a Sunday, especially if the weather is nice... then the Square is guaranteed to get some loving from all of the people of Logan Square. A typical sunny Sunday in the Square looks like people going to and from the farmers market,carrying bags of delicious and fresh food. It looks like people sitting alone, with one other person or with a whole group of people in the grass on a picnic blanket sharing stories and food and appreciating the comfortable space the Square provides. Sunday looks like people putting their pre-loved clothes and other unwanted possessions out for sale on the Boulevard. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve even bought several things there myself, like vintage yellow framed sunglasses and a button up long sleeve shirt. If you find yourself in the Square on another day of the week, there wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be nearly as many people around. I would guess that the average amount of people a weekday afternoon would be around 10 people or so at a time.

Getting There I have about 15 minutes of walking ahead of me until I reach the Square once I’ve stepped out the door of my apartment. To some that may sound like kind of a drag, but I make this route at least twice everyday to get to and from the Blue Line subway, so at this point I’ve just accepted the distance and tried to look at it as a time to collect my thoughts. The Square is a relatively new space for me because I was only introduced to it when I moved to Logan Square two and a half months ago. This place is always one that calms me and whenever I do have the chance to spend some time there I find myself in a happier state of mind because of it. Depending on which direction you’re coming from, entering the Square can happen in more than one way. You can cross Logan Boulevard via the undesignated crossway coming from Wrightwood and then walk through the grass. Another option is to use one of the three available crosswalks on either Milwaukee, or the other side of Logan Boulevard which connect to the pathway that cuts through the middle of the Square.

An Encounter The Square was dark and it was just reaching 9 P.M. As my friend and I walked towards a small group of obviously intoxicated homeless people, we were approached by one of the men wearing a Marines flat brim hat. “Can I ask you a question? Would you fight for your country?”, he asked with slight agitation in his tone. The rest of the group anxiously awaited the response, it seemed like they had been discussing this topic before we walked passed them. “No”. Some of the conversation continued in Spanish because my friend is bilingual and the park stranger happened to be as well.

Inte

My own love of the Square stemmed from my two roommates’ praise of the space, so I figured that the best people to interview were the two of them. I wanted to know more about their experiences in the Square, why they keep going back and what they love most about it. It’s no surprise that they were enthusiastic to be a part of this project and to have the opportunity to rave about the Square, a place near and dear to their hearts and a major reason as to why they love Logan Square as deeply as they do. With school back in full swing and so much going on all the time in each of our lives anyway, the three of us rarely find the opportunity to spend time together. That being said, when we finally found ourselves all home on the same evening, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to talk to both of them and hear what they had to say about the Square. It was a cool fall Chicago night and the three of us were all cozied up in our living room. Steph and I had been around for a little bit and then Maddy popped in soon after. The entire interview process felt comfortable and relaxed, like it was any regular conversation we were having, aside from the fact that I was recording each spoken word through the voice recorder on my phone. The third interview came as a surprise to me. It was a Sunday afternoon and I was out and about in the Square and had my camera handy, so I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful weather and the perfect time of day for lighting in the Square. As I was doing my own thing and snapping away, a man sitting on a bench behind me said “So are you

erview taking those pictures for a class or for yourself?”. To which I responded, “Yeah, they’re for a class, but I’m studying photography in school, so I like to do this on my own anyway.” I then went on to tell him about the project and the reason I was taking pictures for it and then I remembered that I had my interview questions saved to my phone, which was conveniently in my pocket! So even though I had not exactly mentally prepared myself to conduct this interview, I asked him if he would mind answering some questions about the Square and helping me with my project. The man introduced himself as Bill, and he was happy to help. I had already completed my interviews with my roommates Steph and Maddy, but this was sort of new for me since I had never met this man before and obviously didn’t know his past experience or thoughts on the Square. His enthusiasm and friendliness was very helpful for me, though, and made me feel a lot more at ease about interviewing a stranger sitting in the Square. Before I began, I was excited to hear about how his thoughts on the Square would differ from my roommates or my own since he was an older man and my roommates and I are all early 20s women. In the end I felt that this portion of the assignment was a very beneficial part of my research on the Square. I’m the kind of person who is always looking for second opinions and who enjoys hearing other people’s thoughts on things, so I loved hearing about what the Square does for other people. It turns out that the Square is good at working it’s magic on anyone who enters.

Steph

When did you start going to the Square? I started frequently going to the Square when I moved to Logan Square two years ago in August of 2013 but I remember being in the Square before I moved and thinking it was cool, very quaint, and I remember noticing all of the trees.

What is the most interesting experience you’ve had at the Square? There isn’t really anything in particular that comes to mind but one time I was there with friends until 4 in the morning hanging out on the monument and having a good time. That was probably the most interesting thing I’ve done there.

What do you like most about the Square? You can go anywhere and get quality food with good ingredients because you know that the prepared meals are thought out, plus the farmers market on Sundays rocks. You are also surrounded by people who are extremely nice and they are some of the most unique people that you’ll find in the city and I feel like that brings out the strong community vibe.

When is your favorite time to come here? On a Sunday, when the sun is shining, when it’s about 75 degrees and between 12-4 p.m. because the farmers market is on and everyone is about it, EVERYONE is about it, there are all the best dogs around and everyone is happy. The comfort station also always has a really cool installation going on, it’s always fun and you never know what to expect when you go on a Sunday.

How often do you come here? I go to the Square everyday If you had to change something about the Square what would you change? I would make the Square closer to my apartment. Has anything ever happened to you in the Square that has made you feel unsafe? If yes, explain. The one time when I was there super late into the evening and into morning, there was a group of crackheads that apparently go late and night and get fucked up. They bring a stroller full of their things and that one night they approached us and asked us if we had any “cheese”, which I’m pretty sure is meth… so I was like “uhhhhh, no!” but other than that nothing has made me feel unsafe in the Square.

Do you come here more often by yourself or with other people? It’s a pretty equal split, honestly. I will go with other people but I’ll grab stuff alone. Do you feel like your time in the Square is affected by the people who are also in the Square at that time? Why or why not? I would say the more people the better because it’s nice to people watch, maybe meet somebody, and I love looking for outfit inspirations. Why do you go to the Square, what keeps bringing you back? The diversity and the overall greatness of it. I’m always satisfied with anything that is offered in the Square... except for that one bunk grocery store that’s near the Logan 20 theater.

Maddy When did you start going to the Square? I started going to the Square frequently in the summer of 2013 which was when I first moved to Chicago. What do you like most about the Square? I love the sense of community that the Square provides and the amazing food that it has at every corner. What is the most interesting experience you’ve had at the Square? One of the most interesting experiences was when I met a guy who gave me a puppy and I ended up taking it home! I kept it for a week and then I found a home for it and now it’s safe and sound living in the suburbs. Has anything ever happened to you in the Square that has made you feel unsafe? If yes, explain. Yes because it is Chicago and it is a big city where we always need to be aware. I’ve walked passed people who seemed a little more sketchy looking than I would like but I haven’t had anything too intense happen where I feel unsafe. How often do you come here? I go to the Square everyday to eat, and to get to the Blue Line to go to work, and to stop by and say hi to my friends and family that work at Half Italian Grocer and Deli. If you had to change something about the Square what would you change? I would change absolutely nothing. When is your favorite time to come here? Sunday’s at 11 o’clock in the morning. Do you come here more often by yourself or with friends? It’s very balanced for me, I go with friends often but on days when I’m working give myself at least an hour to be in the Square so that I can eat somewhere. Do you feel like your time in the Square is affected by the people who are also in the Square at that time? Why or why not? Absolutely, because when I walk through the Square I always run into people that I know which is fun. There is a lot of opportunity for spontaneous moments and the Square is always full of great people who set a great vibe.

When did you start going to the Square? I started coming here when my daughter moved to Logan Square last August, this is my fourth time coming to this spot. I love being in Chicago, like you’ve got this one long street here and you can just walk and walk and walk. What do you like most about the Square? All the people out and about. I came over here one time for the farmer’s market which is where my daughter took me which was cool. I like that there is a variety of restaurants, lots of places to eat. And I like that it’s sort of like New York, there is always people moving day and night. There’s always 23 dsafdasomething going on.

What is the most interesting experience you’ve had at the Square? Oh man, I haven’t really done much in this spot. I think the most interesting thing I’ve done here is sat here, smoked my cigar, and talked to you! Has anything ever happened to you in the Square that has made you feel unsafe? If yes, explain. Absolutely not. Just the fact that you see people moving about all the time, during the day and the evening it seems like a safe place. As a matter of fact, my daughter kind of found her apartment herself and I’m really glad that she found it in this area because it seems very safe.

Bill

How often do you come here? Once every three or four months when I come to visit my daughter. If you had to change something about the Square what would you change? I wouldn’t want to tear down any trees but I would really like to see somewhere for kids to play. Swings, slides, things like that. But I wouldn’t want to disturb the trees here, I hate it when people cut down trees. In D.C. they call it “sprawl and crawl”, you know people just move in and spread out and tear stuff down to build houses or strip malls, things like that. I see a lot of people walking through here with kids so yeah it would be cool if they had a little playground or something set up for the kids to come and burn off some energy. When is your favorite time to come here? Year wise, definitely during the summer time. Like right now this is cool but it’s a little chilly. But I like it during the summer and then late afternoon when it starts to cool off. It seems like more people start to come out then and mingle around.

Do you come here more often by yourself or with friends? I come here with my daughter mostly. My wife is visiting this trip, too, but her ankle is bothering her so she’s not really walking much. When I’m with my daughter we come around here and walk all over the place. Do you feel like your time in the Square is affected by the people who are also in the Square at that time? Why or why not? I do not because I am just a people watcher, you know, I just like to sit down and watch the people go by and see what’s going on. From what I’ve noticed I see a lot of younger people around here but this evening I’ve seen a lot of older folks out getting some fresh air or they’ve got their grandbabies or something like that. What brought you to the Square today? Like I said I’m here from Virginia visiting my daughter, but I wanted to come smoke a cigar. I wanted some place where I could sit down in the sun and watch the people pass by and see what’s going on. 24

End When I began this project my focus was more set towards the relationships of the people that were in the Square, but it evolved into how people spend their time in the Square. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned that the Square is suitable and attractive to people of all walks of life. Logan Square also holds a lot of Chicago history and the people that live in the community are proud to live there. Along the way I learned some fun tidbits about it like how the area started booming after World War One and it began to get significantly more racially diverse during the 1990s (Patterson 1). There is a lot of heart and genuine appreciation for Logan Square and it is evident in the events that go on in the Square. Like the farmers market which goes on year round, or the constantly changing Comfort Station: a historical space that hosts art galleries, live music, and films. The energy brought to the space from the people of the area is also a big part of what makes it so special.

works cited Patterson, Elizabeth A. “Logan Square.” Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society, 2005. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.