Wicker Park, Logan Square crack list of nation’s 25 hottest neighborhoods

Two Chicago ‘hoods—Wicker Park and Logan Square—were recently singled-out in a list of the nation’s 25 coolest neighborhoods. Published by HotSpot Rentals, the rundown considered factors such as transit, affordability, restaurants, and weather while drawing its information from popular websites Yelp, Trip Advisor, TimeOut, Walk Score, and Apartment List.

Wicker Park and Logan Square respectively ranked 22nd and 19th and scored well with regards to walkability, transportation, and budget. Both Chicago neighborhoods suffered when it came to weather and came up on the lower end of the spectrum of entertainment offerings.

HotSpot Rentals

HotSpot Rentals

Despite claims of data-driven methodology, “coolness” lists will also carry a degree of subjectivity. While news that Logan and Wicker are “hot” is hardly shocking to people who live in Chicago, it is still nice to be recognized on a national stage.

Last week, Forbes published its 2017 edition of what it considers to be the nation’s 20 coolest cities. Not only did Chicago fail to make the cut, but the Midwest in general went largely overlooked. Praised by Forbes for its bars and high percentage of bicycle commuters, only Madison, Wisconsin single handedly represented the region at spot 15.

By contrast, lifestyle and travel publication Lonely Planet went slightly off the beaten path when it singled-out Chicago’s Avondale community as one the nation’s hottest, need-to-visit nighborhoods last month.

• 25 Hottest Neighborhoods in America [Hotspot Rentals]
• San Francisco Tops Our List Of America's Coolest Cities [Forbes]
• Avondale name one of the country’s hottest neighborhoods [Curbed Chicago]