The Curbed Cup, our annual award to the Chicago neighborhood of the year, is kicking off with 16 neighborhoods vying for the prestigious victory. For this week, we'll introduce two matchups per day, and on Friday, the results from the tournament bracket will be revealed. Voting for each pairing ends 24 hours after it begins. Let the eliminations commence!
Last winter's harsh weather and brutally cold temperatures didn't just chill Chicagoans to the core, but it also took a major toll on Andersonville's iconic Swedish flag adorned water tower. The longtime symbol of the North Side neighborhood had to be removed earlier this year due to safety concerns, however Andersonville residents have banded together to bring their water tower back to its rightful place. As one reader expressed rather enthusiastically, "Did you see how the neighborhood (and the city) reacted when the beloved, Swedish flagged water tower had to be removed from the Swedish American Museum?! An entire neighborhood's identity was compromised and the neighborhood has rallied to raise thousands of dollars to have it replaced/replicated. What other neighborhood in this city has more pride than Andersonville?! Few, if any, is the answer to that question."
Similar to Andersonville, Logan Square has its own iconic symbol that stands in the middle of the neighborhood. And this year has been a very big year of change for Logan Square. The neighborhood is now the focus of some major residential and retail developments that will change the area even further. But of course this flurry of new proposals didn't come without some good old fashioned drama. From the farmers market, to the Logan Theatre to the long grassy boulevards, and even a future "urban orchard" — Logan Square is in high demand and developers are rushing into the neighborhood in hopes of cashing in on the quickly gentrifying neighborhood.
·Previous Andersonville coverage [Curbed Chicago]
·Previous Logan Square coverage [Curbed Chicago]
·Curbed Cup 2014 archives [Curbed Chicago]
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