At first it was not clear where the ritual hex would be performed. Then three women strode purposefully across Kedzie Avenue, black capes blowing in the wind. They stopped at the corner of Kedzie and Milwaukee and proceeded to unload a large bundle of black pens, a lighter, several sticks of incense, comment cards, stickers, and a packet of neatly printed half-sheets detailing the hex and the protective spell of the day, in both English and Spanish.
Rapid high-end development, including the construction of the 606 elevated trail, has worried many longtime residents, who fear that housing prices are rising too quickly and will soon push them out. Currently about 10 percent of residential development must be reserved for affordable housing, but many locals say that isn’t enough; a recent study by the Metropolitan Planning Council found that more than half of renters in Logan Square pay more for housing than they can afford.
“I like to see what the young witches look like,” Nuckolls said, surveying the scene, “because I’m an old witch.”
“We’ve never seen a seance before,” one said.
