Thoughts on Berwyn? (Cicero, Palatine, Hoffman Estates: cul-de-sac, sales, house) - Chicago Suburbs - Illinois (IL) - Page 3 - City-Data Forum

chitownperson · 12-30-2012, 09:52 AM

I agree that there are myths about places that need to be dispelled from time to time, as it's all too easy for some people to get a few peices of data and start making assumptions about a place. Data always needs to be contextualised for it to be truly representational.

chet everett · 12-30-2012, 10:07 AM

What is the differnce between "contextualize" and "making excuses"?

CityToBurbs75 · 12-31-2012, 09:48 AM

Chet,

I don't think anyone is "making excuses" for Berwyn. The main point of my earlier response to prinsessa was to dispell one myth: That Oak Park and Berwyn are in the same real estate price tier. They're not apples to apples, but some people post about them like they are.

Oak Park's a nice town, good schools, lots of cafes, but there's one thing it isn't, and that's cheap. People looking for a SFH at $200,000-level are not all willing to settle for a condo. That's why there's so much interest in Berwyn. The OP's that are asking about Berwyn aren't in the market for Oak Park.

BRU67 · 12-31-2012, 10:04 AM

Berwyn has the best majority-minority and majority-low income middle and elementary schools in the State of Illinois in terms of ISAT scores, by far. Not sure how many middle and upper middle class people consider this a strong selling point but it's true. Insofar as excuses go, many of them feature scores that keep up with the excellent schools in Oak Park, and other places with strong schools, so they're really not making any.

I agree many are getting a bit tired of hearing the low performance of the high school explained away by administrators and school board members as, in a nutshell, "hey, look at what we have to work with here." If the elementary and middle schools are doing it, they should be able to also. I only hope more and more people start demanding accountability.

chitownperson · 12-31-2012, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chet everett

What is the differnce between "contextualize" and "making excuses"?

You should buy a dictionary.

LakeShoreSoxGo · 01-01-2013, 05:24 PM

Berwyn will look like Cicero in 15 years, once the rest of the white folk pass on or leave.

prinsessa · 01-02-2013, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CityToBurbs75

Chet,

I don't think anyone is "making excuses" for Berwyn. The main point of my earlier response to prinsessa was to dispell one myth: That Oak Park and Berwyn are in the same real estate price tier. They're not apples to apples, but some people post about them like they are.

Oak Park's a nice town, good schools, lots of cafes, but there's one thing it isn't, and that's cheap. People looking for a SFH at $200,000-level are not all willing to settle for a condo. That's why there's so much interest in Berwyn. The OP's that are asking about Berwyn aren't in the market for Oak Park.

I don't think Oak Park and Berwyn are in the same real estate price tier. There are quite a few very expensive houses in Oak Park but there are also quite a few reasonable houses. In my experience the bungalows in Oak Park and Berwyn weren't much different in price. This was a few years ago so prices in Berwyn may have dropped. When I was looking for a house, people kept telling me that I should look at Berwyn and then send my kids to private school for High School. The taxes for comparable houses in Oak Park were only $2000-3000 more than Berwyn. Didn't really seem worth it to pay more for private school. Plus we don't really know the future of Berwyn. Oak Park has always been a desirable suburb. If my kids were much younger, I would probably take my chances with Berwyn. I just didn't want to take that chance with a High School age child. And I know Condo living isn't for many people.