Near West Suburbs (Chicago, Berwyn, Downers Grove: rentals, houses, schools)

[Mr Bigman]

I looked at the towns of Lyons, Justice ,and Summit.

These towns have high precentages of white people living their and the incomes are pretty decent, but the problem i have with these towns are when you drive through them, you feel like your in a retired bikers town, or hillbillyish feeling to it cuz of the nasty looking yards and laundry on ropes and i couldn't help noticing a car up on cinderblocks in a front yard ot 2.

Friends say, that these towns had a rap back than with whorehouses and lots of latenight bars but that element os gone.

I did hear the rents are decent there but is it true that these towns tend to have retired bikers and hillbillies?

I mentioned it cuz alot of people from Kentucky who want to live in the Chicaog area go to these towns.

[chet everett]

Not too sure about "retired bikers and hillbillies" but these areas are closer to what used to be a HUGE industrial complex -- literally tens of thousands of jobs in the aluminum, chemicals, and locomotive factories are gone... The strip clubs are long gone, the bars are much quieter... The schools are a mixed bag, some are OK, but mostly a lot of non-English speaking kids of immigrants in others. Close to Stevenson so getting into City is easy and the drive to SW 'burbs is OK too -- some folks with experience in the metals and chemical/refining industries probably commute down 294 into the Hoosier State...

[johnm68]

Actually, I think you're on to something here, at least with respect to Summit and Lyons (I am unfamiliar with Justice). It seems to me that the predominant demographic in these towns is, for lack of a better term, Native White working class, with, as you note, quite a few with southern roots. I'm not sure how to explain this except by comparison to two other suburbs in the general area--Berwyn and North Riverside.

I suspect that the average income in these 4 suburbs is within a 10-15K range. However, the demographic in Berwyn and North Riverside is (or was), I think, "white ethnic" (although Berwyn has seen a large influx of Hispanics over the past 10 years, to the point where the white ethnics are no longer a majority). As a general rule, the Italians and Bohemians in these suburbs are considerably more fastidious about their homes than the southern whites (and descendents thereof) who make up a good perecentage of Lyons and Summit. As a side note, it seems to me that there has been an influx of Balkan immigrants into Lyons over the past few years--I'm not sure if they are Serbs, Bosnians, or Montenegrins, and I really wouldn't like to inquire in case I guessed wrong...

[Mr Bigman]

Why do these southern white migrate to Lyons or Summit?

Is there something about the area that atracks these people?

I know Justice is full of i don't wanna say on here but you might figure it out and its southern.

It could be cuz of the unkept lawns in these towns and all the home styles that atrract these people from the south.

I call them retired bikers cuz they have that rebel, smoker attitude.

They hang out in the Hodkins Walmart. There usually big burly white leather jacket wearing rednecks who come their.

I live in berwyn and we are full of Hispanics and its getting worse and please someone on here explain why they come to this area of Chicago.

[chet everett]

Maybe it looks like home? With the S&S canal it has kind of "rivertown" feel to it -- lots of guys fish down by the discharge from the sanitary district... There is a lot of more variation in geology, with some parts of even Archer Ave having kind of "Ozarks" look with the dense forest preserve and rocky faces close to the roadway...

The "live bait" vending machines are something you don't see too much of outside the "sportsmen paradise" type areas.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by Mr Bigman

Why do these southern white migrate to Lyons or Summit?

Is there something about the area that atracks these people?

I know Justice is full of i don't wanna say on here but you might figure it out and its southern.

It could be cuz of the unkept lawns in these towns and all the home styles that atrract these people from the south.

I call them retired bikers cuz they have that rebel, smoker attitude.

They hang out in the Hodkins Walmart. There usually big burly white leather jacket wearing rednecks who come their.

I live in berwyn and we are full of Hispanics and its getting worse and please someone on here explain why they come to this area of Chicago.

I thought you were moving? There's a thread above about rentals in Downers Grove. You should go check it out.

[Mr Bigman]

I would like to move but with this economic crisis that Bush put us into, its hard to sell and with Berwyn being so crooked like they are, its hard to pass inspections.

Looking into it for sure cuz living next door to yucaflatts is dring me vim.

You mentioned it being like the ozarks why? I never seen rocky areas at archer.

Summit is pretty much a dive but Lyons aint that bad just alot of hillbillies and ex bikers.

[ahava]

Originally Posted by Mr Bigman

You mentioned it being like the ozarks why? I never seen rocky areas at archer.

Drive down Archer through Willow Springs and you will see what chet is talking about.

[Mr Bigman]

Oh, ok i know now.

Yea that area is prettty much the element of a small kentucky town.

More west things get better cuz of money and class.