Berwyn YES or NO... fill me in!!! (Chicago, Cicero: to buy, school district)

[VNLO]

Originally Posted by CityToBurbs75

I'm curious. Where is Berwyn do you live? My wife and I are considering buying our first home, and we've looked at Berwyn.

We live in central Berwyn, just south of Cermak and East. We were looking specifically for bungalows and found the most options around here. That said, there are really beautiful homes in many styles in south Berwyn (probably the nicest part of town). Meanwhile, north Berwyn has a ton of interesting things happening with the Roosevelt Road development project, plus it's walkable from the Blue Line.

Hope that helps! Definitely reach out with any other questions you have as you're looking around.

[AuDiBelle]

I haven't read through all 22 pages of this thread, but some of the posters here make it seem like Berwyn is a 3rd world country of sorts. This has not been my experience whatsoever. I don't live in Berwyn, but I've worked there for over 10 years. Berwyn is a solidly middle class neighborhood with great housing stock and so-so schools (not outstanding but not horrible either). There is a large hispanic contingent, but I have never encountered anything close to gang activity or crime other than a soccer mom in a Chevy Suburban committing a hit and run on a parked car the other day. I've never felt unsafe walking around, but I'm typically only there during the day so I cannot comment about nighttime activity.

The houses in and around Oak Park Ave south of the tracks are beautiful. Big, historic victorians, four squares, brownstones, etc along tree lined streets. And, the homes are typically very well kept. People there take pride in their homes and it shows. Aesthetically speaking, I would take Berwyn over Brookfield. Not trying to be a cheerleader for Berwyn, but I thought I'd put a little perspective into this thread. Berwyn is a nice, affordable, middle class, diverse town.

[Humboldt1]

Riverside is very nice. I drove thru their last night on my way to LaGrange.

Bru,

You are right about the new improvements. They look nice. However, it all comes down to the people that shop in the area. There is a reason you have Marshalls/H and M vs Nordstrom Rack.

I still think the close proximity to North Riverside hurts that part of Berwyn. As I said before, there are better parts of Berwyn, particularly south of the tracks.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

Riverside is very nice. I drove thru their last night on my way to LaGrange.

Bru,

You are right about the new improvements. They look nice. However, it all comes down to the people that shop in the area. There is a reason you have Marshalls/H and M vs Nordstrom Rack.

I still think the close proximity to North Riverside hurts that part of Berwyn. As I said before, there are better parts of Berwyn, particularly south of the tracks.

I guess I don't view it as gravely, maybe because I'm used to it. I've been there more than a few times and never had an issue, and think they keep the Mall reasonably clean. We'd all like to have only the most affluent of income and discriminate of taste shopping near us, but people of all demographics need places to go shopping too. It is what it is.

I think over time, those nice improvements at CP, particularly once Meijer goes in there, and the new development in place of the stereo shop and Mi Terra is built, you'll slowly start to see higher end businesses on the two Berwyn corners. As to Mall, they seem to be doing quite well with the formula they have, so I wouldn't look for any massive rebranding anytime soon. Fortunately, for those with a weak stomach, the Oak Brook Mall is only 15-20 minutes away down Cermak.

South of the tracks in Berwyn, particularly the Proksa Park area and area around MacNeal, has been viewed for awhile as the nicer part of Berwyn. But there are nice areas on the north side too. With north Berwyn, you have better access to the L, and a more "city" feel that some people prefer.

[VNLO]

Berwyn was recently named on several lists in the latest This Old House "Best Old House Neighborhoods." Check it out: Berwyn, Illinois | Best Old House Neighborhoods 2011: The Midwest | Photos | Home & Real Estate | This Old House

It's included on the following lists: The Midwest, Cottages & Bungalows, Singles, Easy Commute, Victorians

[madpaddy]

Originally Posted by GoCUBS1

I think it's the way the name rolls off the tongue - Berrrrrrrr-wyn. It just makes me smile when I say it....I also have happy thoughts about Svengoolie,...

Sad to say, but Son of Svengoolie and "Berrrr-wynnn" was the first thing that popped in my mind when I saw the thread topic, and I haven't seen that show in at least 25 years.

[chet everett]

The number of times I have seen a classic pre-WWII bungalow in Berwynn with an attractive exterior but an interior that just is not working really sours me on these kinds of lists.

Here is a typical example:
1819 S Wisconsin Ave, BERWYN, IL 60402 | MLS# 07685289

The bath and kitchen on this make any yucky tract home from the 1970s look stunning by comparison. Toss in the fact that there are really THREE bedroom on one level (so it lives like a crowded ranch) and then the MASTER is in the attic while the "second bath" is in the BASEMENT and this just has all the worst features of a poorly thought out addition...

Is this one really listed at $80K more just for moving the quasi-legal 4th bedroom to the basement? 2307 S ELMWOOD, BERWYN, IL 60402 | MLS# 07740474

I have seen of the places that are really MASTERPIECES on the Berwyn bungalow tour -- VIDEO/PHOTO SLIDESHOW: Residents tout bungalows for tour - Berwyn, IL - Berwyn Life but with the current depressed state of real estate in towns with much more going for 'em I really question the sanity of some the people who have sunk so much into homes were neighboring homes and the schools are not an appeal...

Everything is relative. Barrie Park is not my favorite part of Oak Park, and the $8,000+ tax bill caused even me to do snort some coffee out of my nose, but maybe if you can swing that and build a garage and squeeze in some renovations this is at least has a nicer sounding address: 1117 S Taylor Ave, Oak Park, IL 60304 | MLS# 07716103

Originally Posted by VNLO

Berwyn was recently named on several lists in the latest This Old House "Best Old House Neighborhoods." Check it out: Berwyn, Illinois | Best Old House Neighborhoods 2011: The Midwest | Photos | Home & Real Estate | This Old House

It's included on the following lists: The Midwest, Cottages & Bungalows, Singles, Easy Commute, Victorians

[JacksonPanther]

What of the point of complaining about the Berwyn and Oak Park houses, given the price point they are at? Unless you can identify houses at that same price point, with the same location close to Chicago, then it's just blowing smoke.

Sure I can find a better house in Oak Park for $400K, or I can find a better house at a similar price 40 miles outside Chicago. I assume your argument is that no one should live in OP unless they can spend above $350K.

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[chet everett]

Not complaining about them per se, more just sorta bewildered why / how so many folks seem to ignore the reality about the size /condition /pricing of the places in Berwyn.
When one does factor in the current price spread for Oak Park things looks even wackier.
The Oak Park house at $219K is "sandwiched" between two Berwyn listings, one at $170K & another at $249K.

While none of these are in the fantastic locations, neither do any of these strike me as particularly unrepresentative of the towns... 2307 S Elmwood Ave, Berwyn, IL 60402 to 1117 S Taylor Ave, Oak Park, IL 60304 - Google Maps

I really don't think you would need to go 40 miles outside the City to do MUCH better, and in many of the towns that are just a wee bit west of Oak Park or Berwyn the quality of the schools, parks and other amenities, together with having TONS of listed above you to protect your investment seems a no-brainer...

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I really don't think you would need to go 40 miles outside the City to do MUCH better, and in many of the towns that are just a wee bit west of Oak Park or Berwyn the quality of the schools, parks and other amenities, together with having TONS of listed above you to protect your investment seems a no-brainer...

I'll use your word - find some listings that are just a wee bit further. Elmhurst is not a wee bit, by the way... We already know you don't like Forest Park or N Riverside. Nor will you like Westchester because of the high school. I assume you will say Brookfield, although again I dispute that it's just a wee bit further west.

Also, the listings need to be similarly priced - from $170 to $240 - and they need to appear somewhat better than the Berwyn listing, to make up for the worse location.

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