Berwyn??? (Chicago, Cicero, Oak Park: for sale, crimes, houses)

[dunlly]

I'm pretty convinced that I want my fiance and I to buy a house in Berwyn. I've seen a few pro Berwyn posts on here so I figured I would see if anyone had advice as to what I should be looking for or where is best to look. I'm interested in living in an actual neighborhood (neighbors speak with each other). I look forward to hearing suggestions. Cheers.

[dunlly]

Your home sounds wonderful but I'm trying to stay under 220,000. I've seen a few houses that look nice in 2400th block of various streets and some around 14th street. Cheers.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by chisox74

if you choose berwyn my advice would be move south of the metra/amtrak (29th/30th)...i'm actually selling my house.what a coincidence..3 bed 1 1.5 bath brick english tudor,fin. basement..250,000...FYI

I wouldn't say you have to limit it that much. Anything south of 22nd is usually pretty good. The area near Proksa Park is beautiful, and is served by a good elementary school (Emerson) and decent middle school (Heritage). Roosevelt Road is rapidly changing for the better so a house near the FitzGerald's area in north Berwyn may be a good bet for future appreciation.

[City4less]

I would stay west of Oak Park avenue, the neighborhoods are quieter and the houses are prettier. As far as north berwyn goes the I-290 access is way better and that area looks most promising in terms of future appreciation. While the area near proksa park is nice it is $ more and there is BNSK congestion down there-- lots of traffic. For better commuting I recommend Northwest berwyn... you will be able to walk home from Fitzgeralds, walk to the Congress Blue Line and if you drive, you'll be at I-290 in a flash. I like Wisconsin Ave in north berwyn and near proksa park.. it;s the best.

[hostage-IL]

Originally Posted by BRU67

I wouldn't say you have to limit it that much. Anything south of 22nd is usually pretty good. The area near Proksa Park is beautiful, and is served by a good elementary school (Emerson) and decent middle school (Heritage). Roosevelt Road is rapidly changing for the better so a house near the FitzGerald's area in north Berwyn may be a good bet for future appreciation.

I've read many of your posts about Berwyn in several threads, but this one brings back memories to me. I grew up in Berwyn for my first 30 years from the early 60's to '86 . Graduated from MWHS in '74. We lived on Wenonah Ave & 29th right by Proksa (that is pronounced PROSKA—if you are really a true Berwynite!) My grandparents used to live on Oak Pk Ave and 16th. My mom and aunts were born and raised there too. I used to have high school friends that lived in some of those bungalows on Maple between 29th and 31st. Proska Park used to be like a small forest back in the 60's/70's The shrubs and trees were so thick you could literally hide there without being seen. Now it's pretty barren in comparison. I used to go ice skating in Proska Park when they used to make ice rings there in the winter. It used to have a warming house right at the 29th PL entrance. Long been torn down. I remember when Oak Park Ave was lined with mature Dutch Elms that used to form a cathedral-like canopy from 22nd to 12th Sts. That was when they had the concrete lamp posts with the homey light bulbs, instead of the mercury vapor ones they installed in the mid-60's.

And do you remember the Winekellar that used to be on the corner of Roosevelt and Ridgeland? They used to have a microbrewery there. A great place to relax and have a litre of Gemütlicheit. It burned down a long time ago. We moved out of Berwyn in '86 because my mother wanted to get away from the Chicago area and move up to MN for her retirement. I only have one long time friend whose parents still live on Maple Ave & 29th. Everyone else I knew, or grew up with, has long since moved out of Berwyn because that's how life goes. One of my childhood friend's parent recently sold their Victorian house on Home Ave & 31st because they are old and the house is too much to take care of. After living there for decades raising 10 kids. For me, it really marks the end of an era of a period of life that things are moving on. For me, Berwyn will always hold those childhood growing up memories because it was "home" for me.

I still love the bungalows in Berwyn. There is no place like it. And yes, there were always gangs even when I was growing up. But back in those days they used to wear sweaters with their colors and the their nicknames and gang affiliation. They used baseball bats and chains, and sometimes knives (kinda like what you see in West Side Story) when they went out to fight their rivals. Never heard of guns. Then there was the famous "Food Fight" of '74 when they completely closed down MW because things got SO out of hand they couldn't control it. Never to be duplicated.

Thanks for the memories

[potter]

Please dont compare the neighborhood guys in the 70s and 80s in berwyn to these heartless thugs now present in town. Much different scenerio-there was very little or no gun violence- drive bys are the new sissy way of gangs- where more times then not the dumb thug hits an innocent victim-sometimes a young child. These inner city actions were never in Berwyn or even Cicero 25 years ago- So please do not even try to compare the strong and proud town that it once was to the garbage that has moved in and forced good, law abiding people out. Do you really feel safe walking down Roosevelt road in Berwyn at night?

[hostage-IL]

Uh... Huh!? Who are you talkin' to, bro? The way it usually works, if you are addressing someone, is you "quote" them. I have no idea who you are talking to or what you are referring to.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by hostage-IL

And do you remember the Winekellar that used to be on the corner of Roosevelt and Ridgeland? They used to have a microbrewery there. A great place to relax and have a litre of Gemütlicheit. It burned down a long time ago. We moved out of Berwyn in '86 because my mother wanted to get away from the Chicago area and move up to MN for her retirement. I only have one long time friend whose parents still live on Maple Ave & 29th. Everyone else I knew, or grew up with, has long since moved out of Berwyn because that's how life goes. One of my childhood friend's parent recently sold their Victorian house on Home Ave & 31st because they are old and the house is too much to take care of. After living there for decades raising 10 kids. For me, it really marks the end of an era of a period of life that things are moving on. For me, Berwyn will always hold those childhood growing up memories because it was "home" for me.

Thanks for the memories

Winekellar was long gone before I moved to the area. If it's the same place I'm thinking of, it was Duke's Roadhouse for awhile and, more recently, the unfortunate Inclusive nightclub. It's inclusive alright -- inclusive of the entire Berwyn and Oak Park police departments every other weekend, heh. Fortunately, the building is for sale and the place is probably not long for this world (we can hope). The Roosevelt Road strip is doing well now (a cigar shop opened next to it and Berwyn's first Thai restaurant is opening right down the street) so, hopefully, we'll get something decent in that space. A microbrewery would be nice!

Now, if you'll excuse me, it's after dark so I have some heartless thuggery go commit

[potter]

Originally Posted by hostage-IL

Uh... Huh!? Who are you talkin' to, bro? The way it usually works, if you are addressing someone, is you "quote" them. I have no idea who you are talking to or what you are referring to.

Obviously, I am referring to your quote that ridiculously trys to compare the new Berwyn as having the same problems of Old Berwyn. Much different clientele and type of crimes these days. Good luck if anyone on this thread tries to prove that the town is better off now.

[Johnny Northside]

Originally Posted by BRU67

Winekellar was long gone before I moved to the area. If it's the same place I'm thinking of, it was Duke's Roadhouse

The Weinkellar was west of Ridgeland, on the southeast corner of Elmwood and Roosevelt. Great place. The brewing equipment was visible through the picture windows facing Roosevelt and Elmwood, and there were at least 2-3 large rooms for the bar/restaurant. It closed in the late '90s and was vacant for a while before the bakery claimed the land and paved it over for parking when they expanded. Used to sell their brands in large glass bottles to carry out. Their most memorable was the Berliner, but they also had a raspberry weiss among maybe about 8-10 in-house offerings including seasonals. There was another location in Westmont that survived a little longer.