Is Elmwood Park worth moving to?

[Hatchetman]

Chet, you realize the Metra goes through Elmwood Park, right? 44 Metra trains per day stop there.

Itasca is twice as far from the Loop.

Berwyn and Elmwood Park are similar. Elmwood Park is closer to the "amenities" of Oak Park/River Forest/Forest Park. There's a new Costco just down the street. Brand new Ca****'s supermarket.

I like Park Ridge, Niles, and Des Plaines too.

[chet everett]

Yes, if you look back in this thread there has been ample discussion of the fact that Metra does in fact serve EP, it is faster than the CTA buses to get to the Loop, and due to better service from towns on different lines, not as speedy as from those other towns. And make no mistake, basically no one that chooses to live in one of the towns along the BNSF does so SOLELY becuase of train service to the Loop. They are weighing the full range of pluses, which include schools, dining / shopping, housing styles, parks and the whole range of differentiators...

[Hatchetman]

Originally Posted by chet everett

and the whole range of differentiators...

Primarily $$$.

[tripsaw9]

i lived in elmwood park a few years ago my neighbors to the left and right of me were both italian one was sicilian and one was clabrazzie and they ended up on my lawn more then once trading blows with one another.......ahhhh, I miss Elmwood Park.

[PattieCakes]

We bought in Elmwood Park a few years ago. We live on the South Side, nearer to North Ave. and Harlem. We haven't experienced any criminal activity--minus a cop pulling over a drunk driver in front of our house, (which was actually incredibly entertaining). It's always quiet here--except the neighbors teenager who thinks its cool to rev his engine as he's coming down the street...but he's a kid and that's what they do. The cops wave to us when they drive by. We wave back. Some of our neighbors have lived here for thirty years and they say it's pretty much always quiet; almost lazily so. Our neighbors: Polish, Italian, Russian, Columbian, Puerto Rican, Mexican, more Italian, more Polish, and a few white bread European mutts like us. A smorgasboard of fantastic and diverse people. All watch each others houses and bring each other Christmas presents. All people you can have a block party and a beer with. Their occupations?---teachers, professors, internet technician, warehouse manager, restaurant owner, road construction, handymen, police officers, financiers, and the like.

Why did we buy in Elmwood Park as opposed to Oak Park?---Because we paid 125k less than we would have paid for the same size house four blocks away in Oak Park. We pay HALF the property taxes for roughly the same size house (and it's brick, not wood, which tends to be prominent in Oak Park). That's at least $6,000.00 a year saved in property tax. Whatever we save in property taxes can be spent on our children's private school education (if we choose to go that way)--or could be spent on two fantastic family vacations a year--or whatever. It takes us 5 minutes to drive to the Green Line El, or six minutes to walk to the METRA. Our house has great character; room to grow in but not so much that you have to buy a bunch of crap to fill it up with. And because walking to Johnny's for an ice in the dead heat of summer is just fantastic. And because our Italian neighbors make copious amounts of awesome wine.

Elmwood Park is lovely. Don't let anyone tell you differently.

[SamA]

Oh PattieCakes, I smile as I read your post. That's why we love the neighborhood too!! Everyone who wants "plain vanilla" living can go move to the far suburbs...