Burbank, IL - opinions? (Chicago, Cicero: apartment, daycare, new home)

[Bob Loblaw]

[Thanks to you all for the info on your neighborhoods from my other thread. It really does help! I decided to try to get that one back on topic & start new threads for different villages & neighborhoods if I can't find good info in threads already out there by using the search button.]

What's the skinny on Burbank? As I always do here, I did a search on an area and I didn't get too much specific info on Burbank. No decent pictures, either. What's it like? Is there a "main street" with shops there or is it just a neighborhood? The schools seem decent and the housing is halfway affordable (yet small) and it's within 20 minutes of Midway. Anyone got any pics and is there a dirty secret that I should know?

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by Bob Loblaw

[Thanks to you all for the info on your neighborhoods from my other thread. It really does help! I decided to try to get that one back on topic & start new threads for different villages & neighborhoods if I can't find good info in threads already out there by using the search button.]

What's the skinny on Burbank? As I always do here, I did a search on an area and I didn't get too much specific info on Burbank. No decent pictures, either. What's it like? Is there a "main street" with shops there or is it just a neighborhood? The schools seem decent and the housing is halfway affordable (yet small) and it's within 20 minutes of Midway. Anyone got any pics and is there a dirty secret that I should know?

It’s like a typical, working class southwest side Chicago neighborhood. A very flat and grid-like residential area with its businesses primarily located on 79th and 87th St, which are main arteries servicing the entire region. Demographically, it’s primarily white working class with a large percentage of Poles and former residents of Chicago neighborhoods who wanted a safer but yet affordable area. Housing stock isn’t much to write home about – primarily plain 1950s era ranches with a lot of teardowns going on lately. Not a lot of trees. No public transit beyond buses. That’s about all I know.

Underwhelming but if you’re looking for something safe, sane and affordable, I suppose it’s ok. It's the Ford Taurus and Chevy Impala of suburbs, hehe (probably why there's not much on it -- it doesn't get the juices flowing). As to "dirty secrets," about the only thing I can think of is whether it is seeing or will see a large influx of Latinos given its low cost and convenience. Most working class enclaves like this have. No big deal in and of itself but you have to watch out for the “white flight” which could follow it. If you're progressive, that's probably no big deal but if you have a low tolerance for diversity, you may find yourself in a pickle.

[prairiestate]

It is an attractive, mostly residential town, of about 30,000 residents. They used to have a lot of small frame homes on large lots. Those have largely been torn down, and replaced with McMansions with little land left for a yard, and these new homes are suprisingly expensive for a working class community. There are also plenty of modest brick homes in the city, which are still standing. The main streets of 79th St. and 87th St. have a lot of strip malls, gas stations, fast food restaurants, and apartment buildings. Nothing quaint or charming there. Cicero Ave. is lined with more of the same, along with a lot of big box stores north of 79th St. There is a great deal of diversity, with very substantial Arab, Hispanic and Polish populations. Schools are ok, nothing special, but not terrible. There has been some problems with gang activity, particularly in the northeast corner of the city, and vandalism and graffiti has been a problem in the city parks. There's no particular reason to live there, unless you need to live in the area, and you happen to find a home you like.

[linda5109]

Burbank is a very unattractive industrial type town. Its Mexican influence so I don't know what your nationality is. My brother had to move his kids out of Burbank because the influx of drugs available. Mostly blue collar workers. Burbank is near Ford City Mall where there is a lot of gangs (shooting not too long ago inside the mall).

Try Palos Hills, Palos Heights, Orland Park.

[NYrules]

Burbank is ok if you are just starting out, but if you have the money to spend and are looking for a higher end home then look further out like Palos Heights, Park, or Hills, and also check out Orland and Tinley Park. Property values in those towns are steadily climbing and the areas are still pretty much gang free unless you count the rich little white kids sluffin down the street in the Abercrombie/preppy style clothes and $200 shoes.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by linda5109

Burbank is a very unattractive industrial type town. Its Mexican influence so I don't know what your nationality is. My brother had to move his kids out of Burbank because the influx of drugs available. Mostly blue collar workers. Burbank is near Ford City Mall where there is a lot of gangs (shooting not too long ago inside the mall).

Try Palos Hills, Palos Heights, Orland Park.

Exhibit A to what I was saying. You'll find yourself dealing with these types of attitudes and you have to ask whether you can handle that.

[Bob Loblaw]

good input. thanks to everyone & please keep posting.

[Windy City John]

Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 27,902 people, 9,317 households, and 7,267 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,583.5/km² (6,686.7/mi²). There were 9,518 housing units at an average density of 881.3/km² (2,281.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.67% White, 0.26% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.76% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.95% from other races, and 3.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.09% of the population, including 8.8% of Mexican descent.
The top five non-Hispanic ancentries reported in Burbank as of the 2000 census were Polish (30.3%), Irish (18.7%), German (16.1%), Italian (9.3%) and Arab (4.6%).[1] Burbank's 8,427 Polish residents gave it a higher total in that regard than such much larger cities as Charlotte, North Carolina, Memphis, Tennessee and Washington, D.C.
There were 9,317 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.8% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.44.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $49,388, and the median income for a family was $56,279. Males had a median income of $38,994 versus $26,651 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,923. About 4.5% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

[Glenn84]

Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen,

All your information has been helpful. I wish I could just stay in Berwyn, but my wife insists on Burbank. From the sounds of it, I won't like Burbank. We need to stay on the Southside becasue our daycare provider lives in Northwest side of Cicero.
I had someone recommend me Beverly Hills, Chicago.

[fusillirob1983]

I'm far more familiar with Burbank, but from what I know about Berwyn I would rank Burbank a little higher. I don't know what other factors are included. Where are both you and your wife working?