Berwyn's Depot District - Safe to buy and raise family? (Chicago: mortgage, relocate)

[pman1]

Hi,

I've been seeing a lot of nice homes being offered for sale in Berwyn's Depot DIstrict around the Metra line (South Berwyn?). I know parts of Berwyn can be rough, but how does this area look, in terms of safety and potential?

I am aware that some condo building is going on in the area and I am thinking of starting a family there and purchasing a home.

Are there things to do in this area? Should I be concerned about potential re-sale value if I buy? Is that area safe?

Any thoughts and comments would be appreciated!

[Burr Oak]

The area around the Berwyn train depot seems to becoming very popular. The housing is very good, and reasonably priced. Metra is a fast & inexpensive way of getting into downtown Chicago, so commuting is a real plus. MacNeal Hospital is a high quality teaching hospital. We get the local papers, and there seems to be little crime. I'd have no concerns about living there.

[HOWELL_STREET]

Dear Friends:

Personally, I would not buy a home anywhere East of La Grange, Illinois. In my own viewpoint, that is the transistional radii point in Chicago's suburban collar counties. Since you are asking about Berwyn, IL then also ask yourself why so many homes are for sale when so many people are moving to the Chicago area? Should they not be snatched up? Well, perhaps people know something that they aren't talking about?

Another point to also consider is - - IF you buy a home right now - - are you going to become "Upside - Down" in the future? And that is a very good possibility. Upside - Down means that one owes more on the mortgage than the house is worth. So for about one year, why not consider just renting a home to see what happens to our real estate market that is in terrible shape due to the Sub - Prime Mortgage mess. After renting a house for one year, perhaps the selling prices could be down 40% from now like several mortgage processors have quietly stated.

Carter Glass,
Wheaton, IL

[via chicago]

I've lived in the area for 23 years. Is Berwyn perfect? What is. Is it as bad as some people here make it sound? Not by a long shot. If you can handle living in any quote unquote hip area in the city, Berwyn will come as a relief in most instances. I have never had one single issue in the time I've lived here. And yes, the housing stock is incredible.


















In regards to Howell about why there are for sale signs: the real estate market is in the crapper. B) the school district is not the best. We have had 2 young families move in next door to us, stay for 7-8 years, but then relocate as the kids start to get older. Its not a knock on the city, they've all liked it here. Its a knock on the schools (and in all fairness, its the high school in particular. the grade schools arent bad)

[BRU67]

What’s being “snatched up” in this market anyway? Please point out that mystical land to me, so thou shall invest. The housing market is dead all over the nation. To single out Berwyn is beyond ridiculous, especially in light of the huge gains it posted in housing values over the past 8-10 years.

Anyway, Via Chicago hits the nail on the head. Housing stock is great. If you haven’t seen a Chicago Bungalow up close, try one. Great homes and remarkably practical. Many amenities are within walking distance, as in any inner ring suburb or Chicago neighborhood. You don’t have to spend $300/month in gas to live here. Schools need improvement, as Via said, but there are efforts to do that, and the elementary and middle schools are decent as it is. Morton West, not so much, but again, attention is on it, and your kid can still actually succeed even there if, you know, you pay attention to what he/she is doing.

In short, yes, I think it’s safe, and yes, I think it will be a good investment. Despite the naysayers, the “Back to the City” movement is very real and shows that there is clearly a demand for quality housing with character near major city centers. Berwyn’s probably more convenient to the Loop than more than half of actual Chicago neighborhoods. I think as fuel prices continue to rise, that demand will increase, despite the present (overall) market downturn.

[Burr Oak]

The comment from the guy in Wheaton is beyond silly. Check Riverside's prices against Wheaton's. Check Riverside's schools against Wheaton's. Riverside-Brookfield H.S. was ranked 3rd in the state, 29th in the nation by Newsweek. District 96 blows away Wheaton's grammar schools. How about Oak Park? Check its housing prices against Wheaton's. Oak Park probably has more PhD's than Wheaton has church goers. Take a look at River Forest. All east of LaGrange Road. Berwyn is an up and coming neighborhood, with good housing at very affordable prices. It's also on the Metra line (about 15 minutes into the city). It'll be a great place to live when gas gets to $5 a gallon (probably next year).

[sukwoo]

The guy in Wheaton has a long-standing bias against the city of Chicago (and apparently most of Cook County) based upon an unpleasant experience he had about 50 years ago. As a result, he refuses to even set foot in the city, likely due to the well known fact that 50% of all Chicagoans are murdered ever year.

In all fairness, he's honest and upfront about his bias and is perfectly entitled to his misguided opinion. His viewpoint is probably representative of a subset of his generation which vividly remembers the bad days of the late 60s to early 80s.