Elmwood park , What is happing to it? (Chicago, Cicero: short sale, foreclosures)

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Elmwood Park is getting more diverse, but not more criminal...I just don't buy it.

You are wrong. Crime is up in the areas around Elmwood Park as well as a bit within it. Elmwood Park is on the endangered list of "safe" burbs.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

You are wrong. Crime is up in the areas around Elmwood Park as well as a bit within it. Elmwood Park is on the endangered list of "safe" burbs.

You don't have stats to support this. According to crime stats, crime is down sharply in Elmwood Park over the past decade.

I could easily see Elmwood Park and River Grove being the next ground zero for white flight in the western suburbs, but they can still be stable communities if they want to be. If the homeowners decided to stay put instead of running scared at the sight of minorities, things could stabilize. Also, as I said before, zoning needs to be set up and enforced to prevent too many conversions of single-family homes to rental units.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

You don't have stats to support this. According to crime stats, crime is down sharply in Elmwood Park over the past decade...

I (as well as others) have the stats to support the increase in crime in the areas around Elmwood Park for sure.

I know many people that live in Elmwood Park. I personally do think the crime stats are massaged in Elmwood Park.I can compare the Elmwood Park of today with that of yesterday.

The area around Elmwood Park and Elmwood Park itself are not the same as they where when I was growing up.

While I am not going to blame it all on "Hispanics" just because of their ethnicity, the area over there sure has changed for the worse in the last 10-15 years or so as more "Hispanics" have moved in.

It is just an observation.

The Harlem Irving Mall is on the path to going ghetto for example. When I was a teenager the thought of this happening was akin to NASA landing a man on Pluto.

[Avengerfire]

The fact of the matter here is the people that live in Elmwood Park always have held their neighbors to a high standard. Respect for your own property as well as others,proper public conduct,etc... Respect is the key word in this village. When people move in that do not respect their neighbors,their village, or themselves there is a problem.

Elmwood Park is not seeing a huge increase in murder and rape (yet). But gang activity like battery,assault,criminal defacement of property,and theft have increased the last decade or so.

People do not like what they see happening and nobody can blame them. When areas start to slide into crapiness it usually starts with the things I have mentioned above.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

I (as well as others) have the stats to support the increase in crime in the areas around Elmwood Park for sure.

I know many people that live in Elmwood Park. I personally do think the crime stats are massaged in Elmwood Park.I can compare the Elmwood Park of today with that of yesterday.

The area around Elmwood Park and Elmwood Park itself are not the same as they where when I was growing up.

While I am not going to blame it all on "Hispanics" just because of their ethnicity, the area over there sure has changed for the worse in the last 10-15 years or so as more "Hispanics" have moved in.

It is just an observation.

The Harlem Irving Mall is on the path to going ghetto for example. When I was a teenager the thought of this happening was akin to NASA landing a man on Pluto.

This is how White Flight happens. People just assume the town is going to hell because of business closings (the Harlem Irving Mall is obsolete, and that's why it now sucks) and the appearance of minorities. A general consensus may exist among Elmwood Park's old Italian residents that the town is going downhill, but that doesn't mean they are correct. Rumors and psychology have a lot to do with this.

I'd hate to see Elmwood Park and River Grove succumb to idiotic White Flight panic. People really just need to get a grip.

[crbcrbrgv]

And people wonder why I moved to Houston. Through reading many of these Chicago area threads one might get the impression that if my anglo self and my Mexican-American wife and mixed daughter moved to a town such as Elmwood Park the whole block would move to Naperville. I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

This is how White Flight happens. People just assume the town is going to hell because of business closings (the Harlem Irving Mall is obsolete, and that's why it now sucks) and the appearance of minorities. A general consensus may exist among Elmwood Park's old Italian residents that the town is going downhill, but that doesn't mean they are correct. Rumors and psychology have a lot to do with this.

I'd hate to see Elmwood Park and River Grove succumb to idiotic White Flight panic. People really just need to get a grip.

Elmwoods Parks large amount of Polish old timers and large amount of "Hispanic" old timers would agree with "Elmwood Park's old Italian residents that the town is going downhill."

It is not rumors and psychology that you speak of destroying that part of Chicago as well as Elmwood Parks growing problems.

I have seen the change with my own eyes in that area.

I actually know a few people that live in Elmwood Park that are "Hispanic" and are great people. This is not about ethnicity at all.

It is about people that grew up in a street gang culture and entitlement culture moving into working middle-class areas and bringing the communities down.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by crbcrbrgv

And people wonder why I moved to Houston. Through reading many of these Chicago area threads one might get the impression that if my anglo self and my Mexican-American wife and mixed daughter moved to a town such as Elmwood Park the whole block would move to Naperville. I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same.

This is not true. See my post above.

[Lookout Kid]

Austin has been crappy for decades now. Maywood too. Melrose Park seems to be the only nearby town that has really declined significantly in the last ten years. I guess the older rental buildings in Franklin Park have also gotten crappier (as will most older rental buildingns in the area).

I tend to think that if Elmwood Park goes down the tubes, River Grove will follow. But I think both areas will just experience moderate white flight with hard-working Hispanic homeowners taking their place. I suspect Elmwood Park will strongly resemble Berwyn in another twenty years. And like Berwyn, it will have a worse reputation than the reality on the ground.

[citygrl707]

I dont think its about the skin color of the person, its about the class of people moving in. I have seen alot of white drunks hanging out on the street as well. By drunks i mean they are drinking outside at 3-4:00 p.m. I do call the police, there is only so much they can do.

What the residence call the yellow park on 76th and fullerton, was so marked up it took the village hours to clean it up. Some of the parents that have moved into the area do not watch there children therefor they are causing all kinds of problems.

Robberies and theft is up in our area.

Elmwood park has been a mostly italian community but about then 8 years ago we have a real mix group of residences. I dont think that's a bad thing i like the diversity of our village.

My issues are the shooting going on that are not reported in the paper , there have been two so far, thank god no kid was hurt. I love to go for a walk and be able to take my kids to the park. I will continue to do so, but now we really have to be very careful were before we didn't.

Maybe people are moving because they were robbed or are afraid for their kids. Also the houses in elmwood park are very expensive, i wouldn't pay 400,000 for a house in a neighborhood that is become gang infected. The reasons for that is if i had to sell im would be taking a big loss. Also the property taxes in elmwood park are between 4,000-5,000 dollars , im sorry i can't afford that, so i rent.

Chicago and the surrounding suburbs have all kinds of area's i have been to most of them. I have seen a kid get shot to death years ago and i am trying my best to protect my children. Another thing the south side of chicago has cheaper houses doesn't mean i want to live there. We as parents have to think about our kids and our future.