Elmwood park , What is happing to it? (Oak Park, Elmhurst: section 8, apartment complex)

[citygrl707]

Over ten year resident of elmwood park , i dont know what is happening to it. So many garages are tagged up and it kind of getting unsafe. I use to love it , now i am a little worried. How can we clean it up and make it what it once was??

[Johnny Northside]

Yeah it's a sad state, isn't it? I believe the gentrification of Wicker Park, Logan Square, etc., has had an indirect effect on the demographics of Elmwood Park. What formerly made those city neighborhoods "bad" hasn't <poof!> disappeared -- it has been relocated west to Cragin, Montclare, etc. EP held out for a while, but the housing stock in the north part of town -- including the middle-of-the-block six flats, etc., just couldn't support the needs of the existing population.

It doesn't help that EP is a very conservative town (as opposed to Oak Park, say). Instead of staying and embracing the town's new diversity, many of the old Italians are relocating to Elmhurst and beyond and their children aren't replacing them. That breaks the chain of multiple generations who were born, grew up and remained in EP.

Also, the public schools are a slight negative. While the academics are OK, the schools will never *really* excel because the people in power in the village don't have a vested interest in their success -- they all send their kids to the Catholic schools. The public schools also got some bad public relations a couple of years ago when they tried to stop an illegal alien from attending the middle school.

It's a darn shame, too, because the south part of EP especially is a beautiful area, as well as the Westwood bungalow belt on the NW side of town. Because of the train station in the middle of town and the proximity to Oak Park and River Forest, I think EP is in better shape than Melrose Park, but it's definitely tipping a little bit in that direction.

Preserving the community will require those in power to recognize the new challenges that are on their doorstep. Not sure they have done that yet.

[Humboldt1]

Elmwood Park is not what it once was and I don't see it returning to that anytime soon. I believe the Maywood effect is starting to happen along with many hispanics from surrounding Melrose Park moving in to what was formerly an Italian and Eastern European fortress.

Sorry citygrl. I think Elmwood Park will mirror its neighbor Galewood in a few years. I don't see it becoming a bad neighborhood anytime soon, but it does not have the affluence of its neighbors River Forest and Oak Park to keep much of the riff raff out.

[Lookout Kid]

If Elmwood Park wants to ward off ghetto-ization, it should strictly enforce zoning codes that limit rentals. Homeowners, regardless of race, don't usually drag a neighborhood down, but low-income renters in high concentrations will defnitely have a negative effect.

[Johnny Northside]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

If Elmwood Park wants to ward off ghetto-ization, it should strictly enforce zoning codes that limit rentals. Homeowners, regardless of race, don't usually drag a neighborhood down, but low-income renters in high concentrations will defnitely have a negative effect.

A couple-four years ago, the Pioneer Press printed a chart with the number of Section 8 rentals in Elmwood Park and surrounding communities.

The number in EP was 19. Compared to like 1900 in Forest Park, a place where ghettoization was already running rampant in some parts of town. I don't doubt that number of 19 has increased, and it's probably a big part of the current problem.

[Johnny Northside]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

I believe the Maywood effect is starting to

There is no Maywood effect, except people passing through on North Avenue going to and from the West Side who may account for a little crime in River Forest and Oak Park just as easily. The southwest corner of EP (closest to Maywood but still separated by the river, two forest preserves, North Avenue, the Menards/Lincoln Tech development, First Avenue and the race track) is the nicest part of town and almost completely untouched by the problems elsewhere. All the pressure in EP is coming from the east.

[citygrl707]

Its horrible what is happening so fast, the gangs have moved in. I live in a apt that i had loved for the last five years now we had a group of thugs that have moved in right above us.

This is day three and im ready to pull my hair out. I would type faster but the constant running up and down the stairs is really starting to annoy me.

I am going to give my landlord a ear full, but im on a lease until februay and until now haven't wanted to end it.

I have am raising my kids here to get away from all the mess and now its right in our own yard. Just horrible, i think it has alot to do with section eight and people not having to work.

[concerned resident]

I am a life long resident of Elmwood Park and what I truly loved about this town is disappearing before my very eyes. I loved the closeness of this town, where everyone seemed to know each other and safety was never a concern. The taxes in the town are high and the town really offers children very little. There are few nice parks and the schools are mediocore at best. When the town was primarilly Italian Americans, it was safe, well kept, and tight knit. The south side of E.P. has such charm and character, but all of the closeness and old neighborhood feel is almost gone. With projects having been torn down throughout the city, with once gang infested areas such as Humboldt park and Logan Square becoming expensive and gentrified, Areas such as Elmwood park have changed for the worst. Historically in our city, ethnic groups tend to travel in straight lines west. Polish immigrants have moved from belmont and central area straight west on Belmont. Puerto Ricans have moved straight west from Fullerton/california area straight west up Fullerton. And this has directly affected E.P. in the past 10 years or so and the town may never be the same.

[ndfmnlf]

When the town was primarilly Italian Americans, it was safe, well kept, and tight knit.

Hmm....according to city data, the ethnic composition of Elmwood Park is as follows:

Races in Elmwood Park:

White Non-Hispanic (84.6%)
Hispanic (11.0%)
Other race (3.3%)
Two or more races (2.3%)
Filipino (1.4%)
Black (0.5%)

Whites comprise 85% of Elmwood Park. Are you saying it was better off when it was 100% white? Sounds like you're advocating for some good ole' ethnic cleansing here.

With projects having been torn down throughout the city, with once gang infested areas such as Humboldt park and Logan Square becoming expensive and gentrified, Areas such as Elmwood park have changed for the worst.

Do you have any statistics comparing the crime rate when Elmwood Park was 100%white versus now when it is only 85% white? City Data says the crime rate in EP is actually lower than the national average: crime index for EP is 107.8 versus 323 for the US average.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with your assessment of Elmwood Park. What I'm interested in is if you can present hard data to support it, as opposed to your perception that Elmwood Park is going down the drain just because you see more people who belong to more diverse races living there.

[ndfmnlf]

Its horrible what is happening so fast, the gangs have moved in. I live in a apt that i had loved for the last five years now we had a group of thugs that have moved in right above us.

If you have proof that the people living above you are actually thugs, then common sense dictates that you should report them to the cops. Have you done this already? If not, why not?

You say you have been a renter in this apartment for 5 years. Another poster said that it is the renters (as opposed to homeowners), who drag a neighborhood down. Assuming that logic is correct, would you classify yourself as one of those who are causing the downfall of Elmwood Park?

I have am raising my kids here to get away from all the mess and now its right in our own yard. Just horrible, i think it has alot to do with section eight and people not having to work.

You criticize section 8 folks, yet you yourself are living in the same apartment complex they do. You're not even a homeowner. I respectfully suggest you buy your own house so you can get away from these folks.