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Is Elmwood Park next to experience a Hispanic takeover?
I posed this question because I've been noticing more and more Mexican and Puerto Rican people around town in the past couple of years. I've also noticed that places like the hot dog stand formerly known as Grand Dog on Grand Ave now have signs in Spanish and another Hispanic business is supposedly going to take the space a little further west down the street formerly occupied by Armanetti's liquor store. Do any residents see a Hispanic takeover in the near future with EP being so close to Chicago? Hispanic people in general don't bother me but I just worry about the trouble like gangs that tend to infiltrate neighborhoods as the Hispanic population in an area increases.
I will be interested to see the 2010 census for Elmwood Parks demographics. I would say hispanics probably are closer 20-25% of this town now. Though, they wont be taking over any time soon. Melrose Park is predominately Hispanic, however, their government is still run by Italian Americans. Elmwood Park government is also run by Italian Americans and other caucasians and many Mexicans still are not registered to vote-especially in a town like Melrose Park- where immigration should open up a satellite site there. Until these Mexican immigrants take the legal route of becoming citizens- they will have no voice in these communities.
I will be interested to see the 2010 census for Elmwood Parks demographics. I would say hispanics probably are closer 20-25% of this town now. Though, they wont be taking over any time soon. Melrose Park is predominately Hispanic, however, their government is still run by Italian Americans. Elmwood Park government is also run by Italian Americans and other caucasians and many Mexicans still are not registered to vote-especially in a town like Melrose Park- where immigration should open up a satellite site there. Until these Mexican immigrants take the legal route of becoming citizens- they will have no voice in these communities.
Could the same have been said about Cicero 10-20 years ago?
I don't see Elmwood Park becoming like Cicero as the hispanic population increases, more like Berwyn. There has been more of an influx of hispanics than blacks recently and I will curious to see if galewood stays nice (galewood is the nice part of austin neighborhood next to elmwood park to the east).
We beat the living snot out of this topic in another thread. Someone posted the link above. Read that. Anyway, overall, if I had to guess, I’d say EP will not fall “victim” to a takeover. Here’s why:
1. Berwyn – Humbolt’s comparison -- was considerably older than Elmwood Park (in age of population) when its Hispanic influx started in the early 1990s. It was one of the oldest communities in Chicagoland. So most often, what you were seeing was a young Hispanic family or a young Caucasian DINK couple from Chicago or Oak Park replacing an elderly person who was being moved into a nursing home or family care. There was some “white flight” but it was a lot less than what would be necessary to cause a complete “takeover” of Elmwood Park in 2008.
2. Berwyn has always had a steady influx of young professionals, gays, and artists due to its proximity to the Loop, Oak Park and its housing stock. That has provided a balancing demographic force. EP, being an inner-ring suburb, could experience something similar. It has a Metra line like Berwyn, though Elmwood Park is not near any L trains or major highways as Berwyn is. Still, both benefit from being next to Oak Park.
3. During the middle/late 1990s and the first half of this decade, mortgage lending standards deteriorated into absolute joke. Brokers basically added a “0” to the end of their client’s annual household income to determine how much house they could afford, and credit scores or ability to put down a down payment didn’t matter much (if at all). Conversely, interest rates were low and more long-time homeowners were more tempted to move “up” than ever before. Those circumstances allowed for a lot of very rapid demographic changes in various communities, including Elmwood Park. I highly doubt we’ll see that again in our lifetime.
4. Turnover in most communities will definitely slow going forward, with much of it being the most marginal homeowners being weeded out and replaced with more stable ones. Whether the latter are white, black, Hispanic, Asian or from the planet Neptune, that’s a good thing.
5. I don’t think you can compare EP to Cicero. Totally different circumstances, time in history and political systems.
I am not sure about a take over but what i have noticed and heard. Two attempted shooting in the last month. Alot of thug activity hanging around outside especailly at night. In the paper this week the village says we dont not have gangbagers that live in elmwood park, i disagree.
Since we didn't have much on gangs and drugs before people that just moved in are making a fortune selling what ever they want. THere have been more drug bust that we have never seen before. I live in a six unit building i am the only non hispanic family in the building.
The middle school has seen a big increase in spanish students this year and so has the highschool. We have also have a bigger increase of african american's in the area. I am not complaing i am just stating the facts.
I lived in cicero before it became a really bad area, i have heard the town is trying to clean up that area, i would still not want to move back there.
Elmwood park is geographically challenged, being 3 minutes from North/Austin(one of the highest crime areas in Chicago) We are also just a few minutes from Melrose Park and even worst, Maywood. I agree with Bru67s post that due to the mortgage bust, only more stable buyers will be able to obtain mortgages, thus slowing the influx of lower income buyers. However, because E.P. is flooded with apartments, it is possible that those sections will become dominated by Hispanic renters- as it has already began. Many of the spanish moving in are actually Puerto Ricans-many who have migrated west from Humboldt park and Logan Square. Some of these newcomers to the town really do want better for their families. Others simply still have a gangbanger mentality, having been pushed out of the city due to new developments and gentrification-thus higher property taxes. Elmwood Park police need to stop denying that the area is not changing, and they need to be more proactive in fighting crimes- especially gangs- we do not want to turn into Melrose Park- We want to stabilize and our concerned citizens of E.P. need to become more involved- by attending Village meetings which fall on the first Monday of each month in Village Hall and by creating neighborhood Watches on each block. We truly need to put more pressure on the local police, and if we act on this fast- we will be heard.
i agree, i would like to go to the meeting also, as i have children and have always loved elmwood park. I have heard some of the crime in melrose park is down but in elmwood park it seems to be on the rise.
Not to be degrading i dont think its a spanish thing i have seen alot of very thrashy white people move in also. They seem to be on some sort of drugs and do not watch there kids. It reminds me of cicero when it started to change. I am worried because i do love this area but alot of people that live here seem to turn the other way .
I agree with Bru67s post that due to the mortgage bust, only more stable buyers will be able to obtain mortgages, thus slowing the influx of lower income buyers. However, because E.P. is flooded with apartments, it is possible that those sections will become dominated by Hispanic renters- as it has already began.
And I will agree with you, in that apartments can become a serious issue if not regulated. I wouldn't say Elmwood is "flooded" with apartments. About 35% of its housing units are rentals. That's not a tiny percentage, but only a little higher than the 32% state average and lower than Cicero, which is about 45%. Ordinances regulating them are important, as is educating landlords on how to screen tenants, maintain their buildings, etc. Encouraging condo conversions doesn't hurt either, though I think it will be awhile before we start seeing any kind of large market for condos again if you know what I mean. Too much inventory to absorb all over Chicagoland.
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