London to Berwyn?? Life with Preschool Kids? (Chicago, Cicero: apartments, rentals)

[MovingOnOver]

Hey – great information on this forum – I’m so glad I found it. You are the people I need to speak with!

We’re moving to Chicago from London in a month. (We’re American, but have been living over here for 4 years, Takoma Park/DC before that.) We have two wee ones – 3 year old and 9 month old.

Before necessity drives us out to the outskirts, (London is so damn expensive we’re practically broke! ) we plan to get to know the city for a few months from within – we’ve got a short term rental in the Gold Coast area lined up. We’re going to be totally spoiled, but we feel we deserve it!

We haven’t owned a car for the past 4 years, but we are planning on embracing that very American way of life when we return. That being said, we don’t want to be in a ‘Road to Nowhere’ kind of community. It’s very important to me to be able to walk to SOMETHING – park a plus, library a plus, shops a bigger plus, and public transport needs to be within a walk or short bus ride distance. (Husband working in the city – Wacker Drive).

After some internet browsing and a quick 2-days worth of driving around, we’ve been focusing on West ‘Burbs – Berwyn, Brookfield, LaGrange, etc. Don’t know why, it just seems convenient and a bit more affordable – we are looking in the 250,000 to 325,000 range (too many remodeled kitchens out there – we want to ‘fix-it-up’ ourselves). This will be our first house purchase, so it’s a bit deal for us! Brookfield seems a tiny bit bland ‘in person’, which I don’t understand. I do like the mid-century housing stock. But Berwyn has those bungalows! I noticed some big old Victorian rehab specials that have recently been sold in the 34th Street area – what is that street like? How far south is too far in Berwyn? What is the library like there?

And how do you determine the quality of the elementary schools in any given area?
What will my life be like in these areas with pre-school children? Right now we walk to parks/playgrounds, go to the library (I noticed Oak Park’s library is lush!), go to a music class in a neighboring community, meet up with friends for play dates, etc. My 3-year-old goes to preschool 3 afternoons a week for 2 ½ hours – it’s government subsidized.

Blah, blah, blah – how I do run on. Any comments welcome – thanks!

[BRU67]

Welcome back! I live in south Berwyn and can recommend it. Housing stock in this town is hard to beat for the money. You don't say where you're looking on 34th but it's pretty nice all the way across. You can't really go too far south in that city. Though not as marked as Oak Park's "Ridgeland Line," people tend to divide Berwyn into north and south via Cermak Road, with the south generally considered more desirable. South Berwyn's elementary school district tends to have higher test scores, the lots and homes are bigger, and there are fewer rentals.

To sum it up, the south side feels more suburban and the north side more urban. That said, the area between 16th and 22nd St. and west of Oak Park Ave. (Berwyn's "Gold Coast," hehe) has arguably the most beautiful concentration of bungalows in Chicago.

As to school quality, the Chicago Tribune website has a database of "School Report Cards" containing the relative performance of all the State's schools. Just go to the Tribune's website and type "school report cards" in the search block. The database should come up and from there you can type in the name of the school districts you are looking at. In Berwyn, the south is District 100, and the north is District 98.

Berwyn's library is at Harlem and Riverside Drive. It's very good. It isn't as lush as Oak Park's is but few if any are. Oak Park has a really fantastic new library, I have to say! Absolutely amazing. Probably the best in the suburbs, at least that I've seen. The best park in Berwyn is Proksa Park. It's located between 29th and 31st St. at Wisconsin (2 blocks east of Harlem). It draws people from all over the area. The City is also looking into doing a dog park. I hope that comes to fruition.

Anyway, best of luck! Be sure to let us know which area you picked.

[ahava]

Originally Posted by BRU67

As to school quality, the Chicago Tribune website has a database of "School Report Cards" containing the relative performance of all the State's schools. Just go to the Tribune's website and type "school report cards" in the search block. The database should come up and from there you can type in the name of the school districts you are looking at.

You can also get school report cards directly from the Illinois State Board of Ed at http://webprod.isbe.net/ereportcard/...hCriteria.aspx. You can search by the name of the school, the district, or the town.

[prairiestate]

I think you'll like it there. They do have an amazing housing stock, as well as an energetic new mayor who is determined to move the city forward, and you can get a really good deal on a home there. There are a lot of families moving in again, as well as singles and couples in the new condo developments that are going up. The Metra Burlington Northern runs through the south side, and offers some of the best service in the system. Schools aren't terrible, but not outstanding either. There's plenty of shopping nearby, with more "upscale" options not far away in Oak Park. And they do have a very nice library, and you can also use your library card in Oak Park, as well as other neighboring libraries. You must check out Riverside's library. It's a stunning English tudor like building, overlooking the Des Plaines river.

[littlealexa]

I grew up in Chicago and have lived in Berwyn for about 3 years now. I love it!!! I live in the south part of Berwyn, bought a victorian farmhouse (fixer upper), I love the area, the neighbors and the activities. It is definitely very family friendly. There are many young urban families moving in, my older neighbors are glad since they only see Berwyn getting better. The schools are better on the south than on the north (its ok though) but overall you get a diverse school community. There are private schools around the area if you want to go that route. I have an 18 month old and I want him to grow in a nice community that has diversity, is close to the city but also has that suburban appeal...Berwyn is just that.

The north part of Berwyn is a bit more Chicago, has more of an urban vibe but nonetheless is safe to walk at night. I would always walk alone at night in the summers and enjoyed it.

So if you want a beautiful bungalow or a grand victorian at an affordable price and close to everything, definitely move here, I have no regrets. There are people working on promoting Berwyn...the next big thing!

[tgoddess]

I have lived in Berwyn for almost 11 years now and have to say that it is a great community with good grammar schools, decent and friendly neighbors, beautiful parks and FABULOUS housing stock. We've got some of the most beautiful brick bungalows in the Chicago area and I'm certain you can find several in need of loving renovation.

In fact, Berwyn's Bungalow Tour is scheduled for Sunday, June 3, 2007 from Noon – 5:00pm (www.berwynbungalow.com) (broken link).

We are thrilled when people find this "undiscovered gem" that many of us are proud to call our home.

[bobsmith319]

Hi,
Interesting choices. I love the homes the area you picked, Berwyn in particular. It is ok to live in, but the schools are not so great. I like Brookfiled and La Grange, both are safe with good schools. Oak Park is very nice, however very expensive, more than the 3 u mentioned. The school quality there is great. Good Luck!

[KTorquato]

I currently teach in Berwyn and I'm a parent myself, and honestly, I would NOT recommend Berwyn as a place to raise children. If you're more concerned about living in a bunglow, well then go for it. There are some beauties. But, let me tell you a few things about the town.

First and most important, Berwyn is FILLED with gang activity, both in the north and south parts of town. These aren't small "wanna-be" types of gangs. These are big-time Chicago gangs. How do I know this? Because in addition to dealing with several gang members in my classes, every year we have the Director of the Berwyn Police Gang Unit give an in-service to the teachers on what gangs are in the area, their colors, symbols, actvity, etc. I'm not going to go into details here but I highly suggest you call ANY police department of any town that you are considering and question the crime and gang activity. The trend of migration to Berwyn is from Chicago's West and South sides to Cicero, and then to Berwyn.

As an example, about 6-8 weeks ago, an 8th grade boy in one of the middle schools in the southern part (or as many people mentioned, the "better part" of Berwyn) brought a knife to school and stabbed another 8th grade boy; all gang-related. The stabbed boy died shortly thereafter. Recently, on the "other side", we've also caught students with similiar weapons, but thank goodness we caught them before anything happened. In all areas of Berwyn there have been shootings, vans canvassing children, gang graffitti, gang fights, and million dollar drug busts. All of this within the past 5 years.


Berwyn has a high Hispanic immigrant population (nothing wrong with that). However, the majority of them are illegals, living in illegal apartments, not paying any taxes to help support the town. There was a big expose a few weeks ago in the Chicago Tribune Newspaper naming Berwyn as one of the biggest holders of illegal apartments in Chicagoland.

Now, I have a question for all of the people on this thread who mentioned that the schools in the north part of Berwyn are poor, not as good, etc. First, can you please explain your basis behind your comment? In your non-professional opinion, what makes a school "poor" or "bad"?

In my professional opinion, what makes a school bad are not the teachers. We in Berwyn are SO dedicated to our children and we work EXTREAMLY hard to keep up with the latest and best methodologies to engage our students in learning. We work extreamly hard to teach to all learning styles. We work very hard to create respectful citizens. But, it all ends with the families. If the child's family does not value education and hold high expectations for their child, neither will he or she. If a child is not held accountable to their parents, the child will not do what is needed to succeed. If the family isn't involved in their child's education (most of our parents don't attend Open House Night and they also blow off parent/teacher conferences), the child doesn't see the value of what they're doing. Unfortunately, I experience too much of this in my district. We have fantastic resources and materials in our district, (and alot of money), but all of this doesn't matter if the community doesn't value education.

I teach 12 and 13 year-old children. The average reading level is 4th grade. Many read at a 2nd grade level. This is dispicable!

I recommend to you to move to Brookfield, La Grange Park, Oak Park, La Grange. All are sheltered away from gang activity and the communities place strong value in education. Brookfield has always (at least 30 years) been a very stable, family-oriented community. It may look a little "blah" on the outside, but it's on it's way to gentrification. Downtown Chicago, and the downtowns of Oak Park and La Grange are all very close; La Grange being walkable/bikeable, depending on where you live.

Good Luck!

[BRU67]

Glad to see teachers in our community have such a positive attitude as to encourage people to move to other towns. I doubt doing that is going to improve the quality of student you see – again, assuming you are who you say you are. Some of your points I feel should be addressed and/or clarified:

First and most important, Berwyn is FILLED with gang activity, both in the north and south parts of town. These aren't small "wanna-be" types of gangs. These are big-time Chicago gangs. How do I know this? Because in addition to dealing with several gang members in my classes, every year we have the Director of the Berwyn Police Gang Unit give an in-service to the teachers on what gangs are in the area, their colors, symbols, actvity, etc. I'm not going to go into details here but I highly suggest you call ANY police department of any town that you are considering and question the crime and gang activity. The trend of migration to Berwyn is from Chicago's West and South sides to Cicero, and then to Berwyn.

So you assume there’s excessive gang activity based on the police being pro-active and reaching out to the schools? I think that's great myself. Most inner ring suburbs have issues with gangs because of their proximity to Chicago, including Oak Park and even Brookfield. I don't agree it's excessive but, that aside, I’m glad the police in Berwyn are acknowledging that there is some and are trying to do something about it. I’m also glad they’re making drug busts. This is how the Chicago Police turned around many Chicago neighborhoods.

I 100% agree on contacting the police department and questioning them regarding crime and gang activity. If you contact the Berwyn P.D., I’d bet dimes to dollars that they will not paint a picture anywhere near as bleak as the one you describe.

As an example, about 6-8 weeks ago, an 8th grade boy in one of the middle schools in the southern part (or as many people mentioned, the "better part" of Berwyn) brought a knife to school and stabbed another 8th grade boy; all gang-related.

The kid who did the stabbing was from Darien actually. He had been moved to his grandmother's house in Berwyn 2 days prior to the stabbing. That said, it was a highly unfortunate incident, no doubt about it. But what you fail to mention is the community response – which included a community event sponsored by C.A.R.E.S. (Citizens Aligned to Renew Education) – a group started by members of the community last year. About 200 people attended. Several C.A.R.E.S. members are running for the District 98, 100, and 201 school boards. There’s a drive to consolidate Berwyn’s schools and improve their quality. So much for the community not valuing education.

Recently, on the "other side", we've also caught students with similiar weapons, but thank goodness we caught them before anything happened.

That’s good. I’m glad teachers are watching out for things like this. Keep it up. It should not be tolerated under any circumstance.

Berwyn has a high Hispanic immigrant population (nothing wrong with that). However, the majority of them are illegals, living in illegal apartments, not paying any taxes to help support the town.

Really? Berwyn is 38% Hispanic per the most recent census. With a population of 54,000, that’s 20,500 Latinos. So more than 10,000 of them are illegal? I think not. Sounds like a stereotype to me.

In my professional opinion, what makes a school bad are not the teachers. We in Berwyn are SO dedicated to our children and we work EXTREAMLY hard to keep up with the latest and best methodologies to engage our students in learning. We work extreamly hard to teach to all learning styles. We work very hard to create respectful citizens. But, it all ends with the families.

Professional opinion? Ok, I’m sorry, but have to comment on this. Not to insult you but if you are a professional teacher, you need to work on spelling – “actvity,” “similiar,” “graffitti,” “extreamely" (twice)?? I hate being a grammar d--- but as a teacher, I fear you must be held to a higher standard. You are teaching our kids after all. I fully agree on the family part BTW. C.A.R.E.S. is doing what it can, as are many Berwyn teachers I've met.

I recommend to you to move to Brookfield, La Grange Park, Oak Park, La Grange. All are sheltered away from gang activity and the communities place strong value in education.

“Sheltered” huh? For how long? As you said, migration patterns are heading away from Chicago and Cicero. What makes you think the trend of migration will just stop in Berwyn? It will continue to spread west, unless people take a stand and address it. Running from it isn’t going to solve anything because eventually, it will be back on your doorstep. Everyone in Chicagoland should be concerned about this.

And FYI, Oak Park is certainly not sheltered from gang activity. I see graffiti in Oak Park regularly also. This has been a growing problem recently in a lot of areas, not just Berwyn. Again, it should not be tolerated. It is unacceptable. I call it in every time I see it. Everyone should.

Not bashing you here. Everyone’s entitled to an opinion. I just think the whole story should be told is all.

[lisaurart]

[quote=MovingOnOver;406048]Hey – great information on this forum – I’m so glad I found it. You are the people I need to speak with!

We’re moving to Chicago from London in a month. (We’re American, but have been living over here for 4 years, Takoma Park/DC before that.) We have two wee ones – 3 year old and 9 month old.

Before necessity drives us out to the outskirts, (London is so damn expensive we’re practically broke! ) we plan to get to know the city for a few months from within – we’ve got a short term rental in the Gold Coast area lined up. We’re going to be totally spoiled, but we feel we deserve it!

We haven’t owned a car for the past 4 years, but we are planning on embracing that very American way of life when we return.

I know how you feel, we are moving back after 3 years in London. Even with expat benefits, London is massively expensive. We have 2 teenage boys and I am SO tired of spending $300 (with the double exchange rate) a week on food!

Best of luck to both of us!
Lisa