Berwyn YES or NO... fill me in!!! (Chicago, Naperville: 2009, renter)

[BRU67]

And the homemade sausage too at Turco's just down the street...

Turco's Italian Foods - Oak Park, IL 60304 | Metromix Chicago

D'Andrea's closed earlier this year but a new Italian store called Tonini's is scheduled to open in the Depot District on Windsor in the near future. Can't wait!

Deli planned by D’Andrea’s manager - Berwyn, IL - Berwyn Life

And, of course, there's always Freddy's at 16th and 61st in Cicero.

[kaedebonsai]

one of my ex's lives in Berwyn and I really didn't like the town at all while we were dating (still don't)
Its a strange place where you buy a house for 400k that is falling apart, and the next block over is section 8 housing, then the next block from that is 1 million dollar plus homes.
Better keep your house locked up at all times too, and your cars.

I live in the south burbs, I like it a lot more. Clean air, better roads (berwyn had pot holes you bathe a small child in), and a much overal safter environment.

If you want to spend 500k on a house, there are much better places to do it then berwyn.

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by kaedebonsai

one of my ex's lives in Berwyn and I really didn't like the town at all while we were dating (still don't)
Its a strange place where you buy a house for 400k that is falling apart, and the next block over is section 8 housing, then the next block from that is 1 million dollar plus homes.
Better keep your house locked up at all times too, and your cars.

I live in the south burbs, I like it a lot more. Clean air, better roads (berwyn had pot holes you bathe a small child in), and a much overal safter environment.

If you want to spend 500k on a house, there are much better places to do it then berwyn.

You seem to be equating old or vintage with "falling apart", I dont know of any homes in that price range in poor shape. I find them to be incredible beautiful. Examples:
Single Family Home - 6918 RIVERSIDE DR, BERWYN, IL, 60402 - Realtor.com
Single Family Home - 7102 W 34TH ST, BERWYN, IL, 60402 - Realtor.com
Single Family Home - 3331 S WENONAH AVE, BERWYN, IL, 60402 - Realtor.com

The beauty is you don't have to spend that much. Most bungalows run from 2-300 with all the trimmings. If these were across the street in Riverside they WOULD be going for $1,000,000+.
Single Family Home - 7131 W 31ST ST, BERWYN, IL, 60402 - Realtor.com
Single Family Home - 6914 W 29TH PL, BERWYN, IL, 60402 - Realtor.com
Single Family Home - 2447 S EUCLID AVE, BERWYN, IL, 60402 - Realtor.com
Single Family Home - 3508 S GUNDERSON AVE, BERWYN, IL, 60402 - Realtor.com
Single Family Home - 7008 W 35TH ST, BERWYN, IL, 60402 - Realtor.com
All the while its a 15 minute Metra ride to the Loop.

I've lived here 23 years and never been victimized. Not saying theres not crime, but I've certainly never felt unsafe. No more than walking around Wicker Park/Bucktown at night..(do I lock my doors and car? Um, yes. Please tell me where in metro Chicago you would not do this. Sounds like common sense to me).

[kaedebonsai]

Those are some nice homes! Seems the prices have certainly dropped since a few years back when I would often walk the streets around there and check out flyers for houses for sale.
Her grandfather built there house in Berwyn some 60 plus years ago and the home has stayed in the family. I guess I was used to growing up in the burbs (orland and tinley) where we would rarely lock our doors. Something extremely common still in the area where I live. Although I am farther away from Chicago, I am only a few minutes walk to the train.
None the less, there are quite a few areas around there that I found to be a bit sketchy and certainly wouldn't walk around to late at night.
Its easy too to show nice homes for sale in the area, how about the not so nice ones that can be next door to the ones you showed? Or, some of the section 8 apartment buildings that can be a stones throw away from a 500k house.
Not my cup of tea, but to each his own.
Schools are not the greatest either. I am an educator and have a friend who works for one of the local schools, morton I believe.

[BRU67]

There are no "Section 8 apartment buildings." Section 8 refers to HUD Housing Choice Vouchers that people can use at any apartment anywhere. Berwyn only has 106 of them now per the Housing Authority of Cook County. Calumet City, by way of example, has over 950, with a population of 15k fewer people. It isn’t an issue here but I’ve found that “Section 8” seems to have become a code word for African Americans. Sad but it is what it is.

[mattywo85]

A lot of Berwyn is Section 8 and its has high crime rates

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by mattywo85

A lot of Berwyn is Section 8 and its has high crime rates

I guess you missed the post right above you...

[BRU67]

It has 106 Section 8 vouchers among 51,000 residents and a crime rate of 3,018.9/100k and 1,552 "index" crimes (murder, sexual assault, robbery, assault, burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson) per the most recent Illinois State Police Uniform Crime Reporting statistics (2006).

Compare Calumet City -- over 950 Section 8 vouchers among 37,800 residents and a crime rate of 6,924.2/100k with 2,617 index crimes and Oak Park -- about 450 Section 8 vouchers among 51,000 residents and a crime rate of 3,983.7/100k with 2,022 index crimes.

[kaedebonsai]

I guess if there was an apartment building that was filled with 90% plus of section 8 folks, then I would consider that a 'section 8 aparment building' but thats just my logical opinion I guess.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by kaedebonsai

I guess if there was an apartment building that was filled with 90% plus of section 8 folks, then I would consider that a 'section 8 aparment building' but thats just my logical opinion I guess.

Do you have addresses of these Section 8 apartment buildings? And how do you know the tenants are using the vouchers?