Berwyn YES or NO... fill me in!!! (Chicago, Aurora: apartment, crime rates)

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by bearboy

I grew up in LaGrange Park and have lived in North Berwyn for 10 years. Although Berwyn has it's problems it's nowhere near as bad as Cicero, West Aurora or Maywood. The problem is that you get that riff raff from Cicero and the West Side of Chicago and Berwyn's rep get's lumped in with them.

I live right off of 18th and Ridgeland and most of my neighbors are hard working decent people, but it depends where you live in Berwyn, just like most towns. For example, I wouldn't be caught dead after hours along Oak Park Ave. between 22nd and 16th ave. Section 8 heaven over there.....

I wouldn't go that far but yes, it needs some work. The Berwyn Housing Center is now very focused on marketing that area and working with the landlords over there so hopefully we'll see some improvements. Problem is that it's all rentals down that strip. There are no condos or single family homes to break it up.

[Nysee53]

I would say investing in Berwyn is probably not the best idea. I don't think it will arrive anytime soon. It has too poor of a reputation. I think it will take more time for Berwyn to clean up its image, and one thing they should start with is improving the school situation. If they were able to get in the news because of an improving school situation, then growth and development might start, and then I would say it would be a good idea, but now I would stick with getting into a blue-chip community at a lower price like Oak Park, and similar.

[MikeM1]

I myself am from Aurora, and have a couple friends in Berwyn. From what one of them was saying, they do have some crime, but he said as far as he knew there has never been any real shootings in Berwyn, while Aurora has them fairly often in certain parts. So from what it sounds like, Berwyn isn't too bad, although I would like to ask a few residents, how are the following neighborhoods:
18th Street
19th Street
Oak Park Ave.
Roosevelt Road (Route 38)
Cermark Rd.
22nd St.
I myself am wanting to know more about Berwyn so if any of u all could help that'd b greatly appreciated!

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by MikeM1

I myself am from Aurora, and have a couple friends in Berwyn. From what one of them was saying, they do have some crime, but he said as far as he knew there has never been any real shootings in Berwyn, while Aurora has them fairly often in certain parts. So from what it sounds like, Berwyn isn't too bad, although I would like to ask a few residents, how are the following neighborhoods:
18th Street
19th Street
Oak Park Ave.
Roosevelt Road (Route 38)
Cermark Rd.
22nd St.
I myself am wanting to know more about Berwyn so if any of u all could help that'd b greatly appreciated!

Most of those streets run the entire length of Berwyn, so it's hard to really say that one entire street is good or bad from border to border. I'm no Berwyn expert, but I think it would help if you were more specific.

[SeoulCat]

We're currently living abroad and looking to relocate to the Chicago area (probably near-west suburbs) early next year. I'm interested in Berwyn, but the debate about crime does give me pause.

I don't understand what would constitute a "real shooting" versus an unreal one, for example. When you say that Berwyn has some problems from spillover from Chicago's west side, are you talking about thefts, car break-ins, graffiti, vandalism? Or are we talking muggings, shootings, assault, home invasion, etc.

Petty property crime I can live with, violent crime I can't.

When my husband and I first got together we lived in a condo complex in Atlanta that I and others considered pretty safe, but it did have a couple of robberies and one home invasion while we lived there. (Didn't happen to us, but to neighbors in more vulnerable, ground-floor units). We have a toddler daughter now and my tolerance for that risk is considerably lower.

I realize that nowhere is immune to violent crime, but there's a difference between somewhat common occurrence and once-in-a-blue-moon kind of thing.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by SeoulCat

We're currently living abroad and looking to relocate to the Chicago area (probably near-west suburbs) early next year. I'm interested in Berwyn, but the debate about crime does give me pause.

I don't understand what would constitute a "real shooting" versus an unreal one, for example. When you say that Berwyn has some problems from spillover from Chicago's west side, are you talking about thefts, car break-ins, graffiti, vandalism? Or are we talking muggings, shootings, assault, home invasion, etc.

Petty property crime I can live with, violent crime I can't.

When my husband and I first got together we lived in a condo complex in Atlanta that I and others considered pretty safe, but it did have a couple of robberies and one home invasion while we lived there. (Didn't happen to us, but to neighbors in more vulnerable, ground-floor units). We have a toddler daughter now and my tolerance for that risk is considerably lower.

I realize that nowhere is immune to violent crime, but there's a difference between somewhat common occurrence and once-in-a-blue-moon kind of thing.

You have to look at the crime stats and be the judge as to what you can handle and what you can't. Per the Illinois State Police database, Berwyn's crime rate was 3,018/100k in 2006. There were 1,552 index (violent) crimes. Oak Park (3,983/100k and 2,022 index crimes), Cicero (3,277/100k and 2,712 index crimes), and Forest Park (4,843/100k and 783 index crimes) have higher crime rates and more violent crime per their population sizes. La Grange (1,104/100k, 701 index crimes) and Riverside (2,027/100k, 172 index crimes) have lower crime rates. Those are more affluent communities which are not as dense or diverse.

Berwyn has not, knock on wood, had any murders in 2008 and there weren't any in 2006. 2007 was a bad year with 3. Two were family/friend disputes and one was the well-publicized Heritage Jr. High school stabbing (the killer had just transferred to that school from Darien the week before). These were horrible incidents but murder isn't historically common in this community.

Overall, Berwyn is more like a city neighborhood and due to its density and diverse population isn't going to be crime free, and residents should treat it as such and exercise common caution. But it's definitely not violent or unsafe insofar as urban living is concerned. We've personally never had any issues with crime and feel safe living here.

[SeoulCat]

BRU67,

Thanks. I should look at the stats and the index crimes make sense. Thanks for the helpful information.

[Berwynite]

I have lived in Berwyn 11 years. We have had our garage broken into. Our bikes have been stolen from our yard. Our cars have been broken into. Our house was broken into. There are a lot of gangbangers in Berwyn. You may not see them but believe they are all around. I know because my son was able to point them all out to me. He even laughed when I said there were no gangs in Berwyn. Berwyn is infested with them. The schools are not that good either. Robberies are rampant. I have to send my daughter to private school. Just log onto the following Berwyn Police Blotter and take a look. If I had not come across this site I would have thought Berwyn was not that bad a town but unfortunately it is and it is only getting worse. I do not believe this town can ever turn around. Just take a look at Proska park 10 years ago and now. It is a beautiful park but is really congested and the young kids don't listen. They are not suppose to enter the tennis courts on bikes but they do anyway and their parents don't say anything. There is a total lack of respect in Berwyn.

[BJT83]

Originally Posted by Berwynite

They are not suppose to enter the tennis courts on bikes but they do anyway and their parents don't say anything. There is a total lack of respect in Berwyn.

Good lord, call the national guard, kids don't listen!

[MikeM1]

thanks lookout kid, my main questions I suppose is how is the area by the intersection of 18th Street & Oak Park Ave.? And how is the area by Roosevelt Rd. & Oak Park Ave.? Fortunately, from what I've read from other members on this site, there are few if any shootings in Berwyn, while parts of Aurora have many.