Thoughts on Hillside and Berkeley? (Cicero, Berwyn: low crime, buying a house, buying)

[ghostchicago]

I have friends who live out in Elmhurst and have been driving around the area and really liked the sleepy town vibe in and around Hillside and Berkeley. The homes look very well taken care of and area looks and feels safe. I am a single male no children dont like the party life etc. btw

What are your thoughts on the area?

[deeman7]

The schools would be the biggest negative. For a single dude, if you like it, I won't discourage you.

[chet everett]

Hillside and Berkely, like Westchester, are part of the Proviso high school district. The utter lack of accountability that continues to be an issue for the Illinois House 7th District Representative is basically the kind of thing that makes the whole area served by Proviso West, East or the "math & science academy" as mostly one giant swath of blight in what otherwise could be very decent alternatives that have the potential to re-integrate along the lines of Oak Park -- it would be one thing if there was any sign of an honest turn-around type politician but the traditions that once saw lower income ethnic types load up the district with cronies and insiders has apparently been copied by the one time reformer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emanuel_Chris_Welch

Night and day difference in the likely trajectory of Elmhurst vs its neighbors to the east...

[MillennialUrbanist]

Both Hillside and Berkeley are blighted industrial suburbs, without much to offer in terms of good jobs, businesses, or entertainment. A bulk of the land area is taken up by railroad yards. There is no party life there whatsoever, unless you count adult stores and bars of questionable caliber. They're also not very safe, with relatively high levels of crime. Public transit is decent, with Metra stations and late-running Pace buses. They're pedestrian-friendly for the most part, but street vibrancy is virtually nonexistent.

Hillside is somewhat (in)famous, due to the "Hillside Strangler", a chronically gridlocked junction between I-88, I-290, and I-294. Berkeley will have people constantly asking you "Where's that?"

OP, I do not recommend either one of these. You will end up with Hillside or Berkeley functioning strictly as a place to crash, and always venturing outside your home suburb for your day-to-day activities, like shopping and gym. Highway and railroad noise might start to get irritating over time as well. (I, personally, like train sounds, but most people don't.)

[chet everett]

Despite the assertions of others there is not "bulk of the land area is taken up by railroad yards" actually inside Berkley; most of the UP yard is actually inside adjacent Stone Park and the important access point which matters for taxes and such is actually in Northlake. There is a tiny Metra stop on the exterme edge of Berkeley but it is not well developed -- https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8958...8i6656!6m1!1e1
Hillside barely has a handful of rail crossings and NO railyard nor any Metra connection.

Given that level of inaccuracy it is no surprise that there are also ZERO "adult stores" in Berkley which has only a small and mostly well maintained retail core close to the very nice Prairie Path. So too is Hillside devoid any such "adult stores".

The bad information also inaccurate portrays Berkeley and Hillside as having "questionable caliber" bars. In fact Berkeley has ONE bar that is TINY and mostly seems to be a family owned spot where locals hang out. Similarly Hillside has relatively few spots with liquor licenses and MOST of them are RESTAURANTS that are strictly policed. The one bar closest to Berkeley, Art's, is very laid back family owned spot that occasionally does some events but when they do the place is very orderly with plenty of cops and private security.

The crime info from our very hosts here are City-Data show LOW CRIME for Berkely and only a bit more in Hillside - //www.city-data.com/crime/crime...-Illinois.html Nearly all of the crime is NON-VIOLENT so I have no idea how this could be called "not very safe"...

[ghostchicago]

Chet Everett, thank you for your reply. I am familiar with the decline that has happened in the area. I grew up in the Cicero-Berwyn area. My parents moved to Westchester in the early 00's. I remember Hillside mall in the 80's and early 90's before the Carmax and the now gone Menards.

I remember a grocery store on St. Charles Rd. a few years ago I wonder if it still there. It was in a strip mall before 294.

If I had a family I would not even consider the area, due to the school situation. But since I am a single male and have no children I think it would work out for me. I like neighboring Elmhurst but cant justify spending that much money if I dont have to.

How would you guys rate the Berkeley police department are they responsive?

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by ghostchicago

Chet Everett, thank you for your reply. I am familiar with the decline that has happened in the area. I grew up in the Cicero-Berwyn area. My parents moved to Westchester in the early 00's. I remember Hillside mall in the 80's and early 90's before the Carmax and the now gone Menards.

I remember a grocery store on St. Charles Rd. a few years ago I wonder if it still there. It was in a strip mall before 294.

If I had a family I would not even consider the area, due to the school situation. But since I am a single male and have no children I think it would work out for me. I like neighboring Elmhurst but cant justify spending that much money if I dont have to.

I do get out on the Prairie Path from time to time and I have never felt other than safe along the Berkeley portion. It gets weirder further east. If you are smart about getting a place that needs a bit of work and the discount is substantial compared to a place in Elmhurst you probably will do OK, but the longer term trend is for Elmhurst to remain desirable; I wish I could say that for Berkeley...

That said, right now Berkeley is not nearly so bad as some other mis-informed posters portray.

[ToriaT]

I would not buy a place in Hillside or Berkely. I think Westchester would be better. Or I would probably look at a place like Elmwood Park or Norridge before I'd look at Hillside or Berkely. I think there are better suburbs to look in. I'd rather buy a smaller home in a better suburb if I were buying a house.

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by ToriaT

I would not buy a place in Hillside or Berkely. I think Westchester would be better. Or I would probably look at a place like Elmwood Park or Norridge before I'd look at Hillside or Berkely. I think there are better suburbs to look in. I'd rather buy a smaller home in a better suburb if I were buying a house.

Chet's response to Millennial was correct. I'm not sure what suburb Millennial was thinking about, or what point he was trying to make, but he was completely off base.

[MillennialUrbanist]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

Chet's response to Millennial was correct. I'm not sure what suburb Millennial was thinking about, or what point he was trying to make, but he was completely off base.

Maybe so. I was speaking from the impression I got when going through Berkeley and Hillside: first one on the Metra, second one while driving. I saw lots of small worn-looking houses, gritty industrial areas, and working-class strip malls.