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Old 07-15-2008, 05:01 PM
 
11,973 posts, read 31,644,361 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BRU67 View Post
As to your earlier comment about Roosevelt, I bet that will be the first part of Berwyn to truly take off. It's a very natural place for north Berwynites and south Oak Parkers to go dine and shop. Both of these contingencies really don't have a business district to walk to other than this.
Does this mean that you don't think any part of Berwyn has truly "taken off" yet? I keep hearing snippets here and there in the media about the gentrification of Berwyn, but haven't been able to see many visible signs as of this date. But I don't necessarily know exactly where to look. I've always heard that south Berwyn is starting to flip, but that's the opposite side of town from Roosevelt.

Either way, I'm pulling for Berwyn. I like the town, and think it often gets a bad rap unfairly. But I wouldn't move there myself because of the public schools.
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Old 07-15-2008, 05:02 PM
 
11,973 posts, read 31,644,361 times
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Originally Posted by BRU67 View Post
There are neighborhoods in Queens like Brookfield but I don't know if you can say the whole Borough is like Brookfield. It has a population of 2.2 million. That's comparable in size to a place like, oh, Chicago. It has over 100 neighborhoods and they have widely different character and housing stock.
Yeah, I know this. But people know what I mean when I mention Archie Bunker's Queens. It's just meant to be evocative of a certain image.
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Old 07-15-2008, 05:24 PM
 
28,455 posts, read 84,971,395 times
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Default I wish I could find some pictures...

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Originally Posted by Lookout Kid View Post
Yeah, I know this. But people know what I mean when I mention Archie Bunker's Queens. It's just meant to be evocative of a certain image.
I honestly do not see the similarity -- many streets look exactly like Oak Park, Berwyn....

Where is steve-o and his camera?
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Old 07-15-2008, 05:41 PM
 
Location: Chicago, Tri-Taylor
5,014 posts, read 9,396,381 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lookout Kid View Post
Does this mean that you don't think any part of Berwyn has truly "taken off" yet? I keep hearing snippets here and there in the media about the gentrification of Berwyn, but haven't been able to see many visible signs as of this date. But I don't necessarily know exactly where to look. I've always heard that south Berwyn is starting to flip, but that's the opposite side of town from Roosevelt.

Either way, I'm pulling for Berwyn. I like the town, and think it often gets a bad rap unfairly. But I wouldn't move there myself because of the public schools.
I'm a bit strict on this and define truly "taken off" as the wholesale and thorough development of a business district, like Madison St. in Forest Park. So in that sense, no, it hasn't. There are good businesses sprinkled within the community as I cited but no business district that you can say is a true destination. I'm hopeful that will happen eventually but we're not there yet.

Gentrification takes place in stages though, and business rarely precedes the demographics. I think Berwyn is in the earlier stages at this point. It went from one of the oldest suburbs in Chicagoland in the 1980s, to a large influx of Hispanics in the 1990s, to an influx of young professionals this decade as high housing prices in "Blue Chip" towns (as one poster recently put it) have caused them to look for cheaper alternatives that offer as many of the same benefits as possible. Berwyn is attractive in this regard because of its location and housing stock.

Schools are the key, you're absolutely right. The good thing is most educated residents know this. Berwyn CARES (Citizens Aligned to Renew Education) is very active, and pushing for school improvements from many different angles -- from consolidated schools, to magnet schools, to funding reform. And the present schools aren't all bad. Emerson and Irving elementary schools outscored several Oak Park elementary schools on the ISAT last year. Freedom and Heritage middle schools are decent too. It's when you get to Morton West where more substantive issues crop up. But like anything, this too can be fixed.
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Old 07-15-2008, 09:38 PM
 
11,973 posts, read 31,644,361 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BRU67 View Post
I'm a bit strict on this and define truly "taken off" as the wholesale and thorough development of a business district, like Madison St. in Forest Park. So in that sense, no, it hasn't. There are good businesses sprinkled within the community as I cited but no business district that you can say is a true destination. I'm hopeful that will happen eventually but we're not there yet.

Gentrification takes place in stages though, and business rarely precedes the demographics. I think Berwyn is in the earlier stages at this point. It went from one of the oldest suburbs in Chicagoland in the 1980s, to a large influx of Hispanics in the 1990s, to an influx of young professionals this decade as high housing prices in "Blue Chip" towns (as one poster recently put it) have caused them to look for cheaper alternatives that offer as many of the same benefits as possible. Berwyn is attractive in this regard because of its location and housing stock.
Yes, this is one of the biggest frustrations people have in gentrifying neighborhoods. Housing always flips first, and there is usually a long lag between the housing changing and the businesses changing.

I know at least a few young professionals in Berwyn, including one of the real estate reporters for a major publication. If a clued in guy like that has bought a place in Berwyn for his family, there must be some wisdom in the decision. I think he is going to move back to Oak Park as his kids get to be school age, however.
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Old 07-15-2008, 10:03 PM
 
28,455 posts, read 84,971,395 times
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Default Maybe more a sad statement of the pathetic wages...

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Originally Posted by Lookout Kid View Post
Y...professionals in Berwyn, including one of the real estate reporters for a major publication. If a clued in guy like that has bought a place in Berwyn for his family...
With Zell and the debt he has racked up at Tribune and the number that hi Lordship did to the SunTimes the poor guy probably can't afford Oak Park. You should take him a hot lunch or something
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Old 07-15-2008, 10:37 PM
 
11,973 posts, read 31,644,361 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chet everett View Post
With Zell and the debt he has racked up at Tribune and the number that hi Lordship did to the SunTimes the poor guy probably can't afford Oak Park. You should take him a hot lunch or something
He's fine, he's at Crain's. After all of us architects are jobless because of the economy, he'll be buying me lunch.
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