Community Profile: Berwyn IL Real Estate

Berwyn is noted for having the most significant collection of Chicago-style bungalows in the nation.

[Jackie]

Don't fool yourself, Berwyn is the next Cicero.

[Full Circle]

I love Berwyn.

[Jim]

Fianlly! It's about time Berwyn is recognized and appreciated as being a great place to live. Metra, CTA bus, hospitals, shopping, highways...it's the most convenient area of Cook county to live in.

[Shelly]

I lived in Chicago in the past but did not like the schools nor the people that lived in the area they did not keep their house nor yards so, we moved to South Berwyn about 7 years ago and till this day I have not had a bad experience. We know our neighbors and we all take care of our homes and yards and keep it clean.

[Saluki Rod]

"The younger residents are lowering Berwyn's median age and further increasing its diversity: "They're not your traditional families with a mother and father and kids and a dog. They're cohabitants of the same sex and stuff like that." "

Code words for lots of people crammed into houses designed to house 5 at the most. Let's get real.

[Jon S]

Saluki Rod wrote:

"Code words for lots of people crammed into houses designed to house 5 at the most. Let's get real.

Blah blah. And your post is a code word for "there's too many Mexicans." Berwyn's a really cool town. So lighten up, you racist pig ;-)

[Jon S]

Jackie wrote:

Don't fool yourself, Berwyn is the next Cicero.

Cicero's supposedly up and coming in its own right! Can't say I've been there lately but this is what I've heard. All those artsy kids moving into Pilsen are going to eventually start gravitating out to Berwyn and maybe even Cicero, and then they will gentrify. Watch.

[It is what it is]

Berwyn isn't too bad if you don't plan on having kids. The proximity to the city is the main selling point.

Speaking from experience, Berwyn's HS district, District 201 consisting of Morton East and West, is the worst non CPS schools in the state. And has been for a long time, even before Berwyn became "diverse". That's why those with kids who can afford it, slowly move west as their kids approach HS age. And rightfully so.

Well that and the gangs, which were non-existent 15 years ago, are everywhere now.

[Present-Berwynit e]

No, District 201 not the worst. That honor belongs to the Proviso school district, by a pretty good margin. Many of Berwyn's elementary schools and even middle schools are actually pretty good. Emerson in south Berwyn would rank about in the middle of Oak Park's 8 elementary schools per the '08 ISAT.

Agree though that the high school needs improvement. But if the demographics continue to change towards the positive this will happen.

[Cicero Reader]

Jon S wrote:

<quoted text>
Cicero's supposedly up and coming in its own right! Can't say I've been there lately but this is what I've heard. All those artsy kids moving into Pilsen are going to eventually start gravitating out to Berwyn and maybe even Cicero, and then they will gentrify. Watch.

That's right. Cicero has a fantastic tax base. We walk to the pink line from our house. We have a GREAT Chicago style bungalow---tons of built-ins, woodwork, stained glass windows, etc. I'm 4 blocks from Oak Park. There are loads of young people moving into Berwyn but we have our own influx of people that don't fit the stereotype. The parade of motorcycles down 16th Street going west through Cicero and Berwyn to Forest Park and Oak Park say it all.

Cicero is NO Woodlawn and Berwyn is holding its own. Ten years from now you won't be able to buy a tool shed in either town. PLENTY of artists, musicians, and others call BOTH towns home.

[Binchen6]

I'm 33, 5-year resident, and love my Bungalow, Berwyn and all the cool people I met in the last years. I never met so many people that are involved locally. A town can only be as good as the people in it. A town get's better when people DO something for it, take control and stop just complaining, that goes for the schools too. If you have kids, get involved with the school-district and local groups like CARES to improve it.
Everyone I ever had visit me likes Berwyn. Check out our awesome Thai restaurant, Bodhi Thai, 16th Street Theater, Craigs Shoes. More to come!

[Saluki Rod]

Jon S wrote:

<quoted text>
Blah blah. And your post is a code word for "there's too many Mexicans." Berwyn's a really cool town. So lighten up, you racist pig ;-)

Go hug a tree Jon, and while you're at it, get real.

[Laura]

My partner and I moved to Berwyn from the northside five years ago. We love it - affordable, vintage houses, close to the city and great neighbors. Berwyn is great.

[Tommy S]

Go Berwyn! Good article.

[Johnny Mac]

Let none of us forget that all of these positive developments began during the term of former Mayor Mike O'Connor and the diligent work of officials and volunteers of the Independent Voters of Berwyn.
Promoting Berwyn to the arts & music crowd was a stroke of genius that many so-called "old schoolers" resented.
Let's hope the new administration continues the progress, instead of attempting to turn back the clocks, as many of us fear.

[Paco]

Hey mane. I loves Berwyn. But me and my amigos pronounce it Ber-ween, mane.

[Vito]

Johnny Mac wrote:

Let none of us forget that all of these positive developments began during the term of former Mayor Mike O'Connor and the diligent work of officials and volunteers of the Independent Voters of Berwyn.
Promoting Berwyn to the arts & music crowd was a stroke of genius that many so-called "old schoolers" resented.
Let's hope the new administration continues the progress, instead of attempting to turn back the clocks, as many of us fear.

Hey, who wouldn't want to turn back the clock in Berwyn 15-20 years?

You know what I mean!?

[Sonja]

I am a happy, new Berwyn resident. I love it here, and all it has to offer. Parks, accesibility, a sense of community! Berwyn Rocks!

[Da City Czar]

Thank God we got rid of the IVB,
now you will see some real development
in this town

[Bungalow Bob]

Ahhh - good morning, folks - just finished a stroll through Proksa Park with my 7 year-old - it's a beautiful day to be living in Berwyn. Yes, I suppose it's a benefit to be so close to the city, and yes, we're located smack dab between 290 and 55, and yes, I acknowledge the access to public transportation - but what I really love about this place is the down-home feel nestled within an urban environment - the best of both worlds. It's the kind of place where you know your neighbors - and they know and watch over your kids - where you can walk to school, to a deli or restaurant - smell the tortillas cooking at the taco joint, or eat a kolacky from Veseky's.

If you long for what America used to be, you can still have it here in Berwyn.

I suppose you could drive 30 miles east and get a bigger backyard (and walls of cardboard), with neighbors in madras shorts and alligatored shirts, but here we have homes that have been standing for almost a century - homes built for family living - bricks and mortar - oak and birch woodwork - old world charm - yesteryear's craftsmanship.

As for the schools, if you have an ounce of parental ambition, your kids can excel in Berwyn. Our elementary schools feature programs and curricula specifically designed for the aptitude of each child - from bilingual studies for recent immigrants, to advanced studies for the Zanders of the community. And if your kids fail, well, in won't be the fault of the school - you might consider laying down the clubs or doing your own manicures.

As for Morton, there are more good, smart, hard driving kids there than at any parochial school - we've got a kid who just bagged a perfect score on the ACT, and plenty of kids going to prestigious universities (I personally know of two going to the University of Chicago). But at Morton, well, like just about anything else in Berwyn, it's what you make of it. Sit on your ass and you'll probably have plenty to complain about. Dig in, and you'll discover a true gem located within the heart of metro Chicago.