Berwyn

Berwyn is a suburban city in Cook County, Illinois. It is coterminous with Berwyn Township, which was formed in 1908 after breaking off from Cicero Township. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 57,250. Berwyn is noted as having the most significant collection of Chicago-style bungalows. The city's stringent building codes resulted in block upon block of well-built brick homes. The area between Oak Park and Ridgeland Avenue was not chartered as a city in 1908, and it was not until the 1920s that this portion of land was developed. In 1856, Thomas F. Baldwin purchased 347 acres (1.40 km²) of land in hopes of developing a rich and aristocratic community called "LaVergne". However, few people were interested in grassy marshland, and the land regularly flooded during heavy rains. In 1888, the Baldwin family donated the triangular piece of land bounded by Ogden Avenue, 34th Street, and Gunderson Avenue so that a school could be built. After 1901, all settlements in the area were known as Berwyn. The name Berwyn was taken from a Main Line suburb of Philadelphia noted for its beauty. The only mode of transportation to LaVergNE was horse and buggy on the Plank Road. There were only two paths by which travel between the two settlements, and today these paths are known as Oak Park Avenue and RidGeland Avenue.

History

Berwyn is the primary city name, but also Forest View, Stickney are acceptable city names or spellings. In 1846, the first land in "Berwyn" was deeded to Theodore Doty, who built the 8-foot-wide (2.4 m) Plank Road from Chicago to Ottawa along the Ottawa Trail. In 1856, Thomas F. Baldwin purchased 347 acres (1.40 km²) of land, bordered by what is now Ogden Avenue, Ridgeland Avenue, 31st Street, and Harlem Avenue. By 1888, the settlement had grown so much that the Baldwin family donated the triangular piece of land so that a school could be built. In 1890, Charles E. Piper and Wilbur J. Andrews, two Chicago attorneys, purchased a 106-acre plot of land from the Field syndicate to develop. After 1901, all settlements in the area were known as Berwyn. Although Berwyn was chartered as a city in 1908, it was not until the 1920s that this middle portion of land was developed. The city's stringent building codes resulted in block upon block of two-story bungalows. Today, Berwyn is noted as having the most significant collection of Chicago-style bungalow patterns in the nation. It is also noted for its elaborate design elements, such as stained glass windows, clay tile roofs, terra cotta, and intricate brick patterns. The area between 16th and 31st streets was not settled. There were only two paths by which to travel between the two settlements, and today these paths are known as Oak Park and RidGeland Avenue.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census there were 57,250 people, 18,277 households, and 12,348 families residing in the city. Berwyn also has the highest population density of any township in Illinois. It and Cicero are the only townships in Illinois that have a higher population density than the city of Chicago. The city's age distribution consisted of 26.1% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64 and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The top five non-Hispanic ancestries reported in Berwyn were German (6.5%), Polish (5.8%), Irish (5.2%), and Italian (5,1%), and Czech (2.0%). The median income for a household in theCity was $61,915, and the median income. for a family was $72,241. The per capita income for the city was $25,939. The average household size was 3.67 and the average family size was 2.99. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. The US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category and assigns it to a different category. The table also includes African American, Asian, Native American, and Pacific Islander, and 31.61% from other races.

Geography

Berwyn has a total area of 3.90 square miles (10.10 km²), all land. It is composed of Glacial Lake Bottom from the Wisconsin Glacial Episode, the most recent glacial period. A ridge of sand and gravel, made during one of the stages of the glacial era, is also present in the area. The elevation change due to the ridge is clearly seen on the 2800 block of Maple Ave. The body of water that connected the South Branch of the Chicago River to the Des Plaines River was a shallow waterway known as Mud Lake. The southern end of Berwyn flooded regularly during heavy rains in its early years. The area was once grassy marshland, but has since been covered with trees and shrubs. It has a population of about 2,000. The city is home to the University of Illinois at Chicago, which has a campus of more than 1,000 students. It also has a number of other colleges and universities, including Illinois State University, University of Chicago, and University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The town's name comes from the word "berwyn", which means "beautiful lake" or "lake" in German. It was named after the Berwyn River, which runs through the center of the town, and was once known as the "Berwyn River" It is also the name of a nearby lake, which was once part of the city, and is now known as "Bruno Lake".

Government

The City of Berwyn operates under a Strong Mayor form of government. The mayor has the power to appoint and remove all officers of the municipality, except those covered by civil service. The City Council, composed of the eight aldermen and the mayor, is the legislative organ of the city. The United States Postal Service operates the Berwyn Post Office (1940), at 6625 Cermak Road. The post office contains a mural, The Picnic, painted in 1942 by Richard Haines, of the Section of Painting and Sculpture of the Treasury Department. Berwyn has been split between three of Illinois' congressional districts: the 3rd Congressional District, 4th Congressional district, and 7th Congressional District. The city is located on the banks of the Chicago River, near the Illinois River and the Illinois Turnpike. The Berwyn Police Department, has six main divisions: Administrative, Investigative, Patrol, K-9 Unit, Communications, Records, and Parking. The Fire Department is composed of 80 sworn professional firefighters, 30 certified paramedics, and 11 emergency medical technicians. The fire department is anchored by three fire stations with the following equipment:Since 2013, Berwyn is located in the 3nd Congressional District and the 4th District of Illinois, and is in the 7th district of Illinois. It is located at 6700 26th Street, with a police station at 6401 W. 31st Street. It also has a fire station at 6600 Cermk Road, which is on the opposite side of the river.

Education

Berwyn is served by two K-8 school districts: Berwyn North School District 98 and Berwyn South School District 100. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago operates two PK-8 schools in Berwyn: St. Odilo School and St. Leonard School. The third one, St. Mary of Celle, closed after the 2004-2005 school year. Most areas are west of Ridgeland Avenue and therefore are zoned to Morton West, while those east of RidGeland Avenue are zoning to Morton East. High school students, depending on residency, attend either J. Sterling Morton High School District 201's J Sterling Morton high School West inBerwyn or J. sterling Morton high school East in Cicero. Trinity High School located in River Forest is a school for girls, and Fenwick High School in neighboring Oak Park is a co-educational high school. LaVergne School, built in 1888, was the first school built in Berwen, the building had two classrooms with fireplaces. Despite community protest, the 50-year-old building was torn down in 1938. It was replaced with the Lavergne Education Centre which, once an elementary school, is now the headquarters of the Berwyn south school district. In 2002, a new state-of-the-art school was built on the same site called Prairie Oak Elementary. Emerson Elementary and Heritage Middle School share a common wall, but are separate schools. When Lincoln Middle School was built in 1928, it never had a cafeteria or library, the library was across the street.

Economy

Berwyn has four main business corridors: Ogden Ave, the Depot District, Cermak Road, and Roosevelt Road. Loyola MacNeal Hospital, the city's largest employer, is at the center the district. Roosevelt Road is home to several music venues, including FitzGerald's Nightclub, Wire, and the Harlem Avenue Lounge blues club, and Friendly Tap. Berwyn has the highest concentration of financial institutions in the world, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The city's top employers in the 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report were: K&G, Office Depot, Party City, Tonys Finer Foods, Marshalls, and Dollar Tree. The top employer in the city in 2012 was the Chicago Cubs, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Cubs Stadium, and Chicago Cubs Park & Recreation Authority. The City of Homes is known as the "City of Homes" because of its large number of single-family homes and bungalows. The town's nickname is "The Bohemian Wall Street" due to the many savings and loans located in the area. It is located on a segment of historic Route 66, and was once home to over a dozen car dealerships. It also has a number of independent shops and restaurants, including a variety of bars and restaurants. It was once known as "The City of Home" because it was home to many single-parent homes and a large percentage of single mothers. It has a population of around 2,000 people.

Transportation

Berwyn is served by the BNSF Railway Line, and Metra operates three stations within the city: Harlem Avenue Station, the Berwyn Station at Oak Park Ave, and the La Vergne Station at Ridgeland Ave. Berwyn was briefly served by a steam line that ran along 19th Street at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. The fairways that once served as the right of way for the "L" still exist as parking lots for shopping along the Cermak avenue corridor. Residents may be able to lead a low carbon footprint lifestyle, according to The Five Ton Life. This is due to walkable neighborhoods of modestly sized bungalows, and easy access to grocery stores. Bus service within Berwyn and to neighboring suburbs is provided by Pace Bus. In 1952 rail service west of 54th Ave was suspended and replaced by bus. The city is located on the Illinois River, which runs through the center of the city. It is also on the Chicago River and the Illinois Turnpike, which run through the east and west sides of the town. It has a population of around 2,000 people, making it one of the smallest cities in the Chicago metropolitan area. It also has a large percentage of people who live in the suburbs, which makes it a good place to raise children and raise a family. The town has a high percentage of residents who live below the poverty line, and a low percentage of those who live above the poverty level.

Arts and culture

Berwyn has a growing arts community with a professional equity theater, an Arts Council and music and entertainment venues. The 16th Street Theater producing live events opened in 2007 and was named "Best Emerging Theater Company" by Chicago magazine in 2013. An annual Vintage Car Show has taken place in the city every year in early September since 1990. In 2006, Berwyn began to host its annual art car parade called Cartopia. The sculpture Spindle, created by artist Dustin Shuler and located in the Cermak Plaza shopping center along with other works of art, was shown in the movie Wayne's World. It was demolished and scrapped on the night of May 2, 2008 to make way for a new Walgreens. The two topmost cars were placed in storage; as of 2012 the Berwyn Route 66 Museum on Ogden Avenue proposes to incorporate them into a reconstruction of the Spindle. Berwyn is also known for often being used in television productions, such as the shows Chicago P.D. and Chicago Fire, and most recently as of October 2019, The Chi, in which an episode was filmed at J Sterling Morton West High School. The city is mentioned frequently on the television show Svengoolie. The show has been shot in Chicago since 1970, while hosts Jerry G. Bishop and Rich Koz are natives of the Chicago metro. It has also been used in the films A League of Their Own, The Color of Money, and Adventures in Babysitting, among others.

Parks and recreation

Two park districts and a recreation department maintain the city's recreational facilities. The city's largest park is Proksa Park, which comprises approximately 15 acres (61,000 m2) of land. In 1987, the YMCA opened at 2947 Oak Park Ave, on the former site of a lumber yard that had burned down a decade earlier. The building has an Olympic-sized indoor pool, racquet and handball courts, a gym, and exercise facilities. A rehabilitation center operated in conjunction with MacNeal Memorial Hospital is present as well. The following table includes a complete list of Berwyn's public parks and recreational centers. The list includes public parks, community centers, and recreation facilities. It is not possible to list all the parks and community centers in the city at one time.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Berwyn, Cook County, Illinois = 6.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 31. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Berwyn = 3.6 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 57,250 individuals with a median age of 36 age the population dropped by -8.36% in Berwyn, Cook County, Illinois population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 14,664.45 residents per square mile of area (5,661.31/km²). There are average 2.8 people per household in the 17,598 households with an average household income of $49,542 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 11.50% of the available work force and has dropped -4.37% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 20.46%. The number of physicians in Berwyn per 100,000 population = 255.4.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Berwyn = 36 inches and the annual snowfall = 39.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 121. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 189. 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 16.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 47, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Berwyn, Cook County, Illinois which are owned by the occupant = 57.04%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 67 years with median home cost = $144,440 and home appreciation of -21.68%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $16.10 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,795 per student. There are 16.4 students for each teacher in the school, 930 students for each Librarian and 1718 students for each Counselor. 6.00% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 11.15% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.04% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).