Quote:
Originally Posted by left of center
^ Don't forget about Berwyn! It has a pop density greater than Cicero, Oak Park, Evanston, or Chicago. It has a decent sized "downtown" around the Berwyn station (total of 3 metra stops in town) as well as a gorgeous, nearly intact prewar commercial district along Cermak Rd.
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i wish the area around the Metra was better, but honestly its been struggling for a long time. theres really not much there. there was a period where it seemed like it might take off as a vintage/antiques district (similar to what Madison in Forest Park has successfully done), but unfortunately a lot of those places have folded. i get the sense the commercial vacancies are pretty high around there. just dosent get good foot traffic despite the train stations.
Cermak has a lot of potential, but its such an auto sewer in its current state. i wish theyd do a road diet, put in bike lanes, etc. The storefronts are great and is probably Berwyns best shot at creating something similar to Madison or Lake, but its got a long way to go. still far too many strip malls/drive throughs, but also some really beautiful prewar mixed with scattered cool midcentury stuff
the real trump card there is the housing stock. i sure do wonder what would have been had the Douglas BLue Line branch never been retired though