BERWYN OLD VS NEWER

[berwynson]

People, in scanning through the miasma of thousands of words you all have presented under various categorical headings, I note great concern expressed over the ways in which Berwyn has changed, or the directions in which it is moving.

Perhaps the "Reminiscing" category was an insightful stroke, perhaps not. In any event, would it not perhaps prove beneficial for one of you luminaries to compare, say 1980's Berwyn (later if it suits your residence time better) to today's in terms of all those things being cried out about?

Yes, my contributions are mostly OLD, but so what? If it turns out that I'm the only initiator of topics in this group, as I am so far, it can simply be erased when I go away!

(Or is that why it was created?).  Have a nice day!  Berwynson

[mustang54]

Actually Berwynson Berwyn hasn't changed any more or less than anywhere else since the early 80's. Types of businesses have changed. The amount of minority's and new immigrants has changed. The streets are not as safe and there is more crime,but that is also true everywhere nowadays. Brian made a comment in another topic about something like how some people still want to go back to the old regime type of corrupt government. I don't think anyone wants that i just think people expected too much too fast from the new administration and right now are disappointed. Good things take 2 important ingredients. 1.is time and 2 is good people. And the better the people the shorter the time.
  I think for years people mis read the depot district. Everyone banked on business from the hospital. They should have targeted the community to be more like a Lagrange or Hinsdale depot district. I think its finally leaning that way and that part of Berwyn will be on the upswing. I think they are seeing that smaller more upscale type of restaurants and night spots can make it here. Redeveloping Cermak road and fixing the high school district should be the top two priorities.

[berwynson]

Mustang, speaking of hospital brought to my mind:

Is Macneal still the only hospital for miles around, serving Cicero, Berwyn, Stickney, Lyons, Riverside, etc, or has some new one been built. I recall Macneal as being strained to the limit, the nearest other being, was it called West Suburban?

Thanks! Berwynson

[mustang54]

Mustang, speaking of hospital brought to my mind:

Is Macneal still the only hospital for miles around, serving Cicero, Berwyn, Stickney, Lyons, Riverside, etc, or has some new one been built. I recall Macneal as being strained to the limit, the nearest other being, was it called West Suburban?

Thanks! Berwynson

Its all the same ones. Oak Park,Loyola,West Suburban. A lot of doctors have left the staff there since new ownership took over. A lot of them switched to Oak Park or Loyola.

[Bonster]

who is this man?

Nick Perrino from Home Run Inn washing dishes?

[berwynson]

Bonster, you have "nailed" me twice in one day! The first time, I nearly cried seeing those old bungalows, and this time my sides hurt from laughing!

It's actually Paul Gallo at Victor Gasket's Field Test Lab disassembling the first rotary engine imported into the States in 1966!

Now I have to find one more difficult for you to "diagnose"!  Thanks, again!  Berwynson

[Marcy]

Remember Cuyler Pool, the outdoor - in-ground pool located at 19th and Cuyler.
It is now gone.
See the NBPD posting:

NORTH BERWYN PARK DISTRICT RECEIVES STATE GRANT  10/20/2014
Governor Quinn came to Berwyn on Saturday, September 20th to award a $1.8 million dollar IDNR PARC grant to the North Berwyn Park District for a new community center.

The park district plans on renovating an already acquired facility on 16th and Clarence into a new community center, this facility will be home to recreational programs as well as visual and performing art classes.

The park district recently completed the Hett Park project on 19th and Cuyler which included the conversion of the former Cuyler pool house into a dance and fitness studio, the installation of a new playground named after former Alderman Ben Brocato and a new spray pool. The final phase of the Hett park project will be the conversion of Cuyler street into an outdoor plaza that will provide safe passage for children using the new park.

The IDNR PARC grant was sponsored by Senator Martin A. Sandoval.

[berwyn senator]

Are we discussing the outdoor wading pool from the 50's?

[berwynson]

Remember Cuyler Pool, the outdoor - in-ground pool located at 19th and Cuyler.
It is now gone.
See the NBPD posting:

NORTH BERWYN PARK DISTRICT RECEIVES STATE GRANT  10/20/2014
Governor Quinn came to Berwyn on Saturday, September 20th to award a $1.8 million dollar IDNR PARC grant to the North Berwyn Park District for a new community center.

The park district plans on renovating an already acquired facility on 16th and Clarence into a new community center, this facility will be home to recreational programs as well as visual and performing art classes.

The park district recently completed the Hett Park project on 19th and Cuyler which included the conversion of the former Cuyler pool house into a dance and fitness studio, the installation of a new playground named after former Alderman Ben Brocato and a new spray pool. The final phase of the Hett park project will be the conversion of Cuyler street into an outdoor plaza that will provide safe passage for children using the new park.

The IDNR PARC grant was sponsored by Senator Martin A. Sandoval.

That was actually a "wading pool", round in shape, on the 19th. St. "strip" at Cuyler, west side of the street. It was about 3 feet (max) deep in it's center, about 40 feet in diameter (I'm guessing). Intended mainly for kids, not big ones though. I was never immersed in it. My grade school chum, Howard Kostoris, lived in an apartment kitty-corner from it, northwest corner, in the basement. The apartment owner's name was "Tremmel", a nasty old guy. His name so reminded me of a character's name in the funnies, "Tremblechin", but I can't remember what strip it was. Keep in mind I lived a scant 3 blocks from there.
berwynson

[berwyn senator]

Do we remember spinning our cars around on the frozen lot at 19th.?

[berwynson]

Cars, no. But the fire dep't. took to flooding those lots after they had been heaped up with berms all around, to make skating rinks. There were at least 3, starting at Harvey working westward.

[berwyn senator]

A carved pumpkin was put on the hood of the Thunderbird pictured in your garagesff we went spinning on 19th. street ice.

[berwynson]

You swiped that damned pumpkin off a guy's porch in south Berwyn! Then, making the turn off Ridgeland onto Cermak to go east, it rolled off and busted, as we all laughed so hard, I almost lost control.

Another time, Christmastime, I think it was Charlie driving, also south somewhere, you spotted a big Santa Claus on a front porch, determined you wanted it, ran up there to steal it, ran back without it. Then, back at the car, you hollered you lost your watch up on the porch, ran back, and a guy comes out demanding WTH you're doing. You told him, you lost your watch up there, "Help me find it!"!!

No recollection of what happened next.

[berwyn senator]

Found the watch! Then ran to the car nothing happened, the old fart was to startled maybe was tipping th bottle of whiskey?