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Barrington Hills, Illinois

Barrington Hills is a village located about 40 mi northwest of Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois. Per the 2020 census, the population was 4,114. It straddles approximately 29 sqmi over four counties, Cook, Kane, Lake, and McHenry. The Village of Barrington Hills was incorporated in 1957.

The suburban village is included in the greater Barrington area. Many very affluent residents live on large estates and commute to downtown Chicago. A minimum 5 acre zoning restriction has been in effect on new construction since 1963, but the existence of equestrian farms antedates the village by decades. Farming and horse raising are allowed. Barrington Hills includes farms and estates such as Hill 'N Dale Farms, which was owned by Richard L. Duchossois, former owner of the Arlington Park racetrack. It was acquired by Citizens for Conservation in 2022 CFC plans to restore the original countours of Spring Creek as well as wetlands and prairies. Another example of an estate is Bank Note Farm. The identification of the area with horses carries over to the names Broncos and Colts for school teams.

Barrington Center Church
Barrington Center Church was built in 1853 by the Barrington Methodist Episcopal Society. A memorial plaque outside the church lists 91 area residents - one woman and 90 men - who served in the Civil War. Since the 1980s, the church building has been used by a Korean-American congregation, the New Friends Wesleyan Church.

In 1860, about 18 immigrant families of Czech ancestry settled along the east side of the Fox River, near the future site of Fox River Grove. In 1867, land was purchased at the southwest corner of Church and River - Algonquin roads, and construction was started on St. John Nepomucene Chapel, named after the patron saint of Bohemia. Completed in 1873, the chapel was never served by its own priest, and currently services are scheduled only once a year. The chapel and its cemetery are owned by the St. John Nepomucene Catholic Cemetery Association, making it the only privately owned Catholic chapel and cemetery in the Rockford Diocese.

Railroad and gentleman farms
Starting about 1900, business executives from Chicago, many of whom were tied to the railroad industry, purchased the rolling farms and subdivided them into large summer estates. One such individual was Spencer C. Otis Sr., who by 1910 is credited with purchasing 1000 acre of farmland along what was then Goose Lake Road but is now known as Otis Road and creating Hawthorne Farm. Otis was a "gentleman farmer" of the era. He worked in Chicago commerce, but his hobby was dairy farming on his large country estate which was led by his son Spencer Otis Jr. who attended agricultural school in at the University of Illinos in Urbana. At this time the university was experimenting building round barns, of which became an Otis signature, as there were three built on the Hawthorne Farm. Several of Otis Senior's business associates, including George E. Van Hagen, also built large estates in the area and ran their summer homes as year-round dairy farms.

Barrington Hills Country Club
In 1921, the Barrington Hills Country Club, with its eighteen-hole golf course, was established on 200 acre of unfarmable land between County Line Road, Oak Knoll Road, and Northwest Highway. The land was donated by three of the club's early founders: H. Stillson Hart, who owned the farmstead known as Hart Hills just to the east of the club; George E. Van Hagen of Wakefield Farm, who owned the land just to the west of the club; and J.R. Cardwell, whose Oak Knoll Farm swelled along the winding Oak Knoll Road on the club's northern end. Van Hagen became the club's first president. Noted Chicago architect Robert Work, who was associated with David Adler, designed the first clubhouse, which was opened in 1926 and burned to the ground in 1930. Work designed the second clubhouse as well, which opened in 1931 and still stands.

Education
The only public school located in the village is Countryside Elementary School, with about 500 students, in grades K-5, in the Barrington Community Unit School District 220. Countryside Elementary School draws students from both Barrington Hills and the eastern half of Fox River Grove which falls into District 220 also. Students from Countryside either attend Barrington Prairie Middle School or Barrington Station Middle School Station. Older students attend the nearby Barrington High School. Portions of the village are also within CUSD 300 of Dundee-Crown High School and of the Cary-Grove High School district.

Geography
Barrington Hills is located at 42.14°N, -88.20333°W (42.1399063, -88.2034182).

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Barrington Hills has a total area of 27.62 sqmi, of which 27.01 sqmi (or 97.77%) is land and 0.62 sqmi (or 2.23%) is water. The village is located within the Fox River watershed of the greater Illinois River waterway. There is about 1700 ft of shoreline along the east bank of the Fox River. Locally there are two perennial stream courses known to the west as Spring Creek and to the east as Flint Creek. Over the years, Flint Creek has been impounded such that along its course in the Cook County portion of the village are substantial lakes with such names as Hawley, Hawthorne, and Keene.

Into the 1990s, farmers still worked about 3000 acre of land. Residential properties of over 1 acre covered 30 percent. There is no downtown center, but the village has a small shopping strip along Route 14. With a population of 4,209 in 2010, Barrington Hills has kept its rural flavor as industrial and commercial development has sprung up around its borders.

The village is bordered on the west by East Dundee, Carpentersville, and Algonquin; on the north by Fox River Grove, and Lake Barrington; on the east by Barrington and Inverness; and to the south and southeast by South Barrington, and Hoffman Estates. Barrington Hills is one of only three municipalities in Illinois (along with Aurora and Centralia) with land located among four counties.

Surrounding areas

 * Lake Barrington
 * Trout Valley / Cary [[Image:Up arrow left.svg|20px]] [[Image:Up-1.svg|30px]] [[Image:Up arrow right.svg|20px]] North Barrington
 * Algonquin [[Image:Left.svg|30px]] [[Image:Right.svg|30px]] Barrington
 * East Dundee [[Image:Down arrow left.svg|20px]] [[Image:Down arrow.svg|30px]] [[Image:Down arrow right.svg|20px]] Inverness
 * Hoffman Estates / South Barrington

Government
Barrington Hills was incorporated in 1957. It was then composed of land only in the northwest corner of Cook County, and expanded over the next five years to its approximate configuration of today. In 1959, areas in McHenry and Lake counties joined the village, and in 1962 the village of Middlebury in Kane County was annexed. With the incorporation of Middlebury, the village government acquired its first building, a single-room school house converted into a police station.

The current Village Hall was constructed in 1974 with a substantial addition in 1993. The building hosts the Barrington Hills Police station, administrative offices and public meeting rooms. Barrington Area Council of Governments BACOG offices are also located on this site. A fire station was constructed in 1994 on the grounds.

The Village of Barrington Hills is a home rule municipality which functions under the council-manager form of government with a Village President and a six-member board of trustees, all of whom are elected at large to staggered four-year terms. Officers of the village include a village treasurer, a village clerk, a building code enforcement officer and a village manager.

The current village President is Brian D Cecola and current members of the Board of Trustees are Colleen Konicek Hannigan, Bryan Croll, Brian D. Cecola, Robert Zuback and Paula Jacobsen. The village manager is Anna Paul.

2020 Census
As of the 2020 census there were 4,114 people, 1,438 households, and 1,277 families residing in the village. The population density was 148.94 PD/sqmi. There were 1,651 housing units at an average density of 59.77 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 83.01% White, 8.51% Asian, 1.05% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.95% from other races, and 6.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.15% of the population.

There were 1,438 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.30% were married couples living together, 5.15% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.20% were non-families. 9.87% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.98% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.08 and the average family size was 2.88.

The village's age distribution consisted of 22.2% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 11% from 25 to 44, 34.9% from 45 to 64, and 24.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $157,414, and the median income for a family was $181,181. Males had a median income of $118,716 versus $40,148 for females. The per capita income for the village was $88,747. About 5.5% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,915 people, 1,381 households, and 1,168 families residing in the village. The population density was 140.4 /mi2. There were 1,456 housing units at an average density of 52.2 /mi2. The racial makeup of the village was 94.30% White, 0.46% African American, 3.91% Asian, 0.74% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.92% of the population.

There were 1,381 households, out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.9% were married couples living together, 3.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.4% were non-families. 12.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 20.0% from 25 to 44, 37.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $145,330, and the median income for a family was $156,002. Males had a median income of over $100,000 versus $56,167 for females. The per capita income for the village was $73,629. About 0.9% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

The village ranks 87th on the list of highest-income places in the United States with a population over 1,000, with nearby North Barrington, South Barrington, and Inverness also making the list.

Notable people

 * Tony Accardo (1906–1992), organized crime figure
 * Greg Brown, CEO of Motorola
 * Bill Moseley (born 1951), film actor and musician
 * Terry Moran (born 1959), ABC News Senior National Correspondent (grew up in Barrington Hills)
 * Henry Paulson (born 1946), Goldman Sachs CEO (1998–2006), U.S. Treasury Secretary (2006–2009)
 * Jasper Sanfilippo (1931-2020), President and CEO of nut conglomerate John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc., noted philanthropist, and founder of the Place de la Musique private museum.
 * Richard J. Stephenson, Chairman of Cancer Treatment Centers of America
 * Harry Mohr Weese (1915–1998), architect and planner

title: Barrington Hills, Illinois


text:
Bartlett, Illinois

Bartlett is a village in Illinois, United States. The population was 41,105 at the 2020 census. The village is primarily located in Cook and DuPage counties, with a small parcel on the western border located in Kane County. Bartlett is part of the Chicago metropolitan area.

History
In its earliest times, the Village of Bartlett, Illinois was served as a hunting and camping ground for the Cherokee, Miami, Potawatomi, and Ottawa Indians. Throughout the past, the Northwest Territory, Virginia, Indiana, Spain, France and England had staked their claim for Bartlett. However, the territory was owned by a man named Luther Bartlett. Luther and Sophia Bartlett had decided that a station stop would be beneficial for their town and townspeople. In 1873, Bartlett gave a monetary contribution and half of his 40-acre woodlot towards the construction for a train depot, which is why the town is named after Luther Bartlett. Bartlett later became one of the premiere pig towns, becoming their main export for years to come. A petition for incorporation was filed in Springfield on February 11, 1891. The village was incorporated on June 21, 1892. Bartlett experienced the majority of its population growth in the 1980s.

Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Bartlett has a total area of 15.92 sqmi, of which 15.73 sqmi (or 98.78%) is land and 0.19 sqmi (or 1.22%) is water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 41,105 people, 13,515 households, and 10,867 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,581.97 PD/sqmi. There were 14,522 housing units at an average density of 912.19 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 66.23% White, 17.95% Asian, 2.53% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.51% from other races, and 8.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.04% of the population.

There were 13,515 households, out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.69% were married couples living together, 8.14% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.59% were non-families. 16.85% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.40 and the average family size was 3.02.

The village's age distribution consisted of 23.7% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $109,980, and the median income for a family was $123,249. Males had a median income of $66,752 versus $42,099 for females. The per capita income for the village was $41,821. About 2.6% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

In 2011 Bartlett had 5,918 Asian residents, more than twice the number as in 2001. Ashok Selvam of the Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Illinois said that the Asian population growth "could be traced to construction of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir".

Retail and commerce
Apart from the downtown area, Bartlett has a large retail area centered by the intersection of Illinois Route 59 and Stearns Road.

Notable features
On August 8, 2004, the BAPS organization, a sect of Hinduism, opened BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Chicago, a large 22442 sqft temple, or mandir, on Illinois Route 59, just south of U.S. Route 20. Covering 30 acre, it is the largest traditional Hindu mandir, of stone and marble, to be constructed in the United States. The mandir took 16 months to build and was constructed with Turkish limestone, Italian marble, and Indian makrana marble. The adjoining cultural center, known as the Haveli, was opened in October 2000. The large complex contains large rooms with intricately carved walls of stone and wood. It attracts many visitors of all faiths.

 * Bartlett has retained its original railroad station, built in 1873. It is now the home of the Bartlett Depot Museum.
 * Bartlett had one of the largest Little League programs in the United States, managed under one board with over 1000 participants in the mid 1990s through early 2010.
 * Bartlett has one of the largest individual Little League Challenger Baseball programs (Special Needs Baseball / buddy ball) in the nation.
 * In 2013 The Bartlett Little League Challenger Division along with their Little League Illinois District 13 partners were the 15th team ever from Illinois to participate in the Little League World Series. They participated in the Challenger Exhibition game vs California District 57.
 * Bartlett's arts council, Arts in Bartlett, presents the village's only juried fine arts fair each year on the last weekend in June.
 * Bartlett Park District currently supports the Bartlett Park District Youth Theatre Troupe for ages 8 through 18.

Sports and recreation
The local park district in Bartlett also has a recreation center called Bartlett Community Center. This facility hosts a variety of sports that residents can sign up for and this includes: Adult Softball and Adult Basketball, Youth Basketball, Youth Soccer, Youth Girls Softball, Volleyball, Swimming, and an open gym.

Bartlett is home to Villa Olivia, a year-round resort with special event venue, an 18-hole golf course and winter sports such as skiing, tubing, and snowboarding. The championship course filled with mature trees, rolling hills, and beautiful landscaping. It features 6,510 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 73, a course rating of 72.4, and a slope rating of 124. Designed by Richard P. Nugent, ASGCA, the course opened in 1926.

Government
The village of Bartlett has a mayor/council form of government. A village clerk, six trustees and a village president are elected in nonpartisan, at-large elections. They are elected for four-year terms. Elections are staggered, with three trustees elected every two years and the village clerk and president elected every four years. Municipal elections occur in odd-numbered years.

Kevin Wallace has been Bartlett's Village President since 2013.

Schools
Public schools in Bartlett schools are entirely within Elgin Area School District U46. The Elgin Area School District serves a 90 sqmi area in Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties. Almost 40,000 children of school age are within its boundaries. The Elgin Area School District is the second largest school district in Illinois.

Elgin Area School District schools located in Bartlett include:

 * Pre-school: Independence.
 * Elementary schools: Bartlett, Centennial, Sycamore Trails, Prairieview, Hawk Hollow, Nature Ridge, and Liberty.
 * Middle school: Eastview Middle School. Some students who live in Bartlett attend Kenyon Woods Middle School located in South Elgin.
 * High school: Bartlett High School. Many students who live in Bartlett attend South Elgin High School in South Elgin.

Bartlett also has a community preschool.

Public library
The Bartlett Public Library was opened in 1973. After outgrowing the original building, the village purchased land in 1981 and opened the new facility in 1983. The library expanded again in 1995 when a second story was added. The library has a cozy, warm, cabin-like feel due to the exposed wooden structure on the interior of the building. In 2015, more renovations to modernize the library were made including the addition of study rooms, conference rooms, and an art room in the youth and teen services department. This renovation also expanded the display area in the entrance of the library.

Media (movies)

 * Munger Road (2011)
 * Normal Life (1996)

Lifestyle
The City of Bartlett was ranked the ninth-safest city in the United States according to the real estate market data platform NeighborhoodScout, with information analyzed from the FBI Crime Database from 2016.

There is an annual Independence Day festival that takes place located at the corner of W. Stearns and S. Bartlett Road near the Bartlett Community Center, 700 S. Bartlett Road. This festival includes a carnival with rides and games, food, beverages, free entertainment for all ages, bingo, a turtle race, a parade, on-site presence for nonprofit groups, skydivers, fireworks, and a great sense of community pride.

Transportation
The village is served by Illinois Route 59 and by the Milwaukee District West rail line. Trains from Bartlett station travel west to Big Timber Road station in Elgin and east to Chicago Union Station.

Pace provides bus service on Route 554 connecting Bartlett to Elgin, Schaumburg, and other destinations.

The village also has a bicycle path, the Barlett Trail, which runs across the village from east to west.

Notable people

 * Vinnie Hinostroza, professional hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins
 * Catherine J. Melchert, Mayor 1993–2009
 * Shealeigh Voitl, winner of Radio Disney's The Next Big Thing
 * A. C. Schultz, Wisconsin politician
 * Paul Christiano, choreographer and dancer
 * Jake Kumerow, professional football player

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Bartlett, Illinois


text:
Bedford Park, Illinois

Bedford Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, and is an industrial suburb of Chicago. The population was 602 at the 2020 census. Bedford Park consists of a small residential area and vast amounts of heavy industry sprawling to the east and a small amount to the west.

Geography
Bedford Park is located at 41.7525°N, -87.78583°W (41.768508, -87.785803).

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Bedford Park has a total area of 6.04 sqmi, of which 5.93 sqmi (or 98.25%) is land and 0.11 sqmi (or 1.75%) is water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 602 people, 211 households, and 166 families residing in the village. The population density was 99.67 PD/sqmi. There were 213 housing units at an average density of 35.26 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 61.30% White, 2.82% African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.66% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 13.62% from other races, and 20.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 36.88% of the population.

The top ancestries reported were Polish (16.1%), Irish (12.4%), German (9.7%), and Italian (6.7%).

There were 211 households, out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.66% were married couples living together, 15.64% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.33% were non-families. 17.06% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.64% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.63 and the average family size was 3.17.

The village's age distribution consisted of 26.5% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 136.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $99,375, and the median income for a family was $99,500. Males had a median income of $47,083 versus $47,700 for females. The per capita income for the village was $37,871. About 4.2% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 0.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Bedford Park is in Illinois's 3rd congressional district.

Education
Elementary and middle school students attend school in Cook County School District 104, which operates Walker Elementary School in Bedford Park. High school students move on to Argo Community High School District 217 in Summit.

The Bedford Park Public Library is in the community.

Parks and recreation
The Bedford Park District operates public parks in Bedford Park and Bridgeview Gardens.

Business
The Institute for Food Safety and Health is located in Bedford Park, adjacent to the Ingredion plant. It is affiliated with the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Transportation
Both Pace and CTA provide bus service in the village.

title: Bedford Park, Illinois


text:
Bellwood, Illinois

Bellwood is a village in Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. Located 13 mi west of Chicago's downtown Loop, the Village of Bellwood is bounded by the Eisenhower Expressway (south), the Proviso yards of the former Chicago & Northwestern, now Union Pacific Railroad (north), and the suburbs of Maywood (east) and Hillside and Berkeley (west). The population was 18,789 at the 2020 census.

History
Bellwood was incorporated on May 21, 1900. The municipality took its name from one of the village's early subdivisions, "Bellewood". However, in later years, the final "e" was dropped. The region, which was mostly flat grassland, was initially mostly farmland. A few businesses, including a few taverns, were drawn to the initial subdivision. In reaction to dry Maywood's effort to annex the area, businesses that served alcohol petitioned for incorporation. Between 1900 and 1930, Bellwood's population numbers increased steadily. By 1920, the village's population of 943 had more than quadrupled, with many German and Russian immigrants. The increase to 4,991 persons in 1930 is due to the annexation of territory west of Mannheim Road in 1926, as well as ongoing migration.

The Chicago, Aurora and Elgin Railway and the Chicago & North Western Railway provided rail passenger service, which promoted residential growth in neighboring portions of Bellwood. The 1970s saw racial upheaval and inclusion in a Supreme Court case in the United States. Bellwood sued a local real estate company in 1975, alleging racial discrimination. Four years later, the Supreme Court issued a historic decision allowing governments to utilize testers and sue when discrimination occurs. The black population of Bellwood jumped from 1.1 percent in 1970 to 35 percent in 1980 and 70 percent in 1990.

A few major firms exist in Bellwood today, but the collapse of many other large sectors has resulted in a decrease in employment and tax revenue. Despite these contributions, the community saw some new development as a result of various minor industrial and commercial organizations.

Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Bellwood has a total area of 2.40 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 18,789 people, 6,059 households, and 4,310 families residing in the village. The population density was 7,835.28 PD/sqmi. There were 6,757 housing units at an average density of 2,817.76 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 68.35% African American, 6.67% White, 0.96% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 15.83% from other races, and 7.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.79% of the population.

There were 6,059 households, out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.54% were married couples living together, 26.18% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.87% were non-families. 27.03% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.44% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.79 and the average family size was 3.09.

The village's age distribution consisted of 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $63,006, and the median income for a family was $69,730. Males had a median income of $38,361 versus $32,466 for females. The per capita income for the village was $27,244. About 8.3% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Andre F. Harvey is the current and Bellwood's first African-American mayor.

Education
The Bellwood School District 88 comprises seven schools: Grant Primary School, Grant Elementary School, Lincoln Primary–Early Childhood Center, Lincoln Elementary School, McKinley Elementary School, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School and Roosevelt Middle School. Some portions are zoned to Berkeley School District 87.

MECA Christian Academy is a private school.

Transportation
The village is serviced by a Metra railroad station with commuter service to Chicago. Trains from Bellwood station travel east to Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago, and west to Elburn station. Bus service in the village is provided by Pace. The Chicago Transit Authority provided bus passenger services for Bellwood until 2012 when it discontinued the #17 route.

In November 2011, Union Pacific Railroad announced plans to renovate and upgrade Bellwood's Metra station and add a third rail line. The project, estimated at $4 million, was expected to be completed by the fall of 2012 at no cost to residents. Bellwood formerly had a station on the Chicago Great Western Railway main line before it was abandoned in 1968 by the Chicago & Northwestern Railway. The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad runs through Bellwood, but does not host any commuter rail traffic.

Notable people

 * Lee J. Archambault, NASA astronaut, served aboard two space shuttle missions (STS-117 & STS-119)
 * Eugene Cernan, NASA astronaut, commander of the Apollo 17 mission and "last man on the Moon," grew up in Bellwood
 * Robert Covington, small forward for the Los Angeles Clippers, was born in Bellwood.
 * Ben Tennyson, the fictional American superhero was portrayed as being born in Bellwood

title: Bellwood, Illinois


text:
Bensenville, Illinois

Bensenville is a village located near O'Hare International Airport in DuPage County, Illinois, with a portion of the town in Cook County. As of the 2020 census, the village population was 18,813.

First known as Tioga, it was formally established as Bensenville in 1873 along the Milwaukee Road (now Canadian Pacific) right-of-way. The community is named after Bensen, Germany, a village in the municipality of Sudwalde. A post office was established in 1873, but because there was an existing "Benson", the suffix "ville" was added.

The Edge Ice Arena is located in Bensenville, former home of the Chicago Steel junior ice hockey team.

The Churchville School in Bensenville is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History
The Barker-Karpis Gang used a house on May Street to hide kidnap victims William Hamm, Jr in 1933 and Edward Bremer in 1934, who they had kidnapped from Saint Paul, Minnesota. In 2007, homes and businesses were acquired by the City of Chicago for its O'Hare Modernization Program.

Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Bensenville has a total area of 5.58 sqmi, of which 5.53 sqmi (or 99.09%) is land and 0.05 sqmi (or 0.91%) is water.

Schools
Bensenville School District 100: Bensenville School District 2: Private:
 * Fenton High School which serves both Bensenville and Wood Dale
 * Blackhawk Middle School
 * Tioga School
 * W.A. Johnson School
 * Zion-Concord Lutheran School, Private 3-year-old Preschool through 8th grade.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 18,813 people, 6,661 households, and 4,274 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,370.90 PD/sqmi. There were 6,864 housing units at an average density of 1,229.89 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 46.19% White, 4.17% African American, 4.94% Asian, 2.23% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 25.73% from other races, and 16.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 51.55% of the population.

There were 6,661 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.30% were married couples living together, 12.73% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.84% were non-families. 29.43% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.48% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.40 and the average family size was 2.70.

The village's age distribution consisted of 23.2% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $64,401, and the median income for a family was $77,151. Males had a median income of $39,310 versus $32,728 for females. The per capita income for the village was $27,530. About 7.4% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.6% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
Bensenville has a station on Metra's Milwaukee District West Line, which provides daily rail service between Elgin and Chicago (at Union Station). From there, passengers can connect to Amtrak trains.

Pace provides bus service on Routes 223, 319 and 332 connecting Bensenville to Elmhurst, Rosemont, and other destinations.

Top employers
According to Bensenville's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the village are:

In popular culture
Bensenville is the site of Victory Auto Wreckers, a 7 acre auto recycling facility on Green Street which has repeatedly aired the "door-falling-off-the-car" commercial, starring Bob Zajdel, on Chicago television stations since 1981.

Bensenville is mentioned by name in the movie Flatliners, and a scene was filmed at the old green house that was next to Blackhawk Junior High School in 1990.

In the television series Boss, a multi-episode story arc involves the main character, Mayor of Chicago Tom Kane (Kelsey Grammer), being damaged by a scandal in which he authorized the dumping of carcinogenic chemicals that soak into the groundwater of Bensenville.

Sister cities

 * 🇲🇽 Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico

Notable people

 * Daren Dochterman is an art designer and illustrator for over 35 feature films including The Abyss, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
 * Richard Oruche, basketball player for the Nigerian National Basketball Team. He competed in the 2012 Olympic Games. He played basketball for the Fenton Bison, Bensenville's high school.
 * William A. Redmond was a longtime Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives who served as Speaker from 1975 to 1981.
 * Genevieve "Audrey" Wagner was a professional baseball player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, winning the league's batting title in 1948. She later earned an M.D. and pilots license.
 * Marcin Kleczynski, Polish-born Malwarebytes CEO who grew up in Bensenville.

title: Bensenville, Illinois


text:
Berkeley, Illinois

Berkeley (pronounced BURK-lee) is a village located in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Incorporated in 1924, the population at the 2020 census was 5,338.

The town has a commuter railroad station on Metra's Union Pacific West Line with service to downtown Chicago.

Berkeley is situated fourteen miles west of the Chicago Loop in Cook County. Berkeley is on the western edge of Cook County. Berkeley has instant access to the metropolitan area, with Interstates 290 and 294 comprising its western and part of its southern boundaries, and the Union Pacific Railroad (originally the Chicago & North Western) and the large Proviso classification yard to the north. However, the transit arteries that link Berkeley to separate locations also function to isolate the village from its close neighbors, providing it a small-town atmosphere.

Geography
Berkeley is located at 41.88667°N, -87.91056°W (41.886794, -87.910528).

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Berkeley has a total area of 1.40 sqmi, all land.

History
Farmers, mostly of German and Dutch heritage, began to settle in the region that would become Berkeley around 1835. The Dutch sought to be truck farmers, dwelling on farms spanning from 40 to 160 acres, whereas the Germans conducted general farming. In 1848, a small group of farm families founded Sunnyside, a one-room school. Sunnyside Elementary School is still in operation today, however it is now located in a bigger and newer structure. Farmland was provided for what is now known as Old Settler's Cemetery a short distance west on St. Charles Road (which was finished in 1836).

The Chicago, Aurora & Elgin Railroad (interurban) opened in 1902, providing the area with its first passenger rail service at Berkeley. Subdivisions were made in 1908 and again in 1914-1915 introduced new residential building and new inhabitants to the region, who were mostly English. Berkeley became a village in 1924, thanks to the efforts of these people.

The early 1900s population surge paled in comparison to the post-World War II population explosion in Berkeley, which saw the village population triple from 1,882 in 1950 to 5,792 in 1960. Berkeley also lost a number of homes when the Interstate 290 expansion was built in the late 1950s, cutting a north–south swath across the village's western part. The Chicago, Aurora & Elgin Railway ceased passenger service in 1957 when traffic was transferred to the new expressway system, but its path is still preserved through the community by the Prairie Path for bicyclists.

Berkeley bought property from the railroad in the 1960s to stretch its northern borders, enabling for the development of a small industrial park. Electrical contractors, printing firms, warehouses, wholesalers, and the World Dryer Corporation, one of the world's largest hand dryer manufacturers, were among the facility's 12 light industries in 2000. Berkeley, on the other hand, has remained mostly a residential neighborhood. Many of the residents who bought houses in the village in the 1950s stayed into the 1990s. The village anticipated large residential turnover when these long-term homeowners sold their homes at the turn of the twenty-first century.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 5,338 people, 1,793 households, and 1,339 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,807.42 PD/sqmi. There were 1,933 housing units at an average density of 1,378.74 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 32.60% African American, 27.58% White, 4.23% Asian, 1.85% Native American, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 22.26% from other races, and 11.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 37.62% of the population.

There were 1,793 households, out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 13.72% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.32% were non-families. 22.09% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.38% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.30 and the average family size was 2.82.

The village's age distribution consisted of 19.9% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $71,025, and the median income for a family was $72,051. Males had a median income of $48,333 versus $30,346 for females. The per capita income for the village was $29,940. About 0.5% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.0% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Most children in Berkeley attend schools in Berkeley School District 87 which are Sunnyside Elementary School and MacArthur Middle School. Others attend Hillside School in Hillside School District 93.

Proviso Township High Schools District 209 operates public high schools. The community is served by Proviso West High School in Hillside. Berkeley residents may apply to Proviso Math & Science Academy in Forest Park.

Private school education is available in the Berkeley area with Immanuel Lutheran grade schools in Hillside, Immaculate Conception, Visitation, and Immanuel Lutheran grade schools in neighboring Elmhurst. High school age students have several schools to choose from in the Berkeley area including Immaculate Conception High School in Elmhurst and Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park. Timothy Christian school in Elmhurst is also an option and has students from K through 12. Lastly, an option that has been growing in popularity is Walther Christian Academy in Melrose Park.

Transportation
The Berkeley station provides Metra commuter rail service along the Union Pacific West Line to the community. Trains travel east to Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago and west to Elburn station. Pace provides bus service on routes 301 and 313 connecting Berkeley to destinations across the region.

Companies based in Berkeley

 * Vanee Foods
 * Preferred Meals
 * World Dryer
 * Honey-Can-Do International
 * Conflowence

Sister city
The village has a sister city in England, Berkeley, Gloucestershire.

title: Berkeley, Illinois


text:
Berwyn, Illinois

Berwyn is a suburban city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, 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. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area.

History
Before being settled, the land that is now Berwyn was traversed by Native American trails. The most important trails converged near the Chicago portage, and two notable routes crossed what is today Berwyn. A branch of the Trail to Green Bay crossed Berwyn at what is now Riverside Drive, and the Ottawa Trail spanned the southern end of the city.

In 1846, the first land in "Berwyn" was deeded to Theodore Doty, who built the 8 ft Plank Road from Chicago to Ottawa along the Ottawa Trail. The trail had been used as a French and Indian trade route and more recently as a stagecoach route to Lisle. This thoroughfare became what is now Ogden Avenue in South Berwyn. In 1856, Thomas F. Baldwin purchased 347 acre of land, bordered by what is now Ogden Avenue, Ridgeland Avenue, 31st Street, and Harlem Avenue, in hopes of developing a rich and aristocratic community called "LaVergne". However, few people were interested in grassy marshland. Mud Lake extended nearly to the southern border of today's Berwyn, and the land regularly flooded during heavy rains. The only mode of transportation to LaVergne was horse and buggy on the Plank Road.

To encourage people to move to LaVergne, Baldwin sold an 80 ft strip of property to the Burlington and Quincy Railroad in 1862. The rail line opened in 1864, but the train did not stop regularly in the area. The railroad refused to build a station, so the residents of the area constructed LaVergne Station on Ridgeland Avenue in 1874.

However, the financial panic of 1873 and Baldwin's death in 1876 stunted the growth of LaVergne. Baldwin's daughter, Emma, inherited her father's estate, and in 1879 she sold most of the land to a group of realtors controlled by Marshall Field. The new development enacted building codes and stipulated the minimum building cost of each home. By the end of 1880, 12 new homes were built. By 1888, the settlement had grown so much that 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. LaVergne School became the first public building in Berwyn.

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. The land was bounded by Wesley, Kenilworth, 31st Street, and Ogden Avenues. By the following year, the two received approval from Cicero Township to double their land holdings.

Piper and Andrews wanted the railroad to build a station in their development, but the railroad already had stations at La Vergne and at Harlem Avenue. Piper and Andrews decided to build a station with the understanding that trains would stop regularly. They did not know what to name their station so they consulted a Pennsylvania train timetable to find a name. They chose to name it after Berwyn, Pennsylvania, a Main Line suburb of Philadelphia noted for its beauty. After 1901, all settlements in the area were known as Berwyn. While Piper and Andrews were developing the southern portion of present-day Berwyn, John Kelly was helping to develop the north part from 12th Street to 16th Street. This area was really a part of an Oak Park subdivision, and it even appeared on some maps as "South Oak Park". In fact, children who lived in this area went to school in Oak Park. John Kelly was known as "Mr. Everything" because he was a realtor, builder, insurance seller, and community servant.

In between the two settlements, there was little except for a few farms. 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 Avenue and Ridgeland Avenue. Although Berwyn was chartered as a city in 1908, it was not until the 1920s that this middle portion of land was developed.

During this time, Berwyn was the area's fastest growing suburb. The city's stringent building codes resulted in block upon block of well-built brick two-story bungalows. Many also contained elaborate design elements typically not seen, such as stained glass windows, clay tile roofs, terra cotta, and intricate brick patterns. Today, Berwyn is noted as having the most significant collection of Chicago-style bungalows in the nation.

Demographics
As of the 2020 Census there were 57,250 people, 18,277 households, and 12,348 families residing in the city. The population density was 14,664.45 PD/sqmi. 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 proper.

There were 21,037 housing units at an average density of 5,388.58 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 33.33% White, 8.53% African American, 2.79% Native American, 2.52% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 31.61% from other races, and 21.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 64.15% of the population. The top five non-Hispanic ancestries reported in Berwyn as of the 2020 American Community Survey were German (6.5%), Polish (5.8%), Irish (5.2%), and Italian (5.1%), and Czech (2.0%).

There were 18,277 households, out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.98% were married couples living together, 16.13% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.44% were non-families. 25.88% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.19% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.67 and the average family size was 2.99.

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 median age was 35.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $61,915, and the median income for a family was $72,241. Males had a median income of $37,584 versus $32,273 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,939. About 9.0% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Berwyn has a total area of 3.90 sqmi, all land. Bordering cities include Oak Park to the north, Cicero to the east, Stickney to the south, Lyons, Riverside, North Riverside, and Forest Park to the west. Geologically, Berwyn is predominately composed of Glacial Lake Bottom from the Wisconsin Glacial Episode, the most recent glacial period. A beach ridge of sand and gravel, made during one of the stages of Lake Chicago, is also present in the city. This is most easily identified as Riverside Drive. The elevation change due to the ridge is clearly seen on the 2800 block of Maple Ave. Prior to the settlement of Berwyn, the land was grassy marshland. The body of water that connected the South Branch of the Chicago River to the Des Plaines River was a shallow waterway or a muddy slough (depending on the season) known as Mud Lake. Mud Lake extended nearly to the southern border of today's Berwyn, and the southern end of Berwyn flooded regularly during heavy rains in its early years.

City
The City of Berwyn operates under a strong mayor form of government. The people of Berwyn elect the mayor, clerk, treasurer, and one alderman from each of the city's eight wards. The terms of elected officials are four years. The mayor is given administrative authority, and he 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 seat of government is located at City Hall, 6700 26th Street.

Police
The Berwyn Police Department has six main divisions: Administrative, Investigative, Patrol, K-9 Unit, Communications, Records, and Parking. The Berwyn Police Station is located at 6401 W. 31st Street.

Fire
The Berwyn 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:

Federal
Since 2013, Berwyn has been split between three of Illinois' congressional districts: the IL's 3rd congressional district, IL's 4th congressional district, and IL's 7th congressional district.

Post Office
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. Murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through the Section of Painting and Sculpture, later called the Section of Fine Arts, of the Treasury Department.

Education
Berwyn is served by two K-8 school districts:

 * Berwyn North School District 98 comprises 4 schools: Havlicek Elementary, Prairie Oak Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, and Lincoln Middle School.
 * Berwyn South School District 100 comprises 8 schools: Emerson Elementary, Hiawatha Elementary, Irving Elementary, Komensky Elementary, Pershing Elementary, Piper Elementary, Freedom Middle School, and Heritage Middle School.

High school students, depending on residency, attend either J. Sterling Morton High School District 201's J. Sterling Morton High School West in Berwyn or J. Sterling Morton High School East in Cicero. Most areas are west of Ridgeland Avenue and therefore are zoned to Morton West, while those east of Ridgeland Avenue are zoned to Morton East.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago operates one PK-8 school in Berwyn, St. Leonard School. St. Odilo closed in 2024. St. Mary of Celle closed after the 2004–2005 school year. The building and premises are still used, however. During the Great Depression, the tuition at St. Odilo was only 75 cents (about $ when accounting for inflation).

Parochial grade school students who wish to move onto parochial secondary education can attend nearby schools such as Fenwick High School in neighboring Oak Park, or Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, both of which are co-educational. Trinity High School located in River Forest is a school for girls.

Berwyn North School District 98 used to host General Custer Elementary, which was built in 1908 and later torn down in 2000. 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 (now the Berwyn Cultural Center).

LaVergne School, built in 1888, was the first school built in Berwyn, 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 100.

Economy
While Berwyn is known as the "City of Homes," it also contains four primary business corridors: Ogden Ave, the Depot District, Cermak Road, and Roosevelt Road. Ogden Ave, a segment of historic Route 66, is an automobile-centered district, and at its peak the road included over a dozen car dealerships in Berwyn. The Depot District, the area around the train station, includes an array of independent shops and restaurants. Loyola MacNeal Hospital, founded in 1919, is the largest employer in the city and the center of the district. Cermak Road earned the nickname "The Bohemian Wall Street" due to the many savings and loans located there. In 1991, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that "Berwyn has the highest concentration of financial institutions in the world - a tribute to the frugality of its forebears."

The Cermak Plaza Shopping Center, which opened in 1956, is located at the corner of Harlem Avenue and Cermak Road. Notable original tenants included J. C. Penney, Walgreens, F.W. Woolworth, Kinney Shoes, Jewel Foods and Fannie May Candies. Cermak Plaza served as the main shopping center for the area until 1975 when the North Riverside Park Mall opened a half mile west on Cermak Road. Cermak Road now includes an array of retail shops and restaurants.

According to Berwyn's 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were:

Train
Berwyn is served by the BNSF Line, and Metra operates three stations within the city: Harlem Avenue station, Berwyn Station at Oak Park Ave, and La Vergne station at Ridgeland Ave.

Until 1952 Berwyn was served by the Douglas branch of the Chicago "L". The line was extended in 1924 to Oak Park Ave, just north of Cermak Rd. In 1952 rail service west of 54th Ave was suspended and replaced by bus. 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.

Berwyn was also briefly served by a steam line that ran along 19th Street at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. A station was located at Ridgeland Ave. The line was built in 1890 by the Chicago and Northern Pacific Railroad under the name Chicago & Southwestern Railroad. It extended from the C&NP mainline at 45th Street south to 16th Street and then to 19th Street. It then turned north on Harlem, returning to the C&NP mainline. The different shaped lots between Austin Blvd and Ridgeland along 19th Street attest to the previous presence of the line.

Bus
Bus service within Berwyn and to neighboring suburbs is primarily provided by Pace Bus. Additionally, CTA Route 21 serves Cermak Road through Berwyn.

Walkability and carbon footprint
Berwyn 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.

Arts and culture
Berwyn now 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. It was named "Best Emerging Theater Company" by Chicago magazine in 2013.

Annual events
From the 1920s to the 1970s, Berwyn had a large Czechoslovak population, and to celebrate their heritage the Houby Day Parade was organized in 1968. The parade continues to today, and it coincides with the fall mushroom harvest.

Ogden Avenue is part of the "Historic Route 66" in Berwyn, and an annual Vintage Car Show has taken place in the city every year in early September since 1990. Ogden Avenue is closed to traffic from Ridgeland to Oak Park Avenue, and hundreds of car enthusiasts come out to celebrate the spirit of Route 66. In 2006, Berwyn began to host its annual art car parade called Cartopia. Art car artists from all over the country meet to show off their latest creations and then parade through the neighborhood.

In the 1960s and 1970s, many Italian families moved into Berwyn. The Maria SS Lauretana Italian-Sicilian Religious Festival was held on the grounds of Morton West High School during Labor Day weekend until 2014.

Since the year 2000, Berwyn has held an Oktoberfest and Brew Fest around mid to late-September; the festivals are held at the tracks on Berwyn Station and Proska Park respectively.

Public art
Berwyn was notable for the sculpture Spindle, created by artist Dustin Shuler and located in the Cermak Plaza shopping center along with other works of art. The Spindle was shown in the 1992 film Wayne's World. It was demolished and scrapped on the night of May 2, 2008 to make way for a new Walgreens. Grassroots efforts to Save the Spindle failed to raise the $300,000+ that it would have taken to dismantle and relocate it. This was a major upset among supporters of the sculpture, considering that it did not encroach upon the new Walgreens' final location. The two topmost cars were placed in storage; the Berwyn Route 66 Museum on Ogden Avenue proposes to incorporate them into a reconstruction of the Spindle.

Beginning 2019, the city has cooperated with a non-profit known as the Berwyn Public Art Initiative to provide opportunities for independent artists to create public art throughout the city.

Film and television
Portions of the 2008 film Wanted with Angelina Jolie were filmed at Cermak Plaza. Segments of the films A League of Their Own, The Color of Money, and Adventures in Babysitting were filmed at FitzGerald's Nightclub in Berwyn.

Berwyn is mentioned frequently as a running gag on the Chicago television series Svengoolie, using a voice clip of multiple people shouting, "Berwyn?!" This is often complimented by jokes poking fun at the town's historically Central European heritage, or digs at the local culture of Berwyn. These jokes continued in another Rich Koz project, The Koz Zone.

Berwyn has also been used as the backdrop for multiple television productions, such as shows in the Dick Wolf Chicago franchise, The Chi, and Empire.

Parks and recreation
Many parks and community centers are located within Berwyn. Two park districts and a recreation department maintain the city's recreational facilities and organize leagues and programming for youth, adults, and seniors. The city's largest park is Proksa Park, which comprises approximately 15 acre of land. It contains numerous flower beds, 64 species of trees, 85 species of shrubs, as well as a small pond and stream. Recreational facilities include three tennis courts, two softball fields, and a large playground.

Berwyn is also home to the Pav YMCA. 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:

Features
Berwyn is a very diverse community, with some larger homes on its south side and many smaller, bungalow-type homes on the north side around Roosevelt Road and Cermak Road. The town also has many duplexes and three unit buildings. Because of the predominance of small residences in Berwyn, the community has an unusually low carbon footprint. According to data published by the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Berwyn had the lowest per capita CO2 emissions from homes and private vehicles in the Chicago area.

Berwyn has one of the world's largest laundromats, 13500 sqft in size, with 161 washers and 140 dryers, a kids' play area, big screen TVs, a bird sanctuary, and free pizza on Wednesday nights. It incurred extensive damage from an electrical fire in 2004 but was rebuilt in early 2006. This laundromat received considerable recognition for using a solar thermal system (the largest such installation in Illinois) to meet its hot water needs.

Notable people

 * Jeff Adams, football player; born in Berwyn
 * Christopher Bielawski, Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher in synthesis and polymer chemistry
 * Scarlett Bordeaux, professional wrestling valet in WWE and Ring of Honor; resides in Berwyn
 * Dianne Chandler, model, Playboy Playmate
 * Richard Christiansen, film and theatre critic, born in Berwyn
 * Ray Clay, former Chicago Bulls public address announcer; born in Berwyn
 * Allan Cox, author and business leader; born in Berwyn
 * George E. Dolezal, state representative and judge; served as mayor of Berwyn
 * Nick Fuentes, White Supremacist political commentator; as of 2022 lives in and broadcasts his online show from Berwyn
 * Joey Goodspeed, running back for the Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, and San Diego Chargers; born in Berwyn
 * Ozzie Guillén, Major League Baseball player and manager, lived in Berwyn during playing days with Chicago White Sox
 * Gary Hallberg, golfer with the PGA Tour; born in Berwyn
 * Fred Malek, businessman
 * Ricky Mandel, professional wrestler who competed for Lucha Underground
 * John J. McNichols, Illinois state representative and lawyer
 * Stan Mikita, professional National Hockey League player for the Chicago Blackhawks, resided in Berwyn during his playing days
 * Bob Miller, pitcher for Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Mets; born in Berwyn
 * Arthur Nielsen, market analyst who founded ACNielsen company
 * John Philip Novak, state legislator
 * Bob Odenkirk, actor and comedian best known as Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul
 * Robert Pechous, educator and politician
 * Jim Peterik, musician, founding member of The Ides of March and Survivor
 * Sondra Radvanovsky, opera singer
 * Joseph G. Sevcik, state representative and lawyer; lived in Berwyn and served as the city attorney of Berwyn
 * Vlasta Vraz, Czech relief worker after WWII
 * Jerry Wainwright, head coach for DePaul University Blue Demons basketball; born in Berwyn
 * Dave Wehrmeister, pitcher for San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago White Sox; born in Berwyn
 * Bob Will, outfielder for Chicago Cubs; born in Berwyn
 * David Huffman, Actor
 * Brian Gutiérrez, soccer player for Chicago Fire
 * Iman Shumpert, pro basketball player

title: Berwyn, Illinois