Now Just $489K and Still No One Is Biting on this 3-Bedroom SFH at 1911 W. Berenice in North Center

When I originally took the picture of this 3-bedroom single family home at 1911 W. Berenice in North Center, I thought it might be under contract before I even had a chance to post on it.

It was, after all, a single family home with a garage in the Bell School District listed for $545,000.

But here we are 7 months later and it’s still on the market and has been reduced to $489,000.

You can read our February 2012 chatter here (always interesting!)

One of you thought in February that it would sell for around $435,000.

If you recall, the house was built in 1896 on a standard Chicago lot of 25×125.

It has 1704 square feet on two levels. There is apparently an unfinished basement.

All 3 bedrooms are on the second level. The house also has an “updated” kitchen with white cabinets and stainless steel appliances. The listing also says there is a new 2-car garage.

The gate in the picture above is for the property next door.

And yes- there are still NO pictures of the bathrooms in the listing (sigh).

We’ve been debating the ultimate sales price on this one for months now.

This is priced cheaper than many 3-bedroom duplex downs/ups and also many townhouses in the area.

How low will this house go?

Kevin Sullivan at Coldwell Banker still has the listing. See the pictures here.

1911 W. Berenice: 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, 1704 square feet, 2 car garage

  • Sold before 1991 (no price listed)
  • Sold in December 2004 for $525,500
  • Was listed on November 1, 2011 for $545,000
  • Reduced
  • Was listed in February 2012 at $515,000
  • Reduced
  • Currently listed at $489,000
  • Taxes of $8618
  • Space pak air conditioning
  • Bedroom #1: 16×14 (second floor)
  • Bedroom #2: 12×9 (second floor)
  • Bedroom #3: 17×8 (second floor)

 

141 Responses to “Now Just $489K and Still No One Is Biting on this 3-Bedroom SFH at 1911 W. Berenice in North Center”

  1. matthewlesko on May 8th, 2012 at 2:10 pm

    People here seem pretty split on Cary, but I think we can all agree that this house has about as much curb appeal as a house in Rockford!

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  2. Depends on which house in Rockford!

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  3. It needs some work and people seem to prefer totally new or remodeled duplexes/townhomes over this. The 1.5 bath is a killer too

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  4. “Depends on which house in Rockford!”

    I’m sure your house is very nice, HD. Much nicer than this one.

    Feel better now?

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  5. Friends went to see it and they did not like it at all. And that’s without any real appreciation of potential beer garden issues. I got the story secondhand, so not sure exactly what they didn’t like. I think the baths, which are not pictured, don’t look great. They just started looking though, so I don’t know that they understand how much stuff costs in different areas.

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  6. Can we come up with a CribChatter Rule-of-Thumb that says half a million dollar homes must have more than 1.5 bathrooms?

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  7. Im OK with the curb appeal. I don’t like the Beer Garden right next door

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  8. I dont mind the bathroom count its the price, i can get 5 times the home for that in Matton, IL and not have a beer garden outside a huge count of my windows.

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  9. “I’m sure your house is very nice, HD. Much nicer than this one.

    Feel better now?”

    I was just in Rockford, there’s a lot of nice homes out near the country club, near Rock Cut, and along the river, there are a ton of large 1960’s ranches on hilly, wooded lots no more than a 10 minute drive outside downtown. That town used to have some serious money up until the 1970’s when the American manufacturing base bottomed out.

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  10. ” Matton, IL ”

    Yeah, and I can buy a palace in Oz, if we’re just making up places now.

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  11. “” Matton, IL ”
    Yeah, and I can buy a palace in Oz, if we’re just making up places now.”

    actual town, and yes groove has extended family there.

    the groove dna reaches far and crosses many races and borders. I think our tribe name translated into english is something like “will rest spear anywhere”. the family crest was a lion humping a zebra until the PETA lawsuit.

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  12. sorry its Mattoon

    for got an O.

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  13. SoPoCo Lurker on May 8th, 2012 at 2:59 pm

    Take off the market and re-list in the Fall after the beer garden closes for the season. Oh, and lower the price to $399.

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  14. I know this is just a not near good public trans backwater, not real city living, so it’s not clear why it’s even being featured on CC, but if one were compelled to want to be in Bell, would you take this house or this condo?

    http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/3828-N-Lincoln-Ave-60613/unit-3/home/18571751

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  15. matthewlesko on May 8th, 2012 at 3:11 pm

    Living by a beer garden would be a lot of fun! Plus I am sure if you complained about noise, they would give you free stuff! I’d probably rather live here than near a nightclub that was open til 4 am.

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  16. “would you take this house or this condo? ”

    Clearly the condo, since it includes a wormhole to ~ North and Halsted.

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  17. “since it includes a wormhole to ~ North and Halsted”

    give agent some slack it used to be there.

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  18. This house still makes me sad. It’s also sad that the schools are so horrible in other areas that a mediocre CPS elementary commands such a high price for houses.

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  19. “give agent some slack it used to be there”

    @fo just angry that his favorite furniture and home furnishings store is gone.

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  20. “give agent some slack it used to be there.”

    “2 blocks from Butera!!”

    “2 blocks from lumber yard”

    “2 blocks from cap & gown factory”

    “EZ walk to Riverview amusement park”

    “streetcar stop right outside”

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  21. “@fo just angry that his favorite furniture and home furnishings store is gone.”

    fun groove fact, wife applied for a part time job there waaaay back when.

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  22. I’m not sure what’s mediocre about Bell. 95% of it’s students meet and exceed ISAT tests, with about 65% exceeding and 30% meeting.

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  23. “since it includes a wormhole to ~ North and Halsted” and “give agent some slack it used to be there.”

    I’m clearly missing some inside jokes here.

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  24. “I’m not sure what’s mediocre about Bell”

    Compares unfavorably to Lab School.

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  25. “I’m clearly missing some inside jokes here.”

    DZ’s condo alternative sez CB2 within 2 blocks.

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  26. Something I didn’t notice before on this place– space pac cooling with GFA heating?

    Is there any situation where that would make sense? I can’t think of one for a place this small.

    Oh and DZ, I’ll bite– I think you found the one situation where I’d buy this place. Not taking the small HOA on Lincoln ave, sorry.

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  27. It does compare unfavorably to Lab School. I think any kid could rise to Lab’s standards if given the chance and parents who care.

    On the other hand, I don’t think Lab is perfect, but it’s certainly better than any CPS.

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  28. another reason agents shouldn’t write listing sheets in ALL CAPs

    “DZ’s condo alternative sez CB2 within 2 blocks.”

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  29. What does Lab School cost jenny?

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  30. This needs to come down well below $400.

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  31. Where can I find Lab School’s ISAT scores?

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  32. Unfortunately nature does not play fair so I beg to differ.

    ” I think any kid could rise to Lab’s standards if given the chance and parents who care.”

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  33. agree miumiu…..

    Yes, this needs to come down below 400k. I have had two sets of friends look at it for a tear down. In the end the beer garden was the deal breaker, there was not anything about teh house either planned on salvaging.

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  34. ““give agent some slack it used to be there.”

    “2 blocks from Butera!!”

    “2 blocks from lumber yard”

    “2 blocks from cap & gown factory”

    “EZ walk to Riverview amusement park”

    “streetcar stop right outside”

    dang cap and gown factory off the top of the head? thats some skills. overall though a big LOL

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  35. This is a crap location. What about lot value, and uncumbered lot value at that, doesn’t make sense?

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  36. Lab school is expensive, but I don’t really understand why it has to be so expensive and why CPS can’t follow the same model in schools that cater to middle class families.

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  37. well Jenny….Lab does not cater to middle class families. And, it is expensive because those professor kids do not pay to attend….so someone has to foot the bill!

    Seriously, when and if you decide to have kids it will give you a whole new perspective on what education looks like in the city in its current state. It’s not the doom and gloom most put out there (which ironically seems to be the kidless on here)

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  38. “and why CPS can’t follow the same model in schools that cater to middle class families”

    CPS cant cater to the middle class as its main attendee’s are not middle class. Its like asking whole foods to cater to the mcdonalds dollar menu demographic.

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  39. “It’s not the doom and gloom most put out there (which ironically seems to be the kidless on here)”

    Pretty remarkable, isn’t it?

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  40. “It’s not the doom and gloom most put out there (which ironically seems to be the kidless on here)”

    oh i get it, you dont have a kid in CPS High School

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  41. “oh i get it, you dont have a kid in CPS High School”
    I’ve got 8 more years for the first to go….but not worried about that either. Getting involved now and hoping to make some change for our local hs….call me crazy, but i would rather channel any stress into helpful change

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  42. “I’ve got 8 more years for the first to go….but not worried about that either. Getting involved now and hoping to make some change for our local hs….call me crazy, but i would rather channel any stress into helpful change”

    as icarus pointed out earlier today, remember this Groove is a product of the CPS. Have fun with overcrowding and average performance.

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  43. At the risk of summoning you-know-who, I think anon’s comment re: Lab had more to do with the fact that a certain prominent Chicago family (who live in Bell) opted for Lab, than with any quantifiable differences between Lab and Bell outcomes.

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  44. “as icarus pointed out earlier today, remember this Groove is a product of the CPS. Have fun with overcrowding and average performance.”

    It may be shocking for a mom to say…but my kids are average. And overcrowding is what it is and happens even in the best of the burb schools (seriously though New Trier scares teh crap out of me),it’s a cult I don’t want my kids to join.

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  45. The Mayor lives in Ravenswood School boundaries…not Bell

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  46. “The Mayor lives in Ravenswood School boundaries…not Bell”

    You beat me to it….

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  47. ““The Mayor lives in Ravenswood School boundaries…not Bell”

    You beat me to it….”

    dang it you both beat me to it

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  48. So, what are Lab School’s ISAT scores?

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  49. “It may be shocking for a mom to say…but my kids are average.”

    Hey i am planing on average, hoping for above average, praying for genius. all plans a based on the first so anything higher is bonus points and more towards college fund

    “And overcrowding is what it is and happens even in the best of the burb schools”

    Actually RF and Sears dont have that problem and they are a best burb school

    “(seriously though New Trier scares teh crap out of me),”

    100% agree on that one, talk about being nameless and faceless in a crowd. the cliques there i have heard are vacuums like gangs in the hood. i am still trying to figure out if that experience is more damaging than an average CPS HS

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  50. According to the various school rankings (Tribune, Sun-Times, Greatschools, Schooldigger) Bell is one of the top schools in Illinois, ranked above dozens of suburban schools considered by the masses as beyond reproach. Its test scores are top-notch. There is really no reasonable basis for calling it “mediocre.” And by the way, the old “it’s mediocre because it’s a CPS school, everybody knows CPS schools cannot be anything but mediocre, therefore Bell is mediocre” merry-go-round doesn’t count.

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  51. “I think anon’s comment re: Lab had more to do with the fact that a certain prominent Chicago family (who live in Bell) opted for Lab, than with any quantifiable differences between Lab and Bell outcomes.”

    Jenny’s parents are (a) prominent and (b) lived in the Bell attendance area? Never got that impression.

    As to Rahm’s choice–I think it reflects on nothing other than the questions that would plague his kids if all three of them ended up going to NSCP or Payton. I’d make *exactly* the same choice for my family in his circumstances. Totally unfair for his kids to have to deal with any “you got in on clout” BS (unless, of course, it were true).

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  52. “As to Rahm’s choice–I think it reflects on nothing other than the questions that would plague his kids if all three of them ended up going to NSCP or Payton. I’d make *exactly* the same choice for my family in his circumstances. Totally unfair for his kids to have to deal with any “you got in on clout” BS (unless, of course, it were true).”

    Exactly. Even if his daughter tested into an SE HS completely legit, he’d be accused of pulling strings. Lake View High School might be starting some steps toward getting better (new IB program, etc), but it isn’t there yet. Also, his kids never went to public school. Before they moved to DC in 2009, they went to Zell/Anshe Emet. That’s K-8 though and IIRC, his oldest is a freshman.

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  53. “I’d make *exactly* the same choice for my family in his circumstances.”

    Really? I’m still amazed that they’ve made such a commitment to commute from Rwood to Hyde Park for so many years. Only needing to drive as far as the Fullerton or North eixts wouldn’t tempt you, anon, not even a little bit?

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  54. “Actually RF and Sears ”

    When did they get their own HS’s? Or are you just cherry picking what makes your argument best?

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  55. “IIRC, his oldest is a freshman”

    Yeppers.

    ” I’m still amazed that they’ve made such a commitment to commute from Rwood to Hyde Park for so many years.”

    Assuming the kids signed on for it, too, who cares? I’m not driving them.

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  56. Ten years ago when we were looking at suburbs, we studied detail info re: demographic presentations for test-scores at Chicago and suburban HSs. Easily found on internet. OPRF HS stood out as a public school where median “white middle-class” category did very well on SAT/ACT, right up there w/illustrious New Trier and Northside Prep. OPRFHS district has significant economic and racial diversity, as well as affordable single-family choices attractive to middle-class/upper-middle class white-collar parents. NTHS doesn’t, and NSPHS requires uber-elite student performances. For the motivated HS student, OPRF is a great school without the North Shore cut-throat social and academic “sharp-elbowed” competitiveness.

    A $500,000 house is not the home of a middle-class family; a $250,000 house might be. Even RF has very affordable rental/for purchase housing.

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  57. Maybe the flippers finally have enough capital tied up in their current teardowns, throw together quickly and list for 1.2MM+ that they didn’t get to this one. I guess banks finally got wise and stopped giving loans to developers.

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  58. “I guess banks finally got wise and stopped giving loans to developers.”

    Nope. I’m seeing new development all over the north side now.

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  59. “A $500,000 house is not the home of a middle-class family; a $250,000 house might be. Even RF has very affordable rental/for purchase housing.”

    I can’t believe how much prices are falling in River Forest now. Shocking! The $600,000 houses are now listed in the $400,000s. Yeah- you don’t see as many of the $250,000 houses there- but there are definitely some $300,000s now.

    Oak Park is becoming more affordable. You can get a nice starter home in the $200,000s now.

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  60. “Maybe the flippers finally have enough capital tied up in their current teardowns, throw together quickly and list for 1.2MM+ that they didn’t get to this one. I guess banks finally got wise and stopped giving loans to developers.”

    Or maybe the developers who are still gettings stuff built arent as stupid as you think they are.

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  61. Local Lassie on May 9th, 2012 at 7:22 am

    Well, until a few years ago there was a prominent political family living in Kenwood, whose daughters went to Lab…
    Maybe that’s why the mayor’s kids go there now? I was thinking that since they live on the North Side, the kids would have been sent to Parker or Latin. (If they were Catholic, Sacred Heart in Edgewater is the “prestige” private school.)
    About the “cliques” at the posh suburban schools functioning like the inner-city gangs…I suspect that both groups often derive incomes from providing illegal substances to their schoolmates.
    Speaking of living outside the law – does River Forest still attract “da boys” and their families (both kinds)?

    Getting back to the original topic – NO HOUSE WITHOUT AT LEAST TWO FULL BATHS should be priced higher than the upper $200’s.

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  62. “Getting back to the original topic – NO HOUSE WITHOUT AT LEAST TWO FULL BATHS should be priced higher than the upper $200’s.”

    finally some guidelines. How about:

    > 2 full baths, high 200s
    >2 full baths, extra wide lot, you can flirt with $300K
    >2 full baths, double wide lot, no more than $350K – assuming kitchen and bathrooms aren’t more than a decade old

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  63. “OPRF HS stood out as a public school where median “white middle-class” category did very well on SAT/ACT, right up there w/illustrious New Trier and Northside Prep. ”

    Hersey High School in Arl. Hts outscores New Trier and OPRF.

    http://www.redfin.com/IL/Arlington-Heights/1111-N-Drury-Ln-60004/home/13843883

    50’s ranch listed and under K for $269k in one of the best high school districts in the state. take taht, river north.

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  64. “When did they get their own HS’s? Or are you just cherry picking what makes your argument best?”

    yep, i did cherry pick the grade schools to make a point. but in my defense when i said to trudi about have fun with overcrowding i was talking about the now, and the elementary school she is dealing with now.

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  65. “Maybe that’s why the mayor’s kids go there now? I was thinking that since they live on the North Side, the kids would have been sent to Parker or Latin”

    under the impression that the clout was easier/heavier at Lab so jumping in line at Latin wouldnt have happened as quick.

    but agree with anon, would have done the same. easier i take the flack for going private than the kids take the shots for getting into nsprep/payton/whitney

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  66. Lab has a shuttle service. Although, it might not go that far north. Maybe the mayor’s kids wanted to go there? I purposely picked it when I went to high school since it offered me a completely fresh start.

    Lab does offer different outcomes in terms of college choice than a CPS as the top colleges have special admittance officers who read just for top private schools…. plus you end up knowing the “right” people if you want to get ahead. I have rejected all of these things as it doesn’t make me happy.

    I wish schools conducted happiness tests. I would want to send kids to the school where the most students were happy.

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  67. “I have rejected all of these things as it doesn’t make me happy.”

    still not seeing the trend yet?

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  68. “finally some guidelines. How about:
    > 2 full baths, high 200s
    >2 full baths, extra wide lot, you can flirt with $300K
    >2 full baths, double wide lot, no more than $350K – assuming kitchen and bathrooms aren’t more than a decade old”

    That’d be west of Western. In the monster-free parts of town, still can’t get a teardown for $300k, never mind two buildable lots for $350k.

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  69. Jenny wasn’t happy in high school? you went to lab, had connections and the best education money could buy and it doesn’t make you happy? No high school student is happy – it’s the nature of high school. Until the invention of mass public high schools in the earlier part of the 20th century, most high school aged kids in the entire existence of the world were either starting families in their early teens, or, fighting foreign wars. I always find the poor little rich girl rejects her wealth tantrums to be ridiculous. People like annony aspire to give their children everything you have and with a one dismissive sentence you ‘reject’ it.

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  70. “give agent some slack it used to be there.”

    What’s currently occupying the former CB2 space on Grace/Lincoln? Haven’t been over there in a while.

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  71. Also, while I personally wouldn’t buy this house primarily b/c of its next-door neighbor, there are enough desperate parents out there who very recently received CPS rejection letters from all of favored/”safety” lottery elementary schools, that chances are more than fair that at least ONE of them will snap this up (although not at 489K).

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  72. homedelete, my parents aren’t wealthy and neither am I. For me, happiness is not about making a lot of money or moving up within a company. I appreciate what my parents sacrificed for me to go to Lab. I was discussing potential outcomes of going to a top school. I think college is what a person makes of it, so going to a top college is not necessary. By nature, I am not competitive or interested in networking. I liked Lab because the school was interested in students as individuals and helping each student to find his/her talents and excel. I was shocked after spending time at a Catholic school, just how much the teachers wanted to help me at Lab. It was a great feeling and I’m glad I was able to experience that.

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  73. “helping each student to find his/her talents and excel”

    Do you think Lab helped you to do this?

    Also, would you have had the Lab experience you did or have the money your parents spent on Lab (plus compounding)?

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  74. “What’s currently occupying the former CB2 space on Grace/Lincoln? Haven’t been over there in a while”

    TJ took a piece of the space and the balance is Pet Supplies Plus (or whatever the exact name is).

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  75. Yes. I think Lab helped me develop my talents. I think I’m of average intelligence, so it’s not as though they made me a genius at anything.

    When I went to Lab, it was a lot cheaper, so I wouldn’t have taken the money. Today, I think it might be better to take the money.

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  76. “What’s currently occupying the former CB2 space on Grace/Lincoln? Haven’t been over there in a while.”

    A Pets Plus store plus grooming, etc

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  77. ” ONE of them will snap this up (although not at 489K).”

    But also for more than $350k.

    Really would help if they got the exterior clean. Oh, just noticed that, at least when Sabrina took the pic, the roof needs to be replaced, too. New roof, new siding, fix up the two bathrooms to “nice” builder grade level (ie, nice enough to include one pic of each), think they could get about $475 pretty quick. Or $475 less 120% of the cost to do that stuff.

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  78. Not sure why they don’t get this house re-sided. The outside looks terrible. That said, there is a driveway, as well as the garbage area (appealing!) as a buffer between this house and the so-called beer garden. I have yet to see any people in the beer garden, much less inside the actual restaurant. Not sure who’s managing that place but it doesn’t look like a long-term winner. Someone has to plug their nose and offer $450k for this place soon. If anything, you can rent it to a family that wants to live in Bell and get a feel for the neighborhood before buying a place.

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  79. was cb2 in butera’s old space?

    Butera’s intrigue me, what are they like…aldi?

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  80. Butera’s is old school Chicago grocer. Kind of like Harvest Time or Edgewater Produce but much bigger. Lots of ethnic foods.

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  81. Maybe this place would be a good tear down with a three flat built in its place.

    Question, if you were to buy a tiny condo in this neighborhood and use it as an “in town” could you use the Bell school even if you don’t live full time in the “in town?”

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  82. @jenny, my guess is yes

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  83. “Not sure why they don’t get this house re-sided.”

    Probably because it would be a big expenditure for someone who probably can’t afford it and might open a Pandora’s box with respect to asbestos remediation and other problems that might be revealed.

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  84. “Butera’s intrigue me, what are they like…aldi?”

    Nope nothing like aldi, think of a mexican grocer and a jewel, its kind of in-between those two.

    they are still around. there is one on lawrence and narragansett.

    The Butera that used to be on elston by kildare had a man living in the ceiling crawl space for 6-7 years. he had a full media center up there, with a bed, couch and a somewhat working kitchen.

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  85. Remember when HD or someone here use to do this all the time:
    4/09/2010 Mortgae $417,000.

    not sure they have much room to move.

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  86. “The Butera that used to be on elston by kildare had a man living in the ceiling crawl space for 6-7 years. he had a full media center up there, with a bed, couch and a somewhat working kitchen.”

    Alas HD finally moved his family to the suburbs. 😀

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  87. “Pandora’s box with respect to asbestos remediation and other problems that might be revealed.”

    can say for sure but you should be able to rule out asbestos as the siding looks to be mid 80’s even if the color says otherwise.

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  88. “I think Lab helped me develop my talents. I think I’m of average intelligence, so it’s not as though they made me a genius at anything.”

    I mean this somewhat sincerely, it doesn’t seem like lab helped you figure out something you want to do and that would make you happy. I think most people with the advantages of an upper middle class+ background, with parents who care about them, should be able to find something that works for them, their skills, their interests, etc. Not saying everyone finds something, but most should be able to (or at least I hope so for my kid), especially when they go to a school that is touted as being v good at helping them do that.

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  89. ” I have yet to see any people in the beer garden, much less inside the actual restaurant.”

    Well, I’ve been in it 4 or 5 times, and likely would have been more, if not for it being too crowded at times. They don’t open til 5, ever, so that may be your issue.

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  90. “not sure they have much room to move.”

    I read it quickly (so I may have missed a release) but I think there’s also a high five figure second mortgage that puts their balance close to or above the list price.

    “you should be able to rule out asbestos as the siding looks to be mid 80?s even if the color says otherwise”

    That assumes that siding wasn’t just slapped over whatever was already there or some other crazy shortcut wasn’t taken. This stuff happens all the time with these really old properties. We don’t really know, but I think it’s a big guess to just assume that that property could be easily re-sided at a low cost.

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  91. “might open a Pandora’s box with respect to asbestos remediation and other problems that might be revealed.”

    Nail on rigid foam insulation, cover with vinyl siding, no remediation issues. Not the best solution, but sooo much better than existing.

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  92. Thanks anon. I’ve tried going there a few times, but it’s always closed. They don’t have the hours on the door either. I thought for a second it was the same owners of Grizzlies and that they were running the same location into the ground.

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  93. “That assumes that siding wasn’t just slapped over whatever was already there or some other crazy shortcut wasn’t taken. This stuff happens all the time with these really old properties. We don’t really know, but I think it’s a big guess to just assume that that property could be easily re-sided at a low cost.”

    if shakers then yes it was probably wrapped over and then sided. most houses are done this way still. rare occasions call for a full removal of original siding.

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  94. Also re Butera–it was the whole building, both the TJ and CB2 space. Different facade, if you had any doubt. Also, originally after conversion, the CB outlet was on the Grace side, with a separate entrance. (forgot to add that to the location benefits of DZ’s condo)

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  95. “same owners of Grizzlies and that they were running the same location into the ground.”

    Owners are owner of Bricks (who lives in CA most if the year) and owner of marquee lounge.

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  96. Question, if you were to buy a tiny condo in this neighborhood and use it as an “in town” could you use the Bell school even if you don’t live full time in the “in town?”

    umm , my guess is yes, til you get caught and your kid gets kicked out. If your kid comes home to your ‘in-town” and sleeps there every school night, then you effectively live there. But who would do that?

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  97. Question, if you were to buy a tiny condo in this neighborhood and use it as an “in town” could you use the Bell school even if you don’t live full time in the “in town?”

    Or you could buy a tiny condo on the west side. Use that as your address and test into selective enrollment under Tier 1. Think that’s frowned upon though.

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  98. Phil (May 9, 2012, 11:17 am)
    Question, if you were to buy a tiny condo in this neighborhood and use it as an “in town” could you use the Bell school even if you don’t live full time in the “in town?”
    Or you could buy a tiny condo on the west side. Use that as your address and test into selective enrollment under Tier 1. Think that’s frowned upon though.

    Ha! I like that idea! Maybe I’ll try that with my own kid who got denied from CPS preschool

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  99. Looking to buy on May 9th, 2012 at 12:00 pm

    Question, if you were to buy a tiny condo in this neighborhood and use it as an “in town” could you use the Bell school even if you don’t live full time in the “in town?”

    Yes and not a new thought. You also don’t even have to buy, you can rent. You also don’t even need to rent the entire apartment/house, you can rent a room.

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  100. “Ha! I like that idea! Maybe I’ll try that with my own kid who got denied from CPS preschool”

    i thought your kid was in Onahan? or was that our other fellow NWsider who hasnt been around in a while?

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  101. Local Lassie on May 9th, 2012 at 12:27 pm

    If you use the in-town as the address on your voter’s card, then that’s your “legal” residence/domicile.

    This being Chicago, I’m sure that the CC’ers can come up with all kinds of creative “variations” of this rule.

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  102. “This being Chicago, I’m sure that the CC’ers can come up with all kinds of creative “variations” of this rule.”

    if ever in edgebrook, there is a stretch of apartment buildings just off central about two blocks past the elementary. Go check out the parking lot on say saturday at 5am (when most people are home and sleeping) the lot is empty.

    rent for a 1br there is cheaper than tuition at Queen of all Saints (before obligatory fund raising cash extraction)

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  103. “This being Chicago, I’m sure that the CC’ers can come up with all kinds of creative “variations” of this rule.”

    Tried to look up residency rule. GTHOOI. Could only find CPS residency rules or guidelines for teachers, which were really quite vague. Still, would you really feel right about it? Do you want to teach your kids that and have them hide it? I’m sure there’s some scrutiny in the desirable schools.

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  104. I don’t see anything wrong with it. You buy a place and pay property tax on it. You should be entitled to send your kid to the neighborhood school as long as you don’t rent it out. I don’t even see how it’s lying.

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  105. “If you use the in-town as the address on your voter’s card, then that’s your “legal” residence/domicile.”

    False. There is no one single legal standard for determining residence or domicile. Different jurisdiction and entities apply different standards and different rules.

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  106. IIRC it’s heads in the bed. Where do you sleep at night determines residency, in most places, for school district purposes.

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  107. “IIRC it’s heads in the bed. Where do you sleep at night determines residency, in most places, for school district purposes.”

    three forms of proof, including a utility bill.

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  108. The residency rule makes no sense. If you own a place and pay property tax on it and don’t rent it out, who cares where you sleep?

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  109. Any BarBri alumni recall the civ pro guy (a prof from Kent I believe)? Amazing presentations on establishing jurisdiction, etc. A couple of the most beneficial and hilarious hours of my life.

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  110. “three forms of proof, including a utility bill.”

    wow they are still doing the utility bill? I remember that from when i was little

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  111. “three forms of proof, including a utility bill”

    Proof of what? That the utility bill is in your name, that you own, that you have current right of residency, that you actually sleep there, that you intend to reside there in the future? I realize you would most likely not actually be presenting evidence of where you sleep, but what’s the technical requirement for being a resident?

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  112. Spak. Michael Spak. I took his commercial paper class too.His funniest joke that I still remember today: “I recently had what is called a ‘lawyers’ worst nightmare’. I slipped and fell and injured myself in my both bathtub. Who the hell can I sue, myself?” enough memories….

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  113. Schools can require many more forms of address confirmation: birth certificate, tax bill or lease, bank statements, plus utility bills, etc. Nobody cares about voter registration. Many school districts employ enrollment officers who investigate students’ residency, even physically tracking students suspected of address fraud. Where student sleeps majority of school year, “head in the bed” criteria, is determining factor for residency for students with multiple parental homes. And if primary home straddles two districts, then district location of child’s bedroom in home becomes determining factor. Rumored that OPRFHS has approx. 200 students/year questionably enrolled, often using relatives’ address, and most of those kids are also OPRFHS’ underachievers.

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  114. Local Lassie on May 9th, 2012 at 3:24 pm

    So “where you sleep” determines “where you live?”

    Wow, bet there’s lots of “homeless” party people in River North and Wicker Park. Or more like “multiple homess”

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  115. “So “where you sleep” determines “where you live?”

    NO, where you sleep determines where you attend school. Well intentioned parents often register their children at grandparent’s, aunts, etc house in order to get their children into a better school district. Why let your child go to school in the austin school dist. when just across the street is OPRF. In many ways, it is a result of the inequitable system of using local property taxes to pay for school districts. Even right wing Texas tries to distribute the money more fairly and pools real estate taxes to more evenly distribute the money.

    OTOH, throwing money at poorly performing schools rarely, if ever works, because in reality, ‘more money for schools’ really means either ‘fancy technology labs’ or faculty salary increases.

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  116. My high school district, 214, has 6 high schools; and most are well off (i.e. the aforementioned prospect high school, which has many notable graduates such as the writer responsible for Glee etc) but there are some ‘gang’ schools so they’re always trying to mix up the boundaries so the ‘heads in the bed’ thing never lasted very long when boundaries changed often. My high school had students who scored 36 on their ACT and went to Harvard; I regularly run into classmates downtown and in court, and even just this morning, in the pedway system; but the bottom quarter of the freshman/sophomore class was spanish speaking and dropped out sophomore year. These days I think they try to set the boundardies so as to crowd the gangbangers, dropouts and poor children into one or two high schools and anyone familiar with 214 burbs knows exactly which two schools I’m talking about.

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  117. Groove77 (May 9, 2012, 12:16 pm)
    “Ha! I like that idea! Maybe I’ll try that with my own kid who got denied from CPS preschool”
    i thought your kid was in Onahan? or was that our other fellow NWsider who hasnt been around in a while?

    Not me 🙂

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  118. omedelete (May 9, 2012, 9:19 pm)
    My high school district, 214, has 6 high schools; and most are well off (i.e. the aforementioned prospect high school, which has many notable graduates such as the writer responsible for Glee etc) but there are some ‘gang’ schools so they’re always trying to mix up the boundaries so the ‘heads in the bed’ thing never lasted very long when boundaries changed often. My high school had students who scored 36 on their ACT and went to Harvard; I regularly run into classmates downtown and in court, and even just this morning, in the pedway system; but the bottom quarter of the freshman/sophomore class was spanish speaking and dropped out sophomore year. These days I think they try to set the boundardies so as to crowd the gangbangers, dropouts and poor children into one or two high schools and anyone familiar with 214 burbs knows exactly which two schools I’m talking about.

    Im gonna guess Wheeling and Rolling Meadows would be the 2 schools you are referencing.

    On a side note – you are officially suburbs dude. You are closer to Schaumburg than you are Chicago now.

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  119. “On a side note”

    HD *may* be talking about his current residence, but he is *definitely* talking about where he went to high school 20 years ago.

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  120. “Im gonna guess Wheeling and Rolling Meadows would be the 2 schools you are referencing.”

    You’re spot on Lunker, spot on RM and wheeling. I owe you a beer. now that I take the metra I prefer to hang out after work within a short cab of the C&NW station. publican is great.

    however, trust me when I tell you I live much much closer to the city than schaumburg, both in body and in the mind. and that was a conscious decision.

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  121. ps lunker – schaumburg is even quite a hike from 214 – that’s west of 355 – west of 355 being my definition of ‘way the fuck out there’ – between 355 and and 294 is just ‘the suburbs’ and east of 294 is either 1) the north shore suburbia (Which is plenty OK for 99% of the world) or medium density, moderately car dependent, early suburbia (skokie, evanston, park ridge, etc). To me that’s sustainable. But if you’re living in a subdivision off of route 59 – you’re screwed.

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  122. “between 355 and and 294 is just ‘the suburbs’ and east of 294 is … sustainable.”

    Where 355 actually is, that’s a difference of ~5 miles. You’re only thinking about north of ORD, and comparing 294 and 59, which a whole different thing than 294 to 355 in the West Burbs, where 355 exists.

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  123. http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/illinois/rankings

    Fresh off the presses

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  124. Wow, I didn’t realize that new trier sucked so bad in the rankings.

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  125. Only on cc could a school rank #13 in the state and still “suck so bad”

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  126. “Only on cc could a school rank #13 in the state and still “suck so bad””

    Maybe HD was being sarcastic.

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  127. 13 is good but below stevenson, deerfield, etc. Given that NT used to be da best, it sucks now.

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  128. “13 is good but below stevenson, deerfield, etc. Given that NT used to be da best, it sucks now.”

    Think NT may have been hurt by the methodology:

    http://www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2012/05/07/best-high-schools-methodology

    which emphasizes “economically disadvantaged students” and “the school’s least-advantaged students (black, Hispanic, and low-income)” in comparison to state averages for the category.

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  129. “which emphasizes “economically disadvantaged students” and “the school’s least-advantaged students (black, Hispanic, and low-income)” in comparison to state averages for the category.”

    thanks for digging deeper. the low income housing advocates in winnetka (hahahah) should use this to bolster their case.

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  130. USNews is run by Mort Zuckerman, it’s a kosher mag. It shouldn’t be surprising to anyone that Highland Park, Deerfield, and Stevenson, and the CPS’ leftwing brainwashing-center high schools are ranked higher than NT. That’s the way the game is played, supporting one’s causes, memes, and co-ethnics. Who doesn’t understand this by now?

    It’s TOTALLY LAUGHABLE that Chicago’s Jones College Prep which is both 57.1 percent black and Hispanic is one of the Top 100 high schools in the country according to US News. If the demographics are accurate, then U.S. News is lying. It would be impossible for a school with such demographics to be a Top 100 high school. Keep in mind that this is Chicago, not Miami; the Hispanics are not Cubans, but Mexican, and Central and South American mestizos. If U.S. News would put Jones College Prep on its Top 100 list, one has to question the rest of the list’s integrity, as well.

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  131. “Test Scores

    U.S. News calculates these values based on student performance on state exit exams and internationally available exams on college-level coursework (AP®/IB exams).
    Proficient in Reading 64%
    Proficient in Math 42%”

    HH U.S. news shifted the criteria of the list awhile back, quite unanounced. I think the top-100 list is for hip-hop/urban dance/choreography, and contraband sales.

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  132. Jones HS isn’t going to be prepping a class full of Isaac Newtons: http://eagnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/SocialJusticeWeekFlyer-2012.pdf

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  133. “which emphasizes “economically disadvantaged students” and “the school’s least-advantaged students (black, Hispanic, and low-income)” in comparison to state averages for the category.”

    Correction: the above post referenced King College Prep (#59), but still a school one would expect to be a great HS at 59 out of the thousand+ highschools in the state.

    Ahh the ol’ leftist routine of we’ll give them a different set of standards because of: (stated: historical inequity/40 acres and a mule, unstated: they’re intellectually inferior) and need a handicap and we need their votes.

    Kind of like how I read somewhere the mean SAT score of AA admits at Harvard was in the 1200s, vs. 1400s for whites.

    Don’t worry HH, SWPL parents might read the USN and think it’s not biased, but one quick tour of King College Prep will quickly change their opinion of it being a top-60 HS in the state LOL. They’ll never likely make the connection that scheming hebe Zuckerman is trying to engineer societal outcomes.

    42% proficient in math and USNews is calling King College Prep a top-60 highschool IN THE STATE. LMFAO!

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  134. “Jones HS isn’t going to be prepping a class full of Isaac Newtons”

    In addition to their extra-curricular schedule including such diverse topics as social justice (haha), protesting (hahaha) and Jewish/LGBT groups (LMFAO), do they have any community outreach programs/seminars for continuing education topics such as mortgage loan mods/underwater refi’ing to local residents? Given it’s location in the South Loop one can’t help but think local residents might find these topics especially useful.

    Does Mr. Zuckerman’s ranking include any metric to account for how much money on average theparents lost in the RE market the past five years? That would certainly help explain Jones lofty ranking.

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  135. Jones somehow managed the same (88/85) scores (per USSnooze) as Hinsdale Central with that (Ustasi non-compliant) student body. So, either HC sux at getting the most out of its rich white kids, or Jones does something right.

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  136. “or Jones does something right.”

    Urban choreography?

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  137. “either HC sux at getting the most out of its rich white kids”

    a-ha, now where getting somewhere…a flicker of light. In America, educating the small high-IQ fraction of minorities involves teaching them “anti-progress”, anger, nothing whatsoever productive. The flip-side is the high IQ Hinsdale Central types, who used to create engineering marvels, companies, manufacturing, etc. but now they are hobbled by all the mental degradation involved with egalitarianism and the manic efforts to enforce it. NASA is shut down, what else needs to be said? Jones Prep wins the game.

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  138. Jones prep is anti-NASA?

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  139. “Jones prep is anti-NASA?”

    It’s in their mission statement.

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  140. Also curious: do the ustasi have a dolchstoss mythology, too?

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  141. “It’s TOTALLY LAUGHABLE that Chicago’s Jones College Prep which is both 57.1 percent black and Hispanic is one of the Top 100 high schools in the country according to US News.”

    Jones Prep is one of the best public high schools in Chicago. Why would this be laughable again? Parents pray that their kids get in there.

    Isn’t Stuyvesant High School in NYC considered one of the top public high schools in the country as well? I just looked up that school. Minorities make up 74% of the students. 87% take advance placement exams.

    Please join the new century Dan.

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