The 3-Bedroom Cape Cod in Oriole Park Under $400,000: 7640 W. Rascher

This 3-bedroom Cape Cod at 7640 W. Rascher in the Oriole Park neighborhood of Norwood Park recently came on the market.

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Built in 1954 on an oversized 40×125 lot, it not only has a finished basement but a main level family room with custom stone fireplace.

The kitchen has white cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.

The listing says that 2 bedrooms are on the second floor with the third on the main floor along with one of the two bathrooms.

The house has central air, a brick patio and a 2-car garage.

The listing says it is located in the highly coveted Oriole Park elementary school district, is just a half a block from Oriole Park and is near the blue line and Kennedy Expressway.

Is this a good starter home for this location?

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Jelena Zande at Century 21 Elm has the listing. See more pictures here.

7640 W. Rascher: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed, 2 car garage

  • Last sold before 1986
  • Originally listed in July 2011 for $389,900
  • Currently still listed for $389,900
  • Taxes of $2714
  • Central Air
  • Custom stone fireplace
  • Bedroom #1: 14×11 (second floor)
  • Bedroom #2: 14×10 (second floor)
  • Bedroom #3: 10×10 (main floor)
  • Family room: 17×14 (main floor)
  • Recreation room: 20×11 (lower level)

72 Responses to “The 3-Bedroom Cape Cod in Oriole Park Under $400,000: 7640 W. Rascher”

  1. Awesome home in an awesome hood with awesome park and a awesome top school with awesome access to ohare, I90, blue line.

    doesnt get better than this

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  2. LOL at the lecorbusier lounger in the middle of that granny living room

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  3. Sonies that “lounger” would a be Mies not Corbu chair. Agree with your observation on the juxtaposition.

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  4. I posted this for HD or groove to buy, still think one of them should. Many houses in oriole park are kinda blah, this is one of the nicer ones.

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  5. “awesome top school with awesome access to ohare, I90, blue line.

    doesnt get better than this”

    For the price, within the Chicago area, perhaps. For many folks, close proximity to O’Hare or the expressway is slightly less than good, let alone “best.”

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  6. A much better house, in a better neighborhood, in a much better school district, with a shorter commute time to downtown (via express metra) – oh, also much much greater change of huge price appreciation in the next ten years:

    http://www.redfin.com/IL/Hinsdale/803-W-4th-St-60521/home/18022772

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  7. “A much better house,”

    from first glance yes but the burb house is “as is” and 9k taxes

    “in a better neighborhood”

    i totaly beg to differ, as you know nothing about this hood so shut the F up!

    “in a much better school district”

    wrong again as oriole park elem and its unwashed masses beats out hinsdale each year.

    “with a shorter commute time to downtown (via express metra)”

    wrong again as your tied to the express train and i could drive faster than the “regular” metra.

    the intangible part is you would have a cliotype person as your neighbor.

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  8. “he intangible part is you would have a cliotype person as your neighbor.”

    uhhh – not really, I wouldn’t be caught dead in this part of Hinsdale!!

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  9. Great location for airplane buffs. My 11-year old son would love to live here. You’d have a close-up view of 747s, A-320s, 777s, etc., all day and much of the night. Nothing like relexing on your lawn as a 747 flies 2,000 feet overhead on final approach!

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  10. “uhhh – not really, I wouldn’t be caught dead in this part of Hinsdale!!”

    again you got put in your place, and thats the best you can say. just a sad sad sad asshat you are.

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  11. “Great location for airplane buffs. My 11-year old son would love to live here. You’d have a close-up view of 747s, A-320s, 777s, etc., all day and much of the night. Nothing like relexing on your lawn as a 747 flies 2,000 feet overhead on final approach”

    dang it didnt want to read it you prius driver, but didnt see it was you who posted it until after.

    the flight path is lawrence ave and brynmawr. only a low flying plane will be a bother and thats once or twice a week. in this location you can all the windows open and never have to tun up your tv because of a plane. (ok a low flyer will make you)

    people pay 900k to live in a condo next to train tracks, and a barely noticeable plane is all you have to say?

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  12. Well this granny us being awfully slow to compromise considering the size of the pool of buyers for this is about to be cut significantly come 10/1. $13,650 down gets it done now vs 40k+ in October. I think granny might’ve snoozed too long in that chair & this one will be fun to follow.

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  13. sorry groovy your going to see the 400k valuations for smallish cottages way out west are a relic of history. just wait until uncle Sam stops enabling people to overpay for them for a downpayment half the size of a new Toyota corolla.

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  14. House looks well maintained and the location is pretty great from a family standpoint. Should have no problem selling.

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  15. “For many folks, close proximity to O’Hare or the expressway is slightly less than good, let alone “best.””

    “the flight path is lawrence ave and brynmawr. only a low flying plane will be a bother and thats once or twice a week. in this location you can all the windows open and never have to tun up your tv because of a plane. (ok a low flyer will make you)”

    This place is a reasonable distance from the kennedy, not HD close. Flight traffic is a bit bothersome if you’re outside. Well, I notice it but people I know who live around there do seem to be used to it. And very convenient if you fly at all.

    The people are nice regular folks around here.

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  16. That Hinsdale house looks decent. But electric stoves are a deal killer for me. Which always makes me wonder – are those swappable for gas? Is that a huge undertaking, or an easy fix? Electric stoves just drive me nuts…

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  17. “I notice it but people I know who live around there do seem to be used to it.”

    yeah that is a missing piece, perception. but i was at the park last week and it didnt bother my son. whose hearing is superman levels as we were at a park on foster and austin and the kid heard and made a point to tell me everytime a train was around. and we were at a park at lawrence and nagle and he pointed to every plane that flew by.

    its a great hood over here, the curb appeal of homes is sparse i will admit.

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  18. Looking to buy on August 16th, 2011 at 1:01 pm

    “That Hinsdale house looks decent. But electric stoves are a deal killer for me. Which always makes me wonder – are those swappable for gas? Is that a huge undertaking, or an easy fix? Electric stoves just drive me nuts…”

    Short answer is yes. How big of a project depends on the house. All you need to do is run a gas pipe to the stove location. If your natural gas heater is below the kitchen in the basement then it would be easy to run it through the wall/floor direct…if it’s on the other side of the house and the basement is finished……

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  19. “Is that a huge undertaking, or an easy fix?”

    not swappable unless a gas line is already there. its not a huge undertaking but is over priced IMO for what it takes.

    like Looking to buy says, just depends on layout, if gas lines are existing, and permits.

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  20. Thanks for the comments. Sounds like it shouldn’t rule out a house, but should be looked into case by case.

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  21. I looked at the Rascher property on google street and the side of the street with the for sale property is nice enough, the other side is horrible. Anyway, no matter is I would never go that far northwest–it’s almost as bad as living by Midway Airport. And the Riff Raff that one would contend with….

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  22. “Anyway, no matter is I would never go that far northwest–it’s almost as bad as living by Midway Airport. And the Riff Raff that one would contend with”

    umm oriole and edison park are ten times safer than your hood and are the safest in the city. so to say there are more “riff raff” in your hood by a huge margin.

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  23. Riff and raff and Oriole Park…not so much.

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  24. BettyBoop, your lack of knowledge about this area is embarrassing.

    Decent house in good family neighborhood. Price, however, isn’t very competitive.

    Needs to get below $350 to be interesting.

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  25. I like electric stoves. Although, ideally, I would want an induction stove top.

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  26. Bob 2 (Not Bob) on August 16th, 2011 at 2:42 pm

    “I like electric stoves. Although, ideally, I would want an induction stove top.”

    I wish I could do induction in my condo instead of spending 4k on an all gas range. Better cooking, much easier to clean and looks better too if you do induction top with a wall oven underneath instead of a range.

    Regular electric though, yea, I prefer gas over that.

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  27. I’m native of NW side and glad to see that ‘GZ types’ are not taking over. With all the negative comments posted, I am even more glad.

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  28. What’s wrong with the area around Midway? Just curious. It didn’t seem too bad to me. 63rd Street has interesting retail and there are some Polish bars in the area.

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  29. um… the planes literally fly 50 feet above your house, thats what’s wrong… midway isn’t spaced out very far like O’Hare, seriously go stand at the SW corner of 63rd and cicero and watch the planes land or take off, HOLY CRAP ITS LOUD! You feel like you can touch the planes they are so close!

    Not to mention being less than a mile from some complete and total crime infested slums, certainly isn’t helping property values

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  30. also marquette park is one of the most racially divided areas of town and literally has been since the 1950’s

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  31. Whenever I land at Midway, I feel certain my plane will clip either an apartment building or an electric wire. It’s just too close to feel safe. I’m not saying it isn’t safe; it just doesn’t feel safe.

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  32. This is a great house in a great nabe and priced right. It should sell quickly.

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  33. Also, Midway’s short runways were built before the jet age and are for much smaller planes than those landing there now. Just a few years ago, a plane went off the runway onto Central Avenue, killing a kid in a car.

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  34. yeah… during an unexpected blizzard…

    There have been zero accidents in about 60 years and you use one extreme, yes it could happen again but the odds are so unlikely its pointless to worry about

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  35. I love Polish bars.

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  36. OK, Sonies. I get you. I wasn’t trying to say it happens all the time. I know it doesn’t. All I’m saying is, an accident like that wouldn’t have happened at a lot of other airports, simply because they have more space.

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  37. i agree with tomm

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  38. “Not to mention being less than a mile from some complete and total crime infested slums, certainly isn’t helping property values”

    Oh, that. LOL.

    Vlajos, have you ever been to Karolinka Club on Central by 63rd? I’d like to check it out. I love Polish bars too. It gives me an opportunity to practice my limited Polish:
    http://www.yelp.com/biz/karolinka-club-chicago

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  39. “seriously go stand at the SW corner of 63rd and cicero and watch the planes land or take off, HOLY CRAP ITS LOUD! You feel like you can touch the planes they are so close!”

    Sonies, I am an adrenaline junkie and I like lying in the grass under planes when they take off.

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  40. danny (lower case D) on August 16th, 2011 at 6:26 pm

    Milkster: “Sonies, I am an adrenaline junkie and I like lying in the grass under planes when they take off.”

    You should check out the beach immediately adjacent to LAX, especially on a foggy day. Planes just appear out of nowhere in a deafening roar.

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  41. About the Oriole Park home on W Rascher, I also think it’s lovely but priced too high. Too bad it’s a 16 minute walk to the Harlem stop on the Blue line. A little too far for a daily commute or going downtown at night. And I would not want to be totally car-dependent. A 10 minute walk would be much better.

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  42. Tomm, I like the NW Side around Jefferson Park. (I don’t have a car and need to be near the el.) But I was looking for a condo and unfortunately there just weren’t that many in that area. Which I guess is why it’s a nice SFH nabe.

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  43. “All I’m saying is, an accident like that wouldn’t have happened at a lot of other airports, simply because they have more space.”

    It was due to pilot error. Your analogy is akin to saying a speeding driver wouldn’t have hit the pedestrian if only the road they were careening off of was wider. They probably manually over-rid the landing computer program due to the storm but didn’t realize Midway isn’t a normal sized jumbo jet airport.

    “I’m native of NW side and glad to see that ‘GZ types’ are not taking over. With all the negative comments posted, I am even more glad.”

    GZ types, at least those that took the plunge and bought, are getting financially slaughtered in most cases. I was talking to a person interested in buying in Old Norwood recently: don’t worry he’s from the area–you couldn’t pay him enough money to live in LP. I suppose that’s how it should be.

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  44. “(I don’t have a car and need to be near the el.)”

    I know people that don’t make a lot of money yet live in this area and have a car. I think it has something to do with them saving money on housing that affords them the “luxury” of owning a car.

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  45. Sonies, I did a quick search of listings on the perimeter of Midway in Garfield Ridge and Clearing and some of the asking prices are actually pretty high.

    Like this 5 BR 2.5 BA raised ranch for 377K:
    http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/4900-W-64th-St-60638/home/13994678

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  46. That’s almost as much as the Oriole Park home on Rascher.

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  47. This is a nice home that is solid and has great bones. The neighborhood is very family oriented. And the planes tend to be landing here and are really not that noisy, much less noise than on the west side of O’Hare, were the majority of the planes take off.

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  48. “Too bad it’s a 16 minute walk to the Harlem stop on the Blue line. A little too far for a daily commute or going downtown at night… A 10 minute walk would be much better.”

    16 – 10 = 6 Six extra minutes (0.3 mi) really makes that much difference???

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  49. West of Harlem is the new ‘west of Western’!

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  50. “16 – 10 = 6 Six extra minutes (0.3 mi) really makes that much difference???”

    I know, I know. And I love to walk for recreation too, but it’s so much more convenient living close to the El and people pay a premium for it. Having lived a mile away from the subway, it’s a drag in the winter, when you’re hauling grocery bags from Trader Joe’s or when you want to go clubbing in 5 inch heels.

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  51. “I also think it’s lovely but priced too high. Too bad it’s a 16 minute walk to the Harlem stop on the Blue line”

    i think the walking route you are imagining is longer than the actual.

    its only .6 of a mile (maybe .5) to the station platform and you get to cut though a great park! and you can access the platform a block before harlem ave. off higgins.

    this harlem is also a bus station for 4 CTA buses and i think tw Pace buses. one which takes you to woodfield mall

    so 16 minutes is a bit off

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  52. “Sonies, I am an adrenaline junkie and I like lying in the grass under planes when they take off.”

    now you know what to do the next time you’re in town! hah

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  53. I’m in town next week and I’m gonna have some shots at Karolinka first!

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  54. Groove, why don’t you buy this house? It could solve your school issue, right?

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  55. “West of Harlem is the new ‘west of Western’!”

    If you’re south of the expressway here, you want to be west of Harlem.

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  56. “It could solve your school issue, right?”

    never really had a “school issue”. I may boast Oriole Park as a great school which it really is, but it goes against wifey’s and I’s philosophy of smaller class size is better. so even though this school tests crazy good and the school is awesome its always been bursting at the seems.

    I do have a buddy with three kids over here and he loves the hood, school, people. its his second house in that nabe and says he will retire in that hood.

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  57. So Groovy, why are you looking to move from your current oversized lot and your house which you put a ton of sweat equity into?

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  58. “If you’re south of the expressway here, you want to be west of Harlem.”

    Hi DZ –

    Why? I don’t know this area well at all.

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  59. “If you’re south of the expressway here, you want to be west of Harlem.”

    “Why? I don’t know this area well at all.”

    Mainly school district. Main part of oriole park elem is west of harlem (if you want to be picky, I think there’s a small portion on the east side). I tend to think the area around the park itself is also nicer than on the east side of harlem.

    North of kennedy, there’s old norwood park, which is east of harlem and very nice (big lots, big houses, nice setting). And a decent school district too. I think groove should get a fixer-upper there.

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  60. “So Groovy, why are you looking to move from your current oversized lot and your house which you put a ton of sweat equity into?”

    Milky,

    well it was only a two bedroom, and we are planning for a few more groovey’s. the cost of adding on (or rebuilding up) doesnt balance/equal the ties to the hood.

    Dz,

    actually boundaries changed over dare because edison gifted moved out so edison elm is taking area kids. the area north of I90 and west of harlem is quieter, and WAY better housing stock.

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  61. “actually boundaries changed over dare because edison gifted moved out so edison elm is taking area kids. the area north of I90 and west of harlem is quieter, and WAY better housing stock.”

    Did not know. Interesting. Is this going to relieve crowding at oriole park? Did edison take over some portion of oriole park boundaries? Is it performing well?

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  62. “Did not know. Interesting. Is this going to relieve crowding at oriole park? Did edison take over some portion of oriole park boundaries? Is it performing well?”

    it took some oriole boundaries and ebinger boundaries too. cant remember all of it but people with kids in the others can send the siblings to the same school and i they still let the parents choose which they would like in the beginning.

    now as performance, i dont know but will assume that it will be in line with ebinger. I dont know anyone with kids there yet so no feed back. i dont think they have a third grade yet? so no test results.

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  63. Curious Georgette on August 17th, 2011 at 9:09 am

    There was one very notorious plane crash at Midway in 1973. Among the victims was the wife of one of the Watergate conspirators who was carrying funny-money in her luggage.

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  64. Curious Georgette on August 17th, 2011 at 9:11 am

    The only public high school for this area is Taft, right? I’ve heard good and bad things about it. Also Resurrection High for girls and perhaps St. Pat’s for boys (although that’s some distance away).

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  65. Taft is not very good these days. And I say that reluctantly since I graduated from Taft in ’76, and had a great experience.

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  66. “Great location for airplane buffs. My 11-year old son would love to live here. You’d have a close-up view of 747s, A-320s, 777s, etc., all day and much of the night. Nothing like relexing on your lawn as a 747 flies 2,000 feet overhead on final approach”

    TRUE – But your sandwiched between 2 Runways – Kennedy and Gunnison. I go to Oriole Park alot and the noise is not that big of a deal.

    Good hood but not walkable to anything. I’d like to see it go at 389 but that seems like a stretch to me. If it was in Edison Park proper you would get 389K all day long.

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  67. JPS i was taft of 75 and it was allright then.not all that great now.

    ****
    Taft is not very good these days. And I say that reluctantly since I graduated from Taft in ‘76, and had a great experience.

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  68. My sister lives in Oriole Pk and loves OP school. But she is not sure where her daughter [my niece] will go for HS. Same situation as Green Zoners.

    BTW: Taft was the basis for fictional HS in original ‘Grease’ play.

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  69. “BTW: Taft was the basis for fictional HS in original ‘Grease’ play.”

    all beach scenes were based on foster beach!

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  70. In the play, there’s no beach. Movie is somewhat different.

    But anyway, growing up in city, a parental threat was “we’ll send you to Public School if you keep it up!”

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  71. “In the play, there’s no beach. Movie is somewhat different.”

    cool, lear something new each day.

    i swear i read a interview with the guy who wrote the play referencing foster beach?

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  72. The original production has a song about summer romance at “Foster Beach.” In the movie it was replaced by “Summer Lovin'” since the locale changed from Chicago to LA.

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