Brainerd, Fernwood and the Heights
Washington Heights is three older settlements joined together. Brainerd, in the north, was named for E. L. Brainerd, who built a train station at 89th and Loomis in 1887. Fernwood, in the southeast, was set up in 1883 and still spills over into Roseland. The original Washington Heights settlement grew around 103rd Street and Vincennes Avenue and became a village in 1874.
The community’s northern edge is the railroad at 89th Street and its southern edge is 107th Street. On the east the line follows Eggleston Avenue and Halsted Street at different points. On the west it runs along Beverly Avenue down to 103rd Street, then shifts to Vincennes Avenue. Three ZIP codes split the area: 60643 for the largest share, then 60620, with 60628 in the southeastern part.
Getting here from S Yale Ave
The route from our base at 11616 S Yale Ave is simple: south on Princeton Avenue, west on 115th Street, north on Halsted Street and then onto 97th Street. That’s about four miles to the middle of the community, and most of it is a straight run up Halsted.
Tracks and an expressway through the middle
Two things cut Washington Heights into pieces: the Metra Rock Island Line and Interstate 57, which opened in 1967. The Rock Island splits into two branches just north of the community; one follows the northern border and the other runs straight through. For a tow truck, a cross street alone doesn’t always say which side of the tracks or the expressway a car is on.
So when you call, give us the cross street and say which side of the tracks or the expressway you’re on. It’s a small detail that saves the driver a detour.
Bungalow blocks in Brainerd and beyond
Brick bungalows went up across Washington Heights between 1920 and 1950. The best-known group is the Brainerd Bungalow Historic District, roughly between 89th and 95th Streets and Loomis and May Streets, listed on the National Register in 2016. Its bungalows were built from 1915 to 1931, with construction peaking in 1927, and a few duplexes and apartment buildings in the same style are mixed in.
On blocks like these, a dead car might be at the curb, on a pad out back or in a detached garage. Any of those works. Just tell us which one, and whether the garage door opens.
A crash-damaged car is no harder for us than a worn-out one. We buy wrecked cars whatever the damage, and if the title has gone missing, tell us which papers you still have, such as a bill of sale, a registration or an insurance card. We check those against Illinois scrap-sale rules while you’re on the phone.
103rd Street through Washington Heights
103rd Street is one of the main shopping streets here, with a retail hub on 103rd east of Halsted and on Halsted south of 103rd. It’s also on the city’s Winter Overnight Parking Ban list, which covers 103rd from Torrence Avenue west to Kedzie Avenue. That puts every Washington Heights block of 103rd under the ban. From December 1 to April 1, between 3 am and 7 am, parked cars there are towed, snow or not.
Before you call, it helps to know what moves the number. Our guide on what sets a junk car offer explains the main factors in plain terms.
Washington Heights reference points for the driver
The Carter G. Woodson Regional Library, home of the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection, is the easiest building to name. Fire Truck 24 is at 104th Street and Vincennes Avenue. Rail stops work well as references: Brainerd station on 89th Street between Loomis Boulevard and Bishop Street, the rush-hour 95th Street/Longwood station at Vincennes and 95th, and the 103rd Street/Washington Heights station.
Parks help too. Brainerd Park fills the block between 91st and 92nd Streets and Racine Avenue and Throop Street, Jackie Robinson Park is on 107th Street, and Euclid, Oakdale and Joseph Robichaux Parks are spread through the area. The Dan Ryan Woods sit just past the northwest corner.
Next to Washington Heights
West across Beverly Avenue and Vincennes is Beverly, which shares the Blue Island Ridge. Fernwood crosses the eastern line into Roseland. South across 107th Street is Morgan Park.
When you’re ready, get an offer online or call us.