The congested, chaotic Route 1 environment usually causes headaches. But one right turn off the beaten path down Berwyn Road reveals a peaceful oasis tucked away from the incessant hustle and bustle of downtown College Park.

The immediate surroundings resemble any other residential street in the city, with green lawns and moderately sized houses. However, after continuing a bit farther, an entirely new scene develops: a series of unique storefronts and historical landmarks that have defined the Berwyn neighborhood, an area made up of about 3,000 residents, for generations.

It’s a place devoid of the commercialized haunts that fill shopping centers in downtown College Park. In Berwyn, the intimate, small-town atmosphere lends itself to a string of sturdy small businesses that depend on regulars.

Ferhat Yalcin, who opened seafood restaurant Fishnet in November 2011, fell in love with the town while driving by, enticed by the subdued atmosphere and uncharacteristically low rent. He plans to open a coffee shop in a nearby space next year.

“People are really friendly,” Yalcin said, adding he depends solely on word of mouth to create a local buzz. “I think the word is spreading out. … We have a lot of returning people, so I’m thankful for that.”

The space — located at 5010 Berwyn Road — housed the Beautiful Day Trading Company until 2000, when the Berwyn Cafe took over. When the cafe shut its doors in January 2011, Yalcin saw a chance to carry on a tradition of small business deeply rooted in the city’s history.

“It’s a historic area, and people who have been living here — they have been here for a long time,” he said. “In these kinds of communities, you won’t see a Walmart.”

Many of the neighborhood’s early residents, a number of whom were Welsh immigrants, staffed this university’s housekeeping and cleaning services departments, which garnered the town a gritty, hardworking reputation, according to longtime resident Jerry Anzulovic, who was born in Berwyn Heights in 1940.

“We’re the working neighborhood — the academics and the thinkers are on that side of the town,” said Anzulovic, gesturing toward the downtown area. “A lot of people who work at the university live among us because they like it here.”

While older, longtime residents continue to thrive in Berwyn Heights, the town is also welcoming to younger families and students, according to Joseph Danyluk, who moved to the town in April 2011.

“A younger crowd of people are starting to move in,” Danyluk said. “It’s an up-and-coming town.”

As Danyluk walks his dog down Ruatan Street, he greets a neighbor — another man who appears to be in his thirties. Their dogs wrestle each other on a gravel driveway as the two men discuss their Thanksgivings. These kinds of warm interactions define the laid-back atmosphere that permeates the town, Danyluk said.

“It’s got kind of a hippie vibe,” he said, adding the city is home to people of various ethnicities and cultures. “There’s four or five gay couples in the neighborhood, and everyone respects them — it’s really welcoming.”

Student residents bring a youthful vibe to the city while still remaining respectful, he said.

“They do have parties, but they keep them under control,” Danyluk said.

Living among an array of successful small businesses has sparked a community of residents who have distant plans to start up their own, he said. With a baby on the way, he hopes to open up a restaurant in a couple of years.

“With younger families, you’re going to see more of an entrepreneurship,” he said, adding he envisions stores such as a flower shop and a steakhouse. “You’re going to start to see a lot more smaller businesses.”

Several students, such as Holly Bowen, a senior environmental science and technology major, said they chose to live in Berwyn Heights because of its nearby location to the university.

“We knew we wanted to live in a house, and this house we found was pretty close to campus,” said Bowen, who lives with a group of friends. “It’s not far at all, and the neighborhood is really cute.”