Taylor Park Area in Oak Park (Chicago, Melrose Park: low income, crime, houses)

[Los Guys]

Can anyone share their knowledge or experiences with the area around Taylor Park in Oak Park? We're putting an offer on a house nearby. We were looking closer to downtown originally, but liked a specific property alot. Interestingly enough, its no cheaper than comparable houses closer to downtown, but has a larger yard.


1. How is Whittier elementary school?
2. Should I be worried about any spillover crime from the Austin area?
3. Is there anything walkable around here?
4. Does it still "feel" like Oak Park even though it's over 1.5 miles away from downtown?
5. What's the best way to get to the downtown Oak Park Metra (besides driving)?
6. Are there better options for getting to downtown Chicago?

The surrounding area are very nice, if not a little snoozy. For comparison, we're coming from Logan Square. Thanks everyone!

[Hatchetman]

Originally Posted by Los Guys

1. How is Whittier elementary school?
2. Should I be worried about any spillover crime from the Austin area?
3. Is there anything walkable around here?
4. Does it still "feel" like Oak Park even though it's over 1.5 miles away from downtown?
5. What's the best way to get to the downtown Oak Park Metra (besides driving)?
6. Are there better options for getting to downtown Chicago?

1. Parents love it. It's supposed to be really good.
2. There is some crime in Oak Park, mostly garage break-ins, but occasional muggings. Crime is nothing like Logan Square. Crime is more or less scattered around the village. Taylor Park no better/worse than average.
3. The area itself is nice for walking but not to any specific location. Few restaurants, no bars, etc. You have to pretty much drive to anything of that nature.
4. Yes. Bigger houses west of Ridgeland, smaller to the east.
5. IMO best option would be to drive or bike or walk to Galewood metra which is closer and parking is easy.
6. See above. You could also take Ridgeland bus to green line CTA.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by Los Guys

Can anyone share their knowledge or experiences with the area around Taylor Park in Oak Park? We're putting an offer on a house nearby. We were looking closer to downtown originally, but liked a specific property alot. Interestingly enough, its no cheaper than comparable houses closer to downtown, but has a larger yard.


1. How is Whittier elementary school?
2. Should I be worried about any spillover crime from the Austin area?
3. Is there anything walkable around here?
4. Does it still "feel" like Oak Park even though it's over 1.5 miles away from downtown?
5. What's the best way to get to the downtown Oak Park Metra (besides driving)?
6. Are there better options for getting to downtown Chicago?

The surrounding area are very nice, if not a little snoozy. For comparison, we're coming from Logan Square. Thanks everyone!

Used to live just north of Taylor Park.

1. Don't know about Whittier, we were in the Hatch district. Kids were too young at the time, but our neighbors liked Hatch.

2. There is some spillover crime from the east. Almost always property crime, lots of unlocked garages entered and unsecured stuff disappearing from the front yard. Very rarely are there muggings, although that might be because few people are out walking late at night (at least compared to downtown OP).

3. The commercial streets are North Ave and Chicago Ave. There's a few places worth walking to on both streets, but not nearly as much as downtown OP, obviously. We used to walk to Dunkin Donuts and the Walgreens on North Ave on occasion.

4. Subjective. The North Oak Park feel is obviously more suburban than the rest of Oak Park, but its still part of Oak Park. Its 1/3 of the village. We all shop at the same grocery stores, go to the same restaurants, go to the same farmer's market, and complain about the high taxes. We liked it there, but ultimately found our dream home within walking distance of downtown OP.

5. There is a pace bus (#311) that starts at North and Narrangansett and travels down Oak Park ave. I occasionally took it to Lake St to catch the Metra. Usually I just drove.

6. CTA bus #86 goes down Ridgeland and stops at the Green line Ridgeland station. Very fast. Takes only a few minutes to get from North Ave to Lake St. Lots of people commute to downtown via the Green line. Perfectly safe during regular commuting hours. The same #86 bus also goes north on Ridgeland/Narrangansett to access the Metra MD-W line as mentioned above. There's also a bus that goes down Austin Blvd and stops at the Austin Green line station. Never taken that bus, so I don't know what its like, but probably slower since there's a lot more traffic on Austin Blvd.

[chet everett]

Objective info for all schools in Oak Park: Illinois Interactive Report Card

I sorta doubt that everyone is Oak Park shops at the same groceries and eats at the same restaurants. Jewel-Osco alone has at least 3 or 4 stores that are frequented by Oak Parkers: Find a Jewel-Osco Near | Jewel-Osco Grocery Stores
Madison & Ridgeland
438 West Madison Street
Oak Park, IL 60302

Lake & Lathrop
7525 West Lake Street
River Forest, IL 60305

Roosevelt & Harlem
7036 Roosevelt Road
Oak Park, IL 60304

24th St & Harlem
7201 W 24th St
North Riverside, IL 60546

North & Ninth Avenues
800 West North Avenue
Melrose Park, IL 60160

Dominicks has three stores nearby, a legacy of the previous owner's home in River Forest
Dominicks - Store-Locator
259 Lake St
Oak Park, IL 60302
7501 W. North Ave.
River Forest, IL 60305
3141 N. Thatcher Rd
River Grove, IL 60171

Sadly there is but one Whole Foods that serves Oak Park, it is in neighboring River Forest:
Store List | Whole Foods Market | WholeFoodsMarket.com
7245 Lake St
River Forest, Illinois

(btw Hinsdale has a much smaller population is served by it's own Whole Foods as well as one in neighboring Willowbrook, wonder how that is possible...)

[Hatchetman]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Objective info for all schools in Oak Park: Illinois Interactive Report Card

89% meets or exceeds for a school that is 40% non-White. Very impressive indeed. Thanks for pointing that out Chet.

[chet everett]

There are other schools that have much more impressive results.

I recommend that folks looking to relocate specifically for high performing schools to start here: Illinois Interactive Report Card
One is even in Oak Park: Illinois Interactive Report Card It has a substantially different profile.

If one is looking specifically for a racial mix similar to Whittier but with substantially higher performance this may be an option: Illinois Interactive Report Card

[Hatchetman]

Originally Posted by chet everett

If one is looking specifically for a racial mix similar to Whittier but with substantially higher performance this may be an option: Illinois Interactive Report Card

Give it a break Chet. That school has half the number of low income kids, yet only 3% higher "meets and exceeds."

I'd be interested to compare how many hours per week are spent on non-test related activities...computers, speech, dance, music, band, art, orchestra, and so on.

[kindrakindra]

OP

The Taylor Park area is beautiful, and the park itself has been recently redone with a cool "spider web" climber and wetlands. I agree with H and OP Dude above. Many people take the Ridgeland bus to the green line. Others use that as exercise time and walk to the Ridgeland stop. It's a gorgeous walk!

Re: Whittier, may I suggest you take a look at the real school report card (look at the very bottom of it) or the Great Schools site and evaluate the performance of subgroups? You will note that the non iep and non low income kids at Whittier perform exceedingly well. The lowest meet and exceed score is 93%, which compares favorably to most schools Chet would recommend. Math scores are 97% for one grade, 98% for others.

Whittier Elementary School Test Scores - Oak Park, Illinois - IL

(this is the 2010 scores but the 2011 is only slightly lower). .

Please note that Whittier is unique in that kids who live at the Hephzibah Children's Association attend Whittier as their home school. In many instances, these children cannot be educated at Whittier due their special needs; however, their test scores still count in Whittier's overall scores yet they do not attend the school. This is just another aspect of no child left behind that makes zero sense.

Whittier only has 400 students as well. Due to its small size, it's like a loving family. The principal literally knows every student by name. The teachers are super accessible. Because it's multi age, differentiation is easy for the teachers and done regularly. Happy to answer more questions.

[Los Guys]

Thanks everyone for sharing, especially those of you with direct experience. Sounds like its a great area and I'm looking forward to exposing our kids to others with a broader range of backgrounds. It sounds like Oak Park, and Whittier if we choose it, will do just that.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by kindrakindra

OP
...In many instances, these children cannot be educated at Whittier due their special needs; however, their test scores still count in Whittier's overall scores yet they do not attend the school... Happy to answer more questions.

This is not consistent with what I have am familiar with other ISBE standards for reporting: Student Assessment Webinar Archive