evanston vs. oak park (Chicago, Naperville: sales, how much, employment)

[ToriaT]

Yes Evanston. The lake and University give it the edge. but Oak Park is good too for certain folks.

[Hatchetman]

I've lived in both. Very different places. Oak Park is kind of a small-town USA. Evanston is dominated by NU.

[niketg23]

They both are so similar yet very different because they both have their own distinction and flavor. It depends on individual prefrences...if someone likes lake, then evanston wins...if someone likes architechture, then Oak Park wins...if someone likes college town feel, then evanston wins, if someone likes proximity to expressways, then oak park wins....it depends on who you ask and what they prefer..

as per me, I love Oak Park...its got the city feel but close to expressways...saves me a ton of time...plus great public transport (metra + cta)...to me that means more than having a lake nearby. Time is a valuble comodity and if I prefer to spend less time in commute.

[Omoikane]

Originally Posted by niketg23

They both are so similar yet very different because they both have their own distinction and flavor. It depends on individual prefrences...if someone likes lake, then evanston wins...if someone likes architechture, then Oak Park wins...if someone likes college town feel, then evanston wins, if someone likes proximity to expressways, then oak park wins....it depends on who you ask and what they prefer..

as per me, I love Oak Park...its got the city feel but close to expressways...saves me a ton of time...plus great public transport (metra + cta)...to me that means more than having a lake nearby. Time is a valuble comodity and if I prefer to spend less time in commute.

I don't like commenting on this type of thread, but I strongly disagree with the statement "if someone likes architecture, then Oak Park wins." Evanston has four historic districts listed on the National Register. If you were to rephrase your statement to say: If one is a Frank Lloyd Wright aficionado, then Oak Park would likely be your choice; that would be a more accurate statement. Many of Chicagoland's most prolific residential architects and architectural firms including, but not limited to, Tallmadge & Watson, Ernest Mayo, George Maher, Howard Van Doren Shaw, Daniel Burnham, Charles H. Thompson, and Holabird & Roche, were most prolific in Evanston and neighboring North Shore communities. Oak Park has lovely architecture beyond Frank Lloyd Wright, but I think there is a very strong case to be made that communities like Evanston's Lake Shore Historic District and Kenilworth outshine any residential district in Oak Park.

[niketg23]

I am not disagreeing with you. The point I am trying to make is when you compare oak park vs evanston, it really depends on a person's preference. They both have great architechture but its a combination of things that people prefer. for me, my parents live out in Wheaton so I find Oak Park a better place to live due to it being off of I-290. If my family lived in the northern burbs, then i would pick Evanston. Both towns are very similar yet very different which is why your preferences come into the picture.

[BigLake]

Originally Posted by niketg23

I am not disagreeing with you. The point I am trying to make is when you compare oak park vs evanston, it really depends on a person's preference. They both have great architechture but its a combination of things that people prefer. for me, my parents live out in Wheaton so I find Oak Park a better place to live due to it being off of I-290. If my family lived in the northern burbs, then i would pick Evanston. Both towns are very similar yet very different which is why your preferences come into the picture.

I know what you were saying and it sounded spot on. Both are great cities (Evanston and Oak Park are the best suburbs in Chicago metro IMHO, having lived/living in both respectively). I agree with everything in your original post.

[Larry Siegel]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I am not at all sure that Evanston does not have a more uniform distribution of residents as shown in this widely heralded map that uses data from the 2010 census -- The Racial Dot Map: One Dot Per Person for the Entire U.S. Going by the map and the data from the census bureau (as well as reports from folks even like OffcrJim that frequents these boards...) the place with the most uniformly distristributed racial mix is probably Bolingbrook, which admittedly does not have a whole lot of traditional charm, but if a heterogenous racial distribution is what you are looking for ...

The map is fascinating but I have to question its accuracy given that there is quite a population (mostly white, apparently) in Calvary Cemetery.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by Larry Siegel

The map is fascinating but I have to question its accuracy given that there is quite a population (mostly white, apparently) in Calvary Cemetery.

I think the dots are randomly distributed within each census tract.
http://www.coopercenter.org/demograp...-Dot-Map#parks

[chet everett]

The census tracts themselves are not random. In fact they are not even static -- https://www.census.gov/geo/education...nsusTracts.pdf The cartographic and economic /poltical boundaries are revised over time and the Census bureau even has a system of allowing data comparisons to be made over time through the Census Tract Relationship Files...

The historical patterns of both Oak Park and Evanston are very likely quite static compared to both areas like Bolingbrook which is still growing as well as parts of Chicago where racial / economic shifts are happening.

[Jamesbond]

I would vote for Oak Park due to it's historic architecture, beautiful old homes and churches, great downtown, new library and close proximity to the city.

The only thing I don't like about Oak Park is the high property taxes but then again the property taxes are high in Evanston as well.