Relocating from Florida - Oak Park? (Chicago, Evanston: cul-de-sac, for sale, house)

[EndlessCaverns]

Originally Posted by crbcrbrgv

Don't live East of Ridgeland or along Roosevelt. East of Ridgeland gets dicey and around Roosevelt is more like north Berwyn.

I checked the date on this message, expecting it to be, oh, 1974. On the other hand, if you are afraid of anyone who's not white, it might be good advice.

I'm a proud resident of "North Berwyn," prouder still when folks like our friend crbcrbrgv toss the term around. We're glad folks like that don't live on our side of town.

My son attends Irving School, which has a great teaching staff and a really terrific principal. We walk to and from school every day, as do the vast majority of students--from 7:30-8 am and then again around 3 pm the sidewalks are a parade of parents and kids. Though its diversity (being both east of Ridgeland and a few blocks from Roosevelt) makes folks up in the Frank Lloyd Wright district nervous, there's a ton of parental involvement, including tie-ins with the new Southeast Oak Park community group. Barrie Park, once a Superfund site because of contamination from a coal-generating plant that stood there in the 1800's, is now a gem, featuring a three-story man-made sledding hill. And just across the expressway is the Harrison St. arts district, which is probably the most up-and-coming area of town, anchored by local mecca The Buzz Cafe.

Thanks in part to ignorant myths like the one of the earlier post, the houses are cheaper than comparable ones in other parts of town. But still not cheap; no place in Oak Park is. And you will be paying top dollar for the good schools, whether or not you use them, so you ought to consider using them.

[crbcrbrgv]

Originally Posted by EndlessCaverns

Thanks in part to ignorant myths like the one of the earlier post, the houses are cheaper than comparable ones in other parts of town. But still not cheap; no place in Oak Park is. And you will be paying top dollar for the good schools, whether or not you use them, so you ought to consider using them.

Earlier myths like my grandparents leaving 5 years ago from their home of 46 years on Harvey and Superior because they got sick of the crime? Or how about the "myth" that all the dots on the crime map are....East of Ridgeland? Property values go down because of reality. And don't even make this a race issue because anybody that knows Oak Park at all knows there are plenty of African-American professionals that live in the nicest parts of Oak Park that are also very willing to sell East of Ridgeland to Chicago.

[Pebbs78]

Originally Posted by EndlessCaverns

Thanks in part to ignorant myths like the one of the earlier post, the houses are cheaper than comparable ones in other parts of town. But still not cheap; no place in Oak Park is. And you will be paying top dollar for the good schools, whether or not you use them, so you ought to consider using them.

Agreed. Oak Park is not cheap (between taxes and housing). It is one of the most expensive immediate western burbs, but it makes up for that in character.

To the author - I'm a Florida native, been here 5 years. Get ready for the change! You will love the 'city feel' of Chicago, and you will eventually embrace the winters!

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by crbcrbrgv

Don't live East of Ridgeland or along Roosevelt. East of Ridgeland gets dicey and around Roosevelt is more like north Berwyn.

Yup, those crazy hippies leaving FitzGerald's on their way to get some Gelato are pretty dangerous. So who are you voting for this election, Jimmy Carter or Gerald Ford?

[EndlessCaverns]

Originally Posted by crbcrbrgv

Property values go down because of reality.

Oh, please. First, there's the fact that property values in Oak Park haven't gone down, not even as the air has gone out of the real estate bubble. But then there's the bigger point that you'd be hard-pressed to find a metric LESS rooted in "reality" than property values--unless you are talking about the real power of myth, rumor, perceptions, and emotions. Oak Park is the perfect example: houses a mere block north of the Ike, with no "real" difference in any street-level factors and often, in fact, in demonstrably worse condition than houses south of the Ike, can cost 10-20K more. The only explanation is the psychological condition of feeling "cut off" from the rest of OP, and the sense that Berwyn (which is a perfectly fine place) is coming a little too close.

And don't say that I am making it a race thing. That old line about "east of Ridgeland, south of the Ike" was already a race thing a long time before I got here. But you're right that it -shouldn't- be a race thing; Oak Park is getting whiter every day, especially east of Ridgeland and south of the Ike.

[brenty]

I would really consider the North Shore. Most will agree that it is nicer than Oak Park. It is certaintly more expensive and desirable. If you live on the North Shore you will not have to worry about where you live. Oak Park and River Forest are not all that family friendly either. Evanston, Wilmette, etc. Are more family friendly. Evanston has family neighborhoods along with young urban neighborhoods. Go for the North Shore and skip over Oak Park.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by brenty

Oak Park and River Forest are not all that family friendly either.

Seriously, have you ever visited OP or RF? Based on your comments, I would have to guess not.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by brenty

I would really consider the North Shore. Most will agree that it is nicer than Oak Park. It is certaintly more expensive and desirable. If you live on the North Shore you will not have to worry about where you live. Oak Park and River Forest are not all that family friendly either. Evanston, Wilmette, etc. Are more family friendly. Evanston has family neighborhoods along with young urban neighborhoods. Go for the North Shore and skip over Oak Park.

Here goes that North Shore "we are God" mentality again.

[brenty]

Oak Park and River Forest are not extremely safe. River Forest is very beautiful and so are parts of Oak Park. But the rough areas of Oak Park are very, very, very rough. I have visited Oak Park and River Forest. In my free time I drive around Chicagoland. The biggest difference between Wilmette and River Forest is that Wilmette has New Trier and River Forest has Oak Park/River Forest. River Forest is relatively upscale but it is not Wilmette. As I said before your money will go quite further in Oak Park and River Forest than it will on the North Shore. North Shore people are not stuck up for the most part. People are just jealous of North Shore people because we by far have the most wealthy people in one area.

[mendelman]

Originally Posted by brenty

Oak Park and River Forest are not extremely safe. River Forest is very beautiful and so are parts of Oak Park. But the rough areas of Oak Park are very, very, very rough.

If you think Oak Park has "very, very, very rough areas" then I'm amazed you are willing to live anywhere in Evanston.

Originally Posted by brenty

People are just jealous of North Shore people because we by far have the most wealthy people in one area.

hahahahahahahahahahahaha......you make me laugh.