What is Oak Park like? (Chicago, Evanston: low income, real estate, houses)

[oakparkdude]

Trader Joe's Oak Park opens for business tomorrow. Yay!

483 N Harlem Ave
Oak Park, IL 60301
Phone: (708) 386-1169
Trading Hours: 9 am - 9 pm

[tyboo123]

'd like to find out as much as possible about Oak Park. For example,
What are the demographics?Predominantly white, with very conservative flavor...not too big and mostly small town. good area, has its spots, can't tell sometimes if you're in oak park/River Forest

economic condition might be like anyplace else. Sister city is Evanston
the employment situation like anywhere else...You work in or out of Oak Park
the schools are very good. You'll have to see it to believe it
compared to affluent suburbs like, Lake Forest, Winnetka, Evanston, etc.?

will depends on what the person is like, their educational level, etc.

But, if you want to live in a much more liberal area, go to schaumburg, Skokie, or even Chicago.

Good Luck!!!

[oakparkdude]

Oak Park is hardly conservative. Its well-known for being a liberal bastion in the Chicago area.

[Lookout Kid]

I don't think I've ever heard someone say that Schaumburg and Skokie are more liberal than Oak Park. That's a new one.

[hhe1982]

I love their park district, they have great activities.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I don't think I've ever heard someone say that Schaumburg and Skokie are more liberal than Oak Park. That's a new one.

Yeah. There is no way Skokie and Shaumburg are more liberal than Oak Park.

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by tyboo123

'd like to find out as much as possible about Oak Park. For example,
What are the demographics?Predominantly white, with very conservative flavor...not too big and mostly small town. good area, has its spots, can't tell sometimes if you're in oak park/River Forest

economic condition might be like anyplace else. Sister city is Evanston
the employment situation like anywhere else...You work in or out of Oak Park
the schools are very good. You'll have to see it to believe it
compared to affluent suburbs like, Lake Forest, Winnetka, Evanston, etc.?

will depends on what the person is like, their educational level, etc.

But, if you want to live in a much more liberal area, go to schaumburg, Skokie, or even Chicago.

Good Luck!!!

did you just step off a time machine from 1950? yes, at one time Oak Park was conservative. it hasnt been that way in decades and is probably one of the most liberal cities in the country today. Sorry, but you have no idea what you're talking about.

[ihynes]

When I moved here, I was told that Oak Park is the "Madison" (Wisconsin) of the Chicago suburbs. It's true; if I could afford Oak Park I would live there, because the people are similar to the ones in Madison, my hometown. They are white collar, well-to-do, liberal, and highly educated. Oak Park functions as a real city in its own right, with a vibrant downtown and a great library. On the other hand, Oak Park property taxes are a killer and it's got some serious urban blight on its borders.

[Alter123]

I moved to OP over the summer, having bought a condo. I'm in the middle-western section of town, between Washington and South Blvd, west of Oak Park Ave.

I love it here. The architecture is charming and, yes, I find the people here to be well-educated and well-mannered. OP is centrally located, which makes commuting by car easy, but there's a lot that is in walking distance and we have one METRA and two EL lines close by as well.

The crime problem is pretty minimal, in my experience, knock on wood, though I have heard of people having minor things stolen.

Just use your common sense, I'd say. Oak Park is a suburb, but it's adjacent to the third largest city in the country, so it's feel is VERY urban, if also "village-y".

There is a sense of history in OP, and that more than makes up for any problems with crime, in my view. I refuse to live in a cookie-cutter suburb in some cheapo "new construction" eye sore.

The diversity is real and delightful. There's less diversity in a political sense -- the voters here seem overwhelmingly Democratic, but that suits me quite well.

The property taxes suck big time. Steel yourself for contesting them every time the bill arrives in your mailbox.

Oh, and the salting of the roads this winter has been quite poor.

[pegjer815]

I grew up in OAK PARK and lived there from 1936-1954. I vaguely remember a Nobel Prize winner being denied residence in Oak Park. Does anyone remember who he was?