Oak Lawn today and later (Chicago, Cicero: house, transfer, neighborhoods)

[SWGal]

I've lived in Oak Lawn for the past 15 years and have seen a lot of changes in the area. Does anyone remember the Marquette Park area of 20 years ago versus today? I'm afraid that is where the direction of Oak Lawn is headed. Congestion and traffic is horrific the closer you get to "Downtown" Oak Lawn. I have 4 children so I know what I'm talking about with the school system here. The grammar schools are decent, but there are a lot of non-English speaking families moving into the area and I feel this poses an academic problem in the schools. The Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School is fairly new and we were happy with the education my children received there. Kids are separated by grade, which is nice, three separate floors, one for 6th, 7th and 8th grades. I don't know a lot about Oak Lawn Community High School, but as far as Richards High School, I wouldn't recommend your children attend there. The boundary to attend either high school is 99th Street. North of 99th St. your children will attend Oak Lawn Community High School and south of 99th St., Richards High School. Think twice about moving south of 99th Street. Not many families moving into the area are aware of the fact that in addition to Oak Lawn and Chicago Ridge, children are bused in from Robbins and Cal Park to attend Richards. This not only adds to over crowding in the school, but my children have witnessed problems with gangs, drugs, violence and disruptions in the classrooms on a daily basis. There have been numerous times where police have been called to the school, and I as a parent, was never notified by the school officials of any problems that were going on in the school. Unless you can afford to send your child(ren) to a private high school, don't move on the south side of 99th Street. Overall, I think Oak Lawn in itself is a decent place to live. Housing is somewhat affordable, taxes are lower than most areas and you're close to shopping, restaurants, metra, etc. In closing, it's a nice place to live if you're single, don't have any kids, or if your children are raised and you don't have to deal with the issues of where your kids will go to school.

[prairiestate]

There are some issues in Oak Lawn, but there is no way it will end up like Marquette Park. That was always a lower income neighborhood, which allowed gangs to become firmly established there. The vast majority of Oak Lawn is at least solidly middle class, with many upper middle class areas. Most residents are college educated professionals. There are few kids in Oak Lawn who are going to be swayed by the prospect of gang membership. Furthermore, the Oak Lawn police department has been very proactive. They hired two new full time officers last year to start a gang unit, and six part time officers to increase patrols this year. I doubt Oak Lawn will even end up like Ashburn, where there are typically several shootings a month over the summer, let alone Marquette Park, where gang shootings can be a daily activity.

[nikkels]

This is not true my children attend Richards High School and have received a wonderful education. True is the fact that they offer so much more than the private high schools. Every school has its own problems, high school is what you make of it your child is not any safer in one school than the other.

[prairiestate]

Originally Posted by nikkels

...your child is not any safer in one school than the other.

Well, I'm sure all of the parents whose children were killed in Chicago Public Schools will be relieved to hear this.

[SAI126]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

There are some issues in Oak Lawn, but there is no way it will end up like Marquette Park. That was always a lower income neighborhood, which allowed gangs to become firmly established there. The vast majority of Oak Lawn is at least solidly middle class, with many upper middle class areas. Most residents are college educated professionals. There are few kids in Oak Lawn who are going to be swayed by the prospect of gang membership. Furthermore, the Oak Lawn police department has been very proactive. They hired two new full time officers last year to start a gang unit, and six part time officers to increase patrols this year. I doubt Oak Lawn will even end up like Ashburn, where there are typically several shootings a month over the summer, let alone Marquette Park, where gang shootings can be a daily activity.

Marquette Park was never what I would call a low income neighborhood. In its better days it was solidly blue collar middle class and crime was not much of a problem. Ashburn OTOH more closely resembled Oak Lawn before the seismic demographic changes swept the neighborhood. With some strong grass roots efforts Oak Lawn can avoid what heppened in those two Chicago communities. I give it at least a 50-50 chance of doing so.

[deechee]

Originally Posted by SAI126

Marquette Park was never what I would call a low income neighborhood. In its better days it was solidly blue collar middle class and crime was not much of a problem. Ashburn OTOH more closely resembled Oak Lawn before the seismic demographic changes swept the neighborhood. With some strong grass roots efforts Oak Lawn can avoid what heppened in those two Chicago communities. I give it at least a 50-50 chance of doing so.

This is an old thread, but, I believe Oak Lawn will still be majority white in the coming 5-7 years.

[ajolotl]

Dechee: While we're talking about the area, what is your opinion of Evergreen (aka "Everblack") Plaza?

[prairiestate]

I grew up in EP, and have always been annoyed at the absurdity of white people avoiding it for the past 30 years. There's nothing wrong with it, and it is actually a nice looking mall. That said, I don't shop there because it is nearly 1/2 empty and offers little but independent stores selling "urban" fashions that appeal almost exclusively to young African Americans. If white people didn't abandon the plaza though, it may well have offered a larger and more diverse range of shops. Then again, maybe not, as malls have fallen out of favor over the past decade, and many 2nd and 3rd tier centers have closed, or are on the brink of doing so. Chicago Ridge has clearly emerged as the dominant mall for the area, far surpassing the Plaza and Ford City. It is nearly 100% occupied with a substantial percentage of national chain shops and restaurants. Interestingly, white people have not abandoned it, even as it's customer base has become far more diverse. I would say that often no more then 1/2 of the customers there are white.

[ajolotl]

I actually agree with you 100%. I asked because I've had to spend a good bit of time there in the past few weeks (patronizing a few of their useful stores). It's reputation is unreal -- some sort of uncivilized urban jungle where you will get groped, mugged, harrassed, maybe even stabbed. In five trips there with the kids covering about 10 hours I've never noticed a single thing -- everyone has been very pleasant, behaved normally, etc. (though 90% of the stores are totally irrelevant to me and it does seem like something out of another place and time -- reminds me a bit of south american malls outside of trendy areas).

It is 99% black. I can only conclude that white people wildly exaggerate because they just don't feel comfortable around so many black people. It just feels creepy to them. When you stop and think, though, there is absolutely nothing happening there, nor have I heard of any violence or major problems since I've lived over this way.

Originally Posted by prairiestate

I grew up in EP, and have always been annoyed at the absurdity of white people avoiding it for the past 30 years. There's nothing wrong with it, and it is actually a nice looking mall. That said, I don't shop there because it is nearly 1/2 empty and offers little but independent stores selling "urban" fashions that appeal almost exclusively to young African Americans. If white people didn't abandon the plaza though, it may well have offered a larger and more diverse range of shops. Then again, maybe not, as malls have fallen out of favor over the past decade, and many 2nd and 3rd tier centers have closed, or are on the brink of doing so. Chicago Ridge has clearly emerged as the dominant mall for the area, far surpassing the Plaza and Ford City. It is nearly 100% occupied with a substantial percentage of national chain shops and restaurants. Interestingly, white people have not abandoned it, even as it's customer base has become far more diverse. I would say that often no more then 1/2 of the customers there are white.

[Chicagoland60426]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

I grew up in EP, and have always been annoyed at the absurdity of white people avoiding it for the past 30 years. There's nothing wrong with it, and it is actually a nice looking mall. That said, I don't shop there because it is nearly 1/2 empty and offers little but independent stores selling "urban" fashions that appeal almost exclusively to young African Americans. If white people didn't abandon the plaza though, it may well have offered a larger and more diverse range of shops. Then again, maybe not, as malls have fallen out of favor over the past decade, and many 2nd and 3rd tier centers have closed, or are on the brink of doing so. Chicago Ridge has clearly emerged as the dominant mall for the area, far surpassing the Plaza and Ford City. It is nearly 100% occupied with a substantial percentage of national chain shops and restaurants. Interestingly, white people have not abandoned it, even as it's customer base has become far more diverse. I would say that often no more then 1/2 of the customers there are white.

I been to the mall in Chicago Ridge a few times and you're right about the diversity, but its not heavily black. The non white(European) diversity is mostly coming from Arabs, Mexicans, and some Asians here and there. I seen other black shoppers there, but not large enough to see stores that would attract black youth. I imagine if Chicago Ridge Mall was 1/2 black, you'd see a decline in white shoppers.

I been to the Evergreen Plaza and never had a problem there with anybody trying to mug me, but the mall is the most deserted mall I ever been in. It's weird that Evergreen Park residential area is like 60-70% white, but the Plaza is almost 100% black.