Diverse suburbs with low crime rates? (Chicago, Aurora: foreclosure, neighborhood, movies)

[allen2323]

Originally Posted by urza216

No, maybe YOU aren't but "black people" in the suburbs are like that too. Go tell RFR69 about black people. I'm sure he's more interested in your generalizations than I am.

Not all white people but a lot are completely clueless when it comes to the southside. There is an irrational fear of the southside that a lot of whites have. While ordinary blacks hang out and move to the southside all the time. I'm talking about educated, middle class suburban raised blacks also.

[allen2323]

Originally Posted by rfr69

my point is this, go to naperille, orland, palos, oak brook and your going to find well manicured lawns and great schools and little crime. go to chicago heights, harvey, etc and you will not find those things.

also i personally find that NOT ALL but a significant potion of the black and hispanic communicites glorify gang life, drugs, pimping *******, smacking hoes and the like.

Your comments sound completely ignorant. Manicured lawns, big houses, nice well funded schools doesn't come from being white. Why don't you take a drive to some of those low income predominantly white towns in downstate illinois where people are living in poverty. And talk to some of the whites living there about mowing there lawns and getting the broken down cars out of there yards.

[chitownperson]

Originally Posted by rfr69

my point is this, go to naperille, orland, palos, oak brook and your going to find well manicured lawns and great schools and little crime. go to chicago heights, harvey, etc and you will not find those things.

also i personally find that NOT ALL but a significant potion of the black and hispanic communicites glorify gang life, drugs, pimping *******, smacking hoes and the like.

I think you've made you're point about how racist and ignorant you can be, but yet you keep making it over and over again. I love how you cherry pick some of the most affluent white areas and some of the most poverty stricken black areas as the basis for your cultural racial comparisons. Are you going to start taking head measurements soon? I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you haven't met ANY "significant portion" of the black and hispanic communities.

[Northwest Indiana]

Originally Posted by allen2323

Not all white people but a lot are completely clueless when it comes to the southside. There is an irrational fear of the southside that a lot of whites have. While ordinary blacks hang out and move to the southside all the time. I'm talking about educated, middle class suburban raised blacks also.

One could argue that there is an irrational fear of the northside that a lot of African-Americans have. While ordinary Whites, Asians, and African immigrant Blacks hang out and move to the northside all the time. And this includes those at all education levels, and incomes, not just suburbanites.

[allen2323]

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana

One could argue that there is an irrational fear of the northside that a lot of African-Americans have. While ordinary Whites, Asians, and African immigrant Blacks hang out and move to the northside all the time. And this includes those at all education levels, and incomes, not just suburbanites.

Most of the northside is very racially diverse. Outside of lincoln park and lakeview which is not representative of majority of the population living on the northside at all. The fact is, there are plenty of blacks and minorities on the north side. I lived on the northside for a while and enjoyed it. Most parts of the northside are heavy populated with minorities. Just when you mirror the northside to the southside which in many areas is 99 percent black. The northside is given this false image of being mostly white. Which is completely untrue. Northside isn't predominantly black like the southside, but certainly is very racially diverse.

The northside all white image is only correct in two neighborhoods which are lincoln park and lakeview. Lincoln park is 4 percent black, 5 percent hispanic, and 3.5 percent asian. Not many minorities of any race are living in lincoln park, not just blacks. The rest of the northside looks much different than lincoln park / lakeview. Uptown is 19.5 percent black, 13.4 percent asian, and 21.3 percent hispanic. Edgewater is 17.8 percent black, 12.4 percent asian, and 20 percent hispanic. Rogers park is 29.5 percent black, 7.9 percent asian, and 27 percent hispanic.

On the southside, outside of hyde park, brideport, and beverly. There isn't much racial diversity in terms of white residents. Chatham, south shore, bronzeville, and many other communities are all around 99 percent black.

[Tex?Il?]

Bolingbrook in terms of a further out suburb is I think the best bet.

Middle class, just stay away from some sketchy apartment complexes.

20-25% black, 20-25% hispanic, 10% Asian. 40-50% white. nice neighbhorhoods, close to Naperville, etc.

Close in suburbs would include Oak Park, Forest Park, Evanston, Skokie, maybe even Berkeley or Northlake might even work.

Like one mentioned, you have nice upper middle class majority black suburbs in the south suburbs that include Flossmoor, Oympia Field, Matteson, and part of others like South Holland, Lansing.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana

With the exception of MAYBE Oak Brook (but not really), none of the places you listed would be what most people consider "diverse"....I think that while there is still SOME segregation, Evanston & Oak Park are the best examples of diversity and you can find EXPENSIVE, EXPANSIVE, and EXCELLENTLY manicured lawns that would put the lawns of all the towns you listed to shame.

If you are going to make comparisons, at least try make equal ones....I mean you compared Naperville to Harvey??? Not similar on a socio-economic scale at all.

I understand what you are saying about some portions of the Black and Hispanic communities glorifying those things, but you make it sound as if a Black or Hispanic individual moves to a place like Orland or Naperville, that they are more than likely to do the same...at the price point of those towns, those buyers are most likely to be professionals who glorify things like WORK.

I don't want to give rfr any credit whatsoever, but I will say that Naperville deserves a little more credit than Palos/Orland.

To me the Palos/Orland/Tinley Park areas just have the undercurrent of generational south side Irish (along with other white people) who specifically moved there for the very reason to get away from diversity.

Naperville granted is mostly white, but thats mostly because its simply expensive. Becuase you have very diverse and more affordable suburbs surrounding Naperville (Aurora and Bolingbrook) and the fact that Naperville is home to huge centers of employment AND entertainment, downtown and the office parks of Naperville IMO are very diverse.

[almost3am]

Originally Posted by eandre31

I'm a young single mother to a 4 year old boy. We are still living with my parents at the moment, but I'll be earning my degree soon and I am beginning to research places to eventually move. I probably won't be moving for another year or so.

I was born in Oak Lawn. I loved it there, but my family moved us to New Lenox later on when my father got a promotion. Honestly, I do not like New Lenox at all. I'm a white female with a white son, but I do not want my son growing up in a Caucasian bubble like New Lenox. I would like my son to grow up in a more racially and culturally diverse city. However, I also need it to be a safe place for us to live with decent schools.

It's hard to find this in Illinois and the Chicago suburbs, but I was wondering if anyone had any input?

Not sure if this fits your definition of diverse, but IPSD 204 has the following demographics with great schools in a safe area:

Student Ethnic Distribution:

• White: 60.7%
• Asian: 18.5%
• Black: 9.3%
• Hispanic: 7.4%
• Multi-racial: 4.0%
• Native American: .1%

[urza216]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

I don't want to give rfr any credit whatsoever, but I will say that Naperville deserves a little more credit than Palos/Orland.

To me the Palos/Orland/Tinley Park areas just have the undercurrent of generational south side Irish (along with other white people) who specifically moved there for the very reason to get away from diversity.

Naperville granted is mostly white, but thats mostly because its simply expensive. Becuase you have very diverse and more affordable suburbs surrounding Naperville (Aurora and Bolingbrook) and the fact that Naperville is home to huge centers of employment AND entertainment, downtown and the office parks of Naperville IMO are very diverse.

Tex, I have to say that I completely disagree with your assessment. Naperville is in Dupage County - the Republican stronghold in Illinois. Say what you want about the "South Side Irish" but come on now.. Southern Cook County is moderately socially liberal on both sides of I-57. Naperville and Wheaton and the like are where the Republican party goes to feel welcomed in Chicagoland.

Have you dined or shopped in Orland or Tinley? In my experience, it's very different than downtown Naperville. In Orland or Tinley, it's hard to go anywhere without seeing at least a few minorities (and by "minorities" in this statement, I mean black people). When I was going to Naperville every month or two, I hardly ever saw any black people ANYWHERE in any of the crowds.. The massive overwhelmingly white setting wasn't something I was used to. It's not like that around Orland Square or at sit down restaurants in Tinley Park. If you think that only white people shop at Trader Joes, maybe you've only been to the one in Naperville and not Orland.

...And why is this? You say there are diverse suburbs around Naperville BUT I don't see any minorities anywhere in the crowd. Not a single face. Not one. Why? You see em all over the place in Orland but not Naperville.. Why? Could it be that one is more welcoming to minorities that live in nearby towns than the other? AT LEAST in the commercial district?

Personally, I think it's like what that one crazy racist dude was saying.. People in Naperville just don't have much experience with black people. To them, they see a middle aged black man in a fleece coat and it somehow reminds them of a rapper on MTV. Naperville hasn't been put to the test. I bet you if there was a significant influx in Naperville's black population, you would see those Republicans running all the way to Dekalb quicker than you can say "John McCain".

Originally Posted by rfr69

in a place like naperville its probably like oh wow there's a black person ive seen them on mtv before, thats so cool

It's definitely not like that in Orland, Palos or Tinley.

And by the way, in case you weren't already aware, I'm not from the southwest suburbs. I've lived in the south suburbs EAST of I-57 for my whole life..

[linicx]

How do you define diversity? I've always considered it a varigated mix of race, cultures, histories, religions, educaitons, languages, opinions, foods, lifestyles and how each views the social strata in which he/she lives, plays and works.

Someone from the other side of the world can teach us if we only stop and listen.