Is Olympia Fields a good neighborhood to raise a family? (Evanston: neighborhoods, construction)

[urza216]

America is in a recession.

[chet everett]

...is those trends are almost certainly going to continue. If you read through the threads that I have contributed to about the south suburbs you'll see I have a soft spot for 'em -- I have relatives in Oak Lawn and the SW suburbs. The trends that have seen many of the industrial type jobs dry up or move to areas like Bolingbrook have really hurt the south suburbs.

Years of hoping for a third airport have artificially stalled out some developments that might have helped towns like Olympia Fields. The notorious poltical corruption of Illlinois has also been more damaging to the south suburbs than other areas...

Funny that you mention Oak Brook. In some ways it is like Olympia Fields -- golf courses, big houses, big lots in twisty subdivisions. In other ways polar opposite -- red hot regional shopping mall, top tier elementary district (Butler D53), multiple well regarded high schools for various sections (Hinsdale Central, York, Downers Grove North). The huge advantage of high property values and low tax rates gives Oak Brook an advantage that will be around unless things really get topsey turvey...

Originally Posted by gregbuck

Olympia Fields is still somewhat well to do in terms of current residents' incomes. But home appreciation has been abysmal since 1990. And no, Olympia Fields has not always been so much cheaper than the western and northern suburbs. Since 1990 Olympia Fields's home price index has only appreciated a measly 3.74%. While west suburban Oak Brook's home price index for example has appreciated 160.33% .

[gregbuck]

Originally Posted by chet everett

...is those trends are almost certainly going to continue. If you read through the threads that I have contributed to about the south suburbs you'll see I have a soft spot for 'em -- I have relatives in Oak Lawn and the SW suburbs. The trends that have seen many of the industrial type jobs dry up or move to areas like Bolingbrook have really hurt the south suburbs.

Years of hoping for a third airport have artificially stalled out some developments that might have helped towns like Olympia Fields. The notorious poltical corruption of Illlinois has also been more damaging to the south suburbs than other areas...

Funny that you mention Oak Brook. In some ways it is like Olympia Fields -- golf courses, big houses, big lots in twisty subdivisions. In other ways polar opposite -- red hot regional shopping mall, top tier elementary district (Butler D53), multiple well regarded high schools for various sections (Hinsdale Central, York, Downers Grove North). The huge advantage of high property values and low tax rates gives Oak Brook an advantage that will be around unless things really get topsey turvey...

Not sure if it's a fact that the appreciation gap will continue to widen. I hope not. I do agree that unemployment disparities play a huge role in the lack of appreciation. A disproportionate percentage of blacks have obviously lost their homes during the recession in areas like olympia Fields. And throughout chicagoland area. The black unemployment rate in Chicago is unconscionably high at 19 percent. more than twice as high as the white unemployment rate.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by gregbuck

Not sure if it's a fact that the appreciation gap will continue to widen. I hope not. I do agree that unemployment disparities play a huge role in the lack of appreciation. A disproportionate percentage of blacks have obviously lost their homes during the recession in areas like olympia Fields. And throughout chicagoland area. The black unemployment rate in Chicago is unconscionably high at 19 percent. more than twice as high as the white unemployment rate.

Allen, you come from privilege and today you're financially successful... Perhaps people like you are the new enemy of the working classes. You appeal to other black folk while you live a life of luxury... Dividing and conquering the working classes by race and religion is the oldest trick in the book. Why do you care so much about black unemployment? You grew in in a nice upper middle class household in Homewood back when it was less than ten percent black... You went to an expensive college in Georgia and now you make enough to buy you and your penniless fiance a house in Olympia Fields. Go cry a river.

And btw, I got rep points from someone who also recognizes that this is you, Allen..

[SMOKEY2112]

I'm just going to put in my 2 cents because I went to Rich Central back in the day and I grew up in Olympia Fields. I graduated from Rich Central in the late 80's. I've recently seen pictures online of the kids that attend Rich Central now...NO WAY in hell would my parents let me go there now if I was that age and NO WAY in hell would I let my kids attend that school. It's definitely not the same as what it used to be. Back then Central was definitely the better school comared to East and South. My kids were raised in Chicago, but they've never attended a CPS...just private. My p's still live in the same house I grew up in. I would say there are definitely alot more black people who live in Olympia Fields than when I grew up...but it still seems like a decent neighborhood. I haven't been on the Arcadia side for years though so I can't really comment about how it is over there.

[urza216]

If I would've known "GregBuck's" reply to my last comment was gonna be deleted, I would've quoted it and replied to it..

[Exofpd]

I think I can give you some insight, I am a former Olympia Fields police officer who left for another dept. I do like the town an feel there are alot of good people living there. That being said my only two concerns would be the neighboring towns park forest has an extremely high burglary rate and Chicago heights has ALOT of crime. But somehow Olympia fields doesn't seem to be changing much. My only other concern is the high school it is horrible. Very few residents I any attend rich central the majority of parents pay to send them to Marian. There are alot of fights we arrested 25 people (including 3 parents) for fighting on the last day of school about two years ago one student even had a lock in a sock she was striking people with. 90% of the students I had arrested at the school were from Chicago and using an aunt or uncles address to go to school there you literally see kids walking from the school to the train. Personally if it was me I would either look at Flossmoor or homes in Olympia fields east of western ave as the Graymoor subdivision of Olympia fields goes to HF schools. Just my two cents nice area bad schools.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by Exofpd

I think I can give you some insight, I am a former Olympia Fields police officer who left for another dept. I do like the town an feel there are alot of good people living there. That being said my only two concerns would be the neighboring towns park forest has an extremely high burglary rate and Chicago heights has ALOT of crime. But somehow Olympia fields doesn't seem to be changing much. My only other concern is the high school it is horrible. Very few residents I any attend rich central the majority of parents pay to send them to Marian. There are alot of fights we arrested 25 people (including 3 parents) for fighting on the last day of school about two years ago one student even had a lock in a sock she was striking people with. 90% of the students I had arrested at the school were from Chicago and using an aunt or uncles address to go to school there you literally see kids walking from the school to the train. Personally if it was me I would either look at Flossmoor or homes in Olympia fields east of western ave as the Graymoor subdivision of Olympia fields goes to HF schools. Just my two cents nice area bad schools.

More Chicago blaming. And that's weird too me.. Like there aren't any wannabe hardasses hailing from PoFo, Matteson and even Olympia Fields. I'm really not THAT young but even I know better than that...

I like the rest of your post though.

[gregbuck]

One thing that Olympia Fields could use is a dog park. I am shocked they don't have one with all of the dog owners in the neighborhood.

[chet everett]

...worry about things that are completely inconsequential. While dog parks are nice amenities and the small lots / apartments of Chicago make them kind of a necessity, in the suburbs with large lots most dog owner's don't give such things a second thought.

When it comes to school safety / educational attainment there are folks that heed the experince of residents, police officiers, former staff and then there are folks that think the da coach just talks about a big river by the pyriamids. In simple terms, those who've helped buyers / sellers see the negatives of a places can clearly see when some are stuck in da' Nile...