Oak Park vs Riverside (Chicago, Berwyn: home, high school, live in)

[kindrakindra]

Although the elementary schools may have better test scores in Riverside, I think OPRF is considerably better RB. Just my two cents.

[noid_1985]

Yeah I graduated from RB some years back and some things have gone down the hill. However, RBHS is still regarded as a top 100 high school in Illinois. I think it is silly to compare a town of almost 60k (Oak Park) to a town of almost 8k (Riverside) because Riverside dosen't have the same amount of traffic, stores, restaurants, etc. like Oak Park. Oak Park is much more than a town where people live- it's a place where people from other towns come to have fun. Better comparison is Oak Park & LaGrange- Riverside is a smaller version of Hinsdale....

[treehouse12]

Are you kidding me. I guess its fine to have your family raped and robbed. Are you looking at the stats in comparison to Evanstone. Oak Park 49000 Evanston 75000 The burglaries, Robberies and Sexual assaults that's what I'm looking at. Don't care about car thefts and thefts in general. Wouldn't feel safe in my house in Oak Park...

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by treehouse12

Wouldn't feel safe in my house in Oak Park...

Then I would imagine you wouldnt feel safe in any urban environment.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by treehouse12

Are you kidding me. I guess its fine to have your family raped and robbed. Are you looking at the stats in comparison to Evanstone. Oak Park 49000 Evanston 75000 The burglaries, Robberies and Sexual assaults that's what I'm looking at. Don't care about car thefts and thefts in general. Wouldn't feel safe in my house in Oak Park...

The stats I posted are adjusted for population, so you've got absolutely no basis for your argument. Oak Park and Evanston are quite comparable in terms of crime rates, and both suburbs are favorable compared to "safe" city neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Lakeview. If you're afraid to "sit in your house" in Oak Park, you're kind of a ridiculous person.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by mendelman

I'll echo what has been said about the differences. Riverside is much more "suburban" than Oak Park, but does have a very nice housing stock and location along the bend of the Des Plaines river.

But you are not too keen on driving to to everything, then Riverside may not be your place. Since Oak Park is more "urban", normal everyday services are generally within walking distance. Plus, the race, age, and economic diversity in Oak Park is better than Riverside, which is something I value. Hell, it's probably more diverse than Wrigleyville.

Good luck.

Especially because Wrigleyville really isn't all that diverse. Its primarily young adults in their 20s and thats it. Almost no families. Mostly people there to party.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

Especially because Wrigleyville really isn't all that diverse. Its primarily young adults in their 20s and thats it. Almost no families. Mostly people there to party.

Lake View is now packed with families. They just don't go to the same bars as you.

[ihynes]

actually, Riverside's website says it was "one of the first planned suburban communities" in the U.S. - when those older colonial-era towns were built, there was no such thing as suburbs

[ihynes]

There's a lecture about the history of Riverside's suburban planning tonight: Thursday, February 19
"Frederick Law Olmsted's Village of Riverside, 1869"
by Sander Kaplan AIA, Adjunct Professor, Illinois Institute of Technology
7 p.m. Oak Park Public Library, free

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by ihynes

There's a lecture about the history of Riverside's suburban planning tonight: Thursday, February 19
"Frederick Law Olmsted's Village of Riverside, 1869"
by Sander Kaplan AIA, Adjunct Professor, Illinois Institute of Technology
7 p.m. Oak Park Public Library, free

Thanks, I'm gonna check this out!