Oak Park - Safe (Chicago, Cicero: environment, relocating, houses)

[NYrules]

I really find this all humorous. A gap, starbucks, macys, whatever! We had all that crap in Brooklyn too and it was a complete hole there! So, if some chain stores that every other town in America has makes the area a wonderous place or the fact that a Hummer was driving down the street of which was probably someone from out of city of Oak Park and more like Palos Park, or Orland Park, then by all means the Harlem Ave. corridor is Rodeo Drive

So the street is busy? Again every been to NY? Ever take a ride down through Brooklyn? Middle of the day even? The area even then isn't safe, yet has litterally bumper to bumper traffic as far as the eye can see!

Also before everyone jumps me, I really don't care about what any of you think of me, I just find it frustrating that people are telling potential new buyers with their hard earned money that the Harlem Ave area or better; Maywood is nice! folks, do you people ever leave your little bubble up there on 22nd or North Ave and actually venture into quote on quote"NICE" areas? Have any of you actually been to a "nice" town like Skokie, Oak Brook, Naperville, Batavia, St. Charles, Banockburn, etc? Do any of you actually know what it is like to live in a nice area where a ghetto such as Maywood or Bellwood or Chicago's west side aren't a stones throw away?

Also it really goes to show the COMPLETE ignorance on this very board as people immediately jump someone who doesn't conform to the standards on this board (Board rules to avoid being jumped: refer everyone to Naperville or Oak Park when asked what are good burbs, don't say a single bad thing about Chicago; the weather around here is beautiful all the time or better "we are truly blessed by god to have such wonderful weather!" LOL!, people walk down the streets merrily and sing show tunes to eachother and kiss eachother on the cheeks as they walk by, the traffic is wonderful, etc) Darn it, wake up people, don't be affraid to offend someone. When a question is asked by a potential homebuyer who is about to spend $300k $500K, or heck a $1M tell the truth about the area and the whole truth. Yes Oak Park ITSELF is fine with lots of charming old homes, the area though has become like an island surrounded by some run down parts. Sorry but the very fact that people are so defenssive only goes to show that they know deep down in their hearts that it is true. Sad but true just as Metallica said. I'm sure the people over in perfectly safe towns that are surrounded by ghettos now such as South Holland, Homewood/Floosmoor, and Posen would defend their towns in the same manner and do all they could to prevent their towns from "changing" further and to regain the eye of the new homebuyers again. So I do understand honestly I do, but to mislead people into believing the area and the WHOLE area is upscale, perfectly safe, or whatever is just wrong.

Now for the record, I never said the Oak Park area was dangerous and in fact what I did say was that the area "doesn't have shootings or drive bys or anything like that, it is just rather tired and old and yes GHETTO" Ghetto doesn't mean the area is soley dangerous, it can also describe the area as being populated by minorities, rather run down and gritty, and in many cases having many poor people. Hmmmm, Bellwood, and Maywood??? Minorities? I give that a big fat yes! Run down and old? Again YEEEESSSS!, Lots of poor people? Seems like it or at least a growing number of them. So how was I so far off here?

[mdz]

Methinks you protest too much. Obviously you're entitled to your opinion, but we're entitled to ours too. Merry Christmas!

[Drover]

Wow. That's all I have to say is wow.

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by NYrules

Have any of you actually been to a "nice" town like Skokie, Oak Brook, Naperville, Batavia, St. Charles, Banockburn, etc?

Did it ever occur to you that there are people who prefer living in an urban environment opposed to a suburban one? And that we have our reasons for doing so? And that, despite whatever cons may exist, they are outweighed by the pros? I dont WANT to live in effing Oak Brook or St. Charles (can I puke now?). If I wanted a French Chateau, I'd move to France and live in the real thing and not play make believe out in suburban hell.

The Harlem corridor is if anything solid blue collar. And despite whatever crazy notions you have floating around in that head, there is a middle ground between "ghetto" and opulent luxury. Its the type of neighborhood the vast majority of people live in. And I find it really insulting that you try to insinuate otherwise.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by NYrules

do you people ever leave your little bubble up there on 22nd or North Ave and actually venture into quote on quote"NICE" areas? Have any of you actually been to a "nice" town like Skokie, Oak Brook, Naperville, Batavia, St. Charles, Banockburn, etc? Do any of you actually know what it is like to live in a nice area where a ghetto such as Maywood or Bellwood or Chicago's west side aren't a stones throw away?

Ghetto doesn't mean the area is soley dangerous, it can also describe the area as being populated by minorities, rather run down and gritty, and in many cases having many poor people. Hmmmm, Bellwood, and Maywood??? Minorities? I give that a big fat yes! Run down and old? Again YEEEESSSS!, Lots of poor people? Seems like it or at least a growing number of them. So how was I so far off here?

Yikes. I’m not really sure what you’re trying to say here. Austin and Maywood have been troubled for at least 40 years now, and Oak Park has always been next to them. Despite that, its stock as a desirable community has consistently risen over the years. It is now considered one of the most desirable communities in Chicagoland. Why? The people who stuck it out during good times and bad took measures to ensure that it would remain a good community – the Oak Park Regional Housing Center, its “Diversity Assurance” program, sophisticated parking regulations, focus on schools, and generally were able to turn diversity into an asset. There's a novel concept for 'ya.

They did a great job if the price of housing in that community is any indication. People are now willing to pay a fortune to live there, and I can see why. Oak Park’s present concern is no longer “white flight,” but, rather, keeping the community half way affordable. That speaks volumes, IMHO.

What solution do you propose? That every white person with money to spend on a house move to a far out ex-burb away from minorities and “poor people?” Sure, that will work, for awhile. But will the ex-burbs stand the test of time like OP has?

I'm honestly very curious about this, and look forward to watching how it unfolds over the years. I predict that at some point or other, those communities too will be “discovered,” and not just by more semi-affluent white folks who populate these areas now. They will eventually start to see the minorities, poor people and the traffic you seem to be so afraid of. They are human too and want the same things everyone else does. Running can only take you so far. Eventually, it catches up with you. At some point you will have to deal with it.

Chicagoland does not need to spread further afield (no pun intended), it needs to learn tolerance and acceptance.

[sukwoo]

My guess is that the days of cheap gasoline and unlimited highway construction budgets is gone for good. Older, walkable suburbs and burbs organized around public transit should be increasingly desirable. I'd be very comfortable recommending Forest Park, River Forest, and Berwyn as good towns to invest in.

By the way, Harlem Ave doesn't run through Maywood.

[Z from Oak Park]

Oak Park is safe, considering its proximity to the city. I think alot of people who live in the exurbs are envious of Oak Park because we are able to maintain safe neighborhoods while maintaining a diverse population. They are envious because they have to travel 30-40 miles to the city, whereas Oak Park sits less than 10 miles from the city. I definitely recommend Oak Park as a nice place to live. However, if you are afraid of diversity, like many bloggers are, I wouldn't recommend Oak Park.

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by sukwoo

My guess is that the days of cheap gasoline and unlimited highway construction budgets is gone for good. Older, walkable suburbs and burbs organized around public transit should be increasingly desirable. I'd be very comfortable recommending Forest Park, River Forest, and Berwyn as good towns to invest in.

By the way, Harlem Ave doesn't run through Maywood.

Ding you are the winner! You are right the slummy ***** area lining Harlem Ave runs through??? ANYONE? Oak Park! LOL! And again people cannot read I see, and this goes for all the replies to my earlier comment. I said a "stones throw" What does a stone's throw mean? Anyone? Did I hear close to? DING! We have another winner. Sure Maywood is over off First Ave and is in sad shape, yet is only a mile away from Oak Park. Meaning in my opinion a "stones throw" If I can drive to a run down slum in less than 5 min from my front door, then that is too close for me. Oh and for the record about living in an urban environment. I never said living in an urban atmosphere means ghetto. Try any one of the bouroughs over on the east coast. It doesn't get much more urban than Manhattan, yet guess what the starting rent there is now? Try a grand just for a studio and Bloomberg along with Guiliani have done wonders to keep it clean, modern, safe, tons of police everywhere, and so much more to keep new buyers from all over the world flooding into the area. What have the towns near Oak Park done? Lets see, let the empty lots cover over with debris and weeds, let vandals tag tons of stuff all over the town, run the schools into the dumper, encourage "white flight", need I go on. I feel bad for Oak Park because it truley is one of the best old towns left in Chicago, yet is surrounded by towns that don't seem to give a whoot only pushing people further and further out, or back into Daley's kingdom.

[Drover]

What in the great wide-open hell are you talking about? If you think there's a "slummy (whatever-got-bleeped-out) area of Harlem Avenue" in Oak Park, it truly makes me wonder about your familiarity with the area, your concept of "slummy" or both.

"Uh-oh -- a vacant lot under development! How slummy!"

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by NYrules

Sure Maywood is over off First Ave and is in sad shape, yet is only a mile away from Oak Park. Meaning in my opinion a "stones throw." If I can drive to a run down slum in less than 5 min from my front door, then that is too close for me.

So I guess River Forest, Elmwood Park and Galewood, would be out of the question too then, as would Evanston and the vast majority of Chicago community areas (Hyde Park, Beverly and Mt. Greenwood most definitely). Heck, while we're at it, Elmhurst is within five minutes of Melrose Park (which probably fits into your extremely generous definition of "run down slum"), so let's toss that out also. So what's left? Sycamore, Yorkville and Oswego? Enjoy your 4 hour daily commute and paying $150/week for gas.