Would you buy a house on a busy street in Oak Park (Chicago: how much)

[kindrakindra]

Will I be missing out on the community feel? Block parties? It has a backyard (not huge - 167 lot) and a driveway.

[mendelman]

It will be tougher to be "part" of the neighborhood, especially if the street is Austin or Harlem.

I have never seen a block party held on one of the main arterials in Oak Park.

But if you make an effort to meet people through your kids' events (school, library, sports) or through joining other groups in the village, you can get to know people who will then invite you to the block party on their street.

[kindrakindra]

Oak Park Avenue.

[mendelman]

OK, Oak Park Ave. is not that bad, but there will probably be less of a "neighborhood" feel. Get to know the people across the alley and you should be fine.

[chet everett]

Varies quite a bit by location on Oak Park Ave more than most through streets. North of Chicago it is very residential, not even much cut through traffic. Between Randolph & Superior not too bad. Different feel south of there with more intensive development and the section where it crosses the Ike being more of a thoroughfare. I would prefer NOT to have multi-family right next door, even it they are nice quiet people can make for parking hassles.

You need to weigh the discount (which should be substantial for a through street) with how much you could afford -- if this is your only way into town vs Cicero the same might be true for neighbors. Nothing wrong with that, just don't expect to have a heart surgeon or judge next door...

[kindrakindra]

Should have been more clear from the beginning - North of Chicago Ave.

[Lookout Kid]

I've thought about this one myself. There are some nice houses on Ridgeland and Oak Park Avenue with generous back yards, and the prices are definitely discounted a bit. If I didn't have kids, I would consider living on either of those streets.

I lived on a busy street for a few years as a child, and my 8-year-old younger sister was hit by a car because she was running to meet up with her friend across the street (she survived with minor injuries). Also, we had a drunk driver slam into a tree in our front yard one night at a high speed. I don't know if I'd want to deal with that as a parent.