Orland Park?

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by Mamama Mia

You can see the lights of a shopping mall or a car dealership from most subdivisions in the town. For me, the negatives would be that it lacks diversity, has huge volumes of traffic and just an over abundance of strip malls that line Harlem and Lagrange Roads, as well as 159th Street. The older part of town has a few antique shops clustered in a two block area, but the majority of the village is one subdivision of tri-levels after another.

You know, I agree that there is a ton of traffic, and yes the entire town is made up of subdivisions as it was farmland just as little as 20 years ago with a huge pig farm right where Orland Square Mall is currently located in 1973 prior to construction of the mall, but come on, one subdivision of tri-levels after another? I will admit that Catalina and Golf View are largely made up of tri-levels, but there aren't hardly any others in town to be had. There are some to the north of Orland Square Mall, but really thats about it. Areas west of La Grange Road with the exception of the neighborhood near the old library for the most part contain huge houses that in many cases look like hotels and are a full two or even three story house. As for seeing the lights of the car dealers and malls everywhere in town... Ummmm Orland Park is flat so unless you are right next to the strip malls or car dealers, or the car dealers have now put up 500 foot tall lights, how can you see the lights of the car dealers? I live off 143rd and Clearview and there are no car dealer lights anywhere near me, unless you count Terry's Lincoln Mercury which is a piddly little dealer from the 1970s, but I can't see that or the lights of the mall... Not unless I go up on my roof, which I tend not to do.

As for the town lacking diversity... Yes it does as it is over 95% white, yet some view that as a good thing. Actually pretty much everyone that lives around me does as they have time and time again said that to me as most of them escaped areas of Chicago and burbs off to the south-east to escape the infiltration of African Americans and Latinos into their old towns and moved to Orland Park to get back to a non-diverse town. Lets face it, 20 years ago the population in Orland was under 25,000, today its over 60K as well as in neighboring Tinley Park and is over 95% white, so all these people came from somewhere. They didn't just magically appear here. It all seems racist I know, but alot of people only want to live among their own. Sorry, its a fact of life.

As for the homes not having character. Again, many people like the clean line/modern look when it comes to homes. I for one prefer more clean-lined homes vs. homes that have stuff hanging and sticking out all over as you will see with older victorian style homes.

[kaedebonsai]

Orland Park is a good place, like many have said before its got a lot of traffic on 159th during certain times of the day.
I lived in Tinley park (bordering town) for almost 20 years before moving to orland about 3.5 years ago.
The schools are excellent, there is very little crime, and tons of shopping. Local orland parkers' seem to figure out the traffic patterns quite well! I know certain times of day to travel and others that I like to avoid.
The mall, theatre, lots of places to eat, and many other attractions make orland a great place to live. However taxes are not cheap and mine have more than doubled in a bit of three years.

[At1WithNature]

Orland Park is 91% white, has a population of roughly 70,000 people and their crime rate is still 90.6! that's an amazing feat. i challenge anyone to find a town that is 91% of another race and has a similar crime rate. And it can't be a town with 1,200 residents. people talk about orland not being diverse as a bad thing, clearly that town is doing something right. in fact, a plethora of its' neighbors could learn from Orland Park on how to conduct city business the right way.

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by At1WithNature

Orland Park is 91% white, has a population of roughly 70,000 people and their crime rate is still 90.6! that's an amazing feat. i challenge anyone to find a town that is 91% of another race and has a similar crime rate. And it can't be a town with 1,200 residents. people talk about orland not being diverse as a bad thing, clearly that town is doing something right. in fact, a plethora of its' neighbors could learn from Orland Park on how to conduct city business the right way.

I think we're both wrong. The population isn't what either of us said. It's actually lower than I thought. I heard it was about 61K right now, but that must be Tinley Park I was thinking of. Best places to live 2008 - Top 100 City details: Orland Park, IL - from MONEY Magazine

[kaedebonsai]

There is one of those city signs that claims population on 159th and Harlem. It says orland park has some 60,000 and change...the same sign and same number have been there at least 10 years. I pass it daily going to work...There's gotta be a lot more than that, but I have no idea how many.
It seems like a place once people move to, they rarely every move again. All my neighbors have been around for 20-30 plus years with no intentions of moving.
There are plenty of areas where it was 'pick model 1-5' and we will build you a house, but there are also areas with a lot of custom home, like west orland.
20 years ago there was some farm land, but the majority of the homes in and around the mall area are in 30-40 year old range.

[At1WithNature]

Originally Posted by NYrules

I think we're both wrong. The population isn't what either of us said. It's actually lower than I thought. I heard it was about 61K right now, but that must be Tinley Park I was thinking of. Best places to live 2008 - Top 100 City details: Orland Park, IL - from MONEY Magazine

you could be right, it's just hard to tell given the census was 8 years ago and that area by Orland Park is growing rapidly. If you don't mind cars, you really can't get any better than Orland Park.