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Old 01-24-2012, 04:22 PM
 
39 posts, read 118,548 times
Reputation: 15

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We relocated to Oak Park, IL 6 months ago, and we are now house hunting. Friends of ours suggested Riverside and we think we'd like it there. Does anyone have opinions they'd like to share about Riverside? Good or bad are welcome.

Also, how do you think we'd fit in? our details below:

-young family (28 and 32 with a 4yo)- we skew younger than most families, we're fine with that as long as others don't think it's a big deal.
-220k income (is that enough to live comfortably in Riverside?)
-Mixed race (black/hispanic and White)

We love the asthetics of the village, but what about everything else? Does the population skew much older? I saw that the median age was higher than Oak Park. Are there tons of families? Conservative/liberal? What about flooding in the area, does it get bad?

Sorry if these are random questions. we just want as much feed back about anything having to do with Riverside.

Thank you!
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Old 01-24-2012, 05:45 PM
 
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I do agree that you are far younger than average for Riverside and have an income that puts you on the EXTREME upper tail of any suburb in the region.

Riverside does have quite a few older folks and even families with kids would be, on average, far far older and you. Riverside itself also has a fraction of the racial diversity of someplace like Oak Park. I tends to be a bit more conservative too.

With your income you can certainly afford to live in any home in Oak Park and Riverside is generally no more costly than Oak Park..

There have been substantial improvements in storm water control in Riverside , it probably is at least well isolated from unexpected water rise as any town along the DesPlaines River, including the portions of Oak Park / River Forest with river frontage...
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Old 01-26-2012, 10:22 PM
 
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have family in riverside, they like it. Its super beautiful. Flooding is only a serious issue for the people who live right by the river. If you live by harlem, then flooding is not an issue, well that depends on your flood control systems and seepage. One note that i always observe when i visit is the quiet streets. You can hear the bnsf metra railroad gates from 6 blocks away from where my family live. Just something to keep in mind. It shows how quiet the area can be. I dont observe too many young kids walking around. Politically, i couldnt say about a general consensus of the town. But riverside is in the 21st state senate district and the 41st state representative district. Both districts voted republican congressman.
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Old 01-27-2012, 06:07 PM
 
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But the area is part of "fish head" Lipinski's Congreassional hand-me down district...
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Old 01-27-2012, 08:19 PM
 
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lol yea those teeth too!
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Old 02-06-2012, 11:50 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chet everett View Post
I do agree that you are far younger than average for Riverside and have an income that puts you on the EXTREME upper tail of any suburb in the region....With your income you can certainly afford to live in any home in Oak Park
$220K is a very nice income but it's not enough to buy *any* home in Oak Park, which has houses selling for over $2 million.

Riverside is older and considerably more conservative than MOD EDIT Oak Park. I have no clue about the social environment for an interracial couple. Nobody will bother you, but it may not be as welcoming as Oak Park, which seems to house all the interracial couples on the west side.

Last edited by linicx; 02-11-2012 at 01:57 PM..
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Old 02-22-2012, 04:09 AM
 
57 posts, read 134,734 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Larry Siegel View Post
$220K is a very nice income but it's not enough to buy *any* home in Oak Park, which has houses selling for over $2 million.

Riverside is older and considerably more conservative than MOD EDIT Oak Park. I have no clue about the social environment for an interracial couple. Nobody will bother you, but it may not be as welcoming as Oak Park, which seems to house all the interracial couples on the west side.
I lived in Riverside, a block from the Metra, from the age of 25 to 27. Have 2 kids and absolutely loved it, as did my stay at home missus. I was under half of your family inciome so no worries for you there.

People are lovely and friendly, I would be perfectly happy for my missus to walk around on her own / with the kids at midnight (except that the kids would be in bed.. but you get my meaning!) and it was gorgeous. Lots of nice parks within walking distance, and also seemed convenient for decent enough schools although our kids were younger than school age.

I would move back (turned 30 this month) in a heartbeat. It's only 15 mins on the Metra or driving without traffice (40 mins drive in the AM rush) to Downtown Chicago, 30 odd minutes out to Naperville so you're never far from a night out and you can still enjoy being young as well as the more family oriented confines of your house.

Architecture is amazing, every house is different to the one next to it - fantastic place to live. I've never ever seen or lived anywhere (and I've lived in 20ish houses in the US and UK) that quite compares. Enjoy it!!!
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Old 02-22-2012, 07:27 AM
 
Location: CHicago, United States
6,933 posts, read 8,491,142 times
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Not all of Riverside looks/feels the same. There some outstanding parts, and some probably not so. I haven't lived there, but several friends did. They enjoyed it. I enjoyed visiting them. Now's a good time to buy. I owned a home in North Oak Park. Single. No family. The expense wasn't worth the promised/expected vibe. I have friends and relatives living there, still. I wouldn't move back.
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Old 02-22-2012, 08:14 AM
 
Location: DeKalb, IL
6 posts, read 23,930 times
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Are you looking for easy access to transportation modes? Oak Park has the Eisenhower and the Metra if you are looking to commute into the city. Riverside is farther away from the Expressway, although you still have access to a Metra line. Plus, I don't know if this is important, but Oak Park is on a grid, like the city , Riverside is not. Riverside was one of the first "garden cities" in the Chicago metro area, and you won't find a defined grid system like Oak Park. Personally, the grid is easier to move around and know where you are.
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Old 02-22-2012, 08:44 AM
 
28,455 posts, read 85,339,930 times
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The lunacy of the interwebs would suggest that gomexico is heretical lunatic for disliking Oak Park, and I have know more that a few well off people that felt the value proposition of Riverside is even worse at the upper end, even in a true "masterpiece" kind of house tax bills of almost a third of even the OP's income tend to diminish one's ardor for pretty mediocre governmental services and things like shopping amenities.

Every person is going to place a different relative value on how important those things are.
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