What is it about Oak Park ... ? (Chicago, Naperville: crime, homes, colleges)

[chitownperson]

The level of familiararity with the Oak Park school system one experiences when they are not only friends with teachers, and converse with them about many aspects of the education afforded in the village, but also residents that have children in the institutions themselves and actually experiencing the day to day of the education (and level of development through their growth), is quite illuminating. I know many people, myself included, who have the privilege of such experience.

"Desierable features" in Oak Park, and their combinations, are subjective based on what one is looking for... Some want to be next to the hustle and bustle of Lake st, and others want a slightly quieter area while still being able to take advantage of much that's offered around town. Either way, if your in the center, youve got lake st, if you north you've got north ave and Chicago ave and Harlem, if you're south... You're never that far away from things to do where ever you choose to live in the village.

[urza216]

What is it about Oak Park? Why does threats to its reputation as a perfect town like no other garner so much censorship?

I live way out in the south suburbs (the REAL south burbs not Oak Lawn). But I adore Oak Park and its surrounding areas. But censhorship is totally bad for PR. I mean, what is this..? Fox News?

[chitownperson]

No one's censoring anything... I see people challenging certain assertions based on certain levels of experience. When ever you get exaggerated assertions about a place (generally from less than a handful of people that have never lived in the place, or people with agendas), youll typically find past and present residents challenging those assertions. I remember pointing out some cons of a supposed "desierable" burb, which was immdiately met with exagerated generalizations about OP. I also see combinations of elements being pointed out that make it unique. Other towns are unique for a different combination of elements. And I do agree that every town has pros and cons regardless of how privalaged they are.

IME Most OP residents are very open about voicing and dealing with issues in the village, and don't sweep things under the rug like some other places do (if you want Fox News, look at some other desierable places), but they do take issue to over exaggerated exertions, especially from people who never lived in OP. People talk about the many pros of Oak Park cause there's much to talk about.

[chitownperson]

I dont see "diversity" even being discussed in the quoted post that was tainted as "cencorship", but anyway... No one claims that it's THE only "successfully diverse suburb", only that the combination of it's form of integrated diversity, it's commitment to providing privalaged opportunities to low income families and it's history of racial integration is unique to itself, especially in suburbs with a good deal of affluence.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by chitownperson

I dont see "diversity" evening being discussed in the quoted post that was tainted as "cencorship", but anyway... No one claims that it's THE only "successfully diverse suburb", only that the combination of it's form of integrated diversity, it's commitment to providing privalaged opportunities to low income families and it's history of racial integration is unique to itself, especially in suburbs with a good deal of affluence.

it is hard for me to see oak park having no peer as you describe when evanston occupies basically the same role in the north suburbs/north shore as oak park does in the west suburbs. if oak park and evanston are not peer communities, i'm not sure what towns are.

of course they are not twins and what i say doesn't negate the fact that evanston's black community is far more deeply rooted than oak park's and tends to be somewhat more concentrated. but there are far more similarities than differences. evanston, too, is very diverse, liberal and tolerant and the whites within it wouldn't have it any way and are hardly going elsewhere. indeed, diversity is a part of evanston's attraction for many whites.

[linicx]

Edge,

If we set aside personal bias, and remove the university and its influence out of the picture, what factors do you look for when comparing Oak Park and Evanston? I don't think the issue is so much that Oak Parkers are excessively defensive, as it is the sly, derisive, cloying comments, and code words, that are used to deliberately elicit the defense replies.

You and I both understand how poverty and fear affects a community. As a group we should, I think, we should be able to discuss the effects without being rude and racially offensive. Unfortunately it never seems to happen when positive aspects of Oak Park are mentioned.

I know that you and dh can present a balanced comparison based on different experiences. I look forward to your reply.

L

Originally Posted by edsg25

it is hard for me to see oak park having no peer as you describe when evanston occupies basically the same role in the north suburbs/north shore as oak park does in the west suburbs. if oak park and evanston are not peer communities, i'm not sure what towns are.

of course they are not twins and what i say doesn't negate the fact that evanston's black community is far more deeply rooted than oak park's and tends to be somewhat more concentrated. but there are far more similarities than differences. evanston, too, is very diverse, liberal and tolerant and the whites within it wouldn't have it any way and are hardly going elsewhere. indeed, diversity is a part of evanston's attraction for many whites.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by linicx

what factors do you look for when comparing Oak Park and Evanston?

L

I think the roots go very deep in what they share. These are towns that emerged during the first era of suburbanization (let me rephrase: the first era when the suburbs were not absorbed by Chicago). They each served a similar role in their west and north suburban settings; this was mainly as transition zones between the city and the suburbs.

both started rather conservatively but I think their city-in-the-suburbs status attracted a progressive community that embraces diversity.

the two have very similar forms of housing stock, downtowns that are major and play an important part in the community. these two downtowns were the first suburban areas to attract Chicago stores, most notably Field's which had virtually identical stores in both. the transportation systems (bus, el, metra) are similar and serve both the communities and their downtowns in similar ways.

Obviously the differences are important, too. Lakefront and university are both huge parts of Evanston's character; FLW is a major factor in how Oak Park ticks.

I'm not sure if either are defensive on the subject of race; I think, to a degree, it's almost the opposite: I think both of these communities would far segregated areas to be the outliers and have something wrong with them (not the other way around).

[linicx]

I'm confused. I don't understand this sentence. Is a word missing?

"I think both of these communities would far segregated areas to be the outliers and have something wrong with them."

Also, how diverse and well balanced is the religious community compared to OP?

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by linicx

I'm confused. I don't understand this sentence. Is a word missing?

"I think both of these communities would far segregated areas to be the outliers and have something wrong with them."

Also, how diverse and well balanced is the religious community compared to OP?

rotten job of editing on my part:

think both of these communities would view far segregated areas to be the outliers and have something wrong with them."

I'm not sure how religious diversity matches up. I only can answer to a degree as far as Christians and Jews. Both communities have a Jewish presence, of course, but it would hardly be a surprise to see far more Jews in Evanston, a north suburb, than in Oak Park, a west suburb. Evanston is no Skokie, Highland Park, Northbrook, or Buffalo Grove, but it is definitely a community that is well woven into Jewish Chicagoland with a solid Jewish presence in a way that Oak Park is not. As for Muslims, Buddhists, etc., I really don't know. I would suspect, just from what I know of both communities, you'd probably have a larger percentage of "spiritual but not religious" folks than would be the norm in many other places.

[linicx]

I think I asked the wrong question. I should have asked: Other than Jewish and Christian are their other denominations in Evanston? Considering its history, you are probably right about the OP temple not being "well woven."