Oak Park vs Riverside (Evanston, Des Plaines: crime rates, house, neighborhoods)

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by mendelman

Hmmmm???? I'm not sure about that. What about Savannah, GA, New Haven, CT, Philadelphia, PA, Washington, DC....etc? Those are all much older than Rivierside.

Thats not the same thing. Im not just talking about when it was incorporated. What made Riverside unique at the time was A) it was a suburb outside of the main city, blending rural and urban landscapes, B) and completely planned out ahead of time. FLO took 2 years just mapping out the way the way the streets were going to curve (so as to follow natural contours), trying to maximize the amount of homes overlooking parks, where landscaping would be located, etc. The whole idea was to create a "city within a park". Then people hired architects to come in and build their houses on the lots that had been laid out. It was the first planned subdivision as we know it.

[Burr Oak]

I live in Riverside. There are a number of similiarities and a number of differences between the two villages. Both communities have a diverse housing stock, from mansions to small 2 bedrooms. Oak Park has fairly small lots laid out on a conventional grid system; Riverside has large lots with curving streets. Taxes are pretty high in both towns, and the educational systems are both very good. Oak Park is much larger and has a large retail area. Riverside has a small retail area with few restaurants. When my family goes out to dinner, we frequently go to Oak Park's restaurants which, on the whole, are very good. Oak Park's streets, like Chicago's, are congested with parked cars. Riverside does not permit parking on most of its streets, and no overnight parking on any street. Frankly, I love Riverside and have been very happy there. However, I know folks who feel the same way about Oak Park.

[Windy City John]

It is recognized as the first planned "suburb" not planned city.

[treehouse12]

Originally Posted by rhiannonsmum

I'm interested in thoughts about Oak Park vs Riverside. We sold our house in Wrigleyville and are now renting in OP while we search for a home. We found a house we love in Riverside but don't feel that our hearts are in Riverside the way we think they are in OP. Does anyone have any thoughts on OP vs Riverside? Thanks in advance!

Take it from someone who has spent the last 30yrs as an officer in Riverside. Riverside is a most unique community. It has very good schools, both lower grade and high school, Riverside/Brookfield High, rated #2 in the state by Newsweek magazine. As for a safe area to raise a family there is no other. Forget about Oak Park. I would not feel very safe taking a late evening walk down any neighborhoods in Oak Park as I would in Riverside.

[crbcrbrgv]

One big difference between Riverside and Oak Park is race. Riverside is becoming increasingly infiltrated by wealthier Mexicans. Oak Park is an unusual place in the Chicago area where blacks and whites get along fine. I say it is unusual because Chicago is a very segregated metropolitan area. What they have in common is racial tolerance. For some reason people don't really give a damn what color you are as long as you have the money and class to live in the communities. Another difference is that the Mexicans that are moving to Riverside are following the pattern the Czechs and the Bohemians followed many years ago. They started out in Pilsen, moved to Cicero when they got a few dollars in their pocket, moved to Berwyn when they became lower to middle class and finally moved to Riverside when they had some serious dough, just like the Czechs did before. Oak Park is different in the sense that they welcomed the blacks with money all along and welcomed them to their community. Therefore, each suburb inherently requires a high amount of racial tolerance for a person to reside in these communities. With that said, it really comes down to your lifestyle preference. Do you prefer a suburb, or do you prefer a more urban setting? If your answer is suburbs, you should move to Riverside. If it is urban, move to Oak Park. If you are a person that truly enjoys diversity, either community could be for you.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by via chicago

Riverside was actually the first planned community in the United States.

Yep, gotta bust you there. Sorry. Pullman is a much older planned community in the Chicago area and it was once a suburb (now annexed into the city). There have been planned communities of different shapes and sizes for centuries.

[mendelman]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Yep, gotta bust you there. Sorry. Pullman is a much older planned community in the Chicago area and it was once a suburb (now annexed into the city). There have been planned communities of different shapes and sizes for centuries.

No, you're wrong.

Whether or not Riverside is the "oldest in the country" could be debatable, but Riverside will always beat Pullman - Riverside ~ 1867, Pullman ~ 1880.

[Clio1]

This is a tiny bit off topic, but I'm trying to find some information on Riverside and since there are a number of current and past residents of that town on this thread I hope no one minds if I ask you a couple of questions.

Do you know how much of the town is in the National Historic Register District and what impact (to your mind) has its landmark status made on the town over the past couple of decades? Do you think it has kept property values lower than they might otherwise have climbed? How do people feel about having to go before a local board to make minor/major changes to their homes?

Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. My village is considering seeking landmark status (yes, the whole village) and to my knowledge the only other district that extensive in the area is Riverside.

Thanks

[treehouse12]

Having spent the last 30yrs in Riverside I can tell you that if I were to be looking for a community for my family my first and formost concern would be safety. Check the crime reports for Oak Park and then for Riverside. They I mention that I was on the police department in Riverside. And the schools are top notch to including Riverside/Brookfield High School (Newsweek Magazine)...

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by treehouse12

Having spent the last 30yrs in Riverside I can tell you that if I were to be looking for a community for my family my first and formost concern would be safety. Check the crime reports for Oak Park and then for Riverside. They I mention that I was on the police department in Riverside. And the schools are top notch to including Riverside/Brookfield High School (Newsweek Magazine)...

Why did you revive this months old post to basically state the same thing you already stated a few months ago?

Anyway, I think it's absurd to say you can't take an early evening stroll in Oak Park. Crime in Oak Park is actually lower than in a "safe" city neighborhood like Lincoln Park, so obviously it isn't a huge issue. Here's an analysis I did a few months back comparing Oak Park crime to a handful of other suburbs and city neighborhoods: