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View Poll Results: Pick your place pt. 3
Oak Park 22 52.38%
Hinsdale 20 47.62%
Voters: 42. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 07-02-2008, 02:10 PM
 
220 posts, read 744,678 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve-o View Post
...unlike parts of Oak Park that are downright dangerous...
Please, that is ludicrous! That hyperbolic statement has no basis in reality. If you think it does, than you certainly should stick with Hinsdale and/or St. Charles.
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Old 07-02-2008, 02:17 PM
 
28,455 posts, read 85,370,617 times
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Default Face-off: hideous asphalt singled dilapidated Oak Park houses of shame vs Hinsdale over done tear-downs...

Quote:
Originally Posted by jdiddy View Post
And if we were comparing it to Downers Grove, it would win. But you're comparing it with Oak Park, the city of Frank Lloyd Wright homes, block after block of beautifully maintained early twentieth century architecture, two L lines and two metra stations into the city, a far bigger, and more vibrant downtown that could compare with the best of what Chicago neighborhoods have to offer.

Hinsdale is nice, but really bore the brunt of tasteless teardowns the past 15 years, where people somehow manage to spend a couple million to build large, but cheap-looking replicas of bygone architectural eras. And while it has a nice little downtown area and metra access, its still an hour into the city during rush hour by car, 40 minutes by train.

If it were a choice between Hinsdale and neighboring Oak Brook, its Hinsdale without comparison. It still actually has neighborhoods afterall, and not just cold, isolated subdivisions. But you're comparing it to one of the most beautiful suburbs in the country.
While I really like Oak Park, have spent lot of time there, have good friends that live there and even admire some aspects of the town, the attitude of people like jdiddy makes me "pull the lever" for the Crown Jewel of Eastern DuPage...

I'd say that for every over done tear down in Hinsdale I could easily tally at least 3 or 4 pathetic dilapidated hulk with a sagging porch, a garage that won't close and owners that are so squeezed by taxing the very thought of buying paintbrushes would push them into bankruptacy, let alone the moral dilema that paint made in a actual chemical plant would paralyze their high-minded "think globablly act locally" gobbly wobbly goo


Oh, for the record. Hinsdale has THREE (3) Metra stations, fastest express service to the main station is 22 minutes, and the worst stretch of traffic is due entirely to the whack jobs in Oak Park that wanted the Austin Blvd and Harlem Ave exits to be ON THE LEFT, just like their politics ...
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Old 07-02-2008, 02:17 PM
 
Location: Chicago
4,688 posts, read 10,105,849 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve-o View Post
The thing is, not all of Hinsdale is teardowns, not even close. Ill admit that there are TONS of teardowns in Hinsdale, and many of them are very gorgeous. And regarding Hinsdale, the downtown is bustling and every bit as nice/busy as Oak Park's. Hinsdale is just quieter and nicer for the most part, hence my choice. Plus, there are no bad parts of Hinsdale, unlike parts of Oak Park that are downright dangerous. To each his own...
Like someone said earlier, it really just depends on your preference for urbanity. Hinsdale has a small village-y downtown. Oak Park has a downtown that would fit nicely in any of the upscale city neighborhoods. Hinsdale's may have activity, but no, its not every bit as busy. Not even close. Whether its nicer comes down to preference.

And while you posted some nice pictures of older Hinsdale houses (and a few ugly newer ones), I never made the claim otherwise. I realize not every single lot has been torn down for tacky. But enough of them have to really take away from the streetscape from what it was 15 years ago.

Yes, Oak Park's eastern border has higher crime, I wouldn't think of describing any part of it as 'downright dangerous'. Really, what it all boils down to is taste, and our suburban counterparts lack of it (kidding steve-o, I don't need to see a bunch of in your response).

Unfortunately, I don't have photos of my own to post on here, but this is what we are comparing Hinsdale against...

Flickr: Search (http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=oak+park+illinois - broken link)
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Old 07-02-2008, 04:40 PM
 
11,975 posts, read 31,789,833 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve-o View Post
...unlike parts of Oak Park that are downright dangerous...
There are absolutely NO neighborhoods of Oak Park that are "downright dangerous". Not a single one. Eastern Oak Park gets a bad rap, but crime is surprisingly low there considering it's proximity to Austin. I know many people who live there--including lawyers, architects, and the presidents of companies--and they all love it.

All of you Oak Park bashers need to live a little. Even though Hinsdale is more exclusive in some respects, the price per square foot for SF homes is higher in Oak Park. Some of those more modest homes south of Madison (where the lot sizes are smaller) are not glamorous by any means, but they are classic American Four Squares and Bungalows. I love those neighborhoods, and how the are basically the opposite of Hinsdale arrogance and showiness! The fact that extremely successful people now inhabit many of these modest homes speaks to the values of Oak Park. People in Oak Park are more into community involvement, and have civic pride that isn't based on the net worth of the neighbor next to you.

Frankly, I think this comparison is silly. Hinsdale and Oak Park are nothing alike.
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Old 07-02-2008, 04:55 PM
 
Location: Phoenix metro
20,004 posts, read 77,379,844 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lookout Kid View Post
There are absolutely NO neighborhoods of Oak Park that are "downright dangerous". Not a single one. Eastern Oak Park gets a bad rap, but crime is surprisingly low there considering it's proximity to Austin. I know many people who live there--including lawyers, architects, and the presidents of companies--and they all love it.
Chill the eff out. I was just going off of what Ive heard. Ive personally never seen the "hood" myself, so perhaps I shouldnt have stated that. If Im incorrect, I apologize. However, Ive heard (and read on this board, too) of areas of Oak Park that are shady, hence my comment.

Secondly, Im doing these posts to have a little fun. Oak Park and Hinsdale have more in common than not, correct? Theyre both upscale suburbs, with a lot of nice housing stock, thriving downtowns, access to trains, etc. Why NOT compare them?
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Old 07-02-2008, 05:19 PM
 
11,975 posts, read 31,789,833 times
Reputation: 4644
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve-o View Post
Chill the eff out.
The eff has been chilled out. Thanks for talking me down, Steve-O.
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Old 07-02-2008, 08:31 PM
 
409 posts, read 1,518,027 times
Reputation: 49
Hinsdale is very similar to Winnetka isn't it? It has three metra stations, huge teardown phenomenon, home to high school where several commuties go, and is widely known as the place to be. Sounds like the western burbs have their own Winnetka.
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Old 07-02-2008, 08:37 PM
 
Location: Phoenix metro
20,004 posts, read 77,379,844 times
Reputation: 10371
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lookout Kid View Post
The eff has been chilled out. Thanks for talking me down, Steve-O.
Very good, sir. Now, heat that eff back up again for tomorrow's poll.

Hinsdale back on top again by one vote, I thought Oak Park would win this by a landslide, considering all the DuPage haters on here.
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Old 07-02-2008, 10:43 PM
 
939 posts, read 2,380,307 times
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I would have made the match Oak Park vs. Evanston or Hinsdale vs. Winnetka.

But I look forward to tomorrow's match!
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