Moving to Chicago-area, are Park Forest or University Park Safe?

[David2300]

Originally Posted by At1WithNature

I would NEVER move to Park Forest. I have family that still lives there (70+ years old) and the city is ghettofied. It's right next to Chicago Heights so what do you expect? University Park is the better option but you can do much better than Park Forest or University Park. Especially, if you have children. Park Forest isn't home to a lot of constructive families that set good examples for the youth. That area is littered with gang and drug activity.

Calm down! Park Forest isn't that bad. UP is way worse.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by David2300

After doing some research, Park Forest isn't nearly as bad as everyone says. It is all right, a hell of a lot better than University Park. Of course Park Forest isn't AMAZING. But there are nice, wooded streets and a lot of parks to visit. Nice place.

University Park is mostly rural. I am not sure they even have a police force.

Of course they have a police force. I suggest you don't go 80MPH on Governers Highway with that dream in mind. And most of the people who live in University Park live in neighborhoods that look just as urban as Park Forest.

University Park is home to Governers State University. The town also used to have a crime rate that was about double the national average. For some inexplicable reason, in the past ten years, crime has gone WAY down. It's below the national average now. It's still over 80 percent black and no significant economic change has happened.

[valpofan11]

Originally Posted by urza216

Of course they have a police force. I suggest you don't go 80MPH on Governers Highway with that dream in mind. And most of the people who live in University Park live in neighborhoods that look just as urban as Park Forest.

University Park is home to Governers State University. The town also used to have a crime rate that was about double the national average. For some inexplicable reason, in the past ten years, crime has gone WAY down. It's below the national average now. It's still over 80 percent black and no significant economic change has happened.

Maybe the population has aged quite a bit and that's why crime has gone down. That's a great thing about MOST older people: They have a lot less energy to commit stupid and/or violent crimes. For example, you don't see the 75 year old Calumet City residents robbing or shooting at others in town. Pretty simple, appreciate older people haha.

For UP, the town itself may not be the nicest, but its schools are pretty decent. Crete-Monee is a step above the majority of the south suburban schools, IMO