Moving advice:Hyde Park vs oak Park/River Forest (Chicago: co-op, house)

[NSH]

Originally Posted by Drover

Let's provide some context here. Oak Park borders a rough area of Chicago, and some of the urban problems attendant to that fact cross over into and afflicts a very small area of Oak Park. And yet this doesn't stop plenty of people with the means to live anywhere from choosing to spend millions to live in Oak Park. Most of the city is actually rather shiny and a good section of it is downright stately.

If living in a a community close to urban decay is a concern, then you really shouldn't be looking in Hyde Park or Oak Park. Or Beverly for that matter. For what it's worth I've got no death wish and I still would be comfortable in any of those places.

Crime is a concern amongst most folks looking to move there family into an unfamiliar area. The local newspaper is a great source of info, both good and bad. I live in one of the neighborhoods you mention and I have no bias against urban areas.

[jmelts]

Thanks so much to all fr your thoughtful and helpful replies. Although I live right now in the functional equivalent of Mayberry, I grew up in NYC and lived for 6 years in Hyde Park, so city living, with all its attendant joys and pitfalls is not a mystery to me. I have no illusions that moving ANYWHERE in the greater Chicago area will be as "safe" as the life I live here (I have neighbors who never lock their doors...) but that is fine with me. What I am after is maintaining *some* of the sense of community that I have here. I don't know if that is possible, as I have no desire to live way outside of Chicago, but it is worth searching for.

My other concern is the quality of the schools--and the fact that not everyone attending the school doesn't look like my kids can be a plus. I think the schools in OP and RF lok good (though the sheer size of the OPRF High School is somewhat scary...)

My worry about River Forest is that it may be too homogenous, but perhaps it is more of a slightly more upscale OP. Oak Park without the gritty side?

All the decisions have to be weighed against the fact that my husband will have to commute (and he is vey spoiled on that count now) and that the only friends we have in Chicago are in Hyde Park. So...again thanks.

Any other comments are welcomed, especially if anyonne can help with commute times to and from Hyde Park from OP/RF, both during peak times and at less busy hours.

[NSH]

Your commute to downtown from Hyde Park is about 10 minutes on a bad day, the Hyde Park express bus runs up LSD during rush hours, and the Metra Electric runs trains every 10 to 20 minutes during rush hour. Non Rush hour via public transportation in Hyde Park is virtually non existent and is the biggest complaint of area residents
Oak Park uses the Lake st green line and Eisenhower Blue Line trains to get in and out of town. Both run fast and without delays. The blue line runs 24hrs so if you want to stay out late getting home is possible via public transportation.

[jmelts]

Thanks NSH.
Any ideas abot drive times? He would probably do public transportation sometimes and drive at others.

[NSH]

To drive into downtown from Hyde Park is a breeze, no traffic until you hit the museum campus and the backup only lasts a few minutes.

Oak Park on the other hand...
I-290 is the most congested expressway in the Chicago area. Oak Park will not endorse any public works project that involves expanding that road as they fear the loss of homes and business districts close to the expressway will have a detriment on the area. Therefore only 3 lanes in each direction through Oak Park have caused a huge bottleneck.

My biased (as I live there) recommendation would be the Beverly area on the far south side. It mirrors Oak Park in housing aesthetics and has a revitalized shopping district along 95th st and 103rd st.
The public high school in the area is Morgan Park High. The school is roughly 90% black but is constantly at the top of the CPS lists in academics and sports. I know most of the teaching staff at the school and to say they love their job is an understatement. It is also home to four top tier Private High schools Morgan Park Academy, Brother Rice High School (catholic boys), Mother McCauley High School (catholic girls), and Marist High School (catholic coed).

Commute to downtown is 30 min via Metra and 25 min via a newly reconstructed Dan Ryan expressway (which I took downtown today and my commute was only 15 minutes from 95th st)

[Paxtonian]

Both Oak Park and River Forest have commuter rail service via Metra, it's inexpensive and fast. BTW, Oak Park will try to push you in the area bordering Austin. Have nothing to do with that, unless you're up to TOO urban a feel than I suspect you're looking for. My brother lived right by there for a while, I've been bothered by derelicts over by his place. The modus operandi is they'll come up to you and start bothering you until you give them money. As I'm cheap, I refused to give in, which made for an exchange of words at times. That sort of thing doesn't happen away from the Austin area, and of course, it's unheard of in River Forest. River Forest still has my vote.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by NSH

Crime is a concern amongst most folks looking to move there family into an unfamiliar area. The local newspaper is a great source of info, both good and bad. I live in one of the neighborhoods you mention and I have no bias against urban areas.

But again, that information can be misleading if not put into context. It's the same lack of context that has me constantly explaining to people how it is that I can live in a crime-ridden city (my own neighborhood is just fine, that's how).

[jmelts]

I think I would keep reasonable distance from the Chicago border!
Thoouggh clearly the Real Estate in that area is considerably cheaper.
Thanks

[jettsetter]

I actually drove that one day(from Hyde Park to Oak Park) at 7:30a.m and truthfully it took about 45-50 minutes and that was with traffic. Im sure when its not congested it would be less than 20 minutes. I do think of River Forest as a step up from Oak Park and is more homogenous but that shouldn't be a problem because it is basically intertwined with Oak Park where there is more diversity. The kids in River Forest interact with the kids in Oak Park everyday because the districts are the same. Their Parents interact with the Parents in Oak Park because thats where all the businesses are. So its really not that different in terms of community when you think about it. In terms of crime its just like any other inner ring burb close to chicago i.e. Evanston, Park Ridge, Beverly, Oak Lawn..and if you've lived in Hyde Park then you will have no problem in Oak Park/River Forest.

[vered4]

For what it's worth...I grew up in Oak Park and now live in Atlanta. I would move back to Oak Park if I had the opportunity! It is a lovely, very diverse community with nice old houses, history, culture and good shopping and restaurants. OPRFHS had a great reputation back in the day and it still has a very, very good reputation now. It is a 20 minute drive or L-ride to downtown. Its neighbor is River Forest which is more expensive and also very lovely. There is beautiful architecture in Oak Park. You can easily walk around or get around with public transportation, if needed. I still think it's a nice place to live! Feel free to email me!