The Pros and Cons of Living In Oak Park

[@rickmazzuca3481]

I grew up in oak park went to Longfellow school and I loved living there

[@stride8845]

Pros - Proximity to Chicago (closest suburb going west) - Public school system is great - Sense of community/lower churn due to family-friendly culture - Lot of parks and open green spaces - Downtown area feels historic and has shops - Hybrid feel between urban and suburban - Unique homes (not cookie cutter) Cons - Traffic to Chicago (always busy) - Cost of living - Many older homes; updated ones cost more - Higher taxes - Lack of entertainment/shopping

[@reyeloso8093]

We dont take the expressway just hop on Madison Or Roosevelt Or North Ave to go to the city

[@paulsoxl7739]

Agree, the main reason why I moved. I had to pay to Park on a side street I lived on Washington

[@alism9162]

I grew up in the city (little village) and I moved to OP last year. I just love it here! (Moved from neighboring Berwyn) 🙂

[@ericreyes3801]

great video dude! i'd love to hear what you have to say about some of the north shore, specifically Evanston.

[@dknight7587]

Great park district system. I worked there for 6yrs

[@LivingInChicago]

It is. There is always something for kids and the community to do.

[@susanjohnsen5626]

Thanks! Oak Park is on my short list for moving to the area in a couple of years.

[@patrickmcmahon3948]

Taxes way to high

[@gabemorales9888]

I can confirm this🥲🥲

[@almightyfolkks7454]

You had me cracking up when you seen "Beetlejuice" and jumped. 🤣

[@5822huron]

My hometown..

[@wendygreenhouse5412]

Thanks, Joe--so much fun to hear about Oak Park from you and I love your energy. Longtime OPer here, and just want to add that when you talk about transportation, PLEASE don't forget that we have TWO--count 'em TWO--CTA (rapid transit) train lines running right through OP, giving us a straight shot either to the Loop (Green Line) or to the medical district (huge employer) (Blue Line), PLUS the Metra trains to the west side of the Loop. This is a huge draw for OP. Also, on the subject of taxes, yes! They ARE sky-high, but we also get a lot for our bucks: truly great park district and public libraries as well as schools, among other things. High level of volunteerism and citizen involvement in local organizations and a strong sense of community: if you're looking only for a place to lay your head between days at the grindstone, you are wasting your tax dollars living here. We're also known for our progressive politics: we have our issues and we disagree passionately but we're rarely apathetic--we're pretty passionate about everything. Some clever person once said our motto should be "Oak Park: Changing the World within Our Borders"! That sums it up. I'm from another place altogether but have always been impressed by how many OPers have long roots here: people who have grown up here want to come back to raise their own families. That says a lot. Finally, although the high cost of living here is challenging our famous diversity, we are a community that values diversity and we have a lot of it, including blended families, mixed-race families, lots of LGBTQ individuals and families, and people at every stage of life--not to mention tourists from all over the world checking out our amazing architecture. I love it here and wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the Chicago region.

[@wendydaniels8618]

Good overview of OP. We've lived here for 29 years and raised all 3 of our children here. The high property taxes are real - which paid for an above average education for our children, park district, libraries, safe play areas, community, lifelong friendships, close proximity to downtown Chicago (accessible by Green Line, Blue Line or Metra) - all wonderful things. The high taxes also meant we had to make some sacrifices through the years. Now that the kids are grown, we could actually stay here comfortably - but the money spent on taxes could pay for a trip around the world every year. I'd rather travel. We will be leaving in a couple of years, once our youngest graduates college. The description of being progressive is only skin deep and performative for many, but there is a strong community of those who aren't just talk and take consistent and real action.. Only thing I disagree with is that there is a great deal of entertainment and activities in and around Oak Park - multiple theater companies, movie theater, musical groups (choirs, bands), free musical performances in Scoville Park and elsewhere in the summer, Jazz Thaw in the winter ( hope it comes back this year), School of Rock, Pleasant Home, OPRF History Museum, Wonder Works Children Museum, FLW Home and Studio, many, many restaurants, and much more, plus Columbus Park blocks away, Forest Park blocks away, and downtown Chicago minutes away. Outside of the multiple rush hours in the morning and evening, it really does take 15 minutes to get downtown on the Ike. Last week I drove home from Wacker and State at 11:45 am and I arrived at my destination at 11:57. No lie. Anyway, thanks for the honest overview.

[@ElderberrySocialClub]

Hi Ms. Wendy, what are your possible relocation options? Considering the OP amenities you and your husband are accustomed to. My parents are facing the same concern once my little sister graduates.

[@wendydaniels8618]

@@ElderberrySocialClub We will be looking at South Loop, University Village, and Bronzeville. South Loop is my 1st choice.

[@creepermyeeper]

Living in oak park, i agree mostly.

[@warrenstewart3659]

Very accurate video, and well presented, but please read my comment in its entirety. I was born there, raised there till early teens, and came back as an adult to participate in everything it stands for. Then the "tax, carve up, densify, and tax more" mentality took over. The property tax on one of my homes was $14,000 when I sold it, then escalated to $30,000, forcing the owner to split the property into two residences. At that point the larger half escalated to $58,000 making it unsaleable until a non-profit bought it for a million dollar discount and took it off the tax rolls altogether. I escaped my other house when the property taxes hit $4,000. They're now $47,000, and the home is on the market, almost certain to result in a large financial loss for the sellers. Now, tell me how this island elitist colony maintains its renowned racial diversity. Bold action, or bold taxation?

[@khmaiprah]

What are your thoughts on parking? Specifically in the downtown Oak Park area.

[@callumdickel4521]

As a resident of oak park it’s very easy. Lake street (downtown oak park) has metered parking on the street. There are also plenty of side streets. The best thing is the parking garages. No matter what garage along lake street you pick you will be at most a ten minute walk away from anywhere on the street. Also the parking garages have free parking for an hour. I also believe Sunday is free parking.

[@LivingInChicago]

That is a very detailed response. I dont have any more to add. Thank you!

[@lawrencewagner8685]

The village of parking tickets. Lived there and it stinks. You cannot park on the street overnight in front of your own house . Expensive pay lots for residents, IF you are lucky enough to score a space. Parking is even worse when it snows. BTW, Oak Park is a village, not a city.

[@paulsoxl7739]

@@lawrencewagner8685When I lived there it was the world’s largest village. The parking situation is a scam, I refused to get my quarterly sticker when I moved out ( I needed it for 3 weeks). I played hide and seek with the parking my car over $200 in parking tickets I showed them 😂.

[@trainliker100]

How much would it cost to buy that house behind you? (Just kidding. I know what it is. My mother even worked at the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center.) Actually, it took me a few minutes to realize there was no traffic noise and you seem to be digitally placed in front of the FLW Home and Studio.

[@LivingInChicago]

Thanks for watching. I have been learning how to do green screen and this was the best compliment I could have been given. Its been a struggle at times! lol

[@DREDAY0927]

Dam That Reaction from Mayor Beetlejuice 😳

[@dubonheur01]

No vidéos anymore ?😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢 Two years now

[@michaelchilds4773]

Do you have any recent videos

[@felicianewman7854]

The schools are actually terrible. It’s the elephant in the room. I took my kids out and so did many others.

[@chappellroanmemes]

Places like ascension aren’t the best, rude teachers. Longfellow is okay but a lot of weird rules/

[@wward123]

maybe moving to Oak Park

[@LivingInChicago]

Let me know if you need any help or have any questions.

[@l.n.9462]

Don’t do it, it’s not worth it. My parents pay nearly $20,000 a year just in property taxes even though our house cost only $250,000. The ppl who grow up in Oak Park almost entirely want to leave and never come back. The middle school and elementary schools are nothing special, slightly above average. The high school completely mismanages their money. They are spending a quarter of a billion dollars just on a few year school renovation rn. The teachers get paid around $100,000 each. They have a budget of around 88 million a year, yet they make sports and clubs do fundraising. A family friend I talked liked Oak Park when they first moved 20 years ago, but now it has changed and the community is toxic. Oak Park is extremely political too.

[@gentlesoft2186]

Black people like me is there, is that okay?

[@5822huron]

​@GentleSoft2🌺 possibly. I'm from oak park

[@maxmcdermott-official9222]

Con- too many Karen’s 🤦‍♂️

[@trainliker100]

Oak Park was arguably the leader in the entire nation regarding integration in the 1960's. It was once all white except for a period when Percy Julian and his family lived there. it was once very politically conservative on average. Now, it is very liberal politically on average. Perhaps you should do a little more homework on the Village of Oak Park and its history with race relations and fair housing. In fact, my scoutmaster was the attorney who, along with a local minister, made a straw purchase of a house for a black family to get around redlining and draw attention to it. This attorney also later became village manager (sort of like a mayor) for a period. The latest census information has the percentage of blacks in Oak Park at 18.2%. A much higher percentage than the national average. Something you might think about.

[@marieclaire4935]

No max too.many Carl's.