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105-526: The Green Line utilizes the system's oldest segments, dating back to 1892. It extends for 20.695 miles (33.305 km), with 31 stations between Oak Park / Forest Park (Harlem/Lake) and Chicago's West Side , to the Loop , and then to the South Side neighborhoods of West Englewood (Ashland/63rd) and Woodlawn (Cottage Grove/63rd). As of 2022, 22,748 passengers board this line each weekday. Beginning at

210-548: A Unitarian-Universalist church, which was built between 1905 and 1908. Several well-known architects and artists worked in Wright's Oak Park Studio, including Richard Bock , William Eugene Drummond , Marion Mahony Griffin , and Walter Burley Griffin . Many buildings in Oak Park were built by other Prairie School architects, such as George W. Maher , John Van Bergen , and E.E. Roberts . Oak Park's housing stock reflects

315-505: A fair housing ordinance in 1968 (in the same year as the federal Fair Housing Act ) to ensure equal access to housing in the community. In 1972, the Oak Park Housing Center was founded by Roberta "Bobbie" Raymond to promote integration in the community, by ensuring equal access and discouraging white flight. Part of this effort included banning "for sale" signs on houses. Although this law became unconstitutional with

420-574: A Green Line train derailed near the 47th station, injuring seven people. During the 2010s, the Green Line has undergone significant expansion in an attempt to attract more transit riders and improve upon its service connectivity on the West Side, Loop, and South Side communities. The Morgan/Lake station opened in May 2012 in response to the growing Fulton Market and West Loop areas. It was followed by

525-576: A derailment was reported near 63rd and Calumet in Chicago's Washington Park neighborhood. The train derailed around 2:40 p.m., the third of the four-car train was the one to derail. No one was injured, firefighters had to help over 80 passengers off the train; two of which were in wheelchairs. Service was suspended between the Cottage Grove and Garfield stops. Service was back to normal in the affected stops around 7:15 p.m. On June 6, 2019,

630-466: A female householder with no husband present, and 41.14% were non-families. 35.33% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.35% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.14 and the average family size was 2.38. The village's age distribution consisted of 23.8% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 27% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

735-497: A green roof and synthetic-turfed playing fields are at Ridgeland Common at the corner of Lake Street and Ridgeland Avenue, originally built in 1962. It was completely renovated from March 2013 to June 14, 2014. Founded as a public library in 1903, after electing its first board of trustees, the Oak Park Public Library has a rich and celebrated history. The library has a main campus overlooking Scoville Park at

840-554: A large part of the south side was little more than prairie, but by May 1, 1893, when the pioneer "L" line was completed to Jackson Park, construction of homes, apartment buildings and commercial properties was booming in the area. Continued expansion of the area development was reflected in construction of the Englewood , Normal Park , Kenwood and Stock Yards branches of the South Side "L" between 1905 and 1908. Of these, only

945-531: A major east–west thoroughfare. The "L" bridges a couple of railroad tracks (the Belt Railway of Chicago 's main line and Union Pacific's Rockwell Subdivision) before entering downtown Chicago at Clinton Street. East of Clinton Street, the route bridges Metra 's Union Pacific railroad tracks (which terminate just south of here at Ogilvie Transportation Center ) and the Chicago River before joining

1050-552: A minimum headway of 12 minutes, decreasing to as few as 10 minutes during weekday rush hours. Headways are doubled on the branches to Ashland/63rd and Cottage Grove. The Green Line is operated with the Bombardier -built 5000-series railcars. The 5000-series cars officially began running on the Green Line on July 1, 2012, after the Pink Line became fully equipped with the new cars. As additional 5000-series cars were assigned to

1155-464: A more substantial home a bit east on their quarter section of land. More farmers and settlers had entered the area. Their land was called by several names locally, including Oak Ridge, Harlem, and Kettlestrings Grove. When the first post office was set up, it could not use the name Oak Ridge, as another post office was using that name in Illinois, so the post office chose Oak Park, and that name became

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1260-602: A new "Garfield Gateway" station in the Washington Park neighborhood on the South Side. A station on the Lake Street "L" at Damen/Lake opened on August 5, 2024, replacing a former station at that site from 1893 to 1948. Designed by world-renowned architectural firm Perkins&Will , who also designed the Cumberland station on the O'Hare Extension in 1980, the new $ 60 million Damen station filled what

1365-579: A village manager to conduct the day-to-day affairs of the administration. Oak Park also has five additional governments which levy real estate taxes . These include the Oak Park Township , the high school district (which also levies from adjacent River Forest), the elementary school district, the library district, and the park district. The United States Postal Service operates the main Oak Park Post Office at 901 Lake Street and

1470-545: Is a comprehensive college preparatory school, with a long list of alumni who have made major or notable contributions to their fields of endeavor. Among these are Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway , writer and author Michael Gerber , the founder and editor-in-chief of Rookie magazine Tavi Gevinson , football Hall-of-Famer George Trafton , McDonald's founder Ray Kroc , city planner Walter Burley Griffin , comedian Kathy Griffin , basketball player Iman Shumpert , mathematician and computer scientist Thomas E. Kurtz , and

1575-1006: Is also home to WEUR , broadcasting from the former Oak Park Arms Hotel at 1490 AM since 1950. Formerly WPNA and run by the Polish National Alliance , the station's programming serves the diverse linguistic and cultural communities in the Chicago metropolitan area (in the late-1960s, WPNA had the only "underground" disc jockey in Chicago, Scorpio). The Oak Park Art League (OPAL), a nonprofit visual arts center founded after World War I (renamed in 1970), provides classes, workshops, lectures, demonstrations, and exhibitions. Since 1921, OPAL has been providing opportunities for arts engagement and cultural enrichment. Over 4,500 artists participate in OPAL's events each year. Oak Park has been home to numerous festivals and holiday observances. The July 4 celebration featuring fireworks draws thousands to

1680-665: Is also provided by the CTA and Pace . The Eisenhower Expressway is the primary expressway between Chicago and Oak Park. The highway also provides connections to O'Hare International Airport . Major east–west streets in Oak Park continue east into Chicago. The streets are laid out in a grid pattern, occasionally with local streets ending in a cul-de-sac to maintain local character. Oak Park has its own street-numbering system that begins, for east–west streets, at Austin Boulevard (no east or west designation), and for north–south streets, at

1785-582: Is marked by one plaque on Lake Street at Forest Avenue and another in the northwest corner of Taylor Park. According to the 2010 census, Oak Park has a total area of 4.7 sq mi (12.17 km ), all land. Oak Park is accessible from Chicago by service on the Green Line and the Blue Line at five CTA stations in Oak Park. Oak Park also has a station for Metra 's Union Pacific West Line . Bus transit service within Oak Park and to other suburbs

1890-664: Is one of seven secondary educational institutions in Illinois with the ability to induct students into the Cum Laude Society . The Park District of Oak Park was first organized in 1912 as the Recreation Department of the Village of Oak Park. Under the direction of Josephine Blackstock and her successor, Lilly Ruth Hanson, it embarked on a vigorous program of recreation for villagers. The playgrounds were named by Blackstock after famous children's writers. In

1995-726: Is partly due to initiatives of the Chicago Land Clearance Commission, who acted under the 1955 Amendment to the Blighted Areas Redevelopment Act, which allowed redevelopment authorities that acquired land by condemnation or otherwise to redevelop such lands for non-residential uses. A good example of the Land Clearing commission activities is the Lake Meadows Park to the north of Washington Park. The failure of

2100-501: Is the 26th-most populous municipality in Illinois, with a population of 54,318 as of the 2020 census. Oak Park was first settled in 1835 and later incorporated in 1902, when it separated from Cicero . It is closely tied to the smaller town of River Forest sharing a chamber of commerce and a high school, Oak Park and River Forest High School. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his wife settled in Oak Park in 1889, and his work heavily influenced local architecture and design, including

2205-721: The Dominicans , affiliated with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago . Both high schools have a long history of high academic standards. Oak Park and River Forest High School bestows the Tradition of Excellence Award to distinguished alumni, including Ernest Hemingway , Ray Kroc , Dan Castellaneta , football Hall-of-Famer George Trafton , actress Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio , astronomer Chad Trujillo , geochemist Wally Broecker , and environmental leader Phil Radford . Oak Park and River Forest High School

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2310-733: The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio . Over the years, rapid development was spurred by railroads and streetcars connecting the village to jobs in nearby Chicago. In 1968, Oak Park passed the Open Housing Ordinance, which helped devise strategies to integrate the village rather than re-segregate. Today, Oak Park remains ethnically diverse , and is known for its socially liberal politics, with 80% or higher voter turnout in every presidential election since 2000. Oak Park has several public transportation links to Chicago with Chicago Transit Authority access via

2415-508: The Green Line and Blue Line "L" train lines, as well as the Metra Union Pacific West Line Oak Park station downtown. In 1835, Joseph and Betty Kettlestrings, immigrants from Yorkshire , England , staked out a farm and built a house near Lake Street and Harlem Avenue, west of Chicago. Once their children were born, they moved to Chicago for the schools in 1843, and moved back again in 1855 to build

2520-667: The North–South Route in various service configurations operating from the north side through the Loop and to the south side. On October 17, 1943, the Englewood and Jackson Park services were rerouted into the State Street subway to provide improved crosstown access through the heart of city and to alleviate congestion on the over-crowded Union Loop Elevated. On July 31, 1949, during the north–south rapid transit service revision by

2625-568: The South Shore community area. In 1906 they formed the South Shore Country Club , which excluded Black people and Jews from membership. The area rapidly changed from European American to African-American in the 1920s. By 1930, the population was only 7.8% white. By 1960, the population was 0.5% white. From 1950 to 2000 the total population of the neighborhood declined from 57,000 to 14,146. This population decline

2730-575: The University of Chicago created the community area system of city subdivision with the current names that continue to be used today. The community areas although not formally adopted by the United States Census Bureau are largely consistent with census tract boundaries. The Washington Park community area and its census tracts have been unchanged. A turn-of-the-20th-century housing construction boom along with increases in

2835-627: The poverty line , including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over. In the 1960s, Oak Parkers began a concerted effort to avoid the destructive racial housing practices occurring in nearby communities. Racial steering and block-by-block panic peddling caused rapid racial change on Chicago's west side, including the Austin Community Area adjacent to Oak Park. Whites left west-side neighborhoods based on concerns of property value losses and crime increases, and some businesses left, as well. The Village of Oak Park passed

2940-456: The "Loop") as well as the village's connections to international figures in the visual, literary, and performing arts such as Ernest Hemingway , Frank Lloyd Wright , Betty White , and Tymoteusz Karpowicz . This tradition continues into the present, as Oak Park is home to numerous theater, music, dance, and fine-arts professionals. The arts district on Harrison Street, bounded by Austin Avenue to

3045-628: The 1970s and continues, with many buildings marked as historically significant, and so far, three historic districts defined. Other attractions include Ernest Hemingway 's birthplace home and his boyhood home, the Ernest Hemingway Museum, the three Oak Park homes of writer and Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs , Wright's Unity Temple , Pleasant Home , and the Oak Park-River Forest Historical Society. Oak Park and River Forest High School

3150-415: The 2012 presidential election, Oak Park had the highest voter turnout in suburban Cook County; 79.8% of registered voters cast a ballot. Municipal elections for the board of trustees and village clerk generally have much lower voter turnout, averaging around 20% and are held in spring, consistent with state law. The municipal elections are considered nonpartisan, as the national political parties do not put up

3255-765: The 372 acre (1.5 km ) park of the same name, stretching east-west from Cottage Grove Avenue to the Dan Ryan Expressway , and north-south from 51st Street to 63rd. It is home to the DuSable Museum of African American History . The park was the proposed site of the Olympic Stadium and the Olympic Aquatics Center in Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics . It and surrounding neighborhoods have gone through notable and often turbulent racial transitions. In

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3360-695: The African American population of the midwest during the Great Migration resulted in the movement of lower-income and predominantly African American Chicagoans southward. Soon, the European-American inhabitants mostly left the area, in a phenomenon often termed "white flight". The transition was rapid and marked with conflicts such as the Race Riot of 1919 . Some white Protestants left to form an exclusive residential community in

3465-603: The Ashland terminal in West Englewood . The yard and inspection shop lie to the south between the old Racine station and the Ashland/63rd terminal. The "L" tracks continues west to a stub end at Hermitage Avenue, a prediction for a future extension of the route westward, however, those plans were canceled in the late 1970s. Prior to 1992, the Englewood branch had two additional stops at Wentworth and Harvard, closed by

3570-452: The CTA for service cuts. Halsted/63rd is the only remaining stop on the 3.1 miles (5.0 km) route. The Englewood branch was permanently renamed the Ashland branch as of March 2013 according to the CTA. The East 63rd branch continues south from the mainline between Calumet and Prairie Avenues, passing the old yard and inspection facilities at 61st Street in Washington Park . South of here,

3675-636: The CTA, the Howard–Englewood/Jackson Park route was created, operating via the State Street subway, using the 13th Street portal. On May 6, 1969, the Englewood branch was extended to the current Ashland Avenue-West Englewood Terminal, replacing the outmoded facilities at the 1907-built Loomis station which were demolished. On December 12, 1982, the Jackson Park branch was shortened to University because of structural deterioration at

3780-561: The Chicago Metropolitan area. The construction of the Eisenhower Expressway cut through the southern portion of the Village in the mid 1950s. Starting in the 1960s and 1970s, Oak Park has made a conscious effort to accommodate changing demographics and social pressures while maintaining the suburban character that has long made the Village a desirable residential location. Beginning in the 1960s, Oak Park faced

3885-589: The Dorchester Bridge which carried the route across the Illinois Central Railroad to the former Stony Island/63rd terminal which closed on March 4, 1982, and was later demolished. The Lake Street "L" would remain largely unchanged until 1948, when a number of its historic passenger stations were closed and demolished in an attempt to promote the "A" and "B" skip-stop express train service to speed up traffic flow. On October 28, 1962,

3990-702: The Englewood and Jackson Park branches remain: because of insufficient patronage, the Normal Park, Stock Yards and Kenwood branches were closed in the 1950s. The Lake Street Elevated was Chicago's second rapid transit line. It began operation from a terminal at Madison and Market streets to Lake Street and California Avenue on November 6, 1893. The line was gradually extended westward to Laramie Avenue on April 29, 1894; to Austin Avenue on April 15, 1899; to Wisconsin Avenue, Oak Park using street railway trackage on May 15, 1899 (closed in 1902), and to Marengo Avenue, Forest Park , on May 14, 1910. The construction of

4095-609: The Englewood branch; King Drive and Cottage Grove on the Jackson Park Branch). While no official plans have been developed to build future stations on the Green Line South, the possibility of a new Stony Island/63rd terminal station to serve Hyde Park , South Shore , the Museum of Science and Industry , and the proposed Barack Obama Presidential Center would be very advantageous. A major benefit would be

4200-738: The Green Line, like the Purple Line and the Douglas branch of the Blue Line (now the Pink Line ) lost its 24-hour service due to budget cuts, and operates only between the hours of 4 a.m. and 1 a.m weekdays. On February 4, 1977, an accident occurred on the sharp left-hand curve at Wabash/Lake. Two trains were involved, one was the Ravenswood Line with the second being the Lake-Dan Ryan Line. The Ravenswood train

4305-513: The Green Line, the remaining 2400-series cars were reassigned to the Red , Purple and Orange Lines to finish their service lives. Occasionally, 2600-series and 3200-series railcars were used on the Green Line, though these were loaned from the Blue, Brown, and Orange Lines, and only when the Green Line was short on cars. With the 5000-series cars now completely equipping the Green Line fleet after

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4410-635: The Jackson Park branch was shortened again from University to Cottage Grove after previous attempts by the city, CTA, and other agencies to extend the route eastward to Dorchester, immediately west of the Illinois Central Railroad . This had seemed logical to the Dorchester Terminal, due to the fact that the Metra Electric District and South Shore Line both share a station along the IC ROW , at 63rd Street . In April 1998,

4515-479: The Lake Street Elevated led to a political quarrel in west suburban Cicero , which at the time included Oak Park and Austin . In 1898, Austinites, having a majority on Cicero's town council, used political influence to allow the extension of the Lake Street line from the city border at Laramie Avenue (then called 52nd Avenue) into their community. This infuriated other Cicero residents, who retaliated

4620-477: The Loop at Tower 12, the tracks continue along Wabash Avenue and follows an "S" curve (which was realigned in 2002) to the west and south now following the alley between Wabash Avenue and State Street to 40th Street. This 3.8 mile section is the oldest part of Chicago's "L" system. On this segment, the Green Line shares tracks with the Orange Line between the Loop and 17th Street. Passengers can transfer between

4725-548: The Loop. The Green Line is the only line in the "L" system that has two entry/exit points to the elevated Loop, the only "L" line that runs in both directions on the Loop, and the only route that uses the Loop but does not terminate there. Its route uses the Wabash and Lake sides of the Loop, which are also used by the Orange, Pink, Purple and Brown Lines, which operate around the Loop and then return to their route terminal. Leaving

4830-697: The Oak Park Police Department employing roughly 118 officers, with 23 sworn officers per 10,000 residents. In 2019, Oak Park's reported violent crime rate per 100,000 residents was 298, 28% lower than that of Illinois as a whole. The reported property crime rate, at 3,047, was 50% higher. In 2020 the village experienced a ten percent increase in reported crimes, including more thefts, robberies, and aggravated assaults/batteries, but fewer burglaries, compared to 2019. Oak Park has an active arts community, resulting in part from its favorable location adjacent to Chicago (7 miles (11 km) west of

4935-486: The Oak Park South Post Office at 1116 Garfield Street. Oak Park's village board, village president, and other elected officials are elected through a two-stage election process. A primary election is used to nominate party candidates, and a general election is used to elect government officials. Oak Park's election turnout varies greatly depending on whether it is a municipal or national election. In

5040-669: The Oak Park-River Forest High School football stadium. A Day in Our Village, held in June, allows local groups to set up tables to seek members. Born an Abomination, an act in the depressive metal genre, originated from Oak Park. It disbanded in 2018. Their album Fires in the Night Hour... from the year 2016 includes a song titled 'Oak Park' in dedication to the band's home. Frank Lloyd Wright spent

5145-549: The Union Loop "L" tracks at Wells Street. In downtown Chicago , the Green Line operates over the famous Union Loop "L" structure along with Brown Line (Ravenswood), Orange Line (Midway), Pink Line (Douglas) and Purple Line Express (weekday rush hours only) trains. Green Line trains operate both ways over the Lake Street and Wabash Avenue sides only, and do not use the Wells Street and Van Buren Street sides of

5250-413: The Union Loop "L" to 95th/Dan Ryan . The Lake–Dan Ryan routing was to fulfill the service implementation outlined in the 1968 Chicago Central Area Transit Plan . However, when that subway project was canceled in 1979, Lake–Dan Ryan service remained and lasted for 24 years. In February 1993, the South Side sections of the North–South and West–South Routes were "switched" south of Roosevelt Road , creating

5355-440: The Unity Temple, his own church, in the village, before he left in 1911 to settle in Wisconsin. Oak Park attracts architecture buffs and others to view the many Wright-designed homes found in the village, alongside homes reflecting other architectural styles. The largest collection of Wright-designed residential properties in the world is in Oak Park. A distinct focus on historic preservation of important architectural styles began in

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5460-430: The area boomed during the 1870s, with Chicago residents resettling in Cicero following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the expansion of railroads and streetcars to the area. "In 1872, when Oak Park received its own railroad depot on the Chicago and Northwestern Railway, its rapid emergence as a residential suburb of Chicago began. In 1877, the railroad was running thirty-nine trains daily between Oak Park and Chicago; in

5565-531: The candidates. Candidates step forward, or are found by a citizens group that works to find people to have new candidates for each election cycle, encourage participation in local issues. The public primary schools (Lincoln, Mann, Longfellow, Beye, Irving, Holmes, Whittier, and Hatch) and the middle schools , Percy Julian Middle School (formerly Nathaniel Hawthorne ) and Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School (formerly Ralph Waldo Emerson ) are operated by Oak Park Elementary School District 97 . These ten schools serve

5670-486: The city of Chicago, came to Oak Park in 2016. Oak Park's Village Board cancelled the Divvy program in 2017, after the program was determined not to be cost-effective. As of the 2020 census there were 54,583 people, 21,701 households, and 12,774 families residing in the village. The population density was 11,613.40 inhabitants per square mile (4,483.96/km ). There were 25,953 housing units at an average density of 5,521.91 per square mile (2,132.02/km ). The racial makeup of

5775-408: The city's history. The Green Line reopened on May 12, 1996, with much of the renewal work completed and with the exception of a few stations. Six stations (Homan, Halsted, 58th, 61st, University, and Racine) were closed permanently following the rehabilitation project, which angered many commuters who depend on the Green Line. In September 1997, after political pressure brought on by community leaders,

5880-490: The construction of almost all of the housing stock in Oak Park, and most of the village's current buildings." The village population grew quickly, and "by 1930, the village had a population of 64,000, even larger than the current population," while cherishing a reputation as the "World's Largest Village". Chicago grew rapidly in the 19th century, recording 4,470 residents in the 1840 census , reaching 1,099,850 in 1890, and 1,698,575 in 1900. Chicago surpassed Philadelphia to be

5985-427: The corner of Oak Park Avenue and Lake Street, and two branches, the Dole Branch Library (at Dole Community Center) and the Maze Branch Library. As a member of the SWAN library consortium, the Oak Park Public Library offers its cardholders access to nearly 8 million items. Providing fire protection and emergency medical services, the Oak Park Fire Department currently operates from three fire stations, located throughout

6090-434: The current Red Line (Howard–Dan Ryan) and the Green Line (Lake–Englewood/Jackson Park). After the reconfiguration, both the Red and Green Lines lost their "A" and "B" skip-stop service and began serving all stations at all times. As stated earlier, the Green Line's routing united the two oldest segments of Chicago's "L"-Subway rail network. In January 1994, the Green Line closed for the largest transit rehabilitation project in

6195-420: The date of the report. Oak Park is the home of two high schools: Oak Park and River Forest High School , the sole school in educational District 200, which also serves the entire city, and Fenwick High School . Oak Park and River Forest High School is a public school with its district including both Oak Park and neighboring River Forest , and Fenwick High School is a Catholic college preparatory school run by

6300-477: The decades of its rapid growth while it was part of the town of Cicero , and since 1902, when it became a village. Historic preservation has been a priority since an ordinance passed in 1972 and since revised. There are 2,400 historic sites in Oak Park, the majority of which are homes built in the Queen Anne, Prairie School and Craftsman styles of architecture. The Village of Oak Park displays these online on an interactive website. Three historic districts recognize

6405-492: The decision in Linmark Associates, Inc. v. Township of Willingboro , use of the signs is still strongly discouraged by local realtors. An evaluation of the policy in Oak Park to promote integration, written in the early years of the 21st century, noted the gradual increase in the share of village population that is Black, at 22% in 2000, and further observed: As late as 2000, there were no resegregated census tracts, with tracts ranging from 7% black to 36% black   ... this

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6510-490: The drunken Jan Erlone and Mary Dalton around Washington Park, as the two embrace. In addition to hosting the DuSable Museum, the park hosts Fountain of Time , the world's earliest concrete finished art work. Additionally, the aforementioned adjacent Washington Park Subdivision has been the subject of notable literature. The conditions of this neighborhood are described in a section of Black Metropolis by St. Clair Drake and Horace Roscoe Cayton . The play Raisin in

6615-511: The east and Ridgeland Avenue to the west, features boutique galleries, shops, and restaurants. Oak Park is home to several professional dance and theatre companies, including Circle Theatre , Oak Park Festival Theatre , Laurel Theater , and Momenta resident dance company of The Academy of Movement and Music . Oak Park, with neighboring River Forest, also plays host to the Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2009. See also: Bellissima Opera Oak Park

6720-412: The elevated train tracks located just south of Lake Street, which divides the numbers, getting larger going north or south from there, and requiring north or south designation on addresses. The border streets do not follow the Oak Park numbering system; rather, they match the address system with the cities sharing those border streets. For example, addresses on Austin Boulevard match the Chicago system, with

6825-544: The entire city limits. There are also multiple private schools. Performance ratings for schools in Oak Park (as evaluated by standardized statewide tests) are released periodically, known as the school report cards. The renaming of the junior high schools, now middle schools, after prominent African-Americans rather than famous American literary figures was done in part to motivate minority students in their educational pursuits. A gap in school performance, referred to as "this intolerable and persistent inequity," remains, as of

6930-399: The evolution of industry and commerce in the community, the above-mentioned white flight and land redevelopment for non-residential use combined lead to population decline. Religion and worship are cornerstones of the South Side communities. The nearby hub of Bronzeville at 47th and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive (known as King Drive and formerly Grand Boulevard) was a cultural hub of

7035-407: The first 20 years of his 70-year career in Oak Park, building numerous homes in the community, including his own and the Walter Gale House . He lived and worked in the area between 1889 and 1909. One can find Wright's earliest work here, such as the Winslow House in neighboring River Forest, Illinois . Also, examples of the first prairie-style houses are in Oak Park. He also designed Unity Temple ,

7140-439: The following year by holding a joint election to force Austin's annexation to the City of Chicago. Much to the dismay of local residents, this effort succeeded, and Austin became part of Chicago in 1899. A century later, Oak Park commuters, who had come to depend on the service, were among the most vocal critics of the Green Line's closure for rehabilitation. From 1913 until 1993, the Englewood and Jackson Park branches were part of

7245-435: The future village of Oak Park, this system ran east-west on Madison Street and Lake Street, with a north-south connection on Harlem Avenue. Streetcar service was discontinued in 1947, to be replaced by buses. The Lake Street Elevated Railroad (today’s CTA Green Line) was extended into Oak Park in 1899–1901, although the trains ran at ground level until the 1960s. The Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad (today's CTA Blue Line)

7350-404: The importance of railroads and streetcars in the development of Oak Park: As suburban residential development continued in the 1880s and 1890s, streetcars and elevated trains supplemented the original main line steam railroads to connect Oak Park commuters to jobs in downtown Chicago. One of the first streetcar lines was the Chicago, Harlem, & Batavia "dummy" line, which ran approximately along

7455-409: The issue of racial integration with effective programs to maintain the character and stability of the Village, while encouraging integration on racial basis. This included passage of The Open Housing Ordinance in 1968 which has helped maintain the ethnically diverse population seen in the village still today. Oak Park has a history of alcohol prohibition . When the village was incorporated, no alcohol

7560-486: The last of the 2400-series cars were reassigned in mid-May 2013, the borrowing of 2600-series cars and 3200-series cars is no longer necessary. The Green Line was the second line to be fully equipped with the 5000-series cars, following the Pink Line . Frequently, the Green and Pink Lines borrow each other's cars when either line is short on cars. Trains operate using six cars full time as of 2020. The Green Line operates over

7665-663: The late 1980s, the Recreation Department was dissolved, and the Park District of Oak Park was created as a separate tax-levying body. It comprises thirteen parks scattered throughout the village, for a total of 80 acres (320,000 m ) of parkland, a historic house available for functions with payment of fees, the Oak Park Conservatory , and two outdoor pools. The Park District also provides dog exercise areas where dog owners may bring their pets with payment of fees. A second outdoor pool, an official-sized ice rink,

7770-406: The mid-to-late 19th century, a large number of Irish and German railroad workers and meatpackers made Washington Park home. There was a sprinkling of African American residents in the working-class district south of Garfield Boulevard/55th Street. Affluent American-born European Americans settled the wide north-south avenues that provided a direct route into the Loop 7 miles (11 km) to

7875-468: The name for the settlement as it grew, and for the town when it incorporated in 1902. By 1850, the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad (after that, the Chicago & Northwestern and now Union Pacific ) was constructed as far as Elgin, Illinois , and passed through the settlement area. In the 1850s the land on which Oak Park sits was part of the new Chicago suburb, the town of Cicero . The population of

7980-575: The neighborhood that fostered a cultural identity. In keeping with the racial transformation, the cultural and religious institutions, including those of Irish Catholics , Greek Orthodoxy and the Jewish faith, converted to African American institutions. The neighborhood once contained many public housing complexes including about a third of the nation's largest, the Robert Taylor Homes . The Taylor homes have been demolished because of

8085-469: The north. Cable cars , the Chicago 'L' and wide boulevards contributed to late 19th century prosperity. The wide avenues, especially Grand Boulevard (now named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Drive), provided popular locations for mansions and grand apartments built by many wealthy Chicagoans. The park in this community area was named for President George Washington in 1880. In the 1920s,

8190-669: The opening of the new Cermak–McCormick Place station in February 2015, serving the historic Motor Row District and McCormick Place Convention Center . Both stations were designed by Chicago-based Ross Barney Architects . The Garfield station's $ 43 million reconstruction project, completed in January 2019, restored its original 1892-built station house and improved the in-service station house. It included escalator and elevator enhancements and new platform canopies, lights, graphics, public artwork, and streetscape. The project created

8295-410: The other four cars on the track. Eleven deaths were reported with more than 180 injuries. On May 28, 2008, a derailment was reported, with approximately 24 injuries. Two train cars on the four-car train appeared to be derailed, with the leading car abutting the one behind it at an angle of approximately 150 degrees. The train cars were separated at a switching point near 59th Street. On August 5, 2015,

8400-559: The present day Lake Michigan just north of the city's Loop, the ancient Des Plaines river once emptied into glacial Lake Chicago, making prehistoric Oak Park a "Plains river Delta" system. One of North America's four continental divides runs through Oak Park. This divide, a slight rise running north–south through the village, separates the Saint Lawrence River watershed from the Mississippi River watershed, and

8505-399: The present-day route of the Eisenhower Expressway. The "dummy" trains used a miniature steam locomotive with a false cladding designed to conceal most of the moving parts and avoid startling horses. This line first began operation in 1881, but did not provide direct commuter service to downtown Chicago until June 1888. A more extensive streetcar network throughout Oak Park was opened in 1890. In

8610-577: The resurgence of passenger and traffic volumes on the Englewood and Jackson Park branches to those prior to 1982, with more modern, attractive, and convenient transit service on the South Side "L", thus supplementing, and not competing with the Dan Ryan branch of the Red Line . Oak Park, Illinois Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois , United States, adjacent to Chicago . It

8715-714: The route curves east over 63rd Street and follows it to the current terminal at Cottage Grove/63rd in Woodlawn . Prior to 1994, the Jackson Park branch of the Green Line once terminated at University/63rd and before that, at Stony Island/63rd from 1893 until 1982. In addition to losing the University/63rd station, the Jackson Park branch also lost the 61st Street station and the 58th Street station in 1994. The Green Line operates weekdays from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Between Harlem/Lake and Garfield, trains run on

8820-453: The route splits into two branches—the Englewood (Ashland/63rd) branch and the Jackson Park (East 63rd) branch. Prior to 1994 (and the Green Line's major renovation) the East 63rd branch extended as far east as Stony Island Avenue. It was shortened to University in 1982 and Cottage Grove in 1996. The Ashland branch continues south and west following 59th Street, Princeton Avenue and 63rd Street to

8925-402: The second-largest US city, and in that year, the fifth-largest in the world. Chicago's location on the shores of Lake Michigan was good for transport; after the fire of 1871, Chicago rebuilt its center. Oak Park grew along with its neighbor to the east, having location and railroad and streetcar connections in its favor. After World War II, "Oak Park was affected by larger developmental trends in

9030-621: The socioeconomic problems that they perpetuated. The area has minimal industry or commerce at the current time. The other property on the NRHP in the area is the Schulze Baking Company Plant . The DuSable Museum of African American History , founded in 1961, moved to Washington Park in 1973. It is a Washington Park landmark and one of the largest African American museums in the country. Several nearby regions and institutions use Washington Park in their name. Immediately to

9135-510: The south, Washington Park Subdivision exists where Washington Park Race Track once stood. One city block to the north, Washington Park Court District is a neighborhood that has become a Chicago Landmark . The Washington Park neighborhood has been the setting for works of popular literature. James T. Farrell 's Studs Lonigan trilogy is set in Washington Park. In Richard Wright 's novel Native Son , Bigger Thomas drives

9240-446: The subsequent year, more railroads and streetcar lines, with increased service, came to link Oak Park and Chicago. As Chicago grew from a regional center to a national metropolis Oak Park expanded – from 500 residents in 1872 to 1,812 in 1890, to 9,353 in 1900, to 20,911 in 1910, to 39,585 in 1920. Oak Park thus emerged as a leading Chicago suburb." A review of Oak Park's history by Wiss, Janny, Elstner Associates in 2006 further explains

9345-614: The trailhead of the Illinois Prairie Path is less than 1-mile (1.6 km) from Oak Park. With several cycle clubs and groups, Oak Park is considered a bicycle-friendly community, and the tree-lined streets of the community, as well as its proximity to trails in nearby communities, attract cyclists to Oak Park, easily accessed by the Green Line, Blue Line, or Metra. Bicycle lanes are marked on many streets throughout Oak Park, though no fully segregated cycle facilities have been put in place. Divvy bike sharing, which serves

9450-644: The two lines at Roosevelt/Wabash station . The other stations on this section are at Cermak–McCormick Place and 35th–Bronzeville–IIT , adjacent to the Illinois Institute of Technology campus and the Chicago Police Department Headquarters. At 40th Street, the route turns east to Indiana station, then turns south between Calumet and Prairie Avenues to the Garfield station and continues south to 59th Street where

9555-613: The two oldest sections of the Chicago "L" . The South Side section started operation in 1892 when Chicago was preparing for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Jackson Park. The initial section was built to provide inexpensive mass transportation service between downtown Chicago and the exposition site. This first section of the Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad between Wabash Avenue and State Street went into service on June 6, 1892. It extended from Congress Street only as far south as 39th Street (Pershing Road). At that time

9660-432: The variety of styles often standing next door to each other. The three districts are Frank Lloyd Wright , Ridgeland-Oak Park , and Seward Gunderson, outlined on a map from the village. A fourth district is under consideration as of 2015, of 176 homes built by Thomas Henry Hulbert. Washington Park (community area), Chicago Washington Park is a community area on the South Side of Chicago which includes

9765-406: The village was 60.18% White , 18.69% African American , 0.05% Native American , 5.39% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.52% from other races , and 5.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.31% of the population. There were 21,701 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.56% were married couples living together, 9.89% had

9870-408: The village, Fire Station #1 (headquarters), Fire Station #2 (north), and Fire Station #3 (south) under the command of a battalion chief per shift. The Oak Park Fire Department operates three ALS engines, one ALS truck, three ALS ambulances, one ALS paramedic squad, one command unit, and several specialized MABAS divisional apparatus. Fire station locations and apparatus The village is protected by

9975-628: The voice of cartoon character Homer Simpson , Dan Castellaneta . Oak Park is located immediately west of the city of Chicago . The boundary between the two municipalities is Austin Boulevard on the east side of Oak Park and North Avenue/ Illinois Route 64 on the village's north side. Oak Park borders Cicero along its southern border, Roosevelt Road / Illinois Route 38 , from Austin to Lombard; and Berwyn from Lombard to Harlem Avenue . Harlem/ Illinois Route 43 serves as its western border, where between Roosevelt and South Boulevard, it borders Forest Park and between North Boulevard and North Avenue to

10080-404: The west it borders River Forest . The entire village of Oak Park lies on the shore of ancient Lake Chicago , which covered most of the city of Chicago during the last Ice Age, and was the forerunner to today's Lake Michigan . Ridgeland Avenue in eastern Oak Park marks the shoreline of the lake, and was once an actual ridge. As with the geographical setup of the Chicago River , which connects to

10185-479: The western two and one-half mile section of the line which operated at street level was elevated along the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad right-of-way opening new elevated stops at Central , Austin , Ridgeland , Oak Park , and Harlem . In September 1969, the Lake Street "L" was united with the new Dan Ryan Line to form the West–South Route (Lake-Dan Ryan), operating from Forest Park through downtown via

10290-564: The yard and inspection facilities in Forest Park , the Green Line runs east through Oak Park towards the city on an embankment adjacent to Metra 's Union Pacific West Line tracks from the Harlem Avenue terminal, on the border of Oak Park and Forest Park, to a point just west of Laramie Avenue. Here, the Green Line tracks diverge from the railroad embankment and continue east on a steel elevated structure directly above Lake Street,

10395-573: The zero line at Madison Street, and along North Avenue, addresses match the Chicago system, with Austin Boulevard at 6000 W and Harlem at 7200 W. Additionally, Elizabeth Court, located within the Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District , maintains its original numbering. The houses on that cul-de-sac start at 1 and go up to 12. Augusta Boulevard through the village is part of the Grand Illinois Trail ;

10500-415: Was 40.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males. The median income for a household in the village was $ 96,945, and the median income for a family was $ 142,785. Males had a median income of $ 79,284 versus $ 54,639 for females. The per capita income for the village was $ 58,262. About 3.3% of families and 7.0% of the population were below

10605-571: Was a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) gap between the California and Ashland stations. Along the Green Line South, the former 58th station , which was located approximately 3/8 mile south of the Garfield station and one-block north of the Englewood and Jackson Park branches, had been bereft of a transfer facility between the diverging Green Line services since 1994. The branch lines themselves consists of only two stations ( Halsted and Ashland/63rd on

10710-476: Was allowed to be sold within its village limits. This law was relaxed in 1973, when restaurants and hotels were allowed to serve alcohol with meals, and was further loosened in 2002, when select grocery stores received governmental permission to sell packaged liquor. Today, alcohol, such as beer and wine, is easily accessible, with many bars and cocktail lounges around the village. In 1889, Frank Lloyd Wright and his wife settled in Oak Park . He built many homes and

10815-538: Was extended into Oak Park in 1905, providing local service over tracks originally placed by the Chicago Aurora & Elgin electric interurban train. The "Met" line moved onto new tracks along the Congress (Eisenhower) Expressway in 1958. The Village of Oak Park was formally established in 1902, disengaging from Cicero following a referendum . According to the local historical society, "The period 1892–1950 saw

10920-532: Was not because the pattern of rapid westward resegregation had run its course, because events in neighboring suburbs showed that segregation trends were still operating. Instead, the pattern in a sense leaped over Oak Park to other suburbs farther west, including Bellwood and Maywood , which resegregated in a relatively short time. Since 1951, Oak Park has been organized under the council-manager form of municipal government. The village government includes an elected president and an elected village board, which hires

11025-477: Was stopped waiting for the clearance to proceed. The motorman of the Lake-Dan Ryan train failed to see the signals warning him of a stopped train. What occurred was a rear-end collision, the initial collision was only minor. However the motorman continued to apply power forward; which led to three cars being pushed off the elevated tracks to the street below. The fourth car was dangling while still attached to

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