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Internationally famous for its architectural heritage, the village of Oak Park was architect Frank Lloyd Wright's home for the first 20 years of his career. He built several local homes-including the one that he himself lived and worked in. Many other architects worked and learned with Wright in Oak Park. The works of these Prairie School architects are sprinkled throughout the city. Oak Park celebrates this and other parts of its heritage. The city boasts three nationally recognized historic districts: the Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie School of Architecture Historic District, the Ridgeland/Oak Park Historic District and the Gunderson Historic District. These neighborhoods contain one-third of the village's housing. Oak Park borders the west side of Chicago and features easy train access to Chicago via the city's elevated train system.
A discussion of Oak Park must begin with an in-depth look at its famed housing. Almost 66 percent of the village's housing is classified as historic (built before 1939). Another 24 percent of the housing was built between 1940 and 1969. The large quantity of pre-World War II housing makes Oak Park one of the more historic villages in the country. The city's more expensive neighborhoods tend to be on the north and far north side. The area bordered by North Avenue and Oak Park Avenue, for example, features mostly owner-occupied, single-family, pricey historic homes. Oak Park's Village Center neighborhood is comprised of mostly larger historic apartment buildings and is populated mostly by renters. This downtown area is active, with several restaurants and shops. The downtown hosts several special events throughout the year. Oak Park has a sizeable renter population, with almost 43 percent of the population renting. Most sections of the village are a mixture of renters and owners; however, the western and eastern edges of the city tend to be populated mostly by renters.
The Ridgeland/Oak Park Historic District spans the central part of the city in the area roughly bounded by Austin Boulevard and Harlem, Ridgeland and Chicago avenues, and the district features mainly late-Victorian houses. The Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie School of Architecture Historic District is on the near-north side of the city. The properties in the district allow a glimpse of a cross-section of Wright's work spanning several decades. Wright-or followers of his Prairie style-designed more than 80 buildings in the district. The area also includes examples of 1860s Italianate and 1920s Medieval and Classical Revival architecture. The Gunderson Historic District is actually made up of two small areas of single-family homes and two-flat apartments. The main part of the district lies in the near-south part of central Oak Park. Seward Gunderson was a Norwegian builder who bought and subdivided several areas in Oak Park between 1905 and 1920. Gunderson homes feature large front porches, built-in cabinetry, fine woodwork and built-in glasswork.
The majority of Oak Park's population works in the education or healthcare industries, with the next highest percentage working in a management or administrative position. Maxim Healthcare Services, a nationally recognized provider of healthcare services, has five offices in Oak Park. Other major employers include the Oak Park Hospital and West Suburban Medical Center, as well as the Oak Park School District.
Several art galleries, theater companies and performing-arts groups call Oak Park home. A stroll through just about any part of the village will take one past several arts-centered organizations.
Oak Park Conservatory: This conservatory and botanical garden features a 1929, Edwardian-style glass structure and thousands of square feet of growing areas. Some of the plants date back to the conservatory's start in 1914.
Pleasant Home: This opulent mansion was designed by famed Prairie School architect George W. Maher. The house features an Arts & Crafts interior with art glass and carved wood.
Unity Temple: A Unitarian Universalist church designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and finished in 1908, this structure is considered to be one of Wright's most important works. Architectural Record lists it among the country's 100 most significant buildings of the past 100 years.
By design, Oak Park is racially unlike most Chicagoland suburbs. The village employs a Diversity Assurance Program within its housing programs to ensure that the population remains diverse and integrated. Oak Park currently is about 69-percent white, 22-percent African American and 4-percent Asian. Latinos (of any race) make up about 5 percent of the population. Oak Park also has a reputation as an arts-oriented community. Numbers bear this out: The village has more artists, designers and people working in the media than 90 percent of the United States. The village's Arts District on Harrison, which is bounded by Austin Avenue to the east and Ridgeland Avenue to the west, is in the midst of a period of revitalization. Oak Park is popular with families, with almost 30 percent of the population having children under 18 living with them. The median family income is about $82,000. The village's parks district is extremely active and offers more than 3,000 programs and special events each year. Many of these are geared specifically toward children.
A Day in Our Village: More than 100 city organizations set up activity and information booths at this yearly festival designed to help current and prospective residents learn about local opportunities.
Oaktoberfest: Downtown Oak Park hosts an end-of-summer celebration each year. The fest features live music, fall foods and a children's area.
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