As the closest suburb to Chicago, Oak Park is an enviable and much sought after community area in which to live. Situated alongside the shores of Lake Michigan, Oak Park offers the ideal residential area which is distant yet closely connected to the main city and hub of Chicago.
Gradually developing since 1837 when Joseph Kettlestrings bought 172 acres of land west of Chicago, the area was formerly established as the Village of Oak Park in 1902 following a referendum allowing for its disengagement from the suburb of Cicero to which it formerly belonged.
With its close proximity to renowned medical centers, and the University of Illinois as well as the short distance to commercial Chicago, the locality is in high demand by university students and professors, lawyers, doctors and healthcare professionals.
The area also attracts many architecture enthusiasts who gather to study Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings which are found in relatively high concentration within the Park. In fact Oak Park boasts of the biggest collection of residential properties designed by Wright, in the world. Other attractions also include world renowned poet, writer and Pulitzer prize winner Ernest Hemingway’s birthplace and home, the Ernest Hemingway Museum.
The public high school situated within Oak Park is also of great stature having turned out many a graduate who have gone on to make a name for themselves. These include Ernest Hemingway, Ray Croc – founder of Mc Donalds, Kathy Griffin – comedian, and many more.
The suburb has always placed great emphasis on equal housing and cultural diversity as well as ethnic balance. To this end there is no limitation on housing areas for specific ethnicities. The locality also houses many theatres, as well as arts and crafts centres and is home to many varying types of artistes.
If a traveler wishes to visit Oak Park for the many facilities and architecture it offers then consider a Chicago hotel downtown which through the high speed transportation methods makes for an easy commute to Oak Park. A Chicago five star hotel that is sure to meet every demanding expectation a traveler may have is The Peninsula Chicago.
