Oak Park, Il home of the “rolled-out-of-bed” style

I frequently notice that the people of Oak Park on a constant basis tend to dress or style themselves in the “rolled-out-of-bed” style. This fashion theme is characteristic of wrinkled worn clothes, a greasy, sweaty skin, dirty hair that is dry, or greasy always in need of a brush and a wash, just nasty.

These residents have the nerve to wear their clothes tight enhancing the fact, on a hot day they will sweat and smell, often looking almost second hand. When you get close they do smell, either like their dogs that they are so focused upon, or of a sweaty butt smell, of that burnt, been out in the sun all day smell.

Do not get close because they are most likely covered in pet hair of some sort, and its flying off them during a strong wind. I mean I sweat, during heavy athletic activity and smell like sweat afterwards but we are talking about people who start the day as such. As if they turned their heat on in their home to 90 degrees, closed the windows on a hot summers day got totally dressed up (with shoes) and got into bed pulling up their covers and falling asleep for eight hours that way.

And when they wake up, surprise they are in your face dog hair in the air floating, stinking and close talking in your face with their presence. I am not sure if they care, or smell themselves, I think they are oblivious to the fact.

I make sure I shower (and use soap), use deodorant and smell myself before I leave the house. I just wonder that in all the different areas that I have lived in, that the people of Oak Park have this problem with hygiene? Little stinky hippies.

Oak Park, IL why no visible LGBT support?

Maybe I was spoiled by living in Lakeview after a couple of years but I noticed how “boys town” was very diverse.

On the contrary, moving to Oak Park, IL I have realized how insular it really is from the outside world in comparison (to such places as Lakeview).

Even though it borders the rough and tumble West side of Chicago the thought process about or image of Oak Park, IL is that of a liberal suburb that is artsy and  open to new worldly attitudes and ways of life.

However, I notice that as the Pride parade is heavily touted as a major event for Chicago, and its LGBT community, many communities, and businesses are showing support and being very vocal and visual with that support. Usually in the form of the rainbow in their windows or rainbow flags showing that they are open supporters of the LGBT community. Sadly, this is not happening in Oak Park; it is not that liberal I guess.

On the West side of Chicago, most individuals understand that they might meet some type of resistance against openly supporting gay rights. In a way, it is almost expected that there is no LGBT acceptance (on the West side of Chicago), but you would not think that so in suburb like Oak Park.

Why is this support absent? Are there no members of the LGBT community in Oak Park, IL? Why aren’t there at least physical symbols like a rainbow signage placed in the bottom of a storefront’s window?

Is Oak Park, IL not as “open” as they portray themselves to be? Are these not issues that Oak Park, IL does not want to deal with or discuss? Does Oak Park believe that showing support goes against the village’s beliefs as a whole? Or does it mean that it puts Oak Park, IL in a spotlight that it does not want or cannot afford at this time (if ever)?

Eh, just wondering why a suburb with such an open and warm inviting image does not include an invitation or support of the LGBT community openly?

Oak Park, IL misservices

It’s funny that I recently (in May) received a pamphlet, nice card-stock type of paper, with great graphics, great layout to the pamphlet, tons of information regarding the information about the services offered in Oak Park, IL. Now, what is the problem with such a thing, it is great that Oak Park is sending out information for its residents to take advantage of the various services being offered by the village.

However, it was sent in May, I moved into Oak Park around July, so how will someone like myself, a renter, in the area be able to take advantage of any of the services in a timely manner (especially if my lease is only a  year)? Like any government bureaucracy, there, of course is a waiting list for these services, and probably as characteristic of Oak Park, IL it is mostly likely a chaotic process.

Much like getting a parking permit, there are probably long lines, confusion, tons of red tape and chaos involved, most likely timely execution will not be a part of the process. So again, how is this information useful for the temporary residents of Oak Park? I wonder how much money was spent on such a nice booklet, to be sent to someone who cannot use it? On others (like myself) who will look at it and just throw it away? How will these services listed in this pamphlet reach those who need it if such a notice is not given to them in a timely manner?

Construction at Harlem and Lake Oak Park, IL style

We are Oak Park! We are Pretentious! We cannot commit to progress without endangering all of your lives! Ha! Well, the new development in downtown Oak Park that they are pushing that is the new big thing happening in Oak Park, is running so smoothly that they are giving free gas to everyone! Literally the Construction crew at the corner of Harlem and Lake Construction site hit a gas main and the local businesses had to close down due to this issue.

Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/oak-park/news/ct-oak-gas-line-break-tl-0623-20160615-story.html

I usually rant about how there are such geniuses here when it comes to city planning, zoning and construction of various projects here in Oak Park, but at least this is further evidence of such stupidity. Stupidity that is commonplace in Oak park’s bureaucracy it is just a miracle no one was hurt this time around. Of course, you can blame the construction crew for the incident, which probably the local businesses around this emergency did,since the majority of the businesses in this area were restaurants. But as you have more and more contact with Oak Park, and how the village is laid out, the city planning when completed by the thinking mind, well, it gets harder to lay blame on easy scapegoats like the construction crew in this event. Well, you wonder what is going on in Oak Park.

Additions to the blog

I thought about it and I have videos and actual pictures from around Oak Park, IL that I have taken myself. So I will be adding those to the blog, and web pages as I update them. It is one thing to talk about stuff, but to add the visual examples or representations of what I am discussing would probably help. I am still learning how to blog so don’t be gentle!

For example, I notice that I should be using “Oak Park, IL” in most of the tags, why? Because there is another Oak Park in the United States! I did not know that until now and I do not want to rant about Oak Park, IL and people reading it think that I am talking about the other one by mistake!

So please comment on my blog or if you see an article that is related to my blog articles/posts or web pages add it to the comment section. I believe it is active so post away! Trust me I am in no way associated with Oak Park, IL just live there and sick and tired of it! Are there any issues with Oak Park, IL that you are sick of?

Oak Park disgruntled-not alone

I was parked out in front of my building, getting stuff out my car the other day, after shopping at the local Walmart in Forest Park (which is hell), when this guy came out from the apartment building across the street.

He lumbered into his car, started it up, pulled out carefully, and drove to the corner and made a U-turn at the intersection to park behind my car.

He got out of the car, and said to me: “it’s crazy that you have to move your car every two hours! It’s just stupid, how they do things out here!” I agreed and he went back into his building.

Two things:

1. I wish I got his name so I could have quoted him!

2. So it is not just me that feels that Oak Park is one of the dumbest burbs on the planet when it comes to residential parking. Thank God I am not alone!

 

 

Oak Park, IL and the overuse of the word “vintage”

You know, “vintage” is a word that is thrown around a lot when talking about Oak Park, or when people are discussing either rental units, buildings, destinations, electric wiring or anything that is glammed up to deemed OLD or Obsolete.

The problem is most of the things that need replacing in these situations are either dire or would make life simply better for all those involved but the ascetics are always put before efficiency, the environment or even personal health.

So when you see the word “vintage” in the title of the blog post it will not always be the same thing, event, or item that I am ranting about just FYI. It is just that a lot of the times at least that I have noticed the word is used to simply cover up replacing something that you can tell will cause the defensive party to spend money. Or maybe changing the look or “feel” of an area entirely, poor dears sorry if the 100-year rugged sink is putting crap in the drinking water but it’s got to go because I am going through water filters like crazy.

Basically, like the example I have aforementioned there will be a lot of example of where the word “vintage” should just be dropped out of Oak Park’s 18th-century mindset, all together and it should move forward to the future; or at least to the present.

Oak Park, IL blog logo

I was also thinking of a logo for the blog and its connected web pages which deal with the rants and terrible experiences, I was thinking of course “oakparkilblog” as the title then have something like: “where Oak Park goes wrong” or “wiping the veneer away on Oak Park“. Either way, something that belies the attitude of the blog and web pages.

We always have a sunny idea of what Oak Park, IL is, but really do not know that is it as cruddy as every other suburb imagined  or worse in some instances. That the ideal and the reality, of course, are not the same.

But, I want the logo to illustrate that point while informing people of some of the happenings in Oak Park that will dispel the myths we all have or (in my case) had of Oak Park. Basically, that it is not as great as it seems, or how the pretentious residents there portray it to be.

Oak Park, IL construction

WOW! Ok, Oak Park let us have construction down busy side streets  without that much relief for the original parking spots that the construction eliminated. Meaning that the construction sites are of course narrowing or closing down vital side streets near the Harlem green line as is.

But it also eliminates a lot of needing parking (lots) in the area to supposedly build more buildings, storefronts and new parking garages in its place. The problem is there is nowhere to really park until  these projects are done, and it looks like the businesses in the area are feeling it as they are not as busy as they use to be, maybe it is finally a good time to try them out!

It looks like they have nothing else to do since all their other customers do not want to deal with the parking mess in the Harlem Avenue and Lake Street area. Then again neither do I, I hope they stay in business long enough for their customers to try out those new parking garages! Good going Oak Park city planning!

Oak park has an unhealthy obsession with dogs

Oak Park has an unhealthy obsession with dogs, seriously, they take them everywhere, anywhere, and be damned if you are allergic to them. I have walked past apartment buildings and literally smelled the dog order coming outside at least thirty to forty feet (from the building)  to the sidewalk.

There is literally dog poop on almost every lawn, public/private and it does not matter if the homeowner does not own a dog or how well they keep up their property. The dog owners of Oak Park are simply nasty, most of them walk their dog without a doggy bag for the poop electing for the poop and leave it method. There are land mines everywhere you go even on the sidewalks (be careful where you park)! 
The dog owners take the dogs into stores as well, and we are not talking service animals nor do they hold the dogs as they walk around in your friendly neighborhood Walgreens. I have a friend who is deadly allergic to animal dandruff and just seeing a dog inside or in an enclosed area almost starts a panic attack but I doubt the owners care about that. There is no civility in this small suburb just a “me, me, me attitude” that does not think of the position that their actions put others in, it is almost like a suburb of 5-year-olds.

These irresponsible dog owners do not think of people who are allergic or maybe just do not want to see animals when they are shopping for a few items. These irresponsible dog owners do not think about the homeowners that have to clean up after THEIR dogs after they poop or the people that have to walk on these dog littered sidewalks. Imagine being a passenger and the driver has just parked their car and you get out to step onto the grass and into some dog poop. No, you are not in a nightmare you are in Oak Park.