Evanston vs. Oak Park: A Suburban Smackdown

Tell a real estate agent you’re looking for a place that feels like it’s part of Chicago, and they’ll likely point you to Evanston and Oak Park: two burbs with thriving downtowns, good schools, easy access to the city — and a bit of a crosstown rivalry. Let’s settle this once and for all.
By David McMillin
May 24, 2024, 6:00 am

RELATED: Best Places to Live in the Suburbs

EVANSTON

 

OAK PARK

Heavenston, for its Methodist-influenced moral rigor (see Woman’s Christian Temperance Union headquarters) Religion-tinged early nickname Saints’ Rest, for all the churches built there in the late 19th century
With three Metra stops and seven CTA stations, you can’t complain. Until you’re waiting 30 minutes at Howard to transfer to the Red Line. Transit The good news: You get not one but two CTA lines — Blue and Green — plus a Metra stop. The bad news: Have you taken the Blue Line recently?
E-Town Modern moniker, for better or worse Woke Park
From Queen Anne to Tudor Revival, you’ll find every style in the Lakeshore Historic District. 		Architecture
The collection of Frank Lloyd Wright homes means you get to brag that your neighborhood is straight from the pages of an old-school Architectural Digest.

Eddie Vedder. Was “Even Flow” actually about the North Shore Channel?

 Hometown hero

Ernest Hemingway grew up there before setting off for, well, pretty much everywhere.
A new football stadium for a mediocre Big Ten team Thing that gets the residents up in arms Bike sharing. The town ditched Divvy six years ago, so buy your own bike.
Northwestern undergrads aren’t the rowdiest bunch, but we’d suggest getting out of town on Dillo Day. Your annoying neighbors Remember Heather Mack, who helped kill her mom and stuff her in a suitcase? Yeah, she’s from here.
More than three miles of Lake Michigan shoreline 		Water views
The Scoville Park Fountain (designed by one Frank Lloyd Wright)
The new Ryan Field won’t be big enough for Taylor Swift, but it will hold 28,500 for concerts — more than the United Center. Someone call Eddie Vedder. The big entertainment venue Bands you don’t know play songs you do on Sunday nights in Scoville Park.
Imagine a windows-open cruise down Sheridan Road, then the wind whipping through your hair on DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Keep imagining, because in reality you’ll be dodging potholes and sitting in traffic. The drive into town It’s only 9.5 miles to the Loop — three miles closer than Evanston — but with traffic on the Eisenhower, you might as well be coming from Iowa.

EVANSTON

OAK PARK

Religion-tinged early nickname
Heavenston, for its Methodist-influenced moral rigor (see Woman’s Christian Temperance Union headquarters) Saints’ Rest, for all the churches built there in the late 19th century
Transit
With three Metra stops and seven CTA stations, you can’t complain. Until you’re waiting 30 minutes at Howard to transfer to the Red Line. The good news: You get not one but two CTA lines — Blue and Green — plus a Metra stop. The bad news: Have you taken the Blue Line recently?
Modern moniker, for better or worse
E-Town Woke Park
Architecture
From Queen Anne to Tudor Revival, you’ll find every style in the Lakeshore Historic District.
The collection of Frank Lloyd Wright homes means you get to brag that your neighborhood is straight from the pages of an old-school Architectural Digest.
Hometown hero

Eddie Vedder. Was “Even Flow” actually about the North Shore Channel?

Ernest Hemingway grew up there before setting off for, well, pretty much everywhere.
Thing that gets the residents up in arms
A new football stadium for a mediocre Big Ten team Bike sharing. The town ditched Divvy six years ago, so buy your own bike.
Your annoying neighbors
Northwestern undergrads aren’t the rowdiest bunch, but we’d suggest getting out of town on Dillo Day. Remember Heather Mack, who helped kill her mom and stuff her in a suitcase? Yeah, she’s from here.
Water views
More than three miles of Lake Michigan shoreline
The Scoville Park Fountain (designed by one Frank Lloyd Wright)
The big entertainment venue
The new Ryan Field won’t be big enough for Taylor Swift, but it will hold 28,500 for concerts — more than the United Center. Someone call Eddie Vedder. Bands you don’t know play songs you do on Sunday nights in Scoville Park.
The drive into town
Imagine a windows-open cruise down Sheridan Road, then the wind whipping through your hair on DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Keep imagining, because in reality you’ll be dodging potholes and sitting in traffic. It’s only 9.5 miles to the Loop — three miles closer than Evanston — but with traffic on the Eisenhower, you might as well be coming from Iowa.
Photography: (Train, Evanston House) Chicago Tribune; (Oak Park house, Vedder, Hemingway, shoreline) Getty Images; (Bike) Divvy Bikes; (Fountain) Ivo Shandor