One of the reasons people are drawn to Oak Park is it has history. From the Kettlestrings to Philander Barclay, Frank Lloyd Wright to Ernest Hemingway, Oak Park has stories to tell. For those new or just unfamiliar with Oak Park’s historical timeline here are a few points to help know your community. Joseph Kettlestrings, […]
Category: About Oak Park
Dr. Percy L. Julian, a Catalyst for Oak Park’s Diversity Mission
On this day, set aside to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Oak Park Apartments would like to remember Dr. Percy L. Julian, a notable African American research chemist who opened Oak Park’s eyes to the importance of diversity and tolerance. Percy Lavon Julian’s parents believed in the power of education in a time when most African Americans […]
FLW Building? A Definite Maybe!
OakParkApartments.com’s property located at the corner of Elmwood Avenue and Lake Street, has raised some serious architectural questions over the years. Present day architects and historians believe that this property might be designed by famed Oak Park architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Frank Lloyd Wright is pretty well known and not one to shy away for claiming […]
The Elmwood Tea Room
OakParkApartments.com had heard rumors about a “Tea Room” being located at our 418 Lake St. property (Lake and Elmwood is how it is fondly referred to). Looking for some information on the history of the the “Tea Room”, OakParkApartments went to its’ friends at The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest to ask […]
Did You Know? Oak Park History 101
Did you know that Oak Park was originally named Oak Ridge? Oak Park received its’ present day name only because there was another Illinois post office named Oak Ridge already in existence. Did you know that Oak Park had only a market, general store, a town newspaper and a stationary store up until 1872? […]
E.E. Roberts Park Manor Property Shines Like No Other
OakParkApartments.com has many buildings that are truly architecturally beautiful but none that are quite as significant as our Park Manor property, located at 173 – 181 North Grove. This architectural gem of a courtyard apartment building is said to be one the the most distinguished designs of famed architect, E.E. Roberts. E.E. Roberts, both owner […]
The Devil Is In The Detail – Architectural Detail, That Is.
19th and 20th century architectural styles were greatly influenced by Greek, Roman, Gothic and Renaissance architecture. Here in America, those styles inspired many of the designs that we see today. Oak Park’s many vintage apartment buildings were no exception to these influences. Many multi-unit properties incorporated many classic elements into their designs and can be […]
Trees of Oak Park
Oak Park was recently declared an arboretum. Can you identify the most common types of trees in the village? Don’t squint too hard at the bottom of each image. The answers are at the end of the post. 1. 2. 3. […]
Downtown Oak Park – The Place To Be!
Downtown Oak Park was recently awarded April’s “Downtown of the Month” award! This award was given to Oak Park’s lively and hip downtown business district by the International Downtown Association (IDA). The IDA is an organization whose mission is to connect the people who “transform cities into healthy and vibrant urban places” with an ultimate […]
Oak Park Keeps Getting Greener!
Oak Park has retained its’ top green community ranking from the Environmental Protection Agency scoring a 91.9% in the green power challenge! The green power community challenge was established in September 2011 and is a national, year-long campaign that encourages communities to use renewable energy. What does that almost 92% score mean for Oak Park? […]
