Tipping Point

Well, it appears that this blog has become a repository of links that I find interesting and want to save for posterity.

Here's an interesting analysis of demographic data in Chicago from from 1970-1980.

Basically, there's the concept of "tipping point" where whites will tolerate a small minority population in the neighborhood, but will leave (white-flight) when the minority population reaches a critical value, the so-called tipping point. According to the data, the tipping point in Chicago from 1970 to 1980 was 7%! This explains why there are so few stably integrated neighborhoods/suburbs in Chicagoland; Oak Park, being one of the few. It'd be interesting to analyze 1990 and 2000 census data to see if the tipping point percentage has changed.

'WE'RE ALL RACIST NOW'

While browsing city-data, I found this fascinating article about racial change in the near west suburbs of Chicago. Its a bit dated (1994), but the issues still remain very relevant 15 years later.

We're #7!!! (Really?)

According to CNN and Money Magazine, Oak Park is #7 on the list of best places for the rich and single, beating out places like Irvine, CA, Belmont and Arlington, MA. As gratifying as it is to see our fair village get some positive press, I find it a bit hard to believe. Oak Park is great for the rich and married with children set, in fact, its probably near ideal for that demographic, but the single? Not so much.

Yes, Oak Park got a small but decent downtown area with shops, restaurants, and a bar or two, but really, compared to our next door neighbor (Chicago), its pretty miniscule. If I were still single, I think living in Oak Park would drive me crazy. Even working out in the far burbs wouldn't prevent me from living in the city proper. Still, I suppose its all relative, and we beat our neighbor to the southwest, Lisle, by ten places, so take that, DuPage County!