Growing up in Oak Park

On Monday, September 24, we had a discussion about the Gay/Lesbian population in various towns and if it has an affect on the diversity of each respective town. I mentioned that I grew up in Oak Park, one of the more liberal suburbs. And I guess I just kind of wanted to elaborate.
For those who don't know, Oak Park is a west suburb just outside the city. It's a relatively small suburb encased between Austin Blvd, Harlem Ave., Roosevelt Rd., and North Ave. With the West Side of Chicago on its eastwen border and River Forest on its western border, Oak Park sits between two very different neighborhoods; the West Side is generally on the lower end of income while River Forest is known for its huge houses and upper-middle-class residents. My house sits one block from River Forest in a good, safe area. I've lived in the same house my entire life, apart from living on campus last semester and this semester. Oak Park is the only town that I know as a residence. And I feel that its liberalism has helped me to grow up being as open minded as I am.
My neighborhood has always had a good mix of people. I never felt like I was only being exposed to one race, religion, etc. I guess it helped that my mom ran a daycare because it really helped me to see different households. There were kids who were adopted, with single parents, with a "normal" nuclear family, different races, and some who were even mentally disabled. But the thing is, it wasn't just at my house where I saw this kind of mix. Walking down the streets of Oak Park, you can see such a mix of people.
When I tell people that I live in Oak Park, they often assume that I'm rich. But quite honestly, not everyone in Oak Park has a whole lot of money. For one, my parents bought our house over 20 years ago, so we're not exactly dealing with today's prices. Sure, they've gone up, and I've actually noticed a change in the people who live in Oak Park. But that's not the point I'm trying to make right now. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there's a mix of income within the residents of Oak Park. Like I said in class, we had Section 8 housing directly across the street from my house for years, all up until the lady who owned the three houses decided to sell the land to a developer. And I'm sure those aren't the only three Section 8 housing houses in Oak Park. While those houses were inhabited, I saw a lot of different people move in and out, a new family almost every year. I never really thought anything of it; I always became friends with whoever lived in the houses. To me, that was what a neighborhood was. I've grown up thinking that places are supposed to be integrated, in every way possible.
But I've realized that there's a lot of places lacking. I guess, in a sense, I'm slightly spoiled in that area. Because I'm so used to a mix of people. When I go out to my cousins' houses out in the west-west suburbs, it throws me off completely. Out there, almost everyone has a very similar income; it's so homogenous out there.
But I'm glad that I grew up in Oak Park. It allowed me to have an open mind from the get-go. And I guess that's why I chose to attend this University. I love being in Chicago because of its vast mix of people. It's like a culture shock to go anywhere else.