Oak Park is a city in Oakland County in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Oak Park borders

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

to the north, roughly northwest of

downtown Detroit Downtown Detroit is the central business district and a Neighborhoods in Detroit, residential area of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Locally, "downtown" tends to refer to the 1.4 square mile region bordered by M-10 (Michigan high ...

. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 29,560.

History

This area was designated as within Royal Oak Township; it was first settled by European Americans in 1840, but remained sparsely populated for many decades following. The first major housing development was constructed in 1914 at the time of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, when the township sold land to the Majestic Land Company to be developed as the Oak Park subdivision.Bernadine Schoults, ''The History of Royal Oak''
1955 The subdivision was incorporated as a village on May 3, 1927. Two petition drives during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

to dissolve the village government and return it to the township, citing "excessively high cost of village government," failed in 1931 and 1933. The village incorporated as a city on October 29, 1945, following the end of World War II. Stimulated by the

GI Bill The G.I. Bill, formally the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, but the te ...

which aided veterans in buying new housing, highways to improve commuting, and planned developments in the late 1950s, Oak Park from 1950 to 1960 was named as "America's Fastest Growing City". Its population increased sevenfold, from 5,000 to more than 36,000. Much of its population was second- and third-generation children of European immigrants who had settled in Detroit in the early 20th century. These included many Jewish Americans, many of whom are of the Orthodox faith. Major civic improvements in this period included construction of an outdoor swimming pool and an ice rink in Major Park (now known as Shepherd Park, after former mayor David Shepherd, but long known informally as Oak Park Park). In 1995, Detroit-based window manufacturer WeatherGard moved its headquarters to Oak Park. In 2002 and 2004, the city annexed portions of neighboring Royal Oak Township to expand its land and tax base. On November 8, 2011, the citizens of Oak Park elected a new mayor, Marian McClellan. She was the city's first new mayor in 22 years, replacing the long-serving Jerry Naftaly. In April 2015, the city approved the development of a new FedEx distribution center which will be located on a 60-acre plot of land at the site of the former Detroit Artillery Armory. The facility opened on March 31, 2017. On May 5, 2015, the citizens of Oak Park voted to allow mixed drinks to be sold at businesses within city limits, in addition to beer and wine, which were previously allowed. On November 3, 2015, the citizens of Oak Park re-elected McClellan, who was running against Aaron Tobin.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Oak Park is adjacent to the cities of

to the south, Southfield to the west, Pleasant Ridge, Ferndale, and Royal Oak Township to the east, Huntington Woods to the northeast, and Berkley to the north. Oak Park is bordered to the south by 8 Mile Road (M-102), to the north by 11 Mile Road, to the Northeast by Coolidge Highway and 10 Mile Road/ I-696, to the west by Greenfield Road, to the east by Sherman Street and Forest Street, and to the southeast by 9 Mile Road, Republic Street, Northend Avenue, and Meyers Avenue.

Major highways

* passes through the northernmost part of the city and forms its northern border with Huntington Woods. The Detroit Zoo is located on the opposite side of the freeway in Huntington Woods and Royal Oak. * is the

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

- Wayne county line and forms Oak Park's entire southernmost border with the city of

. * is a major thoroughfare near the city.

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 29,319 people, 11,719 households, and 7,533 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 12,782 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 57.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 37.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.4% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino people of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 11,719 households, of which 35.7% were non-families, 35.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 23.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.16. The median age in the city was 37.5 years. 24.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.7% were from 25 to 44; 26.9% were from 45 to 64; and 12.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.1% male and 54.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 29,793 people, 11,104 households, and 7,595 families residing in the city. The

was . There were 11,370 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 46.95%

, 45.95%

, 2.18% Asian, 0.17% Native American, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.60% from other races, and 4.13% from two or more races. 1.28% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 11,104 households, out of which 44.0% were

living together, 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.6% were non-families, and 19.5% had a female householder with no husband present. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.29. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $48,697, and the median income for a family was $54,786. Males had a median income of $40,922 versus $35,968 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $21,677. 9.4% of the population and 7.8% of families were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

. Out of the total population, 10.9% of those under the age of 18 and 13.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Education

Oak Park's educational history began with the Clinton School, a one-room schoolhouse on property donated by Barney Clinton in the early 20th century. As the population grew rapidly, Clinton School was expanded and more elementary schools were built, particularly beginning in the 1950s. Clinton School was made a junior high school and another was built in the mid-1960s, then named for the poet

Robert Frost Robert Lee Frost (March26, 1874January29, 1963) was an American poet. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American Colloquialism, colloquial speech, Frost frequently wrote about settings from rural life in New E ...

. At that time, one school in Oak Park had a special education department for children with learning disabilities: Lessenger Elementary School on Albany St. at Sunset St. Consequently, many families with such special children gravitated to the neighborhood surrounding Lessenger, creating a "cluster" of such families rarely found elsewhere. Educational achievement was the long consistent pattern in Oak Park. Over 85% of Oak Park High School graduates continued their education immediately after high school, whether in college, or in trade or vocational schools. In the 1950s and 1960s the school system was renowned statewide due to the efforts of progressive and dedicated teachers and community support which liberally allocated tax dollars to fund education through voter approved bond issues. The high school had an average score of 3.8 on the state's MEAP test in 2011. This was one of the lowest scores in Oakland County. Students residing between 10 Mile Rd. and 11 Mile Rd. are in the Berkley School District. A square mile on the east end of Oak Park is in the neighboring Ferndale Public Schools; the majority of the city is in Oak Park Schools.

Controversy

In July 2011, Oak Park gained national attention when the city charged Julie Bass, a homeowner, for growing vegetables in her front yard. In March 2015, Stephanie Sumner and Michael Sumner were fired from their positions as city employees after the city had discovered that they had stolen $433,000 from the city over the course of two years. Several months after the story broke, the city announced that the stolen funds had been replaced through the city's insurance policy. However, many residents voiced their concerns regarding the potential insurance rate hikes that would occur after insurance claims to replace the stolen money.

Notable people

* Jamie Arnold, American-Israeli professional basketball player with Hapoel Holon * Jeff Bass, record producer; born and raised in Oak Park; brother of Mark Bass * Mark Bass, record producer; born and raised in Oak Park; brother of Jeff Bass * Maxine Berman, educator and politician * Bob Black, anarchist theorist; author of the widely disseminated essay "The Abolition of Work"; grew up in Oak Park and graduated from its high school * Norm Cash, baseball player for the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

1960–1974; lived a few blocks from his teammate Al Kaline, on Sloman Street between Jerome and Saratoga * Vincent Chin, Chinese American victim of a racially motivated killing * Marcella Detroit, vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter * Larry Downes, co-author of ''Unleashing the Killer App: Digital Strategies for Market Dominance''; writer for ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

''; was raised in Oak Park * Robert Ettinger, "father of cryonic human preservation"; lived in Oak Park for decades * Doug Fieger, musician, lead singer of the group The Knack; his hit songs included " My Sharona" and " Good Girls Don't" * Geoffrey Fieger, attorney who represented Jack Kevorkian; grew up in Oak Park and graduated from Oak Park High School in 1969 * Ben Forta, prolific tech author; authority on

edtech Educational technology (commonly abbreviated as edutech, or edtech) is the combined use of computer hardware, software, and educational theory and practice to facilitate learning and teaching. When referred to with its abbreviation, "EdTech", ...

* Les Gold, owner of American Jewelry and Loan; star of the TV show '' Hardcore Pawn''; lived in Oak Park for several years during his childhood *

Al Kaline Albert William Kaline ( ; December 19, 1934 – April 6, 2020), nicknamed "Mr. Tiger", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers. For most of his career, Kali ...

, Detroit Tiger baseball legend and Hall of Fame member; lived on Morton Street in the late 1950s * John Kelly, football running back *

Carrie Keranen Carrie Keranen is an American voice actress. Her roles include Misato Katsuragi in the Netflix dub of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Satsuki Kiryuin in '' Kill la Kill'', Casca in '' Berserk'', and Alya Césaire in '' Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug ...

, voice actress * Marty Lederman, Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) during Obama and Biden administrations. * Stephen Markman, justice of

Michigan Supreme Court The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is Michigan's court of last resort and consists of seven justices. The Court is located in the Michigan Hall of Justice at 925 Ottawa Street in Lansing, the s ...

* Paul Milgrom, Nobel Prize winning economist * Dan and Tracee Miller, musicians in the band Blanche; currently reside in Oak Park; Dan has acted in film and Tracee is also a visual artist * James Rosen, author and political reporter *

Royce da 5'9" Ryan Daniel Montgomery (born July 5, 1977), known professionally as Royce da 5'9" (or simply Royce 5'9"), is an American rapper. Best known for his association with fellow Detroit rapper Eminem, they became acquainted in 1997 and formed the hi ...

, Detroit rapper known for his association with

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...

Bad Meets Evil Bad Meets Evil is an American Hip hop music, hip hop Supergroup (music), super duo composed of Detroit-based rappers Royce da 5′9″ ("bad") and Eminem ("evil"). Formed in 1997, the duo's name comes from the namesake song from Eminem's ''The ...

and

Slaughterhouse In livestock agriculture and the meat industry, a slaughterhouse, also called an abattoir (), is a facility where livestock animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a mea ...

* Jeffrey Sachs, noted economist of

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

and currently at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

; graduate of Oak Park High School *

Jeffrey Seller Jeffrey Seller (born 1964) is an American theatrical producer. He is known for his work on ''Rent'' (1996), '' Avenue Q'' (2003), '' In the Heights'' (2008), and ''Hamilton'' (2015), as well as inventing Broadway's first rush ticket and lotte ...

, Broadway producer and

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

winner; known for his work on '' Rent'', '' Avenue Q'', '' In the Heights'' and ''

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

'' *

Shaggy 2 Dope Joseph William Utsler (; born October 14, 1974), known by his stage name Shaggy 2 Dope, is an American rapper, actor, record producer and professional wrestler. He is part of the hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse. He is the co-founder of the rec ...

(real name Joseph Utsler), member of

Insane Clown Posse Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989, ICP's best-known lineup consists of rappers Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (originally 2 Dope; Joseph Utsler). Insan ...

; met Violent J in Oak Park * Curt Sobel, composer, film music editor and supervisor; grew up in Oak Park and lived on Northfield and Harding * Ron Suresha, author and editor; attended grade school in Oak Park and graduated from OPHS * Violent J (real name Joseph Bruce), member of

; met Shaggy 2 Dope in Oak Park * David Was (real name David Weiss), musician from the group Was (Not Was); grew up with Don Fagenson in Oak Park *

Don Was Don Edward Fagenson (born September 13, 1952), known professionally as Don Was (), is an American musician, record producer, music director, film composer, documentary filmmaker and radio host. Since 2011, he has also served as president of the ...

(real name Don Fagenson), musician from the group Was (Not Was); grew up with David Weiss in Oak Park * Peter Werbe, radio talk show host, DJ, and political activist; has lived in Oak Park for 37 years; hosted ''NightCall'' on Detroit's WRIF 1970–2016, the longest running phone-in talk show in U.S. radio history; staff member of the magazine '' The Fifth Estate ''Author
''Summer on Fire: A Detroit Novel''
2021.

References

External links

City of Oak Park
{{Authority control Cities in Oakland County, Michigan Metro Detroit Jewish communities in the United States Russian communities in the United States Ukrainian communities in the United States Populated places established in 1914 1914 establishments in Michigan