Centrally located in the Detroit Metro Region, Oak Park, Michigan consists primarily of single-family homes, and nearly all of its residents are within two miles of the city center.
Near the city's center is David H. Shepherd Park, which hosts several major events, including the annual 4th of July festivities, Boo Bash, and Summerfest. The city also maintains nine smaller neighborhood parks.
Situated in southeast Oakland County, Oak Park is adjacent to Royal Oak Township and the cities of Huntington Woods, Berkley, Pleasant Ridge, Ferndale, Southfield, and Detroit, and within twenty miles of Royal Oak, Lathrup Village, Hazel Park, Birmingham, Madison Heights, Clawson, Beverly Hills, Highland Park, Bingham Farms, Franklin, Bloomfield Hills, Farmington, Center Line, Hamtramck, Farmington Hills, Warren, Troy, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Orchard Lake, Fraser, Roseville, Eastpointe, Livonia, St. Clair Shores, Garden City, Sylvan Lake, Rochester Hills, Sterling Heights, Pontiac, Keego Harbor, Novi, Inkster, Utica, Rochester, Harper Woods, Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe Park, Walled Lake, and Northville.
When the area that was to become Oak Park was first surveyed in 1817, it was considered to be uninhabitable due to its muddy, swampy terrain. Nevertheless, people did come, although the area was settled slowly. The first settlers came around 1840, although the area was sparsely populated for several decades.
In 1914, the Majestic Land Company was responsible for a housing development known as the Oak Park subdivision, which was incorporated as a village on May 3, 1927. Although there were moves to dissolve the village government in the early 1930s, they were unsuccessful, and Oak Park was incorporated as a city on October 29, 1945.
Due in part to the GI Bill, which provided funding for World War II veterans to build homes, new highway construction, and planned developments in the late 1950s, Oak Park grew rapidly between 1940 and 1960, when its population rose from 1,169 to 36,632. After that, development slowed, to a peak population of 36,762 in 1970, which was followed by a decline to just under 30,000 today.
A significant portion of new residents from 1950 to 1960 were second- and third-generation children of European immigrants who had settled Detroit in the early 1900s. These included a large Jewish population.
Portions of Royal Oak Township were annexed to the city in 2002 and 2004, leaving the township with a 0.55 square mile total land area, the smallest charter township in the state by area, and the second-smallest township in Michigan.
The majority of K-12 students in Oak Park are served by the Oak Park School District, which operates Einstein Elementary School, Key Elementary School, Pepper Elementary School, Oak Park Preparatory Academy, and Oak Park High School, which also serves parts of Southfield and half of Royal Oak Township. Some Oak Park students attend schools in the Berkley School District or the Ferndale School District.
National attention was placed on Oak Park in the summer of 2001 when the city charged Julie Bass, a local resident, for the crime of growing vegetables in her yard. Largely due to public pressure, city prosecutors dropped charges against Bass. However, the charges were dropped without prejudice, allowing the city to revisit the case at a later date.
The focal point of this portion of our guide is on the city of Oak Park, Michigan. Appropriate resources for this category include websites representing the municipal government, as well as local schools, churches and other places of worship, organizations, businesses, industries, entertainment venues, sports programs, and recreational opportunities.
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Recommended Resources
Situated on Greenfield Road in Oak Park, Michigan, the book retailer specializes in out-of-print and rare books, collector’s items, signed books, and other items, which are available for sale at its retail store or from other online retailers, which are listed here. Available books are featured, with descriptions of each, author bibliographies, and prices. Its online catalogs are sorted by categories, with separate sections for rare and used books, as well as sale items.
https://www.thebookbeat.com/
Center for Advanced Studies and the Arts
Based in Oak Park, CASA is a consortium school serving the Berkley, Clawson, Ferndale, Lamphere, Madison, Oak Park, and Pontiac school districts, offering advanced placement courses, a visual arts curriculum, and an advanced dance program. A course catalog and videos are presented, along with the history of the program, a map, directions, a calendar of events, and a staff directory. Enrollment information, an application worksheet, and an online application are available.
https://www.casa-online.org/
Chabad Jewish Center Oak Park - River Forest
Part of an international Jewish education and activism organization, the Chabad Jewish Center provides care, inspiration, hospitality, and knowledge to Jews from all walks of life, serving the Oak Park and River Forest Jewish community. Its location, organizational structure, and programs are featured here, including its educational programs for children, youth, and adults, as well as its community services. A photo gallery, survey, and contacts are displayed.
https://www.oakparkjewish.org/
A northern suburb of Metro Detroit, Oak Park is in Oakland County. The official municipal website publishes a brief history of the city, its master plan, area trends, and demographics. The city council and other boards and commissions are identified, and council agendas, minutes, meeting video, a calendar of events, a city magazine and recreation program guide, collections of photographs and videos, and a city calendar are included. Other resources include a business directory.
https://oakparkmi.gov/
The progressive Conservative Jewish synagogue is situated in Oak Park, from where it has served the Detroit Metro area for about sixty years. A profile of the synagogue is put forth, including its history, scheduled programs and events, adult and youth educational programs, online classes, and service schedules. Its address is posted and a map shows its location. Leadership contacts are posted, and links to kosher restaurants in the Detroit Metro area are included.
https://www.congbethshalom.org/
First Baptist Church of Oak Park
Founded in 1921, the congregation moved to its current location on Coolidge Highway in Oak Park, Michigan in 1951, changing its name from Carmel Avenue Baptist Church to First Baptist Church of Oak Park in 1952. A historical timeline, statement of beliefs, leadership structure, and leadership contacts are posted, its various ministries are spotlighted, and its worship schedules, calendar of upcoming programs and events, mailing address, telephone number, and an online contact form are included.
http://www.fbcop.net/
The public library in Oak Park, Michigan is part of The Library Network, which includes several Michigan libraries. Its location, directions, phone and fax numbers, library hours, and a staff directory are published on the site, which includes a library catalog, event calendar, updates and notices, and information about the Friends of the Library organization. Purchase suggestions may be made via an online form, and instructions for applying for a library card are noted.
https://tln.lib.mi.us/md/oapk/
The public school district in Oak Park, Michigan offers a K-12 curriculum, as well as preschool and adult education programs, through several campuses that include both Head Start and Great Start Readiness programs at its elementary schools, Einstein Elementary School, Key Elementary School, Pepper Elementary School, Oak Park Preparatory Academy, Oak Park High School, NOVA Academy, Center for Advanced Studies and the Arts, and Oakland Schools Technical Institute, each of which is featured here.
https://www.oakparkschools.org/
Founded to serve the Jewish community in Oak Park, Huntington Woods, and other northern suburbs of Detroit, the Temple was originally known as the Suburban Temple of Greater Detroit, and began construction of its own building in 1955. Welcoming all Jewish families, the congregation's history, clergy, and leadership are set forth, along with a calendar of events, worship services, and its educational programs, which include the Yachad Religious School, and its early childhood and adult programs.
https://emanuel-mich.org/