Once upon a time the Village of Park Forest, Illinois represented the cutting edge of modern American suburban living. As America's first totally planned community it grew from muddy farmland 30 miles south of downtown Chicago to become a town populated with rising young executives, college professors, doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, etc. That time is long gone. Park Forest has changed, and, sad to say, it has changed for the worse. The purpose of this site is to hold up to public scrutiny many of the things that are wrong.

Some Park Forest proponents will be aghast that this site has been created. They are the type who at best are unable to see what is right before their eyes or, even worse, would rather bury their heads in the sand. While the Village leaders spend their time and our money on risky battles to save the business district we are looking at the quality of life in the neighborhoods because that is where the struggle to keep this town a good place to live will ultimately be decided.

Before someone accuses us of racism or elitism let us say that we vigorously deny both. Keeping one's home tidy and in good repair is not a matter of race and one need not be rich to spot the eyesores that are all around us. We plan to be Cruising For Crap randomly throughout our town in the coming months and posting the images we collect right here. But we are open to suggestions and comments so we look forward to your email at the address below:

We're going to dispense with the normal format of Click-to-Enlarge pictures for this one. It almost deserves a page for itself. In a deliberate act of buffoonery Village of Park Forest officials have installed signs like this one at prominent locations at each entrance to the Village. The purpose? Your guess is as good as ours.

Racial profiling, as you no doubt know, is the reprehensible practice of singling out individuals because of their race for special harrassment by officers of the law. Yet Park Forest has not had problems of this kind. And how would the signs address an internal law enforcement issue if the problem did exist? Lest anyone think that the sign is an advertisment of PF racial harmony please note that a circle-slash sign always reads as "NO" or "DO NOT" not "WE DON'T."

This is a typical example of how the Village operates. Address a problem that does not exist using means that would have no effect anyway. If only they put as much effort into enforcing the upkeep of homes and tightening standards to prevent the blight that grows like a cancer in some areas.

Caution!

Don't get the wrong impression! These homes have been selected for being eyesores and are not representative of the vast majority of PF homes that are tidy and well-kept, some even award-winning.

A ratty old sofa is not outdoor furniture. Shabonna.

If this homeowner wants a garage instead of a carport then they should hire a contractor instead of building a barricade out of whatever was laying around. Tomahawk.

Same complaint. We thought the tarp was a temporary project until we saw again a month later. This unsightly nonsense seems to be a tradition on this street. Note the holiday lights still up in May, too. Another local tradition it seems. Tomahawk.

We were pleased to offer up this hideous front yard tree house as our very first eyesore. Middle of the E/W stretch of Early Street.
It's now (Oct. 2000) FINALLY been removed. Hallelujah!

If the residents of this home are celebrating a holiday then we bow to their convictions. Otherwise is there any excuse for holiday icicle lights to still be displayed in mid-April? Talala Street.

What's wrong here? We see a trend here. Newcomers to Park Forest who come from crime ridden areas move in and immediately equip their homes with burglar bars and burglar bar style outer doors in place of traditional screen & storm door. Corner of Todd & Hay

Another one. While we're not sure we would want to legally proscribe these iron monstrosities we do think they send the wrong message. Sure we have break-ins but we think this is an innappropriate response which is all out of proportion to the size of the problem and send a horrible message to our guests. You don't find too many long-time residents putting them in. Just newcomers. Why is that? N/S block of Early Street

Nice fence. No, we did not catch them in the middle of a repair project. Corner of Berry & Early

Yes, we really do hate those doors and yes we will keep posting them. No, we don't advocate banning them. But we want everyone to see them as we do--we see them as an early harbinger of slumhood. N/S block of Early Street

Just plain tacky. Kentucky Street.

In case you can't see it clearly that is a BED SHEET across the living room window. Painting the room? Nope, it's been that way for one, maybe two years. Nice. E/W Block of Early Street