6 ways to Go Green in Oak Park this Earth Day

Earth Day is this Tuesday (April 22) and Oak Park is high on the list of eco-friendly neighborhoods around Chicago. From thriving resale shops to local food options to eco friendly transportation, there are plenty of easy ways to start building a greener life in Oak Park on this Earth Day (and every day after). Here are a few places to start:

1. SHOP: Divine Consign & Trends

If you were never really one to shop resale, Oak Park is the place to throw all your preconceived notions away. Resale shops of featuring new, surplus, vintage and high-end/designer merchandise are ripe for the picking around Oak Park. Divine Consign offers 10,000 square feet of high-quality home goods and their sister store, Trends, specializes in new/nearly-new designer apparel for men and women, from handbags to clothing to jewelry and accessories. www.divineconsign.com and www.trendsoakpark.com 

2. EAT: Kinderhook Tap

While the average U.S. meal travels 1200 miles from the farm to your plate (according to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions), the average meal at Kinderhook Tap travels about 12 miles from Chicago's Geencity Market to the Oak Park restaurant and bar, who prides themselves on a menu that supports local farmers and eco-conscious practices, such as organically grown vegetables and grass-fed, free-range meat. http://kinderhooktap.com/

3. COMMUTE: Greenline Wheels

Oak Park is friendly to just about every form of transportation there is (okay, there's no airport or boat dock - yet), so now that the weather is nice, there is no excuse NOT to give your car a rest. Opt to walk or bike to your next errand. And don't worry if you don't own a bike, Greenline Wheels will rent one out to you by the hour or for the day. Bonus - Senior Citizens can rent certain bikes free of charge.  https://www.facebook.com/glwop 

4. LIVE & GROW: Green Home Experts

Greenifying (what do you mean it's not a word?) your home is a great way to be more friendly to the earth, and where would you rather seek advice on how to do this than the Green Home Experts in Oak Park? Specializing in eco-friendly building and home supplies, they've divided their offerings into three categories: Build Green, Live Green and Garden Center. They also have a blog full of green ideas on their website. Green living essentials = covered. http://www.ghexperts.com/ 

5. EDUCATE: Green Tuesday Lectures

For the ninth year, Oak Park is presenting Green Tuesday environmental lectures throughout the month of April. Covering hot environmental topics and featuring different expert speakers each week, these lectures are held at the Oak Park Public Library and open to the public. http://www.oak-park.us/events/green-tuesday-environmental-lecture-series-0

6. CELEBRATE (and bring the kids!): Earth Fest

From the Village website: Earth Fest is the Village’s annual celebration of green living and learning. Held each year at the LEED® Gold-certified Public Works Center, the event focuses on green neighborhoods, sustainable lifestyles and best practices. Highlights include eco-friendly vendors, local chefs and restaurants, games and activities for children, items for sale, and entertainment. In addition, recycling booths will be available for eyeglasses, sun glasses, hearing aids,  rechargeable batteries, cell phones and old blue jeans. http://www.oak-park.us/village-services/refuse-recycling/earth-fest

So there you have it. Now start getting greener! The websites below have even more great ideas: http://greenblog.ghexperts.com/2014/04/18/sarahs-big-three/

http://oakpark.patch.com/groups/going-green/p/10-ways-to-celebrate-earth-day-all-year-oakpark