Questions about Oakwood (Dayton, Centerville, Miamisburg: affordable houses, neighborhood, theatre)

[J&A'sMOM]

Hi,
I have a couple of questions about Oakwood. DH is interviewing next week in Dayton/Centerville. We just relocated 2 years ago so I've been through it. We have a 3 & 5 year old very active little kids - need a neighborhood where all the kids run around and play, bike, swim, hang out safely from one house to another.

My ?'s are:
Is there a cool downtown where people hang out? Shops, library, coffee shops, restaurants? If not is there a town with an artsy cool downtown where the residents enjoy hanging out and has the older architecture?

On the realtor sites looks like the houses are old which I love, is the town pretty much like that? We'd be looking for a fun town with older homes (new is out - got to have architectural quaintness that only older communities can offer)

Are there any other towns to look into? I haven't found any surfing the internet. Any suggestions. DH is interviewing all over the country and he's pretty excited about this job.

Thanks!!

[dayton_ohio]

You'll love Oakwood. The downtown area is nice -- a Starbucks, a great grocery store (Dorothy Lane Market), a local ice cream place, a few nice local restaurants. Depending on where you live, it's an easy walk.

The really nice part of Oakwood is the neighbors. It's a small town within a medium-sized city. Kids bike, play in local parks, and walk around. People know their neighbors and are friendly. Schools are excellent.

It's your best bet for what you described.

[JefferyT]

Architecturally the affordable houses in Oakwood were built mostly in the 1920s and teens, with some newer homes. The styles are sort of dutch colonial (like the house in the Amityville Horror), foursquare, bungalows, and some little mock tudor or cottage places. The areas that are most affordable are between Far Hills (on the west) and Shroyer (on the east). The downtown area is ok, it is on Far Hill, on the southern end of town. Its not that old, looks like it was mostly built in the 1930s and 40s, with some later buildings, but it is walkable.

Another real nice place to look at is Germantown. This is more out in the country (Oakwood is very close-in), but is quite pleasant. And the older homes there are extremely well-maintained.

Here are some pix of Germantown, if you have a fast connection.

Germantown



Centerville is like that too, a bit...the old "Four Corners" area. There is a ice cream shop and a Panera bread place, and the old township hall is used for community theatre, among other things. The four corners dates way back to the 19th century, but around it houses quickly bleed off into 1940s and 50s era suburbia...tree lined streets, very pleasant, and you can walk to the old part of town.

Another place with great older houses and a little downtown is Miamisburg (with their old hamburger wagon).

[JefferyT]

I would say, for a quasi-suburban town with older housing, a true main street (actually they have two) and a true artsy/hipster feel, with sidewalk cafes and such, it would have to be Yellow Springs. This is a bit of a drive from Centerville, but it would certainly fit that description

The schools there have a good reputation, and it is family freindly, too.

[conovercourt]

Hey JefferyT -

I assume you are the Jeff/Jeffery whose work I admire so much on UrbanOhio? Thanks for mentioning this forum on th Dayton droves thread. It should be very interesting ...

[dayton_ohio]

I was thinking Centerville too -- but the "downtown" area has so much traffic. It's a matter of personal opinion, but, as much as I love City BBW, it's not too enjoyable to walk around downtown Centerville.

Germantown is nice. Lebanon might be a good fit too.

[J&A'sMOM]

Hey - Thanks for all the input!! We are very excited about the possibility of moving to the Dayton area. Thanks also for sharing the pics of Germantown.