[isis07734]

Checking out a few areas there, will be moving mid June.

Can anyone help me classify the different areas of Oxford?

[craig11152]

Are you talking about Oxford Township in Oakland county?
If so I think its rather small, rather white racially and pretty affluent. I will defer to a resident but I don't think there is a lot to classify.

[jaynarie]

Originally Posted by craig11152

Are you talking about Oxford Township in Oakland county?
If so I think its rather small, rather white racially and pretty affluent. I will defer to a resident but I don't think there is a lot to classify.

I concur. Not a resident, but have friends that grew up there. Most accurate classification I can think of- owns a tractor, does not own a tractor, lol.

[djmilf]

I have family in both Oxford and in Lake Orion. They've lived there for more than thirty years.

Oxford goes from high priced new McMansion developments to 1960's ranches/trilevels to quaint in-town Victorians (which require a lot of reconditioning) to small farms to absolute rural dumps where they are probably cooking crystal meth.

On the plus side, Oxford has a nice downtown, a very good school system, and a very expensive high school football field. On the other hand, the lakes are kind of meh, as they are simply played out gravel pits.

As for classifications, get a local realtor to help you out - you'll need a dependable guide.

Also consider that there are surrounding areas that you might want to look at (Orion Township, Clarkston, Rochester Hills, Oakland Township) just to get a comparison.

[DTWflyer]

Originally Posted by djmilf

Oxford goes from high priced new McMansion developments to 1960's ranches/trilevels to quaint in-town Victorians (which require a lot of reconditioning) to small farms to absolute rural dumps where they are probably cooking crystal meth.

That is one of the most accurate representation of Oxford/Oxford Township I've ever heard. It spans quite a cross-section housing types and socio-economic conditions.

Oxford was originally one of the older settlements in Oakland County from the mid-1800s and then was a railroad stop/town.
Oxford became known for its huge gravel quarries that were mined and helped build much of what is in Detroit and the inner-ring suburbs up through the 1970s.

As the auto industry in Pontiac and Flint areas boomed post-world war II, Oxford area became a bedroom community for blue collar automotive workers seeming a bit of piece and quiet. Then as M-24 continued to expand, the suburbs continued to sprawl out, by the mid-90s parts of Oxford were ripe for developers to build McMansions and capitalize on the exurb craze.

So you end up with this odd mix of generational rural poverty, UAW retirees, quiet upper-middle class, and new-money types.

The area is heavily white, loves trucks, and would elect Kid Rock president.

[craig11152]

I will certainly stand corrected on my comment. I was zeroing in on the village of "Oxford" rather than "Oxford Township".

[lynnc99]

We just returned from a house hunting trip to Oakland County (a return home move for me, after 15 years away). Oxford was on our list of possible communities.

Oxford is still a small town, surrounded by Oxford Township. The two blend together as many communities do (example would be Clakrston/Independence Twp.). Downtown is about 2-3 blocks, including local businesses, a movie theater, and a couple of good restaurants. Overall, though, the "feel" of downtown is a little down on the heels. I wanted to envision Oxford as "the way Rochester used to be" but the truth is that you will find downtown Rochester and even Lake Orion doing a better job with downtown revitalization and achieving a better ambience.

Freeway access is a little dicey, with the primary routes being M24 (heavy traffic no matter what it seems) or Baldwin Rd (major construction projects slated for 2017-18).

As we looked at one home within walking distance to downtown, a neighbor came out to chat. He was thrilled that Oxford now had a new Meijer on the northern outskirts.