$531,839Average Value$328Average Price per Sq Ft5Homes For Sale
Oak Forest is a quiet neighborhood with parks and access to shopping
Oak Forest is a sought-after neighborhood in inner West Ashley, part of a large suburban area west of the Charleston peninsula. The quiet setting is enhanced by parks, a bikeway and calm residential streets with landscaped front yards and plenty of trees. Stores and restaurants are in close proximity to Oak Forest, as it's set between two highways that serve as commercial corridors. "This is closer in than a lot of inner West Ashley .... If you zoom out, you'll see the peninsula of Charleston," says Julie Nims, a Realtor with Red Door Property Group. It's about 5 miles to downtown. The mix of scenery, suburban comforts and access to conveniences draws homebuyers to Oak Forest. Cheryll Woods-Flowers, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Realty, says people moving to the area often encounter a friendly reception. "Those of us who have been here all of our lives have been pretty accepting of people who have chosen to make this their home, and we've welcomed those folks."
Vintage ranch-style homes and other options, including apartments
Some property listings specify a side: East or West Oak Forest. Both sides have single-family ranch-style homes dating from the 1950s to '70s. Prices range from about $440,000 to $860,000. Nims says areas closer to the peninsula are more expensive than Oak Forest. "This is the closest you can get that's still kind of reasonable. If they want to create some equity, they do the renovations themselves." Contemporary and traditional homes built after 2000, as well as townhomes dating back to the 1980s, are limited in number, so comparative price data is not readily available. Oak Forest is also home to several large apartment complexes, mainly located to the north near Ashley River Road. Compared to other inner West Ashley neighborhoods, Oak Forest has a low risk for coastal and river flooding. However, FEMA designates the area as high risk for hurricanes, as is the case for Charleston overall.
Indoor/outdoor recreational and athletic activities around Oak Forest
The recreational complex, St. Andrew's Parish Parks & Playground, includes a family fitness center, an indoor pool and athletics amenities. Exercise classes, youth sports, tennis and travel soccer with the Charleston United Soccer Club are available. The Forest Park Playground also offers multiple perks, including tennis courts, the W.L. Stephens Aquatic Center, and access to the roughly 3-mile-long West Ashley Bikeway, which connects to the longer West Ashley Greenway. On the east side of Magnolia Road, Magnolia Park and Community Garden has leased garden plots, free WiFi and the Charleston Park Conservancy. In March, the West Ashley Family Festival is held at The School House, the park's event hall. Nearby Ackerman Park hosts the West Ashley Farmers Market on a seasonal basis.
An assortment of restaurants, stores and entertainment venues close by
To the north, state Route 61/Ashley River Road has restaurants like the Low Country Boil Company. Charleston is well-known for seafood spots, according to Woods-Flowers. "We are a breeding ground for shrimp and fish, that's something that other areas don't have." Also on Ashley River Road is The Garden by Charles Towne Fermentory, a taproom and beer garden that hosts food trucks, open mics, live music and trivia. Popular venue the Tin Roof has local and touring musical acts, restaurant pop-ups, trivia nights, dance-offs, karaoke and comedy shows. To the south, U.S. Route 17/the Savannah Highway features Whole Foods, Mario's Italian Grill, and Swig & Swine BBQ, which boasts that it has been "horrifying vegetarians since 2013." Among several retail areas within a few miles of Oak Forest, Westwood Plaza Shopping Center has a Harris Teeter and national-brand stores, and the Quadrangle Shopping Center offers a Piggly Wiggly supermarket. Citadel Mall, already home to over 100 businesses, is expected to evolve into a larger mixed-use hub within several years.
Charleston County District's magnets and strong high school sports
About two-thirds of Oak Forest is zoned to magnet elementary school, St. Andrews School of Math and Science, which earns an A grade from Niche. Parts of Oak Forest may be assigned to Stono Park Elementary School, which receives a B-minus. C. E. Williams Middle School for Creative and Scientific Arts is a zoned magnet school with a B rating. Williams' sixth graders go to the north campus, while seventh and eighth graders go to the south campus. West Ashley High School, which receives a B-plus, has 5A athletics teams with high rankings within the South Carolina High School League. Magnet and charter schools are available through open enrollment with the Charleston County School District.
Quiet streets, bus access, and a nearby interstate and river bridge
Although they lack sidewalks, most residential streets are walkable, as traffic is not a significant issue. The bikeway goes through the center of the neighborhood east/west, and the only north/south thoroughfares are West Oak Forest Drive and Magnolia Road, from which shorter streets branch off. Oak Forest is about halfway between Interstate 526, which is several miles to the west, and the Savannah Highway's Ashley River Memorial Bridge to the peninsula, to the east. Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) bus stops are on the main highways on the north and south sides of the neighborhood.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
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to let others know what life in this neighborhood is like.
Crime and Safety
1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime
Oak Forest
US
Homicide
3
4
Sexual Assault
2
4
Assault with Weapon
4
4
Robbery
4
4
Burglary
4
4
Motor Vehicle Theft
3
4
Larceny
3
4
Crime Score
3
4
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Oak Forest Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Oak Forest, Charleston sell after 43 days on the market compared to the national average of 58 days. The median sale price for homes in Oak Forest, Charleston over the last 12 months is $590,000, consistent with the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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Local Logic measures the walkability, access to public transit and bikeability of any address. CAP Index provides objective, accurate, and consistent data to help measure, compare, and mitigate crime risks.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
