Though it was once a prominent manufacturing town during the 1900s, the northeast Cincinnati neighborhood of Oakley found itself with a high volume of vacant buildings and undeveloped land by the end of the 20th century. Since the adjacent neighborhood, Hyde Park, had already cemented its status as the premiere neighborhood in Cincinnati, developers began to turn an eye next door at the opportunities to redevelop Oakley; after all, the neighborhood is a ten-minute drive downtown and convenient to the interstate, and the land was cheaper. Today, this vibrant neighborhood is attracting residents in droves. “From 2010 to 2020, we were one of the fastest-growing neighborhoods. The city actually lost housing units overall, but we were one of the few neighborhoods that gained them,” says Joe Groh, Oakley Community Council vice president. “At this point, if it hasn’t been developed, it’s under development.” Now, on a typical Saturday in Oakley, residents might spend the afternoon biking the Wasson Way trail, waiting in line for a scoop at the century-old Aglamesis Bros. ice cream parlor, or rummaging through items at a pop-up flea market hosted by the local brewery.
Historic homes with some newer developments throughout
Homes in Oakley are situated on quiet, linear streets and tight city lots that are generally separated from the area’s commercial businesses. Common to Cincinnati, the neighborhood is filled with homes that are 100 to 150 years old, built in styles like Victorian vernaculars and bungalows. According to Holly Finn, a real estate specialist for Coldwell Banker Realty, the area has become one of the most desirable in the city thanks to the charm of the old homes combined with all the modern amenities. “The desirability has prompted both the construction of new homes and the renovation of the older ones,” she says. Though buyers can generally find older, smaller homes starting around $200,000, larger, new construction homes can sell for close to $1 million — a far cry from a few years ago, when homes would top out at $300,000, according to Finn.
It is common to find beautiful well-kept front lawns in Oakley.
An Arts and Crafts bungalow with a harmonious blend of design and nature in Oakley.
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Retail and restaurants close to home
With three open-air shopping venues and a business district within walking distance from many Oakley homes, residents have all their major needs covered. Hyde Park Plaza is home to Kroger and Marshalls. At Oakley Station, residents can shop stores including Target, Meijer, At Home and Dollar Tree. In Oakley Square, the main business district located along Madison Road, great shopping awaits from local retailers such as King Arthur’s Court, a beloved toy store.
There is also no shortage of great local places to eat. Sleepy Bee Café has been voted the Best Breakfast in Cincinnati for several years in a row. For lunch, Oakley Kitchen is a colorful food hall that serves everything from vegan cuisine to pizza to cheesesteaks. Aglamesis Bro’s, a more than century-old sweets shop, is a local favorite, and has been featured nationally on the History Channel and the Food Network.
Find your next read at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Oakley.
Grab a drink at the popular Oakley Pub & Grill in Oakley.
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Community activities throughout the year
Of course, living in a major metropolitan area means there’s always something to do right in the neighborhood. One major hub for the community is MadTree Brewing, a 50,000-square-foot facility with indoor and outdoor seating that encompasses five acres — huge by city standards. The brewery was opened in 2017 by Oakley Community Council board committee member Kenny McNutt, and he’s turned it into a space where residents gather for more than a craft beer. “We host the farmers market here on weekends, we run flea markets and various other markets, so anything to be a community-oriented spot,” McNutt says. “Someone told me a while back — and it’s hard to recognize these things sometimes as the owner — but ‘people go to MadTree to see and be seen.’”
A few times a year, residents gather for the Oakley After Hours event series hosted by the Oakley Community Council. According to Groh, MadTree provides beer trucks, there’s live music from a band or two, and in the first few hours, there are many activities catering to kids, like face painting. One unique venue in the neighborhood is the 20th Century Theater, a revamped art-deco-style theater dating back to the 1940s. The theater hosts the annual Daddy-Daughter dance, a great night for families to make memories; Groh says the venue is also growing and starting to book more events for residents to enjoy.
The Oakley Recreation Complex basketball court.
the 20th Century Theater visual giving a nostalgic feel nearby Oakley.
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Walkable recreation in the neighborhood
The Wasson Way trail runs right along the southern edge of Oakley. Though still under development, the walking and biking trail currently extends 3.5 miles; upon completion, it will run for 6 miles total and connect Oakley residents to other neighborhoods across Cincinnati. Another exciting new amenity coming to the neighborhood is the Oakley Recreation Center, which is under construction. The finished $7 million facility will offer improved athletic courts for tennis, basketball, and pickleball, as well as an indoor gym and opportunities for youth camps and other programming.
Get some exercise on the scenic Wesson Way Trail that runs through Oakley.
Take a book from one of many Little Libraries scattered throughout Oakley.
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Oakley’s public school options
Groh recalls a time in Oakley when parents would leave the neighborhood once their kids came of age to start school. Now, the neighborhood kids are zoned to attend one of the best primary schools in the city. Students in Oakley can attend schools in the Cincinnati Public School District starting with the nearby Hyde Park School, which serves kindergarten through sixth graders and receives an overall A-minus grade from Niche. High schools in the district are not tied to students’ residential addresses, and thus, parents can apply via online lottery application to schools like Clark Montessori High School, the country’s first public Montessori high school. Niche gives the school an overall B grade.
Hyde Park School in Oakley received and A- on their Niche Overall Grade.
Clark Montessori High School in Oakley is famously the country's first public Montessori school.
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Getting around Oakley
The neighborhood is easy to walk, thanks to ongoing efforts by the Oakley Community Council to make the neighborhood safe and convenient for pedestrians. “Part of our master plan is to increase density and prioritize pedestrian safety, so we’ve added multiple crosswalks, added lighting to crosswalks, raised crosswalks — you name it,” McNutt says. In addition, local buses serve the area, so getting around without a car is doable. The ongoing construction of the Wasson Way trail, which runs through Oakley, is part of the city’s effort to make Cincinnati a more bikeable city. When it’s time to get out of town, residents can travel via Amtrak at Union Terminal, about 10 miles away, or the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, about 20 miles away.
Oakley has access to I-71 taking people to and from the city with convenience.
The GoMetro Bus offers transportation to and from Oakley.
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