My Life :: Going Home to Oakwood

A couple weeks ago I went home to visit my mom in my hometown of Oakwood, OH, and the weather was just so beautiful I couldn't help but snap some photos of the stunning fall foliage.  Over the years some of my friends' families have moved away, opting to move further south or to smaller homes, but I feel so lucky to still be able to go back to Oakwood every Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Oakwood is a small town right outside of Dayton, Ohio that was founded over 100 years ago.  It's claim to fame is that it was home to the Wright Brothers {their home - Hawthorn Hill - is open for tours two days a week}.  Oakwood's compact size makes it extremely walkable - no school buses are necessary as everyone is able to easily walk to and from school.  You can find nearly every style of architecture in Oakwood - Tudor, Dutch Colonial, Craftsman, Cape Cod, Italianate, and Victorian - and the city presents Beautification Awards to residents once a year {which my mom has very proudly been a recipient of}.

Oakwood is home to some fabulous boutiques - my favorites being Preen Apothecary, The Little Exchange, and my old place of employment - Gamine.  Lunch or afternoon high tea at Central Perc was a regular occurrence while for nicer occasions it was always dinner at The Oakwood Club or C'est Tout.  For a picnic, nothing beats the pint-sized Smith Gardens.  And of course, the infamous Dorothy Lane Market, which to this day is my absolute favorite grocery store on earth!  

On Saturday mornings in the summer there is a Farmer's Market two blocks from our house.  In the fall, the boulevards are decorated with scarecrows handmade by local organizations.  In December the city is lit up with thousands of luminarias illuminating the cold night sky.  Oakwood's biggest festival, 'That Day in May,' includes a parade, carnival, and various community events, and as a child was always one of my favorite days of the year.  Merchants know their customers by name and will be happy to give you a rain check if you forgot your wallet.  The small-size of Oakwood makes it nearly impossible not to run into someone every time you're out - usually wonderful unless it's one of those days you want to run to the grocery store in your sweat pants :)

Living in Oakwood has made me realize how important it is to me to live somewhere with a sense of community - a virtue which I will be very much looking for when Ryan and I decide to buy our first house.  It also has given me quite the soft spot for old homes and historic neighborhoods.  While no city or town is perfect - there is no place I'd have rather grown up than Oakwood <3