| The Oregon District lies to the east of Downtown and is Dayton’s most complete neighborhood. It is know for two things: excellent architecture protected through a local historic district and a lively commercial district along 5th Ave that can be rowdy at times. The Oregon Historic District includes one of the earliest surviving combinations of commercial and residential architecture in Dayton ranging from 1820 to 1915. Many streets are also the original red brick. Yet there are still many areas the neighborhood needs to improve upon before it becomes a premiere district in the same category of other great Ohio urban neighborhoods like Ohio City, the Short North, and Over-the-Rhine. It needs a better variety of retail amenities especially a grocery store, more market rate rental housing, more population in general, and in-fill development along its north and eastern edges where there is still a fair amount of blighted or auto centric uses. |
URBAN STRENGTHS:
| * Pretty good bike infrastructure including several bike stations and a dedicated bike lane. * Great access to dwtn being just southeast of it. * Good racial diversity and pretty good economic diversity although high poverty rates around 40% live alongside upper middle class households. * Also good generational diversity with 45% family households and a nice mix of young adults, and boomers. * Good mix of for sale housing product with 2 & 3-bedrooms selling btwn 150K-350K. 4 bedrooms generally selling in the 300Ks. * Several public housing developments located in the Oregon District provided affordable housing in a good neighborhood. * Tree canopy is great in the residential portion of Oregon but pretty terrible in the north and eastern edges with most industrial uses. * Newcome Park is a nice historic park located in the heart of the Oregon District. Bomberger Park is located on the eastern edge of the district. Not much else park amenity wise. * Culturally the Oregon District has a nice array of restaurants, bars, cafes, several night clubs, a comedy club, walkable access to the Neon Indie Theater & Black Box Improv Theater in nearby districts. Many of Downtown’s cultural amenities are also walkable to the Oregon District. * Retail wise lots of boutiques and creative stores, a bookstore, post office, and walkable access to Dwtn’s retail amenities like the public library, drug store and banks. * Generally a pretty safe area but still blighted areas in the north and eastern edges. * No schools within the Oregon District but two excellent high schools within walking distance. Also several elementary schools in Downtown Dayton. |
URBAN WEAKNESSES:
| * Urban form not great in the eastern and north edges of the Oregon District. Hit or miss along Wayne Ave. Fair amount of industrial blight along the district’s northern edge. * Density is only so . * Rental product is a bit limited but nice mix of market and affordable. Market 1-bedrooms generally rent near or below $1,000 and 2 bedrooms in the low $1,000s. * No walkable supermarket, |
Evaluating our Urban Communities [with a focus on America] 