We have found the perfect neighborhood setting for our Bellevue Cottages--Oak Park, a close-in Richmond neighborhood just off of Huguenot Road. (Visit the Oak Park website here.)
Oak Park has many features that jump out at even the casual visitor. First, the neighborhood features both sidewalks and street trees, a design that is typical in many older cherished neighborhoods but is rarely found today due to cost considerations. However, we believe that without literal common ground--in this case, the sidewalks that neighbors can share on their evening walks--it is harder for neighbors to actually be neighborly.
Great neighborhoods of the past mastered the creation of three types of spaces: public, private (inside your house, in your backyard), and "in-between", often represented by a picket-fenced front yard or a deep porch. Oak Park's designers have emulated these neighborhoods by creating similar "in-between" spaces that provide homeowners with the opportunity to be neighborly while preserving the option to keep to oneself and simply observe.
A couple of additional points about Oak Park. Garages are relegated to a secondary role here, pushed to the back of the lot and in some cases served by alley. We've found that many modern house designs are dominated by their large garage doors and aren't as lovable as they might be--not a problem here at Oak Park. Finally, the quality of exterior materials here is obvious. Like the homes in the great old neighborhoods Oak Park uses as a model, these homes are built to last, and the neighborhood will only look better over time.
Please take a drive around Oak Park and see why we are excited to build your future home here.
Image: One of Oak Park's existing cottages.
