Thirteen years ago after 4 years of renting in Olde Towne East, we began our first home search. We wanted a property we could put a bit of our stamp on, and with the high ceilings, large rooms, and the character our apartment had. I also wanted to stay in the central city area, close to amenities. After searching many central city neighborhoods we stumbled upon Hawthorn Park, a street with a boulevard in the middle (actually the small city park of Hawthorn Park) surrounded by 11 large distinctive homes just north of Franklin Park and the Conservatory.
An unusual home with an eclectic architecture and a large lot was for sale and we fell in love. Built in 1906, it had always been a single family home, as is the case with most of the homes in Woodland Park. Sure it needed updating, but it looked manageable. The 1/2 acre lot gave the space to garden and the large mature trees reminded me of the wooded lot I has grown up on.
We soon found out that the street is in the Woodland Park neighborhood which boasts many amenities we enjoy. Our neighborhood boundaries encompass the area from Broad Street on the south (along Franklin Park) to Maryland Avenue on the north (along I-670), Taylor Avenue on the west (near OSU Hospital East) and to the Norfolk & Western Railroad track on the east (near Nelson Road).
Built at the turn of the last century as the northern neighborhood adjacent to Franklin Park the area is filled with unique architecture styles including Queen Anne, Arts and Crafts, Tudor, and Dutch Colonial, which range in size from the coziest bungalow to high-rise condominium, to the grandest of mansions, Woodland Park has a great diversity of both home styles and residents.
A branch of the YMCA and Columbus Metropolitan Library are located within Woodland Park. Nearby parks include 89 acre Franklin, Wolf (with great tennis courts) and Nelson. The Alum Creek Bike Trail is just a couple of blocks away and is a wonderful escape to the country. All of this and still within a central city setting minutes from the Short North, Airport, Easton, Bexley and Downtown Columbus.
Woodland Park has had and has many famous residents that have called it home over the years- Artist Emerson Burkhart, Dispatch Cartoonist Billy Ireland (namesake of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library at the OSU), artist Leland McLelland, the Nesser family (members of Columbus’s professional football team the Panhandles) and Judge William Brooks who was the first African American on the municipal court. Olympians, Columbus City Leaders, and members of the 1960 OSU National Champion Basketball team have also called Woodland Park home.
So come be my neighbor!
And now, the homes:
House #8 – For Sale by Owner. Call 614-361-3145 for more information. Currently not habitable.
Be My Neighbor is a series showcasing what your money can buy in different neighborhoods in Columbus. This is not professional advice and there is no financial incentive for us if these homes are purchased. We just want to showcase our great neighborhoods and the homes that are in them. All information was accurate to the best of our knowledge at time of publishing. If you are house hunting, good luck to you!