Posted April 29, 200718 yr Dayton fades into the distance… The wide-open spaces of the Mad River valley…. “This is the place” “I have seen the promised land” Home Depot big box, Fairborn water sphere, and Pentagon Park under construction Pentagon Park closer water sphere “Why we fight” ################################### Alpha Block of bungalows perhaps indicates this was an early commuter suburb, via interurban or Model T. 88888888888888 The New Suburban History…figuring out how to do suburbia in Knollwood (1920s - 1952) Bungalow and foursquare styles from the 1920s and maybe early 30s “Pearl Harbor Suburbia” from, say 1939 through WWII, perhaps some early postwar things too (and note the big lots. This area was either on individual house wells or had a private water system) Early ranches, including a Lustron home from the late 1940s ( note the cinderblock house next door …there are a number of CMU houses in this part of Beavercreek) Two types of streets…long straight street (with huge lots) in a prewar plat… …and a curved street with ranches, which is on an early postwar plat…we are in more generic postwar suburban space here. Suburbia as we know it has arrived. Early retail/commercial stuff. The shingled mansard is probably from the 1970s, underneath is a concrete block building with metal sash windows. Note the minimal on-street parking and two story arrangement. Not quite there yet for a shopping center. Next door a better example of the “stripped” taxpayer block in a suburban setting. Note the glass block windows. Very “in” in the later 30s and 1940s. And a true early postwar strip center (1950s?) The Grange Hall of Grange Hall Road, also done up in a stripped moderne style. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Postwar suburbia to the suburban frontier This development has some of the best designed spec housing in the Dayton area. A number of houses here are a cut above the usual developer tract mansion in terms of composition. Stonehill is one of the largest planned communities in Ohio, with a projected build-out in 20 years (the developers are in no hurry). The developers are the Nutters, of Nutter Center. This is a somewhat unusual development due to the open space system (not a golf course) worked into the plan, including a network of foot and bike paths. So it’s a bit better when it comes to site planning than a typical plat. The scenic road to Stonehill. We are 15 minutes east of downtown Dayton. Bits of the open space/path system Old barn converted into a sales office/community center Open space/path system inside the developed parts of the development Taking a walk on the path system Ending with a view over the Little Miami river valley….. …by now, Dayton is far away and long ago…
April 30, 200718 yr Beavercreek is really terra incognita to me as I am mostly south or donwtown. So this thread was sort of an personal exploration of a suburb I dont know much about. The place is actually rather pleasant, though there is no real "town" there aside from Alpha. The worst, or messiest, parts are the Fairfield Road/Dayton-Xenia road intersection, or along D-X road. The mall area is reall impressive, an almost California intensity to the development, with new things going up left and right and the bulldozers and scrapers chugging away. We really are not seeing this level of development south anymore (maybe when Austin Road is built). The mall area is all so new, built from scratch in the past 15 years. Yet this is all very much "planned" suburbia, not really that visually chaotic. Those older plats with the long streets and big lots are really nice, though the houses small by todays standards. And the maps I posted are a bit misleading as there is a lot of small farms and large lot ribbon development along the roads which makes Beavercreek seem more rustic that it is. Popping out into the open country beyond the plats (like on Kemp Road) is pretty exhilerating, though. The countryside or landscape is really quite nice. One can pick up on this from the pix...the rolling hills character and the wide valleys. Really pleasant. And I like what they are doing with that Stonehill development. The Nutters apparently control enough land there to make this place really have an impact on the landscape.
April 30, 200718 yr Nice work. As the guy from Beavercreek, I guess I should say something. The place is mostly inoffensive to me (it is home, after all), but the thing I don't like is that it's pretty much pure suburbia apart from Alpha, as mentioned above. A lot of other 'burbs at least formed around some town, which gives them some character. Beavercreek is just... blah.
April 30, 200718 yr Didn't know you went up the control tower. tsk tsk "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 1, 200718 yr A lot of other 'burbs at least formed around some town, which gives them some character. Beavercreek is just... blah. One would have thought Knollwood would have developed a sort of buisness district, and there was a "second Alpha" at Zimmerman, but Zimmerman just got overwhelmed by the sprawl at Fairfield and D-X Roads. Yet those big lots in the older plats...the place reminds me of some suburbs in Louisville, and California-style ranchette suburbs a bit (like Rio Linda near Sacramento). just...blah. For blah, really nothing in Dayton beats The Worlds Largest Community of All-Brick Homes. Huber is just relentless in its monotony. CDawg wouldn't vomit, he'd go comatose with bordeom.
May 3, 200718 yr Ah, Beavercreek. I have such a love hate relationship with the suburbs. There's no doubt they're pleasant. But they have none of the character the city does. And in Dayton, there's absolutely no need for them—the MSA isn't increasing. I can't believe the state Lofino Plaza is in. It would seem that some sort of stores would want to be in there. It's not a bad area at all. I'd bet that if it were spruced up a bit there'd be some willing takers.
May 3, 200718 yr Alpha looks quaint and charming, although I don't know if I could take the excitement of living there. Much of Beavercreek does look like the promised land, though -- where the developers promise paradise and then, bit-by-bit, create a new definition of living in hell.
Create an account or sign in to comment