Westmoreland was made to house Toledo's upper class as they moved away from the Old West End.  I didn't cover the entire neighborhood, only about half I believe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great shots, some of the best houses in the city.

Interesting; I haven't found this neighborhood yet--Westmoreland must be part of a larger neighborhood.

Correct, it's part of Ottawa

 

http://www.geography.utoledo.edu/tault/ottawa_neighborhood_map.html

Oh, yes, Ottawa; that's a name I know.

If you are headed down Bancroft from UT's campus toward dt, Westmoreland starts after you pass St. Francis H.S. and the Gesu Church. It continues for a few blocks until Auburn Ave. - there is sign in pic at Auburn and Bancroft - it stretches down to Dorr St. (maybe a little bit south of that but not much.

Westmoreland might as well have been developed off some country roads in Monclova Township.  I love the houses, the photo's are great, but there is not a single drop of any retail activity or office developement near it.  Old Orchard I would say is nicer, but even there, there is no sense of community whereas it lacks a retail corridor.  There is 60's style big box surrounding the nieghborhood.  That is my only beef with Toledo, alot of the old quaint, cool housing neighborhood's that have alot of old money do not have any retail activity (Ottawa Hills, Old Orchard, Westmoreland).

Toledo's 'neighborhoods' really do tend to be subdivisions (especially the stuff built from the 20s onward) rather than stand alone neighborhoods with retail in each. Obviously these neighborhoods all feed into the Central/Monroe retail corridors.

Toledo's 'neighborhoods' really do tend to be subdivisions (especially the stuff built from the 20s onward) rather than stand alone neighborhoods with retail in each. Obviously these neighborhoods all feed into the Central/Monroe retail corridors.

 

Yeah, they do actually.  The only thing to really speak of around there is Geno's Pizza.  Actually, I have not been through there in a while.  There may be more in that area now.  I sometimes wonder, if I lived in Toledo, where would it be.  There really are some beautiful neighborhoods off Detroit in SOuth Toledo, Westmoreland, Old Orchard, but there is not much community feel to any of them.  If I had lot's of money, I would love to infuse tons of life into one of these areas.  Between Ottawa Hills, Old Orchard, and Westmoreland, Secor and Central, Bancroft and Secor, and across from the Ottowa golf coarse could be awesome retail and restaurant corridors.  As they stand now, they are kind of sleepy bedroom communities...some people like that.  There is something about the town that I love though.  Maybe it's because I went to college there, met my wife etc, and just have good memories of it. 

Looks cute.

I hear you C-Dawg.  I dont think the areas along Bancroft need to be loud noisy establishments for college students, rather leave that for Door Street cooridor.  The only problem with that is, when they built Corprus Christi Parish, by Catholic Diocese Law, beer, wine or liquor can not be poured and sold within a 1500 foot radius of the church grounds.  That pretty much makes Jakes Saloon on the East end, and BW-3 on the west end. 

 

I could totally see a nice development take place where the 5 Star grocery store is now.  That whole area can be demoed for a nice development.  Also, where the Blind Pig was could be a nice development.  The 5-star could be replaced with a Whole Foods as an anchor.

 

The only problem I see with Toledo is it seems like a one location destination store type of city.  And by that, I mean, if Whole Foods, Crate and Barrel, or any other higher end establishment wanted to locate to the area, it would look no further than Franklin Park.  It seems to be the magnet destination for the area.  It is such a hard city to pin point where exactly something hoigh end would succeed.  I really never see a particular area as the new emerging hot spot where empty nesters and yuppies are going.  Rather, I see established communities with old money.  Like it or not, Ottowa Hills, Old Orchard, westmoreland are the big money centers of Toledo.  I would have to assume, the intersection of Bancroft and Secor has to have more money surrounding it than any other intersection in Toledo, however, the intersection of Tallmadge and Monroe see's most of the development.  Granted, that is a short drive from old money areas, and it is surrounded by several middle class neighborhoods (Corry Woods, Lasky/Rambo, Tallmadge corridor, Eastern Sylvania).

franklin park is basically the center of gravity of toledo's money nabes.  old money to the south and southeast, new money to the west and northwest.  pretty much all the subdivisions west of corey road, which use it as an arterial, are ostentatious. 

 

speaking of higher end groceries, fresh market is coming to the redesigned westgate, filling a large vacancy next to stein mart.  then there's the andersons market on sylvania.  on a tangent, i must say that the westgate redevelopment was a missed opportunity for mixed-use property.  sears and elder beerman are no picnic either, unconnected in a mostly unfilled sea of asphalt.  there's also a large former supermarket across the street elder beerman that sits vacant.  long story short, westgate needs more stuff, and has the capacity for it.  unlike talmadge, secor has a full access interchange with 475. 

 

 

I think you are too negative on Westgate. For anyone coming from the south, Westgate was perfectly walkable. Now the stuff north of Central was craptastic, but access from the south on foot or bike was fine.

 

The challenge with the Elder-Beerman/Sears lot is that have to merchants that barely have their heads above water so they aren't about to drop serious money into that area. The city just needs to be ready to attack that area once those stores close - I'd say better than 50% on both. That could be a group parcel. The crap on the outlots is nothing worth saving - no, Uncle John's pancake is NOT worth saving.

 

It is unfortunate about the old Food Town. The movie theater fell through there too? Is that vacant these days?

Sure, I can walk to Westgate from Old Orchard in no time, but since redevelopment we now have 4 buildings in an asphalt sea, instead of one large L-shaped building.  The outlot building with Starbucks, Chipotle, and a cheapie chain hair salon faces with its BACK to Secor.  The only aspect that makes it more walkable is a sidewalk along a new "road" with public art pieces that connects Markway with the entrance to Sears/Elder-Beerman.  Since the entire previous structure was demo'ed, it'd be nicer to see something with more of a neighborhood feel, like rear parking.  I suppose market conditions are subpar for more housing in the area.  On Goddard it feels like there are more homes for sale or for rent than not.  Speaking of Sears and Elder-Beerman, I've only been inside E-B once and I only go to Sears to pay my Discover bill. 

 

Yes that movie theater is vacant too, as is the theater in front of Target on Monroe.  These were both replaced by a new 16 screen somewhere above the food court (or something) at Franklin Park.