Old Oaks Historic District: The Streetcar Suburb Southeast of German Village

Price range

$250,000-$400,000

Location

Southeast of German Village, east of Schumacher Place

Character

Grand streetcar suburb, tree-lined, residential

Old Oaks exists because of electricity.

Streetcar origins

When Columbus electrified its streetcar system in 1891, developers platted a new residential district along the lines, creating a suburb that middle and upper-class families could reach by rail. The result was a neighborhood of larger homes on wider lots than German Village, with mature oak trees that gave the district its name.

Becoming a historic district

The neighborhood became a historic district in 1986 after residents petitioned the city for the designation. Today, Old Oaks is considered the most intact of Columbus's turn-of-the-century streetcar-era neighborhoods, with homes that reflect the period's architectural ambition: larger footprints, wrap-around porches, and decorative woodwork that the more modest German Village cottages did not attempt.

Prices and the location trade-off

Home prices in Old Oaks range from $250,000 to $400,000, offering more house per dollar than German Village or Schumacher Place. The trade-off is location. Old Oaks sits further from German Village's commercial corridor and downtown Columbus, making it somewhat less walkable to the amenities that drive the Village's premium pricing.

Who Old Oaks suits

For buyers who prioritize interior space and architectural grandeur over walkability and nightlife access, Old Oaks represents one of the stronger values in Columbus's historic neighborhood inventory.

Comparing the areas around the Village? Browse the nearby neighborhoods hub, or see current German Village homes for sale.