Reviving intown DeKalb community finds neighborhood spirit in old, new

H.M. Cauley - For the Journal-Constitution
Sunday, December 17, 2000

This older neighborhood in southwest Decatur is reviving as buyers who want to live closer to the city are investing time and money to renovate homes and restore the community.

Tim Dignam and Jennifer Hamborsky, with pet dog Lucy, are renovating a 1920's bungalow from top to bottom.

Cruise down the leaf-strewn streets of Oakhurst and it's easy to read the neighborhood's story. It's a tale of transition, told by bungalows with paint peeling off the walls and sagging roofs standing next to brightly shaded renovations, with sturdy porches and shiny windows.

It's shouted from the Dumpsters that take up the front yards of houses where new second floors are going up. It's hinted at by the purple and green flags, adorned with giant oak trees, fluttering proudly from many doorways.

This small southwestern corner of Decatur, crowded with Craftsman bungalows that date to the late 1920s, shows signs of improvement all around. Real estate agents and residents alike point to the current wave of buyers clamoring for close-in communities, where traffic and congestion give way to convenience and sidewalks.

Like its city neighborhoods farther west, Oakhurst is enjoying the attention of folks willing to fix up and clean up an aging area and restore some of the assets that made it a "real" neighborhood in the beginning.

"In Oakhurst, there are still good streets and bad streets," said real estate broker Margie Shine, whose firm, Peach State, specializes in neighborhood sales. "You'll see a renovation next to one with a tarp over the roof. For people moving back inside the Perimeter, the neighborhood's older homes have a lot of appeal."

And they're willing to pay top dollar for that appeal, too. Shine's own story about the explosion of Oakhurst's real estate market is typical.

"My first house was $66,000, and it's worth about $180,000 now," she said. "I moved here about seven years ago because it was affordable, and I saw the potential. But it was pretty rundown, and people thought I was nuts for moving over here. Back then, renovated houses were selling into the $80,000s."

Today, a renovated two-bedroom cottage sells in the low $200,000s; three-bedrooms with two baths have soared to almost $300,000.

Buyers willing to expend a little elbow grease can snag a deal in the $140,000 to $170,000 range. Those looking for the character of an older home without the headaches of an aging property are snapping up new houses builders have been filling in on empty lots.

Tim Dignam and Jennifer Hamborsky decided to tackle an Oakhurst renovation two years ago. The couple refinished the hardwood floors of their two-bedroom, two-bath Craftsman bungalow before moving in and are still taking on projects.

"The first time I saw the house, the roof was literally on the porch," said Hamborsky. "But the air conditioning had been done. We really lucked out -- we got it before a sign went up."

Inside the 1920s house, the couple found an original butler's pantry, original windows, plaster walls, coal fireplaces, 9-foot ceilings and original doors, complete with crystal doorknobs. Since moving in, they've added a staircase for the future second floor.

But it was Oakhurst's personality that drew the couple as much as the house.

"We were looking for a house with a good location," said Hamborsky. "We both work at the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), so this is extremely convenient. The (racial) diversity was another thing that drew us here, but that's (changing) as prices go up."

The blossoming business district at East Lake Drive and Oakview Road, with its bakery, coffee shop, art gallery, grocery store, a DeKalb police precinct and a handful of restaurants, also captured the couple's interest.

"There's a whole new initiative toward walking, like the old-time communities," said Hamborsky. "It's really nice during the summer, when a core group of us meet and have dinner together."

The community is coming together in other ways as well. Dignam, who received a grant to start a neighborhood newsletter, launched the first edition of the Oakhurst Leaflet in October.

The area recently acquired "Oakhurst" sign toppers for its street signs. And under the direction of incoming neighborhood association Co-President Brian McGonegal, residents will explore applying for historic designation.

"We're still a few more years behind places like East Atlanta," said McGonegal. "But we're pretty lucky. We've got Decatur right next door, and our own neighborhood here with its own neighborhood feel, a good mix of older and younger neighbors, and places where you can walk to dinner."

Brian McGonegal, incoming neighborhood association co-president, wants to explore having Oakhurst apply for historic designation. He cites the community's mix of older and younger neighbors. / JOEY IVANSCO / Staff

McGonegal moved to the neighborhood several months ago, after seeing signs that a transformation was taking place.

"I looked over here repeatedly," he said. "I definitely saw an influx of people coming in and renovating. And there's some infill going on. I actually bought a smaller house than I had before to be here."

Margo and Steve Tockerman came to Oakhurst as renters five years ago. Since then, most of the renters have moved on, making way for the families and renovators.

"The escalating price of houses has brought an entirely different group of people to the neighborhood, people who want to be close intown and are willing to pay for that," she said. "And there are tons of babies."

Tockerman, the outgoing head of the neighborhood association, said the group is largely social, hosting holiday dinners, a tree lighting in the park, summer picnics. And it's becoming more so as a new community spirit takes hold.

"It's one of the things we've always liked about Oakhurst," she said. "The people are still very friendly."

Right, Margo and Steve Tockerman and 6-month-old Jake first came to Oakhurst five years ago. They like Oakhurst's growing community spirit. / JOEY IVANSCO / Staff

Left, Anna Benefield, co-president of the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association, in her Yellow Dog art gallery in the neighborhood's lively business district. / JOEY IVANSCO / Staff

History

In the late 1920s, the neighborhood of Oakhurst was laid out along tree-lined streets in the southwest corner of Decatur. Like its Atlanta neighbors to the west in East Lake and Kirkwood, Oakhurst started as a commuter suburb, connected by streetcars. The housing stock was largely Craftsman bungalows, one-story cottages with front porches and two or three bedrooms.

For years, the centerpiece of the community was the original Scottish Rite Children's Hospital, designed by noted architect Neel Reid. When the hospital closed during the 1970s, the neighborhood's small commercial district declined. It has recently enjoyed a resurgence with the arrival of coffeehouses, restaurants and shops.

During the 1960s, a period of white flight changed the profile of the neighborhood. That trend has reversed during the 1990s, as buyers began picking up the close-in properties and renovating them, pushing prices into the $200,000 range.

Getting there

From downtown, take I-20 west to Moreland Avenue and go north. At Memorial Drive (Ga. 154), turn right. At Second Avenue, turn left; cross Oakview Road into the neighborhood.

Amenities

	Neighborhood parks
	Shopping district

Landmarks

	Oakhurst Presbyterian Church
	Fifth Avenue Elementary School
	Renfroe Middle School
	Agnes Scott College

Schools

Fifth Avenue Elementary, K-5; 404-370-4460

Enrollment, 154; student/teacher ratio, 9.7; Before-, after-school care: yes, yes; students in gifted program, 1.3 percent; total suspensions, 3; 88.8 percent subsidized lunch; ITBS grade-level equivalency: Grade 3, reading, 3; math, 3.7; language, 4.5; social studies, 3.6; science, 2.8; reference materials, 3.7; Grade 5, reading, 5.9; math, 6.4; language, 7.8; social studies, 5.9; science, 6.7; reference materials, 7.1.

Renfroe Middle School; 6-8; 404-370-4440

Enrollment, 571; student/teacher ratio, 6; students in gifted program, 26.3 percent; total suspensions, 412; 50.1 percent subsidized lunch; ITBS grade-level equivalency: Grade 8, reading, 9.8; math, 10.6; language, 11.1; social studies, 10.6; science, 10.2; reference materials, 10.4.

Decatur High; 9-12; 404-370-4420

Enrollment, 755; student/teacher ratio, 16.5; students in gifted program, 17.5 percent; dropout rate, 8.1 percent; 35.4 percent subsidized lunch; total suspensions, 589; three foreign languages; 5-AA athletic classification; SAT scores (college prep) 508 verbal, 502 math; percent passing graduation test on first round: 100 language, 91 math, 78 science, 83 social studies, 95 writing

Housing trends in ZIP code 30030 in DeKalb County

	Sales of new houses: 60, up 42.9 %
	Sales of existing houses: 679, up 1.3%
	Average sales price of new houses: $168,728, down 6.3%
	Average sales price of existing houses: $152,150, up 24.6% 1998 data

Source: Smart Numbers