West Oak Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
West Oak Lane is a neighborhood
in the Northwest Philadelphia
section of Philadelphia. It is located between East Mount Airy, East Germantown, Cheltenham, Montgomery County, East Oak Lane, and Fern Rock. Ogontz Avenue runs generally north, then northwest as the spine of the neighborhood and the main business strip. The neighborhood was developed primarily between the early 1920s and late 1930s, with the areas near to Cedarbrook constructed after World War II. At the northeast corner of Limekiln Pike and Washington Lane was the site of the Cedar Park Inn, a historic tavern built in the early 19th century, which was torn down sometime after 1931 as the neighborhood was being fully developed.[2]
Although it was predominately caucasian from its inception until the mid-1960s, West Oak Lane is now one of Philadelphia's middle class African American communities. The area known as Ogontz is widely held to be a section of West Oak Lane. West Oak Lane is commonly referred to by teens with the acronym W.O.L. and Uptown.
Officer Charles Cassidy was shot by Jonathan Lewis at a Dunkin' Donuts
in West Oak Lane while on duty on October 31, 2007. His death caused an outpouring of grief and one of the biggest manhunts in Philadelphia history.
The West Oak Lane Jazz Festival has been occurring since 2003 in mid-June. [1]
The neighborhood has distinct architecture that separates it from surrounding neighborhoods. Along with larger and sometimes detached houses, West Oak Lane also has many tree-lined streets and small yards. In 2005, the 19126 and 19138 zip code
s, which contain West Oak Lane, had a median home sale price of $113,200. This was a 34% increase over the median price in 2004.
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
in the Northwest Philadelphia
Northwest Philadelphia
Northwest Philadelphia is a section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The official boundary is Stenton Avenue to the north, the Schuylkill river to the south, Spring Ln to the west, and Wister Street to the east. The area is divided by Wissahickon Creek into two subsections...
section of Philadelphia. It is located between East Mount Airy, East Germantown, Cheltenham, Montgomery County, East Oak Lane, and Fern Rock. Ogontz Avenue runs generally north, then northwest as the spine of the neighborhood and the main business strip. The neighborhood was developed primarily between the early 1920s and late 1930s, with the areas near to Cedarbrook constructed after World War II. At the northeast corner of Limekiln Pike and Washington Lane was the site of the Cedar Park Inn, a historic tavern built in the early 19th century, which was torn down sometime after 1931 as the neighborhood was being fully developed.[2]
Although it was predominately caucasian from its inception until the mid-1960s, West Oak Lane is now one of Philadelphia's middle class African American communities. The area known as Ogontz is widely held to be a section of West Oak Lane. West Oak Lane is commonly referred to by teens with the acronym W.O.L. and Uptown.
Officer Charles Cassidy was shot by Jonathan Lewis at a Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts is an international doughnut and coffee retailer founded in 1950 by William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts; it is now headquartered in Canton...
in West Oak Lane while on duty on October 31, 2007. His death caused an outpouring of grief and one of the biggest manhunts in Philadelphia history.
The West Oak Lane Jazz Festival has been occurring since 2003 in mid-June. [1]
The neighborhood has distinct architecture that separates it from surrounding neighborhoods. Along with larger and sometimes detached houses, West Oak Lane also has many tree-lined streets and small yards. In 2005, the 19126 and 19138 zip code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
s, which contain West Oak Lane, had a median home sale price of $113,200. This was a 34% increase over the median price in 2004.
External links
- West Oak Lane Jazz and Arts Festival
- West Oak Lane Redevelopment Area Plan, City Planning Commission, 2005