As many of you now know, I’ve become obsessed with East Dallas since moving to Hollywood Heights. However, I occasionally venture out of my ‘hood and most recently went to the West Side.
Winnetka Heights, right west of Bishop Arts in North Oak Cliff, is a darling neighborhood that reminds me of ours. Originally included in the Midway Addition to the city of Oak Cliff in 1890, it was replatted as Winnetka Heights in 1908. Four prominent businessmen – L.A. Stemmons, TS. Miller, Jr., J.P. Blake, and R.S. Waldron developed the 50 square-block area as a prestigious suburb. Sales were brisk, with several millionaires building opulent Prairie-style homes in the first wave of construction. All four of the developers built their homes here, but only the J.P. Blake home at 401 North Rosemont (home of the Oak Cliff Society for the Fine Arts), and the TS. Miller home at 101 North Montclair remain today.
The end of World War II ushered in Winnetkas’ decline, as demand for housing forced many of the grand old homes to be cut up into apartments. Urban blight took its toll through the 1960s until young homeowners began buying and restoring these homes. Attracted to the extraordinary old architecture, low prices and in-town convenience, they sought to restore the area while seeking protective zoning as an historic district. The first Oak Cliff neighborhood to be rezoned, the Winnetka Heights Historic District was created by the city of Dallas in 1981. The neighborhood has a thriving neighborhood association – projects of the Winnetka Heights Neighborhood Association have included park and street beautification, installation of historic street lamps, code enforcement, and Christmas Candlelight home tours.
My friends who live in Winnetka Heights report they have a great, tight knit community and events for both adults and children. Think street festivals, happy hours, parades, you know…the fun, neighborly stuff. And Oddfellows and Tillman’s Roadhouse are down the street…need I say more? (West Side Side-Note: If you have not had the Ding Dong dessert from Oddfellows, please stop what you are doing now and get one. They are so delicious that my Hubster had one made into my birthday cake last year. You can thank me later.)
One darling (and updated) Study Craftsman-style bungalow currently on the market in Winnetka is 222 N Montclair Avenue.
Listed with Jeff Duffey & Associates at $309,000, it’s a 2 bed/2 bath, it has custom cabinets, stainless steel appliances, subway tile backsplash & granite counters in the kitchen.
The master bath was impressively renovated from the studs out in 2013.
The second bath is quite darling.
And…there’s a His & Her California Closet in master not bad for a 1,799 sq. ft. home originally built in 1925!
