Oakley, Cincinnati facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oakley
Neighborhood of Cincinnati
Oakley Square
Location within Cincinnati
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Hamilton
City	Cincinnati
Elevation	600 ft (182.8 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	11,761
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	45209

Oakley is a lively neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. It's one of 52 neighborhoods in the city. You can find Oakley in the eastern part of Cincinnati. It shares borders with Pleasant Ridge, Madisonville, and Hyde Park. Oakley is an important road for getting across Cincinnati. It also has many shopping centers. In 2020, about 11,761 people lived here.

A Look Back: Oakley's History

How Oakley Began

Oakley started as a village in 1852. John William and Mary Schrimper opened a place called "The Four Mile House." It was a tavern, which is like an old-fashioned restaurant and inn. This spot was four miles from Cincinnati. People called the area "Four Mile" back then.

In 1866, a railroad was built near The Four Mile House. The train stop was named Schusterville. This name came from Colonel Paul Schuster. He owned a lot of land in that area.

Naming the Town

Around the same time, another farmer named John Wilson also planned out parts of his land. On May 30, 1869, Schuster's and Wilson's land plans were officially recorded. They were combined under the name "Oakley on East Walnut Hills."

The town got its name from Reverend Maurice Oakley. He was an early president of Xavier University. Back then, it was called St. Xavier College. Both Wilson and Schuster admired Reverend Oakley very much. The village officially became a town in 1898.

Growing Years: 1880s to 1940s

Oakley grew a lot in the 1880s and 1890s. The Oakley Park Race Track opened in 1888. It was famous for horse racing. But the track closed in 1907. This happened because a state law stopped betting. Also, not enough people were coming to the races.

The Cincinnati Milling Machine Company moved to Oakley in 1905. People often called it "the mill." Library services started in 1910. A small library station opened in a drug store.

Oakley became part of the city of Cincinnati in 1913. In the same year, a famous ice cream and candy shop opened. It was called Aglamesis Bro's Ice Cream Parlor and Candy Shoppe. It opened to serve the many workers at "the Mill."

Oakley Square and the Twentieth Century Theatre

Oakley Square is a green space in the middle of Oakley. It's also known as the Geier Esplanade. This park was created in 1927 and 1932. Land was bought and turned into this nice green area.

The Twentieth Century Theatre was built in 1941. It's a special building in Oakley. It has a tall 72-foot tower. In the early 1990s, the theater was old and almost torn down. But it was saved because it was important to history. Now, it's a place for concerts and other events.

Who Lives in Oakley: Demographics

In 2020, about 11,761 people lived in Oakley. There were 7,456 homes. Most people living there were White (82.0%). Other groups included Black or African American (7.4%) and Asian (3.8%). About 3.6% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

There were 6,561 households. A household is a group of people living together in one home. About 33.2% of these were families. More than half (52.3%) of all households were made up of single people.

About 11.2% of Oakley's population was under 18 years old. Most people (76.0%) were between 18 and 64 years old. About 12.8% were 65 or older. Slightly more than half (52.2%) of the people were female.

The average yearly income for a household in Oakley was about $76,568. This was from 2016 to 2020. Only a small number of families (1.5%) lived below the poverty line. About 70.5% of adults had a college degree or higher.

Shopping and Business: Oakley's Economy

Oakley has a main business area called Oakley Square. It's located along Madison Road. Besides Oakley Square, there are two other shopping centers. Hyde Park Plaza is on the south side of the neighborhood. The Center of Cincinnati is on the north side.

These shopping centers are built in areas that were already developed. They are easy to reach by car. They serve people from Oakley and nearby neighborhoods. Oakley Square is different. It's in the center of Oakley. Many bus routes go through it. This makes it easy to walk around and use public transportation there.

Fun Things to Do: Oakley's Culture

Oakley hosts a fun event called Oakley After Hours. It's a street festival that happens once a month. You can enjoy it from May through October.

Images for kids

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  St. Cecila Catholic Church in 2019

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  Oakley Branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

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  Typical residential street in the Oakley neighborhood