Oxford's The Place Where Folks Who Couldn't "Get I
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12/28/2010
Oxford's downtown rivals that of Rochester, Plymouth and other area, small, "quaint" downtowns. The village is managed efficiently by a group of caring, hard-working people. The police dept. is 2nd to none. Historical commercial buildings line the 1-block-in-either-direction main corner, with a plethora of them being eateries. The immediate downtown residential areas are, however, less than desireable, with only a few of the limited number of original "mansions" commanding any respect. Concerts in the park during the Summer plus a number of festivals throughout the year are well-organized and encourage a vital downtown. The surrounding area comprising Oxford Township is a whole other matter, however. The Township is rampant with conservative head-in-the-sand NIMBYs who detest any sign of progress, often deferring building project applicants to the courts, who then are given consent judgments, thus taking the molding ability of future projects out of the hands of those who would most likely be affected by it. The ignorance and short-sightedness of the Township government is almost embarrassing. Their claim to idiocy peaked a few years ago when they "magically" came up with almost $2 million as our economy showed signs of crumbling, in order to build a new Township Hall, which houses all of about 5 full time people.
When you traverse between the cities of Oxford and Rochester and experience the cultures in each, you will quickly identify the inclination that Oxford seems to have accomodated residents that "couldn't get in" to Rochester.
The big bonus of this area, though, is the number of lakes that abound. Many beautiful homesites are situated on the banks of private and public bodies of water, most yielding to all-sports opportunities.
Bottom line: If you can afford the commuting time by wanting to live in N. Oakland County and don't care about waterfront or lakes accessibility, live in Rochester. If it's water you want (and don't mind the brain-numbing conservatism of the Township), Oxford is waiting for you.
Bp | Oxford, MI