•

ave.,

•

LYNNE SCHREIBER
Special to the Jewish News

Prose

Oak Park real estate takes off
as Jews from all backgrounds, like
ennifer and Lowell Friedman, flock
to the amiable neighborhood.

6/8

2001

14

hen Lisa and Kevin Feber decided to move back to
Michigan, they knew they wanted to live in Oak Park.
They like the central location and proximity to high-
ways — Feber teaches kindergarten in Warren and her
husband is a urology resident at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. They
figured Oak Park would be more affordable than Huntington Woods,
where both grew up. And they were eager to experience Oak Park's dis-
tinct camaraderie among Jews of all denominations.
The Febers fell in love with a 1,800-square-foot 1947 Cape Cod and
immediately put in a bid. To their surprise, so did two other families —
and a third was considering it. The Febers had to pay more than the
asking price of $175,000 to get the house.
More and more young Jews are drawn to north Oak Park, the area
north of 10 Mile, between Coolidge and Greenfield, for the charming
bungalows that have plaster walls and rounded archways, built-ins and
wood floors.
Long an Orthodox stronghold in the Detroit area because of the easy
walk to 14 synagogues (mostly Orthodox), Oak Park is attracting Jews
of all affiliations. It is one of the best examples of camaraderie across
denominational borders, in part because of the cooperation and com-
mitment to the neighborhood that exists among the synagogues.
The Febers like the option of walking to either Temple Emanu-El or

Lynne Schreiber is a freelance writer who lives in Oak Park.