Near East Side
Grand homes and great neighbors have long fostered the good life in the East Wayne Historic District, gateway to the broader Sunnymede neighborhood, east of Eddy Street and south of Jefferson Boulevard, which dates to the 1920s. The near-eastside development was built in a 19th-century suburban style, with curvilinear streets, park areas and plenty of trees. The English cottage, Craftsman, Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival and Renaissance Revival homes are constantly being restored, along with the community spirit, by new generations drawn to the deep-rooted district. Prices begin under $100,000, topping out at $400,000.
Read more about East Wayne Street
Grand homes and great neighbors have long fostered the good life in the East Wayne Historic District, gateway to the broader Sunnymede neighborhood, east of Eddy and south of Jefferson, which dates to the 1920s.
In 1925, architects Whitcomb and Keller platted the land, much of which had belonged to the Studebakers. They designed the neighborhood to attract professionals. It quickly became a fashionable area and home to local celebrities, including Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne.
The near-eastside development was built in a 19th-century suburban style, with curvilinear streets, park areas, and plenty of trees.
"I was the one who found the house here in the historic district," said one resident, who enjoys living in a historic home with her husband. "It's built like a rock – beautiful details. Gorgeous arched doorways, crown molding, nice trim, beautiful hand railings and banisters."
The English Cottage, Craftsman, Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival and Renaissance Revival homes are constantly being revived, along with the community spirit, by new generations drawn to the deep-rooted district.
"My motto was Give me plaster or give me dust,'" said a homeowner, who moved eight years ago from Indianapolis and spent a year restoring the Clare House, a contributing structure to the historic designation. An earlier owner had restored the house to single-family after a season as a boardinghouse.
"I walked in the front door and I knew – this is it!" she recalled. "We took down a bunch of walls. It still retains the historical character. Everything was custom. Every board had to be put in its place."
The historic designation, which governs the kinds of exterior changes that owners can make to the homes' appearance, ensures that the history will move forward into more generations, says a woman, who moved to the neighborhood in 1985.
"We've maintained our property values," she said. "You can sell very easily. Right now, it seems that a lot of the homebuyers are affiliated with Notre Dame. We've got a lot of new young families here."
Recently, she noticed families setting up flower-laden tables in one of the grassy parks that dot the neighborhood, part of the tree-lined, curved-street design where Wayne Street divides into North and South for a few blocks and rejoins.
"It's nice to see people using the island, and the children use it," she said.
A real estate agent, who moved into the neighborhood, agrees that sales come easy. Prices can range from just under $200,000 to about $400,000. He once found a note in his mailbox from someone coming to Notre Dame, asking if he'd be interested in selling.
"Most of my houses on Wayne, I don't even put a sign out," he said. "It's almost always the first choice. This is just like a little community."
A man from Boston caught the spirit when his family was looking at a house for sale.
"This neighborhood just has a magical feel to it," he said. "It's urban, but it feels very much a neighborhood."
