Near East Side

Deep-rooted history flourishes in the Old Sunnyside Farm Area. The near-eastside neighborhood, which lies north of the historic mansions on Jefferson Boulevard and stretches from Eddy Street to Greenlawn Avenue, was carved out of the Studebakers' Sunnyside Farm at the turn of the 20th century.  The east/west streets include Washington, LaSalle, Colfax and Devon Circle. The north/south streets were named for the Studebaker children Jacob, Esther and Harriet (later changed to Twyckenham).

A man who owns a house on LaSalle Avenue remembers his neighbors telling him the history of his home, right after he moved in.

"They started telling me stories about the house I was living in," he said. The history includes a bank president who played a baby grand at his back window and a University of Notre Dame economics professor who built a studio on top of the garage so his Swiss wife could pursue her art.

So it goes in the storied neighborhood, which includes the home of Joseph Casasanta, composer of "Notre Dame, Our Mother" and arranger of the "Notre Dame Victory March."
 
The area boasts a vast array of housing styles, including Renaissance Revival, French Eclectic, Free Classic, Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, English Cottage and Beaux-Arts, as well as simpler split-level and ranch-style homes.

When a family moved from northern Virginia in 2007, generous neighbors lavished the newcomers with gifts.

"We cannot get over the neighbors," said the mother of eight. "They're spoiling us. It's unbelievable, the outpouring of generosity from the neighbors."

The family bought the house partly because it is within walking distance of the father's work and some of the children's classes at Trinity School, which lies to the east of the neighborhood in a 1910 Beaux-Arts mansion built by the Studebakers.

"This is one of those neighborhoods that work well," said one homeowner on Washington Street. "Older people move out, younger people move in.

"It's such a popular area that houses sell by word of mouth," said an area Realtor. "The houses even stay in the family and they're handed down."

The neighborhood's mature trees, expansive lawns and boulevard-feel roads speak stability.

"It's a beautiful street," said a woman who has raised several children in their house on East Washington. "It has a certain stature to it. The bigger front lawns give you a feeling of a little more space."

The neighborhood attracts new families because it's close to so many features, including downtown jobs, hospitals, the University of Notre Dame, Indiana University South Bend and the retail areas on Ironwood Road and Mishawaka Avenue.
 
A University of Notre Dame professor lived in Granger for eight years before he moved to East Washington Street two years ago.

"Quite a few families have deliberately moved into the neighborhood from Granger," he said.  "There's a real sense that everybody made a conscious choice to come here. It adds some intentionality." Another neighbor says "There is an added bonus of being able to walk or bike to downtown jobs and amenities."

The neighborhood also includes Devon Circle, a collection of historic houses on a short street looping around a full-length landscaped median.

One Devon Circle homeowner has papers that trace the land back to the Martin van Buren presidency.  He said Devon Circle was carved out because the angle of Jefferson Street left too much distance south of Washington along Esther.

"It made sense to try to put a little circle in," he said. The land was platted in 1926, and his house was built in 1928.

Residents of the Old Sunnyside Farm Area appreciate it not only for its history, but for the people who live there.

"I love the neighborhood," said the owner of a home on LaSalle Street. "It's a great place to live. You've got good neighbors. We love the location. We're close enough to the center of town that we can get anywhere." Prices range from modest charm of $120,000 to extraordinary large homes selling in the $425,000 range.

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Department of Community & Economic Development
Division of Community Development
227 W. Jefferson Boulevard • Suite 1200 S
South Bend, IN  46601
574.235.9660 • Fax: 574.235.9469