Affectionately referred to as “a great neighborhood that enjoys the status of being a city,” the city of Bexley occupies a two and a half square mile region east of downtown Columbus. Bexley’s proximity to the downtown area combined with its highly reputable public school system makes Bexley an excellent place for families looking to settle in suburbia but maintain their propinquity to an urban lifestyle.

that was then

Officially founded in 1908 by a small group of forward thinkers, Bexley was initially ushered into the modern era in 1833 with the opening of the National road (now Bexley’s bustling Main Street), which connected Columbus to Zanesville. Bexley began the urbanization process in 1876 when Capital University moved from its Goodale park location to its current residency on Bexley’s Main Street, bringing in a population of professors and students who were eager to make the area their home. As part of their efforts to establish a community they formed the Pleasant Ridge Improvement association, designed to improve the area and to encourage residency. In 1908, the Jeffrey community, a group of well-to-do Columbus residents who had settled the nearby area now known as Bryden road petitioned to meet with the Pleasant Ridge Improvement Association in hopes to merge the two communities. In the summer of 1908 the two groups met at what is now the poster child for the Bexley community – the Jeffrey Mansion – and agreed to officially combine the two communities. The village of Bexley was voted into existence at a special council meeting held later that same summer, and continued to prosper, gaining city status on January 1, 1932. Today with a population of 14,000 residents, Bexley continues to be a thriving suburban center.

this is now

Today Bexley stands as a suburban ideal, with coffee shops, restaurants and local boutiques dotting its tree lined streets. Residents enjoy the safety and small town feel without the isolation that so often exists in suburbia. With two of the city’s best private schools and a top-notch public school system, Bexley continues to draw new families into its community.

Among other Bexley attractions is the city’s Drexel Theater. Built in 1937, it stands as one of the last remaining neighborhood theaters in the state, and plays foreign and independent films. Jeffrey Mansion, site of the historic meeting that ushered Bexley into existence, today serves as a community recreation center for residents of all ages, offering everything from summer camp to exercise classes for senior citizens.

tradition

Bexley is best known for its Fourth of July celebration, whose quaint charm inspired designer Kate Spade to create a ‘Bexley line’ in honor of the communities’ annual holiday tradition. The yearly celebration features the Midwest’s largest non-commercial, non-political parade during which residents gather curbside to watch the community floats and local high school marching bands with their friends and family. The parade is followed by a community cookout, starring the mayor’s hamburgers, and a five-mile run.