Neighborhood Spotlight: Forest Ridge

Neighborhood Spotlight: Forest Ridge

Homeowner Association:

Forest Ridge Garden Club Association, Inc.

Built:

2000-2007

Number of Homes:

129

Home Type:

Single-family

Builder:

Ryan Homes

HOA Top Issues of Interest:

Block Parties, Safety, Stormwater & Ponds

Location:

Former 90-acre Obreza family cattle and hay farm along Old Oakdale Road

Streets:

Sunridge Drive, Forest Ridge Drive, Forest Edge Drive, Forest Glen Court, Forest View Drive, Terrace View Drive, part of Old Oakdale Road

Fun Fact:

The only two stop signs on Old Oakdale Road (besides at either end) are for the two entrances to Forest Ridge. One entrance serves Sunridge Drive, and the other serves the rest of the internal streets. Most homes on Old Oakdale Road between the stop signs belong to Forest Ridge.

A stop sign and road sign on Old Oakdale Road mark one of the entrances to Forest Ridge.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

Block party and social events connect diverse neighborhood

Forest Ridge residents share food, music, culture and conversation

Forest Ridge entrance sign

Story & photos by Andrea Iglar

Mandi Kumar moved to Forest Ridge in South Fayette during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when neighbors were keeping to themselves.

Although the isolation was understandable in 2020, Kumar missed the atmosphere of her native Missouri neighborhood, where kids constantly played at each other’s houses and adults got together for card games and parties.

Social committee head Mandi Kumar greets neighbors Sucheta and Vinny Moghe.

To help connect people and bridge cultures in Forest Ridge, Kumar launched a social committee of the homeowner association, and volunteers in June held their second annual block party.

“We’re trying to get our neighborhood vibe back,” said Kumar, who is secretary of the Forest Ridge Garden Club Association.

Children play in a yard next to the Terrace View Drive cul-de-sac.

As the golden hour approached on a Sunday evening, more than 80 adults, teenagers and children gathered in the Terrace View Drive cul-de-sac to enjoy refreshments, listen to live music, play yard games and chat with neighbors.

Residents hailed from all over the country and world.

Homeowner association treasurer Li Huang and his wife, Qian Hao, were one of the first Chinese families to move into Forest Ridge in 2012. Their children, ages 7 and 9, go to the South Fayette School District just a mile away.

“I love my neighborhood,” Huang said. “Everyone’s so nice. It’s a very diverse neighborhood. Very quiet, very safe.”

Qian Hao and Li Huang relax with Chris Cunningham while Lucius Cunningham pets Sunny.

Sucheta and Vinny Moghe, who were born in India and have lived in South Fayette since 2007, are self-described empty nesters but plan to stay in their single-family home in Forest Ridge.

“We like the community, and we have lots of friends here,” Vinny Moghe said. “They can come and join us and they get exposed to Indian culture, and we also go to their parties.”

For example, the Moghes invite their neighbors to Diwali celebrations, and they go to their friends' place for Thanksgiving.

Forest Ridge neighbors socialize and listen to music.

At the block party, the homeowner group provided meat and vegetarian options for grilling, and neighbors supplied potluck dishes. Musician Juan Vasquez set up a tent and speakers in his driveway to sing and strum acoustic guitar. People played games, painted faces and pet dogs.

Sarah Logan, 17, and neighbor Bailey Cunningham pause for a pose.

Jean Nagy and her husband, Chris, moved to Forest Ridge 21 years ago and were among the first dozen homebuyers. They built on the east side of Old Oakdale Road, drawn by the natural setting of trees, ridges, valleys and farmland. Initial homeowners were close-knit, but neighbors drifted apart over the years.

Now, the social events are helping make Forest Ridge a community where people know each other by their first names, Nagy said.

“Mandi is doing a fabulous job trying to bring us together,” she said. “I like that they’re incorporating all of the cultures of the people who live here.”

Adult volunteers help kids with face painting and stencils.

The social committee also has organized Easter egg hunts and holiday house decorating contests. Kumar—whose husband, Dhiraj, is from India—is planning a Diwali luminary display this fall.

Other social committee members are Becky Mitchell, Nicole Kelly, Megan Meyer and Ashley Stephens.

“We all desire to bring everyone together and provide opportunities for all cultures, seasons of life and different ages of kids,” Stephens said.