Neighborhood Spotlight: Walnut Ridge

The Walnut Ridge entrance is located along the east side of Battle Ridge Road in South Fayette Township.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

Walnut Ridge

Homeowner Association:

Walnut Ridge Garden Club

Management Company:

Community Management Advisors, Inc.

Number of Homes:

110

Home Type:

Single-family

Years Built:

2014–2019

Builders:

Ryan Homes and Heartland Homes (NVR, Inc.)

Streets:

Walnut Ridge Drive, Walnut Ridge Circle, Sweet Gum Court

Location:

East side of Battle Ridge Road

Private Amenities:

Common green space

HOA Top Issues of Interest:

Community involvement, safety, stormwater

Fun Fact:

A conservation agent relocated a family of beavers from a stormwater detention basin last fall, after the animals began felling trees and building a dam in the neighborhood's stormwater pond.

Most homes in the neighborhood are located along Walnut Ridge Circle.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

Kidtopia: Walnut Ridge offers plenty of space for children

Bigger homes inspire house hopping in South Fayette

By Andrea Iglar

Walnut Ridge is a utopia for kids.

The South Fayette neighborhood’s bigger homes and larger lots have attracted residents seeking more space for their growing families.

“One of my neighbors calls this neighborhood ‘kidtopia’ because there’s kids running around all over the place on their bikes and scooters,” said Josh Bryant, a board member of the Walnut Ridge Garden Club.

Six-year resident Dan D’Angelo, secretary of the homeowner association, said the spacious homes have created a community of children that have further enticed families to move in.

“That was a big reason that they chose to pick up and move and build was for all the kids that were in the neighborhood,” D’Angelo said.

All 110 single-family homes include at least four or five bedrooms. Property frontage and home lots are sizable.

Chris Riskus resides in a 4-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath house on Walnut Ridge Circle.

Photo courtesy of Chris Riskus

Chris Riskus, the homeowner board president, was surprised to notice some of his neighbors had relocated to Walnut Ridge not from other communities but from other parts of South Fayette itself: “I thought that was unheard of," he said.

One reason many families stay in the community when they upsize is to remain in the South Fayette School District.

Tom Harcarik said his family relocated to a four-bedroom home in Walnut Ridge when they outgrew their three-bedroom in The Berkshires, an adjacent South Fayette neighborhood. His children were able to stay in the school district.

Sam Darnley gives her son, Remington, 2, a cookie after drawing with chalk on their driveway pavement in May. She and her husband,Michael—who grew up in the Apple Ridge neighborhood of South Fayette—built in Walnut Ridge in 2015.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

Residents also enjoy the location and character and convenience of Walnut Ridge and the township in general.

Riskus and his girlfriend, who do not have children, built a house in Walnut Ridge three years ago largely because of highway access and easy commutes to Washington County.

“We kind of gravitated toward South Fayette,” he said. “It’s very convenient.”

Bryant, a resident since 2016, enjoys the natural setting and wildlife in Walnut Ridge.

“There’s trees and forest around us,” he said. “The green space is really nice.”

Ducks visit Josh Bryant's yard in Walnut Ridge.

Photo courtesy of Josh Bryant

Residents spot deer, ducks, coyotes, birds and turkeys—including Bob the Turkey, who likes to stand in the middle of the road and gobble at cars.

Most houses in the neighborhood are located along Walnut Ridge Circle, a 1-mile loop lined with sidewalks. A common area in the middle of the circle sometimes serves as a spot for gatherings, games and sled riding.

Most homes sit along the curve of Walnut Ridge Circle (foreground). Homes are generally larger than they are in The Berkshires (background).

Photo by Andrea Iglar

The neighborhood includes a diverse mix of cultures and ages, and a single access point on Battle Ridge Road helps make the neighborhood safe, D’Angelo said.

“All the sidewalks makes it nice for things like Halloween,” he said. “That one way in and out makes it seem a little private even though you’re off of Battle Ridge.”

Overall, Riskus said he enjoys living in a neighborhood full of kids and friends.

“It’s a nice walking community,” he said, “where you get to know your neighbors.”

A double rainbow arches over backyards in Walnut Ridge in May.

Photo courtesy of Josh Bryant