Oakdale (As the World Turns)
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Oakdale is the setting of the television soap opera As the World Turns.
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[edit] Location
For many years, the writers have been firm on placing the city in the state of Illinois. By all indications, the city is unrelated to a real Oakdale, Illinois. However, show creator Irna Phillips may have modeled her fictional hamlet after this city, due to the small size of both entities.
[edit] Size
Though Oakdale is usually depicted as a fairly small town, it nonetheless is apparently large enough to have its own airport, a television station, a luxury hotel, three major newspapers, a college, and its hospital is renowned enough to have attracted a number of world-class physcians and surgeons over the years.
In a 1960 episode of As the World Turns recently shown at The World of Soap Themes, several small skyscrapers could be seen through the window of Chris Hughes' law office, thus suggesting that at least as far back as that decade, Oakdale was a large enough place to have some sort of commercial district. The same view can be seen from a suite in the Lakeview Hotel.
[edit] Prominent Establishments
- The Lakeview Hotel: a luxury hotel, also houses a bar, restaurant and boutique.
- Java: the local coffeehouse
- Al's Diner: cheap burger-joint located across from the Oakdale Police Department
- Worldwide Interprises: Lucinda Walsh's large, publicly-traded company is headquartered in Oakdale.
- WOAK: the local television station was owned by Kim Hughes and Lily Snyder for years, until Lily sold her portion of the station in 2005 to BJ Green.
- The City Times: newspaper owned by Lucinda Walsh
- The Intruder: tabloid owned by Craig Montgomery
- Oakdale Memorial: the local hospital
- Oakdale Police Department: the local police force headquarters
- Groves Country Club: where the Oakdale's elite gather; formerly known as "The Oakdale Yacht Club" until 2002
- Crash: a local teen hangout
- Metro: chic club owned by Dusty Donovan and Craig Montgomery; located under Java
- Oakdale Latin: private high school for Oakdale's teens
- Oakdale University: an institution of higher education in Oakdale
- Barbara Ryan Originals (BRO): fashion line owned by Barbara Ryan until bought by Craig Montgomery for $1 through blackmail
- Fashions, Ltd.: boutique owned by Lisa Grimaldi; located in the Lakeview
- The Mona Lisa: restaurant owned by Lisa Grimaldi; still exists in theory but has not been seen or mentioned since 2001)
[edit] Fashion in Oakdale
Since the 1980s, Oakdale has had strong ties to the fashion industry, as designer Barbara Ryan headquartered her BRO line there. (Her daughter Jennifer Munson was also a designer for Street Jeans, part of Worldwide, before she died in July 2006.) Ryan's designs were showcased at Fashions, which she and Lisa Grimaldi founded in 1985 (Grimaldi is now the sole owner). Carly Tenney, another fairly well-known designer, also resides in Oakdale.
[edit] Most Frequently Visited Establishments
Other than in their homes, Oakdale citizens often pass their time at Al's Diner, Java, Memorial, the police station, the country club (especially in the summer at the pool), Crash, and the Lakeview.
[edit] Residential
The largest private residence in town is Fairwinds, which has had various owners over the years, but is currently owned by Craig Montgomery.
A few miles from town is the rural Luther's Corner, where Emma Snyder's farm and pond are located. Holden and Lily Snyder and their family reside on the farm. Also just outside of Oakdale is Milltown, where Jack and Carly Snyder live.
Katie Peretti's cottage is located in a rural area of Oakdale.
Tom and Margo Hughes, Bob and Kim Hughes, and Lucinda Walsh all have homes in Oakdale. Several resident have stayed in Lucinda's guest house.
Many Oakdale citizens take up residence at the Lakeview.
[edit] Public Offices
Until recently, Tom Hughes was the town's district attorney. Hal Munson served as chief of Oakdale's police department from the mid-1990s until his death in 2006.
