Oakdale (As the World Turns)

Oakdale is the setting of the television soap opera As the World Turns.

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. A 2006 episode revealed Oakdale to be in the exact spot of Peoria. However, Peoria is also mentioned as being a real city on the show. In 2007, Oakdale was paradoxically stated as being in Lee County, Illinois.

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, and a university, and its hospital is renowned enough to have attracted a number of world-class physicians 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.

Prominent Establishments

• The Lakeview is a luxury hotel which also houses a bar, restaurant, and boutique. Current residents include Henry Coleman, Vienna Hyatt, Dusty Donovan, Barbara Ryan, Dr. Chris Hughes, Emily Stewart, Meg Montgomery, and Craig Montgomery. It is owned by Lisa Grimaldi and Lily Snyder and current employees include Gwen Munson and Aaron Snyder.

• Wagon Wheel Motel is where people who cannot afford the Lakeview stay. Recent occupants include Cleo Babbitt and Sofie Duran.

• WOAK-TV is the local television station which is owned by Kim Hughes. Katie Peretti and Brad Snyder host the local talk show Oakdale Now. Luke Snyder and Noah Mayer are interns at the studio.

• Old Town is a collection of restaurants and shops including Al's Diner, Java, Fashions, Ltd., a dance studio where Faith Snyder took lessons, a bookstore where Will Munson works, a jewelry store, and an ice cream parlor.

*Al's Diner is a cheap burger joint which moved to Old Town in autumn 2007. Current employees include Alison Stewart. The current owners are Henry Coleman and Vienna Hyatt since Henry won the restaurant during a poker game with Bart "Al" Albertini on August 16 2007.

*Fashions, Ltd. is a boutique owned by Lisa Grimaldi. The store recently moved to Old Town in December 2007 taking the place of The Black Duck restaurant.

*Java is the local coffeehouse. It moved to Old Town during December 2007.

• Oakdale Memorial is the local hospital with current Chief of Staff Dr. Bob Hughes, interim Chief of Staff Dr. Chris Hughes, and Dr. Susan Stewart on duty. Also employed by the hospital is the genetics lab technician Eli King and biological researcher Evan Walsh.

• Oakdale Police Department is the local police force headquarters with Lt. Margo Hughes, Det. Jack Snyder, and Officer Dallas Griffin.

• Worldwide/Montgomery Enterprises is Lucinda Walsh's former large, publicly-traded company, headquartered in Oakdale -- now owned by Meg Montgomery with help from Craig Montgomery since July 2007.

• The City Times is the daily newspaper owned by Lucinda Walsh.

• The Intruder is the local tabloid co-owned by Emily Stewart and Dusty Donovan.

• Yo's is a local bar. |Lt. Hal Munson's memorial was held here in 2006.

• Mabel's is a local restaurant famous for its Red Hots. It is owned by Lisa Grimaldi. The teen club called Crash was behind Mabel's for a couple of years but has now disappeared.

• Luther's Corner's Church is where many special events occur; most recently the wedding Craig Montgomery and Meg Montgomery.

• Oakdale Latin is a private high school for Oakdale's teens.

• Oakdale University is an institution of higher education in Oakdale; includes on-campus dorm rooms. Current students include Gwen Munson, Will Munson, Luke Snyder, Noah Mayer, and Elwood Hoffman.

• Barbara Ryan Originals (BRO) is a fashion line by Barbara Ryan.

• Oakdale International Airport is the airport that everyone comes and goes from. Previous destinations include San Francisco, Montega, Malta, Montana, Seattle, The Dominican Republic, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Bermuda, etc.

• The Groves Country Club is complete with a pool and dining area. It has not been seen since summer 2005.

• The Mona Lisa is a restaurant owned by Lisa Grimaldi; still exists in theory but has not been seen or mentioned since February 2002.

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 Donovan 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.

Residential

Fairwinds, a mansion owned by Rosanna Cabot and Paul Ryan.

Luther's Corners, where Emma Snyder's farm and pond are located. Brad Snyder, Jack Snyder, Holden Snyder, Luke Snyder, Faith Snyder, Natalie Snyder, Parker Snyder, J.J. Snyder, Sage Snyder, and Noah Mayer are among the current farm residents. The farm was originally stated to be eleven miles outside of Oakdale, but now it is seemingly closer.

Milltown, outside of Oakdale, where Carly Tenney currently lives.

Tom & Margo Hughes, Bob & Kim Hughes, Lily Snyder, Susan Stewart and Lucinda Walsh also have homes in Oakdale. Several residents have stayed in Lucinda's guest house.

Many Oakdale citizens take up residence at the Lakeview.

Public Offices

Until recently, Tom Hughes was the town's district attorney. (Jessica Griffin and T. Marshall Travers have also served as D.A. in the past.)

Hal Munson served as Oakdale's Chief of Detectives from the mid-1990s until his death in October 2006. Margo Hughes was sworn in as Oakdale's new chief of detectives in February 2007.

Oakdale's current mayor is female Mayor Winson, who was seen in February 2007.

See also

• As the World Turns