Moving to Mason - advice on neighborhoods? (Columbus, Cincinnati: for sale, rent)
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Hello Everyone! This is my first post but I am so impressed with how helpful everyone is on these boards so I finally decided to register. We are thinking of moving to Mason from Upper Arlington in the Columbus area. My husband works near Wright Patterson AFB and I have family in Hamilton. The commuting from Columbus is getting a bit too much for us. We dearly, dearly love Upper Arlington - especially the schools and tight-knit community feel and it will be very hard to leave. But, there are more important factors pulling us south...
We have one child, 5 years old. We prefer to be in a Cincinnati suburb rather than Dayton and Mason seems to be the best location and about as far south as we want to go given the daily commute to Fairborn. The schools and community seem terrific - although a bit larger than what we are used to here in UA.
For specific neighborhoods, we would love a more established community with reasonably large private lots. We want a great neighborhood for trick-or-treating, playing with friends, etc. - but would prefer a bit of privacy for the backyard (it has been a little bit of an issue where we are now). 300-350K price range would be ideal.
We are looking at Crooked Tree. I've heard some folks in Mason don't like to be north of Tylersville Rd due to traffic issues. Any opinions on Crooked Tree? We also see some nice listings in Lexington Park - any opinions on that subdivision? Last one I will throw out is White Blossom. Any opinions on that subdivision? Any others we should be checking? Thanks a million for any advice!!!
I know Crooked Tree well. It is a nice area. I would make sure that you stay out of Mason city if possible to help on taxes. But we to are buying in Mason....Deerfield Twp. and we are looking forward to our new house. Good luck on it. Also you can look out on 42 close to where 741 is. There is a neighborhoods called Ashton Falls. It would be close to 75 for you as well with the Tylersville traffic.
I would definitely recommend Crooked Tree. Why would you not want to be north of Tylersville, especially if there is a commute to near WPAFB? You already have a head start. Traffic issues, what traffic issues? If there are traffic issues they are primarily on the south side of Mason. Tylersville in Butler Co. near I-75 is rather a mess as is Mason Montgomery south through Deerfield Twp in Warren Co. down to I-71. This is the major traffic, not north of Tylersville.
Lexington Park is a good location and has some fine homes. I personally would avoid White Blossom simply because several homeowners there had issues with the builder and some went to suits due to sub-standard contruction, brick veneer falling of exteriors, etc. The location is convenient but I am not sure you will get the nice back yard you desire.
I also would look at Chestnut Hill but not sure if your price range available there. Also take a look at Avalon Trail off 741 for larger lots. It is a straight shoot up 741 to either Dayton or to Ohio 63 over to I-75 and then Dayton.
Hope you move to Mason and you will like it. Obviously I do, having been here 37 years now. I have the lot you would like, 1 acre, but am in an older section of town, more modest homes. A lot of bluehairs on my street, none of us going anywhere until they either take us out on a gurney or in a wheelchair to a nursing home.
If your spouse is working at WPAFB, you absolutely want to be West of Mason-Montgomery........and absolutely North of Tylersville......for easy access onto I-75. There's a new Liberty Exit off I-75 just North of Tylersville......that's the one you want to use to go to Dayton. There's some nice neighborhoods off Butler-Warren Road just north of Tylersville......and look around Bethany and Mason roads.
An addition to the Voice of America Park (VOA) is currently under construction.....and is close to the areas I recommended.
I would definitely recommend Crooked Tree. Why would you not want to be north of Tylersville, especially if there is a commute to near WPAFB? You already have a head start. Traffic issues, what traffic issues? If there are traffic issues they are primarily on the south side of Mason. Tylersville in Butler Co. near I-75 is rather a mess as is Mason Montgomery south through Deerfield Twp in Warren Co. down to I-71. This is the major traffic, not north of Tylersville.
Lexington Park is a good location and has some fine homes. I personally would avoid White Blossom simply because several homeowners there had issues with the builder and some went to suits due to sub-standard contruction, brick veneer falling of exteriors, etc. The location is convenient but I am not sure you will get the nice back yard you desire.
I also would look at Chestnut Hill but not sure if your price range available there. Also take a look at Avalon Trail off 741 for larger lots. It is a straight shoot up 741 to either Dayton or to Ohio 63 over to I-75 and then Dayton.
Hope you move to Mason and you will like it. Obviously I do, having been here 37 years now. I have the lot you would like, 1 acre, but am in an older section of town, more modest homes. A lot of bluehairs on my street, none of us going anywhere until they either take us out on a gurney or in a wheelchair to a nursing home.
Awesome - thank you so much!! Excellent advice and I really appreciate. Love the last comment - that is how many feel in UA and I am very hopeful we will feel the same way about Mason!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by flashes1
If your spouse is working at WPAFB, you absolutely want to be West of Mason-Montgomery........and absolutely North of Tylersville......for easy access onto I-75. There's a new Liberty Exit off I-75 just North of Tylersville......that's the one you want to use to go to Dayton. There's some nice neighborhoods off Butler-Warren Road just north of Tylersville......and look around Bethany and Mason roads.
An addition to the Voice of America Park (VOA) is currently under construction.....and is close to the areas I recommended.
Thank you!! Do you happen to know the names of any subdivisions in the areas you mentioned? Or street names so I can check for listings in that area? Thanks so very much!!! Very helpful!
Quote:
Originally Posted by BuxFam
Awesome - thank you so much!! Excellent advice and I really appreciate. Love the last comment - that is how many feel in UA and I am very hopeful we will feel the same way about Mason!!
Also, We heard some don't like to be north of Tylersville because of traffic getting back into central Mason - schools, perhaps? And even were told of one family that moved from Crooked Tree closer into town because of traffic... not sure if that makes sense but it sounded extreme and made us wonder how bad the traffic might be. I think the commute for my husband would be more of a consideration than for me to get into school or town... Thanks again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by flashes1
If your spouse is working at WPAFB, you absolutely want to be West of Mason-Montgomery........and absolutely North of Tylersville......for easy access onto I-75. There's a new Liberty Exit off I-75 just North of Tylersville......that's the one you want to use to go to Dayton. There's some nice neighborhoods off Butler-Warren Road just north of Tylersville......and look around Bethany and Mason roads.
An addition to the Voice of America Park (VOA) is currently under construction.....and is close to the areas I recommended.
I just did a zillow search to narrow down properties in that area - thanks again!!!!
Last edited by Yac; 11-30-2012 at 02:19 AM..
Reason: 4 posts in a row merged
Also, We heard some don't like to be north of Tylersville because of traffic getting back into central Mason - schools, perhaps? And even were told of one family that moved from Crooked Tree closer into town because of traffic... not sure if that makes sense but it sounded extreme and made us wonder how bad the traffic might be. I think the commute for my husband would be more of a consideration than for me to get into school or town... Thanks again!
Yes, I think where you want to live greatly depends on your travel patterns-----if you work anywhere South of Mason----such as Blue Ash or downtown Cinti, then yes......you absolutely don't want to live North of Tylersville (IMO).....because you have to fight a ton of traffic lights going south on Mason-Montgomery to get to I-71------and traffic is particularly bad going south on Mason-Montgomery around the Bethany and Main Street intersections.......however, I don't think this should be as large a concern because your husband is heading in the opposite direction towards Dayton. Your child will likely be in Mason Early Education School from Kindergarten-2nd grade and it's up near Bethany......and the middle and high schools are south of Tylersville....but I think you'll learn to circumvent bad traffic by the time they get to those schools.
Regarding specific streets/neighborhood-----give me until tomorrow----and I'll do some looking around google maps. When do you want to move?????? The housing stock in Mason right now in the $300-$500k range is very limited. If possible, I'd wait until Apirl/May for the selection to improve. I think your biggest challenge will be finding a home with a private back yard. They're around....but you have to look pretty hard.......unfortunately, most of the developers mowed down most of the old-growth trees when they built-up Mason.
I did have a friend that lived in Crooked Tree (I think it was this one). Is it the one about a mile North of Main Street on the West side of Mason-Montgomery? If so, I remember it being a really neat neighborhood........and the golf course is nice (by my standards at least).....and I think a lot of the homes had private back yards. This is a pretty good location for your husband to get on I-75.......but as I mentioned before, the traffic heading south on this part of Mason-Montgomery is cruddy until you get past down town. If you do get serious about a house there----I'd recommend driving around there at 5:30 pm to see what you think about the traffic.
The Early Childhood Center is on the north side of town, the closest major street being Hickory Woods Dr. Going south this turns into Mason Rd which it intersects and takes a few convoluted turns onto West Main and into downtown.
There is an elementary school south of Tylersville on Western Row road at Snider Rd. This handles half of the 2nd grade and all of the 3rd grade. It is the oldest building in the system.
The remainder of the schools are just north of Tylersville Rd off Mason Montgomery. There is the intermediate school which handles grades 4 thru 6th, a large school with currently a student population of 2600. Across Mason Montgomery Rd is the middle school, grades 7 thru 9th. This was the original HS but there is little original about it as it was rebuilt several times over the years during expansion. Further north on Mason Montgomery Rd is the current High School, grades 10 thru 12th. It is adjacent to the Mason Community Center and uniquely they share some facilities such as the olympic sized swimming pool. The Middle and HS also share other facilities as the Mason Comets football stadium is at the Middle School as well as the basketball fieldhouse. If you have good facilities why duplicate them simply because you have to expand?
Several of the streets north and west in Mason have been undergoing widening and expansion to help ease the traffic.
As far as the developers not caring and destroying all of the treed property in Mason, that is a crock. That property was farmland to begin with, there were no trees.
If I were to consider a house in Crooked Tree and needed to go to the Dayton area to work, this would be my route. Get on Mason Montgomery and go north to Hamilton Rd. Take a short jog east to OH 741, take 741 north to OH 63 and then west to I-75.
The Liberty Way interchange with I-75 just north of Tylersville which connects to Mason Rd is a decent alternative for now. But they are planning a very large shopping center on the Butler Co. side. The preliminary financing has been OKed. If this goes through to completion it will absolutely change the traffic situation in the whole area. For this reason alone I would avoid the extreme western portion of Mason next to Butler-Warren Rd and Liberty Twp definitely.
As far as Tylersville traffic, the portion in Mason is not that bad. Yes at peak hours it can get conjested. The major delays are the Butler Co portion at the I-75 interchange. In eastern Mason where I live Tylersville Rd is reasonable from the I-71 interchange to Route 42. I frequently travel it during the day and it is a breeze.
I still strongly suggest you look at Avalon Trails off OH 741. It is the east/north tip of Mason's boundaries. If you drive out there you will see quite a bit of undeveloped land nearby. A good percentage of this is owned by Mason and reserved for industrial park development. With the current economy the development has come slow. I do not look for it to explode anytime soon. The existing industrial parks within Mason have been very well planned and executed, very little impact on the surrounding residential areas other thasn help with the tax base.
The reason I am pushing Avalon Fields is the traffic consideration. OH 741 is not a highly used road. The greatest traffic is during the summer with people coming from the Dayton area to Kings Island. Amazingly we can tell the difference, particularly on weekends. It is a straight shoot north up 741, either all the way to Dayton or to Oh 63 and then west to I-75. Going south to Route 42 is short and then to downtown Mason, no significant traffic. If you stay on 741 until it becomes Kings Mill Rd out to I-71, you have a nice Kroger store for staples. You still have very little conjested traffic. If I could find a home in Avalon Fields I could afford, it would be my choice hands down.
Yes, I think where you want to live greatly depends on your travel patterns-----if you work anywhere South of Mason----such as Blue Ash or downtown Cinti, then yes......you absolutely don't want to live North of Tylersville (IMO).....because you have to fight a ton of traffic lights going south on Mason-Montgomery to get to I-71------and traffic is particularly bad going south on Mason-Montgomery around the Bethany and Main Street intersections.......however, I don't think this should be as large a concern because your husband is heading in the opposite direction towards Dayton. Your child will likely be in Mason Early Education School from Kindergarten-2nd grade and it's up near Bethany......and the middle and high schools are south of Tylersville....but I think you'll learn to circumvent bad traffic by the time they get to those schools.
Regarding specific streets/neighborhood-----give me until tomorrow----and I'll do some looking around google maps. When do you want to move?????? The housing stock in Mason right now in the $300-$500k range is very limited. If possible, I'd wait until Apirl/May for the selection to improve. I think your biggest challenge will be finding a home with a private back yard. They're around....but you have to look pretty hard.......unfortunately, most of the developers mowed down most of the old-growth trees when they built-up Mason.
I did have a friend that lived in Crooked Tree (I think it was this one). Is it the one about a mile North of Main Street on the West side of Mason-Montgomery? If so, I remember it being a really neat neighborhood........and the golf course is nice (by my standards at least).....and I think a lot of the homes had private back yards. This is a pretty good location for your husband to get on I-75.......but as I mentioned before, the traffic heading south on this part of Mason-Montgomery is cruddy until you get past down town. If you do get serious about a house there----I'd recommend driving around there at 5:30 pm to see what you think about the traffic.
WOW - what a great reply - thank you so much for your time and excellent information! I'll definitely take your advice on hanging out in the area at higher traffic times. I am not terribly familiar with the area yet but Crooked tree is North Mason, off Brewer Rd coming from Liberty Township. It seems like a great subdivision but have heard a few comments on the traffic from a realtor. But, if it's just me getting around time, and better from my husband with the Dayton commute - it is certainly going to be a contender! I'll look back for your post later! THANK YOU!!
Oh and I should have added...we would rather move in late Spring/early Summer to line up with the school year but our realtor seems to want to move a bit faster on this end due to high demand and low inventory. If we sell fast here - I have no idea what we will do!! I guess rent here to finish the school year - or down there to keep looking for the perfect home.
Last edited by Yac; 11-30-2012 at 02:19 AM..
Reason: 2 posts merged
I would definitely recommend Crooked Tree. Why would you not want to be north of Tylersville, especially if there is a commute to near WPAFB? You already have a head start. Traffic issues, what traffic issues? If there are traffic issues they are primarily on the south side of Mason. Tylersville in Butler Co. near I-75 is rather a mess as is Mason Montgomery south through Deerfield Twp in Warren Co. down to I-71. This is the major traffic, not north of Tylersville.
Lexington Park is a good location and has some fine homes. I personally would avoid White Blossom simply because several homeowners there had issues with the builder and some went to suits due to sub-standard contruction, brick veneer falling of exteriors, etc. The location is convenient but I am not sure you will get the nice back yard you desire.
I also would look at Chestnut Hill but not sure if your price range available there. Also take a look at Avalon Trail off 741 for larger lots. It is a straight shoot up 741 to either Dayton or to Ohio 63 over to I-75 and then Dayton.
Hope you move to Mason and you will like it. Obviously I do, having been here 37 years now. I have the lot you would like, 1 acre, but am in an older section of town, more modest homes. A lot of bluehairs on my street, none of us going anywhere until they either take us out on a gurney or in a wheelchair to a nursing home.
Hi there! Any thoughts on Birchwood Farms subdivision? Looks nice online...I am hopeful there will be more listings in the Spring but really afraid we will get an offer quickly here and not be ready to move yet!
The Early Childhood Center is on the north side of town, the closest major street being Hickory Woods Dr. Going south this turns into Mason Rd which it intersects and takes a few convoluted turns onto West Main and into downtown.
There is an elementary school south of Tylersville on Western Row road at Snider Rd. This handles half of the 2nd grade and all of the 3rd grade. It is the oldest building in the system.
The remainder of the schools are just north of Tylersville Rd off Mason Montgomery. There is the intermediate school which handles grades 4 thru 6th, a large school with currently a student population of 2600. Across Mason Montgomery Rd is the middle school, grades 7 thru 9th. This was the original HS but there is little original about it as it was rebuilt several times over the years during expansion. Further north on Mason Montgomery Rd is the current High School, grades 10 thru 12th. It is adjacent to the Mason Community Center and uniquely they share some facilities such as the olympic sized swimming pool. The Middle and HS also share other facilities as the Mason Comets football stadium is at the Middle School as well as the basketball fieldhouse. If you have good facilities why duplicate them simply because you have to expand?
Several of the streets north and west in Mason have been undergoing widening and expansion to help ease the traffic.
As far as the developers not caring and destroying all of the treed property in Mason, that is a crock. That property was farmland to begin with, there were no trees.
If I were to consider a house in Crooked Tree and needed to go to the Dayton area to work, this would be my route. Get on Mason Montgomery and go north to Hamilton Rd. Take a short jog east to OH 741, take 741 north to OH 63 and then west to I-75.
The Liberty Way interchange with I-75 just north of Tylersville which connects to Mason Rd is a decent alternative for now. But they are planning a very large shopping center on the Butler Co. side. The preliminary financing has been OKed. If this goes through to completion it will absolutely change the traffic situation in the whole area. For this reason alone I would avoid the extreme western portion of Mason next to Butler-Warren Rd and Liberty Twp definitely.
As far as Tylersville traffic, the portion in Mason is not that bad. Yes at peak hours it can get conjested. The major delays are the Butler Co portion at the I-75 interchange. In eastern Mason where I live Tylersville Rd is reasonable from the I-71 interchange to Route 42. I frequently travel it during the day and it is a breeze.
I still strongly suggest you look at Avalon Trails off OH 741. It is the east/north tip of Mason's boundaries. If you drive out there you will see quite a bit of undeveloped land nearby. A good percentage of this is owned by Mason and reserved for industrial park development. With the current economy the development has come slow. I do not look for it to explode anytime soon. The existing industrial parks within Mason have been very well planned and executed, very little impact on the surrounding residential areas other thasn help with the tax base.
The reason I am pushing Avalon Fields is the traffic consideration. OH 741 is not a highly used road. The greatest traffic is during the summer with people coming from the Dayton area to Kings Island. Amazingly we can tell the difference, particularly on weekends. It is a straight shoot north up 741, either all the way to Dayton or to Oh 63 and then west to I-75. Going south to Route 42 is short and then to downtown Mason, no significant traffic. If you stay on 741 until it becomes Kings Mill Rd out to I-71, you have a nice Kroger store for staples. You still have very little conjested traffic. If I could find a home in Avalon Fields I could afford, it would be my choice hands down.
Oh and we do like Avalon Fields quite a bit - drove through there last weekend. I think there was only one property for sale in there but will definitely keep it on our radar!
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