Moving from Clifton Park, NY to (Columbus Area) Ohio (Westerville: houses, neighborhoods)

[pattig30]

We are a family that moved from Suffolk County Long Island to Clifton Park, NY (near Albany) - we are considering moving to Hilliard/Dublin/Westerville OH - Job potential is in Hilliard, we have a sixth and second grader and want the best schools but don't want to feel like we have to keep up with the "Smiths & Jones" - any advise on areas to look at houses?

On a side note - any senior services in these ? Active senior Mom could move near us in a year.

Thanks

[NewToCA]

Boy, that is a tough combination to meet. I guess the best combo that I can think of is the Dublin area but east of the Scioto River. Specifically, I'm thinking about the area north of Hayden Rd and south of Dublin Granville if your home price is under $250 K, and the area north of Hard Rd and south of Summit View Rd, on the east side of Sawmill Rd. If over $250 K, the area further north on Sawmill may be appealing to you, as well as the area between Riverside Dr and Sawmill Rd on the north side of the beltway.

Dublin has a large Recreation Center, and last time I had seen the activities listing had some items for Senior Citizens (I'm not current so this may have changed).

Westerville and Hilliard can be a bit of a mixed bag on schools and area, so I guess that may be your best overall combination. You may want to take a look at Worthington too, that may be an even better choice for what you are seeking.

[bgfalcons86]

We live in the city limits of Hilliard and have been happy with both the community and the schools.

Having quality schools is where the three communities are similar. Dublin has the highest performance index scores, followed by Hilliard and then Westerville. Be advised (pattig30) that even in Dublin CSD, there is a range of test scores and socioeconomics (compare Daniel Wright to Deer Run) at the elementary school level. Of course, there is also a danger in putting too much emphasis on test scores.

On the upside, Dublin has amenities that are second to none. On the downside, the atmosphere can sometimes be a bit stifling. I'd suggest Upper Arlington over Dublin to someone looking for great schools in a wealthy community. UA doesn't seem to have the uptight feel that Dublin seems to have. We've got friends in both communities and I can say that some of it comes down to personal taste. Hilliard & Westerville (and Worthington, too) are much less about 'keeping up with the Joneses' than Dublin.

As far as Hilliard goes, you might check out some of the newer neighborhoods inside the city limits such as Brookfield Village ($225-$275K), River Landings ($235-$300K), Britton Farms ($265-$325K) and Hoffman Farms ($235-$425K).

pattig30...
NewToCA has already had some informative posts on Dublin/Hilliard on this forum that you might want to check out.

[NewToCA]

Thanks bgfalcon, and I agree with you about the Dublin uptight feeling. That is why I recommended the area on the east side of the Scioto.

I have found that the west side, especially around the two large golf areas of Muirfield and Tartan Field, are far more class conscious than the side east of the river.

[bgfalcons86]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

Thanks bgfalcon, and I agree with you about the Dublin uptight feeling. That is why I recommended the area on the east side of the Scioto.

I have found that the west side, especially around the two large golf areas of Muirfield and Tartan Field, are far more class conscious than the side east of the river.

I agree. I would say, though, that the schools in the Hilliard neighborhoods that I mentioned compare favorably with the schools in the Dublin neighborhoods that you mentioned (east side of Scioto). Below are the performance index scores from 2005-2006. Again, I would say, you have to be careful to put too much emphasis on test scores, but the comparison is interesting nonetheless.

Dublin (east of Scioto)...
Elementary / PI
Chapman 98.9
Olde Sawmill 98
Riverside 95.4
Wright 93.9
Indian Run 98.7
Thomas 101.9

Hilliard
Elementary / PI
Norwich 98.6 (Britton Farms & River Landings)
Ridgewood 106 (River Park & River Place)
Scioto Darby 102.8 (Brookfield Village)
Hoffman Trails 100.4 (Hoffman Farms)

Also, Hilliard Weaver MS (101.3) and Hilliard Heritage MS (101.3) compare favorably with Dublin Sells MS (99.8) and Dublin Davis MS (100.8).

Of note, Hilliard is going through another round of redistricting beginning this fall.