Moving to Columbus for 5 months from Ireland with 4 kids - please help! (Upper Arlington: apartments)

[spolley]

We currently live in Ireland and are are going to be living in Columbus from end March to end August 2011. We desperately need help in trying to find somewhere to live and it's very hard at a distance. We need to live near OSU where my husband will be working, in a good school district for our young children (9,8,6,3), and in a safe middle class area that's suitable for families. We want to rent for 5 months a house/townhouse/apartment with minimum 3 bedrooms and would prefer if it was furnished. Can anyone please tell me where is the best area for us? Thanks so much

[wrightflyer]

I'd look around areas such as Upper Arlington or Worthington. Many of my professors and professional staff co-workers at OSU tend to live in these two suburbs. Clintonville (Columbus Public Schools) could be a cheaper option, but the schools may not be as good as UP's or Worthington's. In my opinion, they are still decent and provide a decent amount of diversity.

As far as finding a rental in these areas, I'd look for a realtor who specializes in relocations due to the fact that you will only be renting for 5 months. Most rentals want a 6 month or 1+year(s) contract, so that may be tricky. However, that is where the realtor should be helpful. They will even be able to pick out furnished properties. Good luck on the Trans-Atlantic move and that euro to dollar conversion rate should be a plus!

[lucy70]

I also will be living in columbus soon and work in OSU for 1 year.I am from China,I have a 9 years old boy,I am searching elementary school in upper arlington school district,you can search here:
Moderator cut: link removed, please read our terms of service

[shaneomac]

Upper Arlington, is close to OSU and will provide a great venue in terms of schools, and family living. The homes tend to have a lot of character, decent size lots, and are well renovated. This area also happens to be more affluent and not very diversified, think almost entirely white well-educated families.

Clintonville, is a popular home to many professors and grad students. You will also find a young more urban population who tend to have more bohemian minded lifestyle. The homes tend to be older but small and cute with front porches and decent sized yards. The schools are not quite as good as Upper Arlington. Also keep in mind a large population of gays live here. Which can be great if your looking to expose your children to diversity. Homes tend to be cheaper here then Upper Arlington.

Grandview, is the closest to both OSU and Downtown columbus compared with the above neighborhoods. It is very close to some great urban neighborhoods like Victorian Village and Short North which boast the best restaurants, bars, and art galleries. You will find a young population here, many grad and undergrad students. The schools here are actually quite good, and this has become a very desirable trendy neighborhood for singles and young families. Rents tend to be pretty reasonable but finding single family homes can be a challenge as most of the stock is condos and apartments.

Victorian Village, may be a good option. I lived here when I went to OSU. The southern part of campus going down neil ave actually runs right into Victorian Village, making it the closest. I use to walk to class daily down Niel Ave. This neighborhood tents to boast very large victorian homes with tree lined streets and an old neighborhood feel. It is extremely close to Short North and downtown. The downside is the cost of housing. single family homes here tend to be very large and expensive in terms of cost and the heating bills are quite expensive in winter. However it is possible to find some town homes and duplexes for a fairly reasonable rent. There is also some new housing stock that has been developed in the area. The schools, however, tend to be less affluent in terms of the other cummunities above, though they are very diversified and expose children to alot of different people and cultures.

Either way, I think you will find that Columbus is chalk full of great little communities and you will have no trouble finding an area close to campus that you will like and in terms of the neighborhoods mentioned I dont really think you could go wrong with any of them, just a matter of what you prefer.

[buckeyehayes]

Upper Arlington is becoming for diversified - I grew up there. The schools are highly rated. 6 elementary schools feed into 2 middle schools which feed into 1 high school. There are also many private schools in Columbus including Columbus catholic schools and many Christian schools. I lived in Victorian Village and did not see very many children but there is a very large park there called Goodale park. If you were to live there your kids would have to go to a private school due to it being in the Columbus Public School district