Need Help Relo from Maryland (Columbus, Upper Arlington: section 8, apartment complex, lofts)

[Terpfan]

Hello All-

I believe that I have read every post that is currently posted for Columbus. I understand that each and everyone that posts has varying opinions. I am hoping for a little direction that can hopefully help guide my family and I on an area to live around Columbus.

I currently live in an Upper Middle Class area between Balto/Wash, DC. If anyone is familiar with area we live in Ellicott City, MD. If any area is similar to this area pls let me know. The school systems here are phenomenal. Here is what we are looking for:

My wife and I are in our mid 30's with 2 school-aged children. Top school district a must. Younger neighborhood/area with professionals that are roughly same age. Our budget allows us to spend between 800-850K on a house.

We are leaning toward Powell our Dublin, however, the more research I do the more confused I become. I have read alot of posts regarding Galena, Upper Arl, New Albany, etc... Commuting not major problem, however, don't want to live out as far as Pickerington.

Long post, but can anyone help us?

[NewToCA]

Dublin, Powell, Upper Arlington and New Albany are all good choices. Upper Arlington is a bit of an older inner suburb, much like Bethesda. Powell is a bit more country than the others, meaning it tends to have larger lots for the homes, frequently 1/2 acre or more, probably a bit comparable to Spencerville or Potomac. Dublin is the most mixed of the listed suburbs, having homes ranging from the upper $200s to the low $ millions, and tends to be the most country clubbish of all of the suburbs. Golf is a BIG DEAL in Dublin. New Albany has the tightest architectural control, with a huge inventory of all brick Georgian style colonial homes.

All have great schools, and good access to decent shopping (for Columbus). Upper level shopping you see in metro DC is very limited in Columbus, Macy's is about as top end as you get for shopping (a comparatively small Nordstrom Dept Store is located in Easton Shopping Center near New Albany. Be aware, on a $750 K home you probably will have a property tax bill in the range of $14-$17 K in any of these suburbs. Ohio cities have an income tax, similar to the county taxes existing in Md.

Best of luck, none of the choices are bad.

[DonnaTate]

You might want to consider Grandview, great schools and very safe. I'm considering moving there myself.
The thing I HATE about Columbus is the fact that everything is hit or miss. I found a house that was just a few blocks from German Village (a highly sought after neighborhood downtown) but it was in the middle of the ghetto, just a few blocks can make a world of difference.
New Albany is where I live. It's very Pleasantville-like, if you have small children it's great because it's quiet there. There's nothing to do, but it looks very beautiful (everything is absolutely perfect, nothing out of place). Once your children hit the teenage years, they may not like it there simply because there'd be nowhere for them to hang out.
Worthington might be a good place to check out. You'll be able to get larger lot sizes, some measuring in the acreage. It's a pretty nice place, and in the price range you're looking - safety won't be an issue most anywhere.
If you like Dublin, it's even moreso hit or miss than most of the other places. You've got section 8 homes and million $ homes. There's a great new country club that just opened, Corazon Club & Spa. There are some great houses in that area & it's not too far from 161 so highway travel will be easier if commuting is necessary.
I also really like Short North and Italian Village, but being downtown has advantages and disadvantages. You might not have the best schools to choose from, but there's always open enrollment. You could also do what a lot of people in Columbus are doing - spend a little less on the house and opt for private schools.
Good luck on taxes though. Any area of town you're looking to live based on your price range will leave you paying through the nose in taxes. Some places downtown (lofts, condos, etc) are offering tax-free living for 10 years, that might be something to consider as well.

[quarismatic]

Originally Posted by Terpfan

Hello All-

I currently live in an Upper Middle Class area between Balto/Wash, DC. If anyone is familiar with area we live in Ellicott City, MD. If any area is similar to this area pls let me know. The school systems here are phenomenal. Here is what we are looking for:

My wife and I are in our mid 30's with 2 school-aged children. Top school district a must. Younger neighborhood/area with professionals that are roughly same age. Our budget allows us to spend between 800-850K on a house.

We are leaning toward Powell our Dublin, however, the more research I do the more confused I become. I have read alot of posts regarding Galena, Upper Arl, New Albany, etc... Commuting not major problem, however, don't want to live out as far as Pickerington.

Long post, but can anyone help us?

Dublin has excellent schools BUT...
New Albany schools are improving - it's still a relatively new community - the neighborhoods are AWESOME, quality built.

If I had your budget and knew then what I know now (with EXCELLENT schools being part of the equation), I'd go Upper Arlington, Grandview, Worthington, Olentangy...And, yes, Pickerington is a day trip!;-) My kids attended Worthington Schools and both are attending college on academic scholarships. $850,000? Check out the homes on the west side of Olentangy Road in Worthington...Old Worthington...Riverlea

[NewToCA]

Originally Posted by DonnaTate

If you like Dublin, it's even moreso hit or miss than most of the other places. You've got section 8 homes and million $ homes. There's a great new country club that just opened, Corazon Club & Spa. There are some great houses in that area & it's not too far from 161 so highway travel will be easier if commuting is necessary.

I used to live in Dublin and hadn't seen any indication of significant numbers of Section 8 allocated housing. Where do you see extensive amounts of this housing in Dublin? I have seen it in Hilliard towards the southern side of the city, but not much at all in Dublin.

[bgfalcons86]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

I used to live in Dublin and hadn't seen any indication of significant numbers of Section 8 allocated housing. Where do you see extensive amounts of this housing in Dublin? I have seen it in Hilliard towards the southern side of the city, but not much at all in Dublin.

NewToCA, I'm guessing the Section 8 housing you're speaking of is in the corridor along Hilliard-Rome Road on the south side of Roberts Road. This is actually in Columbus (outside the city limits of Hilliard), but does have a Hilliard ZIP and is mostly a part of Hilliard CSD. The southernmost portion of the City of Hilliard (inside city limits) lies mostly in Brookfield Village, which is a middle-to-upper middle class subdivision with a strong sense of community.

[NewToCA]

Originally Posted by bgfalcons86

NewToCA, I'm guessing the Section 8 housing you're speaking of is in the corridor along Hilliard-Rome Road on the south side of Roberts Road. This is actually in Columbus (outside the city limits of Hilliard), but does have a Hilliard ZIP and is mostly a part of Hilliard CSD. The southernmost portion of the City of Hilliard (inside city limits) lies mostly in Brookfield Village, which is a middle-to-upper middle class subdivision with a strong sense of community.

Yes, that is accurate. Another poster mentioned a bit of Section 8 in Dublin and I can't recall ever seeing that at all. Has something happened this past year?

[bgfalcons86]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

Yes, that is accurate. Another poster mentioned a bit of Section 8 in Dublin and I can't recall ever seeing that at all. Has something happened this past year?

I do remember someone who relocated from Dublin CSD to Hilliard CSD mentioning that there was an apartment complex that accepted (or at least, used to accept) section 8 in Dublin CSD, but I'm sure it was actually in city limits of Columbus, not in Dublin proper. A second person I recently spoke with (who was looking to move from Dublin CSD to Hilliard CSD) also mentioned that there was a complex in Dublin CSD that accepted section 8. I was surprised to find out that there was any section 8 housing anywhere near Dublin. However, Daniel Wright ES in Dublin has a fair amount of students (~35%) on free/reduced lunch. So there may be some section 8 in Dublin CSD???

[Mez]

Is proximity of shops, dining, and other activities important? I know alot of people like New Albany due to their low student to teacher ratio. A coworker has a 1st grader who has only 15 kids in his class. New Albany has a higher property tax than Dublin. Their building codes and home designs are more controlled than Dublin. Bexley schools are also highlty rated, not as many extra curricular activites to choose from vs. Dublin or Wothington.

Best of luck on your move here.

[Martha all about Columbus]

The exciting thing is that you are moving to Columbus, which is a great place to raise a family. There was a great article in the Columbus Dispatch rating all ther schools in every catagory Central Ohio on August 15, 2007 you might be able to go on their web site and pull it up. I saved it because it is a great resource. The Dispatch is our main newspaper and it's web site is The Columbus Dispatch : dispatch.com The name of the article is Some top school distrcits slip, but good news overall. If you can't get it let me know and I will mail you a copy.