What is Granville like? (Columbus, Dayton: foreclosures, property taxes, rental)

[jkbrooks]

We may possibly transfer to the Granville/Newark area for my husband's job. We drove thru it one time and loved the charm and character of all the historic homes and also the beautiful trees and land surrounding the area. Can anyone tell me how the people are? Is it family-friendly? I know the schools are supposed to be excellent. What about housing costs? Lastly, anybody familiar with Park Trails or Park Ridge subdivisions? Thanks so much for any information!

[LancasterNative]

Hi jkbrooks!

Granville is an absolutely charming, idyllic, historic little town It looks like something out of a Norman Rockwell illustration, or a Currier & Ives postcard at Christmas!

The town's heavy academic bent is due in large part to the presence of Denison University. Many professors are among the town's "doers" and civic notables. So yes, there is a high priority placed on education among the populace there!

Gville has a reputation as fairly upscale and even "uppity" or "highbrow" according to some. But part of that perception I think is based on the inevitable comparison with nearby Newark—which does have some decidedly dumpy parts to it. Homes in Granville are priced a little above average. But then, you're also paying for history, craftsmanship and a ton of charm

Not sure about those newer developments...

As far as family-oriented...? My folks used to take me there as a kid (straight up 37 from Lancaster) but, as I recall it was mostly in the context of doing "grown-up" things such as cultural events, dining at the nice restaurants, etc. I don't think Granville is the right place to find Chuck E. Cheese-type entertainment, but there are certainly more kid-friendly amenities in the greater area.

Newark, Granville & Heath kindof form a "mini-politan" area unto themselves. There is still quite a bit of good ol' Licking Co. farmland separating this area from Columbus.

Hope this helps to some degree Best of luck to you!
Lanc

[jkbrooks]

Thank you for the reply. Does anyone know how involved parents are with their children's academics and sports in Granville? Is everyone very sociable or does everyone keep to themselves? Also, are there any major problems with Denison University students being centrally located in the town?

[tinmantis]

I'm also thinking of moving to Granville (from Columbus) and I've only been in Ohio a year!
Me, my wife and 2 toddlers are on the verge of buying a house. Education is priority, so we looked at Worthington for a while, but couldn't seem to find a house we liked. Then we saw a few in Granville which looked very 'stylish', and heard the schools are excellent. But is it a bit nowhere? and is it toddler friendly?
jon

[FarewellLA]

Granville has always been my favorite city in Central Ohio.... if you haven't spent time there, you and your wife should go spend the weekend at the Buxton Inn, lovely little B&B in the middle of town. If I had children, I would love for them to grow up in Granville.

[bgfalcons86]

Originally Posted by LancasterNative

Hi jkbrooks!

Granville is an absolutely charming, idyllic, historic little town It looks like something out of a Norman Rockwell illustration, or a Currier & Ives postcard at Christmas!

The town's heavy academic bent is due in large part to the presence of Denison University. Many professors are among the town's "doers" and civic notables. So yes, there is a high priority placed on education among the populace there!

Gville has a reputation as fairly upscale and even "uppity" or "highbrow" according to some. But part of that perception I think is based on the inevitable comparison with nearby Newark—which does have some decidedly dumpy parts to it. Homes in Granville are priced a little above average. But then, you're also paying for history, craftsmanship and a ton of charm

Not sure about those newer developments...

As far as family-oriented...? My folks used to take me there as a kid (straight up 37 from Lancaster) but, as I recall it was mostly in the context of doing "grown-up" things such as cultural events, dining at the nice restaurants, etc. I don't think Granville is the right place to find Chuck E. Cheese-type entertainment, but there are certainly more kid-friendly amenities in the greater area.

Newark, Granville & Heath kindof form a "mini-politan" area unto themselves. There is still quite a bit of good ol' Licking Co. farmland separating this area from Columbus.

Hope this helps to some degree Best of luck to you!
Lanc

Lanc nailed it on the head. Granville rates a big "WOW" and is one of my favorite places. PERIOD!

[maryjaneat420]

I lived there for 10 years and I loved it. It is very friendly but not nosey, and the schools are fabulous. It is a college town and it is very casual. You will love it.

[Jdjh]

My wife just started a job at DFAS right by the Columbus airport. The job I may be taking is close to Zanesville. Granville seems to be right about in the middle, but I'm concerned about my wife's commute in the morning. How bad is it trying to get into Columbus in the morning? Is there a better place to check out? We are both from Dayton and don't know the area very well. Thanks.

[frassers]

I currently live in Granville and work in Columbus. Granville is charming. Though, I will say the property taxes are very high (have to help pay for the schools). The Denison college students are pretty sedate/laid back.

They are in the process of building a new 4-lane highway into Columbus (161). It’s scheduled to be completed in 2010. Currently, with all the construction & 4 traffic lights (at 45MPH), it can take upwards of 25+ minutes to reach the east edge of Franklin County (where the road widens and goes up to 65MPH). From this point, it depends where you work…downtown, west side, etc. That can add easily another 15-25 minutes onto the drive. An alternative is to drive 8 miles south and pick up 70 (east to Zanesville – west to Columbus). I’ve been driving it for several years now and you get used to it.

Additionally, we rented in Park Trails prior to purchasing in Granville. As a rental, it was great. It’s a very children friendly neighborhood, and even though it’s in Newark, it is in the Granville school district (though you pay a tax premium). I would discourage anyone from buying in Park Trails unless you knew that you would be in the house for several years to come. In a nutshell, the original developers offered their own low interest financing for a couple of years and then the rates jumped. This caused quite a few homeowners in the development to have to sell their homes (perhaps even some foreclosures). Thus, there were a lot of homes on the market, new ones still being built, and re-sell prices just fell. In general Newark has a ‘lower’ standard of living. So, Park Trails falls into an area that is too expensive for Newark, but not to the higher standards of Granville. The house we were renting went back on the market and sat there. Last I saw it…the purchase price was lower than what the original owners purchased it for over 5 years earlier. So, it’s a good time to buy LOW.