Are there any cool Columbus Neighborhoods? (Newark, Westerville: upper-class, fit in, lawyers)

[tanzall]

Hi everyone

I hope this type of neighborhood exists in Columbus. I'm 30 and single with a 5 year old child. My ideal neighborhood would be diverse (mix of races and class levels - working class, middle class), relatively safe, in the city, near a decent public school, a neighborhood park. There has to be a good night scene nearby for 30 somethings. Cafes, art galleries, museums, small business, etc. Walking distance would be a huge plus.

Houses priced in the 150-185K range would be good.

I just want to point out a few things. Diversity to me is not a neighborhood that is 92% of one race or everyone makes about the same amount of money or acts the same way. I'm looking for openness, different perspectives on religion, life, politics, etc. A really progressive neighborhood with lots of different people. People that come out of their house and walk around and talk to each other. There should also be some families so my daughter can make friends, but it doesn't have to be filled with married people with 2.5 kids.

About schools, I want the school to be properly funded. They don't need to have the highest ratings, but they do need to have a good curriculum, books, computer, good teachers, etc. An honors program would be good also. I want my daughter exposed to real life and real people. I'm not interested in living with people who feel the need to run from other races or poor people. Running with the Jones' people get on my nerves.


Thanks.

[Anny]

Most of Columbus buys a house that they can afford, therefore everyone there is much like the others livng there.

Walking distance to downtown (not much there anymore) would be German Village, Victorian Village, Short North in the downtown area near museums but I wouldn't walk any of these at night. Petite yards, lots of traffic. dust and grime stirred up.

I wouldn't call Columbus a particularly friendly town to meet, walk and talk.

The schools are mired down in politics. They toot their own horn but few listen.
You're on your own with the Columbus City School System.

If safe is more important. move to a north burb. Buy a big dog to walk with you and you'll be just fine. Then another problem arises. Exercising a big dog. Burbs all have leash laws. Big dogs take lots of exercise daily but you'll also meet more friendly people with one and you both are almost guaranteed safety. Shelter dogs/mutts are the preferred dog here.
Burbs are also more progressive. less diverse. Better schools.

$150-185,000 house gets you small or old or both. Maybe you'll get lucky, there's many unsold currently.

Clintonville has a huge park, no leash laws, no museum, THE Bike Path, but houses within your range and more diverse people than some other areas. Mostly older homes. Easy expressway access. Walkers during daylight hours. Coffee shops, outdoor cafes, small businesses along N. High St <30-50000+ numbered blocks.

Clintonville tries to be progressive but gets beaten down by city government

I don't think of Columbus as progressive at all. It is VERY traditonal.
It's actually a town full of teens that came here to attend OSU from little OH farm towns graduated and stayed.

You also must practice yelling "GO BUCKS" at the top of your lungs so you'll fit in. Progressive here is owning a vehicle, home and a closet full of red and gray everything. That's you progressing, not us. LOL!

TV News said 70 days only of sunshine a year. Be prepared for lots of gray/wet/cold.

While reading your 'wants', I thought of LA. the Pacific NW or Vancouver. I hope you find your wants here.

Good luck! Let us know how it all turns out for you.

[Sondra Johnson]

here's 3 options for you- 1. Clintonville. In your price range, you're going to be on the far north end of it in the Beechwold area. Not the museums or lots of nightlife, but a good area for your other needs. 2. columbus area around Rte 161, east of I-71.... good homes for good values, entertainment options, solid communities, shopping, etc. 3. on the east side, the area east and west of I-270 around Main St.- considered both Reynoldsburg and Whitehall respectively. Some people knock Whitehall- but it's a solid area with good people, good communities, and you can get a lot of bang for your buck in housing. while there are a couple of neighborhoods I'd avoid, there's also a lot of good ones, and easy access to the museums, etc......

[Ohiosinmyblood]

I am also looking to move to columbus although my needs are different. I am married and have two young adults (20 and 17) still living at home. I am looking for a house in the 225k to 300k area with a little property, enough for a horse. I would also like to be within 20 miles of a college/university and good paying jobs. Diversity isn't a must but would be nice. I don't want to be a days drive from good shopping/restaurants/museums. any ideas?

[Noggin7717]

tanzall,

I've thought that if I was single w/ a kid and like city-life I'd prolly like Grandview Heights, sub of Columbus. I'm not sure you could get a home in the range you're looking for, but you might get lucky.

Grandview is just south of Upper Arlington, UA is a fairly upper-class neighborhood with professors and doctors/lawyers and the like w/ Ohio State university just across the river. It would seem that you would get a mixture of the uppity ups and the college students, and from what I've seen of GHghts, it seems that way.

As far as diversity, I don't think Columbus would cut it for you for diversity especially since it seems to be pretty important to you being 2/3 of your post. Not saying there isn't diversity in Columbus, just saying that I don't know of any neighborhood in this town that has anything like 50/50 race, let alone 20/20/20/20/20, or 20/30/50 or whatever combo that you're looking for... this is a mid-western town, not a coastal area where there tends to be more diversity in cultures. If you must have Columbus and diversity is your goal, move on campus, the largest university in the US w/ people from all over the world.

[Sondra Johnson]

Ohiosinmyblood.... good choices for you would be the Delaware area (Ohio Wesleyan U. is here) or Granville area (Denison). The Delaware area will offer a lot more for the money..... Marysville is also nice, but there are no universities there....

[Noggin7717]

Ohiosinmyblood,

I don't think there is any place in Ohio that you can go and be more than 20-30 minutes away from a college. Ohio is in top4 or 5 of having most colleges.

From your description, Granville is for you.

-It's approx 35-45 min drive to downtown Columbus.
-Has a horse polo field in town, so guessing they're horse-friendly, they do have at least one feed/grain-store.
-Has a golf course
-College, college, college:
a) Granville is home of Denison University
b) 45min from OhioState (branch in Newark which is 5min from Granville)
c) DeVry approx 25min away
d) Capital Univ. : ~25min away
e) Columbus College of Art & Design: in Columbus
etc, etc, This is only a few, there are still liberal arts college, a business college, a nursing college, law schools, etc, etc.

225k-300k can get you 4-5 bedrooms w/ .5 - 2 acres of land. If you're not too worried about which school district, you can get even more land if you get just outside of Granville SD.

I know a little about Granville 'cause my wife and I were trying to get into the school district w/ our 3 kids.

Another area might be just north of Columbus, Delaware county. Since most of the great shopping areas are out of Columbus-city-proper, moving farther out might be of interest. (I'm guessing here, since I'm a guy, I don't get the "shopping experience" thing and couldn't care less)

Anyhow, Good luck with your decisions.

-Noggin

[castlelady]

While I really think Columbus is a great place to live, we don't really have an area that has everything you're looking for in one place. You can certainly find everything you're looking for . . . spread out in some different areas.

Clintonville would be a great community where people really like to get to know their neighbors - lots of front porches. But it's Columbus Schools which have had lots of problems for many years. There are some great private schools in Clintonville and even a charter school - that might work for you. Columbus Schools does have some really great magnet schools - but they are lottery to get in, so there's no guarantees there.

Alot of the social things you mention can be found in Downtown Columbus, Arena district, short north. Also the Easton Town Center has lots of shopping, a comey club, shadow box cabaret theatre, game works, 24 screen movies, outdoor garden railway and lots of wonderful restaurants, water fountains for kids to play in the summer time. It's one of the most popular destinations in Central Ohio - so anytime you go there you'll see lots of different people from all over. So there's some diversity for you.

So maybe a community close to Easton would be worth considering. 2 that are in your price range with decent rated schools would be Gahanna and Westerville. Out of all the suburbs in Central Ohio, Westerville has one of the best parks and rec systems and was voted sportstown usa a few years ago. So there's lots of great opportunities for kids. Westerville also has quite a wide range of home styles and prices - so you'll definitely have some economic diversity there. You can get a pretty decent home in your price range there. You won't get nearly as much home in the Clintonville area as you would in Westerville.

I agree with the other Grandview response - but there's not much in your price range there. It's a neat area with nice restaurants and a great library to walk to and people are definitely community oriented.

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[Anny]

OHIOSINMYBLOOD

What about New Albany or just East of New Albany into Licking County?
They're horsey and an easy commute. Easton, a large outside townsy-type mall is on the way in or out of town.

[tanzall]

Thank you everyone.