shorter commutes to OSU from suburbs???? (Columbus, Upper Arlington: rentals, home, neighborhoods)

[newnurse111]

I am moving to work at OSU Medical Center and to go OSU for grad school. I was wondering what more affordable suburbs provide a short commute to OSU. I will be leaving for work at the following times 6 am and coming home around 8 pm or 2 pm to 1 am. Can you please suggest suburbs that offer nice recreational activities (running outside), fun for a young professional, and have a decent commute to OSU (no more than 20-30 minutes). I prefer to live in an area that has more things to do outside such as running trails...

I have thought about
1. Grandview or Grandview Hts (is there a difference)
2. Upper Arlington
3. Easton
4. Polaris
5. Grove City

Any comments would be great....

[bgfalcons86]

I'd pretty much scratch Grove City from the list. It doesn't really seem to meet the criteria that you've listed. IMHO, Polaris traffic is downright nasty. Both Polaris and Easton are might be further from OSU than you'd like. Both are technically in the city limits of Columbus, but are decidedly suburban in feel.

UA and Grandview are in close proximity to OSU. UA has the old-money vibe, although you can find rentals there, too. UA tends to be on the pricey side. Grandview isn't exactly cheap, but not as pricey as UA. The vibe in Grandview is quite a bit different than UA, with sort of an artsy feel.

Don't count out Columbus itself. There are many interesting neighborhoods in the city proper such as Clintonville, Victorian Village, etc. Columbus has a nice Metro Parks system with parks spread all around the greater Columbus area.

There is a poster on here (streetcreed) who specializes (if you will) on Columbus proper and the inner ring suburbs (such as Grandview). You should check out some of those posts.

[Sabotage]

I'd recommend the Short North (the area roughly between downtown and OSU), Clintonville (a neighborhood north of OSU) or Grandview (southwest of OSU). In all of these areas, you'll find affordable housing (including rentals), shops, nightlife, and character that you won't get in the more far-flung suburbs. If you prefer outdoor activities, the Short North area has Goodale Park which, although not huge, is a great place to run, walk a dog, or socialize. Clintonville has the Park of Roses, which is bigger and a bit moree family-oriented. All three of these neighborhoods are pretty packed with young professionals, so you can't go wrong. Choosing among them is dependent on your taste.