moving to Columbus, young kids.. Olentangy Schools???

[carlek]

I live in far northern Westerville (Genoa Township, Delaware County), so I live very close to Lewis Center and drive through it quite a bit. Before we moved to this area from an older, more centrally-located part of Columbus, I too thought Lewis Center was nothing but a bleak, soulless suburban hellscape. And yes, if you gather your impressions of Lewis Center purely from driving up and down 23 or the smattering of neighborhoods RIGHT next to Polaris, then it is kind of ugly because that's basically a commercial zone. But there are plenty of very lovely neighborhoods in Lewis Center. The area that borders Alum Creek is just gorgeous with its thick canopy of trees. The neighborhoods off of the pleasingly winding/sloping Bale Kenyon are really pretty, with large lots and trees.

I personally love Westerville and consider it the best large suburb in Central Ohio in terms of quality of life (second-to-none Community Center; miles and miles of bike trails and footpaths; incredibly active event planning by the City of Westerville as well as Genoa Twp; a ridiculous amount of parks/playgrounds in Westerville, Genoa Twp and Delaware County; an excellent small university; an adorable and highly vibrant historic downtown area; easy distance to the two major shopping areas of Polaris and Easton; great access to the two major "bodies of water" in the area--Hoover and Alum Creek, etc.). But I know that it's off your list due to school rankings. And it IS a much more socio-economically diverse district than the "elite" districts, which are much more homogeneous in terms of income-level. It also incorporates parts of the city of Columbus that house significant populations of "new Americans," and that is being reflected in test scores and some rankings, like the one that measures how well the district serves "vulnerable populations." The fact that I LOVE my kids' school and the district as a whole is irrelevant to your questions, but there it is. I say all this about Westerville because most people I know who buy in Lewis Center spend a good chunk of their time in Westerville because we have all the stuff Lewis Center does not--rec center, parks, playgrounds, downtown, etc. I think the best of both worlds for you would be to look at the very large Highland Lakes area, which is a Westerville address (but lower Genoa Twp/Delco taxes), and close to its amenities, but Olentangy Schools. It's a huge area with some new builds (The Sanctuary comes to mind). Just my two cents.

[Rosebush1]

Originally Posted by carlek

I live in far northern Westerville (Genoa Township, Delaware County), so I live very close to Lewis Center and drive through it quite a bit. Before we moved to this area from an older, more centrally-located part of Columbus, I too thought Lewis Center was nothing but a bleak, soulless suburban hellscape. And yes, if you gather your impressions of Lewis Center purely from driving up and down 23 or the smattering of neighborhoods RIGHT next to Polaris, then it is kind of ugly because that's basically a commercial zone. But there are plenty of very lovely neighborhoods in Lewis Center. The area that borders Alum Creek is just gorgeous with its thick canopy of trees. The neighborhoods off of the pleasingly winding/sloping Bale Kenyon are really pretty, with large lots and trees.

I personally love Westerville and consider it the best large suburb in Central Ohio in terms of quality of life (second-to-none Community Center; miles and miles of bike trails and footpaths; incredibly active event planning by the City of Westerville as well as Genoa Twp; a ridiculous amount of parks/playgrounds in Westerville, Genoa Twp and Delaware County; an excellent small university; an adorable and highly vibrant historic downtown area; easy distance to the two major shopping areas of Polaris and Easton; great access to the two major "bodies of water" in the area--Hoover and Alum Creek, etc.). But I know that it's off your list due to school rankings. And it IS a much more socio-economically diverse district than the "elite" districts, which are much more homogeneous in terms of income-level. It also incorporates parts of the city of Columbus that house significant populations of "new Americans," and that is being reflected in test scores and some rankings, like the one that measures how well the district serves "vulnerable populations." The fact that I LOVE my kids' school and the district as a whole is irrelevant to your questions, but there it is. I say all this about Westerville because most people I know who buy in Lewis Center spend a good chunk of their time in Westerville because we have all the stuff Lewis Center does not--rec center, parks, playgrounds, downtown, etc. I think the best of both worlds for you would be to look at the very large Highland Lakes area, which is a Westerville address (but lower Genoa Twp/Delco taxes), and close to its amenities, but Olentangy Schools. It's a huge area with some new builds (The Sanctuary comes to mind). Just my two cents.

Carlek, great post and I agree Westerville is a wonderful, wonderful family community and a great place to live.

[timeasterday]

Westerville is one of my favorite places. We looked at houses there but in our price range it was tough to find anything we liked (and they went quick) and I wanted a shorter commute to Delaware. It's a nice community and we are there nearly every weekend enjoying the bike paths. I wish Lewis Center had that kind of feel, but I don't regret moving here.

[OHIOguy1]

I know many people seem to love Westerville, but it was absolutely the worst place we've EVER lived. So many arrogant people, some nice ones too no doubt, but just so many obnoxiously arrogant people for some reason. Dublin was similar. The Westerville schools aren't what the used to be in the 90's, either, they've gone downhill.

Most of the other suburbs you can't go wrong with, Hilliard, Olentangy school district, New Albany, etc. are great areas and schools.

[Rosebush1]

Originally Posted by OHIOguy1

I know many people seem to love Westerville, but it was absolutely the worst place we've EVER lived. So many arrogant people, some nice ones too no doubt, but just so many obnoxiously arrogant people for some reason. Dublin was similar. The Westerville schools aren't what the used to be in the 90's, either, they've gone downhill.

Most of the other suburbs you can't go wrong with, Hilliard, Olentangy school district, New Albany, etc. are great areas and schools.

Arrogant is just about the last thing I would say about Westerville. I wouldn’t describe Dublin as arrogant either.

[sg1017]

Originally Posted by carlek

I live in far northern Westerville (Genoa Township, Delaware County), so I live very close to Lewis Center and drive through it quite a bit. Before we moved to this area from an older, more centrally-located part of Columbus, I too thought Lewis Center was nothing but a bleak, soulless suburban hellscape. And yes, if you gather your impressions of Lewis Center purely from driving up and down 23 or the smattering of neighborhoods RIGHT next to Polaris, then it is kind of ugly because that's basically a commercial zone. But there are plenty of very lovely neighborhoods in Lewis Center. The area that borders Alum Creek is just gorgeous with its thick canopy of trees. The neighborhoods off of the pleasingly winding/sloping Bale Kenyon are really pretty, with large lots and trees.

I personally love Westerville and consider it the best large suburb in Central Ohio in terms of quality of life (second-to-none Community Center; miles and miles of bike trails and footpaths; incredibly active event planning by the City of Westerville as well as Genoa Twp; a ridiculous amount of parks/playgrounds in Westerville, Genoa Twp and Delaware County; an excellent small university; an adorable and highly vibrant historic downtown area; easy distance to the two major shopping areas of Polaris and Easton; great access to the two major "bodies of water" in the area--Hoover and Alum Creek, etc.). But I know that it's off your list due to school rankings. And it IS a much more socio-economically diverse district than the "elite" districts, which are much more homogeneous in terms of income-level. It also incorporates parts of the city of Columbus that house significant populations of "new Americans," and that is being reflected in test scores and some rankings, like the one that measures how well the district serves "vulnerable populations." The fact that I LOVE my kids' school and the district as a whole is irrelevant to your questions, but there it is. I say all this about Westerville because most people I know who buy in Lewis Center spend a good chunk of their time in Westerville because we have all the stuff Lewis Center does not--rec center, parks, playgrounds, downtown, etc. I think the best of both worlds for you would be to look at the very large Highland Lakes area, which is a Westerville address (but lower Genoa Twp/Delco taxes), and close to its amenities, but Olentangy Schools. It's a huge area with some new builds (The Sanctuary comes to mind). Just my two cents.

Thanks so much for the thoughtful response. A particular agent I was introduced to (who is a HUGE Lewis Center fan) did mention the Highland Lakes area, too. I am all about playgrounds and family friendly activities.. and lower taxes . I am a former teacher who taught in a Title I elementary school so I'm very familiar with the challenges that often occur in schools in lower socio economic areas .. I just don't want my children to experience what I did! I am also pretty practical and realize that our budget doesn't put have us searching for the 'elite' homes on the market.. so we can't get EVERYTHING on our wishlist. I really appreciate your perspective and will definitely consider your advice!!

[place]

I have written lots of previous post on the same. My personal preferences are Dublin (Considering Schools, Commute and Infra), then Powell (Other than commute its better than Dublin) and last Lewis center. (Lewis center road / Alum creek area is better than rest).

[Clever nickname here]

Originally Posted by place

I have written lots of previous post on the same. My personal preferences are Dublin (Considering Schools, Commute and Infra), then Powell (Other than commute its better than Dublin) and last Lewis center. (Lewis center road / Alum creek area is better than rest).

With the completion of the 315 and 270 interchange redo commuting to all three areas just got better.