?More desirable? Bexley or Gahanna/Westerville

[streetcreed]

Yes, but this poster asked about areas east of Bexley, not olde town east which is the area you are speaking of.

She asked about Berwick which lies on the other side of Bexley from the "highcrime" area. That's quite a distance away.

Tanya, you obviously liked the house which you saw in this neighborhood. Many of these responses are generalizations and are refering to bad areas which are not the areas you even inquired about.


I find the Bexley area much more desirable than Westerville. Bexley has a beautiful downtown with cafes, restaurants, and is near all of the entertainment options in downtown. If you can afford Bexley it is a much more solid older wealthy community.
You will always have a good resale value in Bexley, Columbus is having a lot of housing growth in it's downtown and surrounding neighborhoods right now. Gentrification is occuring at a very rapid rate. About 5,000 housing units have been built downtown in just the last 3 years.

Why is this important to you in Bexley you may ask? well..

The innerring suburbs, like Bexley and Grandview Heights, that offer solid communities and good schools are highly sought after by people who want to be closer to downtown, and the surrounding gentrification will only help your community. Bexley is one of only two surbubs in the entire metro that is an innerring suburb and is more expensive because of that, but it is more expensive because there is a high demand to live there.

If you would rather be in a more car oriented newer suburb, consisting of mostly home developments that border farmland, and are further out from the central city Westerville is a good choice. There are nicer older sections near downtown Westerville, but for the most part most is newer development.

To answer your question about the difference between resale value in Bexley and Berwick or Eastmoor...

Bexley should cost you more up front, also, being an upscale suburb that is near downtown, will always have a good resale value. There is no data showing that Berwick or Eastmoor have declining property values. For the most part most sections of Columbus see property values increase. I haven't seen the actual house in Berwick, but you will save some money versus your options in Bexley, and if you like the community (which I hear is very pleasant) it is right for you now and will make you happy. Property values there do appreciate, but I do not think at the rate as some suburbs or other sections mostly in the center or northern center of Columbus. I would ask your realtor more about the apprecation rate for properties in Berwick.

The columbus magazine did name Berwick one of the best communities in the city limits just this past year.

[teadkin]

I just wanted to say thank-you to everyone who spent some part of their personal time to help me decide where to buy a home. We purchased a home today in Bexley. It is in Central Bexley and very nicely situated in the central portion of the east-west Broad St. area as well. In other words, I can put a finger on the center of a map of Bexley and it is right where we will live. I looked in G'hanna and though the homes were quite large, the 70's look paled in comparison to the quaint and charming look of 1920's Columbus that I found only in Bexley. Even Eastmoor and Berwick had homes either built in the 50's or had been last updated in the 70's. Funny thing is that we are paying Bexley's taxes but will be using the Catholic school in Eastmoor. (We did the same thing when we lived in Chicago!) I suppose the re-sale value for us is a priority. I love the fact that we have our own police department. When we lived in Atlanta (yes, we move ALOT!), we lived much closer to the fringe of the bordering (scary) neighborhood. Not once did we have troubles though. As someone (I think paintballer) mentioned, unless you live in the neighborhood and not just visit or drive-by, you can't make any assumptions at all. Where I lived in Atlanta would have been considered higher crime than the "burbs", but all was quiet in our "hood" and I wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world. The cookie-cutter homes, the generic shops and rest. out in the suburbs are a little boring to me and I don't think that their is nearly enough of a feeling of community there. I have lived in (this will be) 13 homes in 14 years (my husbands job...) and we are city people. I am pretty well versed in describing the likes of living in urban areas and suburban areas and I would recommend urban any day of the week. Our house is small, not much property and has 1 bath for 6 people, but I just love nothing more than walking in the door and feasting my eyes on the glass knobs and the scrolls in the wood that I know have been there many generations past. It is my privelege to enjoy them for as long as I am there!....Now find that in some M/I home in G'hanna! The pool and tennis courts in the Jeffrey Mansion, that only Bexley residents can use (we do pay for it in the $6000 taxes I think?) can't be found elsewhere and most importantly for us, the parochial schools are the best! We researched the top 3 Catholic High Schools and St. Charles far outweighed the other two. I relish the day when I have all four sons in St. Charles and we can drive 1-2 minutes to watch them play ball. I drove around the school yesterday taking pictures and it was overwhelming. The statistics prove that their chances of going to a top university are very likely. I believe that the school is "worth its weight in gold" if all sons are successful beyond their high school years. It is a competitive school and I think that we need to focus now, in middle school, to make sure they will test in. I really considered Berwick and Eastmoor, but Bexley won us over. We move up the first week of March and I can't wait to become part of the community. Bexley was our best choice, by far!!!

[coverallport]

Welcome to the neighborhood. We live in Central Eastmoor, and love St. Catherine's. I wish they excepted girls (St. Charles), but will settle for the great school for my son. I have defintely heard good things about Hartley, in fact no one says a negative thing about it. You made to right choice.

[3whitecats]

There must be something about Bexley that attracts those of us who have formerly lived in Chicago...
Many of the older homes and tree lined streets with the walking distance restaurants and shops, make me feel as though I am in a mini-Chicago. I've heard many people say that Easton is supposed to resemble Chicago - but, to me, Bexley has the "feel" and character that comes with having a true history of many generations dedicated to an area. It seems to me that some of the newer developments that are trying to duplicate that "character" tend to look like movie sets. I almost expect to see wooden boards holding up false fronts in some of these newly sprouted "old" neighborhoods.
Bexley has a lovely authenticity and has the best of Chicago's charming older neighborhoods.
We, too, send our children to a private school - while paying the higher Bexley taxes - but you have to admit, the quality of the schools (public AND private) in close proximity to Bexley, makes sure those dollars are being invested wisely.
I hope you enjoy your time here in Bexley! I have been here for two years and I feel that we made the perfect choice!
WELCOME!

[3whitecats]

There must be something about Bexley that attracts those of us who have formerly lived in Chicago...
Many of the older homes and tree lined streets with the walking distance restaurants and shops, make me feel as though I am in a mini-Chicago. I've heard many people say that Easton is supposed to resemble Chicago - but, to me, Bexley has the "feel" and character that comes with having a true history of many generations dedicated to an area. It seems to me that some of the newer developments that are trying to duplicate that "character" tend to look like movie sets. I almost expect to see wooden boards holding up false fronts in some of these newly sprouted "old" neighborhoods.
Bexley has a lovely authenticity and has the best of Chicago's charming older neighborhoods.
We, too, send our children to a private school - while paying the higher Bexley taxes - but you have to admit, the quality of the schools (public AND private) in close proximity to Bexley, makes sure those dollars are being invested wisely.
I hope you enjoy your time here in Bexley! I have been here for two years and I feel that we made the perfect choice!
WELCOME!