HELP! Moving To Columbus From Ga, No Idea Where To Live. (Toledo: apartments, renters)

[Jeep4842]

Hello all!

I will be moving to Columbus, Oh from Ga in Aug. I will be traveling up within the next couple weeks to look at places to live. I have only been to the area a few times, to check out the school I'll be attending (CSCC) and to get the feel for the city.

I have been looking at places online for the past few months and it's driving me crazy to find places that are in my budget and will allow my furry kids (55lb dog and a cat), but I have no clue on the area and would rather not get myself stuck in an area that is not safe. Ideally I'd love to find something within a few miles of CSCC under $500 a month, allowing my babies, yet, in a very good area. Does this exist up there? I have found many places in Old Towne East, but when asking around to people that currently live in Ohio, they either a. have never heard of it, or b. says it's a horrible place.

If anyone can help, please! I don't have many requests, but I do need my babies, and a lot of places seem to not allow them. I heard Columbus was a very dog friendly place, but I don't see that by the apartments in the area.

Thank you!

[NewToCA]

Olde Towne East is a bit of a risk for now. It is still in the early stages of making a comeback, but at this moment I wouldn't recommend it. I would be more inclined to find something a bit further east, probably just to the east side of Bexley around James Rd and south of Broad or west on Broad past Franklinton if I were in your situation.

[Londa419]

Well I've been hitting the Cbus area hard because I hope to move in Aug also. The central area of Columbus looks horrible even by Toledo's standards I couldn't believe what I saw, as much as I hear good things about Columbus that area made me wonder are the sugar coating things. But as far as your budget, I'm assuming you want an apt and the East side as the previous poster stated is a little more geared for the middle class citizens. Try looking on Apartmentguide.com, Rent.com, and For rent.com. All of theses websites have been useful as well as a website where tenants review the housing complexes, I think its called apartment review.com. Hope this helps, good luck I'm attending CSCC in the Fall too.

[YoMikey617]

Olde Towne East is a mixed bag. You might get a good place cheap, but then you're within blocks of some pretty sketchy areas and cars get broken into on a regular basis. Unless you know the area I wouldn't suggest risking it. OTE can be a great place to buy if you want a huge victorian on the cheap, but it has a ways to go before its anything like German Village or Victorian Village. If you have a soft top Jeep Wrangler I wouldn't live in OTE.

North of OSU / South of Clintonville:
I would check out the area between 315 & 71, North of Lane (northern edge of OSU) and South of East North Broadway (southern edge of Clintonville). There are a lot of older, multi unit buildigngs with 1 beds over there, they tend to rent cheap, many allow pets. Main corridors to check out are Indianola & North High; check out the many side streets in these areas. If some of the properties look run down its due to them being slummed out by OSU area slumlords. Generally, the area I'm talking about is very safe. Its mostly a mix of grad students, young 20 somethings, and elderly people. It has a hippie / crunchy vibe to it, there's a Kroger at High & Broadway, and then there should be a hippie food co-op called Clintonville Co-Op. (<haven't been there in awhile not sure if its' still there)

The cheaper Columbus area rentals are not going to be advertised online. You pretty much have to drive up and down the streets to spot For Rent signs in the windows or on the lawns. When renters leave the landlord typically takes their time renting the apt. It's not like NYC of Boston where the apt is occupied within a day of being vacated by former renters. Just the same this time of year is a great time to find desperate landlords with empty apartments.

Other places to consider:
* Hilltop (west of the city)
* Berwyck (clings to the southern edge of Bexley)
* Any of the areas on the edge of Bexley.
* Some of the areas along Main or Broad St East of Bexley. Also a mixed bag, but I've been over there and it's generally pretty decent if you're not in the middle of public housing.
* The area between N. 4th & Summit / EAST of OSU / WEST of I-71. / North of 15th.

Places to avoid:
* East of 71 / South of Morse / North of 670 (ie. Linwood)
* Places EAST of 71 advertised as Clintonville.

[YoMikey617]

Originally Posted by Londa419

Well I've been hitting the Cbus area hard because I hope to move in Aug also. The central area of Columbus looks horrible even by Toledo's standards I couldn't believe what I saw, as much as I hear good things about Columbus that area made me wonder are the sugar coating things. But as far as your budget, I'm assuming you want an apt and the East side as the previous poster stated is a little more geared for the middle class citizens. Try looking on Apartmentguide.com, Rent.com, and For rent.com. All of theses websites have been useful as well as a website where tenants review the housing complexes, I think its called apartment review.com. Hope this helps, good luck I'm attending CSCC in the Fall too.

There are some bad areas toward the center of town, but there are a lot more very nice areas in the central part of Columbus too... Short North, German Village, Italian Village, Victorian Village, Grandview Heights, Bexley... On the same note, Columbus isn't a town that shows itself off well to newcomers. You pretty much have to know where to go. I think getting around Columbus is fairly easy, but on the same note I know a lot of outta towners who end up lost in the worst areas of town.

[streetcreed]

The central area of Columbus looks horrible even by Toledo's standards I couldn't believe what I saw, as much as I hear good things about Columbus that area made me wonder are the sugar coating things.

Columbus is a large city and its urban core is the most gentrified in ohio. The areas that are the most "fixed" up in the urban city are along High St. North and south of downtown. And NW of downtown. Directly west or east or downtown, or NE, are areas that have much poverty. However, Columbus does have an incredible urban core and is a mixed up bag of some very gentrified areas and some that look like a typical american midwestern innercity.

This quote explains the misconception the original poster had.

You pretty much have to know where to go. I think getting around Columbus is fairly easy, but on the same note I know a lot of outta towners who end up lost in the worst areas of town.

[OLHS_CHEER]

What about Powell, OH, Just NW of Columbus

[Londa419]

Well all I know is that I was armed with a GPS and just put in an address on E Mound St for some houses that were supposed to be fixed up and honestly the one I seen looked really nice and they fixed it good but the area was shady and the guy who was showing them told me str8 out that all of the houses were in not so good areas.

So again that just my take on what I seen and I am AA who grew up in an urbanized area, so if it looks bad to me than it most def will look bad to anyone who is not used to seeing that type of atmosphere.

[EthelBeth]

I would hesitate to live on the east side of the city unless you go out far east....gahanna, New Albany. Also you have to be a bit selective when going south.

I think the suggestions of Clintonville (west of 71), Grandview (this would be my top suggestion) and North or West of campus. don't go east of campus.

Also anything along Bethel road is a great area and fairly close to campus. Also Henderson road near Kenny, Reed, and Sawmill Roads. Some of the places may look expensive but you can find deals too.

Good Luck