Cincinnati to Columbus (Findlay, Norwood, Ada: apartment complexes, rentals, how much)

[adhzedan]

I will be attending OSU for grad schools, so my husband and I are looking to move to Columbus at the beginning of August, after a 5 year stint in Cincinnati. I am hoping I can get some specific advice (especially from some of the posters here who appear to be quite familiar with both cities) on what I can expect in terms of cost of living.

Currently, we are renting a small (450 sq ft), 1 bedroom that's right across the street from the NW corner of UC's campus. We pay $500, and the landlord covers all basic utilities except for electric and gas (which averages about $60/mo for us). We pay about $120 for our cable/phone/internet bundle. We're on a major bus route, less than a mile away from a really nice and eclectic shopping area (Ludlow) and right across from a park. I'm pretty much happy with everything about the current apartment, but it does lack a quiet study zone where I can spread out and work.

Having said that, our ideal Columbus apartment would have the following features:
- 2 bedrooms, or 1 bedroom with a den, or maybe a separate dining room that can be converted to an office area; we don't really care about having a lot of space - 2 tiny bedrooms would be fine - and we would actually prefer something compact to keep the bills down
- within an easy bus commute to the intersection of Lane Ave and High St
- relatively safe for someone who might have to walk home from the bus stop after dark
- pet friendly (we have cats)
- comes with one parking space

I'm looking at Clintonville, Victorian Village, Short North, and Grandview, and was actually wondering if anyone can give me an idea of how much we can expect to pay for utilities so I can better set our price range. We really don't want to go over $750-$800 with all the basic utilities included, but right now I am not sure how realistic this is (especially where 2 bedrooms are concerned)? If anyone has any suggestions for specific apartment complexes/landlords, that'd be great. I've done some research here, on OSU off-campus housing website, and on Metro Rentals, but wanted to get some more input.

What about things to avoid, besides the area east of High St? How far north would I have to go to find a relatively safe area east of High Street?

Also, is there anything in Columbus that resembles Findlay Market - a public market where one can purchase locally harvested fruits, vegetables, meats, etc?

I am sorry for the long post, and thank you to all those who will read and respond, if any

[HuskerDu]

I grew up all over what are the desirable areas of central C-bus and now live in Cincinnati (downtown for a year+, then purchased a house in Norwood near Rookwood Commons). I will always recommend Victorian Village/Short North because it really is the most impressive part of town. Think of Mt. Adams, Hyde Park and a cleaned up version of Northside all rolled into one neighborhood (only flat) and you have the Short North along High Street. If you explore Vic Village to the west of the strip, you will find a relaxed neighborhood with apartments in your price range that are close enough for walking to all the good stuff. Grandview, and to a lesser extent Clintonville, are both similar to the Oakley/Hyde Park/Mt. Lookout area...only a bit plain without any type of square in either neighborhood. Those destinations are more geared towards young post-college families who are looking to buy and willing to drive every day.

Oh, and your utilities will not be as bad as having Duke Energy around... unless you rent a place with no windows. lol.

The North Market is a fancy version of Findlay Market, but you will find nothing like OTR, for better or worse, in Columbus. There is also nothing similar to Clifton or the riverfront (obviously) up there.

Cats are fine in the majority of places in any neighborhood you choose. Most landlords in Vic Village/Short North are not so understanding about dogs.

[cmhgirl]

I can't help much with apt. prices but will give you some info on utilities. when I lived in my apt. I think I payed under $80 for electric. sorry it's been awhile, so I can't quite remember, but I always budget a little high. right now I have at&t cable. i pay 110 for cable w/ upgrades and internet, and I think your bundle should stay around 120-140, depending on who you go with and what level of cable you get.

oh and the good thing with the prev. poster's suggestions, vic. village and short north are both based along high street, so the bus line is right there. if that's something you want to have around. they seem to run good routes around campus and the surrounding areas.

Totally love the North Market. My fave spot. but most suburbs have farmers markets during the summer and there's also the market downtown on Pearl, during the week.
I think you'll find C-Bus pretty similar to Cincy. Price-wise and things to do. Good luck in the move!

[adhzedan]

Thank you HuskerDu and cmhgirl I am very happy to hear about North Market; going to Findlay always makes me really happy.

We have quite a few windows in our apartment, all recently replaced (not something I can say for anything else around here). But, we don't really have to worry about them when it comes to heating, because we have radiators, and the landlord pays for the hot water.

A lot of the listings I've found don't specifically mention cats or utilities, so I've been formulating worst case scenarios. It is surprising how much information is left out sometimes.

We'll be going up to Columbus on the 25th to look for places. I'm hoping we can spend the first day getting a feel for the neighborhoods, looking around for rental signs.

[streetcreed]

I grew up all over what are the desirable areas of central C-bus and now live in Cincinnati (downtown for a year+, then purchased a house in Norwood near Rookwood Commons). I will always recommend Victorian Village/Short North because it really is the most impressive part of town. Think of Mt. Adams, Hyde Park and a cleaned up version of Northside all rolled into one neighborhood (only flat) and you have the Short North along High Street. If you explore Vic Village to the west of the strip, you will find a relaxed neighborhood with apartments in your price range that are close enough for walking to all the good stuff. Grandview, and to a lesser extent Clintonville, are both similar to the Oakley/Hyde Park/Mt. Lookout area...only a bit plain without any type of square in either neighborhood. Those destinations are more geared towards young post-college families who are looking to buy and willing to drive every day.

Oh, and your utilities will not be as bad as having Duke Energy around... unless you rent a place with no windows. lol.

The North Market is a fancy version of Findlay Market, but you will find nothing like OTR, for better or worse, in Columbus. There is also nothing similar to Clifton or the riverfront (obviously) up there.

Cats are fine in the majority of places in any neighborhood you choose. Most landlords in Vic Village/Short North are not so understanding about dogs.

HUSKERDU, I 100 percent agree with this post. Great advice.

[adhzedan]

I have a quick question about two areas. Is the 2700 block of Indianola Ave (east of High St, north of Arcadia) considered pretty safe at night? What about the are south of Union Cemetery?

[streetcreed]

I have a quick question about two areas. Is the 2700 block of Indianola Ave (east of High St, north of Arcadia) considered pretty safe at night? What about the are south of Union Cemetery?

East of High St. North of Arcadia is called S. Clintonville and is known for being a safe neighborhood. It is a columbus neighborhood that is known for having quaint shops and a eclectic mix of friendly residents in many renovated and fixed up homes. The only tiff some would have with the general area around Arcadia is South of Arcadia. Not really because of safety but because it gets into a mix of owned and student housing, but the area you are looking into is mostly home ownership with a mix of brick townhomes and rental apartment buildings with mostly post college and older couples.

I am not familiar with the area S. of Union Cementary. Let me get back to you on that one.

[jmargaret]

Don't you love reading Streetcreed's posts? Someone should hire him to write eternally positive Columbus-based posts on City Data! Something to keep in mind: the COTA buses do not run to/from Grandview after 7 p.m. during the week, and NOT AT ALL on the weekend. Actually, most COTA buses do not have regular/reliable service in many directions, unless you are off of High St. Even then, the buses do not run after around 10-10:30 p.m. You should check their schedules. With this in mind, you should limit your apartment search to the Short North neighborhood, or Clintonville. "South Clintonville", closer to campus, is very "campus-y" and maybe you are too old to be tolerant of that sort of thing..... Utlities in Cowtown will not cost any more than what you are used to paying so that should not be a concern.