Worthington? Short North? UA Schools? (Columbus, Upper Arlington: best neighborhood, condos, how much)

[NYCperson]

Hello!
The husband and I are pondering a move and Columbus is one of the possibilities. Husband may be accepting a job at Riverside Hospital or OSU Medical Center.

1. How would you characterize the community of Worthington? How are the schools there?

2. How much do you think a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, upgraded to the max type of place would cost in the Short North area?

3. I've read on other forums that there may be an option that despite not living in Upper Arlington, one could opt to pay Upper Arlington taxes and still send kids there for school? My husband and I have minimal desire to live in the suburbs but crave excellent public schools. Does anybody know anything about this option?

4. Do all public school buses also take children to private schools? Or, if we do not live near a public school, would my husband and I have to figure out a system to get the kids to school?

Any information would be greatly appreciated. THanks so much!

[streetcreed]

Wow you ask some great questions. I know a lot about the areas in which you have inquired.

The good news is that all of the areas in which you are asking about are very sought after and have very solid property values.

Upper Arlington is the most built out, so property values are always increasing. The homes that are within the actual city limits of Worthington have very steady property values. And The Short North is one of the areas in Columbus' and Franklin County fastest with the fastest increasing property values.

I grew up in Worthington and went to Thomas Worthington. In the "older" actual city limits of Worthington most students walk to school. Some are buses to Worthington schools but those are most of the children who live in the city limits of Columbus but attend Worthington schools. I love the actual city limits of worthington and the schools. Thomas worthington would be the better choice. For high school.

Most of the students who attend Worthington schools actually live in Columbus, but sections that were built up around the original suburb and were assigned to Worthington schools. Most of the Columbus’ suburbs have the same arrangement, where the areas of Columbus bordering the suburbs actually attend suburban schools. Most of these neighborhoods are newer, though, and the homes date from the 1970s to today.

In Upper Arlington many schools are in walking distance. I am not sure if busing is even uses in the district or needed. Hopefully someone on here will know that detail.

The short north (in which I live just 3 blocks north of now) is the actual name for the area of high street, the commercial section. The section of high called the Short North runs for about a mile from downtown to OSU.
To your east of high St. is a neighborhood known as Italian Village. To the west is Victorian Village. Victorian Village gentrified before Italian and has a tradition of larger homes with higher prices. If the home you are getting in either of these neighborhoods is not renovated, and you do renovate it, you will most surely get a solid return on your investment.

Italian Village is where most of the new build and home renovations are occurring now in the short north area. From 2000 to now, Italian Village saw the largest increase in homes values in all of Franklin County (there is a Dispatch article covering this from 2004.)

In order to know how much an upgrade would cost, however, I would need to know more about the exact property. Some condos and town homes in Victorian Village sell from 150,000 to over a million. Some of the larger mansions are at least 400,000 for one that isn't renovated. So there is a wide range of prices. New build condos are a range from 250,000 to well over 700,000 in Victorian Village and High St. as well.
Typically buying a property that isn't renovated and then fixing it up will give you the best value. I know some friends who bought homes that were renovated, by a developer, and they usually find themselves making many changes (appliance brands, flooring etc..) that would have been cheaper if they made all of the choices in the renovation to begin with.


Overall, it sounds as though you want to live in a more nice solid well founded neighborhood. If you’re looking for places in Columbus, the Short North typically doesn't have the best neighborhood schools. Many there use Private schools.

\here are some neighborhoods in Columbus that have better neighborhood schools. Clintonville/ Beachwood are two. (located right next to Riverside and right above OSU, talk about a close drive to work!) Both of these neighborhoods have the private catholic school (high and middle) right in them. They are just north of the OSU campus, and up High St. from the Short North about a mile and a half.
Also these two neighborhoods are right where Riverside Hosptial is and would be very close to work. If you want to live in Columbus, and have a family I would strongly suggest looking into Clintonville/Beechwold (great homes and character in the neighborhoods) and the neighborhoods bordering Upper Arlington and Riverside Hospital in Columbus. The columbus schools that perform better are in the columbus neighborhoods right around Riverside. I have friends who attended those schools and then went to Columbus Alternative for high school ( a lottery school) and she loved her experience. She attended college with me.

Also, the neighborhoods just between Upper Arlington and Dublin near Henderson and Bethel Rds. have good Columbus city schools. Columbus schools do have lotteries for children to attend the most sought after schools in the district. Right near the short north (actually in it) is Columbus' arts middle school and arts oriented high school. Both are highly thought of and I had a friend who attended there and is now a film director in NY. The lottery system rules for the alternative/accelerated Columbus schools are always changing it seems. Right now there is still busing provided for a child if they want to attend a school outside of their neighborhood. An Example would be if you live in the Short North but want to send your child to Columbus Alternative on the north side. There has been discussion of asking parents to find their own transportation for the high school students in the future, to save busing costs. So I would say that you might have to provide your own transportation for a child if they attend a special Columbus city school or a private school. I would call the Columbus schools office, if you do decide to look into a area in the city, and ask if they provide busing to a certain school.

I am not sure if you can opt to pay Upper Arlington or another suburb to send your kids there if you live in a section of Columbus that is assigned Columbus schools. I would also call the school office to ask that as well.

[Jenna1234]

Have you looked into New Albany Schools? May want to, they have a great repuatation and are very, very good.