Relocating from NYC to Columbus (Westerville, Upper Arlington: houses, neighborhoods, purchase)

[alefty]

I'm a 30+ Black male, Detroit, Michigan native, been living in the NYC metro area for the last 7years and now considering a move to Columbus to purchase a home and work in the Architecture profession. I miss the slow pace of the midwest. I'm looking for info on nice, safe and quiet, diverse neighborhoods with excellent schools. I have a 10 year old and a 7 year old and would love to be in an area with a park. I enjoy writing and bike riding also. My partner will be focusing on studying for the bar exam.

As far as purchasing a home, I'm not looking to spend more than $250K and a fixer upper is not out of the question. In fact, I'd love to find a home with some nice Architectural details that may need a little work nothing shabby though.

Help me out!

[bgfalcons86]

Originally Posted by alefty

I'm a 30+ Black male, Detroit, Michigan native, been living in the NYC metro area for the last 7years and now considering a move to Columbus to purchase a home and work in the Architecture profession. I miss the slow pace of the midwest. I'm looking for info on nice, safe and quiet, diverse neighborhoods with excellent schools. I have a 10 year old and a 7 year old and would love to be in an area with a park. I enjoy writing and bike riding also. My partner will be focusing on studying for the bar exam.

As far as purchasing a home, I'm not looking to spend more than $250K and a fixer upper is not out of the question. In fact, I'd love to find a home with some nice Architectural details that may need a little work nothing shabby though.

Help me out!

I think the Gahanna, Westerville or Pickerington areas might fit your bill as far as good schools with some diversity in the specified price range. The homes, though, are typically suburban in nature. Check Pickerington & Gahanna first, then Westerville. Good Luck!

[vader]

Id also checkout Reynoldsburg...Its nice and has a growing black community

[streetcreed]

Reynoldsburg has a growing black community, but you sound like your looking more on the upper scale of things with a nice house and parks etc..
Honestly, most of the homes in the "middle class" black areas of the metro are suburban in nature and not as interesting.
Sections of columbus have some fantastic homes, but some of the schools are looked at as not being on par with the suburban schools, so many of the families of influence in these richer columbus areas do use priavte schools.
However, Unlike many other midwestern cities columbus has a lot of wealth in the city proper with neighborhoods that has the classics like parks, walkable, really interesting houses etc..
For more moderate/upscale housing in the burbs I would look into Upper Arlington, Worthington, Dublin, or Powell. These areas are more diverse than some of the other suburbs and wealthier with good schools. Since you sound as though you want to use a good local school district Worthington would be a good compromise. There are some nearby rivers parks, walkable streets, good schools (I graduated from the high school there), decent acceptance and liberal mindset, and there's many neighborhoods near the Olentangy River with a bike trail. Also it's right off high st. and in the middle of north columbus with easier access to interesting and beautiful areas in the central city and downtown.

[lavondabrown1]

As for homes with true character and amazing design in architecture, man! The hood, However Columbus is restoring the area, it is growing and turning back into a landmark presedented gold mine. If you have the capital, nabbing up a house close to downtown & Childrens Hospital would be an awesome investment. As for schools the children can pick where they want to be bused too if the closet is not cool for you, charter schools and lottery schools are available. You do have some parks, community rec centers close by.