Californian Seeking Advice Re: Suburbs of Dayton (Columbus, Cleveland: best suburbs, real estate)

[demichae]

Hi everyone. I'm considering applying for a job in Dayton. From my research, it looks like Dayton itself has a rather high crime rate and poor-performing schools. According to posts on this thread, one of the best suburbs is Springboro. With three young children, the schools are the most important factor. How are the schools in Springboro? What are the other top suburbs?

I've looked at home prices and it looks like prices start in the low $300's. Are there bad parts of Springboro?

Weather: I realize it snows. How many months out of the year is it cold? How much snow is there?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

[the_pines]

Not a lot of snow on average. It might not snow but one or two times in the winter, maybe twenty times. Each season is different. Sometimes the winters are warmer and rainy as well. Its just not easy to say if there will be a lot of snow or bitter cold.

The best schools are in southern Dayton suburbs. Beavercreek and Centerville. I cant really say about Springboro but it is in southern Dayton which is generally newer. I like Ketterring a lot but its kind of crowded at times. That's my kind of place right there. Its just the traffic there that can be a pain. It has a skate park and lots of restaurants and things to do. Those prices seem very high unless you're looking at a huge house also. Sugarcreek, Bellbrook and Yellow Springs are smaller towns and the farthest out areas I guess you could consider the suburbs. I wouldn't recommend Yellow Springs as its a very liberal small town with not a lot to do and it has Antioch University that tends to always be involved in something speculative. I'm pretty sure Sugarkcreek and Bellbrook have better schools. In north Dayton Vandalia, Union and Englewood have the best schools. But that isn't saying much. Lastly Oakwood's schools are by the far the best, but that is a very wealthy area also with expensive tudor homes and such. There isn't a whole lot of diversity in Dayton. Its rather subtle. But most schools have some amount of diversity.

Unless that is a really big house I would try to find something for less. Ohio shouldn't be nearly that expensive in general.

A few more things. The only Children's Medical Center I know of in Dayton is near downtown. So you may want to consider that since you have kids. Now I don't mean the only physician around or health clinic, I mean the only specific Children's Medical Hospital. That isn't a terrible commute from anywhere in the city as Dayton is only roughly a million people. The public libraries are generally well spread out. Museums and stuff are generally downtown. As well as the farmers market for homegrown fresh produce and breads and things. There are plenty of health food stores in Centerville and the Beavercreek area. The Dayton mall is also in Centerville.

Try and check out the area in Vandalia around Little York Road, Brantford Road also. They have a couple community area's with pools, slides, tennis courts, lakes, bike paths, walking trails, and lots of houses set back on the properties. Muma's fruit farm where you can hand pick your stuff with a basket if you want. Art Van Atta Park. Some mom and pop stores like wine stores and things. Really there are lots of cooler little areas and neighborhoods all around Dayton.

The crime is generally in the city. The east and west sides which are segregated. Very poverty stricken and run down. Both have extremely high crime and drug use rates. Don't move to them unless you're tough and are trying to turn the area around. The suburbs not so much crime, but kids can get access to drugs as in any city. Ohio in general doesn't have lots of dangerous gangs or anything though. Unless its inner city Cleveland or Cincinnati. Kids are generally more self-minded. Southern Dayton is also close to Kings Island, Dave and Busters and the University of Cincinnati. There is Kettering medical Center and a couple other medical centers. As well as dentists, floral shops, car places and stuff like that that can be found easily. Landscaping companies if you prefer to hire someone else to maintain your property.

Moraine has a Wet N Wild Water Park. Caesar's Creek I believe is also close to southern Dayton. Just a big lake by a fossil bed where school take kids on field trips to dig up fossils of trilobites and things. There are other lakes around for boating and fishing. If you can look all around because there are lots of cool little neighborhoods that most people would like. But we cant recommend the inner-city to anyone yet. Its in real bad shape. Other than directly downtown which has Sinclair Community College(very good school for being a community college), the Loft Apartments, Farmers Market, and Shuster's Performing Arts Center. They do nice Christmas displays downtown. Lots of ethnic festivals around if you like those in different seasons. An amphitheater for outdoor concerts, the Dayton Orchestra puts on as well as local and established bands.

The driving in Dayton isn't always scenic. But you can retreat to a nice area very easily. You will see lots of factories and old iconic buildings falling apart in places smokestacks and such. But the suburbs are a whole different picture.

[wrightflyer]

Pines, wonderful post. I can't really add to it other then Springboro schools do rank up there with Centerville and Beavercreek. Also, these schools are having growing pains due to increasing enrollment. Not a horrible thing since it means people want to live there. Just means more crowded schools until new ones are built with property taxs dollars. People can be touchy about that issue and most people say they are high (maybe for Ohio), but with the good services come a price I guess.

[the_pines]

Also if some of the people in southern Dayton are generally more snobby don't take it to heart and generalize all of us. Its generally accepted that area has some snobs you run in to from time to time. Southern Dayton residents do board meetings and council meetings if you're into that stuff as well. If you like hearing community members and stuff.

Also car insurance, utility bills, home insurance and things are generally cheaper than most places with the same amount of things to offer. Our Insurance here north of Tampa is $150 a month and in Dayton it was $54 for full coverage. Our utilities here just jumped from $150 to $300. That has me thinking moving will be very likely sometime soon for us.

You might find it lacking a bit on the cool side, especially since you're from California. Its probably behind the times compared to where you're from, you might be a local hero hehe. People will probably seem plain and generally kept to themselves. But I found the people there to be as nice as anywhere else ive been.

A little effort can go a long way in Ohio. There are communities and homes that are perfect for fixing up and landscaping, with shade trees and stuff like that. For way cheaper than most places. I'm very proud to say Ohioans try not to be greedy people for the most part. Keep in mind though it is a city, not a town. I don't want to give you the impression its a small town or anything. Its an eclectic mixture. You should be able to find a more fast paced if that's what you're up for. Ohio generally has a special blend of we like to keep in and around our cities. Lower costs, fast or slow pace. Usually on the slower side, but for those looking to do more and up the pace we have that too. This is something that people remember about it often. I'm not sure anyone does a better blending the casual and faster paced atmospheres together. Maybe Maine's cities do it better. I don't know.

Also I forgot the Cincinnati Zoo is world renown zoo if you're into animals and stuff. Theres October Fest, the Airshow, Strawberry Festival, some Ethnic festivals, probably a lot more im forgetting. Laser Light shows, the Natural Museum of History has dinosaur skeletons and things. A replica of a Hopewell Indian Village called Sun Watch where the town has been constructed and Native artifacts are displayed, as well as some local area mounds left long ago by Ohio's mound builders.

I'm probably forgetting a lot of stuff. Like I said it is its own city, its not a suburb of Cincinnati and never has been. The city has a very rich history. There is no clicke you need to be part of that I have ever been aware of if you're worried about being from somewhere else. Ohioans are generally very welcome and probably happy to have people coming in. Most Ohioans have traveled around so they're aware of other cultures and things for the most part. We would rather not leave our state, but we have had very slow growth since the 1950's. So some of us tend to feel neglected and forgotten and move elsewhere.

Of course theres the huge Air Force Base too. Its a city itself comprised of over 25k people. People from every state in the country around that area. Tons of new business and things out in Fairborn like the Fairfield Commons Mall(its expensive to shop there).

Some very high quality music shops, studios and things if you're into music. I'm not sure how the local music scene is anymore since i've got older and moved away. Of course there's the University of Dayton also. Its campus is crappy looking to me, but they have some sharp kids that go there and some top notch professors. There are some hobby shops for board games, figurines, collectibles. Daytonians have some weird habits you might find. The Ham radio's, Hovercraft races, lots of remote controlled airplanes. Some arboretums around the city. Chess clubs and stuff at schools. Local whiz kid game show for local area schools to compete in. Spelling Bee's might be badges of honor.

Also Columbus is about an hour and a half away with general moderate to light traffic. Cincinnati is an hour away with moderate to heavy traffic.

The Dayton Daily newspaper is its own newspaper. Has some good crossword puzzles and those traditional things haven't been lost. There are book stores but im not sure how numerous they're. Not much of a book reader myself.

The drinking water from the tap is generally quality. I have heard it has won some awards. One thing you will appreciate a lot is that if yo like to work in your yard, you wont have problems with bugs, except maybe mosquito's. Which can be extremely bad in Ohio. Don't let anyone tell you different. In residential areas they aren't to bad, but they are there. So having those outdoor candles is a good idea and using OFF might be necessary. Ohio's has lots of greenery and trees. Lady bugs, lightning bugs in the summer. Every once in awhile the northern lights are barely visible and the sky at night can put on a display. But that's a rarity not something that's common.

You shouldn't have a problem finding quality healthcare services in southern Dayton. In northern Dayton it can sometimes be a problem. Don't be scared, Ohio's cities aren't as scary as they may look. Its more decay than gangs and stuff. Most of our crime comes from our poor inner-cities or the suburbs right next to them. You might encounter some racial tension from time to time, but its not widespread. Areas are becoming more diverse now than in the past.

Some areas are still decaying. Some are prospering. South Dayton has a fairly steady economy and influx of new people. You will probably meet some people that have traveled around the world or that have unique hobbies and things like that to talk with. But the general trend around Ohio's cities has been very slow growth to breaking even in general. We don't have a lot of different culture to speak of, but it would probably be very welcome in the area.

Child predators are abundant in Ohio, at least that's what the news sources say. So be cautious, but don't be over cautious. I never had a problem growing up or knew anyone that did. We rode bikes miles at a time and grew up the way boys should grow up. There are trails around for ATV and dirt bikes and stuff too. Paintballing is getting kinda big in the area.

The schools don't have uniforms that I know of unless they're in the inner-city. Generally kids are wearing stuff from Dilliards or whatever new stores are in the malls or your everyday department stores.

There are all kinds of different furniture places that have different types of stuff available so that shouldn't be a problem for you.

Plenty of places to eat. Yes Ohio has some VERY good pizza places too. There's also Thia, Indian food and a bunch of other stuff all around the city.

Ice skating rink somewhere's, I cant remember. Then there is an indoor skiing and snow boarding place north of Dayton that's about fourty-five minutes away I think. Mad Mountain? or something like that. I never went there. Dayton has its own airport that is rarely crowded. It isn't the most state of the art, but it isn't to shabby.

Plenty of places rent to pet owners. There are some big pet stores with accessories and some things for exotic animals as well. there's a swap meet that comes into town that trades all kinds of funky stuff. People come from all over the United States. There's also traders World in Cincinnati that is a huge indoor/outdoor flea market. There are still some Drive-In theaters around to watch movies at. I think they're a tad cheaper than the cinema's but just barely.

For sports the Dayton area has the Bombers(local Hockey), the Dayton Dragons(a Reds farm team), and the Dayton Flyers for football and basketball. People are generally Dayton Flyer basketball fans.

There are some historic places where you can go and see things like the Wright Brothers Bicycle Shop, a famous writers house, and quite a few more. A VA hospital for Veterans. Tons of local veterans lodges all over. Some local Poker tournaments if you're into that. Some dance studios for and ballet places around. Not sure how many but I know they're there. There are some places that have acting lessons and stuff also.

Some natural parks and Reserves around the area with camping. Ohio is a perfect state for camping out. Don't really have to worry about being bitten by bugs or any animals predators as there are none. Except black bear in southern Ohio. Ive never seen one myself. Though I have seen coyotes and they come in packs that travel at night. The few I seen were smaller than dogs and looked skinny. I only seen one big one and it actually might have been a wolf instead of a coyote because it was huge.

Miami of Oxford and Ohio State University are relatively close. Wilberforce University, Oberlin and probably a bunch of others. Just about anywhere in Ohio is close to a major university or two.

I think the city is really accessible. It does have public transportation for the city limits. They pay their bus drivers very good wages. if you're a go getter, honestly I don't think you would have a problem getting a job in Dayton. I have found it one of the easiest places I have ever been to get jobs. In fact im really pleased with Ohio's amount of jobs compared to other places. But this could depend on your skills. There aren't a lot of jobs for people that are graphic artists and some things like that. there are photo studios and arts studios, but not any big named ones. I wish we had some big ones to call our own. There are plenty of trade schools and programs to get adults back into the workforce if needed. But there are some really advanced jobs in the area too. Lexus Nexus and some private research companies in the area. Also NCR is located in Dayton, and the Meade(paper, folders, notebooks stuff like that) is down town.

Wildlife is basically lightning bugs, raccoons(they will eat out of your hand if you cater to them I wouldn't recommend it because they wont go away after that), squirrels, possums, deer, owls, all kinds of birds, lady bugs, bees(yellow jackets and honey bee's), frogs, toads, butterflies, flies, some different beetles, salamanders, garter snakes, black snakes, foxes, coyote. Rarer wildlife would be Bobcats, Wolves(im pretty sure there aren't any but just in-case that was really a wolf I seen I listed it), Bears, Rattle Snakes, Copperheads, Water Moccasin's. There are some animals farms around Dayton where people have Zebra's Ostriches, Big Cats and things like that too. Some can be seen passing by the properties.

North Dayton has some horse farms and horse places. The area is generally hilly to flat. Mostly hilly. Some average sledding places in the winter where lots of people take their kids. They aren't mountains though. Salt is a problem for automobiles in the winter so you'll want to wash your car occasionally when a warmer sunny day breaks out.

Summers can be as hot as anywhere, and muggy. Its not always muggy though. Haze lingers around a lot though. Sunsets are average. Every now and then you get a real good one like some of the southern states. You cant really see the stars in Dayton. Its fairly big and to many city lights. Also Ohio can have cloudy days anytime of the year. You have to stay active if you're a depressed person otherwise if can make depression worse. But generally speaking I think the cloudy days are spread out through the year. Its not all at one season. Tornado's aren't really that common. I have never seen one and lived there for many years. The last big was hit Xenia. Which was an area that was hit by the biggest one in Ohio history. That area is east of Dayton I think? Hail isn't very common either. I have only seen small hail a couple times in my life. Kids love to get some snow days of(I think the teachers do too . Ice storms aren't that common, but they happen. It just depends on the year. Fall colors aren't top notch like the northeastern areas, but they also depend on the years weather. If the early season had a lot of rainfall you can get very spectacular colors.

There is a ton of different types of houses in the area, I mean a lot of different types of houses. The city really didn't have a lot of the same type of houses going up until recently. people have some really cool houses. There are tons of apartments to choose from too if you cant find something or if you're looking for an apartment. Most of them will be different just like the housing is. There are a lot of newer ones too that aren't that high in price.

As far as I know the area is moderate. Blue or Red. It may be even more liberal now than when I was there. Though Yellow Springs is the only area that is far left. I'm not sure Ohioans care to much about politics for whatever reasons. Most people will just try and find a common ground with another. I guess that's the only way to explain it.

You get a good deal on your house and I wish you the best of luck for you family if you decide to try it out.

[JefferyT]

Actually the schools in Englewood and Clayton, which are northern suburbs, are some of the best in the area. This school district, Northmont, along with Oakwood and Centerville, are the only three in the county rated an unqualified "Excellent" on the state school report card.

[the_pines]

I went to Northmont as a kid and did not like it at all. It seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere and had a very depressing atmosphere there for some reason. We lived in Clayton when I went to Northmont. I cant remember much about the academics because I didn't go there very long. Southern Dayton is a lot better and probably a lot closer to what most people would like. Englewood has barely any shopping, and you have to go to Huber Heights to shop(which is always packed during peak traffic times). Englewood and Clayton are a sleepy towns where kids will get in to much trouble. Vandalia is probably the best bet in northern Dayton, but its schools are average.

[smurf_goddess]

Thanks for this post. I am interested in moving to Dayton because the houses are so inexpensive. A friend told me Dayton is "the armpit of the world," but I would still like to visit and see for myself. You make Dayton sound like a very nice place. Do you know anything about the Riverdale area?

[the_pines]

I'm not familiar with Riverdale. Did you mean Riverside? If so its close to the inner-city and the only suburbs close to the inner-city that are appealing are Oakwood and Kettering. Riverside and Northridge are both in poor shape but not as bad as east or west Dayton. Those two along with Kettering are the fringe limits of the city of Dayton proper. Kettering is very cool but that's going towards southern Dayton which has basically been most of Daytons growth area. Its definitely not the armpit of the world. Ohio's inner-cities and downtowns are nothing spectacular at all. But the cities have some very nice suburbs. You can find quaint tucked away neighborhoods all over Dayton. I wouldn't say the prices are inexpensive. They might be for a lot of other people coming from more inflated areas, but whenever you're talking about a hundred thousand dollars that's not cheap in anyway shape or form to me. I'm not the man to talk to about real estate though. 150k is quite expensive to me.

Trotwood is also a very cool suburb but it doesn't have much to do and most of it is in disrepair. I have family that live there and I have always loved that area. Its Daytons first suburb and has the remaining train station that came into town. I hope to see it return back into a very nice town one day. I would hope that you can still find really good deals. I'm very conscious about Ohio's quality of life and living standards.

[dayton_ohio]

Originally Posted by demichae

Hi everyone. I'm considering applying for a job in Dayton. From my research, it looks like Dayton itself has a rather high crime rate and poor-performing schools. According to posts on this thread, one of the best suburbs is Springboro. With three young children, the schools are the most important factor. How are the schools in Springboro? What are the other top suburbs?

I've looked at home prices and it looks like prices start in the low $300's. Are there bad parts of Springboro?

Weather: I realize it snows. How many months out of the year is it cold? How much snow is there?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

Springboro is really, really new. There seems to be a huge amount of homes on the market there now -- a lot sitting for extended periods. From what I've heard, Springboro schools are struggling to keep up with the rapid growth in the school-aged population. Centerville and Oakwood are generally recognized as having the best school districts in the area. Springboro and Beavercreek are also strong. There aren't bad parts per se in Springboro (nothing like parts of Dayton city proper), but there are older parts, parts with cheaper homes/poorer neighbors, and parts near farms that some people may consider less desirable.

[JefferyT]

"I went to Northmont as a kid and did not like it at all."

You might not have liked it but this is one of the top three school districts in the county. From what I saw of Englewood and Clayton and Union there is still a lot of midwest village feel to the place , except Englewood is more suburban. These places all seem pretty pleasant.

For shopping you would be shopping in that new development off of Stop 8 Road and I-75. not so much Huber.


Kettering is iffy. There are a lot of foreclosures there, and a lot of those payday loan and check cashing places, so I think that suburb might be having issues with downward mobility.