Go and No-Go Neighborhoods (Dayton, Springfield: crime, houses, living)

[UrsusMinor]

We might be moving to Dayton from Huntington Beach, California. (An acquaintance originally from Ohio said "Don't live in Dayton at all. Live in Yellow Springs.")

We are a middle-aged couple with no children; one of us will be working near Wright-Patterson.

Unless you are fabulously wealthy (and probably even then), anywhere you live has tradeoffs. I mean, I'd love to live in a huge house with an acre of land around it within walking distance of a vibrant urban center. But such places don't exist.

So I end up looking for places that have some redeeming features without any major downsides. That could mean an urban area with plenty of amenities nearby. That could mean a semi-rural area where we could have some land.

The two dealbreakers for us are:

1) No high-crime areas. We like to be able to stroll around our neighborhood or go for a jog without ducking bullets or getting mugged.

2) No deadly boring suburbs. If I need to get into a car to go anywhere, then I don't want to drive through miles of cookie-cutter houses to get there. I know that McMansions on half-acre lots are some poeple's ideas of Paradise.

So, I'd be grateful if anybody could tell us likely places to look. And, perhaps more important, places NOT to bother to look--where are the No-Go Zones. From what I can tell so far, Dayton is a little like Oakland, CA--some wonderful neighborhoods, some marginal neighborhoods, and some places you might not even want to drive through. Problem is, the Chamber of Commerce doesn't hand out fliers telling you which is which!

[willabee]

Well, a suburb thats near Wright Patt that you may like is Beavercreek. But coming from Huntington Beach you may well be bored there. Kettering / Oakwood may be appealing to you and coming from LA area you may find Oakwood affordable. It is a more expensive area.

If you want urban check South Park, Oregon District, Saint Annes Hill, Huffman Historic district. These are all historic districts and are mostly nicer areas. There is also Linden Heights, Belmont, Walnut Hills, Patterson Park in southeast Dayton. I won't offer no-go areas, to it's just too subjective.

Bottom line is the Dayton region has a lot to offer. Im a city dweller who lives in East Dayton. My perspective leans towards Dayton proper. There are a lot of folks who can get you in tune with the suburban areas, even though I mentioned a few. Best of luck.

[UrsusMinor]

Thanks for the tips, willabee! The Oregon District looks very appealing. I can't quite get a fix on South Park from the pictures I see. Certainly inexpensive.

Where are Saint Anne's and Huffman districts? I can't really find them on neighborhood maps or Zillow...

[willabee]

Neighborhood Websites:

St. Anne's Blog on the Hill

Welcome to South Park Historic District

Oregon District - Home

http://www.huffmanhistoric.org/

Maps:
http://www.city-data.com/neighborhoo...Dayton-OH.html

http://www.city-data.com/neighborhoo...Dayton-OH.html

and one map to rule them all:
http://www.cityofdayton.org/departments/pcd/Planning%20Docs/Historic%20District%20Maps.pdf (broken link)

General Info on all Dayton Historic Districts: (fun read)
http://www.cityofdayton.org/departments/pcd/hnd/Documents/HistoricDistrictbios.pdf (broken link)

I may as well plug my own neighborhood. It is a little closer to Wright Patt.

Linden Heights Community Council | Dayton, Ohio (http://www.lindenhts.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 - broken link)

http://www.city-data.com/neighborhoo...Dayton-OH.html


You guys may like downtown too, and this site will really give you a flavor of Dayton proper.

http://www.daytonmostmetro.com/

Best of luck, and am glad you guys are considering the Dayton region as your home.

[wrightflyer]

I'd say Beavercreek, isn't completly cookie-cutter, but it is more so than other areas. Yellow Springs would be a consideration, in part because it is a cute little town with progressive leanings, but you will have to drive to Springfield or Beavercreek/Fairborn for some shopping but these places are only 20-30mins away, an easy drive for someone coming from SoCal. It's also surrounded by beautiful country farm land, so if you find those couple acres, it would be a deal.

Dayton's historic districts are another possibility. Willabee, though, being a resident, knows much more on that subject, so I'll leave it to him. What I can say, or reiterate, is that these areas aren't as bad as some people would make it out to be. Yes, there are bad parts of Dayton, but these are not those places.

Oakwood, would be another possibility, if you want cute streetcar suburban with Dayton close by, and possibly better resale. While it really isn't a historic district, it is a place that can be rather walkable, safe, and offers character, not cookie-cutter, living.

As far as where not to go, I'll venture to say parts of West Dayton, but I won't be too specific only due to the fact that I don't know the area that well. It also is pocket based, with some areas being ok, and others being crime ridden.

[JefferyT]

Your aquiantance is correct, Yellow Springs is the place. Or, for the city, the Oregon District. Oakwood is nice but expensive and a bit stuffy.

[willabee]

Originally Posted by JefferyT

Your aquiantance is correct, Yellow Springs is the place. Or, for the city, the Oregon District. Oakwood is nice but expensive and a bit stuffy.

Ya, Yellow Springs and Oregon District are closest thing to California in the Dayton metro area.

[JefferyT]

^
Yellow Springs could be right out of the North Coast.

[willabee]

Egads, I would be remiss if I didn't mention McPherson Town in Dayton.

Welcome to McPherson Town - Dayton, Ohio's Most Neighborly Neighborhood!

http://www.city-data.com/neighborhoo...Dayton-OH.html

And, for a pictorial tour of the metro, check out:

Urbanohio.com Gallery > Dayton

Cheers!

[Daytonnatian]

It looks like the topic has already been well-covered.All I have to say is that I agree.....Good Luck!!!!!