moving to Dayton Ohio from Grand Rapids Michigan (Kettering, Huber Heights: apartment, rentals)

[McCoy mom of 5]

Hi I am a single mother of five and im looking to move to Dayton Ohio, but would like to know where the best place to live as far as raising my kids who range from 16 14 7 3 and 2. I want to live in a nice quiet neighborhood low crime rate and have good nice neighbors and be close to good schools, restaurant, shopping center , grocery stores, gym and highways. In also looking for a arwa with not to many sex offender and as i stated above low crime area. I want to make Dayton home and live in peace happiness and have a good life for me and my kids and be happy resident of Dayton. I want my kids to feel like their at home and dont have to worry about much and i want to make sure as mothwr that me and my kids will be safe in our new town. So im looking for a good area of Dayton or suburbs, something like where im coming from , like kentwood Michigan. Im planning on visiting in April and May to look around and find housing and olan on miving and becoming a resident in July of this year. Thank you

[dxdtdemon]

What you're describing sounds a lot like Centerville and Beavercreek. Centerville houses cost a little more, but their school district matches their reputation while Beavercreek is still one of the better school districts but has been declining a little.

[joe from dayton]

What kind of budget do you have?

Why do you want to move to Dayton?

Dayton has a very poorly rated public school system.

[SWOH]

Welcome to Dayton OP!

I did a quick lookup on Kentwood... Kettering is a near match to the community aside from having houses with land (although if you have a $400k+ budget, there are some places in Kettering west of Dorothy with land that would work). Beavercreek is also very comparable to Kentwood, although it would be a slightly less diverse version of it.

Both have roughly the same population & school quality.

But overall I have to agree with Joe. We need more info. Here's some questions that if you answer would be very helpful for us to guide you in some good directions:
-Where you are working?
-How much you are willing to spend on housing?
-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate
-If you have kids: Private school or public school?
-What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for: small town feeling? small city excitement? suburbia delight?
-Community amenities important to you?
-Pie or cake?


And the sex offender comment is interesting. Overall I don't think these places are sex offender havens but I'm sure there are some scattered in the mix. Either way is there a reason besides having children it is a primary factor in your moving criteria? Not that I'm one to defend those scumbags but I doubt they would be a problem unless there were in close contact with you and your children on a daily basis. Most sexual assaults happen when both parties know each other.

Regardless, here's a link:
Offender Search


Good luck! And more info would be very helpful.

[McCoy mom of 5]

I just want to move away from Michigan been there my whole life and just want to experience something different. I was going to move to N.C, but since that further away I rather just be anywhere from 2 to 5 hours away from Michigan, since my parent still live there and if i needed to go back i wouldn't have a far way to travel. Also i dont mean to offend any one if i did, i apologize. I just want me and my kids to be safe and dont have to worry about so much once we move to another state and city. Im quite sure i probably stay around some offender now and just dont know about it. But it's quiet where i live now and its a mix neighborhood and family oriented. My budget as far as rwnt goes. I can spend up to 1100 for rent. Im looking for a family friendly neighborhood with different mix of people. I dont mine driving but i woukd like to be atleast 5 to 10 minutes away from stores hospital highways and entertainment. Im a LPN so i know i probably could find me a job close by. My kids go to kentwood school now, which is a public school. So im looking for a good public school district, where i know my kids will a good education and where the teacher care as well. And i want to be close by a church for sure. So i hope this help you so you can possibly help me. I dont mine driving but no longer than 30 min is the minimum. Also what are some good online colleges? Thank you for you help

[SWOH]

^Thanks for the additional info, McCoy Mom of 5! It's a huge help. And don't worry, you certainly did not offend me. I was just wondering about the mention, but it doesn't seem like I will need to be recommending places out in the cornfields or anything haha.

My first recommendation, and overall you best fit neighborhood, would be here:
Rental Listings - 3 Rentals | Zillow

Not necessarily the townhouse (IMO you could find a nicer, detached house easily within your budget), but the neighborhood seems to meet your criteria well. 5-10 minute drive to the area's two largest hospitals (Miami Valley Hospital and Kettering Medical Center), the Wal-Mart is only about 3 minutes south, the mall is about a 15-minute drive, easy jog to Hills and Dales Park, and it is possible to walk to Dorothy Lane Market (it's basically our version of Whole Foods) and the other shops of Oakwood. Both I-75 and US 35 interstates are only a few minutes away. And entertainment is nearby in downtown Dayton/South Park/ the OD, to the east at The Greene, and through easy access to the river and parks at your landing point near Carrillon Park.

RDreisenUD would do a lot better job detailing other areas of Kettering, so I'll leave that to him. But a number of places east of Far Hills would work well. Kettering schools are really good and they serve a diverse population of students.


Otherwise, for newer rental in a decently diverse school district, try Northmont Schools (Englewood/Clayton). The downside is the distance from major hospitals and the size.... I'm assuming you'll need a big place to house all 5 kids! Anyways, here is a choice:
Rental Listings - 4 Rentals | Zillow


So my last suggestion is to try Huber Heights. Specifically north of I-70 just because it is more popular with relocatees, but south of 70 would work too. Here's some options there:
Rental Listings - 4 Rentals | Zillow
Rental Listings - 2 Rentals | Zillow

North of 70 would also be better for highway access, proximity to stores, and walkability to a nice metropark, a YMCA, and an aquatic center. Open enrolling your children in neighboring Bethel Schools, which are on par with Kettering, would also be a possibility. Again, the big downside is Huber Schools - they have new facilities, but overall they are still not considered to be great.


And one last point - online colleges - I am not sure, but in the Dayton area Indiana Wesleyan seems the most established. Also, I'm not sure what education exactly will be pursued, but Sinclair CC and WSU are both nearby and offer a number of good options.

Good luck!

[McCoy mom of 5]

Thank you so much SWOH.ALL OF THIS WAS VERY HELPFUL .

[CraigMac52]

The suburbs around Dayton are good such as:

Beavercreek: upside, good schools, diverse housing. Downside, no town center, traffic around mall
Centerville: upside, good schools. Downside, traffic, housing overpriced

One place to explore is Fairborn:

Downside: schools are improving, older buildings... Great teachers.

Upside: One of the few places that have new and developing housing in the Dayton area. Close to mall(10 minutes). Close to new hospital(the Sohn). Downtown area, near Wright-Patt AFB.