NEWCOMERS to the DAYTON REGION: Please read & answer so we can assist you: (Beavercreek: low crime)

[JefferyT]

Please read and answer these questions so we can assist you on your move to the Dayton Region:

-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?

(to the moderators, I got this from the Louisville and Virginia forums as a way to help newcomers structure their queries and for us Dayton folk to help with the answers. I'd request it be stickied at the top of the thread)

[Daytonnatian]

Great idea to have this thread.

ALSO: 800th Post

[5flags]

Great idea JefferyT. This should be very helpful for folks moving to Dayton. I'll be part of the BRAC influx in 2011.

Please read and answer these questions so we can assist you on your move to the Dayton Region:

-Where you are working?
WPAFB area B

-How much you are willing to spend on housing?
Based on the online searching I've done, probably in the range of $250-300k.

-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate
Can tolerate 30 minutes. Prefer 15.

-If you have kids: Private school or public school?
Our number one criterion is buying in a top public school district.

-What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for: small town feeling? small city excitement? suburbia delight?
Don't want "suburban delight" Would be happy in either an urban-ish setting or the country.

-Community amenities important to you?
nice parks, youth sports (swimming, select/club soccer), good book stores (especially GOOD used book stores - classics, 1st editions, out of print specialty topics), variety of restaurants (where is the best Indian food, btw?), craft shops, historical interest, community organizations, public safety, low crime, etc...basically everything

And most importantly...
-Pie or cake?
Pie!

[wrightflyer]

Not sure if we are replying to these posts in here or on another thread, but I'll post this one here since 5flags posted here.

For working at Area B and wanting a 15-30 minute commute with urban-ish or country settings and wanting to be in a good public school district, I'd recommend either Oakwood or Yellow Springs/Miami Township. Oakwood is the urban-ish (rather inner-ring suburb so it might not fit, but it may, so check it out) locale, while Yellow Springs/Miami Township has plenty of country in its borders.

Oakwood would give you one of the top rated districts in the area. It just may be too suburban and not enough urban. Still, the houses are old (1910-1950's), many with loads of character. Commute would run north to US35 east to I-675 north to exit 15/Area B and runs about 15-25 minutes.

Yellow Springs is a small hippy town, but once outside of town, the land gets pretty rural. Dave Chappell actually owns a farm out here. Still, the prices aren't too high if you aren't buying a ton of land. Commute would be Dayton-Yellow Springs Rd to I-675 south to exit 15/Area B and runs about 20-30 minutes.

Some other areas to look at include Beavercreek Township (good schools, borders southern side of base, harder to find land/housing in rural township that is cheap enough), Sugarcreek Township (good schools, roughly south of City of Beavercreek and township, again with land/home prices), Xenia Township (up and coming school district, south of Miami Township and east of Beavercreek Township, plenty rural within your price range). I'd just watch to make sure you aren't in Bath Township (between base and Miami Township) as this is in Fairborn City Schools, which have struggeled finacially as of late and lag on state test scores.

[JefferyT]

For rural or still somewhat country, and +/- 30 minutes from Area B, and good schools, there is Sugarcreek Township and Spring Valley township (I think Spring Valley is in the Sugarcreek school district?). These are sububurbanizing areas but there is still plenty of open space and mini-farm/large lot development as well as true working farms, so it is still fairly open/country in feel. Pretty countryside, too; valleys and rolling hills. The two villages in this area, Bellbrook and Spring Valley, are fairly picturesque, and Spring Valley is on a bike trail.

Canoeing is possible on the Little Miami River, which flows through the area. The popular park here is Sugarcreek Reserve.

[Daytonnatian]

Bethel Twp/Miami County is country, and canoeing can easily happen at the nearby river. It is also not at very high risk for suburbanization, and still has stores like Kohl's, Target, Wal-Mart, and Elder-Beerman within ten minutes.

Otherwise, Oakwood (urban), Sugarcreek twp. (rural), Clayton (western portion, rural), Brookville (rural) and Monroe Twp (Tipp City, rural) would work. The last three I mentioned are a little further away.

[wrightflyer]

Originally Posted by JefferyT

I think Spring Valley is in the Sugarcreek school district?

Spring Valley Township goes to Xenia City Schools.

[Crew Chief]

I'm closing this excellent thread so that people will read this, better form their questions and post in a thread of their own, rather than posting in this one where it may not be properly addressed.