Dayton / Wright-Patt Areas (Springfield, Kettering, Huber Heights: real estate, apartments, renters)

[ejecteject]

I'm looking to get back into DOD, and years ago Wright-Patt would have sounded like a choice assignment. Now as a SWM 38, I'm very concerned about QOL and eager for opinions. The last thing I want to do is move into the same situation I'm in now, in Ventura Co., California. Here's why:

3) COL. I'm fine with apartments, but my low-end 1-BD is $900 a month. Houses here of course start at $400K. Insane's not the word for it.

2) Exodus. I've heard many people are leaving OH, which concerns me (for where?), since the middle class here has vacated. Defense and agriculture have been replaced by real estate, retail, retirement, and agriculture. It is getting both extremely older, younger, and closer to being part of Mexico each month.

1) Attitude. The only place left to find SWFs over 21 is at the Evangelical churches, which dominate the church-scape, and women there are hardly more down-to-Earth than the average person here. If someone on the street does say Hi, much less look to you, they either want to you join a church, take their business card, or let them do something horrid to you in the bushes (mostly the first two).

Avoiding 2 out 3 wouldn't be bad. Now I've been to Dayton for the Wright Bros. anniversary, and downtown was a shame. However, I'm more interested in the areas around it that people commute from. I will say that I found Ohioans very friendly. In fact, a couple of them my age came at me from out of nowhere on an airplane to break the Good News: they'd seen my Sox cap, and said my team had just acquired Curt Schilling. I hadn't known this, and essentially, they were the first to "predict" to me that my Sox would break the Curse in '04. These were minor-league baseball fans.

And such is what I'm after. I know your winters and humidity stink, but an ocean to look on alone is hardly paradise. Opinions welcome.

[wrightflyer]

In terms of #2, unless you are in Dayton itself (but this isn't true for all of its neighborhoods), you won't encounter a middle class flight. However, there is a difference in the environs around Dayton and WPAFB. The Montgomery (west) side of the base is primarily Riverside (formerly Mad River Twp.) and Huber Heights. Both are working to middle class suburbs. Riverside is probably the more dilapidated of the two in that it's older and closer to Dayton. Huber Heights is mostly brick ranches with multi-family housing and sits on I-70. Most of the commercial development NW of WP occurs along I-70 and 202. Huber probably would be the best bet economically.

New Carlisle/Medway and Enon are more rural and don't have much in the way of apartments, so...

Next going clockwise around WPAFB is Fairborn (now in Greene County). Now Fairborn can be tricky. Personnally, if I were renting, I would avoid Fairborn if I could. Most of the renters and rentals are lower-income based and if one place had the most crime, it would probably be Fairborn. That and its schools are not the best (a good indicator of a city). Hey, Fairborn has its good parts, but I would take Huber Heights over Fairborn.

Finally, there's Beavercreek, the bedroom community that replaced the suburban expansion of Fairborn in the 1970's. Beavercreek (along w/ some of the southern suburbs and Oakwood) can be somewhat snobish. It's the most expansive one (of those around WP) by far but offers the most in newer housing, shopping, and entertainment. Many of the DOD workers and military officers from the base choose Beavercreek because of its value, safety, and schools. And despite being a little upity, people still say high to their neighbors.

Overall, the Dayton suburbs offer a wonderful QOL compared to SoCal and parts of the east coast (family in DC surburbs). I also recommend looking at apartmentguide.com as they have a general listing of apartments, prices, and amenities in all of the above suburbs. Still, look around as some of the smaller complexes and units are not a member of that service. Good luck with the search.

[wrightflyer]

Oh, one more thing. Check out the Anyone from Dayton thread (its a page or two later) as that has plenty of general information on the region.

[Crew Chief]

Hi Ejecteject! LOVE that scereen name! (and am happy to say no one ever ejected from an aircraft I crewed ) I'm (along with my wonderful wife) retired from USAF here about 20 min. South of WPAFB (Centerville/Washington Twp). Was never stationed there but W-P seems to have benefitted from the BRAC rounds. But hiring, just like most anywhere in DoD is up-and-down... SW Ohio doesn't have the natural assets that CA has, but there's still plenty to see, both natural and man-made. I've grown to rather like it around here, having seen a LOT of it through a truck windshield. Wright Flyer gave you a pretty good run down; not much I can add. Haven't looked at the rental market since we bought three years ago. Upon arrival in 2000, we rented a nice older Centerville 3-br home for $930 (w/pet deposit) There are also some nice apts here, not sure what the going rate is for nice ones, though. All of the South Suburbs have pretty good schools. As for employement, there are also (as might assume) a fair number of defense contractors in the area, so that might even fit your situation. Well, that's the quick-n-dirty. Best of luck in your decision!

[ejecteject]

Those are good screen names, too! You offer some very valuable perspectives - and that neighborhood tour was well worth it. When I was there, I spent nearly a week at the AF Museum, but in riding around near the base, I expected to see loads of hi-tech firms and didn't. Looking at the pizza joint that's right across the street, I said, how could these folks let it come to this?

Apparently, I didn't venture far enough out, at least in the right direction. (I think I wound up in someplace called Germantown - I felt sorry for the kids on the street there!

[Pathwalker]

Depending on how far you would want to commute, you could try Xenia. It's actually a nice, friendly town.

You could also check out Springboro, Springfield or Kettering. Springboro might offer a bit longer commute, but it's a nice area, and growing. There is also Yellow Springs. Cute town....small college town....but near a FANTASTIC state park with an incredible gorge and great trails.

Best of luck in your search!