Need info on Columbus neighborhoods please! (Tipton: relocation, for sale, job)

[evergreens]

Hi! Our family will be moving to Columbus this summer (husband's job transfer) and we need a lot of information about the neighborhoods beyond what our realtor showed us over two days of driving through them. She was very nice, just want to get some inside scoop. Our first impression is swaying us toward Tipton Lakes because we figured since we know absolutely no one our kids will create contacts through the community center. Anything else to consider? Any other areas recommended? What we'd like to know though is like the communities where we live in Seattle, each one is known to have a personality, pro's and con's about each neighborhood, etc?

We have an elementary and high schooler so info on schools would be wonderful. Are students open to newcomers or should we be prepared for a tough transition? Also, as a family, we've only lived in the city so do moms/dads/kids relate differently in small towns? What do we need to know?

Also, is there flooding going on in those basements you guys have there? Never had one - do you guys like yours?

Thanks if you can help us out there!

[domergurl]

We moved to Columbus last June with 3 young kids (7, 6, & 3) and it's been wonderful for us. We looked at Tipton a lot, but felt it was too far out of town for me. I like to bike and the people trails don't go out there. We chose Park Forest, Forest Park ... whatever ... it's up by the airport. We bike to school, downtown to the library. I'm not bashing Tipton because some of the homes we saw, we really liked, but we wanted to have more access to town. As for schools, Parkside & Southside are the 4 star schools for K-6th. Tipton kids go to Southside, Central Middle & North HS. There are also some good private schools as well (St. Bartholomew, St. Peters, Columbus Christian ... )

In all the places we've lived, I've never felt more welcomed than I do here. I've made more friends faster and my kids have made friends very quickly too. There are people from all over the place in Columbus. It's a great mix of blue & white collar workers, young families and retirees and cultural diversity too. I like that Columbus isn't suburban and sterile. I've taken my kids to the symphony here, they have free concerts, the parks & rec dept. is fantastic. You're an hour from indy and Louisville, 90 minutes to Cincy and southern Indiana, while it's no Seattle, it's still beautiful.

Welcome to Columbus!

This is our 4th home and our basement is the dryest one we've ever had ... we don't have a sump pump either. I can't imagine having a house without a basement. Where do you put your stuff? Where do you go if there are tornandos coming?

[Jay_F]

Well, I'm one of those Tipton lakes dwellers, and find it extremely safe for my 12 Y/O daughter to play, ride her bike, play tennis, swim at the lake..., very convenient to the growing west side/west side stores, and especially convenient to I-65 for fast acess north or south.

I also like having a very heavily wooded lot (very hard to find in Columbus) loaded with wildlife, the wide diversity of cultures/nationalities at Tipton Lakes, and being in an area with great schools where my daughter thrives. An out of state job relocation has resulted in us placing our home up for sale, and of all of the paces I have lived in IN, this area is by far the nicest. My daughter is especially heart broken because of how much she likes her home, shool, and area.

Good luck Evergreens wherever you establish roots, and welcome to Columbus!

[Vision-Quest]

ive been in the columbus area for a couple years. id say go check some houses out up by parkside. good location, good access to schools. you could also check out river road on the north west side. they have really nice homes and its really safe, but thats a long way from different places, like downtown. but overall, your husband got the right place for a job in columbus indiana. really nice town and you will love it here. i would be really suprised if you find it less appealing.

i hope that was helpful and good luck with your life in columbus!

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by Vision-Quest

ive been in the columbus area for a couple years. id say go check some houses out up by parkside. good location, good access to schools. you could also check out river road on the north west side. they have really nice homes and its really safe, but thats a long way from different places, like downtown. but overall, your husband got the right place for a job in columbus indiana. really nice town and you will love it here. i would be really suprised if you find it less appealing.

i hope that was helpful and good luck with your life in columbus!

I can get to downtown on my bike in under 30 minutes from my neighborhood on the northwest side. I'll agree with Jay on the trees thing, but my neighborhood has them too. Seriously, you can't go wrong with either place.

How's it going Jay??

[Vision-Quest]

yea any place is good. the only part that would be less apealing would be east columbus. but great town overall

[Jay_F]

Hanging in there DG with our dual long distance households. Going to stay to let my daughter finish school, me sell our home, then it's moving time back east.

Yep, Columbus does have some nice tree lined streets and parks, but It's like having a wilderness park right in my back yard.











Just the other day I saw a Turkey strutting about, but was too late with the Nikon. Kinda hard to be giving this up, pulling up roots and adjusting to a relatively new area. Oh well, variety is the spice of life, and I am looking forward to the adventure.

Take care.

[evergreens]

We are excited to look further into the Forest Park, Parkside and river road areas. Could you tell our family if these areas have lots of 8 and 15 year old boys to hang out with? Cultural diversity is important to us as noted by lots of comments from everyone already. Thanks!

p.s. great pics Jay. my kids would love the lake and the wildlife, it's true

[domergurl]

Our neighborhood has kids of all ages. On my street last year alone, 9 kids (including my 3) all under the age of 8 moved in, but I see many Jr. High and high schoolers running around too. It's great. I forgot to mention another thing that drew us to Park Forest was the fact that we don't have to deal with a home owner's association. In Tipton you do ... sorry Jay. I love your pictures. Not wild about racoons in our yard though ...
Here are some photos of the birds in my yard:

[evergreens]

My husband is on the internet looking at houses in the forest park area, parkside, river road. Nice! Our backyard backs up to the wild and we get deer, birds, squirrels and unfortunately coyotes/racoons too. It's nice to see Columbus beauty in the fall and spring in your pics also.

So, do you guys use those cool screened porches - we don't have those in Seattle? Isn't it too hot or cold to bike or even walk around (fill us in on what it's like to have the four seasons) in Columbus? Is four-wheel drive or front-wheel drive just as good in the winter?

Moving to Columbus is looking better every time! Thanks!