Is Columbus right for us? If so, where? (Westerville, Gahanna: crime, houses)

[Emikej]

My wife and I are in the process of selecting cities for a potential move, and Columbus is one of the cities on our list. We live in Atlanta now, and are primarily looking to move to be closer to family. We are also looking for an environment that is a little bit less hectic than Atlanta - better traffic, bike trails, parks, etc. My wife actually grew up in Columbus, but hasn't lived there since leaving for undergrad. Her parents and her grandmother are there, and my family is in the DC area. In addition, my wife's brother is married and living in Detroit.

We have 3 cities on our list (Columbus, DC, and Raleigh/Durham) but Columbus and DC are obviously frontrunners since they get us within a few minutes of at least one of our families.

About us: mid-30s African-American couple. I have an MBA and lead a marketing/pricing strategy organization for one of the large companies here, and my wife is an ER physician. We have a son who just turned 2, and my wife is due with our daughter in January. We are looking to make our move within the next two/three years so we are settled before my son starts school.

We are looking for an area with modern homes with decent sized yards, good schools, and good diversity. We don't believe in raising children in an "all anything" environment, whether that be black, white, Christian, Jewish, etc. The world is a diverse place, and we want our children to experience that in their lives. Our current street is almost perfect - 8 black families, 12 white families, 1 gay couple, 8 families with children, and a good mix of jobs (mostly white collar, but a couple blue collar). I know it wont be easy to find that good of a mix, but that is ideally what we want.

My in-laws live in Reynoldsburg, and have suggested that we consider New Albany. They have also mentioned Worthington as a possible location as well. The purpose of this message is to find out what other areas people feel we should consider. We would ideally like to be within striking distance of downtown, since I assume our best career opportunities will be in that area.

Thanks for your help,

Eric

[mustescapeohio]

I don't know much about the surrounding suburbs but I know Clintonville is a fairly nice area; liberal, just a short drive from downtown, near to the campus and thus all sorts of food places, not far from shopping. It's your standard suburb but the houses are nice, crime is low, there is plant life everywhere, and a few good bike paths nearby. I don't know about pricing, I'm pretty limited in that area.

[Emikej]

Thanks mustescapeohio - even though your name isn't instilling alot of confidence :-D. I mentioned it to my wife and she agreed that it might be a good place to consider.

Hopefully others will be able to help identify some additional communities.

[NewToCA]

If you want to live someplace less hectic than Atlanta, Washington DC can't be a primary choice.

Gahanna has nice housing in multiple price ranges and some diversity. Columbus is very racially accepting, very little friction overall, but I think you'd find it more diversified than areas such as Powell, Dublin, Hilliard or Worthington. My second recommendation would be Westerville.

Overall, based on your requirements, I'd look there first.

[Emikej]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

If you want to live someplace less hectic than Atlanta, Washington DC can't be a primary choice.

Gahanna has nice housing in multiple price ranges and some diversity. Columbus is very racially accepting, very little friction overall, but I think you'd find it more diversified than areas such as Powell, Dublin, Hilliard or Worthington. My second recommendation would be Westerville.

Overall, based on your requirements, I'd look there first.

Great information, thank you very much.

I actually agree on DC, which is why it is in number 2 position right now. DC probably offers more job possibilities for both my wife and I, but I think Columbus will still be manageable from that perspective. However, in DC you have major traffic (which we are trying to get away from), I'm not in love with the homes, and the cost of living is high. Plus, the schools can be a little sketchy (or the areas with good schools are incredibly expensive).

The times that I have visited Columbus, it definitely had a decent vibe to it. Not so big or growing so fast that there are infrastructure problems, or you will be in traffic on weekends (like Atlanta), but also not so small that the nicest restaurant is like Applebees. People seem friendly, and there seems to be a decent political mixture. More than anything, I just enjoyed that feeling of a smaller yet modern town. When my wife and I didn't have kids, we thoroughly enjoyed the Atlanta restaurant scene (which is killer). But we've kind of moved past that now with the children, so a quieter lifestyle definitely seems more ideal.

[ohbound]

I too am looking to move potentially to Columbus, office area south of town not far from the 104 / 71 intersection. I am looking in the 200k+ range with safety in mind, and minimal commute, any suggestions come appreciated. Thanks.

[NewToCA]

Originally Posted by ohbound

I too am looking to move potentially to Columbus, office area south of town not far from the 104 / 71 intersection. I am looking in the 200k+ range with safety in mind, and minimal commute, any suggestions come appreciated. Thanks.

Now in your case, I'd probably start by looking at the Hilliard area, along Hilliard Rome Rd, north of Roberts Rd and south of Davidson Rd.

You'd have about a 20-25 minute commute in rush hour, but the area is safe and they have some nice choices with home prices in your range.

My second choice would be the Grove City area, just to the southwest of the city.

[NewToCA]

Originally Posted by Emikej

Great information, thank you very much.

I actually agree on DC, which is why it is in number 2 position right now. DC probably offers more job possibilities for both my wife and I, but I think Columbus will still be manageable from that perspective. However, in DC you have major traffic (which we are trying to get away from), I'm not in love with the homes, and the cost of living is high. Plus, the schools can be a little sketchy (or the areas with good schools are incredibly expensive).

The times that I have visited Columbus, it definitely had a decent vibe to it. Not so big or growing so fast that there are infrastructure problems, or you will be in traffic on weekends (like Atlanta), but also not so small that the nicest restaurant is like Applebees. People seem friendly, and there seems to be a decent political mixture. More than anything, I just enjoyed that feeling of a smaller yet modern town. When my wife and I didn't have kids, we thoroughly enjoyed the Atlanta restaurant scene (which is killer). But we've kind of moved past that now with the children, so a quieter lifestyle definitely seems more ideal.

Definitely, I think you have described the area pretty well. There are a lot of beautiful neighborhoods in Columbus, and the schools are pretty good especially considering the modest home prices.

One of the things I liked most about metro Columbus, and a lot of folks don't really focus on this, is that the vast majority of residents take a lot of pride in their homes, and even more modest and older neighborhoods are frequently very well maintained. Being out here in California now I really see the difference in home pride between Columbus and here, and it significantly makes that area a pleasant place to reside.

[14thandYou]

As someone who used to live in Columbus, but now lives in DC, I can offer some perspective on both.

Columbus pros:

-Cost of living. Compared to DC, Columbus is unbelieveably affordable. If cost is consideration (as it is for most people), Columbus wins this one hands-down.
-Parks. The Columbus and Franklin County park systems are very nice. For my money, the Columbus park system is one of the best for mid-sized cities in the country.
-Schools. Columbus city schools aren't all that great, but many of the suburban school systems are outstanding.
-Traffic. People in Columbus like to complain about traffic, as if it's a problem there. But short of the occasional back-up on the northern part of I-270, Columbus traffic can feel practically non-existent at times. Commuting is rarely a problem or concern.

DC pros:

-Culture. One of the finest cities in the U.S. to live in if you enjoy cultural activities. From the museums and galleries, to the government institutions, universities, performing arts and cultural institutions, there's always something going on--and it's great for kids.
-Diversity. The DC area is tremendously diverse, much more so than Columbus. However, a caveat: the DC area can also be quite segregated, although there are plenty of diverse neighborhoods.
-Parks. Columbus has a great park system, but DC is full of them--tied with NYC for the city with the greatest proportion of its area devoted to parkland. From the National Mall and Rock Creek Park, to smaller community parks and squares, DC is an exceptionally green city.
-Schools. The DC school system is in pretty bad shape, but the suburbs feature some of the highest-performing school systems in the country.
-Economy. DC maintains one of the healthiest economies in the country, butressed largely by the presence of the federal government. It's weathering the recession far better than most cities.


Based on your message, I have to think that Columbus would be a better fit for you. DC has much more of a cosmopolitan/big-city vibe to it, more so than Atlanta even, which means the traffic, pace and--perhaps most importantly--cost-of-living could be issues for you. DC is an exceptionally expensive city, and many people moving here from other, less-expensive locales develop a case of sticker shock.

Columbus remains, in my humble opinion, one of the better values in the country. As noted above, it's got a lot going for it, and it remains a city that's very easy to live in.

[CASHCOUNTY614]

I'd believe Gahanna would be your best. I'd also check out the homes along McCutcheon Rd and maybe even Sunbury Rd too.