Walkable "downtown" areas for Columbus enclaves (Upper Arlington, Dublin: transplants, apartments)

[Johaun]

Hi friends,

My wife and i have decided to return to the Columbus area after our current lease ends--I absolutely love the growth that Columbus has shown over the past decade since graduating. We're both east coast transplants and love walkable neighborhoods. With a few other criteria, we're focusing on a few specific neighborhoods of the Columbus "inner ring": Grandview, Upper Arlington, Worthington, and Bexley.

While I'm very familiar with Grandview, and we recently checked out the Old Worthington historic area, I'm unfamiliar whether or not Upper Arlington or Bexley have similar walkable "downtown" areas. Some brief internet research shows me that Bexley may have such an area on Main St along Capital University? What about Upper Arlington?

We love the trendiness of Grandview, but I think we both appreciate the historic charm of an area like Old Worthington. Any insight into regarding similar areas for Upper Arlington and Bexley?


Thanks!

[jbcmh81]

Upper Arlington doesn't really have as walkable a "downtown" area as Grandview and Worthington, but it is trying to more or less create an entertainment corridor along Lane Avenue with new building projects and recently expanded alcohol district.

Bexley is mostly a residential area. It has fantastic parks nearby and is very walkable as a neighborhood. The entertainment pockets on Broad and Main are nice too, but overall its a smaller zone than the first two places. I do know that Bexley wants to work on expanding these areas, particularly on its southern end and along Main, but I haven't seen any specific plans.

I think your biggest problem right now is going to be housing availability. These 4 neighborhoods represent some of the city's most in-demand areas, and housing stock is extremely limited. What comes on the market sells very quickly, often the same day, so if you see a place you like, don't hesitate to make an offer.

Other areas you might look into are Victorian Village, Harrison West, Downtown/Arena District and German Village. Areas that are gentrifying but aren't necessarily the best yet are Olde Towne East, Weinland Park and perhaps East Franklinton if you're really in it for the long haul. Once the Scioto Peninsula gets redeveloped (the redevelopment plan comes out later this year), East Franklinton is going to be the next hot area.

[MplsTodd]

I live in UA and think it offers a few areas with walkability, but not to the degree of Grandview Hts, or city neighborhoods such as VictorianVillage, German Village or even Clintonville.

Within UA , there is the following:
1. The most historic commercial area is The Mallway, an attractive 1920s era development around a plaza along Arlington Street, near a school and fire station. The surrounding blocks include some nice older apartment buildings providing some density. However, the center is too small to comprise a retail district.

2. Lane Avenue: Although still primarily a suburban retail corridor, with an upscale retail center on the south side of the street, it has become progressively more walkable with new developments on the north side. Currently under construction is a sizable mixed-usedevelopment, with apartments, hotel, office and restaurants. It's an ok area for walking, but no historic character.

3. Tremont Center: a 1950s vintage strip center with three restaurants, a bakery, a fitness center, a grocery store, drug store and othershops. The main library is across the street, as is Northome Park. This area lacks any urbanity, but I love the library and the restaurants are nice.

4. Kingsdale: A redeveloped 1950's community retail center (north of Zollinger ) with Macy's, Giant Eagle, and lots of restaurants. Opposite the center to the west (across Tremont) are a few newer mixed-use developments with residential units above and retail on the first floor.

While none of the above have the charm of Old Worthington, Main Street Bexley or Grandview Avenue, they are not too far from one another and much of UA includes interesting homes from the 1920's through the 1970s... My wife and I enjoy walks around UA. The availability of sidewalks is inconsistant, though.

[Johaun]

Thanks for the feedback! My only concern regarding some of those smaller, historic neighborhoods (i've always loved the houses in Victorian Village and German Village) is the fact that they don't benefit from having their own school systems--correct me if I'm wrong, but then we'd be enrolling in Columbus city schools, which offers only a quality options on a lottery basis.

[Supergrrl7]

jbcmh81 is right about the housing availability issue, especially in Old Worthington. Any decently priced house is in contract within a few days in Old Worthington right now.

We considered making an offer on a house in Rush Creek a few weeks ago. The house went on the market at 10am, I saw it at 10:30, someone else made an offer significantly *over asking price* at 5pm with an 8pm deadline. We had an appointment for a second viewing when my husband got off work at 6:30 and ultimately decided not to do a bidding war, but jeesh, the housing market here is crazy this year.

If you are committed to the more desirable neighborhoods of Old Worthington (which we are, we love it here!) you need a really awesome realtor who will drop everything and get you in as soon as a house shows up. Not every neighborhood within walking distance of Old Worthington is quite so crazy, but even the cheaper areas seem to be moving faster than normal this year.

I am happy to answer any questions you may have about Old Worthington if you send me a PM.

[Mplsite]

None of the neighborhoods you mentioned are Columbus neighborhoods: those are all areas that kept their own city status to do things their way to avoid the decline in Columbus neighborhoods (just look what happens when you leave Bexley's boundaries in any direction). Since schools are an issue Clintonville would be the place within Columbus proper where, from what I've read, the schools there are probably the best and the neighborhood, at least south of Broadway, has a rather walkable business district which continues all the way to Downtown along with a few interesting little clusters tucked away on either side. The neighborhood is definitely very family-friendly and has more of an eco-concious bent than most of the city (it's home to the only grocery co-op in the city, for example) .

Out of the urban burbs you listed I'd rank them in the following order: Grandview, Bexley, Worthington, and UA. Dublin is further out, but it has an urban downtown that is more walkable than UA's tiny urban district, although UA is next to Grandview.