LGBT - Gay Couple Looking to move from Los Angeles, CA to Columbus, Ohio (Upper Arlington: 2013, how much)

[RayAlan]

I know it seems crazy but, we are ready for a change. Columbus has been on our radar and we have visited twice in the last year to see if we still like it and we do.
We are a gay couple late 30s, I travel a lot for work so I like the proximity to so many cities that I could drive to. My partner works in non profit and would preferably like to stay in that profession. Now we by no means need to live in a gay neighborhood, or be all gay or anything like that. That was our early 20s, we have moved on. That being said, what neighborhoods would you suggest. So far we like Dublin but it's very suburban and I like German Village a lot. Any other suggestions you have would be great. Any one else move from a big city to Columbus? pluses minuses? We are definitely looking for a calming pace of life but definitely still want a city that has some culture. Is this Columbus?

Thanks for anything you can suggest.

[jbcmh81]

If you like Dublin, you could move closer to the old city center there. The city has a big plan to transform all of that area into a dense, walkable area with new parks, trails, development... I would not live any further than I-270 in Dublin if you like more of an urban feel.

German Village is very nice and one of the largest preserved historic districts in the nation, believe it or not. It's not quite as amenity-rich as some other areas, but it is definitely walkable and close to more lively areas like the Brewery District and Downtown.

Downtown is an option, although you may have some trouble finding a place at the moment. Many of the residential complexes there are 100% filled. The closer to High, the better, though, if you can find a place there, although there's also a bit of a decent little residential enclave in the far eastern sections of the area as well, with 19th century brick homes. No idea what the availability is like for those, though.

Arena District... Basically right between Downtown and the Short North. Close to entertainment (concert venues, arenas, sports, bars) and has some nice park space along the Scioto that leads down through the Scioto Mile.

Olde Towne East is a gentrifying area to the east of Downtown and has tons and tons of older homes, many very large and relatively inexpensive. The issues would be that many of them need work and parts of the neighborhood are still gritty, but it's steadily improving. The area around Franklin Park is quickly getting better.

Short North/Victorian Village/Italian Village... Basically the heart of the gay scene in Columbus, and probably easily the most vibrant, dense and walkable area in the city. Lots of beautiful homes, nightlife, shops, etc. More expensive than some of the other areas, but offers a lot more as well. It's not just for 20-somethings, but it definitely skews younger than other areas too.

Weinland Park... Located between OSU and the Short North, WP is pretty gritty in spots, but is also seeing tons of revitalization as development from the Short North moves steadily north along High Street. Decent homes, but many of them need some work. Not that expensive, so a good place to invest.

Clintonville... Nice little downtown area along High, nice homes, pretty quiet and safe.

Grandview Heights... On the West Side west of Victorian Village across the Scioto River, an older neighborhood that has a great walkable downtown area and nice homes. Very safe and desirable area. The problem is that demand is higher than the availability of homes, so if you see a home you like there, you have to move on it as fast as possible. This is becoming true for most of urban Columbus.

Upper Arlington... A nice older suburb north of Grandview... but also with a lot of old money so it has the reputation for being a bit snobbish. Nice homes, a decent retail/commercial corridor on Lane Avenue. Not quite as walkable as others, and one of the more expensive areas.

[RayAlan]

wow, thank you so much jbcmh81 this is so informative. can't wait to share with my partner

[jbcmh81]

Good luck in your search!

[carlek]

CLINTONVILLE!!! It's funny because I just joined this board to ask about moving possibly moving out of Clintonville, but that is because we now have two kids and want a bit more space and better public schools. But if we do move, a huge piece of my heart will always be here. Clintonville is almost nothing but beautiful classic homes built anywhere from the early 1900s up to the early 60s. We have an amazing sense of community, gorgeous parks like the Whetstone Park of Roses (Columbus Park of Roses is a public rose garden in Columbus OH.) and a lively, but local dining scene (check out this article on the new go-to spot for craft beer lovers here: Distilled: Clintonville, the city. I hear but cannot confirm that we also have a very sizeable LGBT population here. From experience, in my daughter's preschool class, which admittedly is a very "progressive" school on all sorts of fronts, 5 or 6 out of the 18 students can claim two mommies. The streets are leafy, the bumper stickers almost always Liberal, the local markets gourmet (Weiland's), and the houses very affordable considering their charm. We are also only a 5-10 minute commute to the Short North/Downtown/German Village depending on how far South or North you live, super close to OSU but not so close as to have to navigate through hordes of drunk students or burning couches, and just south of the charming historic city of Worthington, which also might be worth looking at. Depending on how much you can spend, their Old Worthington area has amazing homes and a very charming downtown. Gee, why do I want to move again?

[carlek]

Ooh, and if you do have a bit of $ to spend, the Old Beechwold area of Clintonville is absolutely amazing. AMAZING!

[db108108]

I can recommend Clintonville too. Very laid back vibe, without the high prices of the villages closer to downtown. It's basically full of old hippies and young families, and has a tonne of interesting and weird shops.

[Natural510]

I also agree with Clintonville; parks, library, cafes, restaurants, farmers' market...and Short North/Campus is a short drive/bus ride away. You'll be pleased everything between Clintonville and Downtown is so much a closer distance than what you're accustomed to in L.A.

[Supergrrl7]

We moved from San Francisco to Columbus. We love it here. We live in Old Worthington, which is very walkable and cute. There are some gay families here (my daughter's best friend has two moms and I know of several others at our elementary school) and they seem to like it as far as I can tell. Clintonville, Grandview, the Shorth North and German Village are a little more urban but still charming and have a lot of character.

Columbus will be a culture shock from California, so know that going in. It is very midwestern, which means people are a bit stand-offish at first, but also pretty sincere and friendly. There is also a decidedly unpretentious vibe to Columbus, but there is a lot to do if you want to keep busy.

[RayAlan]

thank you so much, definitely seems like Columbus is the place for us