Should I move to Toledo or Bowling Green?? (Findlay, Perrysburg: apartments, rent)

[alwaysthinking]

Here is my situation...I am going to Bowling Green in August to start my PhD program. Although I am excited about BG, I am less excited about living in another college town. I am 26 and would rather live closer to a city and meet people around my age. Do you think it is a good idea to move to Toledo and drive down to BG 5 days a week? How long is the drive? Is this situation common? Is there a neighborhood in Toledo that caters to single people in their late 20's? I want to be a part of the college community, but I don't want live and deal with undergrades again! Any help would be appreciated!!

[Hey_Hey]

I would probably consider living in Perrysburg around the Levis Commons area for the first year at least. The apartments and townhomes in that area draw a lot of 20s and 30s young professionals, and there is some nightlife there within easy walking distance (Bar Louie, Fat Fish Blue, and Funny Bone). I'm currently a medical student in Toledo and there are a good number of students and residents that live in that area. Perrysburg lies between Toledo and BG. Perrysburg is probably 10-15 minutes from Toledo if you take the freeways, and is a similar distance from Bowling Green if you take I-75. There are also some secondary roads that can get you onto BGSU's campus pretty quickly from Perrysburg as well.

I mapped it out on google, and Levis to BGSU is 12.7 miles and will take 14 minutes. Levis to the Toledo Public Library Main Branch (in the middle of downtown) is 12.1 miles and 18 minutes.

[Buckeye in SC]

Agree w/Hey_Hey, Perrysburg is probably your best option. May also want to consider Maumee as well as it just west of Perrysburg and an easy drive to BG down OH-25.

[canudigit]

I can't think of a single neighborhood that is actually in the city of Toledo that caters to twenty-somethings who want something a bit more sopisticated than a college atmosphere. The area around the University of Toledo is a typical, undergrad, party atmosphere, and the rest of Toledo itself is comprised of either blue collar family neighborhoods or upscale (River Rd., Old Orchard) older neighborhoods. I agree with the pp that Perrysburg around Levis Commons would be a nice option, because there are some terrific newer apartments/townhouses in that area that attract a younger but white collar/grad student type of resident and Perrysburg is so close to the BGSU campus. You can take State Rte. 25 (Dixie Hwy.) from the Levis Commons area to BG and be there in less than 15 min. BG itself is basically a midwest farm town that grew to accommodate the younger college crowd and is not very exciting or sophisticated unless you are 21 and love to party. Just keep in mind that Perrysburg, and Levis Commons in particular, can be pretty pricey. A two bdrm. apt. in the Levis Commons area would probably run around $750 and up, as compared to the $500 range in Toledo proper. If you can't afford Levis Commons, the older sections of Perrysburg are still exceptionally nice and safe, or just across the river in Maumee things are somewhat cheaper.

[AnytimeAnywhere]

Maumee or Perrysburg would be good like others have already stated. The Dussel Drive area in Maumee has a lot of businesses and Levis Commons has a decent nightlife. One thing to keep in mind is winter driving. I75 is exposed and driving can be difficult at times in the winter.

[vroomster]

Yeah, go for Levis Commons area. Toledo would be too far a drive to BG if you're doing it five times a week. Perrsyburg puts you a lot closer to stuff.

[YUPYUP419]

Originally Posted by vroomster

Yeah, go for Levis Commons area. Toledo would be too far a drive to BG if you're doing it five times a week. Perrsyburg puts you a lot closer to stuff.

Agree, levis commons in perrysburg

[LMS7689]

We lived in a house in the older area of Perrysburg for a couple of years, and loved it there. Levis is just a mile or so away, is a nice area, is growing and would be a fine choice.

Bowling Green is a good town too - you might find that its not a bad place to be. Its a little bigger than some college towns (e.g. Ada), so there's a little more going on there than you might expect, but Levis might be a better choice. We went down there regularly for the various eateries and to meet friends from Findlay.

You may want to give BG a shot for a year and see how you like it - IMO its a very close second, at least for a year. At 26, you're still young enough to meet other grad students there, bike around the area, play golf, work out at the gym, and take advantage of the other non-"let's get hammered" activities while paying less in rent. Make friends with someone paying more rent at Levis. Not to mention you won't have to drive in the winter if you don't want to. Parking around the main street in BG can be a pain sometimes too.

Don't get me wrong, I like Toledo, but it's not like you're going to be missing out on a vibrant Toledo night life by living in BG.

[NicePolishBoy]

I did my PhD at BGSU and I never regret living there, and I did consider apartments in Toledo. I don't live in a college town now, and I really miss BG.

[ryansmith]

Why don't you tell us more about what you want to see in a neighborhood... I am a 20-something and I live in a wonderful neighborhood in Toledo (Harvard Terrace). It has a sidewalk and porch culture and I actually know all my neighbors, not to mention the short walk to the river... Free concerts in the park in the summer... I have yet to meet one single young person that lives near Levis Commons (except those that live with parents).

Basically, the more you tell about what you want in a neighborhood, the more I can narrow it down. If I told people/clients that my neighborhood was the only neighborhood worth living in, I would probably loose a lot of business.

- Ryan, Welles Bowen Realtors