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bicycle commute to OSU

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Started 12 months ago by jbro.phl
Latest reply from jbro.phl

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jbro.phl

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Hi all,

I'm soon to be new to Columbus and exploring neighborhoods. My wife and I will be working at OSU and would like to live close enough for a quick bike commute (2-4 miles would be nice).

We like Clintonville and Grandview Heights best so far (we're looking for family friendly neighborhoods). I've heard the bike path along the river can get crowded, and that the bike commute from Grandview can be a pain.

Are there any improvements planned (for the near future) or underway to make Grandview more bike-friendly? Are there other neighborhoods we should consider with a young family? (we've bike commuted in Davis, CA and Chicago - so we've experienced a very easy place and a more challenging place to bike)

Thanks

Posted 12 months ago #
CheeseFoodie
Harrison West
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jbro, Grandview and Clintonville both great choices. Clintonville is better for biking, but there is generally more going on in Grandview (and Clintonville is part of Columbus City Schools). If you're going to send your children to public schools, best off with Grandview or Upper Arlington. If you're considering private schools, you could also consider Victorian Village, Harrison West, Italian Village, etc. The areas circling the north side of downtown aren't perfect for biking, but in general, better than outer areas of the city.

Good luck in your search, and if you find a place you're interested in, you can always ask about it here, no lack of opinions in this group!

Posted 12 months ago #
rory
NW Short North
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I did the reverse commute from Weinland Park to OSU up the bike trail through Clintonville to Old Beechwold and then to Morse Road. None of it was really a big deal during the week. Weekends are a little crowded but overall a really nice commute.

Posted 12 months ago #
Sandor17
5XNW
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I commute to OSU by bike 8-9 months of the year from near Grandview (5th Avenue, technically 5XNW). I find both King and 3rd Avenues pretty comfortable. They are wider than they need to be on one side, which gives a little more buffer room. King is nice for morning Eastbound travel, and 3rd has a little more space Westbound (but with a little more grade). Either one provides a nice connection to the bike path or to Neil Avenue and on into campus.

I have seen various plans which include bike lanes or sharrows for both of these streets, but this balkanized part of town doesn't get a whole lot of attention from city services. Even without special markings, there is noticeable bike traffic around here, and drivers are generally respectful if you ride predictably.

Posted 12 months ago #
cc

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I have bike commuted from both Clintonville and Grandview to OSU. They are both pretty easy commutes on a bike and I agree with Sandor 17 on his ways in from Grandview. Another route in from Grandview, depending on where you live and where you are headed on campus, is to shoot up Northstar Rd to the bike path that takes you through West Campus to Woody Hayes. That is a very easy way in without much traffic.

There are also several bus routes in both nieghborhoods that will get you to campus via COTA. A bus pass is part of the tuition for students and available to OSU faculty and staff at a large discount. The new 82 through Grandview has been well recieved. While I prefer the freedom of biking, the bus adds a nice option for inclement weather. Most COTA buses also have bike carriers attached to the front of them. It adds another level of ease for an all year commute.

Grandview Heights has an excellent school district. Make sure though that you have an understanding of its boundaries, an easy source of that info would be to look at the area on Zillow. Here is a link:
http://tinyurl.com/3q33udx

Upper Arlington is also an easy bike commute through West Campus and also has good schools. It is a pretty quiet nieghborhood but maybe has less activity than Gview or Clintonville.

Posted 12 months ago #
Coy
Discovery District
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I bike to work at OSU from the east side of downtown and its a breeze.
The dedicated bike path begins in German Village, which is worth a look for your family for sure.
I also love Clintonville/Beechwold as well.
I've never felt like the bike trail is overly crowded, ever, day or night.. but I work midnight shift now, so I have the trail to myself petty much, which is awesome.
Just stick to one of the neighborhoods that the path runs through, they all have their own character... and, you can always move later...

Posted 12 months ago #
johnwirtz
Evanston, IL
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cc wrote >>
Upper Arlington is also an easy bike commute through West Campus and also has good schools. It is a pretty quiet nieghborhood but maybe has less activity than Gview or Clintonville.

I don't know how quiet UA is. I have heard that drag racing is a common problem, especially near restaurants serving alcohol:
http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/parking-issues-on-lane-avenue-upper-arlington#post-374667

Posted 12 months ago #
jbro.phl

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Hi all,

Thanks for the helpful comments!

Thanks Sandor17 and cc for the routes through Grandview. I'll keep those in mind.

I guess the info I got about the bike path being crowded may just have been referring to the weekends.

It seems like either Clintonville or Grandview would be a good choice.
Are Harrison West, Victorian Village, Italian Village and/or German Village starting to be populated more by families? I got the impression that it was still a younger crowd that wanted to by closer to nightlife/downtown.
I really liked the look/feel of those neighborhoods, but wasn't sure if it would be for us - and I guess schools might be a concern in those neighborhoods too. We know that Clintonville is still in the Columbus district, but had heard that the elementary schools there were actually pretty decent.

Thanks again!

Posted 12 months ago #