Tigertree
771 N. High St.
Login to Send PM
Does anyone have any feelings about Westgate? I was sifting through MLS listings today and I decided to do a list search instead of map to see if my snobby blinders had made me overlook anything. All of a sudden these incredible houses kept popping up. They were affordable, but not affordable enough to make me think I would get stabbed there.
Keep in mind we are weak people, and scared of Olde Towne East.
lifeliberty
Here
Login to Send PM
shunning the city for the burds are you? jk
westgate good
hilltop bad
make sure you are in westgate and not the hilltop advertised as westgate.
lifeliberty
Here
Login to Send PM
I really was kidding. if i could find a 3 story, fenced yard, 2 car garage in the city for under 100K I'd nab it up as well. but alas, I live in the 'burbs', just north of weber.
lifeliberty
Here
Login to Send PM
btw, BetsyB and Dave on this site live there I think. there's been some discussion on this board about WG so you might search a little.
some discussion about lack of grocery store and walkability, but great neighborhoods. you'll have to do more research on that, but that's what my memory calls to mind of WG. i work with people from WG and they are completely happy there from the convos I've had with them.
Tigertree
771 N. High St.
Login to Send PM
I fear this house search will be a lengthy one for us.
So far from searching today we have:
8 houses to see in westgate
6 around the Tamarack circle. I don't know what that neighborhood is called. I know it's super lame, so no need to call me out on it but, again, it's safe and I travel and have a wife and all that..
6 in clintonville
3 in Bexley
Mercurius
First Avenue
Login to Send PM
Yeah Westgate (a.k.a. Poor Man's Clintonville.) I like it over there, one of my best friends lives on Brinker Ave. It was named one of Columbus Monthly's 14 best neighborhoods and the Monday Night Bikeride routinely goes through. Nice big park. Downsides are it isn't walkable and it is truly bordered on all sides by some troubled area's that I don't see getting better for some time.
lifeliberty
Here
Login to Send PM
FWIW, I almost ended up buying a house on S. Eureka. not exactly wesgate, but between hiltop and westgate. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy I didn't get that house now, you really don't want to be in hiltop. I know a cop that used to work that area, stay away.
Mercurius
First Avenue
Login to Send PM
Tigertree wrote I fear this house search will be a lengthy one for us.So far from searching today we have:
8 houses to see in westgate
6 around the Tamarack circle. I don't know what that neighborhood is called. I know it's super lame, so no need to call me out on it but, again, it's safe and I travel and have a wife and all that..
6 in clintonville
3 in Bexley
I would say The Peach District, Weiland Park, Olde Towne, King Lincoln and Woodland Park are going to be the best investments in areas with the highest appreciation. Berwick is also a nice area similar to West Gate. You can be neighbors with the Mayor there.
joev
Merion Village
Login to Send PM
Welcome back!
I wouldn't count out Merion Village/Hungarian Village. The area is rapidly improving. Since buying our house 2 months ago, three new families have moved in on our short street, and two other houses have done some major exterior remodeling. Prices are a little higher than Westgate, but the amenities/closeness to downtown are worth it, I think. Plus, the High Street corridor into downtown is easier to walk/bike/bus safely than the Broad Street corridor.
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
Login to Send PM
joev wrote Welcome back!
Big +1 for that. Glad to see Tigertree rejoined us. :D
I know a few friends in Westgate and I think a few more CU'ers have mentioned they live in the area. It's got a really nice housing stock from what I've seen in my visits over there. The biggest complaints I've heard from residents is about the lack of nearby retail. Broad and Sullivant could be great commercial corridors again someday, but for now they have a lot of used appliance stores and a few pawn shops.
It doesn't sound like much of anything is in walking distance over there, and the whole area feels a little bit cut off from downtown with Franklinton and Hilltop in between. Otherwise I've never heard much about safety problems within Westgate itself. It seems like a nice community.
Hopefully we'll have a few more residents chime in with their two cents. :D
Tigertree
771 N. High St.
Login to Send PM
I figured as much. There are some really neat 60's ranches up in that area that would be amazing to renovate and then have none of our friends drive up to appreciate...
I am going to drive over to westgate tonight and walk around and see how I feel.
Tigertree
771 N. High St.
Login to Send PM
Westgate report:
We were really impressed with the neighborhood. The houses were all in good shape, the yards were all in good shape. I even saw a bike leaned up against a tree after dark... We walked the dogs around for about an hour and the only people we encountered were other nice people walking their dogs. I was surprised at the difference in feel and appearance to the surrounding areas. That scares me a little bit I guess. According to the police reports not much happens there, so that's good. I haven't had to commute to work since I moved to Columbus, so that's depressing and I don't know if I am ready for it.
It seems like an area ripe for redevelopment, does anyone know if the city is doing anything over there?
Lorence
Westgate
Login to Send PM
Mercurius wrote Yeah Westgate (a.k.a. Poor Man's Clintonville.) I like it over there, one of my best friends lives on Brinker Ave. It was named one of Columbus Monthly's 14 best neighborhoods and the Monday Night Bikeride routinely goes through. Nice big park. Downsides are it isn't walkable and it is truly bordered on all sides by some troubled area's that I don't see getting better for some time.
I've lived in Westgate for 17 years and I have to disagree and agree with Mercurius - The place is quite walkable- any spring/summer/fall afternoon/evening there are people walking and riding all around. The park is great, and yes the surrounding neighborhoods need work. There isn't much in the way of shopping or eating any where close by (walking distance - perhps that is what Mercurius meant), but Grandview, Marble Cliff, Arlington, lower Gerogesville Road (near I-270) are all close by. We frequent Grandview and Arlington restaurants often.
Westgate is a fabulous location for housing. There are many great old, solidly build houses, and most have been updated and modernized. You will not find a house with Westgate quality anywhere in the city for the price.
Also happening in Westgate right now is the brand new Westgate Neighbors Associatipon, the first neighbohood association to be formed here in Westgtate's 70+ year history. see:http://www.westgateneighborsassociation.org/
Also happening:
Thursday July 31st from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. is the opening of the Westside International Farmer’s Market –The market will be held every Thursday through October 16th at 3600 Sullivant Avenue (The International Harvester Building), on the northwest corner of the intersection of Wilson Road and Sullivant Avenue.
There are many other things happening to those that wish to get involved. There is a very high percentage of ownership in Westgate (very low rental), and people genuinely care about this community. It is the kind of place that people live in for decades, raise kids and then have their kids move back into the neighborhood when they want to start their own families.
I highly recommend Westgate.
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
Login to Send PM
Tigertree wrote I haven't had to commute to work since I moved to Columbus, so that's depressing and I don't know if I am ready for it.
You ride your scooter in now, don't you? I don't see why you couldn't keep doing that.
COTA's an option too, but it looks like from Westgate Park to Tigertree is around a 40-60 minute bus ride depending upon the time of day.
Tigertree wrote It seems like an area ripe for redevelopment, does anyone know if the city is doing anything over there?
The last big thing I heard about was the city putting $8 Million into a new Health Center (PDF) nearby.
There's also been a few reports of retail studies (link and link) being done along the commercial corridors (Broad, Sullivant) there. It honestly sounds like the area is under served as far as retail and restaurants go. You can view the city's West Broad Street Economic Development Strategy here (another PDF). It was adopted in 2005 and focuses on the historic Hilltop retail strip on Broad. Seems like things have been pretty slow moving on this plan.... but yeah... they always are without any private developers stepping up to the plate with money. I'm sure it's only a matter of time and being patient though. (The KLD plan was adopted in 2002, and you see how far it's come in 6 years).
Oh, and lastly... while it's a little further out, there's the rumblings of a revamp to the Westland Mall.
Tigertree
771 N. High St.
Login to Send PM
Walker wroteTigertree wrote I haven't had to commute to work since I moved to Columbus, so that's depressing and I don't know if I am ready for it.You ride your scooter in now, don't you? I don't see why you couldn't keep doing that.
COTA's an option too, but it looks like from Westgate Park to Tigertree is around a 40-60 minute bus ride depending upon the time of day.
Tigertree wrote It seems like an area ripe for redevelopment, does anyone know if the city is doing anything over there?The last big thing I heard about was the city putting $8 Million into a new Health Center (PDF) nearby.
There's also been a few reports of retail studies (link and link) being done along the commercial corridors (Broad, Sullivant) there. It honestly sounds like the area is under served as far as retail and restaurants go. You can view the city's West Broad Street Economic Development Strategy here (another PDF). It was adopted in 2005 and focuses on the historic Hilltop retail strip on Broad. Seems like things have been pretty slow moving on this plan.... but yeah... they always are without any private developers stepping up to the plate with money. I'm sure it's only a matter of time and being patient though. (The KLD plan was adopted in 2002, and you see how far it's come in 6 years).
Oh, and lastly... while it's a little further out, there's the rumblings of a revamp to the Westland Mall.
I do ride my scooter in now, but it's more of a recreational thing than a necessity thing. I cruise around after work to let off steam and run errands a little more pleasantly. I can get home before dark on weekends, take third if high st. is too busy to reduce the chance of getting rear ended... the point is I can take a lot of steps to lessen the chance of me getting hit that might not be available to me with the new commute.
I walked before I go the scooter, it is only a mile.
Safety is really our first priority though and, despite what everyone I talk to keeps telling me, the area seems pretty safe. Only 20 reports in the last 7 days, and nothing too horrible. I am, more or less, trying to gauge if the good area is growing into the bad ones or vice versa.
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
Login to Send PM
Tigertree wrote Safety is really our first priority though and, despite what everyone I talk to keeps telling me, the area seems pretty safe.
I've never heard of Westgate as being unsafe. I don't see where anyone has said that here.
Ultimately, your safety can be enhanced no matter where you live by taking a couple of extra proactive steps. That might end up being an easier solution than trying to find a location where you don't have to think about safety at all.
Keep us posted on the houses you guys look at over there. Hope you find something perfect! :D
Tigertree
771 N. High St.
Login to Send PM
Well, we found one we love already but for fear of jinxing and negotiating and all that I'll keep that to myself.
I have only heard good things about the area on here.... I am talking about anyone outside of this community I've spoken to about it.
If anyone from the forum that lives there would email or pm me experiences, both positive and negative, that you have had by living there, it would help us out a lot. We're leaning pretty hard towards the area right now.
You must log in to post.
Launched in August 2010, TheMetropreneur.com is a local online resource devoted to small business development and entrepreneurship. Its aim is to tell the stories of Central Ohio's business community, foster regional economic development and assist entrepreneurs with its resource-heavy focus. Click here to visit TheMetropreneur.com.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
