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'First-ring' suburbs getting second look

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Started 1 year ago by Walker
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Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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'First-ring' suburbs getting second look
Thursday, February 17, 2011
BY MARK FERENCHIK
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Columbus neighborhoods such as Merion Village and Eastmoor could be mini-boomtowns in upcoming decades as younger and older residents choose houses close to work, shopping and recreation.

That's what the leader of the Urban Land Institute told a group of academics and planners last weekend in Raleigh, N.C., while discussing how to reimagine and redevelop "first-ring" suburbs and neighborhoods for the 21st century.

Those communities will be on the minds of local leaders, too, as they gather Feb. 25 to discuss principles for a long-range strategic vision for what Columbus and central Ohio will look like in 2050.

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/02/17/first-ring-suburbs-getting-second-look.html

Posted 1 year ago #
AMEEKER
Weinland Park
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Will wonders never cease! The Dispatch actually called us Fifth by Northwest! Woo hoo!!

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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While I agree with the ideas behind the projected future value of these "inner-ring suburbs", I think there's more opportunity still to be found closer to the middle of the city. I'm not too familiar with the housing stock in Eastmoor, but is there more value there than what can be found in other parts of the near east side closer to Downtown? Much of Clintonville (especially the northern end) is made up of pretty tiny mid-century homes that (to me) seem to already be valued at about what they're worth. Is there really going to be an increase in demand over the next 40 years driving those prices even higher?

I'd argue that 5xNW, Clintonville and Merion Village are all pretty well established and valuable areas as of today. Not that there's still not room for improvement, but it's much more marginal improvement than the opportunities that lie in Franklinton or Weinland Park that still have a longer way to go toward being reinvented.

Anyway, all things considered, these types of articles are good to read from time to time. There are plenty of people in Central Ohio who rarely, if ever, set food in a lot of these areas, and never consider the opportunities that exist there for living.

Posted 1 year ago #
JoeMitchell

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does a neighboorhood exist in columbus/central ohio that is walkable and has highly rated public schools?

parts of arlington/grandview?

anywhere else?

Posted 1 year ago #
cc

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Grandview has its own school district and is very highly regarded.

As far as the article, it seems more of a fluff piece. They have had articles on redevelopment in Franklinton, OTE and Weinland park, it is nice to see something about areas that may be overlooked. I wish the article had more meat though.

Posted 1 year ago #
Cardiff

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JoeMitchell wrote >>
does a neighboorhood exist in columbus/central ohio that is walkable and has highly rated public schools?
parts of arlington/grandview?
anywhere else?

Bexley. Maybe Grandview Heights? And certain neighborhoods in Dublin are walkable.

This article was interesting, but I was out in Eastmoor last week for an errand and it felt very far out to me - I wouldn't describe it as "inner-ring or first-ring."

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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JoeMitchell wrote >>
does a neighboorhood exist in columbus/central ohio that is walkable and has highly rated public schools?
parts of arlington/grandview?
anywhere else?

There are quite a few good schools within Columbus City Schools (CCS), but some grunt work is involved in figuring out boundaries and scores and whatnot:

All School Boundaries - http://cpsweb.columbus.k12.oh.us/FullMap.pdf (5.2MB PDF)

http://www.columbus.k12.oh.us/website.nsf/(ccs_pages)/US%20News%202010%20Ranks%2012%20Columbus%20Schools?opendocument

Seems like the Ohio Dept of Education's website is down for individual school report cards and scores...

http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=115&ContentID=50598&Content=96758

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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On a personal note, we're in the early stages of exploring kindergarten options for our son in 2012. We're looking first at good lottery/alternative schools within CCS and falling back to private schools as a backup. Even though private schools have a tuition, there are state-level reimbursement programs that you can apply for to offset the majority of the cost if the public school your child would normally be enrolled in is below a certain low standard (and ours currently is).

So when we consider the fact that our property taxes are much lower than they would be if we lived in Dublin, Bexley, UA, Grandview or elsewhere, coupled with the available credits, private schools are not an added expense in our budget.

Which means that many inner-city neighborhoods in Columbus do have alternative and affordable options for quality education opportunities for kids. You just have to do a bit of extra legwork to get there. ;)

Posted 1 year ago #
coolbuckeye
South Clintonville
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Thanks for doing some of the leg work for us Walker :)

Posted 1 year ago #
JoeMitchell

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Walker wrote >>
On a personal note, we're in the early stages of exploring kindergarten options for our son in 2012. We're looking first at good lottery/alternative schools within CCS and falling back to private schools as a backup. Even though private schools have a tuition, there are state-level reimbursement programs that you can apply for to offset the majority of the cost if the public school your child would normally be enrolled in is below a certain low standard (and ours currently is).
So when we consider the fact that our property taxes are much lower than they would be if we lived in Dublin, Bexley, UA, Grandview or elsewhere, coupled with the available credits, private schools are not an added expense in our budget.
Which means that many inner-city neighborhoods in Columbus do have alternative and affordable options for quality education opportunities for kids. You just have to do a bit of extra legwork to get there. ;)

private schools create a bit of social stratification, prefer my children attend the same school as the rest of the neighborhood

Posted 1 year ago #
AMEEKER
Weinland Park
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We live in Fifth by Northwest. Last year sometime, I looked at the report cards of Centennial High School (5xNW's high school), Upper Arlington and Grandview Heights. UA and GH are always said to have such great schools (and they do), but the COL is obviously higher there.

Surprisingly, Centennial (and the earlier schools) compete quite well with both UA and GH, even outperforming GH in some areas. Against UA, there is about a 10-15 point spread in Science and Math in the upper grades; but against GH it's much closer in Science (same spread in Math).

I haven't drawn any conclusions yet about what all that means for our daughter (who is 3!), but it's at least encouraging.

Posted 1 year ago #
Nitsud Regnifloh
Valerio Heights
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Cardiff wrote >>

JoeMitchell wrote >>
does a neighboorhood exist in columbus/central ohio that is walkable and has highly rated public schools?
parts of arlington/grandview?
anywhere else?

Bexley. Maybe Grandview Heights? And certain neighborhoods in Dublin are walkable.
This article was interesting, but I was out in Eastmoor last week for an errand and it felt very far out to me - I wouldn't describe it as "inner-ring or first-ring."

Eastmoor is no further out than Clintonville from downtown is it?

Personally, I would rather see Whitehall mentioned than Eastmoor, but I am biased...

Posted 1 year ago #
AMEEKER
Weinland Park
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Walker,

Bob (my husband) is working at the Godman Guild now and last night attended the Weinland Park Commission meeting. There is an entire street of boarded up "vacant" houses near the GG, and we've wondered what the deal was with those places. It really is almost an entire street on both sides.

You might know this already, but a developer has purchased the houses and will be rehabbing them this summer. In his words, "gutting them entirely and starting over." Once finished, they'll sell for around $90K.

That area is interesting to us - so close to everything still and obviously an area that could become something cool. Having said that, EVERY single time we've driven down that street at night, the CPD paddywagon has been at the corner with three cruisers taking care of business. Not encouraging. :-( I know it takes time (and people) to change a neighborhood!

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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JoeMitchell wrote >>
private schools create a bit of social stratification, prefer my children attend the same school as the rest of the neighborhood

Sometimes... though some of the children in our neighborhood already go to various other private schools, so there's already a mixed environment in place. And many of our friends have kids in completely different school districts all together.

The social impact is definitely something to be wary of, and I think can be addressed through other means.

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Nitsud Regnifloh wrote >>

Cardiff wrote >>

JoeMitchell wrote >>
does a neighboorhood exist in columbus/central ohio that is walkable and has highly rated public schools?
parts of arlington/grandview?
anywhere else?

Bexley. Maybe Grandview Heights? And certain neighborhoods in Dublin are walkable.
This article was interesting, but I was out in Eastmoor last week for an errand and it felt very far out to me - I wouldn't describe it as "inner-ring or first-ring."

Eastmoor is no further out than Clintonville from downtown is it?
Personally, I would rather see Whitehall mentioned than Eastmoor, but I am biased...

According to Google Maps, Eastmoor is exactly 5 miles from Broad & High.

Clintonville is 7 miles.

(Granted, those points are probably from the middles of those neighborhoods and not from the edges, so there are places closer/futher in each area from Downtown).

You raise a great point though. Many people in Columbus seem to perceive distance based on "distance from High Street" more than anything else. ;) Driving through unfamiliar areas definitely will make people feel more distant than they actually are.

Posted 1 year ago #
Matthew
Hilltop
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I'd like to throw out that Broad and Hague on the hilltop are 3.9 miles from Broad and High. Same quality housing stock as Clintonville and Merion at a fraction of the price.

Posted 1 year ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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Matthew wrote >>
I'd like to throw out that Broad and Hague on the hilltop are 3.9 miles from Broad and High. Same quality housing stock as Clintonville and Merion at a fraction of the price.

Where are the best sources to see some of these online? Any secret deals out there?

Posted 1 year ago #
SusanB
Hungarian Village, Columbus' fastest growing Gayborhood!
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Hungarian Village is super affordable (especially the fixer uppers) and is less than 3 miles from Broad and High.

Posted 1 year ago #
Twixlen
Westgate, Columbus
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lifeontwowheels wrote >>

Matthew wrote >>
I'd like to throw out that Broad and Hague on the hilltop are 3.9 miles from Broad and High. Same quality housing stock as Clintonville and Merion at a fraction of the price.

Where are the best sources to see some of these online? Any secret deals out there?

I don't know about "deals" short of working with a realtor who knows the foreclosures/short sale/whatnot routes; but I like to keep track using either the http://www.herrealliving.com website, zip 43204, and honing the map in on the area I'd like to check out.... or the regular http://www.realtor.com webiste & again using the map function.

Posted 1 year ago #
Matthew
Hilltop
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http://affiliates1.ohio.remax.com/PropertySearch/ListingDetail.aspx?map=1&lid=88298515

http://affiliates1.ohio.remax.com/PropertySearch/ListingDetail.aspx?map=1&lid=87580538

http://affiliates1.ohio.remax.com/PropertySearch/ListingDetail.aspx?map=1&lid=88110628

http://affiliates1.ohio.remax.com/PropertySearch/ListingDetail.aspx?map=1&lid=88172132

http://affiliates1.ohio.remax.com/PropertySearch/ListingDetail.aspx?map=1&lid=86827897

There are plenty more. You should hook up with one of the resident realtors up here.

Posted 1 year ago #