Is Weinland Park a safe place for a college rental? « Columbus Underground Messageboard

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Is Weinland Park a safe place for a college rental?

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Started 1 year ago by thetasister
Latest reply from ToddAnders

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weinland park

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thetasister

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I am trying to get my housing situation for fall lined up and will probably be renting a house with 2 other girls and a couple of guys. I have found some pretty inexpensive housing options in Weinland Park. I am not thoroughly familar with the area, but some of my friends are saying that it is sketchy. The landlords I have spoken to are saying that is in the past and that they are almost exclusively renting to college students and not section 6 people.

I realize that I have to be smart and walk in groups at night, etc, but is this area decently safe for college students? It seems to have a nice feel to it, and when I was walking around Sunday I saw plenty of other college students wandering about. It also seems close to a lot of bars and nightlife.

thank you

Posted 1 year ago #
berdawn
near that stretch of N. High Street in the Short North
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I would NOT recommend WP for students. If you do decide to rent here, assume that your car(s) will be burglarized at least every other month (and possibly vandalized, there are frequently random window breakings). Unless you have a top notch security system, assume your home will be burglarized during breaks (possibly during summer, if your windows and doors are not secured). Muggings are frequent (small groups of drunk students are easy targets) but sexual assaults are not as problematic.

Posted 1 year ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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My first rental was in WP on Euclid Ave. I really didn't have issues. Car was "broken" into once. Stupidity on my part, a friend I gave a ride to left my back window open a crack without me realizing.

Euclid was a good spot, from my experience. Close to High St. to walk to the Gateway and other campus spots. The officer who did my police report said, at the time, he didn't get many issues coming from that street.

Big thing is just know what you are getting into.

Posted 1 year ago #
coolbuckeye
South Clintonville
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what is section 6 people? :)

Posted 1 year ago #
berdawn
near that stretch of N. High Street in the Short North
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coolbuckeye wrote >>
what is section 6 people? :)

I'm going to guess section 8. What's interesting is that even if every single-family home that currently accepts vouchers stopped today (right, like that would happen) Weinland Park would STILL have the highest concentration of subsidized housing in the state due to the site-specific subsidies for OCCH (the owner of the majority of the units)

Posted 1 year ago #
coolbuckeye
South Clintonville
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I know the OP is asking if Weinland park is safe and all but I don't know if existing residents would really appreciate a gaggle of six college students crammed into one house because of Weinland parks proximity to night life. My hope is that my perception of the OP is false however I doubt it.

Posted 1 year ago #
ToddAnders

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I'm not sure why berdawn has drawn Weinland Park as a scene from Compton? But none the less, I have been a landlord in WP for 10 years. My tenants have had zero break in's and zero trouble. Just like anywhere, you have to be smart; don't leave your doors unlocked or windows open and you'll be fine.

Posted 1 year ago #
berdawn
near that stretch of N. High Street in the Short North
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ToddAnders wrote >>
I'm not sure why berdawn has drawn Weinland Park as a scene from Compton? But none the less, I have been a landlord in WP for 10 years. My tenants have had zero break in's and zero trouble. Just like anywhere, you have to be smart; don't leave your doors unlocked or windows open and you'll be fine.

oh, a slumlord, I'm sorry, absentee property owner saying all is well, just give me your money? I'm shocked! Is the OP likely to get shot? no. robbed? yes.

Posted 1 year ago #
ToddAnders

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Oh no, your are going to hurt my feelings!

Well, I guess I can use these $20 bills to wipe my tears...

Posted 1 year ago #
labi
Weinland Park
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WP is in no way a guaranteed-problem place to live, but the typical student lifestyle is really not a great fit for a neighborhood like ours. Students are often a crime magnet because they tend to have nice stuff, tend not to be very aware of things like keeping that nice stuff out of sight and secured, tend to do things like stagger home from bars or friends' houses in drunken groups, and tend to leave town for breaks, making their residences burglary targets.

But the biggest thing that makes me hesitate to recommend us is that students are (in my observation) very much less likely to have strong relationships - or even any relationships at all - with their non-student neighbors. Good neighbor relationships (including with those you refer to as "section 6 people") are really key to being happy AND safe in WP.

And I'll say right up front: we really don't need any more "bad neighbors" here. If you anticipate being noisy and disruptive, leaving your trash all over your yard, parking on the grass, and in general making our neighborhood look more like the campus area usually looks, you're not welcome. You may have your stereotypes about how "section 6" people behave; perhaps I have my own about students.

Posted 1 year ago #
coolbuckeye
South Clintonville
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If you look at the crime reports you will notice that crime has gone down in the neighborhood. At the same time crime in the campus area as remained constant. I hate to say it but students=crime targets. Weinland park has had less students living there in the past 5-10 years and thats one of the reasons crime has gone down. I think most residents in the area have used common sense while living in an urban area. They don't keep many valuables in their homes, they know their neighbors, they look out for each other, they have security systems, and they lock their doors. And the biggest thing they do that keeps them safe is that they know who the good guys are and who to watch out for because they have lived there long enough to figure it out. They are also active in their community, pick up the trash that blows in from campus students, and help the youth and elderly. Its actually a great network of residents and its getting even better. I don't see more student living in the area adding value to this network but I could be wrong.

Posted 1 year ago #
berdawn
near that stretch of N. High Street in the Short North
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ToddAnders wrote >>
Oh no, your are going to hurt my feelings!
Well, I guess I can use these $20 bills to wipe my tears...

and that, I think, tells the OP all she needs needs to know about the quality of information she is likely to get from potential landlords in the neighborhood. thanks!

Posted 1 year ago #
geedeck
Witalian Willage
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oh, a slumlord, I'm sorry, absentee property owner saying all is well, just give me your money? I'm shocked! Is the OP likely to get shot? no. robbed? yes.

My, what a rude response. The OP asked for responses and that was a valid one. You don't have to agree with it, but why break out the weapons grade snark? It's ugly and craps up the thread. The message behind your words isn't unreasonable, but the delivery is like someone asked the trash collectors to drop off a Fedex package.

Plus you speak in a lot of absolutes. Those are only realistic in death, and not even really taxes anymore.

Posted 1 year ago #
thetasister

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I appreciate the dialog so far, but I believe some of you may have a misconstrued opinion of me. I have no stereotype regarding the section 8 people. I am only relating what I have been told by what seems to be every Weinland Park landlord that I have spoken to. That is, they have been making a concerted effort to rent to students. They actually seem to prefer renting to us.

I am involved in several service organizations and take my studies seriously. I try not to judge people and expect the same. One of the aspects of a house I like is that I will be able to plant a garden.

Posted 1 year ago #
dmiranjr
Harrison West
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Here is what you need to know:

Weiland Park is not the greatest of neighborhoods but its on the up and up. It really depends on what you consider the boundaries of the neighborhood but the closer to High or Campus the better.

As a "recent" grad, I can tell you that you are better off living in the traditional campus area (whatever that is).

Berdawn - If its so bad than why do you live there?

Posted 1 year ago #
berdawn
near that stretch of N. High Street in the Short North
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geedeck wrote >>

oh, a slumlord, I'm sorry, absentee property owner saying all is well, just give me your money? I'm shocked! Is the OP likely to get shot? no. robbed? yes.

My, what a rude response. The OP asked for responses and that was a valid one. You don't have to agree with it, but why break out the weapons grade snark? It's ugly and craps up the thread. The message behind your words isn't unreasonable, but the delivery is like someone asked the trash collectors to drop off a Fedex package.
Plus you speak in a lot of absolutes. Those are only realistic in death, and not even really taxes anymore.

I'm not kind to those whose livelihoods are created by keeping my neighborhood one of poorest in the county.

Posted 1 year ago #
awd86ed

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I would recommend students sticking to campus as well. I moved to Wp a year ago and it was quiet for a few months until right next door three students moved in and they have kept me up on multiple occasions. Not having as much experiance living in apartments they don't have the consideration of neighboors and realize music at 1 am on a weekday isn't acceptable. Not to mention they set there kitchen on fire within a week of living there. Thought they could cook beans in an aluminium pan across a gas stove.

There is the trash lying around, but when I walk towards highstreet on a saturday morning and see a yard full of beer cans from some college party I'm bothered. I remember someone saying they leave them out for the homeless to collect. If that is the case then they need put in a bag or something. The homeless are people too and don't need to pick up some college kids garbage whose parents pay there rent and tuition. But I digress. I am an OSU grad and of course misbehaved, but not to the level of douchery kids today do.... Anyways stick to campus. Early in college I lived at the OC. Try there.

Posted 1 year ago #
labi
Weinland Park
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thetasister wrote >>
I am only relating what I have been told by what seems to be every Weinland Park landlord that I have spoken to. That is, they have been making a concerted effort to rent to students. They actually seem to prefer renting to us.

Of course they prefer renting to you. They can charge more, they assume that your finances are more regular, and they can request parent co-signors on the lease.

If you want to be a good neighbor (and have some idea of what that means in a neighborhood like WP), you're more than welcome here. But you should also think about whether the other 5 roommates will be thinking the same way you do.

Posted 1 year ago #
Rockmastermike
CORNspiracy HQ
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Not that it's anything but anecdotal data, and my telling it becomes second hand, and is certainly not canonical information about the *entire* W.p. area but...

I know of one group of people (I will not use names) who are actually fleeing the W.P. area because their house has been burglarized (smash and grab) not once... not twice... not even three or four times... It's been hit now five times within a very short period of time.

Including occasions when they were actually home and had direct confrontation with the criminals. Clearly they have been marked as a target by the neighborhood baddies.

They are moving perhaps as I type this.

Posted 1 year ago #
labi
Weinland Park
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Rockmastermike, an addition to round out your post - I am aware of one particular area that has been very hard hit by burglaries. The neighbors got together, observed and reported recent landlord/rental changes that they felt had cause the problems, and worked with the civic association and city public safety staff to present the landlord with a threat of having his property designated as public nuisance. That snapped the landlord to attention and (from what I understand) has resulted in significant positive change.

Of course, we may not be talking about the same situation/area - and I would never blame someone for moving as a result of experiencing what your friends experienced - but I want to be clear that situations like that do have solutions if people work together. One doesn't have to simply endure or move, and long-term positive change can be a reality.

Posted 1 year ago #