Irregular Times Diaries: Unfit Discussion
In a time of the spring, old paths are obscured and new growth begins.
Irregular Times Diaries: Unfit DiscussionIn a time of the spring, old paths are obscured and new growth begins.
Today was the day. I found out my wife has been assigned to a hospital in Columbus, Ohio for her medical residency. We’ll be making the move in June, which leaves us relatively little time to learn more about Columbus, find a place to live, get our son enrolled in an elementary school, move and unpack.
I sure could use your help. What do you know about Columbus, OH? What are your favorite hip Columbus neighborhoods? What are the most affordable places to live? Which neighborhoods combine the two? Which are the great public elementary schools, and which ones are poorly run?
This is a chance for Columbus lovers, Columbus haters, and those who just know a lot about Columbus to share their strong feelings or knowledge about the city. I’ll listen intently to what you have to say; since I’ve never been into the city itself, your knowledge will be a strong guide.
Thanks.
P.S. Can you say “swing state”? Boy, that part is definitely going to be fun.
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March 16th, 2006 at 8:15 pm
Hi!
I went to med school at Ohio State, which I’m guessing is where
your wife will do her residency. Just south of the university are the neighborhoods called the Short North (artsy/coffehouse) and Victorian Village (Victorian homes, many broken up into affordable apartments. They abut Goodale Park, a nice-sized neighborhood green spot with pond, playground, gazebo, and tennis courts. I can’t vouch for the school system. German Village, just south of downtown (15 min drive from OSU) is scenic. North of OSU are ritzier subsections of the city that might have better public schools. Good luck!
March 17th, 2006 at 1:55 am
‘Can you say “swing stateâ€?’
No, I’ve never been in Columbus, but 2 words:
Voinovich.
DeWine.
Is it possible to be progressive AND Republican?
Dayton Daily News has an awesome reputation for standing up to the federal government.
Cincinnnati used to be a nice town to visit on the way back from the Smoky Mountains, a mellow little river town with antique stores, a little German neighborhood.
March 17th, 2006 at 5:26 am
Cincinnati? Mellow?
March 17th, 2006 at 6:07 am
Senator Voinovich has acted to support 0% of the slate of progressive policies in the 109th Congress that we’re following, and 88% of the slate of conservative policies in the 109th Congress that we’re following.
Senator DeWine has the same scores.
I guess the answer to your question is “No,” Layla.
March 17th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
Your wife wouldn’t know where I could look up ‘obstructive pulmonary disease”… you know, the cheerful stuff about mortality and morbidity and whether I should bother to look for a job with a good pension? People like her are much more than students. People like me who are outside the health care system rely on residents in scary neighborhood clinics for primary health care.
March 17th, 2006 at 3:21 pm
Layla, try PubMed at http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/
And Iskra, thanks for the note. We probably cannot afford Short North, especially because we have two kids. What have you heard about the neighborhood of Clintonville, just north of there?
March 17th, 2006 at 9:46 pm
Jim, thanks, perfect.
March 21st, 2006 at 1:45 pm
Jim, some people were visiting our church from Columbus Sunday. They thought Clintonville was “just a suburb” and didn’t know anything about schools. Here the realtors have info about schools, not just rumors, but numbers, and realtors also often own rental properties themselves. The state provides little support for education, schools are supported by property taxes on the municipality. While throwing money at a problem will not necessarily solve the problem, would you rather send your children to a school that spends $17,000 per student or 10,000 per student per year? This might tell you what you want to know about the Emails.
March 21st, 2006 at 2:19 pm
Well, I know that Clintonville is not “just a suburb.” It’s an unofficial name for part of Columbus proper. But thanks for the other notes.
April 10th, 2006 at 3:25 pm
Jim - Columbus is a great place to come when you are young, with a young family. Although the areas surrounding downtown, such as the Short North, German Village, etc. are nice, they are not in good school districts, and you should only live there if you are sending your kids to private school. Clintonville is a very nice neighborhood about 3 miles north of downtown, (which is where I live - but I don’t have kids), it is very family-friendly, is close to downtown and to the Ohio State University and its hospitals, but also is in Columbus City schools - although there are some good montesory/alternative schools in the area. Probably the best schools close to the most central area are Bexley, Upper Arlington, Grandview, and Worthington. These areas can vary in pricey but most have some affordable housing options. Grandview is probably the best combination, being a very small independent community with their own school system, and it is also very close to downtown & Ohio State (just about 2 miles or less). I have never actually met her, but there is a realtor with a blog who seems to know the area’s schools - http://realtownblogs.com/?u=Maureen, and you might want to check out her site or contact her. Please feel free to visit my website (which is about food in and around Columbus) or e-mail if you would like any more suggestions.
April 10th, 2006 at 4:30 pm
Jim,
I never, NEVER trust a realtor to give me the straight skinny on anything - even area schools. It’s all a game for them, but WE are the ones who end up with the house to take care of.
June 5th, 2006 at 5:57 pm
Hi: I’m new to Columbus but am fairly familiar with the city, and it’s a great city! Farily open, liberal and progressive, especially in the Short North, Italian Village, Victorian Village, and German village areas. Columbus has a lot of these small communities within the city and it makes one feel that they’re not living in a LARGE city. The people are friendly here, and there are job opportunities, incredible cultural events and great restaurants. It’s also one of the most affordable cities in the U.S. to live in. Pully up Columbus, Ohio under Realtor.com, and it’ll take you 35 pages of viewing homes (atleast 8 per page) before you get to homes priced above $50,000. Grantid many of these aren’t in the best neighborhoods, but for $27,500.00 for a 1,600 square foot home, what would one expect. It’s all relative. A house that is a million in Santa Fe is going to be about $250,000.00 here, and an apartment that is $3,000.00 a month in New York is going to run between $500.00 and $700.00 a month, in a good area. The best of luck to you and your family. Enjoy Columbus!
June 5th, 2006 at 6:17 pm
Thanks, Randy. I found a nice little (little!) place to live in just north of the Short North, with a good and diverse public school for just $850/month. I’ll be moving there in about a week, so wish me luck!
What are the things you enjoy doing in Columbus the most?
June 8th, 2006 at 4:59 pm
Jim,
Welcome to Columbus. I just found your site today (6/08) after the fact, but I wanted to let you know that I am a Realtor and I would be happy to answer any questions about the city and housing market that you have. Even though you found a place, if you guys want more information, in person, just visit my website and you’ll find all the info. you need to contact me. I just finished helping a couple settle here from Cleveland. I love helping people relocate. Wishing you the best here!