Guy's

 

I am moving to Columbus with my wife and baby in a few months from Chicago.

 

A lot of my coworkers who have lived in Columbus for ever keep pointing me towards Grandview, Clintonville etc. Whenever I asked them about the Victorian, Italian and German Villages areas, I keep getting the same answer that they are all surrounded by 'SHADY' areas. They do not go into details of what they mean by 'shady' and I have to say that they may not be used to living in urban areas and interacting with people from a different demographic from themselves, however I do want to make sure that where ever I live will be safe for my wife and child.

 

Any opinions or advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

ZM

 

There are others on this forum who can speak from personal experience on this topic.  Kingfish out of water lives in Italian Village with a wife and child.  Walker Evans also lives in the King-Lincoln neighborhood just east of downtown with a wife and child.  And Walker moved there from German Village. 

 

But from what I know, I don't see any safety issue with Victorian, Italian and German Village vs. Grandview or Clintonville.  Actually, some of these so-called "shady" areas surrounding the Villages are starting to get rehabbed too.  Like Merion Village and Schumacher Place next to German Village.  Like Weinland Park and Harrison West next to Italian Village and Victorian Village.  Instead of the less affluent areas affecting quality of life in the Villages, its the real estate success of the Villages that's radiating outward into the surrounding areas.

 

That being said, there's really nothing wrong with Grandview or Clintonville either.  I've known people who lived both in the Village neighborhoods and the Grandview/Clintonville neighborhoods.  Grandview/Clintonville do have reputations of being more "family-friendly".  But I think that's because more families live there then in the German/Italian/Victorian Villages.  And I think that's due to the high quality of the public schools in Grandview and Clintonville. 

 

The relative quality of the Columbus Public Schools in German/Italian/Victorian Village is less of an issue because of the large number of childless households.  Childless couples (both of the gay and straight variety) seem to be the dominant household type in the Villages.  And because of this, these neighborhoods do tend to cater to the childless couple crowd rather than the married with children crowd.  That might be a more relavant issue to you then any perceived safety issue. 

 

But when it comes to choosing the Villages vs. Grandview/Clintonville, you really can't go wrong either way.  I think it would depend on where you feel most comfortable and what kind of dwelling you prefer.

There are no "shady" areas in Columbus, really.  I mean, Hilltop, Franklinton, and Northeast/East Columbus have some "bad" parts but not "shady."

+1 to everything Rider said.

 

Personally, I've rarely felt "unsafe" in Victorian, Italian, or German Village. No area is completely free from crime, but armed with a bit of "urban awareness" (ie: keeping your valuables out of your car to keep it from getting broken into) you should be fine in any of those neighborhoods.

 

Welcome to Columbus! :D

In what part of Chicago do you currently live?

I actually live in Evanston which is where Northwestern is located.!

First of all, welcome to columbus! Having lived both in german village and in grandview I have to say both are great places to live. I would say the "shady"part surrounding german village that people are probably talking about is past parsons avenue to the west of the village and schumacher place. It is a lower income area but also adajcent to nationwide childrens hospital which along with the city is trying to "rehab" the area. Personally I have never felt unsafe in german village. The majority of crime is car break ins which are triggered by people leaving valuables in plain sight which in most areas in general is not smart. I think you will find any of the areas you mentioned quite safe.

I should probably add that it might be a good idea to spend some time in each neighborhood you're interested in, driving and walking around. Might give you a better feel as far as personal comfort goes, and it's always a good way to scout for apartments and homes as well. ;)

I lived in Victorian Village for five years and never felt unsafe there, as a single woman. I know some people have had problems with car break-ins, but I never had my car broken into, despite occasionally leaving my cell phone or wallet on the seat by accident.

 

I've only been a visitor in Italian Village and German Village and never felt especially unsafe in either. Nor in Clintonville. I have friends in all of those neighborhoods and they all seem to feel safe. There is the occasional car break-in, but no one I know has had anything worse happen in terms of crime.

 

I've lived in Grandview for about six months now. It's a pretty comfortable place to live, albeit fairly white-bread compared to Victorian Village. It feels safe, although I don't feel like it's a huge difference from Vic Village.

 

Honestly, if money had been no object, I probably would have stayed in Victorian Village or Harrison West. I just couldn't afford anything that fit my needs well in those neighborhoods, and the best house I could find in my price range happened to be in Grandview Heights.