Moving to Dayton...

[nycredsfan]

I have only posted on here a couple of times, but have been reading for a few years. Anyway, my wife and I are both librarians working for New York Public Library and living in Brooklyn. I have recently accepted a position with the Dayton Metro Library and will be returning to the area where I grew up, but haven't explored outside of Englewood, where my parents live, for quite a while.

I know there are a number of people on this board that live in the area, so I thought I would ask for some advice. We are looking to find a relatively cheap and relatively safe area to rent for a year or so before we buy a house. I will be working at the main library and wouldn't want to have a commute much longer than 30 minutes or so. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Stewie]

Back when I was looking at places to move to last summer, I found a couple of fairly inexpensive places out in Beavercreek. I remember finding a sweet apartment for just under $500 a month out there, but I wanted something a little closer to UD, since I was starting grad school. West Carrollton may also fit your needs, since you can probably find a cheap place and it's close to 75 and downtown.

Of course, you could probably get a place in downtown Dayton, or the Centerville/Kettering/Oakwood area and I'm sure it will still be significantly cheaper than Brooklyn.

[nycredsfan]

It is certainly true that anything will seem cheap after Brooklyn, which is a large part of why we are moving back. We are paying $1300 for a pretty small 2 br apartment and that seems to impress people around here. I am vaguely familiar with Beavercreek, but not at all with West Carollton. Is it within a half hour of downtown? I read about a few of those new loft places downtown, but they seem awfully proud of themselves and are charging rent that does not fall in line with what I hope to pay in Dayton. Also, we are looking for something relatively quiet coming from Brooklyn and working in Manhattan.

[eupher]

We just moved to the Dayton area last summer, and we're currently renting in Miami Township (Miamisburg address). Unfortunately, I can't recommend our apartment...First, it's been an awful experience living there, secondly, it might be a little out of your way. Fortunately, we'll closing on our house soon.

I can't say, in our experience, we've found a whole lot of nice apartments to rent in the area, though we've looked only in the Miamisburg, Centerville, Springboro areas.

There is a nice apartment complex down 741, called Austin Springs, which is fairly new, though the rent is a bit more pricey. However, compared to New York, I would imagine most rent in the Dayton area is going to be reasonable.

[RedFanAlways1966]

[QUOTE]I am vaguely familiar with Beavercreek, but not at all with West Carollton. Is it within a half hour of downtown?[ /QUOTE]

West Carrollton (right by the Dayton Mall) is about the same distance from downtown as Englewood... West Carrollton being south, Englewood being north of downtown.

You can find some decent places in Kettering too (lots of apartments and house rentals). Kettering is only 5 miles or less from downtown (just south of downtown and east of Beavercreek). I'd recommend that you and your wife give a look at places in Kettering before making a final decision. It is not a high cost place to live and is really close to downtown... and is still a decent area. If an apartment is right at this time in your lives, Kettering also has a lot of 4-unit red-brick apartment buildings... if you do not like the large apartment complex thing.

Good luck and welcome back to the area (when the time comes for that!). :)

[Stewie]

West Carrollton is right off of 75, and it's a couple exits up from the UD arena exit, so I'd say it's maybe 10-15 minutes from downtown. Definitely within a half hour. It'd probably even be under a half hour if you just took surface streets instead of the freeway. Going the opposite direction, it's about 5-10 minutes from the Dayton Mall area. I think it may be worth a look if you are just looking for a transitional place. I don't know if I'd want to live there for an extended amount of time.

The new apartments downtown seem alright, but you can find much better value outside the city.

[ochre]

Huber Heights probably wouldn't be a bad place to look. Should be able to find some decent value there.

[Reds Fanatic]

This website has a search engine for real estate listing in the area. You can specify the county you are looking in.

http://realestate.daytondailynews.com/rd/home.jsp

[nycredsfan]

Thanks for all the advice. What makes finding a place difficult for us is the two dogs and a cat that I have been talked into over the years. Browsing the Dayton Daily New Site, there are a lot of ridiculously cheap apartments in the area. As for the Kettering area, what is the Shroyer & Wilshire area like? I found a cheap apartment around that intersection that allows our small parade of pets. Thanks again for the advice.

[Heath]

Thanks for all the advice. What makes finding a place difficult for us is the two dogs and a cat that I have been talked into over the years. Browsing the Dayton Daily New Site, there are a lot of ridiculously cheap apartments in the area. As for the Kettering area, what is the Shroyer & Wilshire area like? I found a cheap apartment around that intersection that allows our small parade of pets. Thanks again for the advice.


Englewood is in my neck of the woods - forward me any address for apartments and I will give you a "heads-up". Just PM me with any questions. We will also have to give you a heads-up on some local restaraunts running around here.

Dayton, ain't Brooklyn - but it is NOT Mayberry. Hope you enjoy your stay in Dayton.

[creek14]

I'm a school snob, so I would only live in Beavercreek, Bellbrook, Centerville or Oakwood. If schools don't matter, you can live pretty much anywhere and be within 30 minutes of downtown.

If you want to be closer to Cincinnati and the Reds, go south vs Englewood.

[RedFanAlways1966]

As for the Kettering area, what is the Shroyer & Wilshire area like? I found a cheap apartment around that intersection that allows our small parade of pets. Thanks again for the advice.

That is right in the area with a lot of smaller apartment buildings (I mean a smaller complex, not individual apartment!). That would put you about 5 miles tops from the downtown library and you can easily get there using city streets. I used to live near that exact area when I first got out of college. Lived there for 5 years and never had a problem. This is the northern part of Kettering and is real close to the suburb of Oakwood. Not a bad area at all. Kind of a residential area mixed with a lot of the smaller 4-unit apartment buildings. 3-minute drive to the Univ. of Dayton campus.

Kettering is a fairly big Dayton suburb, but still has a small town feel if you will. Lots of retail stuff and eateries in Kettering, so you do not have to travel far for anything that you might need.

[vaticanplum]

It is certainly true that anything will seem cheap after Brooklyn, which is a large part of why we are moving back. We are paying $1300 for a pretty small 2 br apartment and that seems to impress people around here.

Total side note, but I moved to Chicago from Brooklyn, and that is amazing. What part of brooklyn do you live in?

[nycredsfan]

Total side note, but I moved to Chicago from Brooklyn, and that is amazing. What part of brooklyn do you live in?

We are in an area that is called Park Slope by realtors and somewhere between Park Slope and Sunset Park by everyone else. It is right on the corner of 20th and 5th.

Have you missed Brooklyn much since you left? I am pretty sure that I will, but we just can't realistically afford to live here comfortably and certainly not start a family.

[vaticanplum]

That's an unbelievable price for anything close to anything legitmately called Park Slope these days. Man, I'm surprised you can leave!

I miss Brooklyn terribly, but I'm probably in a different situation than you because I left most of my life there. It's going to be a big adjustment for you, not only being in a smaller city, the flavor and general culture of it, but the little day-to-day things like getting used to driving and not having your ethnic bodegas with good produce on every corner and not being able to get good pizza at three in the morning. and even other things unrelated to food. What I miss most is the constant pressure and energy and the forced interaction with people. Chicago is big, of course, but I still don't have to deal with people in the same way here. I love the fact that you have to deal head-on with 50,000 people a day in New York, that it's impossible to be isolated. Which, for all of the crap people give New Yorkers about having short fuses, I think actually makes them incredibly empathetic. That's an adjustment. Once you move, you can feasibly get in your car, go to work, get in your car, go home, and have dealt with ten people tops. It's very different.

But it sounds like you have a bigger picture in mind, and your reasons for that are certainly sound. So these adjustments will happen and you will get used to it. Not living in a shoebox will help. You will probably be more comfortable in every way, I would imagine.

[Stewie]

That is right in the area with a lot of smaller apartment buildings (I mean a smaller complex, not individual apartment!). That would put you about 5 miles tops from the downtown library and you can easily get there using city streets. I used to live near that exact area when I first got out of college. Lived there for 5 years and never had a problem. This is the northern part of Kettering and is real close to the suburb of Oakwood. Not a bad area at all. Kind of a residential area mixed with a lot of the smaller 4-unit apartment buildings. 3-minute drive to the Univ. of Dayton campus.

Kettering is a fairly big Dayton suburb, but still has a small town feel if you will. Lots of retail stuff and eateries in Kettering, so you do not have to travel far for anything that you might need.

Agreed. I live just down the street from there, and as far as places in the Dayton area go, it's not bad. If the place is decent and cheap, that might be a good way to go, especially if they allow pets. My apartment is a complete hole, but it fits my needs, so it's fine.

[savafan]

I've got a pretty nice apartment in downtown Miamisburg. Two story, two bedroom apartment for $450 a month, all utilities included except for electricity, which doesn't run too bad. I can see the police station from my window, so there isn't a crime problem here at all, only problem is the sirens that occassionally pass by. It is easily within 30 minutes of downtown Dayton, and 45 minutes from Cincinnati.

My landlord does allow pets, but there is a one time $500 pet deposit. He owns several buildings down here, and is a respected lawyer in the area.

If you are interested, send me a PM and I'll give you his phone number.

[nycredsfan]

I miss Brooklyn terribly, but I'm probably in a different situation than you because I left most of my life there. It's going to be a big adjustment for you, not only being in a smaller city, the flavor and general culture of it, but the little day-to-day things like getting used to driving and not having your ethnic bodegas with good produce on every corner and not being able to get good pizza at three in the morning. and even other things unrelated to food. What I miss most is the constant pressure and energy and the forced interaction with people. Chicago is big, of course, but I still don't have to deal with people in the same way here. I love the fact that you have to deal head-on with 50,000 people a day in New York, that it's impossible to be isolated. Which, for all of the crap people give New Yorkers about having short fuses, I think actually makes them incredibly empathetic. That's an adjustment. Once you move, you can feasibly get in your car, go to work, get in your car, go home, and have dealt with ten people tops. It's very different.

I will probably miss Brooklyn in all the ways you mentioned, but right now I would kill for a day where I don't have to deal with 50,000 people. This morning on the train I sat next to a rather large man popping hard-boiled eggs like they were M&M's, and as I was waiting to cross the street on my way to work, another man told me that they used to call him Jesus Christ, but I could call him Hank. There are many things I will miss about Brooklyn, but at the moment it doesn't feel that way. I will just have to bring plenty of Gorilla Coffee and a few of Junior's cheesecakes with me.

[WMR]

you have to deal head-on with 50,000 people a day in New York, that it's impossible to be isolated.

diffrent strokes i guess b\c that sounds like living hell to me

[vaticanplum]

diffrent strokes i guess b\c that sounds like living hell to me

Yeah, so different strokes; was that comment really necessary?

[guttle11]

West Carrollton is right off of 75, and it's a couple exits up from the UD arena exit, so I'd say it's maybe 10-15 minutes from downtown. Definitely within a half hour. It'd probably even be under a half hour if you just took surface streets instead of the freeway. Going the opposite direction, it's about 5-10 minutes from the Dayton Mall area. I think it may be worth a look if you are just looking for a transitional place. I don't know if I'd want to live there for an extended amount of time.

The new apartments downtown seem alright, but you can find much better value outside the city.

Exactly. West Carrollton is a good bet. Down in the neighborhood I lived in, which is right by Gibbons Road, you can find some good houses for a good price. You could be on the highway and into downtown in 10 minutes, 15-20 in rush hour.

[gonelong]

Yeah, so different strokes; was that comment really necessary?

You say you liked it, he said he didn't ... whats the difference?

For what its worth, if I had to deal with 50,000 people a day, I'd have to go all 3 stooges on roughly 49,950 of them.

GL

/can't pry me away from the slow life of small town Ohio