Olde Orchard

With homes that range from the late 1960s to the present day, there’s a little bit of everything in Olde Orchard. “The houses in Olde Orchard are unique because it seems like a lot of the homes were custom-built during the 1970s,” so there are not many duplicates,” says Angela Harris, a Realtor with e-Merge Real Estate. “It’s unique because it doesn’t look like any other suburb.”

There are ranch-style, contemporary two-story homes and split-levels. The homes have a lot of space, anywhere from 1500 to 2500 square feet. With all that space, it’s typical to find a house with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, an attached two-car garage and at least a partial basement. “The price of a house is going to start at $350,000 and probably go up to $450,000,” Harris says. A section was built in the late 1990s and early 2000s; some homes were built in 2023. “It would be sporadic and random, for example, if there were a vacant or empty lot in that area,” she says. Because several homes date back to the 1970s, some need repair, and the area attracts investors, who purchase and flip the house. There are also condos and townhomes in Olde Orchard, which are usually around $200,000 to $300,000 and have two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

A home on Hilltop Avenue has a Little Free Library, seen in some places throughout Columbus. The box that’s perched on a post has books that are free to take. If you have a book you no longer use, you can leave it for others to enjoy. The twist to this concept is that the person who owns the house where the Free Library is also has a couple of miniature gardens where little fairy figurines are perched. This is called the Fairy Garden, and there’s a sign by one of them that says, “There are two Fairy Gardens for you to see. One by the house and one by the tree.” One of the house's occupants created the Fairy Gardens to bring happiness to anyone who drops by.

A large medical facility is part of the Olde Orchard neighborhood. Mount Carmel East Hospital is a 400-bed, all-private room facility featuring a fully integrated cardiovascular center, women’s health center and an orthopedics and spine program. The hospital is part of the Mount Carmel Health System, which employs over 10,000 people in Columbus.

Children in Olde Orchard attend schools within the Columbus City School District. Olde Orchard Alternative Elementary School is located on McNaughten Road. Those who attend that school wear uniforms. That includes tops solidly colored blue or white with a collar, and the bottoms are khaki or navy blue. Sherwood Middle School has a 15-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio, according to Niche. Walnut Ridge High School has 686 students, and Niche says the student-to-teacher ratio is 16-to-1.

Start your morning with one of the newest businesses in Olde Orchard. Koffee Paradise is different from your typical coffee shop. They serve hot or cold drinks with a tropical flair. Get a sweet treat with coffee from their homemade Filipino cookies and cake selection. In addition to its food and drink options, Koffee Paradise gets rave reviews for its atmosphere and seating. After you fuel up, head to Esporta Fitness on Broad Street to work out. In addition to the typical gym equipment, you can take a water aerobics class or Pilates course. And, if you want to master the equipment, get with a personal trainer to customize a workout to fit your goals.

Drive down one of the streets in Olde Orchard, and you’ll see another aspect of living in Olde Orchard. “There are mature trees that line the streets, which go together with the well-established homes,” Harris says. “It’s also a great location between Reynoldsburg and I-270.” The area is also very close to shopping destinations and about 15 miles east of downtown Columbus.

Written By

Jeff Stapleton

Photography Contributed By

Holly Haarmeyer

Video By

Paris Lape