Riverside

With its long stretches of established homes, public recreation and access to creature comforts, Avondale has a classic sense of suburbia. Hugged on both sides by the Great Miami River and Eastwood Lake, this Riverside suburb is well-regarded by locals for its natural beauty and lower-than-average real estate prices. Combine these factors with a community-wide love of local athletics, and the area's reputation as one of the more family-friendly slices of the Dayton Metro area comes into sharper focus. Mature trees shade well-worn streets that intersect in a neat grid pattern throughout the neighborhood's residential zones. Homes have more prominent front and backyards, often fenced in with chain-link or white pickets. Sidewalks aren't typical, but driveways are, preventing a lot of street parking on the area's narrow streets. Homes in the area run the gamut from aging historical fixer-uppers to the roomy gleam of modern construction. Bungalows, American Foursquare, Craftsman, split-level and ranch-style homes are some of the neighborhood's more popular styles. Prices range from the mid-$30,000s for fixer-uppers to the high $100,000s for well-established houses. More modern builds can reach into the low-$300,000s. Ohio's Open Enrollment policy allows students to attend any school they feel best suits them, regardless of their assigned district. Students can begin at Ruskin Elementary, rated C-minus by Niche and lauded by many locals for its level of diversity. From there, they can enroll at Mad River Middle School, which has a C, before attending C-plus-rated Stebbins High School. Stebbins High School offers career and technical education programs, allowing students to gain experience in everything from accounting to HVAC. "Proximity is definitely one of the major selling points of living in Avondale," says Todd Pultz of Agoras Maxxed Out Realty, who has worked in the area for over a decade. Avondale is crisscrossed by Ohio State Routes 202, 201 and 4, making for convenient road trips and morning commutes. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a major employer in the area, can be found just over 15 miles to the northeast while neighboring Riverside can be reached less than 3 miles across the Mad River. The Dayton Children's Hospital can be found 2 miles southwest, while Downtown Dayton can be found 5 miles southwest. The greenery found in Avondale isn't limited to the oak trees that line the streets. Rohrers Farm Park offers a vast stretch of public green space with basketball courts, playground equipment, picnic shelters and a walking path for stretching those legs. Those looking for a wetter way to pass the time need only look to nearby Eastwood Lake. "The great thing about Avondale is the proximity to Eastwood MetroPark," says Pultz. "The lake and river are great for kayaking, and you can take the bike trails all the way to downtown Dayton." Familiar comfort food favorites like KFC and Wendy's are readily accessible, while the nearest Kroger Supermarket can be found in the neighboring community of Forest Ridge-Quail Hollow. The Fairfield Commons mall, located 6 miles away in Beavercreek, has over 140 retail and restaurant offerings for more extensive shopping trips. Debbie's Restaurant is a popular local institution that offers simple, down-home cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner in a classic diner atmosphere. Across the river is Old Dayton Pizza, which serves authentic Roman-style pies, salads, sandwiches and Momma Sherri's meatballs. Held every third Saturday of September, the Air Force Marathon attracts thousands of runners for a weekend of endurance, food, awards and a celebration of the country's history. Hosted at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the event includes 5k and 10k races, a half marathon, and the full marathon itself.

Forest Ridge Quail Hollow is a large suburban community 7 miles from downtown Dayton that has long been popular for its amenities, convenient location and lower prices compared to other Dayton neighborhoods. "People fall in love with the community atmosphere and often settle down here," says Kerry Santiago, Realtor in Dayton for 30 years, currently with Coldwell Banker Heritage Realtors. "The HOA is great at organizing events and maintaining the community." Residents enjoy amenities like tennis courts and playgrounds within the community, and they can take advantage of more park space across Route 201. In this convenient location, folks drive less than a mile for grocery shopping and restaurants on the left end of the neighborhood. They can also hop on 201 to enjoy popular downtown activities, like spending a Saturday morning at the 2nd Street Market. This expansive suburb has rows upon rows of single-family homes but is designed to give residents a small community feel. "There are always neighbors out on the sidewalks walking their dogs or taking a stroll with their family," says Santiago. Residents pay HOA fees to maintain the sidewalks and other amenities, like tennis courts and playgrounds. Along the winding streets lie midsize lawns occasionally shaded by mature trees. The community was developed mainly in the 1970s, and the homes reflect the decade, ranging from $170,000 for a three-bedroom split-level to $350,000 for an updated four-bedroom Craftsman with a contemporary stone exterior. There are many four-bedroom ranch-style and split-level homes that still hold their 1970s character for about $250,000. Forest Ridge Quail Hollow feeds into multiple school districts, so students may start as a part of the Fairborn City School District at Fairborn Primary and Fairborn Intermediate, both given a C-plus by Niche. They could continue in the Mad River Local School District at Mad River Middle, graded a C, and finish at Stebbins High, rated a C-plus. Stebbins implements career and technical education to prepare students for disciplines ranging from engineering to nursing. They could also finish as a part of Huber Heights City Schools for a more traditional curriculum at Wayne High School, given a C-plus. Residents take advantage of outdoor activity spaces in the community, like playgrounds and courts for tennis and basketball. Just across 201, they find more tennis and basketball courts and a complex of baseball and soccer fields at Thomas A. Cloud Memorial Park. There's also a splash pad for Kiddos to cool off in the summertime. Outdoor adventurers enjoy a ride on the wooded trails at MetroParks Mountain Biking Area, less than a mile east of most homes. On a rainy day, folks get in a game of laser tag or bumper cars at Scene 75 Entertainment Center, 7 miles west of the neighborhood. On the neighborhood's west side along 201, folks can make a quick grocery run at Kroger and sit down for a pie at Godfather's Pizza or a burrito sounded by festive décor at El Toro Bar & Grill. Commuters also stop here to catch a morning buzz at Biggby Coffee before their drive downtown. People head downtown for more shopping and dining or to spend a Saturday morning checking out the vendors at 2nd Street Market. The HOA organizes regular community gatherings with food trucks and activities. During the Holidays, they light up the neighborhood with decorations and people often get together to celebrate the season. For those who don't want to drive around Dayton, there's a bus stop a mile from the neighborhood on 201. Aur travel is convenient, with Dayton International Airport just 13 miles away.