Worthington

Olentangy Highlands is an oak and sycamore-shaded community where residents spend mornings golfing at the nearby country club and host backyard cookouts in the evenings. The nearby forested parks complement the neighborhood’s rustic New Traditional style. Homebuyers are also drawn to the area’s highly rated public schools. For date nights and special events, several fine dining establishments are along the neighborhood’s southern edge. “You’ve got entertainment, food and shopping within a 2-mile drive,” says Realtor Darcie Barton, who sells homes in the neighborhood with Keller Williams Capital Partners. “Because of the convenience factor, people do not sell often.” “The average square footage of the houses here is about 2,665 square feet,” says Realtor Glenn Moog, who sells property in Olentangy Highlands with Keller Williams Capital Partners. “Also, the price per square foot is under $200, which is a great bargain.” The neighborhood consists of single-family homes built in the 1970s and 1980s. Ranch-style houses sell for between $415,000 and $470,000. Assessors value the neighborhood’s brick Colonial Revival-style houses at between $480,000 and $590,000. Tudor Revival-style homes sell for as low as $500,000, and bi-level houses sell for as high as $530,000. According to Risk Factor, the residential flood risk in Olentangy Highlands is minor compared to the bordering Linworth Village, where the flood risk is moderate. Children often begin their educations at Brookside Elementary, which has a 14-to-1 student-teacher ratio and a B-plus Niche rating. Perry Middle School students are 59% proficient in math and 63% in reading. The school has a B Niche rating. Teens move on to Thomas Worthington High School, which has an 87% graduation rate and an A-minus Niche rating. About 34% of the high school’s students participate in Advanced Placement classes, according to the U.S. News and World Report. There are multiple restaurants along West Granville Road, just south of the neighborhood. Cameron’s America Bistro is a fine dining establishment that serves dishes like wagyu steak, seared duck breast and braised short ribs. Tomatillos Authentic Mexican serves filling dishes like veggie tacos and crab enchiladas. Patrons of Borgata Pizza Cafe enjoy Tuscan pesto bread, chicken cutlets and tiramisu. Three miles west, the Festival Centre has stores like Whole Foods, Target, PetSmart, Kohl’s and Michaels. Olentangy River runs along the community’s eastern border. Residents paddle and fish in the river. Olentangy Park is across the river. The park has a mountain bike course, tennis courts, a skatepark, multiple playgrounds and a paved nature trail. Perry Park is directly west of the neighborhood. The 22-acre greenspace has three lighted baseball diamonds, two playgrounds, a shelter and walking paths. Members of Brookside Golf & Country Club spend afternoons golfing the fairways while their children play in the pool. The club is about a mile west. Jeffers Mound, a Hopewell tradition Native American burial ground built between 100 B.C. and 400 A.D., is located within the community. “Residents have easy access to 315 and Route 23. The community is smack in the middle of them. So, if there’s an accident, you don’t get gridlocked,” Barton says. Residents travel 12 miles south to Downtown Columbus via Ohio State Route 315. There are public bus stops along Linworth Road on the neighborhood’s western border. Interstate 270, or Columbus’ outer belt, is 1 ½ miles north. Olentangy Highlands’ streets are lined with sidewalks. Ohio Stadium is 8-½ miles south of Olentangy Highlands. The over-100,000-person-capacity stadium is home to the Ohio State Buckeyes football team. Residents catch new film releases at the Marcus Cinema, about 4 miles northeast of Olentangy Highlands. The King of Clubs, about 4 miles east, is an 850-person-capacity music venue that hosts grunge and metal bands. An indoor rock climbing facility called Vertical Adventures is 5 miles east of the neighborhood. The downtown is home to Nationwide Arena, which hosts acts like Weezer and the Black Keys.

Quiet suburbs adjacent to a golf course Just a few miles northwest of Worthington, Stilson is a calm cluster of suburbs surrounding Perry Park. Homes in the neighborhood are generally more expensive than the average across the Columbus region. Once buyers move in, they are usually there to stay. “There are people who have been in this area for a long time, and they’re not leaving,” says Realtor Abigail Swihart Valentine, who sells houses in Stilson with Red 1 Realty. “Many people want to get in, but there’s not much turnover.” Residents can head south to retail and dining options, southwest to the Brookside Golf & Country Club or north to Interstate 270, known as the “outer belt.” When Ohio State has football games, neighbors often get together for backyard cookouts. Highly rated public schools within walking distance “Residents benefit from highly rated Worthington Schools but only have to pay Columbus taxes, which are lower,” says Realtor Glenn Moog, who sells homes in the neighborhood with Keller Williams Capital Partners Realty. Brookside Elementary School has a B-plus Niche rating, and Phoenix Middle School has an A Niche rating. Both schools are located within Stilson, and children walk to both. Worthington Kilbourne High School, a couple of miles north of the neighborhood, has an A-minus Niche rating and a 90% graduation rate. The school offers 16 Advanced Placement classes in subjects ranging from Latin and government to calculus and biology. Perry Park, Brookside Golf & Country Club and Highbanks Metro Park The 22-acre Perry Park is in the community's center. The park has a baseball diamond, a playground, a soccer field and picnic tables. Brookside Golf & Country Club, founded in 1927, features an 18-hole course, tennis courts, an outdoor pool and summer camps for kids. Highbanks Metro Park is about 6 miles northeast. The 1,204-acre greenspace has playgrounds, canoe access to Olentangy River and miles of biking, skiing and hiking trails. Single-family homes built between the 1970s and 90s The neighborhood conforms to a consistent earthtone palette of single-family houses almost all built within a decade of each other. Streets meander into cul-de-sacs, and yards provide adequate space for backyard cookouts and cornhole games. North of Perry Park, 1980s stucco-exterior bungalows sell for between $430,000 and $500,000. Brick New Traditional and Georgian-style homes from the 1980s and 90s are valued at between $530,000 and $800,000. South of Perry Park, 1980s contemporary-style houses sell for between $500,000 and $630,000, and Tudor Revival-style houses sell for between $540,000 and $620,000. West of Perry Park, most of the homes were built in the 1970s and 80s. Split levels sell for between $370,000 and $480,000, and ranch styles are valued for between $360,000 and $420,000. Many of the neighborhood’s streets are lined with sidewalks. Dining options alongside West Granville Road Multiple restaurants directly south of Stilson along West Granville Road are within a 1-½ mile drive for most residents. Cameron’s American Bistro has been a community favorite since 1993 for its warmly lit interior, eclectic wine selection and hearty dishes. The Borgata Pizza Cafe serves New York-style slices and Italian desserts like cannoli and lemon ricotta cake. Subourbon specializes in Southern comfort dishes. The restaurant also has a massive whiskey selection. Rodos Greek Taverna serves both meat-based and vegan dishes in the Mediterranean style. HTH Farm Market, also along West Granville, sells locally grown produce, jams, fresh-baked pastries and, during the holidays, Christmas trees. The nearby Linworth Lumber Company reminds residents of bygone times when local hardware stores were more common. Twi miles west, the Sun Center has retail options like Michaels, Whole Foods, Nordstrom Rack and Five Below. Games at Ohio Stadium, shows at Nationwide Arena and Worthington’s summer concerts Ohio Stadium is 9 miles south of Stilson. The Ohio State Buckeyes football team faces off against Big Ten Conference rivals at the over-100,000-person-capacity stadium. Marcus Cinema, about 3 miles northeast of Stilson, shows new film releases. The King of Clubs, about 4 miles east of Stilson, is an 850-person-capacity venue that hosts metal and grunge bands. Vertical Adventures is an indoor rock climbing facility about 4-½ miles east of the neighborhood. Nationwide Arena hosts acts like the Black Keys and Weezer in Columbus’ downtown. Jeffers Mound, a Hopewell tradition Native American burial ground, is less than a mile east of the community. Worthington hosts a summer concert series at Northwest Village Green, about 3 miles southeast. Getting around Columbus Interstate 270 is less than a mile away, and there are public bus stops along Linworth and Snouffer roads. However, cars are vital for Stilson residents. “The way the neighborhood is constructed, you have to travel on various roads to get to I-270,” Valentine says. “You’re going to need a car to get around, as there’s not much within walking distance.” Downtown Columbus is 12 miles south via Ohio State Route 315. Worthington’s downtown is about 3 miles southeast via West Wilson Bridge and North High Street. John Glenn International Airport is 16-½ miles southeast of Stilson via Interstate 270. Many of the neighborhood’s streets are lined with sidewalks. Shopping and dining options in Worthington’s downtown are about 3 miles southeast of Stilson.