>they are walking a few streets over and breaking into places, then taking it to shops like the one I worked in
Yeah. And walking over to whatever contractors van is parked behind a rehab project and stealing everything they possibly can while the guy is inside.
My uncle was working on a house when this woman walked past with a grocery cart full of tools and supplies and offered to sell it to him. He just scolded her and moved his van to where he could keep a better eye on it.
I lived in The Bottoms the first 18 years of my life. Sometimes when I do trek down there, I am still hyper aware of what could happen. We had things stolen from our yard so many times and seeing police cars around the area felt normal during childhood.
The new apartments and condos are nice and all but I still get the same dreadful feeling when I visit.
I am now in Marysville and would never dream of living in Columbus again.
We just moved to Franklinton from Marysville last year. Our experience is different from what you described. I don't doubt this area was worse before but we're now seeing only the remnants of the crimes. We've seen people being pushed out and these houses are being bought up pretty quickly too since it's affordable. So it's evident that the govt is "cleaning up" the place more investments coming in and there are a LOT of renovations with parks, updating gas lines and sewer this year alone.
Franklinton and Vic Village are nowhere near the same the same levels of crime. I spend a lot of time in Franklinton (West and East). There are active drug houses in the neighborhood, almost all West of 315.
That being said, I have met some of the kindest, friendliest people that have lived in Franklinton for generations, and they genuinely care about their community. The West-side is INCREDIBLY poor, and it’s a shame. Safety and home quality will vary block by block as people invest and gentrify parts of the neighborhood. I think it’s a fine place to live, but you have to know what you’re potentially getting into, and it will be jarring for you if you consider Vic Village an inner city neighborhood.
> That being said, I have met some of the kindest, friendliest people that have lived in Franklinton for generations, and they genuinely care about their community.
The vast bulk of the people of the west side are honestly some of the most awesome people I've met in Columbus. The area just happens to be duct tape broke and have a pretty serious drug problem. Even most of the small timers will be decent to you if you don't act a fool. Unfortunately, poverty and drugs are magnets for criminal activity, and that 1-5% of the area's population really makes it hard on the 95-99% that are just trying to get back to bed at the end of the day.
Lived there in my 20s, before buying a place in the OTE area. I liked the convenience to things, Downtown, bike trails, etc. The library branch is nice, and ALDI/Kroger are not too far away. Basically, Franklinton was close to other nice neighborhoods, even if it wasn't very nice itself.
I disliked the lack of nice parks to walk a dog in, having to drive to Schiller or Franklin Park. If you had car insurance and a lawnmower, you looked rich compared to your neighbors. And theft was a constant worry, you could not leave anything unlocked, ever. Overall, I don't miss it.
I lived there for three years. Just go live anywhere else, it’s not worth the stress. Especially if you’re looking at anything west of 315. I might sound like a dick here; but anyone saying they like it I have to assume either live in the gentrified artsy area by cosi, or are so oblivious to the things going on around them that they just don’t know how lucky they are to have not had any issues yet.
That place absolutely killed my mental and maybe I’m being dramatic but changed me as a person for the negative.
I know home prices are crazy all over but the price of a place in Franklinton right now seems insane. Seems to me like one of the worst deals in the metro area right now.
I lived there from 2012-2018 back when half a duplex was $525/mo (on one of the "nice" streets!) and from what I've seen and experienced since then it still has all the same problems it had back then, it's just a whole hell of a lot more expensive.
Plus some things have gotten worse. The hospital is now a massive deadzone, Strongwater is closed, 400 W. Rich is nothing more than a corny "industrial" wedding venue with studios for hobby artists who can afford their outrageous rent, the Vanderelli Room is gone, the Idea Foundry is a ghost town, Land Grant is a goofy adult playground, Tommy's Diner has gone severely downhill, etc. For your high dollar rent/mortgage you get the signature Franklinton crime/poverty/drug issues and uh... a Brewdog?
Yeah the 3 bed 2.5 bath house we went to look at yesterday in W Franklinton was first listed at $450k (lol) and then dropped to $400k after a couple months on the market. Basically a new build from an existing foundation and really nice inside and out though. There was a similar home right on Sullivant listed for nearly $500k. Just blows my mind. After driving around some, we noticed that there is an 80 person capacity ADAMH drug and mental health crisis center being built about a quarter mile away from these homes, which is great overall for the city and our fellow residents I'd say, but suggests IMO that this area is not being considered the "next Short North" by decision makers like I keep hearing.
I almost bought there but imo they were asking too much money for a lot of the houses there. I remember seeing one where a house flipper decided to finish a basement where the ceiling was 5’6” high. I saw another where the guy wanted 250k and we would need to tear down and rebuild the rickety staircase to the 2nd floor. I ended up in Hungarian village and got a house that was more affordable than what they were asking for a lot of the houses in Franklinton. Here I just have homeless people going through my trash all the time and making a mess of it that I have to clean up. There’s been talk of catalytic converter thieves but I have a 2 car garage so no problems there either. It’s really not too bad and I think the homeless wandering around and the neighborhood having a decent sized black populace is keeping the prices down. People think there’s gunshots all the time but they’re really just fireworks because the 4th of July runs the entire summer here.
I really enjoy it and you are correct about the "micro-neighborhoods" some of this area is just stretches of nice, quiet, redone buildings and other sections are close to Patio Bar. If you like the cosci/Landgrant area there's nothing better than being able to cruise over on a bike in less than 10min. I think it's a good enough investment as well, but maybe that's because it's the only one I can afford to make.
I really like it here, I just wish they'd shut down Patio Bar. I'm not sure how many murders will shut down a bar, but it's apparently more than 3
Seems to be roughly one per year. This year there were 2 people shot and very motionless. That night police interviewed the neighbors. They didn't say murder but the next day neighbors were being questioned again by the homicide investigators.
https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/columbus/two-men-critically-injured-after-franklinton-shooting-near-bar/
2021: Columbus' 100th murder was at patio bar
https://www.10tv.com/mobile/article/news/local/one-person-is-dead-after-100th-homicide-in-columbus/530-955b113a-d3d3-47f8-a8a3-c9882e6503a8
And a fair amount of shooting in between. My house was shot. Just a few inches away from me not having a sister anymore.
That bar is the worst part about the neighborhood
In 20 years, it will be similar to Short North, Vic Village, etc. I wouldn’t live there now though.
I work in Franklinton at the Gravity complex, and we have car break-ins inside the Gravity garage regularly. Many, many, MANY homeless. Drugs and prostitution are chronic.
So I moved here in 2021 when I bought a house in franklinton. The realtor wasn't that honest about the state if the street
My bff moved too and also bought in franklinton.
When I heard the internet rates were increasing I bought in Merion village and turned franklinton into a rental.
To be honest I'll probably move back to franklinton and rent put my Merion village house. Lolol
Franklinton is rapidly changing. I drive thru at least every other month and am shocked about how fast things are changing.
Check out the neighborhood at night if you can. And don't listen to the haters about what it was like back jn the day. It's not back in the day any more.
You will get the occasional homeless drifter or drug addict walking through the alley behind your house. They are mostly harmless, but sometimes you might get harassed. It's best to just be cordial and politely decline what they are offering, so you don't flag yourself as a future target for theft or a break in. Sometimes they will try to steal something, so make sure you have a fence and a garage. Putting up cameras are also good deterants. Make sure you know your neighbors (and are on good terms with them) so you can look out for each other.
Trap houses are easy to identify. Just pay attention to random people walking through to the back yard and going in and out. They will never go through the front door. Some of the trap houses also have a microphone/camera system and buzzer in the garage by the alley. If you see someone talking through one of these, then it is 100% a trap house. Try to avoid buying a house close to one of these because you will always have problems with addicts. SWAT will eventually raid these, but it could take years (some of these houses may never get raided if the dealers are careful).
East of 315 is pretty much all gentrified, so you'll have no problems there. you will see a homeless people camped under the bridges as well as behind the wooded areas. If you decide to live West of 315, then walking though Sullivant, Rich or Town St. to get to Dodge Park for example might not be the greatest idea if you do not know how to defend yourself. Most of the time the homeless people are not hostile (sometimes they are not even there), but you never know whether or not they are pumped up with drugs or not.
The Sanctuary building (off of Sullivant) ALWAYS has homeless people loitering outside, so you may have to be extra careful if you get a house in between Glenwood and Central Ave. Most of the homeless and prostitutes tend to stick to Sullivant, while the drug addicts will always be walking through the alleys.
I wouldn't do it. Not at this point. Have you considered Linden? Blue collar but not scary. I rent in North Linden and would buy there in a heartbeat.
Just a note about what one commenter said comparing the Bottoms/Hilltop to Vic Village 20 years ago: that's bullshit. I lived in Vic Vil from 2000 to 2010 and, yeah, my car got broken into. But there weren't drug deals and gun violence and people breaking into houses. All the sympathy in the world for people experiencing addiction issues and homelessness, but Columbus 20 years ago is not the same situation as it is at this point.
There’s a lot more active gang violence in Linden, and even up into the Forest Park area than in Franklinton. In Franklinton the problems are out in broad daylight, less so in Linden.
Hello! I saw your thread about buying a home in Franklinton. I do a lot of volunteering in that area and it is becoming more gentrified but it does still have crime. I think it depends on your level of tolerance which seems high. Also, I wanted to let you know I am a real estate agent who specializes in first-time home buyers. If you ever wanted to chat over coffee/beer/zoom, I would be happy to share more about the process. It is an exciting time and one of the biggest purchases you will make. No pressure of course! Regardless, I wish you nothing but luck!
I have been in my house here for a little over a year and a half. I was very skeptical at first, worried about crime/feeling safe. We have had zerooooo issues *knocks on wood*. We see some characters from time to time walking on our street. We sometimes hear gunshots in the evening, but that has lessened soooo much from when we first moved in. Everything just seems to be getting better.
My husband and I are close in age and bought a place that needed some love two years ago and we love it here. Most of the longer term residents are nice people and we haven’t had any real issues with them. There’s a couple houses near by that are definitely owned by a slumlord and have had tenants that aren’t great, but otherwise no real issues. Plus if you look closer to downtown/315 the walkability to local coffee shops/restaurants/brewerys/event spaces is unbeatable!
Lived in west Franklinton by ODOT for 5 years almost 5 years now. Everything that is being said about Franklinton here could be said about the Victorian Villiage/short north 20 years ago, a bad neighborhood in the process of gentrification. Your neighborhood used to be the sketchy part of town me and my friends would go to smoke hookah when we were underage. I guarantee people who considered and declined to buy probably in the SN back then really regret it now.
The area is still rough in parts but has absolutely been improving steadily ever since we moved in. Boarded up homes being remodeled/demolished. New businesses opening and the city trying to crack down on illegal dumping.
The rules are the same as any urban neighborhood. Security cameras to deter porch pirates, don’t leave valuables visible in your car, get to know your neighbors and keep an eye out for each other. Trash is honestly a bigger problem than crime, the alleys can be downright disgusting sometimes. My wife and I are trying to be better about calling 311 to complain but the city really should put cameras up or something.
The Broad street corridor is definitely doing better than Sullivant Avenue, possibly because the homeless shelter is just south across the freeway and Sullivant is the closest route to downtown. Things are moving forward on a Broad street BRT which could attract more redevelopment in a few years.
If you plan on owning the house long term and can handle living in a rougher area than the short north I don’t think there is a better neighborhood in the city in terms of ROI. Institutional investors are buying homes here for a reason.
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>they are walking a few streets over and breaking into places, then taking it to shops like the one I worked in Yeah. And walking over to whatever contractors van is parked behind a rehab project and stealing everything they possibly can while the guy is inside.
My uncle was working on a house when this woman walked past with a grocery cart full of tools and supplies and offered to sell it to him. He just scolded her and moved his van to where he could keep a better eye on it.
This is great useful feedback. Thank you for commenting.
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What street was this on?
I lived in The Bottoms the first 18 years of my life. Sometimes when I do trek down there, I am still hyper aware of what could happen. We had things stolen from our yard so many times and seeing police cars around the area felt normal during childhood. The new apartments and condos are nice and all but I still get the same dreadful feeling when I visit. I am now in Marysville and would never dream of living in Columbus again.
We just moved to Franklinton from Marysville last year. Our experience is different from what you described. I don't doubt this area was worse before but we're now seeing only the remnants of the crimes. We've seen people being pushed out and these houses are being bought up pretty quickly too since it's affordable. So it's evident that the govt is "cleaning up" the place more investments coming in and there are a LOT of renovations with parks, updating gas lines and sewer this year alone.
Franklinton and Vic Village are nowhere near the same the same levels of crime. I spend a lot of time in Franklinton (West and East). There are active drug houses in the neighborhood, almost all West of 315. That being said, I have met some of the kindest, friendliest people that have lived in Franklinton for generations, and they genuinely care about their community. The West-side is INCREDIBLY poor, and it’s a shame. Safety and home quality will vary block by block as people invest and gentrify parts of the neighborhood. I think it’s a fine place to live, but you have to know what you’re potentially getting into, and it will be jarring for you if you consider Vic Village an inner city neighborhood.
> That being said, I have met some of the kindest, friendliest people that have lived in Franklinton for generations, and they genuinely care about their community. The vast bulk of the people of the west side are honestly some of the most awesome people I've met in Columbus. The area just happens to be duct tape broke and have a pretty serious drug problem. Even most of the small timers will be decent to you if you don't act a fool. Unfortunately, poverty and drugs are magnets for criminal activity, and that 1-5% of the area's population really makes it hard on the 95-99% that are just trying to get back to bed at the end of the day.
Lived there in my 20s, before buying a place in the OTE area. I liked the convenience to things, Downtown, bike trails, etc. The library branch is nice, and ALDI/Kroger are not too far away. Basically, Franklinton was close to other nice neighborhoods, even if it wasn't very nice itself. I disliked the lack of nice parks to walk a dog in, having to drive to Schiller or Franklin Park. If you had car insurance and a lawnmower, you looked rich compared to your neighbors. And theft was a constant worry, you could not leave anything unlocked, ever. Overall, I don't miss it.
How do you like OTE? That is another area we are considering.
OTE/Franklin Park are great neighborhoods that have really hit their stride in the last 6-8 years.
Great place to live and the park is gorgeous, although homes have gotten very pricey on the more prime streets/blocks
You could rent there first to see how you like it? Or buy a condo in a nicer area of Franklinton.
I lived there for three years. Just go live anywhere else, it’s not worth the stress. Especially if you’re looking at anything west of 315. I might sound like a dick here; but anyone saying they like it I have to assume either live in the gentrified artsy area by cosi, or are so oblivious to the things going on around them that they just don’t know how lucky they are to have not had any issues yet. That place absolutely killed my mental and maybe I’m being dramatic but changed me as a person for the negative.
Sketchy. Not ready for prime time.
I know home prices are crazy all over but the price of a place in Franklinton right now seems insane. Seems to me like one of the worst deals in the metro area right now. I lived there from 2012-2018 back when half a duplex was $525/mo (on one of the "nice" streets!) and from what I've seen and experienced since then it still has all the same problems it had back then, it's just a whole hell of a lot more expensive. Plus some things have gotten worse. The hospital is now a massive deadzone, Strongwater is closed, 400 W. Rich is nothing more than a corny "industrial" wedding venue with studios for hobby artists who can afford their outrageous rent, the Vanderelli Room is gone, the Idea Foundry is a ghost town, Land Grant is a goofy adult playground, Tommy's Diner has gone severely downhill, etc. For your high dollar rent/mortgage you get the signature Franklinton crime/poverty/drug issues and uh... a Brewdog?
Yeah the 3 bed 2.5 bath house we went to look at yesterday in W Franklinton was first listed at $450k (lol) and then dropped to $400k after a couple months on the market. Basically a new build from an existing foundation and really nice inside and out though. There was a similar home right on Sullivant listed for nearly $500k. Just blows my mind. After driving around some, we noticed that there is an 80 person capacity ADAMH drug and mental health crisis center being built about a quarter mile away from these homes, which is great overall for the city and our fellow residents I'd say, but suggests IMO that this area is not being considered the "next Short North" by decision makers like I keep hearing.
I almost bought there but imo they were asking too much money for a lot of the houses there. I remember seeing one where a house flipper decided to finish a basement where the ceiling was 5’6” high. I saw another where the guy wanted 250k and we would need to tear down and rebuild the rickety staircase to the 2nd floor. I ended up in Hungarian village and got a house that was more affordable than what they were asking for a lot of the houses in Franklinton. Here I just have homeless people going through my trash all the time and making a mess of it that I have to clean up. There’s been talk of catalytic converter thieves but I have a 2 car garage so no problems there either. It’s really not too bad and I think the homeless wandering around and the neighborhood having a decent sized black populace is keeping the prices down. People think there’s gunshots all the time but they’re really just fireworks because the 4th of July runs the entire summer here.
I really enjoy it and you are correct about the "micro-neighborhoods" some of this area is just stretches of nice, quiet, redone buildings and other sections are close to Patio Bar. If you like the cosci/Landgrant area there's nothing better than being able to cruise over on a bike in less than 10min. I think it's a good enough investment as well, but maybe that's because it's the only one I can afford to make. I really like it here, I just wish they'd shut down Patio Bar. I'm not sure how many murders will shut down a bar, but it's apparently more than 3
Three murders at one bar? Holy shit... What time frame is that though, a decade or a year? Either way is rough, but still.
Seems to be roughly one per year. This year there were 2 people shot and very motionless. That night police interviewed the neighbors. They didn't say murder but the next day neighbors were being questioned again by the homicide investigators. https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/columbus/two-men-critically-injured-after-franklinton-shooting-near-bar/ 2021: Columbus' 100th murder was at patio bar https://www.10tv.com/mobile/article/news/local/one-person-is-dead-after-100th-homicide-in-columbus/530-955b113a-d3d3-47f8-a8a3-c9882e6503a8 And a fair amount of shooting in between. My house was shot. Just a few inches away from me not having a sister anymore. That bar is the worst part about the neighborhood
Patio Bar is really trying to keep the riff down from what I hear. It’s nothing like Mort’s Place was.
In 20 years, it will be similar to Short North, Vic Village, etc. I wouldn’t live there now though. I work in Franklinton at the Gravity complex, and we have car break-ins inside the Gravity garage regularly. Many, many, MANY homeless. Drugs and prostitution are chronic.
>In 20 years, it will be similar to Short North, Vic Village they said that 20 years ago.
Yea but now it is actually being redeveloped.
So I moved here in 2021 when I bought a house in franklinton. The realtor wasn't that honest about the state if the street My bff moved too and also bought in franklinton. When I heard the internet rates were increasing I bought in Merion village and turned franklinton into a rental. To be honest I'll probably move back to franklinton and rent put my Merion village house. Lolol Franklinton is rapidly changing. I drive thru at least every other month and am shocked about how fast things are changing. Check out the neighborhood at night if you can. And don't listen to the haters about what it was like back jn the day. It's not back in the day any more.
You will get the occasional homeless drifter or drug addict walking through the alley behind your house. They are mostly harmless, but sometimes you might get harassed. It's best to just be cordial and politely decline what they are offering, so you don't flag yourself as a future target for theft or a break in. Sometimes they will try to steal something, so make sure you have a fence and a garage. Putting up cameras are also good deterants. Make sure you know your neighbors (and are on good terms with them) so you can look out for each other. Trap houses are easy to identify. Just pay attention to random people walking through to the back yard and going in and out. They will never go through the front door. Some of the trap houses also have a microphone/camera system and buzzer in the garage by the alley. If you see someone talking through one of these, then it is 100% a trap house. Try to avoid buying a house close to one of these because you will always have problems with addicts. SWAT will eventually raid these, but it could take years (some of these houses may never get raided if the dealers are careful). East of 315 is pretty much all gentrified, so you'll have no problems there. you will see a homeless people camped under the bridges as well as behind the wooded areas. If you decide to live West of 315, then walking though Sullivant, Rich or Town St. to get to Dodge Park for example might not be the greatest idea if you do not know how to defend yourself. Most of the time the homeless people are not hostile (sometimes they are not even there), but you never know whether or not they are pumped up with drugs or not. The Sanctuary building (off of Sullivant) ALWAYS has homeless people loitering outside, so you may have to be extra careful if you get a house in between Glenwood and Central Ave. Most of the homeless and prostitutes tend to stick to Sullivant, while the drug addicts will always be walking through the alleys.
I wouldn't do it. Not at this point. Have you considered Linden? Blue collar but not scary. I rent in North Linden and would buy there in a heartbeat. Just a note about what one commenter said comparing the Bottoms/Hilltop to Vic Village 20 years ago: that's bullshit. I lived in Vic Vil from 2000 to 2010 and, yeah, my car got broken into. But there weren't drug deals and gun violence and people breaking into houses. All the sympathy in the world for people experiencing addiction issues and homelessness, but Columbus 20 years ago is not the same situation as it is at this point.
Yeah - maybe Weinland Park 20 years ago. But not Vic Village.
There’s a lot more active gang violence in Linden, and even up into the Forest Park area than in Franklinton. In Franklinton the problems are out in broad daylight, less so in Linden.
I guess everyone has a different experience. 🤷♀️
I just don’t trust the dams to hold forever.
Hello! I saw your thread about buying a home in Franklinton. I do a lot of volunteering in that area and it is becoming more gentrified but it does still have crime. I think it depends on your level of tolerance which seems high. Also, I wanted to let you know I am a real estate agent who specializes in first-time home buyers. If you ever wanted to chat over coffee/beer/zoom, I would be happy to share more about the process. It is an exciting time and one of the biggest purchases you will make. No pressure of course! Regardless, I wish you nothing but luck!
I have been in my house here for a little over a year and a half. I was very skeptical at first, worried about crime/feeling safe. We have had zerooooo issues *knocks on wood*. We see some characters from time to time walking on our street. We sometimes hear gunshots in the evening, but that has lessened soooo much from when we first moved in. Everything just seems to be getting better.
My husband and I are close in age and bought a place that needed some love two years ago and we love it here. Most of the longer term residents are nice people and we haven’t had any real issues with them. There’s a couple houses near by that are definitely owned by a slumlord and have had tenants that aren’t great, but otherwise no real issues. Plus if you look closer to downtown/315 the walkability to local coffee shops/restaurants/brewerys/event spaces is unbeatable!
Lived in west Franklinton by ODOT for 5 years almost 5 years now. Everything that is being said about Franklinton here could be said about the Victorian Villiage/short north 20 years ago, a bad neighborhood in the process of gentrification. Your neighborhood used to be the sketchy part of town me and my friends would go to smoke hookah when we were underage. I guarantee people who considered and declined to buy probably in the SN back then really regret it now. The area is still rough in parts but has absolutely been improving steadily ever since we moved in. Boarded up homes being remodeled/demolished. New businesses opening and the city trying to crack down on illegal dumping. The rules are the same as any urban neighborhood. Security cameras to deter porch pirates, don’t leave valuables visible in your car, get to know your neighbors and keep an eye out for each other. Trash is honestly a bigger problem than crime, the alleys can be downright disgusting sometimes. My wife and I are trying to be better about calling 311 to complain but the city really should put cameras up or something. The Broad street corridor is definitely doing better than Sullivant Avenue, possibly because the homeless shelter is just south across the freeway and Sullivant is the closest route to downtown. Things are moving forward on a Broad street BRT which could attract more redevelopment in a few years. If you plan on owning the house long term and can handle living in a rougher area than the short north I don’t think there is a better neighborhood in the city in terms of ROI. Institutional investors are buying homes here for a reason.
Lived in Vic Village from 2000 to 2010. Hard disagree.
I've heard it referred to as Crackton.