Category Archives: Columbus History

Before and After: Downtown Aerial Photos

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Aerial photos have been around for more than a century, ever since someone thought to take photos from airplanes. These photos go back to at least the 1910s, when the airplane was still very much a new technology. I thought it might be interesting to do show a few of these before and after Downtown aerial photos to give an idea of how the same areas look today.

Before

before and after downtown aerial photos

Downtown around 1923.


This photo of Downtown was likely taken sometime between 1922 and 1923. The main clue is that the old Central High School is clearly under construction on the Scioto Peninsula, but seemingly in the early phases. The school would later open in the fall of 1924.
Also in the photo is the new Scioto River floodwall under construction just a decade after the Great Flood of 1913. The buildings near and along the riverfront would eventually be demolished for this project, as well as the eventual Civic Center project that would later build the Post Office and Ohio Supreme Court building. Notice as well the lack of Columbus’ signature building- LeVeque Tower. That project would be constructed over the next few years.
After
before and after downtown aerial photos

Downtown in 2019.


Downtown has obviously changed enormously in the past century. Skyscrapers now dominate Downtown, and the highway system now cuts through many neighborhoods. The riverfront itself is also significantly nicer and less industrial looking.
Before
before and after downtown aerial photos

Photo taken in 1929.


This 1929 photo looks west over Franklinton towards Downtown. The most revealing part of this photo is how compact the developed area of Columbus really was at the time. Farm fields can be seen to the south and west of Columbus.
After
before and after downtown aerial photos

Photo taken in 2019.


In the after photo, nearly all the vacant land is gone except for park space, Greenlawn Cemetery and areas along the rivers.

Before
before and after downtown aerial photos
This photo of Capitol Square in 1919 is one of the earliest aerials of Downtown I was able to find. This photo predates all highrise construction. The city was compact, dense and dominated by brick buildings.
After
before and after downtown aerial photos
In the 2019 image, skyscrapers have now replaced many of the older buildings. While the Capitol itself a handful of other buildings remain, the density has largely been lost over the years, with parking lots where many once stood.
Before
before and after downtown aerial photos
The 1919 image shows the intersection of High and Broad Streets, arguably the very center of Columbus.
After
before and after downtown aerial photos
Aside from the 8 on the Square building, virtually everything else from 1919 is long gone.

Before
before and after downtown aerial photos
This much more modern image of Downtown and the riverfront was taken in 1980.
After
before and after downtown aerial photos
The 2019 Google Earth image from the same angle shows significant changes in 40 years. New skyscrapers and other development are obvious, but the massive changes to the riverfront itself almost make this look like a different city altogether.

What might these areas look like in another century?

Thousands of additional before and after photo sequences can be found at the Historic Building Database
General information about Downtown can be found at https://www.experiencecolumbus.com/neighborhoods/downtown/



Housing Market Update April 2021

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housing market update April 2021 Columbus, Ohio

The monthly housing market update April 2021 has been released from Columbus Realtors. The results continue ongoing trends of rising prices and low supply.

Note: LSD= Local School District, CSD= City School District. In both cases, school district boundaries differ from city boundaries.

Top 15 Most Expensive Locations By Median Sales Price in April 2021
1. New Albany: $677,500
2. German Village: $570,000
3. Bexley: $527,500
4. Dublin: $514,000
5. Powell: $500,000
6. Grandview Heights: $486,000
7. New Albany Plain LSD: $469,393
8. Upper Arlington CSD: $465,008
9. Olentangy LSD: $446,575
10. Dublin CSD: $437,000
11. Buckeye Valley LSD: $425,000
12. Jonathan Alder LSD: $422,000
13. Granville CSD: $410,000
14. Worthington: $409,250
15. Short North: $405,500

New Albany continued to top the charts, and remained more than $100K over second place.

Top 15 Least Expensive Locations by Median Sales Price in April 2021
1. Newark CSD: $140,000
2. Circleville CSD: $164,900
3. Whitehall: $165,000
4. Hamilton LSD: $195,250
5. Groveport Madison LSD: $196,000
6. Jefferson LSD: $198,000
7. Lancaster CSD: $200,000
8. London CSD: $207,500
9. Columbus CSD: $217,000
10. Obetz: $225,100
11. Columbus: $228,500
12. South-Western CSD: $230,000
13. Reynoldsburg CSD: $237,900
14. Canal Winchester CSD: $245,500
15. Minerva Park: $245,551

Columbus and some of its suburbs remained relative bargains in April.

Overall Market Median Sales Price in April 2021: $251,135
The overall market is defined by Columbus Metro Area counties.

Top 15 Locations with the Highest Median Sales Price % Growth Between April 2020 and April 2021
1. German Village: +67.2%
2. Jonathan Alder LSD: +42.1%
3. Worthington: +39.3%
4. Blacklick: +38.6%
5. Buckeye Valley LSD: +36.7%
6. Powell: +33.8%
7. Teays Valley LSD: +30.6%
8. Whitehall: +29.7%
9. Worthington CSD: 26.4%
10. London CSD: +25.8%
11. Olentangy LSD: 24.7%
12. Bexley: +24.1%
13. Westerville CSD: 22.9%
14. Jefferson LSD: +21.5%
15. South-Western CSD: +21.1%
16. Marysville CSD: +20.3%

Top 15 Locations with the Lowest Median Sales Price % Growth Between April 2020 and April 2021
1. Grandview Heights: -20.4%
2. New Albany Plain LSD: -10.3%
3. Canal Winchester CSD: -8.4%
4. Downtown: -8.0%
5. Johnstown-Monroe LSD: -6.8%
6. New Albany: -6.6%
7. Lithopolis: -6.3%
8. Newark CSD: -2.1%
9. Big Walnut LSD: +0.3
10. Circleville CSD: +0.6%
11. Granville CSD: +1.4%
12. Reynoldsburg CSD: +2.9%
13. Pataskala: +5.0%
14. Minerva Park: +5.8%
15. Gahanna Jefferson CSD: +6.4%

Urban areas generally improved significantly over earlier in the year. Downtown was still down, but by less than in previous months, so it seems the urban market is now well underway with a recovery.

Overall Market Median Sales Price % Change April 2021 vs. April 2020: +13.8%

Top 10 Locations with the Most New Listings in April 2021
1. Columbus: 1,328
2. Columbus CSD: 917
3. South-Western CSD: 197
4. Westerville CSD: 182
5. Olentangy LSD: 177
6. Hilliard CSD: 171
7. Dublin CSD: 153
8. Worthington CSD: 108
9. Pickerington LSD: 105
10. Grove City: 100

Columbus lead again, and had a few hundred more listings in April than it did in March. Listings overall were up in most places compared to a year ago, a small glimmer of good news.

Top 10 Locations with the Fewest New Listings in April 2021
1. Valleyview: 3
2. Lithopolis: 6
3. Obetz: 8
4. Jefferson LSD: 9
5. Sunbury: 9
6. Johnstown-Monroe LSD: 9
7. Jonathan Alder LSD: 10
8. Minerva Park: 11
9. Circleville CSD: 13
10. Grandview Heights: 14

Total New Listings in the Columbus Metro in April 2021: 3,250
Overall Metro New Listings % Change April 2021 vs April 2020: +41.1%



Top 10 Fastest-Selling Locations by # of Days Homes Remain on the Market Before Sale in April 2021
1. Lithopolis: 2
2. Minerva Park, Sunbury: 3
3. Big Walnut LSD, Jonathan Alder LSD: 4
4. Canal Winchester CSD, Jefferson LSD, Reynoldsburg CSD, Westerville, Worthington: 5
5. Groveport Madison LSD: 7
6. Beechwold/Clintonville, Delaware CSD, Hilliard CSD, Johnstown-Monroe LSD, Powell, Westerville CSD, Worthington CSD: 8
7. Hamilton LSD, South-Western CSD: 9
8. Hilliard, Pickerington LSD: 10
9. Obetz: 11
10. Bexley, Circleville CSD, Columbus: 12

Top 10 Slowest-Selling Locations by # of Days Homes Remain on the Market Before Sale in April 2021
1. Short North: 52
2. New Albany: 49
3. Granville CSD, New Albany Plain LSD: 39
4. German Village: 38
5. Grandview Heights: 28
6. Downtown: 27
7. Buckeye Valley LSD: 25
8. Lancaster CSD: 23
9. Marysville CSD, Olentangy LSD: 20
10. Upper Arlington CSD: 18

Top 10 Locations with the Greatest % Decline of # of Days on the Market Before Sale April 2021 vs March 2020
1. Lithopolis: -97.0%
2. Minerva Park: -94.6%
3. Big Walnut LSD: -93.7%
4. Johnstown-Monroe LSD: -92.3%
5. Canal Winchester CSD: -87.2%
6. Jonathan Alder LSD: -85.7%
7. Downtown: -81.0%
8. Delaware CSD: -80.0%
9. Hamilton LSD: -75.0%
10. Groveport Madison LSD: -73.1%

Top 10 Locations with the Lowest % Decline of # of Days on the Market Before Sale April 2021 vs March 2020
1. Short North: +73.3%
2. New Albany Plain LSD: +62.5%
3. New Albany: +44.1%
4. Jefferson LSD: +25.0%
5. Lancaster CSD: +4.5%
6. Upper Arlington CSD: 0.0%
7. Grove City: -7.1%
8. Buckeye Valley LSD: -16.7%
9. Gahanna: -18.8%
10. German Village: -24.0%

% Change for the # of Days Homes Remain on the Market Before Sale Across the Metro Overall:
-46.7%

The market heated up even more in April. Despite more homes on the market, houses were selling the fastest they have in any month year to date. The improvements in sales came across the metro area, including urban areas that had been lagging behind somewhat in previous months.