Dublin is technically a suburb of Columbus, but it has a unique cultural identity and traditions of its very own. Many Dublin residents see their city as a completely separate entity from Columbus, and many are proud of their city's Irish roots. Dublin's residents also boost that the city hosts the golf PGA Tour each year, and has been hosting it for quite some time. Dublin lies along the northwestern side of Columbus, and is about a 15-20 minute commute to downtown Columbus with light traffic. If you're looking for Dublin real estate but would like to know a little more about the city's lifestyle perks and amenities, then you've come to the right place.
Dublin has a wide array of indoor and outdoor fitness options around the city. Notable fitness centers include Snap Fitness, Pilat-Ease of Arlington, Life Time Fitness, PAI Yoga & Fitness Dublin, Gregory Corner Boxing, and LA Fitness. If you're interested in boxing, you should definitely check out Gregory Corner Boxing. The gym accepts people of all ages, and the instructors at the gym aim to teach members the basic skills of boxing, punch stances, and various boxing techniques.
There are also a number of outdoor fitness options for residents. The city has a total of 60 parks, and several of them are great for hiking, jogging, and biking. The Alum Creek Greenway Trail in particular features gorgeous sights and is a whopping 22.4 miles long. Although the path runs through the trees and woods, the trail is paved with asphalt, so you won't have to worry about mud clogging up the tires of your bike or getting on your shoes. There are even plans to someday link this trail to accompanying trails in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland.
Dublin has a bevy of family-oriented services and amenities across the city. For one, there are a grand total of 60 parks in Dublin — meaning that there is not only a ton of green space throughout the city, but there will always be a park nearby no matter where you live or where your day happens to take you. Notable parks include Coffman Park, Avery Park, Darree Fields, and the M.L. Red Trabue Nature Reserve. Darree Fields and Coffman Park are the #1 and #2 largest parks in Dublin — with over 100 acres each — and they both have playground equipment and plenty of public restrooms. Coffman park even has an ice skaking arena, hiking trails, and a bike path.
Dublin has one main public library: the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Don't let the name fool you; the library is centrally located in Dublin. Not only does the library stock a ton of books (including recent bestsellers), but there are a number of public services offered there, such as free after-school reading assistance for children and K-12 homework help. There is also a "Ready for Kindergarten" event which aims to teach preschoolers the basics of how to read before they begin Kindergarten.
According to GreatSchools.org — which is a website that provides a statistical rating system for schools around the U.S. — the schools in Dublin are rated 9 out of 10. The ratings are based on the city's overall test results. The top-rated schools in Dublin are the Wyandot Elementary School, Henry Karrer Middle School, Willard Grizzell Middle School, and the Dublin Jerome High School. The Dublin Jerome High School is a public school, and is the newest of the three high schools located in Dublin. Dublin Jerome is also an International Baccalaureate school, which refers to the fact that the school offers diploma and certification programs that are outside (or are in addition to) the required high school programs. For example, the school offers students the option of taking philosophy and psychology, whereas many other high schools do not.
According to statistics, Dublin is considered a very safe place to live. In 2014 there were a total of 482 reported crimes, and of those, 8 were violent crimes (and none of those 8 were a murder or rape). The overall crime rate in Dublin is 63 percent lower than the average in the United States. Because Dublin has historically had so few violent crimes, Dublin is considered safer than 87 percent of all other cities in the U.S. Dublin real estate definitely looks a lot more attractive when crime isn't negatively affecting the property values and real estate market.
One of the biggest draws to Dublin — as far as entertainment goes, anyway — is the Mall at Tuttle Crossing. You would be hard-pressed to find someone in a 100-mile radius who hasn't at least heard of the Tuttle Crossing mall. While malls are traditionally not seen as a huge entertainment venues, this mall really is: it holds regular events, is beautifully decorated with water fountains and custom artwork, has several play areas for young children, and has a massive lineup of 120 boutique shops, department stores, and eateries. There is even a bar and restaurant located inside the mall itself: BJ's Brewhouse. The Mall at Tuttle Crossing has dozens of department stores, including Macy's and Men’s Wearhouse, as well as furniture and decor stores such as Pottery Barn and Bath Fitter.
The mall aside, Dublin also has an ice rink with optional skating classes on site, an annual 3-day Dublin Irish Festival with over 535 performers and hundreds of Irish-themed dances to watch, and at least a dozen golf courses around the city.
