Devonshire - Columbus, OH

The land Devonshire currently sits on was farmland until the early 20th century, just like the majority of Central Ohio. Residential and commercial development followed after Route 71 cut north and south through Columbus. In the 1950s and 1960s, Devonshire was developed by the Metzger Brothers Company when Columbus spilled out of its borders and annexed the surrounding land. Devonshire was planned as a self-contained neighborhood, originally zoned with shopping, parks and a community swimming pool. The pool has since closed, but the commercial areas remain, as does Devonshire park in the heart of the community.

In the 1980s many of the businesses that employed residents of Devonshire closed, such as North American Aviation and the Northland Mall. The nearest business centers remain in Polaris and Downtown Columbus, though East Dublin Granville remains an important retail hub.

Fans of dive bars and diners feel right at home in Devonshire. Just drive down East Dublin Granville Road or Schrock Road, and you suddenly have more than one option to fulfill that hankering for a good old greasy spoon.

Fitzy’s Old Fashioned Diner on Schrock serves exactly what you expect: home-style breakfast, lunch and dinner 24 hours a day. Decorated like a classic 1950s diner, you can enjoy the signature hash browns at a checkered diner booth under the watchful eye of an Elvis photo hanging on the wall.

Fans of Mexican cuisine find a gem at Casa Hacienda Grill hiding beside the Knights Inn motel on East Dublin Granville Road. Sit down to a Cadillac Margarita the size of your head, and freshly made chips and salsa, and enjoy one of the most authentic Mexican food experience in town. The traditional interior's hacienda styling adds to the ambiance. Authentic mole sauce and house-made tortillas may fool you into believing you have taken a vacation to the south-western border. Casa Hacienda Grill can be busy on a Friday or Saturday night, so come hungry, but not too hungry in case of a wait.

The pubs in Devonshire consist almost exclusively of dive bars, but these neighborhood meet-ups provide dives done right. Residents enjoy more than a handful of bars to choose from, so you can bounce all night looking for the best jukebox or live band. Podunk’s bar in the shopping plaza on East Dublin Granville Road has a playbook as competitive as the OSU Buckeyes: a wall of pinball machines, plenty of billiards tables, karaoke and even live music. Most popular beers come on draft, from the national favorites Budweiser and Miller, to a few local micro-brews to mix it up.

Devonshire sits conveniently east of 71 and south of the Outerbelt, two key commuter routes into and around Columbus. In just minutes from your driveway you can cruise onto the expressway and head downtown, or to Ohio State University. Most people prefer to own a car, since Uber doesn't serve Columbus yet. However, when the need arises, you can reliably call a cab by phone, and choose from more than a handful of companies that serve the area.

The 001 bus serves the area from Devonshire and into downtown, stopping every 30 minutes. Bring a book or a podcast with you, as a commute by bus from Devonshire to downtown can take over an hour with exchanges along the way. Ohio State students can take the 082 bus to campus in just over one hour, enough time to get some last-minute studying done.

Bicycle commuters beat the bus downtown by 20 minutes, and the divided highways in the area remain wide enough for safe riding. No designated bike lanes line the roads, so cyclists share the road with motorists. If you crave recreational cycling, a quick ride westward connects you with miles of bike trails snaking along the path of the Olentangy River.

Devonshire Park, 5.5 acres of green space, play structures and picnic areas, await patrons with a location situated squarely in the middle of the neighborhood. This no-fee, kid-friendly park seems perfectly suited for an afternoon game of frisbee or soccer. In the evenings you might give a wave to your neighbor pushing a stroller or a friend walking his dog. Devonshire doesn't have a dog park, so be sure to bring a leash.

Just north of the Outerbelt sits the Sharon Woods Metropolitan Park in Westerville, featuring 760 acres of jogging trails, bike paths, fishing and even sledding hills. Devonshire residents may need to take a short trip to get there, but it’s worth the drive to enjoy the shade beneath the oak and hickory trees towering over the 11 acre lake. Kids can enjoy youth programming available in each season for scouts, homeschoolers and classroom field trips. Adults can enjoy naturalist-lead hikes, night sky watching and bird watching programs.

Renting in Devonshire remains more affordable than many other neighborhoods in Columbus. A one-bedroom apartment averages about $550 monthly, as opposed to about $900 in the city center. You can fill up your gas tank for about 14 percent less than the national average as well, a perk for commuters.

Public transit aficionados enjoy the flat-rate bus fares. Just $2 gets you across town with free transfers. If you take an express route it costs $2.75 for the added convenience of fewer stops.

During happy hour you can expect to drop about $2 to $4 on a beer with your friends.

East Dublin Granville Road serves as the main shopping corridor for Devonshire and the neighboring communities. The shopping plazas feature convenient stops such as Staples, Dollar General and CVS.

Though the nearest Kroger sits a few blocks away and the nearest farmers market requires a 4-mile hike west, Devonshire houses locally famous Carfagna’s, a butcher shop and Italian food market that draws customers from all around Columbus. Don’t let the store’s small footprint fool you. Carfagna's stocks the shelves with quality food, an excellent wine selection and outstanding baked breads. Even more enticing, view the butcher case where you can find the highest quality cuts of beef and chicken, as well as mixed Italian sausage by the pound.

Devonshire compensates for the vacant store fronts and few upscale boutiques with bargain hunting. At the Ohio Thrift Store, you could spend the whole afternoon popping tags in the vast aisles. For even more value finds, stop into Ollie’s Bargain Outlet. Find new cookbooks for around $3, housewares, accessories and other surprise deals. The aisles feel a bit cluttered but bargain hunters know that in eclectic stores like Ollie’s, the best deals require digging.