Fostoria, Ohio, is a city that's built on rails.
Situated 90 miles north of Columbus and 40 miles south of Toledo, Ohio, Fostoria is a small city with avid trainspotters as residents
Fostoria, Ohio, is a city that's built on rails.
Situated 90 miles north of Columbus and 40 miles south of Toledo, Ohio, Fostoria is a small city with avid trainspotters as residents. Could you blame them? Try living in a town with more than 120 trains passing through each day and see if that won't make a railfan out of you. Aside from rails, Fostoria got its early start with its own version of a gold rush: discovery of natural gas. As a result, glass factories sprouted all over town and the sleepy city thrived coincidentally with the gas boom in Ohio. Sadly, the glass industry died a natural death with the depletion of gas in the area. Although the glass and gas industry have gone bust, Fostoria's railroads continue to be an indelible part of this community and have become the city's bet to stardom amongst railway buffs all over the country. Who knows? Maybe one of those trains could be your ride to get here. But before you start thinking along that line, let's get you a good overview of good places to rent in Fostoria first.
In one word, tedious. But hey don't fret yet. We're here to make the job easier. Keeping these few tips in mind should give you the right head start in looking for an ideal rental apt in this city.
Time
And add some patience to the mix since you'll be needing lots of it when hunting for a house for rent in this city. This is not SF or NYC, of course, where you have to be a ninja tenant to snag yourself a deal. However, fact is, most homes here are owner-occupied. Only a small fraction of real estate properties are for rent in this side of Ohio. That said, all's not lost for renters like you. Give it at least two months and something could turn up that you would find suitable.
Brokers
If you're willing to shell out additional moolah for their services, they will probably save you time, and you won't have to do the heavy lifting yourself. You should probably kiss goodbye the thought of meandering around town on a lookout for that for rent sign. However, apartment locators could do an excellent job of giving you a good list of apartments, condos and duplexes for rent.
Where should start your search? Now, that is the question. Below, we've made a roundup of Fostoria's different neighborhoods so that you can begin your quest right. Dig in.
City Center: The most walkable area in town, Fostoria's city center is laden with historic homes, small apartment buildings and condos for rent. This neighborhood is also home to businesses like Mennel Milling and Seneca Millwork, as well as shops, grocers, diners and recreation hubs like Dyer's Home Improvement, Kroger, Marco's Pizza and Fostoria City Park. If you feel completely at home with the hip and trendy, this is your tribe here.
Route 18 / Country Rd 257: Historic and mobile homes are the common sight in this neighborhood. While you won't be using much of your calf muscles to do your errands here, you can take heart in the fact that you probably won't be chained to your car for longer periods of time since the idea of a commute here is a 15 minute drive. This neighborhood is also home to Fostoria Country Club, Lakeland Golf Course, Mosier Lake, Lamberjack Lake and Mottram Lake. So which is it: sprawling greens or water for a lazy afternoon? Have your pick.
Sandusky St / TWHY 47: Your very own gateway to the rest of the country (Fostoria Metropolitan Airport, to noobs) is right here in this neighborhood. Aside from established single detached 3 bedroom houses strewn all over this neighborhood, this area is also home to businesses like Roppe Corporation USA, Rhc Logistics and Poet Biorefining. Though you'd still need the help of your car to get most errands done, 15 minutes of commute time isn't that bad, is it?
Columbus Ave / Route 587: Fancy living in a mobile home? Set up camp in this neighborhood's Poplar Village Mobile Home Park. But if you fancy a 2 bedroom apartment or single detached homes with spacious yards, this neighborhood has that in the mix as well. Some of this neighborhood's landmarks include Loudon Meadows Club and St. Catherine's Manor of Fostoria.
Recreation is very much a part of everyday life in Fostoria. This is where rail fans, glass collectors, golf enthusiasts and aspiring bums try to live a normal life. But when they've brought home the bacon and all the bills are paid, these residents resume to doing what they do best - getting busy with whatever suits their fancy. So what suits yours? Here's a rundown of the common preoccupation of most locals in this city:
Avid golf fan? You have the choice of 18-hole golf courses, which include Indian Brook Golf Club, Loudon Meadows Golf Club, and Lakeland Golf Course.
Railway buffs from all over the country converge at the Iron Triangle, a train-watching park that puts every trainspotter at the center of the three main tracks where more than 100 trains pass through each day. The city also holds an annual rail festival featuring model trains and rail memorabilia.
The local Glass Museum is the hang-out of choice for glass collectors. Unique glass pieces that also detail Fostoria's early start as a glass manufacturing hub are on exhibit here.
If history makes your bones sizzle, you'll have a big dose of the city's yesteryear in the local museum. Here, you get to see exhibits of you guessed it trains and glass.
If you don't have a specific hobby and you just want to laze around enjoying the good life, then Fostoria's Water Park could be your playground. You can get in all manners of watery fun with the park's slides and full-sized pool. If getting wet is not your idea of fun, you could hone your sport's skills at Foundation Park or have a picnic in one of the city's numerous parks.
Found what you like yet? Get that hunt going and make the move here!
