Though a sea of colonial-era red tape kept it from claiming the title of Ohio's oldest city, Martins Ferry does claim its rightful status as the state's oldest settlement, founded in 1779.
At a svelte 2
Though a sea of colonial-era red tape kept it from claiming the title of Ohio's oldest city, Martins Ferry does claim its rightful status as the state's oldest settlement, founded in 1779.
At a svelte 2.3 square miles, this city calls back to its colonial routes with a layout that hugs the Ohio River tighter than a girdle. With its neighborhoods draped over the surrounding hills, you'd be forgiven for melting into a puddle of goo at the thought of living amongst all this natural beauty. It's a safe bet that even the oldest of its 7,000 residents still do plenty of melting each and every day.
Be the Early Bird
Although there are several neighborhoods with plenty of space, the city itself is pretty densely packed. Like so many towns in the area, Martins Ferry watched its population plummet after the de-industrialization of the late 20th century, but it's come roaring back in the last few decades and that's left its real estate market pretty wild and wooly. Though you're always going to be able to find places to live here, there's no guarantee from year to year that it'll be overflowing with vacancies. When considering a move to the area, do yourself a favor, find a good Martins Ferry apartment locator, and start the search ASAP.
Ride the Boom
Though it may have tightened the market for rental properties, the upside to the city's economic vigor is that plenty of options for employment exist within the city limits. The East Ohio Regional Hospital, one of the area's largest, resides here and employs hundreds of folks. Multiple regional baking, banking and dairy companies have also set up headquarters in town, and even some good old-fashioned steelwork is done at a local plant. Couple this with a healthy retail sector, and job prospects are much better here than you're likely to find in many similarly sized communities.
Keep a Tight Paper Ship
A rental market like this demands good record keeping on your part. Every available apartment rental is pretty likely to have some stiff competition, so don't put yourself out of the running straight off by keeping sloppy paperwork. Credit history, income history, employment history, and landlord testimonials all need to be available and neatly organized to make sure your paper trail is well maintained.
Martins Ferry has a number of neighborhoods to choose from for prospective residents. Choosing the right neighborhood is especially important when you're looking to move into a new city, so its a good idea to take a look at what your options are before the big move.
Downtown: Home to East Ohio Regional Hospital and a hub of small businesses, this neighborhood can be a bit slim on rental properties. If you're lucky enough to grab one, you'll enjoy the most walkable area in the city as well as its two largest parks. Carmichael Field is a particular favorite for local hikers and strollers, as its full length runs along the Ohio River.
North Ferry: Though the housing in this area is about as densely spaced as the rest of the city, it's separated into several pockets of mini-hoods that have a much more intimate relationship with the surrounding forestland. Retail activity in this neck of the woods is pretty sparse, but c'mon, we're talking about 2 square miles here. A 60-second drive to downtown is a pretty small price to pay for living literally nestled in nature's bounty.
South Ferry: This neighborhood hosts most of the city's grocery and retail establishments, as well as its largest multi-unit apartment complexes. It also provides a lovely view of Wheeling Island as well as easy access to that town's shopping amenities.
The Ridge: Laced along the highest points of the hills surrounding town, this neighborhood provides an unparalleled view of the Ohio River and the rest of the town below. It's also the least dense area of the city, providing plenty of space for sprawling lawns and gorgeous forest views. Real estate competition in this area is predictably fierce, so if you've got your eyes set on living hill-style it's more important than ever to start your search early.
The city might be a bit light on shopping and entertainment, but it's a twin-city to neighboring Wheeling, and between the two they put together a very respectable spread. Several larger boroughs are an easy drive away, and Pittsburgh itself is only an hour distant.
Perhaps most importantly, however, the opportunities for in-town employment are very promising. Couple that with the fact that barely a weekend goes by without a parade, barbecue, or fish fry, and it starts to feel like you won't be trading much for the chance to live in this serene forest valley.
