Abby Trails - Canal Winchester, OH

The city of Canal Winchester dates back to the 1800s, when it was an important stopping point for freight ships along the Ohio and Erie Canal. Railroad construction through the town in 1869 brought further prosperity, as businesses opened to serve the merchants and passengers who regularly passed through the town.

Most of the Abby Trails neighborhood wasn't developed until after 2000, when low mortgage rates and rapidly accelerating real estate values created unprecedented demand for new homes and resulted in a surge of construction all over the country. The neighborhood was beset by some foreclosure issues during the ensuing market crash but subsequently underwent a quick, robust recovery.

Canal Winchester features a burgeoning arts scene and houses Art Studio 7.5 and the popular Doll and Toy Museum. Annual events in town include a Labor Day festival and a summer concert series in the park.

At the corner of Gender and Refugee Roads, just north of Abby Trails, sit numerous dining establishments, mostly chain restaurants. A little farther north on Gender, residents can find a diverse mix of local haunts and chains covering Chinese, Italian, and American cuisines.

Cajun Island serves a unique combination of spicy Cajun dishes featuring a distinct Louisiana flavor, as well as traditional New York-style pizzas. Regulars love the blackened half-pound cheeseburger and the smoked Cajun pork sub in barbecue sauce. Also popular with early risers who love to start the day with a big breakfast, Cajun Island opens early and satisfies morning diners with French toast, hot sausage patties and omelets.

At Val's of the Caribbean, locals can enjoy authentic island cuisine without leaving central Ohio. Diners chow down on entrées such as curry goat, red snapper and fried escovitch fish. Located only a half-mile north of Abby Trails, Val's provides an open-air dining room with a laid-back, friendly ambiance to complement its locally renowned cuisine. Residents and local businesses also take advantage of the restaurant's catering services when a banquet or private party calls for a top-notch meal.

China House, another popular spot in the area, features the food quality of an upscale Chinese restaurant and the prices of a discount buffet. The majority of its customers carry out their food to eat at home, but there are a few tables set up for those who want to sit down and enjoy a meal on site. Residents rave about the sesame chicken with pork fried rice. Vegetarians love the China House because its menu offers numerous delectable choices that fit within the parameters of their diet, such as the vegetable lo mein.

The Blu’s Lounge is the closest bar to Abby Trails. Locals drop in after a long day for a night full of drink specials and enjoyable crowd. For more extensive nightlife, downtown Columbus contains an abundance of bars and clubs and can be reached in a 15-minute drive or taxi ride from Abby Trails.

Residential streets in Abby Trails do not feature bike lanes, but their low traffic volume and flat landscapes make them pedestrian-friendly. Many residents enjoy taking evening strolls or walking pets throughout the community.

With that said, the number one method of transportation for Abby Trails residents remains the automobile. The neighborhood features abundant free parking and access to several major highways and secondary roads that feed into other points of interest in the area, including downtown Columbus.

Residents can't hail a cab in Abby Trails, but you can call for a pickup in advance. Uber, the popular ride-sharing service, also maintains a presence in the area.

The COTA public bus system out of Columbus provides a convenient stop on Gender Road, just on the other side of Pickerington Ponds Metro Park from Abby Trails.

The popular Pickerington Ponds Metropark abuts Abby Trails. It doesn't feature exercise facilities, but it has numerous biking, hiking and jogging trails along with plenty of green space for picnicking, playing games with family and friends, or tossing a Frisbee with your dog. The park also contains five wildlife viewing areas. There are no annual events at Pickerington Ponds, but residents enjoy coming out between March and July for a great view of nesting ospreys.

The cost of living in Abby Trails runs slightly lower than the average cost of living in Columbus. Residents pay an average of $619 for a one-bedroom apartment, about $2.75 for a beer in a local pub and $2 for a bus ticket to downtown Columbus. Area gas prices hover 13 percent lower than the national average.

The Eastland Mall lies a few miles west of Abby Trails and serves as the closest large shopping destination. This enclosed shopping mall contains big box retailers, discount shops and high-end stores. However, many Abby Trails residents prefer to patronize Canal Winchester's numerous boutiques and specialty stores rather than go to the mall.

Motorcycle aficionados drive north to Scarborough Road to find Motohio, a world-class dealer that sells European motorcycles. Whether you want Ducati, BMW or Vespa, this store has every motor bike you think of, and each one is backed by European engineering and high-end speed.

Antique lovers can find one of the Columbus area's most popular antique shops right in Canal Winchester. Buggy Seat Antiques features a broad selection of unique pieces dating back to the 1700s and 1800s.

A Kroger location sits just north of Abby Trails and serves residents for large grocery shopping trips. Across Gender Road, the Schacht Farm Market carries locally grown crops such as potatoes, pumpkins and squash. Families enjoy coming to the farmers market in October to pick out a pumpkin to carve up for Halloween.