If you left Ohio, what would you miss the most? (Akron: gated, taxes)

[ohio_peasant]

Originally Posted by goofy328

...Hampton Roads is all about it's neighborhoods, downtown areas being an afterthought. Hampton Roads just feels a lot like an endless collection of suburbs.

Hampton Roads – a region where I'm frequently on business-travel – is by my reckoning much akin to my part of Ohio (Miami Valley). The prevailing mentality, level of affluence (or lack thereof) and general cultural attributes are similar. Winters are milder, and the ocean is nearby. Otherwise, the feel of the place is very... Midwestern.

Originally Posted by goofy328

...When I go to other cities, I see an exaggerated, amplified, turned up version of what I see in the Midwest. Doesn't matter what city it is. I just see the Midwest on a larger scale, more intense, faster pace. The only city I did not feel that way about was Washington DC. ...

Agreed. DC and its surrounding counties (Fairfax, Arlington, Montgomery; and to a lesser extent, Prince George's) have evolved enormously over the past 35 years – exactly in the direction that I dream of Dayton (my nominal city) eventually going. DC has a vitality and sense of enterprising growth, that I've hardly seen anywhere else in America. DC represents, to me, the best of the emerging global interconnectedness.

Originally Posted by goofy328

...Sure you have White collar cities like Boston, and Midwestern cities like Pittsburgh and Chicago that are White collar. ...

To me, "White Collar", as regards a city, means that the place is a global epicenter for finance, journalism and publishing, arts, corporate headquarters, scientific and medical research, higher-education, and politics. America has essentially three such places: NYC, DC and the Bay Area. Examples abroad are London, Paris, Tokyo and Moscow.

Ohio and Ohio's cities have many fine and outstanding qualities... livability (for family-oriented people), low cost-of-living, amenities, nearby access to nature, .... But Ohio doesn't have a Paris or a Moscow (actually it does... but they're tiny towns!). I've lived in a former imperial capital (not, of course, in the Western Hemisphere); in LA, NYC and DC. My career is in Ohio. Some day I'd like to return to one of those places, or perhaps to another of the aforementioned white-collar cities. Someday. Until then, there's grousing and lamentations on this Forum.

[goofy328]

Originally Posted by ohio_peasant

Hampton Roads – a region where I'm frequently on business-travel – is by my reckoning much akin to my part of Ohio (Miami Valley). The prevailing mentality, level of affluence (or lack thereof) and general cultural attributes are similar. Winters are milder, and the ocean is nearby. Otherwise, the feel of the place is very... Midwestern.



Agreed. DC and its surrounding counties (Fairfax, Arlington, Montgomery; and to a lesser extent, Prince George's) have evolved enormously over the past 35 years – exactly in the direction that I dream of Dayton (my nominal city) eventually going. DC has a vitality and sense of enterprising growth, that I've hardly seen anywhere else in America. DC represents, to me, the best of the emerging global interconnectedness.



To me, "White Collar", as regards a city, means that the place is a global epicenter for finance, journalism and publishing, arts, corporate headquarters, scientific and medical research, higher-education, and politics. America has essentially three such places: NYC, DC and the Bay Area. Examples abroad are London, Paris, Tokyo and Moscow.

Ohio and Ohio's cities have many fine and outstanding qualities... livability (for family-oriented people), low cost-of-living, amenities, nearby access to nature, .... But Ohio doesn't have a Paris or a Moscow (actually it does... but they're tiny towns!). I've lived in a former imperial capital (not, of course, in the Western Hemisphere); in LA, NYC and DC. My career is in Ohio. Some day I'd like to return to one of those places, or perhaps to another of the aforementioned white-collar cities. Someday. Until then, there's grousing and lamentations on this Forum.

Hampton Roads is definitely a larger Akron, Dayton, Youngstown, etc. Definitely. I do meet people from Ohio here.

No there's no World class cities in Ohio. But that's okay. I love it all the same.

[greenvillebuckeye]

Moved to the Upstate of South Carolina back in 2004 from lovely NW Ohio. So not NE Ohio, but still northern Ohio haha.

As others have already stated I miss falls in Ohio. In the Upstate of SC I get a small little reminder of it in mid-late October but it only lasts about 2-3 weeks and then the mild winter sets in by early - mid November.

I miss right angle roads. In NW Ohio it is impossible to get lost because everything is in a grid pattern. In the south you could be North First Street but be headed west for some reason and then that road becomes East High Street and you're south for some reason. The roads down are also from a structural standpoint laughable. Minimal investment in infrastructure for roads and bridges. The area that I reside in now grew up too fast too quickly. The traffic engineering is laughable at best.

The ethnic food down here is a little too forced (meaning they're trying way too hard). The local seafood and bbq is amazing but if you want anything with an eastern or southern European flair you're out of luck. WAYYYY too many Chinese buffets down here. For some unknown reason there are as many Chinese buffets in the South as there are baptist churches.

I enjoy the fact that where I live, the wind during the winter months is blocked by the mountains. Down here there is almost no such thing as "wind chill". Winter temps for the most part stay between low 20s and low 30s between December and January. That plus as I mentioned no wind chill makes for a pleasant Winter.

As others have mentioned MOST of my yearly energy bill comes from June through September. My June power bill for instance is typically more than my March, April and May power bills combined. And July is worse than June.

In the South there is no such thing as a passing or cruising lane. It's one big free for all. Cruise in whichever lane you want to, pass in whatever lane you want to, Heck use the shoulder to pass for all they care.

[goofy328]

Off topic, but drivers in Virginia make wide turns. Or they slow down to like two miles an hour and make a right hand turn on a grid pattern. Don't follow too close or you'll rear end them every time.

And I hate the timing of the lights. A left hand turn signal only two cars to get through before it turns red. Not to mention that Virginia's red lights are so long, it takes drivers a good 30 seconds to realize that the light changed. Until I found myself doing the same thing, lol. And, the lights are on all, day, long; no flashing yield in the AM

Also, Virginia allows one direction to go through a green light, but cars on the other side of the road still have a red light. I never had that in Ohio.

Virginia is just, excruciatingly slow driving through the city, because they'll pull you over every single time. But the highway is 70 . The expressway is 55 but they drive 80

And one other thing, a lot of red light cameras and tolls everywhere.

[MJM111]

I moved to Vegas. There is absolutely nothing to miss in Ohio. High state taxes, high property taxes, crappy weather, run down industry, zero culture, no downtown worth going to, no nightlife, out of shape women, bad attitudes, more takers than makers, corrupt politicians from the local level to the state level (though Vegas has that too) ... it's just a horrible horrible place.

I guess if I wanted to name some things that are relatively decent is the greenery (for the few months it's around) and ... oops can't think of anything else.

Anyone who is able to move from Ohio, you should do it ASAP.

[Natural510]

Vegas sucks. But then again I'm from California so maybe 110F desert heat doesn't impress me.

[thinkalot]

Originally Posted by MJM111

I moved to Vegas. There is absolutely nothing to miss in Ohio. High state taxes, high property taxes, crappy weather, run down industry, zero culture, no downtown worth going to, no nightlife, out of shape women, bad attitudes, more takers than makers, corrupt politicians from the local level to the state level (though Vegas has that too) ... it's just a horrible horrible place.

I guess if I wanted to name some things that are relatively decent is the greenery (for the few months it's around) and ... oops can't think of anything else.

Anyone who is able to move from Ohio, you should do it ASAP.

I only miss food sales at ethnic churches. NOTHING else!

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by MJM111

I moved to Vegas. There is absolutely nothing to miss in Ohio. High state taxes, high property taxes, crappy weather, run down industry, zero culture, no downtown worth going to, no nightlife, out of shape women, bad attitudes, more takers than makers, corrupt politicians from the local level to the state level (though Vegas has that too) ... it's just a horrible horrible place.

I guess if I wanted to name some things that are relatively decent is the greenery (for the few months it's around) and ... oops can't think of anything else.

Anyone who is able to move from Ohio, you should do it ASAP.

Anywhere in Ohio > Vegas.

Man, Vegas is a disgusting cesspool full of morons and freaks. Good luck!

[MJM111]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

Anywhere in Ohio > Vegas.

Man, Vegas is a disgusting cesspool full of morons and freaks. Good luck!

Lol you're joking right? The only morons are the ones who cling to a withering state like Ohio. Name something substantial that Ohio has going for it. Oh, the Cavs won the NBA Championship. Ohio is a cesspool. No place is perfect ... Vegas certainly isn't but it has a hell of alot more than Ohio.

I'll tell you one reason to move to Vegas from Ohio .... MONEY! If you make say 100k in Ohio and have 250k home ... by moving to Vegas, you're going to save about $12,000.00 per year ... just in State taxes, local taxes and property taxes.

[MJM111]

Originally Posted by Natural510

Vegas sucks. But then again I'm from California so maybe 110F desert heat doesn't impress me.

California is ruined. If they could turn back the clock 50 years it would still be the best place to live. With all the illegals, huge state taxes, huge local taxes, huge property costs (if you wanna live someplace nice), huge property taxes. everything so spread out not to you are not allowed to do a damn thing in California ... everything is a fee, fine, tax or against the law. You have to get a permit just to have a campfire. You can't drink alcohol at the beaches or piers and on and on and on .... it's the quintessential nanny state but the worst thing is Californians keep moving to Vegas and are trying to turn Vegas into California with all their Mommy and Daddy Government viewpoints. Californians stay in California