My thoughts on Cincinnati: considering relocating (Hamilton, Fairfield: mortgage, homes, neighborhood) - Ohio (OH) - Page 6 - City-Data Forum

SonnyDaze · 10-26-2009, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joeytraveler

If your looking for good food or things to do that aren't related to drinking or sports the first step would be to get out of liberty twp. Sadly lots of people seem to like tgi fridays and cookie cutter houses.

Bingo. The exurbs may appear to have everything you want and need but they aren't for everyone.

Cincy-Rise · 10-26-2009, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liberty_420

I would like to add my thoughts and findings to this thread.

My family relocated from the West about 3 years ago for work. We were very excited and loved the area. We settled in Liberty Twp and started the kids in the Lakota School district. After 3 years my oldest son who is now a Senior in HS is absolutley miserable. He has struggled to find any lasting friendships and ultimately has just one close friend. He has a good GPA and works and does have a girlfriend so its not as bad as he makes it sound, but he def. is not as happy.

My two daughters (now, 13 and 15) on the other hand couldnt be happier. One of my girls has become the social butterfly and the other has found friends through horses. Both girls are doing well in school acedemically and socially, much better then they were.

As for my wife and I, we couldnt be more unhappy. Here are our findings

- We are fairly outgoing but we have found it difficult to make aquaintences let alone friends.
- We have found that people are generally not interested in your well-being, just that you do well for them.
- In regard to taxes: if you do the math on the price of the home vs. what you pay... it stings.... - - Drivers will frustrate you
- There is not really any good food
- Greater Cincy infrastructure is NOT maintained well
- There are not many local/city activities (unless your a big drinker or sports fanatic)
- Locals are very critical of "outsiders"

I guess ultimately... Dont move here if you have kids older than 14 or you are a married couple looking for any social life other than sports and drinking.

Look where you live!

If I lived there, I'd be on suicide watch! Move closer to "things" and your life will change for the better!

Can I get an amen people!?

Joeytraveler · 10-26-2009, 10:26 PM

Amen!

RandyWatson · 11-19-2009, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liberty_420

I would like to add my thoughts and findings to this thread.

My family relocated from the West about 3 years ago for work. We were very excited and loved the area. We settled in Liberty Twp and started the kids in the Lakota School district. After 3 years my oldest son who is now a Senior in HS is absolutley miserable. He has struggled to find any lasting friendships and ultimately has just one close friend. He has a good GPA and works and does have a girlfriend so its not as bad as he makes it sound, but he def. is not as happy.

My two daughters (now, 13 and 15) on the other hand couldnt be happier. One of my girls has become the social butterfly and the other has found friends through horses. Both girls are doing well in school acedemically and socially, much better then they were.

As for my wife and I, we couldnt be more unhappy. Here are our findings

- We are fairly outgoing but we have found it difficult to make aquaintences let alone friends.
- We have found that people are generally not interested in your well-being, just that you do well for them.
- In regard to taxes: if you do the math on the price of the home vs. what you pay... it stings.... - - Drivers will frustrate you
- There is not really any good food
- Greater Cincy infrastructure is NOT maintained well
- There are not many local/city activities (unless your a big drinker or sports fanatic)
- Locals are very critical of "outsiders"

I guess ultimately... Dont move here if you have kids older than 14 or you are a married couple looking for any social life other than sports and drinking.

You are absolutely right, my wife and I experienced all of these same things. You took the words right out of my mouth. While I understand Cincy-Rise standing up for his city, he has probably lived in Cincinnati for most of his life.

My wife and I lived in Cincinnati for a year and we hated it, we are both social people and we made no friends. Even when we would try to adapt to what the people in Cincinnati liked to do (watch bearcat games,mma,bengals, drink) nobody accepted us because we were "out of towners".

And 9 out of 10 guys I met in Cincinnati all had this alpha-male thing going on, which just made me laugh. Because I hadnt dealt with anything like that since middleschool bullies. And these guys are all 26-45 year old men.

And it just seemed like nobody we met in Cincinnati had a personality, you would make a joke or ask someone something and they would stare back at you with this blank look...It was kinda creepy. And reguardless of what anyone tells you...THERE IS A RACIAL DIVIDE in Cincinnati, I saw it, I lived through it, I hated it. (Dont get people from Cincinnati started about the bus line running from OTR to Downtown)

It just wasnt our type of town, and since we knew how most of the people in Cincinnati were we never complained because you would get no sympathy just a response probably somethings along the lines of "If you dont like Cincinnati, then get out...we dont need you". So we did exactly that, we moved to west coast and we love it here, even though when we told our fellow co-workers about our move that was the most animated we had seen anyone in Cincinnati get with such thought out responses of;

"Out there with all of those tree hugging ***** hippies"

"People out there are depressed"

And the list goes on....

But we love it out here, and we will never go back to Cincinnati. Some people love Cincinnati, we couldnt of hated it more.

Wilson513 · 11-19-2009, 03:56 AM

On reflection, I think it is a good thing that the chronic malcontents who post their sorry experiences here have a safe place to vent. Every community has those people who blame their miseries on their neighbors or the geography. And, an attitude adjustment comes with a move to a new location. Its a healthy thing. We should encourage the process instead of futile attempts at getting these poor souls to confront the reality that it is them, not their neighbors, who were the problem in the first place.

For my part, I love Cincinnati. And, I'm willing to accept that that may have something to do with my belief that at all times I am exactly where I am supposed to be, doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing.

Barca_fan · 11-19-2009, 06:52 AM

On reflection, I think it is a good thing that the chronic malcontents who post their sorry experiences here have a safe place to vent. Every community has those people who blame their miseries on their neighbors or the geography.
================================================== ===
Sure, but not everyone who complains about his/her neighbors or geography is a "chronic malcontent."

Unfortunately, many people in this forum often imply that if a relocator doesn't like Cincinnati, it's that individual's fault (maybe s/he is not outgoing enough, s/he is a chronic malcontent, etc.).

The reality is that no city/community is perfect. People may move to a new area due to their employment or other considerations, but they may later experience difficulties that are not immediately obvious to those who were born and raised there.

Wilson513 · 11-19-2009, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barca_fan

The reality is that no city/community is perfect. People may move to a new area due to their employment or other considerations, but they may later experience difficulties that are not immediately obvious to those who were born and raised there.

My point exactly. No community is perfect. And no community is imperfect. A couple of hundred thousand people have found a very nice niche in Cincinnati; they love it and they want to stay. And, if you can't find happiness in a mild climate city with a symphony, ballet, major league baseball and football, 10 colleges and universities including two that are national sports contenders, a world class medical school, fortune 100 company headquarters, a charming river valley, history dating back to the settlement of the west, million dollar houses (elsewhere) for 300-400k, and 100 or so good restaurants that you don't need to know someone to get a table, it is your fault.

Cincy-Rise · 11-19-2009, 08:48 AM

RandyWatson, what part of the city did/do you live? There are parts that if I lived there, I'd probably feel the same way.

The truth is, no - I didn't live here most of my life. My S.O. is also not from here. Probably 1/3 of our friends are not from here and they appear to be "plugged in" more than most lifelong residents to be honest with you.

To assume that we are not social ... the ones that moved to Cincinnati from another city is just silly.

My schedule stays full and I simply cannot keep up with my friend's/colleagues bar hops, events, sports, etc. invites.

Sure, it could be the city, but in a metro with the most bars per capita in the nation, world class art scene, 2 professional sports teams (and AHL hockey team, great shopping experience, ballet, amazing colleges (and 2nd largest Univ. in the state), great restaurant options, character filled architecture, some of the midwest's best NBD's, and one of the largest F500 per capita presence in the nation ... I'm going to say the ball is in your court.

Barca_fan · 11-19-2009, 10:19 AM

Wilson: I know from your other posts that you don't have a very good impression of NYC, a city that is loved by many. But I wouldn't say it's your fault if you don't like NYC, it's just not the right match for you. Similarly, if someone doesn't like Cincinnati, it may not be the right match for them. To simply generalize that it's a person's fault for not liking Cincinnati is an overstatement.

Cincy: I respect your passion for this city and there are times when I agree with you. But everyone is different - you may like certain things, others may not (for example, what seems like a great shopping experience to you may not be a great shopping experience for someone else!). So, while I am not saying that anyone expressing their concerns about Cincinnati is faultless, it doesn't help to them to see that people only want to blame them for expressing their opinion rather than trying to offer ways to help them out (I've seen you offer people advice and help on this forum and that's definitely appreciated).

jokerofspades · 11-19-2009, 10:44 AM

This thread has proven to me one thing. People want to complain and are not happy unless they are miserable. Take a look at yourself and find out why you are so miserable, maybe it is your marriage, maybe it is your job. I doubt you would be happy anywhere.