Cincinnati or Columbus (Cleveland, Youngstown, Findlay: co-op, houses, neighborhoods)

[cincyUK]

I hate the Bucks as well and Cincy for the most part has nothing to do with them (less a small sect that seems to have risen up since they won the national title curiously), so you're better off from that perspective there. Otherwise, I think you need to recognize that you are choosing between two totally different types of cities (is Columbus even a "city"?) in terms of culture and feel. You'll understand in a second what I mean when you visit the two places. Cincy is nothing like anywhere else in Ohio due to its location. I will also caution though that it can be tough to make inroads if you don't know anyone...

[YoMikey617]

Here's a repost from a similar thread...





Columbus:
*Without a doubt the better choice for singles.
*Fairly progressive, upbeat, and there's always something new being built in Columbus.
*Fairly liberal in the gentrified city neighborhoods and the city is way more cleaner than in Cincinasty.
*Huge gay population to thank for making the center city neighborhoods so freakin nice.
*Chicks dig the chic gayborhoods just as much and the straight guys always follow.
*Outside and around 270, it's as conservative as the rest of Ohio.
*Outside and around 270 is bland, boring, senseless sprawl like most Ohioburubia.
*South of 270 is considered "The Bible Belt."
*EVERYTHING revolves around Ohio State and Ohio State Football.


Cincinnati:
* Appears and behaves more like a real city, and the old city has a lot more character than Columbus ever will.
*Cincinnati has the reputation as being way more conservative, and there are far more Jesus freaks in metro Cincinnati. But at the same time it has a [closeted] gay mayor, had an openly lesbian mayor before that, Jerry Springer bounced a check on a hooker when he was mayor decades ago, and Cinncinati's history includes the launch of Hustler Magazine.
* From what I can tell the Jesus Freaks are mostly outside of the city limits, but they tend to embarrass the region by meddling in city affairs and using Cincinnati as a platform for their agendas.
* People always try to say "that Columbus is more white collar and Cincinnati is more blue collar." Columbus is more white collar, but only in a JC Penney short sleeved dress shirt insurance company employee kinda way. Cincinnati is generally more blue collar and industrial, but then there's also way more money and way more old money in metro Cincinnati.
*Cincinnati tends to push it's gays (and immigrants) out of town, and the result is a huge stock of blighted Victorian homes with few people willing to restore them. In a lot of ways, Cincinnati has this aura where it continually shoots itself in the foot. I wouldn't say that everybody is bigoted in Cincinnati, but when the bigots do their thing few people step up and shout them down.
*People are generally afraid of the central city and panhandling is rampant.
* Race relations between white and black are very tense in Cincinnati, the city is very segregated (as is much of Ohio), and there is a rather large population of impoverished African Americans.
* Violent crime is generally worse and more widespread in Cincinnati.
* The post college set is very cliquish and largely based on what Catholic high school you attended. ...and next in line of importance is whether you attended Xavier or Miami. ...and then it's back to what Catholic High School you attended.
*You are on the cusp of Appalachia and people are generally a lot more Southern in character (can be good or bad depending on how you look at it).
* Reds, Bengals, Xavier, UC, Miami and UK make the sports entertainment scene a lot more interesting than it is in Columbus.

Parting comments: Having lived in both cities, I can easily say that the two cities are entirely different planets. Columbus is the better town when you're young, single and mobile... But when you wear out of Columbus as many people do after 4-6 years Cincinnati can be a good place to settle down and raise a family.

[1watertiger]

having spent excessive time in cincy and columbus i would ay cincy without a doubt ! cincy feels like a real city and has a large metro with many things to do. columbus is bland and boring to me and after a week-end you start to run out of major things to do. i think its funny how lancaster and street creed (both columbus cheerleaders) think they can even compare cowtown to cincy or cleveland. dont blink because you will miss their little gentrified core city nieghborhoods.

[jlrosen]

short north is a great neighborhood in Columbus, but aside from the area around OSU and the Arena District there really isn't a lot of great places in columbus. But if the choice is UC or OSU, OSU wins hands down for undergrad.

[kwr]

It depends upon the undergrad major. UC's DAAP school walks all over OSU.

[cincylifer]

The post from YoMikey sums it up perfectly...

[lydunn]

I do have to agree with him on this I believe Columbus would be better for a younger individual. One year we were voted for best nightlife (many of us still wondering how did that happen.....Cinti is more of a family type place could be one of the reasons why some people leave after graduating and move to more happening place. Good luck on whatever u decide.

Originally Posted by MattDen

I think the apartment rents in both are similar and Cincinnati has a slightly better job market but people are more insular in Cincinnati. Ive never lived in Cincinnati been there many times but it seems like a hard place to make any in-roads anywhere.

The problem though is with Cincinnati is they have so many very violent and neighborhoods with huge problems that one would probubly almost need the suburbs or be in one of the best neighborhoods just to have piece of mind. With Columbus it has a few rough areas, but a much larger area of Columbus is decent and many decent areas are of reasonable cost.

I personally like Columbus alot better. Its a city with far fewer social problems, a much lower violent crime rate and it has alot more interesting neighborhoods culturally. Cincinnati has great architecture but I prefer culture vibrancy to architecture personally.

As for someone in their 20s I think Columbus is one of the best cities in the nation for that demographic it has a huge concentration of people in their
20s living in the city. Cincinnati has an older demographic, it seems like since the city of Cincinnati proper has so many neighborhoods with so many social problems that the only options for people looking for something decent are the most expensive neighborhoods or the suburbs.

Its just my opinion but I would take Columbus anyday over Cincinnati. The city of Cincinnati does not have its act together at all, but they always have the suburbs I guess!

Cincinnati would be fantastic city, but it has some of the most severe social problems and violent crime issues in the nation. What good is a city if the safe neighborhoods can be counted on one hand.

[Cincy-Rise]

Originally Posted by lydunn

I do have to agree with him on this I believe Columbus would be better for a younger individual. One year we were voted for best nightlife (many of us still wondering how did that happen.....Cinti is more of a family type place could be one of the reasons why some people leave after graduating and move to more happening place. Good luck on whatever u decide.

Ha, Cincy was rated for best nightlife as well!

Nightlife - Best - Forbes.com

[unusualfire]

Originally Posted by lydunn

I do have to agree with him on this I believe Columbus would be better for a younger individual. One year we were voted for best nightlife (many of us still wondering how did that happen.....Cinti is more of a family type place could be one of the reasons why some people leave after graduating and move to more happening place. Good luck on whatever u decide.

I tell you what. These days you better take what you can get.

[SpaceCowboy]

Cincinnati man...escape the crazy drivers in Columbus! Plus Cincy is alot more eclectic and interesting and has a great history...The Big Red Machine, Jazz, the underground railroad. The river is beautiful, and there are alot of interesting nooks and crannies in the city...Hyde Park, Mt. Adams, Ludlow St. in Clifton. You can also eat at Skyline chili and LaRosa's pizza.