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My wife and I live in Louisville but I've been laid off and my job offers are all outside the metro area. Which city would you recommend? This is what we're looking for:
Postwar 4 br house on min 1/2 an acre, budget $350k. Good schools, open space, and quiet are big factors.
My wife and I live in Louisville but I've been laid off and my job offers are all outside the metro area. Which city would you recommend? This is what we're looking for:
Postwar 4 br house on min 1/2 an acre, budget $350k. Good schools, open space, and quiet are big factors.
Do you have a preference for living in the city proper vs. suburbs?
Are there certain amenities you seek (I.E. shopping, sports, museums, airport, etc.)?
I think your money will go further in the Cleveland and Cincinnati metros and you'll have an easier time finding what you want within a short commute time/distance than in the Detroit metro. Cincinnati in particular gets pretty exurban not more than 10 or 15 miles or so from the city border so that's probably your best bet for having your pick of locations. And it's an Oho River town like Louisville so it should have a familiar feel to it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by citidata18
Do you have a preference for living in the city proper vs. suburbs?
I think the "quiet" and "open space" criteria militate away from city living.
Cincinnati is the best metro, by far, of these 3. One of the best (in my rankings) and most underrated metros in the nation, IMO. You will be able to find what you're looking for there. Though I do have a soft spot of Cleveland and it does have its merits, it's a shrinking/dying metro area. Detroit's suburbs are good and the central city is on the upswing, but it still has a ways to go.
I would pick the suburbs of Detroit. It's a much larger metro and the suburbs have great schools in many areas. Detroit offers more vibrancy and more of everything in general, compared to the other 2 cities, despite its tough times and bad reputation.
Midtown and downtown are coming back strong and looking good these days.
I'd pick Cincinnati as a 2nd location, definitely suburbs there too. Cincinnati has a nice downtown, pretty neighborhoods in some areas and a great zoo.
Cleveland would be a distant third for me. Some suburbs in Cleveland are nice, but the city lacks a ton of vibrancy and spark that the other 2 cities have going on. Some bright spots here and there, but third in this comparison.
I think your money will go further in the Cleveland and Cincinnati metros and you'll have an easier time finding what you want within a short commute time/distance than in the Detroit metro. Cincinnati in particular gets pretty exurban not more than 10 or 15 miles or so from the city border so that's probably your best bet for having your pick of locations. And it's an Oho River town like Louisville so it should have a familiar feel to it.
I think the "quiet" and "open space" criteria militate away from city living.
Not necessarily. There are places where you can find that in the city proper.
Not necessarily. There are places where you can find that in the city proper.
Then that's not exactly "city living," is it? That's "quiet and open space living surrounded by the city."
I suppose you can find that, in a rare exception to the rule. But someone specifically LOOKING for the rule is usually not looking for those rules within a small pocket of exception unless maybe that's their only practical option for some reason.
I would choose Cincinnati. The city still retains many of the type of houses you are interested in for bargain prices. The city has good schools, good shopping, and easy going population. It would be similar culture-wise and close to family if you have some left in Louisville. Cost of living is slightly cheaper than Cleveland. Violent crime and run down areas are also lower.
Then that's not exactly "city living," is it? That's "quiet and open space living surrounded by the city."
I suppose you can find that, in a rare exception to the rule. But someone specifically LOOKING for the rule is usually not looking for those rules within a small pocket of exception unless maybe that's their only practical option for some reason.
To be clear, I didn't say anything about "city living."
Specifically, I asked if the OP had a preference for being in the city proper or the suburbs.
It would change my answer depending on their preference, because I would recommend Detroit's suburbs over the Cleveland/Cincinnati suburbs and Cleveland/Cincinnati proper over Detroit proper.
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