Moving to Medina to start a family (Cleveland, Dayton: appointed, condo)

[treebee333]

Hello!

I'm hoping I can get some viewpoints of Medina by locals and frequent visitors.

My wife and I recently moved from Los Angeles to NE Ohio to be closer to our families as we begin the process of starting our own. We are both Ohio natives and made the decision that, for us, family is more important than good weather. (No need to detail how terrible the winters are. We know!)

We've researched and visited Medina quite a bit and we both get great vibes from it.

Medina checks off most of our wishlist:
1. Quaint town with lots of local shops and restaurants (basically looking for the midwest version of Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls)
2. Great Schools
3. Sidewalks and parks and yard space
4. Affordable homes
5. Close enough to a bigger city to enjoy the occasional play/concert/comedy club
6. Not a ton of traffic (We want to be able to make a run to the grocery store without spending 15 minutes trying to find a spot in a parking garage.)

Being that we're lesbians, our biggest concern is tolerance and acceptance of the LGBTQ community in Medina. We don't necessarily need to live inside a progressive bubble and have the general mindset that we'll be able to find our crew pretty much anywhere. But we do want to start having kids and don't want to raise them in a town with where they'd be subjected to homophobia and discrimination.

Side note: We've been told by plenty of people that the gays live in Lakewood. Since our idea of a Friday night is going for a walk, ordering a pizza, and watching a movie, we're not picking a place to live on the basis of whether or not it has a gay bar.

Any insight would be much appreciated! Thank you!

[kpl1228]

Originally Posted by treebee333

Hello!


Side note: We've been told by plenty of people that the gays live in Lakewood. Since our idea of a Friday night is going for a walk, ordering a pizza, and watching a movie, we're not picking a place to live on the basis of whether or not it has a gay bar.

Any insight would be much appreciated! Thank you!

If the Medina locals told you that, then you know all you need to know about Medina. And I wouldn't be surprised.
If I were a lesbian couple, no amount of charming town squares and shops could make me live in Medina. Walk around the town square for 5 minutes, holding hands and kissing, in front of families and old folks....and see how welcomed you would feel there. I can't imagine being a Democrat in Medina and feeling welcomed, much less a gay couple.
(Also, I'm still trying to figure out how Lakewood got the "gay" rep, especially by those saying gay jokes, etc. I could name six other neighborhoods/areas in 2018 more gay friendly as a city and more of a gay community in Greater Cleveland than Lakewood. It's certainly tolerant, but hardly the gay hotbed. What is? Coventry in CH, or Edgewater in Cleveland, among others.)
I'd look at Oberlin as a Medina alternative. Same distance to downtown Cleveland, and all of the Medina charm (and town square) without the downstate Ohio anger. There it is a progressive bubble (near the college, perhaps militantly so, even much more than most other colleges nationally), but it would be much more welcoming and accepting, particularly kids.
This could all be knee-jerk, though. I will admit I'm no Medina fan (and I am a Lakewood fan....so don't rule it out...a great town to walk and especially to get a pizza). Best of luck to you and yours!

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by kpl1228

If the Medina locals told you that, then you know all you need to know about Medina. And I wouldn't be surprised.
If I were a lesbian couple, no amount of charming town squares and shops could make me live in Medina. Walk around the town square for 5 minutes, holding hands and kissing, in front of families and old folks....and see how welcomed you would feel there. I can't imagine being a Democrat in Medina and feeling welcomed, much less a gay couple.
(Also, I'm still trying to figure out how Lakewood got the "gay" rep, especially by those saying gay jokes, etc. I could name six other neighborhoods/areas in 2018 more gay friendly as a city and more of a gay community in Greater Cleveland than Lakewood. It's certainly tolerant, but hardly the gay hotbed. What is? Coventry in CH, or Edgewater in Cleveland, among others.)
I'd look at Oberlin as a Medina alternative. Same distance to downtown Cleveland, and all of the Medina charm (and town square) without the downstate Ohio anger. There it is a progressive bubble (near the college, perhaps militantly so, even much more than most other colleges nationally), but it would be much more welcoming and accepting, particularly kids.
This could all be knee-jerk, though. I will admit I'm no Medina fan (and I am a Lakewood fan....so don't rule it out...a great town to walk and especially to get a pizza). Best of luck to you and yours!

Excellent post. Hopefully, Medina isn't as intolerant as you describe, but it wouldn't surprise me. Note the 2016 election results.

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/21182...255b6b1e06.pdf

Oberlin is located in Lorain County.

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/2568d...79794aa1c2.pdf

Especially check the precinct totals for Medina vs. those in Oberlin for the 2016 election. I didn't check Medina, but Oberlin apparently voted about 90 percent for Clinton over Trump....

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/21182...56cf953705.pdf

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/2568d...e1776a3e2a.pdf

Oberlin, due to the presence of the renown Oberlin College, also offers great amenities compared to Medina, such as one of the nation's best university art museums. Oberlin is more diverse racially than Medina.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberlin,_Ohio

Faiths Unite at Oberlin Meeting House | Ideas | WVIZ/PBS ideastream

See post 22 here, however.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/ohio/...squares-3.html

Perhaps visit some Medina "liberal" churches, such as the Methodist Church which often has gay members although homosexuality isn't officially condoned by the church, and ask for a candid assessment by the minister. It's probably your best bet for an informed opinion.

Medina has a Church of Christ, which is headquartered in Cleveland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...#North_America

This thread, especially post 3, may interest you.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/cleve...cleveland.html

BTW, the winters in northeast Ohio, especially outside the primary snowbelt aren't so bad (but I enjoy them), especially if you embrace winter activities.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/ohio/...-i-should.html

Check out post 20 in this thread.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/city-...ramento-2.html

See post 44 in this thread.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/ohio/...ve-ohio-5.html

Good luck!

[teacherdad]

Welcome home! I am up in Santa Barbara so pretty close to LA...you just left before the fires! It's been a crazy week.

Albeit...fire season now seems like it's the entire year.

Anyway, I do NOT live in CLE, but know the areas pretty well...I'll be there in a few more weeks. Coventry seems VERY open. I remember seeing a cross dresser walking down the street and thought, "That's awesome!" I don't really care what people do as long as they are good and nice. I was told the same about Lakewood a few years ago by my cousin who works downtown. I've spent time there (great places to eat and get coffee) and it appears very open-minded.

There should be some resources here and there providing support. Not being gay, I am not active on support forums or sites that may have more information. A former student of mine is the head of Pride where I live and I know she is very involved in supporting people who move to SB and finding resources and info.

Anyway, I'd listen to the posts above. The worst would be to get into a quaint area and then be treated poorly. Years ago in centerville (near Dayton), I had my Ramones up rather loud. Families on the sidewalks turned their backs to my car with their kids. I have never seen that in my life! Crazy! Poor kids missing out on good music.

Keep asking around and then go and check out the vibe. Regarding kissing and all that to "test" the waters in the area, I don't do that with my wife so not sure that's the answer, but I understand the idea. Not all couples (gay or not) make out in public, you know?

Best to you two!
Rob

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by teacherdad

There should be some resources here and there providing support. Not being gay, I am not active on support forums or sites that may have more information.

Excellent point.

Certainly inquire here, if you haven't already done so.

https://lgbtcleveland.org/

Of course, I wonder what knowledge they would have of Medina, and if there would be a bias against more rural northeastern Ohio communities. I still like the idea of talking to church ministers, especially the Medina Church of Christ minister.

[Minervah]

Well, speaking of Lakewood,

https://lasclev.org/does-lakewood-of...bt-population/

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/locat...ties/lgbt-care

https://www.cleveland.com/lakewood/i...my_set_to.html

https://lgbtcleveland.org/

The last not in Lakewood but not far.

Nickie Antonio State Representative lives here with her wife and is very active in social justice issues and organizations involved with encouraging diversity in Lakewood.

I think Lakewood gets it's reputation for having a large gay community because it does. Maybe not the largest but certainly a very active one.

Oh, and I've been in the actual Stars Hollow. Trust me, you would be very disappointed. Things are not always as they seem.

[treebee333]

Thanks to everyone who has posted advice and resources so far. To clarify my initial remark about Lakewood, I’m sure it’s a lovely place, but it has already been suggested to us (by friends, not Medina residents) and we have already decided that it is not the place for us. We want to be a little farther outside of the city.

For people who see Medina as a place where we would definitely not be welcomed, what experiences did you have there that formed your decision?

I’m also hoping for an insider’s perspective, so comments from people who live/ have lived in Medina and people with family or friends who live there would be extra helpful!

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by treebee333

For people who see Medina as a place where we would definitely not be welcomed, what experiences did you have there that formed your decision?

I've known persons from Medina. Great individuals, but it wouldn't surprise me if there would be a higher proportion of individuals there who would not welcome non-conventional households. There's no certainty in my views, which is why I think you should consult with church leaders, who are very attuned to their community's cultural attitudes.

Doesn't Medina have a Facebook forum, with likely more resident participants than C-D?

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by treebee333

Thanks to everyone who has posted advice and resources so far. To clarify my initial remark about Lakewood, I’m sure it’s a lovely place, but it has already been suggested to us (by friends, not Medina residents) and we have already decided that it is not the place for us. We want to be a little farther outside of the city.

For people who see Medina as a place where we would definitely not be welcomed, what experiences did you have there that formed your decision?

I’m also hoping for an insider’s perspective, so comments from people who live/ have lived in Medina and people with family or friends who live there would be extra helpful!

That's fine. I wasn't trying to sell Lakewood, it's that I am a newcomer to this town and I am impressed by the diversity here. Not in every instance of course, no place can be. For me, having grown up in a city where I used to encounter all kinds of people on a daily basis, then relocated to an area in the country where that rarely ever occured, it's nice to have returned to a place similar to the one in which I grew up.

Regarding Medina, I've only visited, it looks really nice but that's all I can tell you. I don't think I would choose it as a place to live because it looks a bit too much like most other towns and I think too many towns these days strive to look like too many other towns. But that's just me. I like things that look a bit different.

[Chrismary23]

Hello!
My partner and I are moving from Brooklyn. She's from NW Ohio originally and has family there. I recently got a position at NASA in Cleveland and we're moving in June. I have thought the same about Medina, it is so cute and you can purchase a bit of land. We're so tired of congested living!
I am a bit concerned about being a same-sex couple in Cleveland as I have been pretty used to feeling safe and generally accepted in my community. Please let me know where you end up and any tips you may have? I will do the same!
Thanks!
-Christine