Would you recommend moving to Columbus ? (real estate, condos, how much)

[14thandYou]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

A defining aspect yet, probably not, but the increase in those minorities is still pretty recent. It takes time for them to find their place and influence the overall culture. However, one aspect I've noticed in the last 5 year or so is the explosion of food carts/stands around the city in various types of ethnic foods. Maybe not a big deal in other cities, but certainly something new here. So it is starting to show up in small ways.

Yeah, that's a definite change. Columbus is actually a very good food town for its size; not certain how much the ethnic population has to do with that, but it's an aspect of the city I quite like.

Again, it's always been the city proper that makes a city attractive, whether or not you have a huge metro population.

Perhaps that's true in Columbus, but not necessarily for other cities--particularly those with a much smaller footprint, i.e. Boston, DC, San Francisco, etc. Those cities all have neighborhoods and cities that exist outside of their border that play a substantial role in shaping the city and its culture. Think Boston and Cambridge, for example.

[tweezy]

So if your single, no kids, maybe not a good move to Columbus ? Is it just a place to raise a family? I currently live in the DC Baltimore area, Frederick for you familiar, and this place sucks!!!!! Only thing good about it is the money to be made and the safety of the area. Only reason I say this is because I keep seeing DC comparisons, diversity does not make a city great!

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by tweezy

So if your single, no kids, maybe not a good move to Columbus ? Is it just a place to raise a family? I currently live in the DC Baltimore area, Frederick for you familiar, and this place sucks!!!!! Only thing good about it is the money to be made and the safety of the area. Only reason I say this is because I keep seeing DC comparisons, diversity does not make a city great!

I'm single with no kids and I like it here. Columbus is actually a great city for sinlges.

[14thandYou]

Originally Posted by tweezy

So if your single, no kids, maybe not a good move to Columbus ? Is it just a place to raise a family? I currently live in the DC Baltimore area, Frederick for you familiar, and this place sucks!!!!! Only thing good about it is the money to be made and the safety of the area. Only reason I say this is because I keep seeing DC comparisons, diversity does not make a city great!

I don't think anyone's saying single people shouldn't move to Columbus--I think singles could have a great time in the city. But it's also true that when citing positive aspects of Columbus, there are many who indicate that the area's low cost of living, good schools and abundant suburban housing encouraged them to move/stay and raise a family. All of the above are true.

I'm also not seeing any comparisons between Columbus and DC, as those two aren't really comparable. And no, diversity alone doesn't make a city great (who argued that?), but it does make an important contribution to a city's dynamic.

And as an aside, if you live in Frederick, you don't live in DC. You live 40 miles outside of DC--that's a substantial difference.

[cooks50]

Im single and with no kids and Im having a great time here. And I've only been living here about 2 years. There is a large and growing population of young people (youngs professionals in particular) in Columbus

[socaln8tv]

im from southern california and moved to cbus 4 years ago for a job relocation. we kept our home in socal just in case because we new if we sold it, it would be difficult to buy if we were to go back. i hate the cold of ohio and im still not comfortable with how everything is "ugly" and dirty after the snow melts..etc one can get spoiled with all the hard scape and palms. that aside, there are great neighborhoods, dining, nightlife, variety of corporate headquarters with jobs.. did i say jobs? lots of people that live in cbus are out of staters like myself -- a large population in fact. we are on the edge of tornado alley so not a huge factor. property taxes are obnoxious imo. cbus has huge appreciation for music, which i love. a great population with a love for motorcyle riding and tons of stellar roads if you are into that.... this isnt an organized response but housing is relatively affordable if you are buying or planning to. home sales are picking back up in newer neighborhoods similar to where i live. i recommend highly stick to the areas north of i270 bt dublin to new albany, but thats just me. ive got kids and thats where the better schools are said to be anyways...

[socaln8tv]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

I'm single with no kids and I like it here. Columbus is actually a great city for sinlges.

i have lots of great friends who are single here from 20's to 40's in age.. i envy them. for sure they have much to enjoy here.

[dblockindabuildin]

Columbus is a great city. It has everything you need, a fairly diverse population, VERY affordable housing, and pretty much no traffic compared to a lot of other places.

However, I don't plan on staying here once I'm done with school. It's just not a big enough city for my liking. But to anyone who wants to move here I'd highly recommend it!

And to whoever said stay above I-270, ignore them. The best parts of Columbus are well below I-270.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by dblockindabuildin

Columbus is a great city. It has everything you need, a fairly diverse population, VERY affordable housing, and pretty much no traffic compared to a lot of other places.

However, I don't plan on staying here once I'm done with school. It's just not a big enough city for my liking. But to anyone who wants to move here I'd highly recommend it!

And to whoever said stay above I-270, ignore them. The best parts of Columbus are well below I-270.

Interesting that you say it's not big enough. I lived in a city with 25 million people, and beyond the lack of decent mass transit, I don't notice a substantial amount of differences. When I came back I was worried that I would be very bored and disappointed because I now knew what a major city was really like. Instead, my perception of Columbus didn't really change. I am able to go out and have a great time and there's always something going on. There is a wide variety of food options, an increasingly diverse population, etc. And the amenities that the city is lacking now I think will really start showing up within the next several years. They can't be too far behind when you consistently have double-digit growth.

And you're absolutely right... the best neighborhoods are south of 270 if you're in Delaware County.

[14thandYou]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

Interesting that you say it's not big enough. I lived in a city with 25 million people, and beyond the lack of decent mass transit, I don't notice a substantial amount of differences.

That's interesting, because each time I return to Columbus (which is several times a year) I find myself noticing how much smaller the city seems to be than when I lived there. My point of comparison is clearly DC, and there are certain things I've become accustomed to--the density and vibrancy, the restaurant and bar options, the cultural and entertainment options, the diversity of neighborhoods and so on. There are of course negatives as well, such as the horrific traffic.

The longer I've been away, the smaller Columbus seems to me. It *has* a lot of the things you'll find in larger cities, just in far lesser quantities.