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A and F is a spin off of the limited and wouldn't be here without the limited. Ashland chemical is headquartered in Covington, Ky directly across the ohio river from downtown Cincy. Batelle is an asset but tiny compared to the R&D efforts of GE and P&G in cincy or Lilly in Indy. That is what columbus needs to get people to invest in a life here instead of treating of treating it as just a pit stop on their way to somewhere else.
I think most mid-sized cities would want a P & G. I spent three years in Columbus in the mid 1990's. I like the city. German Village is a very nice neighborhood. If you want to live in New York, Chicago, then you will never like Columbus, Pittsburgh, etc. But if you want an affordable city where you can raise a family it is a great place then Columbus is for you.
I'm not suggesting that columbus has weaknesses compared to NYC or Chicago. That would be ludicrous. I'm suggesting that it even has weaknesses compared to other midwestern cities. Its too transient with too much of its economy controlled by those elsewhere. There are too few businesses with important administrative or R&D operations here. That is bad when times are hard and companies are pulling back and makes columbus operations more dispensable than in cincy, indianapolis, or even Louisville.
Wading through the 5 or so pages of responses, I thought I'd chime in with a few observations as an ex-Columbusite who relocated east:
-People who grew up in Columbus and have never left tend to think more highly of the place than those on the outside. It's a matter of perspective. For example, it's hard to understand how suffocating the OSU fandom can be until you've spent a fall (or a spring) outside of Columbus, not hearing "Hang on Sloopy" played all over the radio or seeing Block O-shaped cookies in the grocery store. The same goes for the city's amenities and neighborhoods: Core neighborhoods like German Village and the Short North, or a town like Grandview, are fun, enjoyable places to live. But they constitute a relatively small portion of the city. Much of Columbus consists of monotonous residential neighborhoods, sprawling suburbs, and a downtown that is pretty quiet. It's nice that there are a few thousand people living down there now, and the new downtown parks are a nice improvement, but downtown Columbus isn't anything exceptional. It's still very much a 9 to 5 type of place.
-By many standards, Columbus is a small place. The number of people living inside the city limits may put Columbus as the 15th largest city in the country, but that's really misleading. Cities like Boston, DC, Atlanta, Seattle, Denver, Miami and others are all much larger cities than Columbus, even if the population of the city proper is smaller. Speaking as a current DC resident, DC feels many times larger than Columbus, even though the city's population is about 25% smaller. The region as a whole, however, is 3x larger than Columbus, which is a more accurate barometer for the size and feel of the city.
-What you look for out of a city will go a long way towards determining how happy you are living there. I've stated many times that, for a number of people, Columbus can be a rather idyllic place to call home. It's affordable, there are good schools, it's easy to get around, there are enough things going on to keep you occupied, etc. It's a pleasant place to live. But if you're looking for a Chicago or San francisco-type experience, you'll likely find Columbus to be quite suffocating and boring. That's where I found myself seven years ago: I knew that I was ready to move to a city that offered more of the lifestyle I was looking for than Columbus could offer. I wanted a city with more cultural opportunities and entertainment options to hold my interest, better transit options, that was denser and more walkable, more diverse, and that just generally had a more lively and cosmopolitan vibe to it.
This isn't to say that Columbus doesn't offer any of those things, only that it does in smaller numbers and amounts. And if they are things that you value, you may not find yourself completely fulfilled living in Columbus.
I'm not suggesting that columbus has weaknesses compared to NYC or Chicago. That would be ludicrous. I'm suggesting that it even has weaknesses compared to other midwestern cities. Its too transient with too much of its economy controlled by those elsewhere. There are too few businesses with important administrative or R&D operations here. That is bad when times are hard and companies are pulling back and makes columbus operations more dispensable than in cincy, indianapolis, or even Louisville.
You can say whatever you like. But in terms of growth, it's one of the fastest growing in the Midwest. Accoding to Brookings, it's also one of the top 20 best performing economies when it came to going through and recovering from the recession. The GDP grew throughout the recession, one of the few cities in the Midwest to have that happen. Companies and jobs are growing here. I'm not sure what your deal is specifically in regards to Columbus, but I just don't see your point and the facts don't back it up.
Wading through the 5 or so pages of responses, I thought I'd chime in with a few observations as an ex-Columbusite who relocated east:
-People who grew up in Columbus and have never left tend to think more highly of the place than those on the outside. It's a matter of perspective. For example, it's hard to understand how suffocating the OSU fandom can be until you've spent a fall (or a spring) outside of Columbus, not hearing "Hang on Sloopy" played all over the radio or seeing Block O-shaped cookies in the grocery store. The same goes for the city's amenities and neighborhoods: Core neighborhoods like German Village and the Short North, or a town like Grandview, are fun, enjoyable places to live. But they constitute a relatively small portion of the city. Much of Columbus consists of monotonous residential neighborhoods, sprawling suburbs, and a downtown that is pretty quiet. It's nice that there are a few thousand people living down there now, and the new downtown parks are a nice improvement, but downtown Columbus isn't anything exceptional. It's still very much a 9 to 5 type of place.
-By many standards, Columbus is a small place. The number of people living inside the city limits may put Columbus as the 15th largest city in the country, but that's really misleading. Cities like Boston, DC, Atlanta, Seattle, Denver, Miami and others are all much larger cities than Columbus, even if the population of the city proper is smaller. Speaking as a current DC resident, DC feels many times larger than Columbus, even though the city's population is about 25% smaller. The region as a whole, however, is 3x larger than Columbus, which is a more accurate barometer for the size and feel of the city.
-What you look for out of a city will go a long way towards determining how happy you are living there. I've stated many times that, for a number of people, Columbus can be a rather idyllic place to call home. It's affordable, there are good schools, it's easy to get around, there are enough things going on to keep you occupied, etc. It's a pleasant place to live. But if you're looking for a Chicago or San francisco-type experience, you'll likely find Columbus to be quite suffocating and boring. That's where I found myself seven years ago: I knew that I was ready to move to a city that offered more of the lifestyle I was looking for than Columbus could offer. I wanted a city with more cultural opportunities and entertainment options to hold my interest, better transit options, that was denser and more walkable, more diverse, and that just generally had a more lively and cosmopolitan vibe to it.
This isn't to say that Columbus doesn't offer any of those things, only that it does in smaller numbers and amounts. And if they are things that you value, you may not find yourself completely fulfilled living in Columbus.
I've lived in Mexico City, the biggest city in the Western Hemisphere and one of the largest in the world. In comparison, DC looks about as exciting as Minot, North Dakota. Even after that, I still was always able to have a great time in Columbus and enjoy my many wonderful friendships and experiences. I get what you're saying about some people wanting different things and feeling like other cities will offer more of that, and that's fine. I think the disconnect I have is that I don't view cities the same way as most people. I figure, as long as I have a good social life, a decent job, and some place to go, I'll be happy. Simply put, there's no such thing as a better city than where I'm living at right now. And if I move, that will be true then as well. A place is only as good as you make it, period.
I've lived in Mexico City, the biggest city in the Western Hemisphere and one of the largest in the world. In comparison, DC looks about as exciting as Minot, North Dakota. Even after that, I still was always able to have a great time in Columbus and enjoy my many wonderful friendships and experiences. I get what you're saying about some people wanting different things and feeling like other cities will offer more of that, and that's fine. I think the disconnect I have is that I don't view cities the same way as most people. I figure, as long as I have a good social life, a decent job, and some place to go, I'll be happy. Simply put, there's no such thing as a better city than where I'm living at right now. And if I move, that will be true then as well. A place is only as good as you make it, period.
And DC would be about as clean as Minot when compared to the ash tray that is Mexico City. Having spent considerable time in both, I'd take DC's excitement over that offered by Mexico City in a heartbeat. I'd have to think that 99.999 percent of the world's population would agree. Honestly, there's no comparison between these two.
Columbus used to be more vibrant but it's vibrancy has disappeared.
Have fun in DC.
I did Chicago for 6-7 years and moved back to Cbus for a gig. I wish I would have just headed east like I had planned.
I'm outta here next year. This time, I will not be back, unless there is a funeral in the family.
I love the East Cost--DC, Phily,Bos,NYC and all up and down the coast. Good living!
Quote:
Originally Posted by 14thandYou
Wading through the 5 or so pages of responses, I thought I'd chime in with a few observations as an ex-Columbusite who relocated east:
-People who grew up in Columbus and have never left tend to think more highly of the place than those on the outside. It's a matter of perspective. For example, it's hard to understand how suffocating the OSU fandom can be until you've spent a fall (or a spring) outside of Columbus, not hearing "Hang on Sloopy" played all over the radio or seeing Block O-shaped cookies in the grocery store. The same goes for the city's amenities and neighborhoods: Core neighborhoods like German Village and the Short North, or a town like Grandview, are fun, enjoyable places to live. But they constitute a relatively small portion of the city. Much of Columbus consists of monotonous residential neighborhoods, sprawling suburbs, and a downtown that is pretty quiet. It's nice that there are a few thousand people living down there now, and the new downtown parks are a nice improvement, but downtown Columbus isn't anything exceptional. It's still very much a 9 to 5 type of place.
-By many standards, Columbus is a small place. The number of people living inside the city limits may put Columbus as the 15th largest city in the country, but that's really misleading. Cities like Boston, DC, Atlanta, Seattle, Denver, Miami and others are all much larger cities than Columbus, even if the population of the city proper is smaller. Speaking as a current DC resident, DC feels many times larger than Columbus, even though the city's population is about 25% smaller. The region as a whole, however, is 3x larger than Columbus, which is a more accurate barometer for the size and feel of the city.
-What you look for out of a city will go a long way towards determining how happy you are living there. I've stated many times that, for a number of people, Columbus can be a rather idyllic place to call home. It's affordable, there are good schools, it's easy to get around, there are enough things going on to keep you occupied, etc. It's a pleasant place to live. But if you're looking for a Chicago or San francisco-type experience, you'll likely find Columbus to be quite suffocating and boring. That's where I found myself seven years ago: I knew that I was ready to move to a city that offered more of the lifestyle I was looking for than Columbus could offer. I wanted a city with more cultural opportunities and entertainment options to hold my interest, better transit options, that was denser and more walkable, more diverse, and that just generally had a more lively and cosmopolitan vibe to it.
This isn't to say that Columbus doesn't offer any of those things, only that it does in smaller numbers and amounts. And if they are things that you value, you may not find yourself completely fulfilled living in Columbus.
I'm hoping to move to Texas or California in a few years, once I'm out of college and have started my career. I love Columbus, but I need something new. It's mostly the weather, but I've run out of fun things to do here.
And DC would be about as clean as Minot when compared to the ash tray that is Mexico City. Having spent considerable time in both, I'd take DC's excitement over that offered by Mexico City in a heartbeat. I'd have to think that 99.999 percent of the world's population would agree. Honestly, there's no comparison between these two.
Yeah, I recognize that most people are pretty shallow and only tend to see the surface of things. I felt the same way that first week I went down there. I was wondering what the hell I was doing. The culture shock was huge. Mexico City is a big, crazy city, and it is rather dirty in comparison to most American cities. I recently visited it again in June after 6 years away and it actually is getting better. The air pollution is significantly less than I remember, the city is making huge efforts to reduce the number of cars (even closing streets in Centro to pedestrians only), improving trash pickup, and promoting the whole "green" movement. I definitely noticed a lot of changes for the better. As far as excitement, sorry, you're right there is no comparison, but just reversed. I loved Mexico City in the end, and I love Columbus now. They offer two very different experiences and I am a better person for that. I would not hesitate to go again. I guess that is another difference between myself and others.
Columbus used to be more vibrant but it's vibrancy has disappeared.
Unless you're 100 years old, the last time the city was this vibrant was 1950 and earlier, before the Downtown was bulldozed.
Have fun in DC.
I did Chicago for 6-7 years and moved back to Cbus for a gig. I wish I would have just headed east like I had planned.
I'm outta here next year. This time, I will not be back, unless there is a funeral in the family.
I love the East Cost--DC, Phily,Bos,NYC and all up and down the coast. Good living!
People are strange on these forums. They seem incapable of liking other cities without trashing another. If you like other cities, great, but why do people go out of their way to bring something else down? It's very petty.
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