Westerville or Lewis Center?

[ryw]

Is Woodvale Court or Cedar Trace in a good area? I've been looking at several different housing complexes. They look and sound nice, but you can just never tell. It seems to me that the rental property is more or less the same here as it is there. Actually places like those are a little bit more expensive. All of those have fitness centers and pools and stuff like that. Some of them for a 1br as low as $500 a month. Here you get all of that for a 1br for about $1000 a month in those kind of complexes. Unfoutuntely, its hard to live in those kind of places here, since the average you can make is usually only around 7.00/h and thats if you're lucky enough to find a job in Ohio. If you have to go over to WV, which most people do, the max is usually 8.00/h for something like telemarketing, and then you have to pay WV and OH tax. The city of Huntington in WV also makes you pay 1.00 a day to work in their city. Its insane, so by the time you drive the 20-30 mins their, pay all your taxes, you're pretty much left with nothing. I think its sad that WV's second largest city is so cheap and poor.

And East of Cleveland Ave, is decent? I've seen several fairly large houses for rent in that aren't for a decent amount every month. I'm fairly familiar with the area. At least as far as the major express ways.
I'm honestly not worried about crime too much. It couldn't be much worse than it is here, sounds like its less there. The city I live in is dry, meaning there is no alcohol sold anywhere. So are the cities on either side. But Huntington. It doesn't make a difference as far as crime. Either way, people are going to buy it, and drink it. I recently read a news report for my area that said the county I live in can't pay their public defenders because of all the crime this year, and apparently it was even worse last year. They've spent over $400,000 paying public defenders to defend the poor, and the year isn't over yet. Most of it is drug related. A guy the lived just down the road from me, stabbed his ex-wife to death a couple months ago. He was on crack. I'm sure it can't be much worse than that =)

[Roccomom]

The area around Cedar Trace is pretty nice. But its mostly young, college age students who live there because it close to bars and nightlife. Not crazy night clubs but just your local college bars. That area in general has a large amount of apartment complexes, another decent one is Worthington Meadows. The area is really Worthington, OH though, not Westerville. This is also very close to Polaris Parkway, Polaris Fashion Place mall. The entire area is new, mall is a fancy upscale mall, with Saks Fifth Avenue, etc. But there are tons of restaurants, some strip malls, Target, Lowe's, etc. again all is brand new.

This is not anywhere near walking distance though to the stuff I was talking about in Uptown Westerville. There really isn't anything kid friendly to speak of outside of the specific complex you would live in, you really couldn't walk to anything.

Do mind if I ask you a budget you have in mind to spend plus # of bedrooms you want. I could do a search and send you some options. The places I spoke about in earlier emails are not large complexes but are smaller, couple of unit complexes. They don't offer fancy gyms, or pools but then you can get to all of that stuff in town basically.

By the sounds of things, anywhere you live in Westerville, is a step up from now (not knocking your town, just an impression). Pay range for general jobs I am not sure about. I know that in college 99-2005 time frame I worked at a KinderCare Learning Center and stared out at $7 an hour, which was under pay but they worked around my schedule and I didn't really care. If you like waiteressing there are a ton of opportunities. Also, they are two large corporate telemarketing companies, Data Alliance and Affinion Group (used to be called Triligant or something, its a incoming call center, a friend works there). They pay pretty well and are always hiring but I think they have a high rate of turn over with people leaving.

Anyway, keep asking questions and I will see what else I can help you with. Do you have a timeframe you want to move?

[ryw]

I'm honestly not quite sure what time frame I would be moving. I need to save a little money and I'm not currently working right now. Only my boyfriend is. We both need to find a job and the money to move before we can. We've both just recently gone through a divorce so that's kind of draining financially. Plus there's fighting with my ex over me moving with our daughter, even though he agreed I could live up to 4 hours away. I don't think he thought it would actually happen. But as far as price range, it would really depend on what we would both be making at the jobs that we would have there. My boyfriend is currently making 10/h at his job, selling insurance for a bank. He has a lot more experience as far as working than I do. I never really had a need to work. When I lived at home, my mom trapped me there to watch my sisters' kids, then when I moved out I got pregnant not too long after, my ex-husband is in the military, so I never really had a need to do anything but stay home and take care of our daughter.

I have experience with telemarketing, taking and making phone calls, experience with the elderly, pretty much as a home health aid, but I have no actual degree, and child care obviously. Also as a cashier/stocking. What's the typical hourly wage for things like that? I would assume it would be easier to find a job that I already have experience in.

Right now, as I said in an earlier post, I'm paying $400/ month for my apartment. That's on top of a $300 car payment for my boyfriends ex-wife, the usual childcare needs, and medical expenses, plus utilities, my boyfriends $150 car payment every 2 weeks. The only thing I'm contributing at this point to the income its the $250 dollars I'm squeezing out of my ex. ( I had stopped working because he was complaining about having to watch our daughter) I thought it was fair compensation. So I honestly would say that with 2 of us working we could probably afford something within the $800-$900 dollar range. I'm a big penny pincher so that helps a lot. lol

I appreciate your help so much, you've been great!

[ryw]

Originally Posted by Roccomom

By the sounds of things, anywhere you live in Westerville, is a step up from now (not knocking your town, just an impression). Also, they are two large corporate telemarketing companies, Data Alliance and Affinion Group (used to be called Triligant or something, its a incoming call center, a friend works there). They pay pretty well and are always hiring but I think they have a high rate of turn over with people leaving.

To put it bluntly, this place sucks. lol
Telemarketing places always have the highest turn-over rates because for the most part they're go-nowhere places. A lot companies treat their employees pretty bad simply because they're so easily replaced.

[Roccomom]

A really good place to look for jobs and housing options would also be Craig's List. I checked out some stuff today and there are job opportunities and rentals. There is a ranch style house, with 3 br, 2 ba near Uptown for $1200. Now I know that out of your range, but its just an example that if a house is that much you should have no problem finding affordable housing in the area.

[ryw]

You've been so great and so much help. I hope everyone in Westerville is as nice as you are! I was looking around last night and found a website called snponline. It has a lot of local job listings as well as private rentals. Which I honestly prefer to a realty simply because its more personal (and a bit cheaper). I checked out Craig's List and its so helpful. Has better access to job listings and rentals.

I think I have enough information now to sit down with my boyfriend and show him all of it. I think he'll agree that it seems like a great place to live.

Is there the standard drop offs for moving equipment actually in Westerville? Like U-Haul, etc.