Moving to Columbus...Help! (Cleveland, Cincinnati: low income, best suburbs, transporting)

[sleeplessinseattle]

Hi there....

Can anyone provide information about Columbus?
My partner is contemplating a job offer in Columbus and it is likely that we will be moving sometime in late Dec06 or early Jan07.

I'm a little afraid of the move since I have been in Seattle for a long time. Factor in the move, selling our home, transporting our 2 dogs, finding a home and finding a new job and I am overwhelmed, stresses and going ay-yay-yay.

I have never been to Columbus so I have no idea what Columbus has to offer. I have been doing research on the internet but if you can provide info on the following, that would be fantastic and much appreciated:
*I'm originally from Hawaii so I'm curious about weather, climate and such. How is traffic and public transportation there?
*We are looking for a house to purchase in German Town, Grandview and Merion. Are these good areas? Are there other areas we should look into? How far from downtown?
*How is the job market for someone in the Accounting arena? I'm interested in non-profits. Are there websites that lists the majority of non-profits in the Columbus area?
*I've read that Columbus is bigger than Seattle (which surprised me), so what is the arts & culture like there? I'm not a pissy snot when it comes to the arts scene, I just want to know that options are there as well.

I have so many more to ask, but the questions above is a good start :-) Thank you so much for your input.

[Subway]

Although I've lived in Ohio all of my life, I can't answer most of your questions about Columbus (I'm much more knowledgeable about Cleveland and Cincinnati). However, one thing I want to point out is that Columbus is actually much smaller than Seattle despite the fact that the city of Columbus is larger than the city of Seattle: whereas the population of the Seattle metro area is 3.2 million, the population of the Columbus metro area is 1.7 million. The population of the city of Columbus is artificially high because it annexed many suburban areas some time ago. Although most of it is in Franklin County, the city of Columbus actually includes portions of two other nearby counties (Delaware and Fairfield) as well.

As for the weather, it's a typical four-season Midwest climate. The swings in temperatures are a lot more drastic than what you get in Seattle. Highs are most often in the 30's and 40's and lows in the 20's in winter, although it can be much colder or warmer than that at times. Highs are most often in the 50's, 60's and 70's in both spring and fall, but fall tends to be much more tranquil than spring. Summers are humid and fairly stormy with highs most often in the 80's and lows in the 60's. On average, there are 16 days per year with highs at or above 90, 31 days per year with highs at or below 32, and 113 days per year with lows at or below 32. The average annual snowfall is 29.2", and there are typically a couple of freezing rain events each year. The average annual precipitation is 38.52", which is very similar to that of Seattle; the difference is that Columbus is wetter than Seattle in summer and Seattle is wetter in winter. The growing season in Columbus typically begins in late-April and ends in mid-October.

[Gee]

Greetings Sleepless,

I was born and raised in Columbus and have also lived in several other states during a 14 year span, so I do have some comparables. Unfortunatly, I have never had the pleasure to visit Seattle. Hope this helps you get some sleep.

Since Columbus is the capital of the state of Ohio, there is a large government presence in the city. City, state, and jobs at the public Ohio State University, government and non-profit jobs provide the largest single source of employment within Columbus.

Traffic can get congested during the rush hours, but having lived in (and visited quite a few) other metro areas it is a piece of cake. The hardest commute seems to be travel from the North-south into downtown in the morning and of corse then the opposite in the evening.

As far as the weather, since you are from Hawaii it may be a huge adjustment. A typical winter is not as bad as you may have heard. In other areas of the country I have heard the hype and you would think Ohio was located at the North Pole. Typically the temp hovers around freezing with several extremely cold snaps -lasting 5-7 days thoughtout the season. For some reason here in central Ohio we manage to escape some of the more severe midwest weather. We typically get no where near the amount of snow Cleveland does (Lake effect- from Lake Erie) My main complaint is that it just lasts too long. I am ready for spring by the end of February and we are still waiting on it sometimes in April. On a happy note -- you have not seen a beautiful day until you have seen one in Central Ohio and the autumn's are gorgeous.

There is usually a festival or two within driving distance from March to December. The Ohio state fair is located here too. I am a Realtor, so please check out my website. I have links to some fun things around the area and you can also search for homes by neighborhood/areas & school districts. Columbus is located in Franklin county. German Villiage incorporates the area just south of downtown so is within 3 miles and Merion is just south of German Village. Grandview is a little less urban and is located west of downtown 3-5 miles. It just depends on the atmosphere that you are looking for.You might also want to check out Italian & Victorian village - short north area ( within 3 miles of downtown).

Kind Regards,
Gee

[paintballer1708]

Columbus really is a great city. Its a growing city with a growing metro population as well. Everyone pretty much told you about the weather. One thing is you dont have to worry so much about the overcast days you have in Seattle. I read that Seattle has the most overcast days than any other city in the nation.

Columbus has a really nice downtown. Many new clubs and restaurants have went in around the Arena District. It has some really nice suburbs. Ones i would look into are Dublin, Delaware, Hilliard, Worthington, and parts of Lancaster County. Columbus's job market is really doing well. With an unemployment rate around 4%. It has one of the fastest growing job markets in the Midwest and NE.

[sleeplessinseattle]

Thank you for your input :-) I'll continue doing research on the neighborhoods you all have recommended. Thanks!

[Fletch10]

Winters have not been very cold for the past three years now. Columbus is a relatively simple city to get around in. But if you are looking for arts and that kind of thing Columbus compared to Seattle will likely disappoint you. There are a few offerings around Ohio State/Short North but not much to speak of.

Columbus is not really a vacation destination for people, but it is a great place to work in because of many large corporations/government presence and Ohio State. The best suburbs are Dublin, New Albany, Westerville and Upper Arlington. If you are looking closer to downtown I would recommend Grandview Heights, Bexley or German Village. Stay away from the East Side for the most part and Franklinton. The south suburbs are OK, but it is more industrial and low income.

[where_to_move]

I grew up in Tacoma WA, went to college in San Francisco, currently in COlumbus for 3 yrs...for job training...then moving again.
So I can give you my flare/input...since I am a west coastie...maybe you will feel similar to my opinions...
Culture: NOT close to Seattle or San Fran...nice attempt here, good for arts...restaurants are good too...took awhile to figure this out...I am used to having a big downtown with lots of restaurants...however, in COlumbus...you have to go to the 'burbs (with a few exceptions) for great eats....
You may feel landlocked, as I did...not having the ocean at all, no beautiful scenery either. That is the biggest depression I have with living here, you can see for miles.
I think Columbus is ok though, couldn't stay here forever...
I know tons of people from Columbus will probably hate this post, but I think it's impt to hear, esp. someone coming from the beautiful west coast.
I don't think you will find it much cheaper here.
Of course there are homes cheaper, but they are not in desirable locations.
Hilliard, Dublin, Powell, Worthington...are all nice 'burbs of Columbus with nice restaurants.
But realize no mountains, no good skiing, nothing to do in the winter but go shopping, watch OSU football, & go out to eat.

[OhioNerd]

Hi -

I stumbled on this forum while looking for some weather information.

I moved to Columbus Ohio in the fall of 2005.

I grew up in a NYC suburb. I've lived in many different places around the world and around the country. I've experienced everything from areas so rural that directions to my house included "turn off the paved road" to the ultimate urban environment. (NYC)


I say that to give you an idea of my experience with different areas.


When I moved to Columbus Ohio one of the first things that I remember thinking was; "Wow... I didn't realize it was so nice here."

If you like Football, you have the Buckeyes.

If you like Shopping, you have many malls, with Easton at the pinnacle. Picture a mall crossbread with Disneyland's architecture.

You can buy astonishingly palatial homes in the 10 million + range down to simple homes under $100,000.

Commute times are surprisingly short, no matter where you live.

The drivers here are terrible and amazingly ignorant of proper road behavior; especially in understanding the concept of a "left lane". However, the short commutes make that less of a problem.

Buckeye Lake is fairly close by and if you choose to live there for the water lifestyle, you're only looking at a 45 minute commute to city center under HEAVY traffic conditions.

There's also a dragstrip nearby if you're into that, as well as other racing venues. Mid-Ohio for instance is less than an hour away.

There are good opportunities for home buyers to the West and East of the city; and there are MANY homes available in the 100-200 range.

Weather is fairly typical for the northeastern section of the US.
HOT is generally no more than low 90's.
COLD is generally no less than low 20's.
Typical for summer is 70's & 80's, typical for winter is 30's & 40's.
Snowfall is usually less than three feet for the entire winter, some winters seeing considerably less. Also, since it's a snow-belt city, they're pretty good at cleaning it up.

All in all it's a perfectly pleasant city and suburb combination. Crime is there, as with all cities; but it's not bad.

Nightlife is obviously youth oriented because of the University, but there's plenty for older people to do as well.


To sum up...

It doesn't suck. In fact, it's pretty nice.

[paintballer1708]

Im sorry, where to move, but Columbus and the rest of Ohio are astronomically cheaper than the West Coast. My neighbors are from California and they love it here. They always tell me the horror stories of back out west. I guess some places arent for everybody though.

[sleeplessinseattle]

Thank you everyone for your input, comments and suggestions.

We have made several visits to Columbus, and I have to say that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. As a matter of fact, I found Columbus quaint and comfortable. We looked at houses in German Village, Bexley, and Granview Heights; ultimately, we chose a cute Arts & Crafts Mission style home in the Clintonville area, which suits our personality and lifestyle the most.

We are scheduled to be in Columbus the first week of December and we are looking forward to the adventure and challenges it will offer. The only thing that I have not enjoyed over the past 8 weeks has been the stress and frustration of the move, especially during the winter. All I can is moving is a bi**h, big time :-)

Thanks again!