Currently in Baltimore; told to check out Columbus (Mansfield, Dublin: rent, insurance)
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I've been getting some ideas on places to go from a thread I made in the General US section, and the nice people over there suggested I check out a few cities, one of them being Columbus.
I'm in my mid 20's, male, single, introverted, easy-going, somewhat self-sufficient, prefer peace and quiet, don't care about night life, don't care about politics or religion, neutral to sports, B. S. in Info Systems, A+ and Net+ certified, working on Security+, two years worth of help desk experience, two-and-a-half decades worth of living in crime-ridden neighborhood, definitely looking for something else...
I'm also sick of working at this help desk ($34k salary, and it's not really an IT job), so I plan on getting back on the job market as soon as I'm back from vacation AND I find a city I like. I've been told that there were IT jobs in Columbus.
My plan is to kill multiple birds with one stone: get a better job and finally move out into my own place in another state. COL is too high in Maryland and most IT jobs are for gov't and require a security clearance; it doesn't seem worth it.
In a few weeks, my mom sister, and I are going to Mansfield to visit some family. I've never been to Columbus, so I figure I'd maybe take a trip down there while in Ohio. I would only have a day, maybe two, to work with. How should I approach Columbus?
Is Columbus even a good fit for me, given my personality?
Heading down from Mansfield from north to south along High St I'd hit up Clintonville (everything is south of Broadway in the southern half), Old North, skip the University District from Lane to Chittenden (mainly bars and bros with bars that cater to bros), Short North, Downtown, German Village and back up to Olde Towne East just east of Downtown and Franklinton just west of Downtown. There are plenty of crime-ridden neighborhoods were you to move there and get homesick. As far as being introverted, hell, the Midwest in general is more introverted than the coasts without a doubt: even if you go to a bar you'll likely not have any interactions aside from the bartender. It's assumed that if you wanted to socialize there you're either on a date or with friends: if you're alone you're left alone.
Clintonville is a quiet, but rather walkable neighborhood in the southern portion: I lived near a great beer store,vegan bakery, guitar-maker shop, coffee shop, two supermarkets, a co-op grocery store, a BBQ food truck, Asian markets (one with live frogs), a pizza joint that makes its own yummy sausage,a solid Middle Eastern restaurant, etc. Not heavy on bars: only a handful despite how large the neighborhood is, so since you mentioned your disinterest in bars it already sounds like a match based on that.
Old North is where more artists live, especially musicians since it's cheaper than Clintonville and hosts numerous live music venues (you have to head east to Summit Ave for some) and a good amount of ethnic restaurants, not to mention a coffee-shop/bar/record store/bookstore. Definitely the most outwardly non-mainstream neighborhood in the city.
Short North is chock-full of coffee shops, art galleries and plenty of higher-end boutiques and fancy bars and restaurants.
Downtown is still a mixed bag: check out Gay St just east of High where arguably the best coffee shop in the city sits and just down an adjacent alley are some cheap, delicious Venezuelan dishes. More restaurant-bars are in the immediate area and a great bike shop a block north. 4th St is cool...well, the one block that wasn't torn down for parking lots or drab offices anyway. There's a popular hotdog joint, a retro-themed restaurant, and a bar full of arcade games (yes it's a bar, but it has Mortal Kombat II and The Simpsons). Check out the Scioto Mile and Columbus Commons right off of High St for a riverfront park and local park full of summer activities respectively.
German Village is quiet and brick-everything: the streets,sidewalks,homes: all brick. It's also higher-end: pricey restaurants, homes, and a great pastry shop along with a couple of German restaurants. Pretty easy to just wander around and run into Schiller Park.
Olde Towne East is full of large old homes and there are a few restaurants,bars, and coffee shops on a short stretch of Parsons and Oak: the closer to that area the better: gets iffy near Main. Franklinton, the east 1/3 anyway, has seen a good amount of interesting things: an indoor food truck spot, artist housing, new restaurant-bar, both of these neighborhoods are more affordable and have seen improvements closer to Downtown which is easy to see where they happened and where they haven't yet as you head further out.
Heading down from Mansfield from north to south along High St I'd hit up Clintonville (everything is south of Broadway in the southern half), Old North, skip the University District from Lane to Chittenden (mainly bars and bros with bars that cater to bros), Short North, Downtown, German Village and back up to Olde Towne East just east of Downtown and Franklinton just west of Downtown. There are plenty of crime-ridden neighborhoods were you to move there and get homesick. As far as being introverted, hell, the Midwest in general is more introverted than the coasts without a doubt: even if you go to a bar you'll likely not have any interactions aside from the bartender. It's assumed that if you wanted to socialize there you're either on a date or with friends: if you're alone you're left alone.
Thanks for the list! It looks like Clintonville, Old North, and Downtown are good matches already. I will definitely stop by and take a look.
Crime is another issue for me. I looked at the crime stats, and although the crime rate in Columbus wasn't as high as Baltimore's (as of 2011 and 2012), it still seemed a bit on the high side. But it is a bigger city. I'll just avoid the sketchy parts.
I have a car, so I probably won't be using public transportation much. I probably find out myself, but how would you rate the traffic? Is it chock full of aggression like it seems to be in Baltimore?
I am surprised you were not able to get a better job in IT in the Baltimore area but I know that finding a job in IT also depends on your skill set. Columbus is ok for IT depending on they type of job that you are looking for in IT. If you are a developer then you can probably find a decent job anywhere. Have you tried North Carolina for IT jobs? I have friends in IT that are just starting out and found decent jobs in IT there. Good luck!!
I am surprised you were not able to get a better job in IT in the Baltimore area but I know that finding a job in IT also depends on your skill set. Columbus is ok for IT depending on they type of job that you are looking for in IT. If you are a developer then you can probably find a decent job anywhere. Have you tried North Carolina for IT jobs? I have friends in IT that are just starting out and found decent jobs in IT there. Good luck!!
I've been told to also look at Raleigh, NC. I have family in High Point; I just need to plan that trip with them when I get back from Ohio. Columbus first.
This job actually started off as an internship. This is NO tech company, but I thought that if I stayed, I'd pick up a few skills so I can move on, kind of seeing what it's like working in an office. It didn't even become a full-time job until a year and a half after I graduated, AND they low-ball me on the salary.
I've been saving money and picking up skills outside of work (Security+ in progress, some Linux skills, LPIC next). The important thing for me is finding the next job in the next few months. I'm sick of Baltimore, and the rest of Maryland is too expensive, so I'm looking in other states.
Check out a company in Cbus called Navigator Management Partners. They do IT implementation and consulting. The headquarters is in Cbus and they have offices in Baltimore, Phoenix and Chicago. Not sure of your background and skill set but they are hiring like crazy and have tripled in size in the last 5 years.
I think Columbus is a good fit for you. Although, you probably won't be able to afford living downtown or in the Short North or anything like that. Well, not unless you rent a studio. Those places are expensive (about $1000/month for a studio). They're nice places to visit though.
Honestly, I prefer the suburbs anyway. It's quieter, especially on the outside of 270. It's a bit more rural (I like that) and a lot cheaper. Plus, downtown is still only 15 minutes away from most of the suburbs. The majority of Columbus is safe. I don't think anywhere is really scary during the day. There are some places I would avoid at night though - mostly on the East side. This crime map is located on the CPD website and you can use it to check out crime. It's pretty easy to tell where the scary areas are.
Traffic in Columbus can be a nightmare during rush hour, especially if you're driving in an area with construction going on (feels like Columbus' freeways have been under construction for 10 years now...). Columbus is very aggressive with driving I think. I come from a rural country town and the driving style is so different. Where I'm from, people are polite, will wave you through, are generally slow, etc... Columbus isn't without any of that but if you want to get where you're going, you're going to have to be aggressive. I don't mean be a jerk to fellow drivers. But don't poke around switching lanes, turning and whatnot.
EDIT: Wanted to add, avoid OSU campus like the plague if you don't want to be around rowdy college students. I lived on campus once and within a 2 week period I had someone light a Chipotle bag on fire and throw it on my roof and shortly after someone set a mattress by the dumpster on fire and almost caught my place on fire.
That sounds like a better idea for me, living outside the city, working in the city.
Columbus sounds similar to Baltimore, only bigger in size and a bit safer. The last time I've been to Ohio, I have noticed that drivers (in Mansfield at least, not in the bigger cities) were a lot more courteous. Here, people are aggressive in the city and the suburbs. I'm used to stiff traffic; adjusting to the easy-going drivers will be the tough part.
I've been told by someone else to stay away from the OSU campus. The place doesn't sound too pleasant.
That sounds like a better idea for me, living outside the city, working in the city.
Columbus sounds similar to Baltimore, only bigger in size and a bit safer. The last time I've been to Ohio, I have noticed that drivers (in Mansfield at least, not in the bigger cities) were a lot more courteous. Here, people are aggressive in the city and the suburbs. I'm used to stiff traffic; adjusting to the easy-going drivers will be the tough part.
I've been told by someone else to stay away from the OSU campus. The place doesn't sound too pleasant.
Two and a half weeks left!
Ohio State Campus is what it is...a very large college (highest student population of any campus in America)...and it caters to them...so you get what you get...a great place to be if you are a student...a place to avoid if you aren't one.
One thing I always tell people no matter where you move to...if you can, move close to where the job is...$4/gallon gas gets expensive...plus if you aren't the type that has to go out a lot, then it is especially good to live close to your work...Most of Columbus big job centers aren't downtown (except for Nationwide Insurance, Huntington Bank, or the State Gov't)...most larger companies are located in different suburban office parks...for instance the Logistics Company I work for is in Dublin, outside of the 270 Loop off Rt 33....what this means is potentially many of the IT jobs available will be in these suburban office parks which can make it so you could rent an apt in the same suburbs and keep your commute time to a minimum, keep the cost of gas and wear and tear on your car to a minimum...and be in much safer quieter areas...I do this...the added bonus is I can get home for lunch every day and not have to buy lunch at my buildings cafeteria or any of the plethora of restaraunts around the office, again saving me $7-10 a day. I do enjoy to go out, especially downtown or short north areas, and so yes it takes me 20 min to get to those areas...but I do that maybe 2-3 times a month...I go to work 5 times a week...so I'd rather be close to work than close to entertainment areas.
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