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Old 05-12-2015, 09:20 PM
 
Location: Florida
11,669 posts, read 17,896,879 times
Reputation: 8239

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I have a few phone interviews with companies in Columbus and expect more to come along soon. It is very possible that I may actually get a job there and relocate! So I have some questions, since I've never been there.

1. Do you think Columbus is a good place for a single 31 year old gay guy to relocate to and live for the long term? Are there things to do for 30-somethings there? I'm assuming yes, but have heard that it might be more geared toward 20-somethings. I just want to make sure that I'll fit in. I have also heard that there is brain drain and many college students leave for other cities after they graduate. True or false?

2. Is it possible to buy a single family small house in a nonfamily oriented neighborhood that's quiet and safe? My budget would be under $250K.

3. Do you think traffic and stress is better than what I currently have to deal with here on the east coast with I-95 and fast paced lifestyle?

4. Are there any dangerous wildlife animals or plants that I should be concerned about in central Ohio?

5. What culture shock, if any, would an east coast transplant experience? I have been to Cleveland and didn't really experience any culture shock at all. I know Columbus is only a 2 hour drive from Cleveland, but I heard it's more Midwestern cultured.

6. Do Columbus people have accents compared to Clevelanders?

7. With all the growth being experienced in Columbus, is it one of those places with high traffic volume (like Atlanta) on the roads in general? And parking lots constantly packed full?

8. What if I don't care about sports at all?

9. Are the roads in the Columbus metro as terrible as they are in the Cleveland metro?

Last edited by nep321; 05-12-2015 at 09:36 PM..
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Old 05-12-2015, 10:22 PM
 
90 posts, read 110,185 times
Reputation: 80
1. Yes, quite a good place. Visiting would give you a better idea of course, but neighborhoods like the Short North, Old Town East, and German Village are very LGBT-friendly and full of things to do.

2. Yes, housing costs are very reasonable in general and not caring about school districts will open up a lot more areas, especially in the city-proper, to consider.

3. Stress from traffic here is nothing like it is on the east coast. The worst of it is during rush hour from the northern/northwest suburban areas (Polaris, Powell, Dublin, etc) to/from downtown. Even then, it's not that bad.

4. Not really. Poison ivy? I think that's about it.

5. Not much at all. Personally, having lived on the east coast, I think people in Columbus are more friendly in general but YMMV. Cost of living is lower, so you'll be saving money on most things which is always a plus.

6. No, Ohioans are accent-deprived for the most part except for subtle differences.

7. People will complain about traffic and parking (especially around the Short North), but it's really not bad at all. Generally you can get anywhere in town in around 20-30 mins. If you're willing to walk a bit from your parking spot to your destination, and are open to using public transportation at times (gallery hop, festivals, etc) you won't have many complaints, if any.

8. You might find it annoying to be right on campus during a home OSU football game, but otherwise just tune it out and there are plenty of other things to do/keep your interest in.

9. I think our roads are pretty good generally. Cleveland has a much worse freeze/thaw cycle being on the lake, so I'd say Cbus roads are better than theirs at least.
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Old 05-13-2015, 07:24 AM
 
Location: Florida
11,669 posts, read 17,896,879 times
Reputation: 8239
Quote:
Originally Posted by captainclipper View Post
1. Yes, quite a good place. Visiting would give you a better idea of course, but neighborhoods like the Short North, Old Town East, and German Village are very LGBT-friendly and full of things to do.

2. Yes, housing costs are very reasonable in general and not caring about school districts will open up a lot more areas, especially in the city-proper, to consider.

3. Stress from traffic here is nothing like it is on the east coast. The worst of it is during rush hour from the northern/northwest suburban areas (Polaris, Powell, Dublin, etc) to/from downtown. Even then, it's not that bad.

4. Not really. Poison ivy? I think that's about it.

5. Not much at all. Personally, having lived on the east coast, I think people in Columbus are more friendly in general but YMMV. Cost of living is lower, so you'll be saving money on most things which is always a plus.

6. No, Ohioans are accent-deprived for the most part except for subtle differences.

7. People will complain about traffic and parking (especially around the Short North), but it's really not bad at all. Generally you can get anywhere in town in around 20-30 mins. If you're willing to walk a bit from your parking spot to your destination, and are open to using public transportation at times (gallery hop, festivals, etc) you won't have many complaints, if any.

8. You might find it annoying to be right on campus during a home OSU football game, but otherwise just tune it out and there are plenty of other things to do/keep your interest in.

9. I think our roads are pretty good generally. Cleveland has a much worse freeze/thaw cycle being on the lake, so I'd say Cbus roads are better than theirs at least.
Wow....very perfect answers...thanks! This thread may be closed!

Sounds good and I hope it works out!!
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Old 05-13-2015, 03:00 PM
 
1,692 posts, read 1,956,030 times
Reputation: 1190
Quote:
Originally Posted by nep321 View Post
I have a few phone interviews with companies in Columbus and expect more to come along soon. It is very possible that I may actually get a job there and relocate! So I have some questions, since I've never been there.

1. Do you think Columbus is a good place for a single 31 year old gay guy to relocate to and live for the long term? Are there things to do for 30-somethings there? I'm assuming yes, but have heard that it might be more geared toward 20-somethings. I just want to make sure that I'll fit in. I have also heard that there is brain drain and many college students leave for other cities after they graduate. True or false?
Absolutely a great place. There's a large gay community here, especially in the central neighborhoods (Clintonville, Short North, German Village). Take a look at groups on meetup.com - there's tons of stuff going on

2. Is it possible to buy a single family small house in a nonfamily oriented neighborhood that's quiet and safe? My budget would be under $250K.
Yes. Clintonville would be a great option. I'd suggest German Village, but 250K is not enough to get something there.

3. Do you think traffic and stress is better than what I currently have to deal with here on the east coast with I-95 and fast paced lifestyle?
My partner spent a year living in Wilmington, Delaware, and even there, even though it's a small city, traffic is worse than Columbus. Traffic is getting worse here as the city grows, but if you live and work in a central location, it won't be a huge issue.

5. What culture shock, if any, would an east coast transplant experience? I have been to Cleveland and didn't really experience any culture shock at all. I know Columbus is only a 2 hour drive from Cleveland, but I heard it's more Midwestern cultured.
People are friendlier here. The central areas of the city are increasingly cosmopolitan so you shouldn't notice a huge difference.
6. Do Columbus people have accents compared to Clevelanders?
Yes. But the accent here is far more neutral.

7. With all the growth being experienced in Columbus, is it one of those places with high traffic volume (like Atlanta) on the roads in general? And parking lots constantly packed full?
Not at all. If you live in the Short North you will find problems with parking, but that doesn't seem to be what you're looking for

8. What if I don't care about sports at all?
I don't, and it doesn't matter. The Buckeyes are huge, but it's quite easy to live is blissful ignorance.

9. Are the roads in the Columbus metro as terrible as they are in the Cleveland metro?
I would say no, but I'm not that familiar with Cleveland.
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Old 05-13-2015, 05:47 PM
 
Location: Florida
11,669 posts, read 17,896,879 times
Reputation: 8239
Can you guys suggest me some companies to check for job postings? I really want this to work out and I'm starting to get nervous that it might not work out. So far, I have three phone interviews lined up with three different major employers. But are there any others? I won't say which ones I'm interviewing with, but here are some that I have already checked for job postings and am already aware of:

Wendy's
Abercrombie
Express
DSW
Cardinal Health
NiSource
Citi
General Employment
Hexion
OCLC

Know of anymore that I could lookup?
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Old 05-14-2015, 09:02 AM
 
Location: Atlanta metro (Cobb County)
3,123 posts, read 2,179,127 times
Reputation: 4152
L Brands and Nationwide may be worth checking out.
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Old 05-14-2015, 02:27 PM
 
1,692 posts, read 1,956,030 times
Reputation: 1190
Quote:
Originally Posted by nep321 View Post
Can you guys suggest me some companies to check for job postings? I really want this to work out and I'm starting to get nervous that it might not work out. So far, I have three phone interviews lined up with three different major employers. But are there any others? I won't say which ones I'm interviewing with, but here are some that I have already checked for job postings and am already aware of:

Wendy's
Abercrombie
Express
DSW
Cardinal Health
NiSource
Citi
General Employment
Hexion
OCLC

Know of anymore that I could lookup?
Get yourself on LinkedIn. My partner was just contacted for a great job there by a recruiter - which he got. The economy is pretty hot in central Ohio.
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Old 05-14-2015, 10:34 PM
 
Location: Florida
11,669 posts, read 17,896,879 times
Reputation: 8239
Quote:
Originally Posted by jas75 View Post
L Brands and Nationwide may be worth checking out.
Thanks! Nationwide has a job opening for me and I applied to it. Thanks for suggesting that. I don't fit the qualifications exactly, but I applied anyway!
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Old 05-15-2015, 08:56 AM
 
Location: Florida
11,669 posts, read 17,896,879 times
Reputation: 8239
So now I have 3 phone interviews scheduled for next week with Cbus companies. Can you believe it??

However, this morning, I had a phone call with one of the companys' HR recruiters and she asked me why I was interested in Cbus, and I told her it's because I'm looking to relocate to a better cost of living area with more career opportunities. I also mentioned that I have friends in the area (even though they're really in Cleveland). She then told me that when I have the real interview with the actual hiring manager, that I should mention that I have friends in the area and that my interest in Cbus is not just a shot in the dark.

But I feel like I lied now, because my friends are actually in Cleveland. I don't have any friends in Cbus. But I mean...I could just make new friends, right?! Why the heck is this a requirement to take a job, even though I'm qualified?!

What should I do?!
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Old 05-15-2015, 11:28 AM
 
172 posts, read 253,957 times
Reputation: 147
Quote:
Originally Posted by nep321 View Post
So now I have 3 phone interviews scheduled for next week with Cbus companies. Can you believe it??

However, this morning, I had a phone call with one of the companys' HR recruiters and she asked me why I was interested in Cbus, and I told her it's because I'm looking to relocate to a better cost of living area with more career opportunities. I also mentioned that I have friends in the area (even though they're really in Cleveland). She then told me that when I have the real interview with the actual hiring manager, that I should mention that I have friends in the area and that my interest in Cbus is not just a shot in the dark.

But I feel like I lied now, because my friends are actually in Cleveland. I don't have any friends in Cbus. But I mean...I could just make new friends, right?! Why the heck is this a requirement to take a job, even though I'm qualified?!

What should I do?!
dude .... I think you are over-thinking the whole thing. First, I doubt the person you spoke to on the phone interview will mention to the hiring manager that you have friends in the area. But I can understand why they may like to hear that you have friends close by ........ if you relocate and don't make friends quickly ... or don't have family in the area ...... they might think you could become dissatisfied with your new home and move on to greener pastures. Then they would have to go through the hiring process again.

Just mention that you have friends in Ohio and that makes Columbus an attractive place for you to relocate.

Good Luck!
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