Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Ohio > Columbus
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 09-09-2015, 07:36 AM
 
30 posts, read 46,035 times
Reputation: 43

Advertisements

Hello,

My husband's work is thinking of relocating him to Columbus. We will be visiting soon to try to get a feel for the city. We lived in Cleveland briefly pre-recession but never made it to even visit Columbus so we don't know much about Columbus other than that everyone we knew in Cleveland who went to OSU loved it and talked smack about Cleveland. We both really enjoyed Cleveland and lived in the University Heights area.

We currently live in Houston. We like a lot of aspects and don't like others. We like the cost of living and how accessible everything is... by that I mean it's a very unpretentious city, very laid back. There are lots of great restaurants, museums, etc. I don't like having to drive everywhere, not a big fan of the materialism. A lot of people here just eat and shop because frankly those are the two best things to do here. I prefer a place with more parks and hiking areas, more walkable. Hubby and I have a baby and two dogs. He will be working in Groveport area, and doesn't mind commuting for work. My company has an office near Groveport I can relocate to, or potentially just telecommute. We are both in our early 30s. He is into cooking and likes love music. I like yoga, reading, running and traveling (day trips and international). Neither of us is into football (we don't dislike it, we are just not rabid fans by any means.)

(1) what neighborhoods should we check out when we visit Columbus? I have Clintonville, Bexley and Grandview on my to-see list.

(2) what's the commute to Groveport like?

(3) are those areas good for a young family?

(4) our mortgage right now is $1500 for a 4 br/2ba in a quiet and safe suburb. is it possible to get something in Columbus in a desirable location for that price?

(5) we are both young professionals, and won't know many people in the area. will it be hard to make friends? I've heard that people in Columbus are rude (my experience in Cleveland was that it was easy to make friends and we knew all of our neighbors even in the short time we were there.)

(6) do you think we will like it in Columbus?

thanks in advance!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 09-09-2015, 08:15 AM
 
22 posts, read 42,919 times
Reputation: 11
1. Those are great neighborhoods to check out for young families. Also check out Italian Village and Victorian Village as they are the Short North neighborhoods, and are really beautiful.

2. Groveport is probably 15-20 minutes by highway from most of the city, unless you are on the far north side.

3. Those areas are great for young families. Great schools, great neighborhoods. Along the same vein, Upper Arlington would be good to look at. If you want to be in the city, those are the best options. Otherwise there are a lot of excellent suburbs too.

4. I think you will do just fine financially. Renting or buying, $1500 a month is probably on the high side for that, unless you're in one of the really nice areas. Cost of living in Columbus is quite low.

5. Making friends is more based on what you are interested in. There's a great music scene in local venues and it's not too hard to get tapped into that. Great churches, great civic associations, it really just depends on what you're into. There's probably a group of people who are into that.

As far as neighbors go, my wife and I just bought a house in the Old North neighborhood (just south of Clintonville) and my neighbors have gone out of their way to meet us.

6. Personally, I love it. There is most everything you would want in a big city, without the downsides. It isn't super expensive, there are great restaurants, great arts scene, and the people are great(at least in my experience). I came in from Minnesota 4 years ago, and feel as though the people are just as nice here as they are there(Minnesotans being nice is a stereotype).
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-09-2015, 11:49 AM
 
11,610 posts, read 10,294,253 times
Reputation: 7213
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lowkeykennyg View Post
great arts scene
Columbus does not have a great arts scene, especially compared with Houston.

As far as the music scene, it depends on the genre of interest to your husband. E.g., Shadowbox Live is one of the more unique venues in Ohio for fans of rock music. With Ohio State's TBDBITL resident in Columbus, it is a mecca for fans of marching bands and band music. For classical music, you aren't far from Blossom Music Center or even Severance Hall in Cleveland.

http://www.shadowboxlive.org/

Ohio somewhat uniquely compared to other states has great Metro (county or multi-county) park systems. These somewhat resemble nature preserves with some development for recreational purposes.

Given your interest in parks, certainly research the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks and visit them before making a residence decision. They are very good. Battelle Darby Creek even has a small bison herd.

Park Locations Map - Metro Parks - Central Ohio Park System

Bison born at Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, just in time for Mother's Day | The Columbus Dispatch

There are a couple National Natural Landmarks in the immediate Columbus area, and several more nearby.

NPS: Explore Nature » NNL » States

Columbus has a very good zoo and the affiliated The Wilds a couple hours to the East.

https://thewilds.columbuszoo.org/

Perhaps given the fact that you lived in Cleveland, you know the great charm of the rural areas in the rolling Allegheny foothills northeast of Columbus. Check out the Mohican Region and Ohio Amish Country here:

Cleveland: Day Trips - TripAdvisor

Both are within a couple hours of Columbus.

There are some very good state parks close to Columbus, especially Hocking Hills, which Fodor's rated as one of the best state parks in the U.S.

Here are a couple other not often discussed gems in the area:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/wayne/

https://www.aep.com/environment/conservation/recland/

COSI is a great science museum for kids.

There are some great events in the area, such as the Ohio State Fair'; Red, White and Boom; and the Circleville Pumpkin Show.

http://www.pumpkinshow.com/

As you like day trips, check out this travel forum:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum...i265-Ohio.html

If you look at nearby communities, such as Pickerington or Canal Winchester, check out municipal income taxes and residential credits. The communities on your short list are among the more expensive for housing in Columbus.

https://visitfairfieldcountyoh.org/city-parks.php

You can check schools for any community here:

Pickerington Schools - Pickerington Ohio School Ratings - Public and Private

Dayton is nearby and offers many attractions:

Dayton: Aviation History Mecca of the World - TripAdvisor

As you don't appear to be big sports fans, the paucity of pro sports in Columbus likely won't bother you. If you need a cultural fix, Cleveland and Cincinnati are relatively close.

With the parks being a likely upgrade, you'll probably be very happy in Columbus.

Last edited by WRnative; 09-09-2015 at 12:31 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-09-2015, 12:53 PM
 
382 posts, read 507,276 times
Reputation: 505
Currently live in a Bexley and absolutely love it. Bexley is a top 5 school district for the entire state of Ohio. Highly walkable and close to downtown. Clintonville and Grandview are also great options. Everything in Cbus is 20 min away unless it is rush hour or an accident.

Columbus is obviously going to not offer everything that Houston can, it is still a city that is trying to figure out itself as a major metro or college town. In some ways this is actually a good thing. Prices are low here still and every year Cbus gains a little more quantity of restaurants and entertainment.

Hocking hills is my my number one recommendation for hiking near Cbus and is the most beautiful part of Ohio Imo.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-09-2015, 08:05 PM
 
30 posts, read 46,035 times
Reputation: 43
Wow, thank you for these very helpful replies. I will be sure to add to the list of things to check out for my visit. Hocking Hills looks gorgeous.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-10-2015, 01:08 AM
 
11,610 posts, read 10,294,253 times
Reputation: 7213
Here are some additional threads that may at least provide some day trip ideas.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/dayto...-weekends.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/colum...-columbus.html

In Chillicothe, perhaps check out Adena Mansion & Gardens.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-10-2015, 04:35 AM
 
11,610 posts, read 10,294,253 times
Reputation: 7213
Columbus does have a jazz orchestra and symphony orchestra, and Ohio State offers orchestra and band concerts. They just aren't at the same level as in older or larger cities with more established institutions.

The Columbus Museum of Art is enjoyable, but again lags behind some of the better art museums in Ohio.

The Wexner Center at Ohio State sometimes offers some very good arts exhibits. Definitely check out its exhibit schedule for the time of your visit.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-10-2015, 11:02 AM
 
259 posts, read 425,272 times
Reputation: 207
If you are interested in good public schools, I would suggest looking closely at suburban districts that offer the other criteria you are looking for. We love Worthington, but it would be quite a hike to Groveport. For schools and a reasonable commute, I would say Bexley, New Albany, and Grandview might be the closest suburban neighborhoods. I don't know a enough about the schools in Hilliard or Gahanna to recommend them, but they may be worth a look. If you are willing to pay for private schools or negotiate the gauntlet of trying to get a good quality education in Columbus Public schools, Beechwold, Clintonville and the areas around Grandview but not in Grandview schools might be worth a look.

As a young family, you are in an excellent position to get to know other young families. I would try to choose a location where you think you might want to live long-term so you will continue to be near the friends you will make at your children's activities/playgroups/schools. At the very least, try to identify an area you want to live in long-term before your oldest child enters kindergarten.

I wonder where you might have heard people in Columbus are rude? I tend to find people in Columbus to be very Midwester-friendly. But like most Midwesterners it takes a bit of time to jump past that superficial friendliness into real friendships, but with a shared interested or activity (like having children!), it should be much easier. I would guess that Columbus is culturally very different from Texas, but people are very nice nevertheless.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-11-2015, 07:49 AM
 
30 posts, read 46,035 times
Reputation: 43
Sounds like it would be a good idea to rent first and get to know some areas before buying. We have 5 years before our son is in school so some time to check things out.

A couple more questions:

How are the mosquitos in the summer?
I haven't dealt with snow for quite some time now and I'm trying to remember what it's like... is a covered garage a must have?
Do people eat out a lot in Columbus? Houston folks eat out a ton, like 2-3 times a week on average I've heard and anecdotally that seems about right. Just wondering as this factors into cost of living. Right now every social outing pretty much also has a restaurant meal attached to it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-11-2015, 03:47 PM
 
Location: Columbus, OH
1,058 posts, read 1,237,882 times
Reputation: 1779
Quote:
Originally Posted by jj2015 View Post
Sounds like it would be a good idea to rent first and get to know some areas before buying. We have 5 years before our son is in school so some time to check things out.

A couple more questions:

How are the mosquitos in the summer?
I haven't dealt with snow for quite some time now and I'm trying to remember what it's like... is a covered garage a must have?
Do people eat out a lot in Columbus? Houston folks eat out a ton, like 2-3 times a week on average I've heard and anecdotally that seems about right. Just wondering as this factors into cost of living. Right now every social outing pretty much also has a restaurant meal attached to it.
Mosquitos, like most areas with higher summer humidity, can be bad. Worse if you live near ponds or a river.

Snow isn't too bad here. A lot of 1-3" mainly at a time. Rarely do we get more than 6"...maybe once a year.

Plenty of restaurants to choose from. Everything is different in regards to eating out or at home. Depends on your budget.

Columbus is a good city to live in, but not great.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Ohio > Columbus

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top