Columbus, OH review from an upstate New Yorker who is moving back to NY (Cleveland: home, to buy)

[2006Buckeye]

Originally Posted by monkey8522

If you're honest with yourself don't you feel like you are missing out on the rest of the world? Haven't you traveled to other parts of the country or world? Also is there anything tying you down to Columbus (i.e. high paying job, family, grad school friends, or church) ?

I think I'm pretty honest, and I am not missing out on anything! As referenced in my original reply, I enjoy a comfortable lifestyle and have the resources to travel! And I do travel! You should see my passport

I know what I like and am pretty confident and opinionated, but I am not pretentious and I try not to be too judgmental. In the beginning, it was difficult to adjust to a slower pace of life and I found myself getting huffy over stupid things like people standing on the left side of the escalator. You have to let that stupid stuff go, and either adapt (or accept) the norms of the area, or carry around a lot of negativity.

My husband and I have lived in 15 different states combined (although as a self-sufficient adult I have only lived in DC and Columbus). I know I could be happy in many different places. I would love to live in London (if I inherited $50 million), and I would also be equally happy to live in Jackson Hole Wyoming (millions not required). I could be content in a city or the country, but not a suburb!

While we have good jobs and ties to our community, I don't feel like anything is tying us down. We pretty much just decided to stay after grad school and are happy here, but as much as we like it, I doubt it's our last stop. Right now, we are staying because we like it!

[Ron.]

Have fun on your trip back to upstate.

WOW...bad pizza. That's enough to make anyone relocate.

Just curious, what did you do in Columbus to improve it?

BTW, you could have brought Ny pizza to Columbus. You may have missed a biz. opp......


Did you leave yet?

Originally Posted by monkey8522

Columbus, OH review from a fed-up upstate New Yorker who is moving back to NY

Pros (1):

* Lots of chains stores and restaurants (f you are into that)

Cons (12):

* Surprisingly bad crime: including serial rapist on the loose, murders, theft, and break-ins.
* Surprisingly bad traffic between the morning rush and the evening rush from 4-6 on all the major highways
* Central Ohioans tend to be slow and incompetent drivers, often slowing down traffic due to their slow driving tendencies. It often takes a while to get anywhere in this town.
* The areas infested with parking meters have parking meter fairy hawks that often give you a citation within minutes of time being expired. And our lovely city mayor wants to INCREASE the rates.
* Cops love to pull people over for barely going over the speed limit and really for any reason at all, and they love to slam you with as many citations as possible, and construction traffic drivers BEWARE.
* Lack of cultural diversity
* Lack of intrinsic culture and uniqueness (except for save, Ohio State Football Season)
* Which brings me to: Ohio State Football season, if you are not an Ohioan you will come to loathe the term “Buckeye.”
* Bad pizza (truly Ohio Pizza is nasty, and NY pizza is unavailable here)
* Everyone around you is obese as Columbus is the 7th fattest city in the country.
* Lastly don’t let the pictures and nice internet web pages fool you about Columbus, Columbus is the worst, Nashville TN tops Columbus, and we’re talking about Naaashville, TN

*** As a final note people say Columbus is "typical" by that they mean boring and bland, so if you want boring and bland come to Columbus.

[Ron.]

First off, don't move to C'bus looking for DC. Not every city is as vibrant as DC or Chicago, blah, blah......

If you think you're going to miss the "big city" don't move to Cbus( even though Cbus is bigger in population and in land mass)

Ok, can you afford to buy a McMansion in DC? Probably not. Look at Cbus having box stores and large homes as a plus. That means 1) you have space and 2) you get waaay more for your money.

Honestly, are you planning on running the streets 24/7? I think not. I think you'll find things to do in C'bus. It's not some small town in which everyone stays home.


Stuck up people? That's funny. I'd stop reading posts and visit the city. You might find out that most of the posts you read about Cbus on this forum are totally one-sided and filled with disappointment.

You'll only be happ if you decide you want to be happy. Not to mention, what's stopping you from traveling to other places to have fun.

Even if you lived in a city like Chicago (where I live) even after a while that would get old. I don't know anyone in Chicago that always wants to hang out.

I gess since I don't need to hang out all of the time, I don't need tons and tons of stuff to do. When I want something to do, I hop on a plan or take a drive for the weekend. Problem solved.

You'll be just fine in Cbus.

Originally Posted by chesapeake83

Whoa, this is what I am worried about! I am thinking about moving to Columbus from DC, and I think I may miss the big city! Is this guy nuts or is Columbus more than a huge suburb with McMansions and big box stores? Can someone let me know about the unique culture of Cbus because the cost of living is so cheap there that I would love to move if I know I will not be bored out of my mind...

All I have gleaned from posts so far is that the upscale areas (where I want to live) are full of stuck-up people (what I don't want). Where do the educated young professionals hang out and live?

Sorry if I have offended anyone, but my new husband wants to move here to be near his family and I would like to make sure I will be happy here to before I commit to leaving DC.

[Ron.]

.
Please tell us what living a good life is, since you seem to know?
Oh, let me guess big buildings downtown, Art houses(that you probably never go to) "ethnic diversity"( people that you probably don't associate with)

Please tell us so we can start living good.


BTW, I lived in Cbus for 3 years and they city is very nice, this coming from a Chicagoan.

Originally Posted by Lulu34

I hear you monkey, the people in Columbus think they have it good, but they don't know what's good! maybe a mediocre life is their "American dream"....hmmmm sad! but I think is true

[tscrilla]

I REALLY like living in Columbus and I'm not from here. Moved here about 3 yrs ago. I hope to live here a long time because of the many great things about it. But, I do have to agree with some things that began this thread, namely the following:

Slow drivers...seriously, I am always stuck behind people going 10mph below the posted speed limit. What's that all about? 45mph does not mean 35mph, c'mon

At first I thought the football season was really fun, which it still is but I do tend to "loath" the over enthusiastic attitude for the Buckeyes.

The pizza here does suck, especially Donatos. I've tried D's pizza several times and have disliked it everytime. And, what's with cutting the pizza in squares?!? I have found one place that is pretty good and that is Taranto's.

Those are just minor gripes and they do not prevent me from loving it here. Cbus is a great town to live in.

[NY-escapee]

Yes, goodbye, Monkey. Good riddance. After living for over 8 years in Hamden, Connecticut, Rockland Co, and Orange Co NY, I can safely say...KEEP THE NORTHEAST. As for pro's...I'll give you the food overall (though nothing I've encountered in Cols or OH is bad...just more mainstream and "continental" fare). However...traffic, idiot drivers, WEATHER....and obesity??? Take the majority of the five boroughs, everything outside of Fairfield Co, CT...and all of northern New Jersey.

Please...eveyone else, do not let this individual fool you. He most likely lost his job and had to resort to heading back to a safe haven in NY to get his life back together. He seems too bitter to be much else...

[chicagoerin]

Yes, the pizza does suck. That is the only thing the OP got right.. Seriously, if someone were to open a Chicago style pizza place here they would be rich...

[Dukester]

I do agree on a number of the OP's comments and one that really sticks to mind is the Buckeye Comment. I had no interest whatsoever in the Buckeyes and when they lost a game you'd think judging by Angela Pace (circa 2000) expression (priceless as it was) that their was some catastrophic event happened in the country/world. I no longer live there (Hilliard) but I too thought Columbus was wee bit too conservative for me. I left quite a few friends back there and still keep in contact with a couple who lives in Amlin. Not all was bad for me in Columbus, there were some good things about the area but I felt it was time to move on...

[stlouislux]

I've been here a month....live in the Short North area. Have found people to be friendly, that's a big plus...I have not found Columbus to be inexpensive though -- the apartments in the Short North area are pricey, (if you want anything halfway decent) and I have found that food, (groceries) and utilities, (electricity and water) are more expensive here than Chicago!

[Alaskapat528]

Originally Posted by unusualfire

Upstate NY? Now that's laughable.

PADDLE FASTER....I HEAR BANJOS IN UPSTATE NY....LOL...JUST KIDDING. Husband is a former New Yorker.