Is Lancaster an option? (Columbus, Groveport: low income, foreclosures, crime)

[urpalmaryann00]

Hi, i have a post tiltle hillbilly... but really needed to ask about lancatser..is it safe? are the schools good? thanks, i will be moving in june to get near my ex, for daughters sake, in groveport and also newark, for my school...thanks for any help

[NewToCA]

The forum had a pretty good discussion about Lancaster earlier this year. Here is a link to the thread discussion, it was pretty thorough and balanced in describing life there:

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

[mattbward]

I grew up in Southern Lancaster, went to county school and left Lancaster for good in 1998 to move to Columbus then to North Carolina.

Lancaster, Ohio is not very racially diverse. No problems with people having an interacial couple, they don't particularly frown on it, but the older generation might.

In terms of things to do? Not enough options for youth. Used to have a dance club for teenagers way back in the day that gave them something to do called Justeens but it was closed down for some reason.

The town is conservative, but mainly because it has a large older population. Every time I think about my life in Lancaster the thought of living amongst the elderly comes to mind. Now, there is nothing wrong with that, except for the fact that they can't drive, they don't like change, they vote (dammit), they are not open to new ideas (like inter-racial dating), they get ordinances passed (like the noise ordinance put in to place in 2000 I believe making it illegal to play music that is audible from more then 50 feet away inside city limits- Yet Harely's and cars with intentionally loud exhausts are fine). It is hard for youth in Lancaster in my opinion. They are given little options.

Older folks don't want levees to pass because they don't want their taxes to go up (for schools and parks and such) so it's hard to make progress (I think this might be in many places in America.

Oh, but they DID just get a Wal-Mart! Woooohooo!

Lancaster has a lot of potential, it just needs to attract more younger entreprenuers to come in and breath some youthful life back into it.

Now the big positives are the nature that can be seen all around Lancaster. Such as Rising Park (great memories of that places from childhood). This park has a pond in the middle where only children are allowed to fish. To this day I have never found another pond in a park that is like that. Also, anyone that has every lived in Lancaster has climbed to the top of Mount Pleasant (more like Large Rocky Hill Pleasant) but it does allow you to overlook the majority of the city from the top.

Lots of lakes, parks and trails, such as Alley Park a few miles to the south. This park has three lakes all with public fishing.

Good parts of town?
Most of it, you can live in a crime free neighborhood just about anywhere. The only somewhat rough parts of town in my memory was the west side between Pierce Avenue and Memorial Drive then between Fair Avenue and Lincoln Avenue. It's not really "rough" either. It just means that is where the working class that aren't rich live and where police spent much of their time.

Oh, and Lancaster Motel just south of downtown off Broadstreet is pretty crackheadish. Not to mention don't stop for a drink at The Bottle Cap (on the way to Lancater Motel).

I agree about not living in the cookie cutter new suburbs in Lancaster. Those things are depreciating faster then most houses because of the fact that folks can come in and have a house built to their requirements for the same price as buying one that already exists that is not quite what they wanted.... My sister is in that boat living just off Ety Road just south of the Meijer...

[xmelax38]

I know this is years later since this post, but incase someone is doing a search and looking to move here and sees this thread, I wanted to put my 2 cents in. Lancaster is not what it used to be. It is becoming like Columbus, the bad part of it. It is becoming a ghetto of sorts. Over run by drugs, crime and more. I am afraid to leave my house and afraid to go outside. I am in hopes of leaving this h...hole sometime! It used to be a nice place to live, but more people are moving here from Columbus and Mexico and wherever else and it is turning into a crime town! It is growing too fast and becoming over populated! If I were anyone wanting to move to a nice town, do not move here. Nice it is not!

[JilliO]

OK, I'm going to chime in here too... old discussion board, but in case someone is looking now re: Lancaster.

Lancaster, dangerous? what?

It is not a ghetto. It's a lovely town. Parks are wonderful. Parks department second to none for a town of this size and its tax base. Lancaster Festival in the summer, fabulous. I grew up here, still have the majority of my family here, and am in town 7-8 times a year because I still have work-related projects in the area. Serious, emelax38, really?

[HPY1]

Lancaster is a great safe little town. I only skimmed the other replies to this thread but what I read seems to be dead on (I disagree with Xmelax38 completely) My wife is from Lancaster I went to OU-Lancaster for a period of time and even lived in Lancaster for about 1 year. There are pockets of low income areas but Lancaster does not have the crime that Columbus (or even Groveport) has IMO.

Lancaster has also been hit with economic issues in the city government and seen its fair share of foreclosures.

Lancaster is not the same as it was 10-15 ears ago. It has grown. It is getting many new residents from other parts of the state but it is also getting many new businesses to go along with the growing population. The rush hour drive to Columbus is becoming more and more crowded.

FYI there is a strong and growing drug problem in the area. The local police have made many major narcotic Rx busts as well as Heroine and Meth busts of the last few years. This isn't that uncommon compared to many other portions of the state and country.

Hope that helps.