Circleville-more than just Pumpkins? (Columbus, Akron: fit in, houses, neighborhoods)

[zipscott]

What is Circleville like? I may be relocating to Columbus from the Akron area soon, and really don't know much about the area. Would the commute be ok to downtown Columbus from Circleville? Also concerned if the town is welcoming to newcomers and if the schools are decent (2 small children). I like the fact Circleville has a downtown presence, instead of strip mall suburbia that is all too common.

[ulsterscot]

I work with a guy who drives in from Circleville every day. He has lived there his whole life and loves it. I'll ask him about the schools on Monday.

[LancasterNative]

Howdy zipscott! I've been to Circleville many times, and it's a great little community. I have a couple good friends who grew up there. Nice people down there overall. Circleville has a charming downtown and some beautiful historic houses & buildings. I would surmise the economy there is largely based on agriculture and small-scale manufacturing/distribution, with some commercial/service activity too. And of course, the pumpkin show really is amazing...but there's clearly more to "Round Town" than just pumpkins.

[kprincesssparkle]

i wouldn't recommend the commute...its a ***** just driving down the for the show each year, downtown columbus traffic is bad enough during the day and rush hour.....

[todzwif]

I, too, am interested in Circleville and am wondering about the area, schools, etc.

[xcountrymover]

Circleville is a nice small charming town, and people seem welcoming, but that is as far as it goes. Unless you've lived there forever, don't expect to 'fit in'. Too many 'small minded' people. The positives are that it's still small enough to know everyone - and safe to let your kids ride their bikes in the neighborhoods. Pumpkin Show time is lots of fun - the whole town shuts down, schools are out, and everyone gets their fill of pumpkin pizza ; )

I know their schools have had budget cuts in the past few years. My sister and her husband knew a builder that sold them a house there, so they moved there without knowing these things.

[Mexdavet]

I grew up in Circleville but haven't lived there since I graduated from college, got married and moved away. That was almost 40 years ago, and it hasn't changed much since then. It was a wonderful place to grow up, a storybook little town where everyone knew one another. But that's probably the only negative, too: there are lots of small-minded people who can't see beyond the boundaries of *****way County, and if you didn't grow up there, you'll always be an outsider. The restaurant scene is dreadful; mostly fastfood chains. Cultural activities are limited, and the political atmosphere is stifling. But it's close to Columbus, which is in a renaissance and has lots to offer. Someone else made an interesting comment about Circleville being a "typical Appalachian town," which is very true even though it's located on the plains northwest of the Southern Ohio hills. Newscaster Paul Harvey once referred to Circleville as "the Peyton Place of the Midwest" because of a scandal that made national headlines. But it remains a delightful little town, especially during the four days of the Circleville Pumpkin Show, which the whole community lives for.

[bichita13]

Even though this is an old thread, I have to reply to the topic as I was born and raised in Circleville.

DO NOT MOVE TO CIRCLEVILLE WITH CHILDREN! The education systems are beyond terrible. If you're wondering why, do some reading on the unconstitutional system of Ohio's school funding system (based on property taxes), which basically means that rural and small town schools will be left to rot. My own high school (Logan Elm) was operating at nearly double its capacity in 2003, with the surplus students packed into trailers that had been repeatedly condemned by the health department. Ohio's school funding means that the schools in Circleville will never have enough money to fix up their buildings, enough money to hire good teachers, enough money to buy books more than once every fifteen years.

Education aside, it's a very clique-y area with few family names that run everything. Sadly, it is also one of the largest drug trafficking centers in the Midwest.

Your children will be deprived of a decent education and, in all likelihood, be exposed to drug and alcohol at a very early age because, for lack of better options, that's just what the small town kids like to do there.

It's a beautiful little town, a great place to visit. I still return every year for Pumpkin Show. But I cannot emphasize enough that it is a terrible place to raise children.