Please give advice to an Arizonan moving to Ohio! (Columbus: transplants, high crime)

[Paddington]

The schools in Ohio are average to above average by national standards. Some people here don't like the way the schools are funded, because there's a lot of tight local control over spending... Some would consider that a good thing.

Some of the urban schools can be problematic, but where aren't they problematic. Most suburban areas (even the lower middle class ones) have very decent public schools that offer enough AP classes, and are free from people being knifed on the playgrounds, Mexican gangs, narcotics dealers, etc. that are so rampant elsewhere in the country.

The poster who tried to scare you about the state of Ohio schools needs to get out a bit more and see some other parts of the country.

[Pathwalker]

Okay, before I add my responses, just let me say this first: Don't let the tornado threat freak you out. Yes, they can even happen in northern Ohio. My grandparents used to live east of Cleveland in a town called Chardon, and during the early 70's they had a tornado blow down trees right as it passed through their backyard. (Left the house untouched.) So yes, they can happen, but it's rare. We don't normally get anything above an F3 in Ohio, and while that is strong enough to cause a lot of damage, it doesn't mean that whole neighborhoods are obliterated. And generally, everyone in Ohio has a basement or shelter nearby, and if you are in one during a tornado, you will most likely not be hurt because those spaces are reinforced to withstand high winds. So while they indeed make you nervous (and personally, they freak me out), it's really not something we Ohioans walk around dreading all the time. Just pay attention to weather radars when storms are in the area, and they will tell you in which general direction the tornadoes are headed.

Now, on to your post....

Originally Posted by daisy4given

And maybe even in the summer... I've heard its REALLY humid in Ohio in the summer, and that there's LOTS of bugs.... gotta say, I'm not looking forward to that!

Despite what people may say, it CAN get very humid in Ohio. In fact, it can get oppressively muggy. You'll know the first time you try to take a shower, and immediately after you dry off, you're wet again. You'll know the first time you wake up in the middle of the night and your sheets are clinging to you because the humidity is making things so sticky. You'll know the first time you're sitting outside, and you have sweat rolling down your back even though you're not exerting yourself. You'll know the first time you go for a walk and notice the haze just "hanging" around the trees, and even though there are no clouds in the sky, it somehow isn't as pretty blue as it is during the Spring. Bottom line is: No matter where you are in Ohio, it's going to be more humid here than it will be in Arizona. We have something here called a "heat index", which is how hot it FEELS when you go outside during high humidity, as opposed to what the actually temperature might be. Believe it or not, a temperature here of about 94-95 degrees, with high humidity, is going to feel a heck of a lot worse than Phoenix when it's merely 115 with no humidity. And yes, it CAN get like that around here, but usually for no more than a week. Plus, with the humidity, some places in Ohio are worse than others. Columbus is flatter, and it's easier for the winds to blow away the haze. Here in Cincinnati, the valleys trap it and it doesn't go away until a cool front moves through. In eastern Ohio, it's worse because of all the lush vegetation and steep ravines. Now, on the up side, it's only like that for about 4 months out of the year. The rest of the time, it's not bad.

As for bugs, I actually kinda chuckled about that because the critters here aren't nearly as fear-inducing as scorpions, rattlesnakes and killer bees. Yes, we have mosquitoes, but for all the comments people make about them, they don't frequently bite. If you make sure you keep standing water at a minimum, they won't have a place to breed. Usually, being near stagnant ponds and streams is where you'll be most likely to encounter them. And if you use repellent, they avoid you. As for fireflies, yes we get those. Usually in June is when they come out.

The only other critters to speak of are wood-boring bumble bees (technically called Carpenter Bees. The males are agressive, but can't harm you because they don't have a stinger. Females DO have a stinger, but aren't agressive and usually stay in the nest. Mostly they just look scary), roaches (if you keep your house clean, they stay away), dragonflies (they hang around flowers and open fields, but won't harm you), and brown recluse spiders (but not really in the Columbus area.) There are ticks, but you just have to make sure you don't go romping around in bushes or tall grasses - and if you do, just check your legs, arms and clothing before going back inside. Plus, there ARE snakes in Ohio - but the only ones that are generally poisonous are copperheads, and they are only found in southeast Ohio - not the Columbus area. You may encounter a lizard here or there, but they are harmless.

Plus, I'm actually surprised no one has mentioned the cicadas yet. Have a look... http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...h+Images&gbv=2 THOSE are Ohio bugs, and I might add they are very fun! Some people freak out over them, but I swear they are totally harmless. The DO NOT bite, nor sting. They are simply very loud. They come out during the height of the summer (usually by late June and last through early August), fly around all over the place - sometimes landing on your head or chest, and usually on your screens. But honestly, you just take them in stride. And point of fact, they aren't that numerous unless it's a 17-year outbreak, but that won't hit again until 2021. During that time, you can have millions of them per acre, and it's hard to walk on the sidewalks without stepping on them. But again, don't let it bother you. They don't carry diseases and they don't hurt you. They won't crawl into bed with you (well, they might if you sleep outside, but they still won't hurt you.) They won't crawl into your ears, they won't breed in your hair, they won't leave their calling card on the laundry you hang out to dry. They're only interested in mating with one another. That's it. You can even pick them up by pinching their wings together, and they will move their legs and look at you with their beady red eyes, as if they are crying out "Superman, save me!" LOL. Your kids will get a kick out of them!

Let's see.....there are gnats, pill bugs, worms, waterbugs, stink bugs, caterpillars, butterflies, ladybugs, beetles, spitwongers and thumpdoodles. (Okay, so I made up those last two.) Generally speaking, the bugs in Ohio are nothing to worry about. Go ahead and play in your yard and take a walk in the woods. Heck, go ahead and play with some of the bugs! You'll be perfectly fine!

Originally Posted by daisy4given

I have been reading the message boards here and have gotten mixed messages about Ohio from many people. I guess we won't really know how WE like it until we live there... but all the same, I'd love it if you could answer any of the following questions:

What do you like about living in Ohio?

Tough question. I suppose I like the colors in the fall, and all the interesting festivals. We have a pork festival, a sauerkraut festival, and a FANTASTIC renaissance festival each August-October. There is great food, with interesting little eateries here and there. We have great zoos, wonderful parks, secret hideaways that a lot of people don't know about (including a lot of Ohioans - ask me and I'll tell you about them), great family-oriented places for fun and recreation (such as museums, amusement parks, water parks, peaceful lakes). Those are the things I like the most.

Originally Posted by daisy4given

What do you dislike about living in Ohio?

The humid summers, and bitter cold in winter (even though I love snow). The economy could be better. Strange as it may seem, I don't like all the green and trees. I mean, it can be pretty in ways (especially in the fall), but I actually think that all the overgrowth in forests and along roads is quite ugly. I've been paying attention to that a lot lately while doing my daily walks, and it makes me long for less green and more brown, or rugged rocky areas. I'm actually wanting to leave Ohio, and plan on moving west at some point soon. It's just one of those situations where I'm tired of Ohio. I want something "different" in my life now. Different landscape, different vibe, new place to explore.

Originally Posted by daisy4given

What do you think of the Columbus area?

Hard for me to answer that, because I don't live there. But the times I've been there, I wasn't particularly drawn to it. Compared to Cincinnati, it's way too flat. I'm sure it may be a nice place for some people, but it's not for me. I'm sure the people may be friendly, and it's a heck of a lot more progressive and liberal than Cincinnati.

Originally Posted by daisy4given

What advice do you have for someone who has spent their entire life in a dry desert who is coming to Ohio?

Make sure you're prepared for all the green, as well as the general change of environment. Keep in mind that Ohio's landscape isn't as "sculpted" as Arizona's. There are no rugged mountains here, although there are places where you'll find some rocky gorges, such as John Bryan State Park. You'll find that things seem a bit more grungy back here. The towns aren't as modern and they don't have that "new" look to them - lot of buildings are old. The general landscape of public areas and streetscapes aren't as manicured as in Phoenix. One home might have a nice landscaped yard, but the one next door will need to have their grass cut and shrubs trimmed, and their sidewalks will need to be edged. Here you have a tendency to find things such as grass growing through the cracks of sidewalks, and stone walls that are bulging out next to the sidewalks in front of the homes in older neighborhoods.

Make sure you're ready to face the weather changes. Not all storms in Winter will produce snow. Many times it's just cold rain, and that can be worse than the snow, I think. You'll need an assortment of sweaters, jackets and coats for the different seasons, and sometimes the temperatures can vary by as much as 30 degrees from the start of the week to the end.

Those are about the two big things I can give you advice about. You WILL be welcomed here. People won't treat you like you're unwanted, or invading their territory. More than anything, they'll be fascinated that you came to Ohio from Arizona, and will want to help you settle in and get to know "all things Ohio". Crime happens, but it's less likely out away from the cities. Not sure what Marysville is like, because there is a woman's prison up there. Have you thought about maybe living in Bellefontaine? It's farther from Columbus, but in a pretty area. Columbus would still be close enough for you to make the drive when you get a "shopping fix", or you could even go into Dayton. Plus, you would be closer to Indian Lake State Park, which is a REALLY neat area that reminds you of Florida, while at the same time reminding you of New England!

Anyway, if you want to know where some cool things are in Ohio, let me know. Hope you have a safe move!

[rklesla]

Originally Posted by daisy4given

What do you dislike about living in Ohio?

Lets say Columbus since you're moving near there and Ohio is fairly big Problems with Columbus is there is no natural fun spots. Meaning no forests, no mountains, no ocean/lake, no desert, no monumental spots. The closest lake is Lake Erie at 2 hours drive in Cleveland unless you like small 1 mile wide lakes. Some people call the areas outside Columbus a forest, but that is just areas with trees. Hocking Hills is closest to a forest with some nature and thats 1-1.5 hours drive. This is the only issues that I know of about Columbus. Columbus was known as a big town instead of a city, but that is changing some. Great place to raise a family yet still have that 'big town' experience for shopping and whatnot. The driving in Ohio is herendous. You'll notice a difference probably. Yield signs mean nothing here, someone merging into traffic will run you off the road if you don't make room for them even if you can't. Everyone else drives in the left lane for 200 miles on I-71, the trucks go 10 MPH slower so expect traffic issues on Friday's and Sunday's.

In Columbus you'll get annoyed by all the buckeye fans. Atleast that isn't all year long, just 5-6 months a year. I hope something bad doesn't happen like a nuke going off in New York City on a buckeye game day or day after otherwise you'll have to search the fine-print in the last page of the newspaper to get the news. The rest of the paper is about the buckeyes.

Originally Posted by daisy4given

What do you think of the Columbus area?

Columbus is within a one-day drive of about 60 percent of the US's population. Cities less than 500 miles from Columbus include Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta, New York, St. Louis and Washington D.C. So imagine all the nice vacations you can do with little driving.

With that in mind, the area is great for a family. Summers can be hummid, thats for sure, but fall and spring are perfect. Winters can be chilly with the winds sweeping across the plains, we really don't get much snow at all. I've lived here since 1998 and I haven't had a need for a snow shovel yet. Temps in the winter get to single digits some nights. The nightlife is good. The traffic is very nice. The crime is fairly low, and housing is cheap. The Columbus Zoo is one of the best zoo's in the country and have a great 10 year plan.

Originally Posted by daisy4given

What advice do you have for someone who has spent their entire life in a dry desert who is coming to Ohio?

Expect cold in the winter. Expect to get maybe your first heating bill :P And no more scorpions!

As for schools, I think schools all over the national are going in the tubes, so plan on Ohio's going the same direction along with everyone else. Try private or get in a subarb that has nice schools.

[yet_another_cmh_guy]

I agree with most of the replies, except the OSU stuff; it's really not that bad, especially if you've ever been to the homes of certain southern schools (Austin, anything in Alabama or Florida, etc). Columbus is far more diverse than that and we love pro football as much as college here. Find one of the larger sports bars on the north side and you can probably get the AZ Cards game on a screen if you ask. And nobody will give you grief about it. Campus locations may be different; I wouldn't know.

As for ASU, you may be able to catch a few ASU football games on Fox Sports TV (cable or dish); they've been running the Pac-10 games on Saturday evenings during college FB season. Hard to say about other sports.

[LauraPetrie]

I loved everything about Ohio - the people, the greenery, the small town feel, even the snow .. Sadly, we had to move to NJ from there I hate this place.
'twas good while it lasted !
Wish you luck and happpiness in Ohio

[CortlandGirl79]

Daisy,

Have you made it to Ohio yet?

[DonnaTate]

It's NEVER sunny in Ohio, always overcast, rainy or snowy. The summers are humid. If you had to pick a place in Ohio to move, it would definitely be Columbus. There's a LOT of variety when it comes to unique communities. You can definitely fine the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood BUT expect that process to be a long one. One neighborhood could be GREAT, but move just one block over and things get sketchy. It's like this throughout Columbus so you'll definitely have to find a good realtor or rent for a while.

[mover6]

I lived all over the U.S.,or so it feels that way, and my fondest memories are of Ohio. We lived there for 8 years and both our children were born there.
I am living in Colorado and miserable and it too is dry like your state and sunny. So what makes me long for the Westerville, Ohio days?
Very mild winters, not buried by snow at least the 8 years we were there. Colorado has horrible winters.
Very friendly people, I still email 2 ladies I met while living there 7 years ago.
The homes are beautiful, not too many cookie cutters like Denver's suburbs.
I will always remember the most beautiful home I saw in Ohio.
Parks everywhere, and large beautiful mature trees, which will be nice for you.
The schools I thought were fabulous.
If you ever long for the city life, you can drive 6 hrs. to chicago which we did a couple of times a year.
Bugs are nothing since most of the beautiful homes have lovely screened-in porches, and within a couple of hours you are looking at Lake Michigan. Worth the bug trade-off.
There are nice water parks, amusement parks, and GREAT Universities all of my nieces and nephews from other states decided to attend.

best wishes.

[bigbruce16]

man everybodys basically said it i love ohio and miss it a lot i moved to kentucky and nothing compares to the ppl places and things to do up there i was from canton though which u should check out they got the football hall of fame and william mckinleys monument not quite as good as the nfl hall of fame kind of boring but im not into that sort of stuffand cleveland is a great place to go in the summer lake erie is awesome a lot of small little private islands with vacation homes and great fishing and cedar points been picked as the worlds greatest ammusement park a couple times so those are places to check out i think anybody would like it up there cuz they got plenty of citys for ppl like me and plenty of country if u like the country ut one thing ull realize is the weather changes dramatically through the seasons so ull need a descent size closet for different jackets it never bugged me cuz i was born and raised there but if ur from arizona i dont know how itll affect u anyway good luck with the move hope everything goes good

[CortlandGirl79]

Originally Posted by bigbruce16

man everybodys basically said it i love ohio and miss it a lot i moved to kentucky and nothing compares to the ppl places and things to do up there i was from canton though which u should check out they got the football hall of fame and william mckinleys monument not quite as good as the nfl hall of fame kind of boring but im not into that sort of stuffand cleveland is a great place to go in the summer lake erie is awesome a lot of small little private islands with vacation homes and great fishing and cedar points been picked as the worlds greatest ammusement park a couple times so those are places to check out i think anybody would like it up there cuz they got plenty of citys for ppl like me and plenty of country if u like the country ut one thing ull realize is the weather changes dramatically through the seasons so ull need a descent size closet for different jackets it never bugged me cuz i was born and raised there but if ur from arizona i dont know how itll affect u anyway good luck with the move hope everything goes good

Could you please use punctuation and sentences? this was really hard to read.