lake erie area or ohio valley? please help! (Cleveland, Cincinnati: low crime, construction)

[jaime9394]

Hi, I currently live in Florida. On the gulf coast. My husband is an oysterman and I am a nurse. The seafood industry is going downhill and the education system is worse. I have 4 kids 15,14,10,5. I want to get my kids out of here to give them more of a chance in life. We have know crime but know opportunities either. The closest walmart is 1.5 hours away. We are in the middle of nowhere.
I have family in the Ohio Valley area (Toronto). But I heard it is extremely economically depressed. I love the Lake Erie area. I lived there for about 5 years when I was little (Huron), and just visited about 2 weeks ago. Does anyone know where the jobs would be better? My husband has experience with just about any kind of construction/manual labor. He is an extremely hard worker and a very fast learner. Also, I am a little nervous about the winters on the lake. Just wondering if they're as bad as a remember? Are they about the same in the Ohio Valley as Lake Erie? Does anyone recommend any nice small towns in either of these two areas?
Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

[5Lakes]

Southeast Ohio is the most economically depressed part of the state. If you live in the Ohio Valley it's best to be closer to Cincinnati as far as job prospects go.

Winters are harsher in northern Ohio, but the snow is not much more of an issue unless you are east of Cleveland.

Some nice small towns close to Lake Erie:
Port Clinton
Marblehead
Vermilion
Fairport Harbor
Chardon
Madison

You would be better off living near Cleveland for work though.

Marietta is a nice town in the Ohio Valley, but it's far from major work centers.

[OhioHillJack]

I've lived in both areas and the Ohio Valley does not hold a candle to Lake Erie. Are the winters rougher? Certainly, but the summers are milder as well. 5Lakes has mentioned some great areas and you will not find anything in the Ohio Valley that matches the Bass Islands or Kelleys Island for recreation. Economically things are tough all over but south and southeastern Ohio are just restbelt holes. There are a few bright spots. I was goinig to mention Marietta as well, but again it's surrounded by decay. You could live there very cheaply and if you could find the right job then you could live quite well, but your chances are still much better near Cleveland. As a nurse you could not do better than University Hospitals or the Cleveland Clinic. You could practically name your salary since nurses are in such high demand. Send your husband to Cleveland State for something. Hands down - Lake Erie.

[jaime9394]

Thank you so much for your time and responses. It is so hard to try to make such a major decision from 1000 miles away. Lake Erie is kind of what I was wanting to hear. Do you happen to know which of these small towns have the best schools/lowest crime? And what do you think about Huron? We drove thru Vermilion, and it was beautiful. Any suggestions on how to go about looking for jobs for my husband? He also has his captain's liscence, do you think there might be any jobs on Lake Erie?

[5Lakes]

Originally Posted by jaime9394

Thank you so much for your time and responses. It is so hard to try to make such a major decision from 1000 miles away. Lake Erie is kind of what I was wanting to hear. Do you happen to know which of these small towns have the best schools/lowest crime? And what do you think about Huron? We drove thru Vermilion, and it was beautiful. Any suggestions on how to go about looking for jobs for my husband? He also has his captain's liscence, do you think there might be any jobs on Lake Erie?

They all have good schools and are safe.

I would say Huron is good, but not as charming as the towns I listed.

Towns along Lake Erie that you may want to be cautious about are Lorain, Ashtabula, and Sandusky. Even in those towns it depends on where you are living. Anything else is going to be low crime and have at least respectable schools.

Getting into Cleveland it can be hit and miss. Along the Lake to the west of Cleveland it is nice, especially areas like Lakewood, Rocky River, Bay Village, and Avon. Going east there are some rough spots, but east of Euclid is good. Living in these areas will put you more in a metropolitan area rather than in a small town though.

Not sure about Toledo's lake areas.

Lake Erie has an active recreational and fishing industry. There are also ferry boats that go back and forth from the Lake Erie islands, tour boats, and shipping industry boats. Other then the shipping industry, this is of course mostly seasonal.

Not really sure how to hunt for jobs other than online. It's always tough looking from another state.

[jaime9394]

Thanks so much for your help. I did look up all of the cities you listed and I really like Vermilion. It seems to be such a beautiful little town. If you think of anything else, please let me know. Again, thanks a million!