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Thanks. In all these posts throughout the Ohio forum about which city is bigger, better, etc, I have not seen one reference to R. Buckminster Fuller, the early 20th Century visionary, inventor and philosopher. Fuller, while he was not busy inventing various "Dymaxion" devices, correctly predicted (in my opinion) that there would be two great "Megalopoli" in the eastern half of the United States. One would be "BosNyWash" which would encompass the corridor from Boston to Washington and the other would be "ChicaPitts", the entire Great Lakes basin from Chicago to Pittsburgh. As an aside, to all the proponents of the notion that Columbus is somehow special in any measure, I invite you to check out Toronto, Ontario. A clean, modern, cosmopolitan, very affluent world class city of several million people. I'm thinking it'll change your perspective a bit.
Most cities would kill to be described as clean, modern, cosmopolitan and affluent. I've been to Toronto and it's certainly a nice city. Not sure what that has to do with Columbus, however. If you're suggesting that Columbus cannot or should not promote its own strengths because another city shares some of them, then there's really not a single city in the world that could be described as special using that reasoning. There would certainly not be anything in Cincinnati or Cleveland that would be so unique as to not exist in spades elsewhere, but that also shouldn't take anything away from those cities either. We should be promoting the strengths of these cities regardless because they are all still worth promoting even with all of the NYCs or Londons or Torontos of the world, all of which share a whole lot in common themselves.
If finding a job or education weren't an issue, I'd pick Cincinnati over Columbus. I don't have statistics, but my perception is that Cbus attracts a lot of education/government/tech/corporate jobs.
I live right in the middle of the two, and if I want to go to a bigger city than Dayton I automatically think of Cinci. It's got so much character, the hills are nicer than just flat land, development along the river offers entertainment, you can see the gritty history of the city, the scars and struggles of generations before you, there are tons of museums and parks, pro sports, and I feel like there is more of a diverse culture there. I can really feel like I'm on an adventure in a big city there.
When I think of Cbus, I think of OSU, college bars, flat corn fields around the city, new cookie cutter development, a clean but bland downtown, and wealthy suburbs with shopping. The people are nice, but I imagine it all as a little bit Leave it to Beaver with strong mid-western values. Safe. Great for raising a family. Good for people scared of the world or of things that are different. I don't feel any sense of adventure. There are things to do, but it's all kind of boring.
I guess I like my cities a little dirtier and exciting But seriously, the riverfront of Cinci has cleaned up a lot in the past few years.
Oh, and not to sound racist or non PC or whatever, but I think of Cbus as one big white midwestern blob. Cinci IMO has more ethnic diversity and culture to absorb. I'm a young white girl in college, why would I want to go see more of the same?
^ I deeply appreciated this commentary on Cincinnati; your accolades can now stand with so many others written by people who have also experienced this beautiful, historic, and dynamic city, and testified to its uniqueness and strengths. Thank you.
If finding a job or education weren't an issue, I'd pick Cincinnati over Columbus. I don't have statistics, but my perception is that Cbus attracts a lot of education/government/tech/corporate jobs.
I live right in the middle of the two, and if I want to go to a bigger city than Dayton I automatically think of Cinci. It's got so much character, the hills are nicer than just flat land, development along the river offers entertainment, you can see the gritty history of the city, the scars and struggles of generations before you, there are tons of museums and parks, pro sports, and I feel like there is more of a diverse culture there. I can really feel like I'm on an adventure in a big city there.
When I think of Cbus, I think of OSU, college bars, flat corn fields around the city, new cookie cutter development, a clean but bland downtown, and wealthy suburbs with shopping. The people are nice, but I imagine it all as a little bit Leave it to Beaver with strong mid-western values. Safe. Great for raising a family. Good for people scared of the world or of things that are different. I don't feel any sense of adventure. There are things to do, but it's all kind of boring.
I guess I like my cities a little dirtier and exciting But seriously, the riverfront of Cinci has cleaned up a lot in the past few years.
Oh, and not to sound racist or non PC or whatever, but I think of Cbus as one big white midwestern blob. Cinci IMO has more ethnic diversity and culture to absorb. I'm a young white girl in college, why would I want to go see more of the same?
Cincinnati has a larger % of population that is black, but other than that, Columbus has significantly more of all other racial groups (Hispanic, Asian, Mixed, etc). Columbus also has the fastest growing racial diversity of all 3-Cs. Even the black population, which shrank in Cincinnati/Cleveland, grew almost 25% the last 10 years. So yeah, while your view of Columbus is already about 15-20 years behind the times, your view of existing diversity today is just not supportable in any way. I kind of enjoy the fact that it seems that most of the people who have such a low view of the city seem to see it as it existed in 1985, even those that have "visited" more recently. Though it also seems to be an Ohio-resident view, not so much the further out you go. It would be like me saying Cincinnati is still a hotbed of racial tension that has no development going on downtown. It's an outdated view and the city deserves better.
I did say some nice things about Cbus (specifically: clean, safe, lots of jobs, good colleges, family friendly, affluent neighborhoods), I just don't think that it's all that exciting for me personally at this time in my life. If I wanted to settle down with a family and I had to choose Ohio, Columbus wouldn't be all that bad. I am guessing that Columbus has some great school systems, and yes, it's safe around there. I don't have to worry about kids or settling down, so I just want to be more adventurous right now and Cinci IMO wins out hands down over Cbus. As for the diversity issue, I guess I just never saw it like that. I don't have any statistics to back me up, it's just a feeling that I get being there. To me, a larger black population is diverse from where I live currently (suburbia). I recently moved back to OH from Phoenix and Denver, so black is diverse from the Hispanic culture that I grew to love. When I was in Cbus I frequented parts that were tied into OSU or the suburbs, and I saw a lot of white. It's just what I perceived when I went. I still had a good time. As for your comment that I have a low view of Cbus, well that's just not true. It's just different from yours.
You said that my view was very 1985 of Columbus, but I wasn't even alive then. I was born in Las Vegas a year later! I hadn't even been to the city before 1999, and then it was just as a kid. When I was in college at Miami University, my best friend would drive down from Bowling Green and we would meet halfway in Columbus to catch concerts and walk around. That was in 2005/6. I've been back since then (2 months ago), and I still feel the same way about it. Nice place, safe place, clean place, friendly place. Just not my place.
I did say some nice things about Cbus (specifically: clean, safe, lots of jobs, good colleges, family friendly, affluent neighborhoods), I just don't think that it's all that exciting for me personally at this time in my life. If I wanted to settle down with a family and I had to choose Ohio, Columbus wouldn't be all that bad. I am guessing that Columbus has some great school systems, and yes, it's safe around there. I don't have to worry about kids or settling down, so I just want to be more adventurous right now and Cinci IMO wins out hands down over Cbus. As for the diversity issue, I guess I just never saw it like that. I don't have any statistics to back me up, it's just a feeling that I get being there. To me, a larger black population is diverse from where I live currently (suburbia). I recently moved back to OH from Phoenix and Denver, so black is diverse from the Hispanic culture that I grew to love. When I was in Cbus I frequented parts that were tied into OSU or the suburbs, and I saw a lot of white. It's just what I perceived when I went. I still had a good time. As for your comment that I have a low view of Cbus, well that's just not true. It's just different from yours.
You said that my view was very 1985 of Columbus, but I wasn't even alive then. I was born in Las Vegas a year later! I hadn't even been to the city before 1999, and then it was just as a kid. When I was in college at Miami University, my best friend would drive down from Bowling Green and we would meet halfway in Columbus to catch concerts and walk around. That was in 2005/6. I've been back since then (2 months ago), and I still feel the same way about it. Nice place, safe place, clean place, friendly place. Just not my place.
I could see you saying the suburbs are white, because in general they are. This is true of all 3-C suburbs. They are all overwhelmingly white, and have been that way nationally since the strongest days of the "white flight" movement. They are becoming more diverse over time. Places like Dublin have a huge Asian/Indian population, and parts of the West and North Sides have large populations of Hispanics and Africans immigrants. However, I really can't support your statement about that being the case on Campus, not at all. The Asian population alone around there runs upwards of 20%. 20 years ago, I would definitely agree that the city was probably one of the whitest in the nation, but not now. Foreign-born population in the city was at 11% in 2010, almost double what it was in 2000 and above those populations in Cincinnati/Cleveland.
Keep in mind another important point. Columbus' population is growing significantly faster than all others in the state, especially the other 2-Cs. The population will likely be at or near 900,000 in 2020 and be over 1 million before 2030. It will have become the largest city by population in Ohio history, surpassing Cleveland's 1950 peak. At some point you have to wonder, of all the things you believe Columbus lacks right now, will it still be lacking them in the near future given these trends? I'd say, probably not. It may be behind the curve on some things, but its best days are ahead.
^ OSU is DEFINITELY not 20% Asian. More like 5%. Ohio State is a very white place. Columbus as a whole is also much "whiter" than say, Cleveland, a majority minority city. That doesn't really make a place better or worse, but I understand the point boolouwho is making.
Keep in mind another important point. Columbus' population is growing significantly faster than all others in the state, especially the other 2-Cs. The population will likely be at or near 900,000 in 2020 and be over 1 million before 2030. It will have become the largest city by population in Ohio history, surpassing Cleveland's 1950 peak. At some point you have to wonder, of all the things you believe Columbus lacks right now, will it still be lacking them in the near future given these trends? I'd say, probably not. It may be behind the curve on some things, but its best days are ahead.
Ok...I'm willing to concede that yes, maybe there is more diversity in Columbus from your statistics. Statistics can be twisted to support anything though, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. It's just what I experienced while there and the feeling I got.
As for Columbus lacking the things that Cinci does, no, I really don't think that will change in the future. Your estimates of growing population really have nothing to do with it. Unless Columbus grows some hills and big old river, it will never have the things I like most about Cinci . I like the old architecture in Cinci, how it's a lot of old stone and an aesthetic of a former era. I like the old run down industrial buildings too, you can just see the history in them. I don't really see Cbus, or any other city really, building things like that anymore. Stone has given way to metal and glass, so even in 20 years it won't have some of the things I specifically find beautiful in Cincinnati.
Who knows, maybe in 20 years Cbus will get other things I mentioned that are cool about Cinci, like a pro football or baseball team. Maybe it will develop the patina of a working class industrial city in time. I kind of doubt it, but no one can predict the future. The point is, it's not the future. Now is now. I am me, and I like what I like. For all the statistics, I still can't tell my heart to ignore the feeling of character and history, or tell myself to stop liking hills over flat land.
My friend, we will have to agree to disagree. I appreciate your statistics, but I'm more of a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl who makes decisions based on what my heart says, not my head To each his and her own, cheers to both Columbus and Cincinnati for being awesome in their own ways
With all due respect your post is inaccurate. As a young black man who moved to Columbus from Pittsburgh I find Columbus to be a very diverse place especially compared to Pittsburgh in terms of racial diversity. You see just a little of everything and the diversity continues to increase. While Ive only been to Cincy 4-5 times, I did not see much racial diversity at all. Also if you are only visiting OSU you are really limiting yourself although I find it hard to believe that you only saw white people as you put it.
Lastly Columbus is consistently ranked in many publications as on of the top cities in the US for African Americans.
Quote:
Originally Posted by boolouwho
If finding a job or education weren't an issue, I'd pick Cincinnati over Columbus. I don't have statistics, but my perception is that Cbus attracts a lot of education/government/tech/corporate jobs.
I live right in the middle of the two, and if I want to go to a bigger city than Dayton I automatically think of Cinci. It's got so much character, the hills are nicer than just flat land, development along the river offers entertainment, you can see the gritty history of the city, the scars and struggles of generations before you, there are tons of museums and parks, pro sports, and I feel like there is more of a diverse culture there. I can really feel like I'm on an adventure in a big city there.
When I think of Cbus, I think of OSU, college bars, flat corn fields around the city, new cookie cutter development, a clean but bland downtown, and wealthy suburbs with shopping. The people are nice, but I imagine it all as a little bit Leave it to Beaver with strong mid-western values. Safe. Great for raising a family. Good for people scared of the world or of things that are different. I don't feel any sense of adventure. There are things to do, but it's all kind of boring.
I guess I like my cities a little dirtier and exciting But seriously, the riverfront of Cinci has cleaned up a lot in the past few years.
Oh, and not to sound racist or non PC or whatever, but I think of Cbus as one big white midwestern blob. Cinci IMO has more ethnic diversity and culture to absorb. I'm a young white girl in college, why would I want to go see more of the same?
With all due respect your post is inaccurate. As a young black man who moved to Columbus from Pittsburgh I find Columbus to be a very diverse place especially compared to Pittsburgh in terms of racial diversity. You see just a little of everything and the diversity continues to increase. While Ive only been to Cincy 4-5 times, I did not see much racial diversity at all. Also if you are only visiting OSU you are really limiting yourself although I find it hard to believe that you only saw white people as you put it.
Lastly Columbus is consistently ranked in many publications as on of the top cities in the US for African Americans.
Mea culpa then. Learn something new every day!
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But seriously, the riverfront of Cinci has cleaned up a lot in the past few years. 
. I like the old architecture in Cinci, how it's a lot of old stone and an aesthetic of a former era. I like the old run down industrial buildings too, you can just see the history in them. I don't really see Cbus, or any other city really, building things like that anymore. Stone has given way to metal and glass, so even in 20 years it won't have some of the things I specifically find beautiful in Cincinnati. 
