Sorry, found Ohio not so appealing... (Columbus, Cleveland: sales, hotels, to buy)

[OneWayOut]

Originally Posted by misshome

one way- just thought i'd add my 2cents worth. The desert landscape is going to take some time to get used to. The mountains in the background are pretty though. But when ever you are watching t.v. and you see trees and green grass you will get a little homesick.For me christmas is really hard without the snow and cold temperatures. I think learning to adjust to the desert scenery has been a big part of my homesickness too. It's a whole different world here out west. (i'm the one now in vegas)Good Luck!!!!

Thanks, and I agree. There is always the family to visit back east when I miss the green!

I view it as an adventure. Hopefully it will be as good as it seems it will be.

[misshome]

ONEWAY-You are so right,if we could go back home and visit every now and then i think it would make a big difference. Unfortunately for me we haven't had the money to be able to get back and visit.And that sucks! The holidays are extra hard when you can't be with your family.You sound like you are single too.I think that makes it easier, i'm out here with my husband and 3 children.

[OneWayOut]

Originally Posted by misshome

ONEWAY-You are so right,if we could go back home and visit every now and then i think it would make a big difference. Unfortunately for me we haven't had the money to be able to get back and visit.And that sucks! The holidays are extra hard when you can't be with your family.You sound like you are single too.I think that makes it easier, i'm out here with my husband and 3 children.

It is much harder planning a trip with a family for sure. I am single, for now , and hopefully when I eventually do have a family, I will be able to still head back east and visit. I have found phone calls help out alot too. It was tough when I first moved here to Ohio. I hope you will be able to visit your hometown soon. Best of luck to you.

That is another worry about moving another 2000 miles farther west, it will be even more difficult to keep in touch with family. Plus, I am moving there alone, so I will have to start all over meeting friends again. Everyone I know now will again be just a phone call away, so that will help.

[paintballer1708]

Oneway, that is a term we use all the time, "its growing out then up", i hate to see that sometimes, but its sprawl. Cities like Miami and Las Vegas are trying to tackle that problem by building highrise condos, Cincinnati is starting to do the same thing, but our sprawl is not near as bad as those two. Phoenix will start seeing a new skyline appear with in the next decade as more corporations are moving into downtowns.

And about the landscaping out there. It can really be nice. I remember in Tucson seeing a development with stones for grass. It was weird to me growing up in Western Pennsylvania, but it was nice. It probaly doesnt need a lot of work to take care of it.

[kavawaka]

I am in this forum as we are thinkng of moving to OH. We've looked at a lot places and most are not affordable for what we want (incl. OR where we moved from 1 year ago). One interesting piece of the puzzle we've been looking at is crime rate.
Onewayout, AZ may be #1 on your list, but did you know that it was also #1 for total highest crime rate in 2002? NC is not far down the list. OH, overall, is quite a ways down the list. Of course, these are statewide stats and not specific to any given town. The crime issue has become a concern because we are currently living in 2002's #3 state, NM.
Good luck in your quest. I know how difficult it is to find the right place but also know that everyplace has its good and bad.

[OneWayOut]

Originally Posted by kavawaka

I am in this forum as we are thinkng of moving to OH. We've looked at a lot places and most are not affordable for what we want (incl. OR where we moved from 1 year ago). One interesting piece of the puzzle we've been looking at is crime rate.
Onewayout, AZ may be #1 on your list, but did you know that it was also #1 for total highest crime rate in 2002? NC is not far down the list. OH, overall, is quite a ways down the list. Of course, these are statewide stats and not specific to any given town. The crime issue has become a concern because we are currently living in 2002's #3 state, NM.
Good luck in your quest. I know how difficult it is to find the right place but also know that everyplace has its good and bad.

Yeah, I am aware of the crime rate. I do not rely on statistics at all, just use them to get a tiny clue about something, a place to start if you will. Phoenix is just like anywhere, there are good and bad parts, high and low crime. The neighboor hood I was looking at in Scottsdale was half the national average. I found several other places too that were way below the national average, and several way above it. I also got some advice from two police departments there.

Yeah, Ohio does have a lower crime average then many states, but you still have your bad pockets just like anywhere. Toledo for example has a higher crime rate than the national average, and it is a pretty small city compared to most. But also, there are neighborhoods here with half the national average.

So take those statistics with a grain of salt. The best thing to do is visit for a week at least, and ask the locals (police, fire, anyone else) about crime rates, and how they like it, what there is to do, etc. That is what I did with Phoenix, and the responses were promising. The police told me the areas to avoid, and where the lowest crime rates are. You can tell alot too just by driving thru a neighborhood.

Good luck in your move.

[paintballer1708]

I know one reason that down in the Southwestern states having a high crime index is due to immigration. That is not the total problem, but a large part of it comes from that. When i was in Albuquerque, NM about three years ago the main problem facing the city was the crime rate. I have no idea where it ranks today on a national level or the whole state's crime for that matter. Another problem they are facing are the school systems. They arent doing too well.

[klosk]

Hi There, Well to begin with I do agree with you. I was born and raised in Cincy. After being gone for only two years I went back for a visit and found people very rude. People in the west (in general) are much more polite and I have noticed the same in the south. Now, I disagree about Arizona, as I visit Tucson and Phoenix very often. Both are very hot in the summer and phoenix is very humid due to the amount of swimming pools there. It is a border state and you have alot of mexican immigrants there (both legal and illegal). The crime is very high. My sister lives in Tucson and my sister in law lives in Phoenix. I live in Abq. New Mexico and it is the same. Just something to consider.

[klosk]

Originally Posted by paintballer1708

Oneway, that is a term we use all the time, "its growing out then up", i hate to see that sometimes, but its sprawl. Cities like Miami and Las Vegas are trying to tackle that problem by building highrise condos, Cincinnati is starting to do the same thing, but our sprawl is not near as bad as those two. Phoenix will start seeing a new skyline appear with in the next decade as more corporations are moving into downtowns.

And about the landscaping out there. It can really be nice. I remember in Tucson seeing a development with stones for grass. It was weird to me growing up in Western Pennsylvania, but it was nice. It probaly doesnt need a lot of work to take care of it.

LOL, Stones for grass? LOL these are called river rock. There is a reason for this. There is no rain out here in the desert!!!! Therefore, we have NO WATER!!! So we resort to xeriscaping. In some areas like Albuquerque, New Mexico you will receive a rebate on your water bill if you xeriscape your lawn. There are rules and regs you must follow. Also you will receive another rebate for low flow toilets and for rain barrel installation. As far as easy care, well really it isn't. You have to lay plastic and other fabrics down before laying the river rock and then the weeds still come through. So you are forever pulling weeds. But it does cut down on water usage which is a precious commodity here in the desert. The need for water is very bad out here this is why we are moving to the south. I am really tired of river rocks, catcus and brown.

[OneWayOut]

Originally Posted by klosk

Hi There, Well to begin with I do agree with you. I was born and raised in Cincy. After being gone for only two years I went back for a visit and found people very rude. People in the west (in general) are much more polite and I have noticed the same in the south. Now, I disagree about Arizona, as I visit Tucson and Phoenix very often. Both are very hot in the summer and phoenix is very humid due to the amount of swimming pools there. It is a border state and you have alot of mexican immigrants there (both legal and illegal). The crime is very high. My sister lives in Tucson and my sister in law lives in Phoenix. I live in Abq. New Mexico and it is the same. Just something to consider.

I got a positive feeling from most everyone I spoke with there, which made it a great experience. Even the guy at a gas station asked how my day was, not the normal grunts and annoyed looks I get around here, while just buying gas or a soda. (and before someone mentions it I do run into nice people here in Ohio so..) I visited a few bars one night on the Mill avenue strip in Tempe, Gordon Biersch and Margureita Rocks (*sp?) and I could not believe how open and friendly everyone was.

I do see the immigrant situation and high crime as an issue, but that goes along with choosing the correct area to live in and watching your back. People have told me many of the illegals have no remorse and will rob you blind. They also say alot of the gangsters move here from California because of their 3 strike law (which Arizona needs to adopt). Pardon the stereotype, but thats the general consensus there. That is definately one of the negatives of living there. I am honestly a little concerned about the safety of my cars, because of the high auto theft rate. They will both be getting Lo-Jacked before the move. I also have an Ohio concealed carry permit and a .45, so that is an added bonus, lol.

I was there in June, and know all about the heat. It was 105-115 the whole time. I will trade that any day for Ohio winters. We even hiked the Camelback mountain trail (awesome) in it. We each had a gallon jug of water and were fine. Humidity was in the 5-8% range, and it felt nothing at all like the sweltering 70% humidity and 90 degrees here, where you walk outside and instantly feel like your in a bowl of soup. It was hot, dont get me wrong, but tolerable for now.