Sorry, found Ohio not so appealing... (Cleveland, Cincinnati: school closings, closing, place to live)

[Giesela]

I grew up close to the Ohio Indiana line. I have lived on the east coast, spent a year in Cleveland, now Nebraska with 6+ months in TX in there along the way.
I love Michigan don't get me wrong. But I sort of agree with the original poster on some things. Mostly lack of open friendliness and sort of an unconscious rudeness. You don't know its not like that everywhere till you go someplace else then it hits you like a ton of bricks.
I will probably be leaving Neb and moving to Dayton. I'm not looking forward to the change in "culture" (and I don't mean art or music). Nebraskans are are the politest, most helpful decent people I've ever met.
After moving around and living in different parts of the country I started to think of Michiganders as sort of red-neck, clannish, closed off. I grew up close enought to Toledo to think its about the same.
I still love the topography, geography and the nature it holds though so I'll be going back. Wish I could transplant Nebraskans though.

[Torn2pieces]

Just for the record - I do not live in Ohio as of yet...But, Soda is called pop where i am (Kansas) they use the word sweeper for vacuum as well. While I'm on it, they say sack instead of bag. I find it cute actually.

[Pilliod Njaim]

I dare anyone to support this town. Someone list good things about this city. Try it. And don't come at me with **** from Cleveland or Cincy, or CBus, etc.

Sure (all within metro Toledo):

-one of the best/most complete zoos in America
-one of the best art museums in the world
-some of the best freshwater fishing anywhere
-sailing/swimming/fishing/parasailing on Lake Erie
-boating on the Maumee River
-a nationally-ranked metroparks system, including Oak Openings and Sidecut
-the Toledo Mud Hens and Fifth Third Field
-a vibrant arts scene
-Luna Pier
-one of the best charter high schools in America (The Toledo school for the Arts)
-one of the largest Islamic Mosques on the continent
-Ohio's largest Mexican barrio (La Viva)
-a very rich Lebanese and Syrian history
-some of the best Middle Eastern food anywhere in America
-the largest Arab-American festival in Ohio
-ethnic festivals of every kind just about every week of summer (the Polish, Mexican, Latin-American, Arab, Lebanese, Syrian, Hungarian, Irish, and German festivals)
-one of America's largest Polish enclaves (LaGrange)
-the jazz legacy left behind by Art Tatum and John Hendricks
-Murphy's on the Water, a nationally acclaimed jazz club
-Lyfe Jennings
-The Old West End
-America's largest collection of Late Edwardian and Victorian homes
-one of the busiest shipping ports on the Great Lakes
-major maritime and rail history
-some of the best freshwater marshes in America (Maumee Bay area)
-great variety of avian life, Toledo is a top bird destination

The fact that someone is complaining about mayflies and mosquitoes tells you just how easily they are annoyed. Are there more bugs in Toledo than other cities? Sure, the place was built on a ****ing SWAMP, but who cares? Bugs are the least of my worries...

The "Kentucky accent" is only present in Southwestern and Southeastern Ohio, not Toledo. I've heard a few interior Midwest accents (like Indiana) in Toledo, but NEVER a Kentucky accent. Toledo mostly speaks Michigan/Detroit-style.

Do some Toledoans say "yep" instead of "thank you"?- Damn straight they do, but again, who cares? "Thank you" is just a robotic retail response anyway. Can Toledoans be rude and impolite?- sure, but that can be said about any city, and part of the perceived "rudeness" is just because Toledoans tend to use vulgar/obscene language more openly than in some other places...

are there lots of Camaros??? Hell no, I have no clue where that came from. I personally haven't seen a Camaro in years. The Toledo area hardly has ANY trailer courts, and there is little to no stereotypical "white trash" to speak of. Now "white ghetto"...that's a different story.

No Sunshine? I got news for ya, Toledo is actually Ohio's SUNNIEST city. It gets the LEAST amount of rain in the summer. Oneway must of just seen a bad summer. 2006 was Toledo's rainiest summer in history, so I suspect that's where his sentiment came from. Just a couple years ago, Toledo went over a month WITHOUT rain. One thing I noticed about Toledo is that summer rain normally comes in the form of an extremely violent thunderstrom (much more intense than most places), and then afterwards, the skies clear. I love that. When I lived in Toledo, it was actually rare to have a whole summer day be dreary and overcast. I now live in southern Ohio, and the weather is markedly different in summer. There are fewer thunderstorms, more rain, more overcast days, and it is every bit as hot/humid as Toledo. Toledo tends to have more weather extremes (tornado to sunshine, blizzard to 60 degrees), and that's saying a lot since this is Ohio we're talking about. I personally like the weather in Toledo more than where I live now.

Teen pregnancies? No worse than any other Midwestern city I've seen. If you want to talk about sex, you should have noted that Toledo has an above-average AIDS rate.

Are there sports bars? Yep, this is OHIO, the birthplace of BW3's, Frickers, etc.

But Toledo actually has fewer sports bars than the other cities in the state. The sports bars are mainly in the suburbs. The CITY bars tend to be nightclubs, lounges, or neighborhood hangouts. There's some good ones too...

It sounds like the people bashing Toledo chose to live in a neighborhood they hated, or just didn't have much tolerance for those differant from themselves. Judging by the things they complained about, they would hate just about anything in Ohio, Michigan, or Indiana. Hell, onewayout likes PHOENIX. That's worlds different from anything in Ohio or Michigan...

If you like Phoenix, you probably will hate Ohio (Ohio is colder, greener, completely different landscapes, has water, etc.). I won't deny that Toledo's economy is somewhat weak right now, but the same can be said about almost all of the Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The rust belt syndrome has persisted, but that doesn't mean the area is unlivable, it just means you got to work a little harder to find a good job.

[Pilliod Njaim]

I lived in Northwest Ohio/Southeast Michigan for 18 years, and found it to be a beautiful place. I too had trouble making friends, but that was because of some serious health problems I had, not a specific problem with the people.

[htlong]

can anyone recall who linndale louie was, and what he was famous for?

[angelina1982]

hello, everyone I new in here and please do excuse my grammer it not very great.I want to say, I not original from ohio, but live here about 16 yr in southern ohio in jackson co. I will have to say since i lived here i have felt and out sider and still do. i trasfer up with walmart and the some of the people were ok and then some are not, but again you get that every where, but i never seen it as bad as southern ohio. you try to get to know the people and they act like they dont want to do anything with you, it like they talk at work and off work it like nothing.i go grocery shopping and look at people name to get to know them and tell them have a good day and thank you, and no response.i never seen anything like this in a small town. it over I think 10 thosand people in my town.like i said when you live here for 16 yrs and go in the same grocery store and same people, they are still unkind.I will admit if i could find a better area to move i would, but i have 3 kids and very hard to make ends meet. the kids are so unhappy here my one son that plays sports he has 1 friend he might get to stay the night with, they wish they could moved b/c they dont have friends,I not joking one bit. it makes me cry at times, what so bad is i work for the school as a cook, and still i meet alot nice teacher and alot bad one, but still if you not from here they dont associate with you what i mean is they talk but off work it a differnt story. it like work and that it.so i kinda know a little what he says, but i cant say much about toledo never been there. I will say this much the online support for autism awaremness for the northeast are wonderful people, this summer my one son that autisitc he got to clevland indian games thru the autism thing, the kids they hated the long 4in half hr drive, but they like it, after we got there, i really enjoy cleveland the people were so nice, it was so differnt then down home here in southern ohio. i was so confused where to park and things, the people that i ask they would tell me how to get where i neede to go.i ended up getting a hotel and took kids swimming at edgewater park, it not like gulf coast ot atlantic ocean, but i thought it was awesome. the people on the beach all nationalty was nice to me.i enjoy my time there, i just didnt like the traffic, it total diff then charelston SC were i lived.I been to sandusky for one summer i took the kids to the waterpark and it was nice, i think that a pretty place and people were nice there too, and columbus now, that a big city that confusing sorta more, but i like around the canal winchester area nice, i got lost in canal win and there was some black people that i ask for help where a place my son wanted to go called EB games well the black family was so nice they went out of there way and got on the cell phone as one of there family member ask where one was. i keep saying that ok, they said hey it no problem. i keep saying thank you, and they would say back welcome, and even when i got lost in clevland going toward the side that people said dont go by b/c it a bad area, well i was just trying to go toward beach, cant think now, but they say it be 25 min away east. so i was trying to turn around and i ended up by all black area where they hang by the water front, i admit i was a dap scared, but not that much b/c i have lived in chareleston SC and there alot things go on town down you have to watch at night anyway. so i just turn around and was polite and they were nice to me. so i will have to say other part of ohio is nicer, you just got to look for that area and no someone that can guide you. but in any state they all have there falls, you might not see it in the one area. i was a navy bratt so i been around alot of down south more then up north.i can say south carolina it differnce b/c of the racial of red necks, charleston 80 precent blacks, and they the 2 nationalty are always fighting to figure who derserve what more. charelston a beautiful town, but it still a town think of the old days and ways exspecailly downtown are the whites stay on one side and the blacks has there side. and at night there a place called the battery the white and mixed are out, but when it comes to dark time then the black people that has made they sanaction at night and you see all the white leave. like i said charelston nice it histroical town, but it still has it, points, i want say it but you all know what i refer too.that sad, why cant we all live equal. down south it hot then hick, your always sweating and the bugs are horrible, i moved here for the snow and get away from the heat, but sometimes, i feel like i bring the humid and hot weather here. for fla my granparent retired in pensacola, now that nice place to live, but i will admite the jobs are hard to find and the with all the hurricanes and stuff it crazy, i been thru HUGO if anyone remeber that one.that was my last yr i lived in SC. never forget that. i rather take the winter anyday over hurricanes. b/c you cant replace the items the tornado suck up in there web it gone. for GA it as bad or worst then SC b/c there alot of red necks there too and klu klan, still hiding around down there and having there crosses and burining them. for arizona, i never lived there only by pass, i heard it very hot the humid it differnt then over here. for OREGON, i heard you want to stay away, i even thought of that place one time, and a perosn told me Oregon is not a place you want to be unless you really have a professional degree the perosn told me, that the people in oregeon would eat me alive, not 100 precent what he ment, but he said them people out there is for they loook out for there selfs. he said that state not like it use to be. North carolina, i dont really know, i thru it when i got to charelston, but i like charolett, sorry spelling wrong, i hope you the best to find a nice place and it probaly the best way is word of mouth and go visit and check it out before you make a big decision b/c it might cost you dearly in the long run. b/c if you not happy where you go then your stuck and might not be able to get back to where you want to be.that what scare me know, i would love to move to a little bigger city with nice people and so my kids can get the education they needs and make friends and go to a Ymca, and other nice things zoos and so on, but i like to make sure that i am going to be happy before that move, b/c it might be a worst nightmare then what you think. the only good thing i have in this town is my job it dont pay but 10.00 an hr but i am home with my kids when they are, i dont have to have babysitter, god forbid if i did, i would be lost they have to go with me b/c like i said this town is not like out siders. but that something i have to try to decide do i stay here b/c my job give me the time with my kids when there off, or do i go some where bigger and have to find babysitter and cant find a job that will let me be with my kids. b/c working for the school as a cook it very hard to get in the system it took me over 5 yrs to get into the system and i work total as a sub and stuff 8 yr. it very hard to find good jobs like that b/c i can tell you wally world wont care if you kids sick, they dont care if there no school, you have to be there. i just hope the best, i could say more about other states, but i just did in the area i know and lived in. i hope i didnt cause noone upset with me in here, i was just trying my 2 cents in what i been thru, but i also have brag about some parts of ohio too. i new in here and i looking around at area of relocating maybe. oh well i hope i didnt step on toes and make anyone mad, i want to make friends. ps i do call soda still tho i lived up here. what i figure out this is just my theory, they used to called soft drinks soda pop and and the south keep the soda and the north keep the pop end of it. oh well they all still lol at me the kids at school, when i say bye y-all and see y-all later and soda. well you all have a good day and nice talking to you. angelina

[MsPlusModel]

This thread is hilarious!! It's all about what you make it. I love Toledo, but I'm moving away. I want a new start somewhere else, as I've been here all my life. I've traveled many places outside of the Midwest and found many of the same characteristics: language, jargon, customs, weather. It's all relative.

For heaven's sake, it's a Midwestern city, so it will have midwestern qualities. You'll always find something rant about wherever you live, but to those who posted the positives (THANKS!!), those cannot be denied. Toledo is family oriented and yep, we like sports. Again, we're a Midwestern city!! As I mentioned before, I'm relocating...to another Midwestern city. So there's not a need for me to complain about the weather, since I already know what it'll be like. No need to ***** about the people, because I can and will be friendly wherever I go.

Be positive wherever you decide to move. You get back what you attract.

[OneWayOut]

Originally Posted by MsPlusModel

This thread is hilarious!! It's all about what you make it. I love Toledo, but I'm moving away. I want a new start somewhere else, as I've been here all my life. I've traveled many places outside of the Midwest and found many of the same characteristics: language, jargon, customs, weather. It's all relative.

For heaven's sake, it's a Midwestern city, so it will have midwestern qualities. You'll always find something rant about wherever you live, but to those who posted the positives (THANKS!!), those cannot be denied. Toledo is family oriented and yep, we like sports. Again, we're a Midwestern city!! As I mentioned before, I'm relocating...to another Midwestern city. So there's not a need for me to complain about the weather, since I already know what it'll be like. No need to ***** about the people, because I can and will be friendly wherever I go.

Be positive wherever you decide to move. You get back what you attract.

I can agree with you here-- to a point. It depends on your lifestyle and what makes you the happiest as far as I am concerned. You have to like your job (which is very important to me) first, because you spend the most time there, and second your home, and surroundings. Of course, immediate family is #1 (I am single, so), but everything must come together. I am not so happy about being 2000 miles away from my relatives, but living in a place that fulfills my interests makes up for it. Relatives are a simple phone call and plane ticket away.

I have to say that I am enjoying my new employment much better here so far than back in OH. I think that, combined with few things I was really interested in being readily available, contributed to my bad experience with Toledo.

[Donna7]

Onewayout, I'm glad to know that you're doing well - thanks for the update. Glad that you're enjoying Phoenix and your new job there.

As for the Midwest; some love it, some don't - I am one that does not feel that the Midwest is my cup of tea at this point in my life; mainly due to the winters and greyish, dreary days. For those that are not affected by lack of sunlight, and are not familiar with the depression that seems to set in gradually, it might be hard for you to fully understand what this means. It's not the "inconvenience" of shoveling snow, wearing more clothing, whatever, it's something that affects much more. I feel that I'm literally "hibernating" during the winter, even though I'm out and about. I feel that four to five months of every years are not being lived to the fullest due to having to be indoors so much. The first day of sun, and birds singing, I feel like a different person.

In any case, glad that you're doing well, Onewayout. Wishing you continued blessings and happiness out there in Phoenix!

[Manhattan-ite]

I think Ohio is depressing. Very depressing! But I would much rather live there than in Phoenix!! Home of the 120 degrees, heat waves, crime waves, endless sprawl, no downtown, awful traffic, uncontrolled growth, spiraling murder rate, air and water pollution and so on...

Yeah, there are reasons to live or leave any place on earth. This could go on forever.