Which City Represents Ohio The Best? Urban/ Rural (Columbus, Cleveland: neighborhood, university)

[escilade18]

Originally Posted by Traveler87

All you do it talk about big boats. That is definatly a great indicator that Michigan's economy is doing wonders. Congrats on your big boat, but I was in Michigan a few weeks ago and foreclosed homes, abandoned lots, vacant commercial plazas, terrible roads, dead city neighborhoods littered the place.

And that is any different from cities such as Cleveland or Youngstown how? Much of Detroit is still healthy, is it just normalizing it's population from rapid growth and has the bones to become a great city once the storm settles.

[AkronOhio44320]

Originally Posted by ram2

there is nothing high-tech about dayton.

lol

[DaytonGuy]

I voted Cincinnatti because its my favorite Ohio city. Ohio is so different on each corner that no city can define the entire state.

[SWOH]

Interesting discussion earlier in this thread, definitely worth a read!

Anyways, although I agree Ohio is far too diverse to characterize into one city, I still think Hamilton hits pretty close.

It has one rich side of town and one poor, loads of suburban "growth" on its edges, architectural styles seen commonly in both Cincy, Cleveland, and the cities in between, close to farm fields and other metropolitan areas, and is just now beginning to revitalize, slowly. Strong industrial heritage, a few ethnic areas, cool historic districts, and both strong positive and negative image.

[natininja]

I voted Columbus, but after reading through some of the thread, I think Dayton may have been the better choice.

Cbus has a diversity of areas, with most of it being suburban. It's butted right up against a greenbelt, which for an Ohio city is pretty unique but I was thinking it helped represent the rural parts of the state. The main thing that makes Cbus not work is that its economy is doing much better than the state as a whole.

Dayton has the opposite problem, in that its economy is doing much worse. But its architecture is kind of average for the state. I liked the point someone made about Dayton being a bit smaller than the main cities, which is how Ohio's main cities are to the more major cities in the country.

If you combine Cbus and Dayton, I think they do a pretty good job of representing the state. No one city can do it, though, and nielworms2 hit the nail in the beginning that some areas are just too anomalous to fit with the rest, or to be represented by anything other than themselves.

[dxdtdemon]

I guess one thing I like to use to classify this state is that Cedarville and Yellow Springs are so close to each other distance-wise, but yet so different in every other way, but they peacefully coexist together. It is great that unlike other parts of the country, you can experience a diversity of ideologies by just travelling a short distance in any direction.

[sheena12]

See, it goes like this. "Cleveland ROCKS!" . Ian Curtis.

[streetcreed]

I dont really see how a "city" can best represent the state urban wise and rurally?

That makes no sense. There's really no "city" in Ohio that is going to be anything like a rural part of the state or small town. Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus are the complete opposite of a rural part of the state. This question is just strange.

And those voting for Cleveland and Columbus, they are really quite different than the rest of the state (in my opinion) especially Columbus. It is a almost purely white collar city, great economy, with a progressive liberal lean. How is it really like the state at all?

Cleveland atleast grew in an industrial way like the majority of the state. Really just a silly question though.

[pontiac51]

Columbus is both urban and rural at the same time. Think about it. You can go to a great urban neighborhood like German Village, and then drive a few miles and play with the horses and cows!!! And pick come corn!!!

[L0ve]

What about the Amish regions that extend beyond Holmes county. And dont forget the SE region that is very Appalachian with a lot of VERY rural hill people.

I would like to see Canton, Medina and Wooster on the list. What about New Philadelphia?

Ohio has a little bit of everything all in one state.