Want to leave Ohio.... (Cleveland, Dayton: transplants, homes, colleges)

[Daytrepper]

Hi all; long time looker, mostly at the demographics section of the site; first time registered-poster .

I've lived in northwest Ohio all my life, born and raised here. Ive decided after 27 years its time to go. Every time I turn around it seems greener pastures are everywhere. Ive got a great job here which I really enjoy, but to me living life to the fullest is more important. Work and money isnt everything. in all honesty, there is not much that interests me round these here parts, lol. I would just about take a pay-cut to be able to leave here and go somewhere more interesting. This area is too average--basically a middle size town in the middle of the middle west--nothing spectacular--quite dull lately to be honest.

Anyways, relocating is mind-boggling. I've travelled to at least 20 different states in the last 3 years, and all have pros, cons, the list goes on and on. Over the last 18 months I checked out; Portland OR, Salt Lake City UT, Billings MT, Charleston SC, Phoenix AZ, Las Vegas, Yakima WA, Providence RI, Savannah GA, Minot ND, Toronto Ontario, and Daytona Beach, FL -- It's become extremely hard to make a decision on where to go--there are so many places I would like to move-- almost ready to put a map of the US on the wall and throw a dart at it blindfolded (pretty much how I pick my next travel destination), and wherever it sticks, go there. Ive got a few weeks of vacation coming this year, and would like to narrow things down and do some more final research.

Basically, im looking for mild weather, mountains, (its dead flat here) decent cost of living--except when the area would make up for an expensive cost of living--oceans are a plus, and high natural disaster frequency (hurricanes, etc) are a huge con. I live in the country now-- and would like to keep it that way, but be close to a major city--depending.....

In a nutshell, im a 27 year old single person, looking to relocate and settle down. Out west is definitely a plus, but not [parts of] California due to the extreme housing costs. A city close to major landmarks, ease of travel to other major cities/landmarks/attractions, plenty of outdoors options, and mild weather is what I am looking for.

Living where I do now, to be able to go somewhere outside the norm, I have to really plan for it, and the cost is high. Airline flights, or 6 + hour drives are always involved. Ive done alot here in Ohio, and have that "been there done that" feeling. I would love to be able to drive an hour into the mountains and go hiking, or drive an hour and hit the beach, or grab a taxicab/bus and hit the bars for a night.

Any help y'all can offer would be great. Any tips from your travels outside Ohio, suggestions, etc. Thanks

[stupidbicyclist]

I've thought about moving west a lot from ohio, but after being out in the west for a few times, the cities are so far apart. From like Salt lake to phoenix, from phx to albqrqe. You really take for granted the closeness of everything in the midwest and east coast. So many cities w/in driving distance. For moving, the more south you go, the more humid the summers will be, out west there is less humidity, but higher housing prices, more immigration, Hot!! summers (in the desert). It is definitely true every place has a major con, but I have learned that winters really aren't that bad. I moved to san diego one summer to see how I'd like it. I would recommend doing something like that, it will show you what a place is like when you aren't just visiting for a week. Good luck.

[Mikieo415]

Hello Daytrepper,
I too come from Ohio (NE Ohio) and was kinda in the same situation you are in. After doing a lot of research I found myself in the Denver area. You said you are looking for a mild climate. We don't have year round heat but we do have 4 seasons. Many people back east think Denver is a frigid icebox constantly buried under feet of snow all winter. That is not true, winters can have many surprise 60 degree days. That is a rarity in Ohio. The housing market is somewhat higher priced than Ohio's but give it a few years and I'm sure it will readjust. I can't really speak for the rural areas; deep in the mountains can be rough living and the planes can be plain. There really isn't much in the eastern planes of Colorado, however there are smaller cities east of here, namely Ft. Morgan and Limon. There are plenty of smaller towns outside the city in the foothills as well. This area is not prone to earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes or other disasters. There are no other large cities nearby, but it is hard to not find something interesting to do. We are a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts. The mountains are right here and they are breathtaking; a great place to escape the summer heat from what I hear. Denver is one of the most physically fit cities because we can be outdoors most of the year. People love to bike, ski, hike, go white water rafting... I can't begin to list the outdoor activities you can get yourself into. We have tons of state parks, national parks, city parks. For more info check out http://www.denver.org

I don't want to ignore the booming economy. I wouldn't worry about accepting a pay cut to move here. My annual income rose significantly when I moved here.

Denver might not give you everything that you want but it sure gives more than you would expect.

[SCBeaches]

I, too, grew up in NW Ohio (Waterville and Bowling Green) and left after 26 years to move South. Of course, it helped that I had lots of family down here as both of my parents were Southern-born and raised. I, too, felt like I was in a rut up there so went to the placement office at BGSU to see where they needed teachers....and that's how I ended up in Charleston, SC. I've lived here for 24 years now and love it. Yes, it does get hot and humid in the summer, but that's when you stay in the AC or head to the beach or pool. No, we do not get 4 distinct seasons...it's more like Spring (which is absolutely beautiful - my favorite season here!)...hot summer, then REALLY hot summer (August is a scorcher), hot summer summer again, a few weeks of 40's and 50's (I guess you'd call this Winter ), then Spring....
I am about 20 minutes to several beaches, 15 minutes away from historic downtown, 15 minutes to several plantations/gardens, am surrounded by gorgeous parks, 90 minutes from either Savannah,GA or Myrtle Beach, 6 hours from Atlanta, 3 hours from the mountains and skiing (and Fall trips to see the changing of the leaves and to go to apple orchards/festivals), 6 hours from Orlando, etc. (and only 11 hours back to Waterville for visits). I find this to be the perfect location! There are many other Ohio transplants here, including the 4 other former-Ohioans I teach with. Our pay scale (in education) isn't much different from my friends back in Ohio, maybe $2,000 difference, but our utilities, gasoline, and groceries are much cheaper here so I guess it balances out.

There you have it from another Buckeye transplant....good luck with your search and move!

P.S. I do find myself missing the small-town, midwestern values, though, even if I found them to be boring at the time I lived there.

[Road Map]

If your not sure what you want, then you might want to consider having an Astro*Carto*Graphy chart done. It gives you an idea of what "energies" you can expect in any given locale. I ordered one more than 20 years ago and have found it very helpful. I have a twin who stayed in the same area where we grew up, so I could "compare" the results. Life has been significantly better for me where I am than it has for my twin.

Not saying its for everyone, but it worked for me.
A link that might be useful:

AstroCartoGraphy Product Index

[BelieveInCleve]

Denver, Salt Lake City, Portland, Sacramento. All those cities seem right for what you want. However Denver will have about the same winter as we have here and the temperature change from day to night is a lot more extreme. Also even in the summer the higher elevations can be a lot colder than the ones closer to denver in the lower elevations.

[xwideopenskyx]

Originally Posted by Daytrepper

Every time I turn around it seems greener pastures are everywhere. Ive got a great job here which I really enjoy, but to me living life to the fullest is more important. Work and money isnt everything. in all honesty, there is not much that interests me round these here parts, lol. I would just about take a pay-cut to be able to leave here and go somewhere more interesting.

Over the last 18 months I checked out; Portland OR, Salt Lake City UT, Billings MT, Charleston SC, Phoenix AZ, Las Vegas, Yakima WA, Providence RI, Savannah GA, Minot ND, Toronto Ontario, and Daytona Beach, FL -- It's become extremely hard to make a decision on where to go

Basically, im looking for mild weather, mountains, (its dead flat here) decent cost of living--except when the area would make up for an expensive cost of living--oceans are a plus, and high natural disaster frequency (hurricanes, etc) are a huge con. I live in the country now-- and would like to keep it that way, but be close to a major city--depending.....

I felt pretty much the same about Ohio as you do. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2006 I resigned from a long term decent job to try my luck elsewhere. I needed to get out of OH and I would have taken a pay cut if if I had to.

I currently live 20 miles outside of Tucson AZ, found a better job (no pay cut!) with a better company. I love it here and I wish that I would have done it sooner!

The mountain hiking is incredible, we are surrounded by mountain ranges here. In the winter, we can golf in the valley and ski on top of Mt. Lemmon all in the same day. Life is good here. It all depends what you are looking for.
No natural disasters. It's hot during the summer, a bit cooler than Phoenix during the day and a lot cooler at night. We don't have to travel for hours to cool off. The Catalina Mountains are high enough to drop the temps. by 20-30 degrees.

My monthly expenses have decreased by 20% here in comparison to Ohio.
Shocking, considering the west is considered to be so much more expensive than OH. All I can say is, do your research. Another shocker, I have no AC in this heat! Don't need it in this climate. I have 2 highly efficient evap coolers that do the job very well for pennies on the dollar. I spend less money on heating and cooling here than I did in Ohio with similar square footage. It was a pleasant surprise.

May I suggest that you check out additional areas, they maybe worthwhile?
1. Tucson, AZ
2. Sedona, AZ
3. Prescott, AZ
4. Albuquerque, NM
5. Santa Fe, NM

Good luck to you! Life is too short -- enjoy it to the fullest!

[Daytrepper]

Thanks everyone for your inputs. Glad to hear from a few other Ohioans who have/are seeking greener pastures.


I am going to take a couple weeks off work in the coming months and check out a few more places.

xwideopenskyx, I spent three weeks in AZ last year, checking it out. Have been to Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Sedona on the way. Great places. I went in July and it was 115 degrees-- and I was still out mountain climbing. Definitely high on the list. I may do a second visit to Phoenix this year. Phoenix is in a great location-- easy access to San Diego for the ocean, Flagstaff for the mountains, and Vegas for other things, lol... Havent been to Tucson yet, or New Mexico. Id like to go back to Oregon too, seemed pretty nice there.

Denver and Salt Lake City are also high on the list. Awesome outdoors scene, skiing, etc, I can bear the cold winters for that--Ive done it for 27 years already...lol

When I get on the plane this year I want wherever I am going to visit to be in the "finals" if you will. Thanks again for your suggestions.

[Rumble]

It depends on what your education / qualifications are, but check out the Raleigh / Durham / Cary, NC area. I am a recent college graduate, and just took a pre-move visit down there and was extremely impressed. The area is a major hub for the medical and tech industries now, so it is booming. Supposedly, many engineers/ IT people from Cali are turned off by the cost of living there, and are now flocking to the Raleigh area. With the new businesses, comes many other support jobs, such as accounting, administrative, sales, or management.

Nice, new modern cluster home developments are sprouting up everywhere, many with competitive pricing. Most of the developments are not an eyesore, either. The local zoning laws require most new shops and homes to blend in with the environment.

The local area is also still pretty scenic, with both the mountains and beach within a 2 hour drive. There is also horseback, hiking, and kayaking within a short driving distance. In town, there really is ANYTHING that you need to find: dining, shopping, colleges, fitness...

On average, they also have something close to 70 days more sun a year than the Northern Ohio area, which is awesome. From what I hear the summers can get pretty intense, but not quite as bad as a couple of the other places on that list.

[boardmanite]

I had to leave Ohio for a while, although I took a more extreme route. I'm in a city of 1.5 million in South Korea, right in the center of the country. We are close to mountains and the beach. Seoul, one of the world's largest cities, is an hour away by bullet train. The city I live in is booming, with hi-rises going up all over the place. The first line of the subway system just opened last year, with more lines to come. My job is great and my standard of living has increased dramatically!

I'm not suggesting South Korea as an option, but what I do suggest is that you leave Ohio, even if it's just for a while. I think Ohio is a great place to live if you're growing up, raising a family, or retiring. But for a young, open-minded, single person, unless you live in one of the big cities, it can be a bit of a bore. The internet makes it easy to communicate with people back home if youre feeling homesick, and Ohio is only a plane ride away...