from MI to AL and now Findlay OH (Toledo, Lima: housing, rent)

[dentaigirl10]

Hello all I am origanlly From a small town in southeast MI however due to Mi failing auto industry we moved to Huntsville AL after about 9 months we just have to get closer to MI (family).My husband has a job offer in Findlay OH. My problem is I have spent hours on here and I havent seen to much about findlay and surrounding small towns. I am looking for a nice friendly small community I have kids so schools are important (ages 10 & 8) Anything suggestions would be greatly apperciated. Thanks

[Art1979]

Originally Posted by dentaigirl10

Hello all I am origanlly From a small town in southeast MI however due to Mi failing auto industry we moved to Huntsville AL after about 9 months we just have to get closer to MI (family).My husband has a job offer in Findlay OH. My problem is I have spent hours on here and I havent seen to much about findlay and surrounding small towns. I am looking for a nice friendly small community I have kids so schools are important (ages 10 & 8) Anything suggestions would be greatly apperciated. Thanks

There's actually been a little more chatter than usual on Findlay the past six weeks here. I'm very surprised you've not seen it. Well, I guess this ball's in my court, anyway.

I won't lie, it's a small city (~50k metro) that likes to keep to itself the vast majority of the time. I've been starting to wonder if that's why relo's feel they're not greeted with open arms here. Needless to say, there won't be a parade in your honor, but that doesn't mean everyone wants you to leave.

Findlay's far enough away from Toledo (45 mins, plus) and our smaller sister city, Lima (40 mins, plus), that people have started to use the term "micropolitan" here and there. While I'm not too sure about that, it is kinda out on its own. There's one city high school (FHS) and three middle schools, with a handful of close county schools (Liberty-Benton, Van Buren, Vanlue, and Arcadia). Last time I checked, Findlay got a 26 out of 30 on the State-wide gradecard for education. Don't ask what criteria they had, because I'm not sure.

If you take a 20 minute drive on I-75 South, you'll run into Bluffton. It's quite a small town, but their schools got 30 out of 30 on their gradecard and it's amenities will sustain living (i.e. groceries, gas, dining, etc.).

Straight up: it is what it is. There's still a large sense of farming community about it. You can get pretty nice produce during the summer at the produce stands about town. I can still remember when farmers used tractors as their car, but that doesn't happen any more due to the traffic and all.

If there's any town around Findlay that I wouldn't recommend, it would be Fostoria. They need a little work.

[Art1979]

Does this help?

[Traveler87]

I don't know much about Findlay, but I have heard many good things about it. I know it is a slowly growing mid-sized city, with some nice little city parks, and the downtown is really worth a visit.

[dentaigirl10]

Originally Posted by Art1979

Does this help?

Yes it helps alot thanks so much.

[ericmc783]

Having grown up in the Tiffin area, Findlay isn't a place I would mind living if I had to. It's big enough for me.

[ImaMichigander]

We too are from Southeast MI. We're happy and established in our Downriver Community. But the job in Findlay is too good to pass up.

We've been to Findlay 4 times focusing mostly on the job opportunity for my husband,as well as school options and housing opportunities. Apparently there are choices for schooling, individual city's district, county schools and private. We have focused on St. Michael the Archangel-- which is a Catholic grade school with 600 kids. If that is something that helps, I would be happy to share any info that I have gathered.

[Art1979]

Originally Posted by ImaMichigander

We too are from Southeast MI. We're happy and established in our Downriver Community. But the job in Findlay is too good to pass up.

We've been to Findlay 4 times focusing mostly on the job opportunity for my husband,as well as school options and housing opportunities. Apparently there are choices for schooling, individual city's district, county schools and private. We have focused on St. Michael the Archangel-- which is a Catholic grade school with 600 kids. If that is something that helps, I would be happy to share any info that I have gathered.

Haha! You know, FCS & St. Mike's are used in tandem so much I've always lumped them in together. I guess you would consider them a private school, wouldn't you? A lot of students go to FHS after 8th grade.

[Traveler87]

City Website:
City of Findlay : Welcome to the City of Findlay website

[ImaMichigander]

Our little Catholic School in Rockwood, MI has about 120 kids Pre-k through 8th grade. We've had a huge number of Catholic schools close and/or consolidate in the last 5 years or so. St. Mike's has a new(ish) building and is 600 kids from pre-k to 8th. They even had the following pre-K/K distributions: 3 year old 2 day or 3 day, 4 year old 3 day or 5 day, kindergarten readiness and 1/2 and whole day kindergarten. For a Catholic school, they have a gym, auditorium and cafeteria-- nearly unheard of to have all three (at least where I'm from.)

One HUGE problem from me is that 2 of my 3 children will have to start school one year later in Ohio than in Michigan. The Ohio cut-off is August 1 and the Michigan cut-off is December 1-- so my October and September birthdays will have to start one year later than they would in MI. Everyone tells me that I'll appreciate that later, but I see it as holding my kids back-- which I am quick to point out to my October birthday hubby.

And as for the Target, and this was during the interview process, so they may have been charming us, the CEO of the company that my husband will work for said that the location has been chosen and it should be coming in the near(ish) future. But, Art 1979, you may have a more realistic and unbiased idea....