homesick for ohio (Cleveland, Akron, Barberton: unemployed, neighborhoods, theatre)

[Traveler87]

I have lived out of Ohio for two years. I lived not far away in PA. I really grew to miss Ohio. This was in highschool so it was not fun being in a new highschool without all my friends. I ended up moving back to Ohio, after my dad's job moved him to the Cleveland area once again.

[troymom]

Interesting to read these threads about missing Ohio...my husband and I (and teenage son) could be relocating to southern Arizona in the near future...I've lived in SW Ohio most of my life (outside of 3 years living in NC while my husband was active duty army); as much as I like my little town, I'm longing for a change...be it weather; scenery; job etc.
Will I miss Ohio? Probably. If a move is imminent - I plan on taking a boat load of pictures of this part of the state to take with us to Arizona. And then I'll enjoy meeting new people and learning about the way of life in a totally different part of the country! AND - taking a walk during January without boots!

[Traveler87]

Originally Posted by troymom

Interesting to read these threads about missing Ohio...my husband and I (and teenage son) could be relocating to southern Arizona in the near future...I've lived in SW Ohio most of my life (outside of 3 years living in NC while my husband was active duty army); as much as I like my little town, I'm longing for a change...be it weather; scenery; job etc.
Will I miss Ohio? Probably. If a move is imminent - I plan on taking a boat load of pictures of this part of the state to take with us to Arizona. And then I'll enjoy meeting new people and learning about the way of life in a totally different part of the country! AND - taking a walk during January without boots!

Either way, if you do move, best of luck. It really is interesting to see how different areas of the country and the people live. It can be drastic sometimes.

[ohiofrannie]

I grew up in Girard, Ohio. My parents moved to CA when I was in the 9th grade. I threatened to run away and go back to Ohio. I grew to love CA and and got married, had children, lived in CA, Maine and Las Vegas. My husband and I are now retired and live in CO. I love CO because it reminds me of Ohio, but I will always be a Buckeye and I cherish my childhood memories of Girard, Ohio. My relatives still live there but have been through rough times with the economy.

[Mrs. P]

Originally Posted by SCBeaches

When I moved to SC 23 years ago, I swore that I would not miss anything about Ohio, especially the snow and ice. It took a few years, but yes, I did end up missing certain things: ice skating and tobboganing (sp?), crisp weather at football games, fall leaves, all the ethnic festivals in the summer, Fall hayrides and apple orchards, and the Lake Erie islands (esp. Put-In-Bay on South Bass Island).

I grew up in the country in NW Ohio and looking back now, I realize that it was the ideal childhood - and very safe! I love living here in Charleston near the beaches, but there are some aspects of Ohio that I miss to this day.

AMEN, I say it weekly. Ideal way to grow up. I miss so many things about Ohio that I just thought, well every state has this: IE: Metro Parks, GOOD MILK :-) STREET LIGHTS (who would have thought those are not provided in many places in NC and SC) ??

I'm pretty sure, when I retire for good, I'm leaving the South and heading to Ohio near Amish country. I miss the beautiful green, I miss REAL lakes, not fake lakes like down here, I don't care about snow because if I don't have to get up to go to work, then I don't have to worry about snow on the car, and I'll hire someone to dig the driveway out if necessary. I will never ever live in or near a large city again after living in the Charlotte Metro area...ever.

[Mrs. P]

Originally Posted by htlong

yeah but one can never go home...after 3 days of cloudy days and rain and the stagnant economy......and you will remember why you left! its was a great place to grow up but as with all things ....its changed!

well not everyone left because of weather or the economy, some left due to family obligations.

I still go back, and yes there are changes, but I only left 3 years ago, so it has not changed that much to me. Maybe for someone who left 20 years ago.

The weather at first I enjoyed down here, but what I miss in Ohio does not make up for the weeks and weeks of hot humid days. Or being able to water your lawn, or wash your car. because there isn't any water.

I don't really care all that much about getting a tan and laying at the pool anymore, so to me, bring on the cool cloudy days, at least you can go outside in work in your yard without it 1/2 killing you, and garden in REAL DIRT, instead of horrible compacted red clay...Or you can do what we have to do down here and work in your yard at 6 am, so you don't have heat stroke.

What good is hot sunny weather, when it's TOO hot to go out and enjoy it?
See everything has it's good and bad side....

I'll take the lakes and the green and the snow anyday....soon as I retire :

[JR_C]

Originally Posted by Mrs. P

AMEN, I say it weekly. Ideal way to grow up. I miss so many things about Ohio that I just thought, well every state has this: IE: Metro Parks, GOOD MILK :-) STREET LIGHTS (who would have thought those are not provided in many places in NC and SC) ??

I'm pretty sure, when I retire for good, I'm leaving the South and heading to Ohio near Amish country. I miss the beautiful green, I miss REAL lakes, not fake lakes like down here, I don't care about snow because if I don't have to get up to go to work, then I don't have to worry about snow on the car, and I'll hire someone to dig the driveway out if necessary. I will never ever live in or near a large city again after living in the Charlotte Metro area...ever.

I don't think you'll find many street lights on those country roads out in Amish country. But, I'd suggest looking in the Millersburg area when you retire. It's got a picturesque downtown, lots of beautiful countryside, and Amish people.

[Mrs. P]

Originally Posted by JR_C

I don't think you'll find many street lights on those country roads out in Amish country. But, I'd suggest looking in the Millersburg area when you retire. It's got a picturesque downtown, lots of beautiful countryside, and Amish people.

Yes I know, I used to go down to that area, almost weekly when I lived in Summit County Ohio. I was going down LOOOOONG before bus tours and all that crap.

I am pretty sure I know where I want to live, I want a small victorian house, you know one built GOOD, instead of the crap they have down here that is built by illegal immigrants from Mexico and you couldn't find a straight piece of drywall to save your soul.

As far as street lights, yes I know about the country areas not having street lights, and where I grew up as a kid we didn't have street lights, but we DID have them in the cities Akron/Canton/Cleveland etc. Charlotte....3 million people and they have VERY few street lights, I find that ridiculous as well as unsafe...they don't even have lights on their interstates that go right thru the heart of downtown. And they wonder why their crime continues to rise every year. No wonder I-77 shuts down about 1 time a week due to a wreck ...like just this morning in SC in Lanscaster at 5 am when it was still dark......Duh-ah....

[SCBeaches]

Originally Posted by Mrs. P

AMEN, I say it weekly. Ideal way to grow up. I miss so many things about Ohio that I just thought, well every state has this: IE: Metro Parks, GOOD MILK :-) STREET LIGHTS (who would have thought those are not provided in many places in NC and SC) ??

I'm pretty sure, when I retire for good, I'm leaving the South and heading to Ohio near Amish country. I miss the beautiful green, I miss REAL lakes, not fake lakes like down here, I don't care about snow because if I don't have to get up to go to work, then I don't have to worry about snow on the car, and I'll hire someone to dig the driveway out if necessary. I will never ever live in or near a large city again after living in the Charlotte Metro area...ever.

Metroparks - yes, I miss the metroparks! I couldn't believe that you have to pay to go to most parks here in the Lowcountry! I really miss having white Christmases and cold Halloweens too - something I thought I'd never say! And it's just not the same going to football games in 85* weather, wearing shorts!

[ryeager9]

Originally Posted by Mrs. P

Yes I know, I used to go down to that area, almost weekly when I lived in Summit County Ohio. I was going down LOOOOONG before bus tours and all that crap.

I am pretty sure I know where I want to live, I want a small victorian house, you know one built GOOD, instead of the crap they have down here that is built by illegal immigrants from Mexico and you couldn't find a straight piece of drywall to save your soul.

As far as street lights, yes I know about the country areas not having street lights, and where I grew up as a kid we didn't have street lights, but we DID have them in the cities Akron/Canton/Cleveland etc. Charlotte....3 million people and they have VERY few street lights, I find that ridiculous as well as unsafe...they don't even have lights on their interstates that go right thru the heart of downtown. And they wonder why their crime continues to rise every year. No wonder I-77 shuts down about 1 time a week due to a wreck ...like just this morning in SC in Lanscaster at 5 am when it was still dark......Duh-ah....

Something else I really miss is having sidewalks. Here in Wilm, there is no requirement for new subdivisions to have sidewalks and many (if not most) don't. I'm not sure about new housing developments in Summit Co. now, but most established neighborhoods had sidewalks when I was growing up (Goodyear Hts, the Falls, Barberton). Down here, many people drive 45+ mph thru these narrow subdivision streets (another issue) and if you are a walker, jogger, cyclist or a little kid waiting on the school bus at a corner, you really take your life into your hands. In my subdivision (aka "vinyl village"), we do have streetlights, but only at the intersections. So if you live on a long block, it can be pretty dark in the middle between lights.