Turning around Youngstown (Cleveland, Akron, Lorain: for sale, trip , jobs)

[CortlandGirl79]

Originally Posted by TKramar

whatever...I've never gotten a handout in my life...at least not since leaving the Navy.

What's important to ME is can I find somewhere to rent--if I was going to live in the area--for less than $650 a month? Because I pay less than that now, and I think it's affordable. My job's transferable, with the same pay rate...so that isn't barring me.

Four places, right off the top: Salem, Austintown, Boardman, and Niles. Which has the cheapest housing? Do you all use natural gas up there? Costfor utilities? Cost of living compared to Florida? Things like that.

I think you'll find that all of those areas have comparable housing prices. Housing prices can range anywhere from 30k to over 300k or more.

I don't know much about Salem, but it is much smaller than the other 3 communities.

I lived in Niles for 6 years and it's not a bad place, although some areas of town are rougher than the others. If you are looking at Niles, the farther up "the hill" you are the better you will be. If you have any questions about housing there let me know and i can point you to the better areas. There are also plenty of apartments and homes available for rent and prices are pretty cheap. I used to own a 2700 sq/ft victorian and the house next door (same size) rented for $650 plus utilities. There are some very nice houses priced in the 70k-100k dollar range and most are in pretty good areas.

I don't know as much about Austintown and Boardman, but they have everything from a little shady to very nice, just like Niles, and housing is very comparable. Both are very big townships that border Youngstown, where Niles borders Warren, McDonald, Mineral Ridge, Liberty, Weathersfield, and Girard, oh yeah, and i think Howland.

As for utilities, Niles has their own electric company so rates are pretty cheap. I rarely paid over $120/month for my bill and that included water and sewage every month. Most times my bill was around $80 and i lived in a really big house. If you want to search homes by zip code, it's 44446 for Niles.

I think you'll find that most homes in the area are heated by natural gas, but there are a few heated by electric, i came across one in Howland Township a couple years ago. Some rural areas use heating oil, but i've never seen that in the city.

To give you an example of what utilities are like here i'll tell you what i'm paying right now. Currently i live in a 1000 sq/ft rented townhome in Warren (2 story w/a basement). Rent is $655 and i pay around $30-$35 a month for electric. This winter i think my highest gas bill was around $80 and that's when it was really cold. Not sure what the gas will be like in the summer, but i'm sure it will be considerably lower, i still use gas for cooking and hot water.

If you have anymore questions feel free to ask.

[JR_C]

This thread seems like the appropriate place for this.


From the Vindicator:

Construction to begin at Realty Towers
YOUNGSTOWN — The Frangos Group will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday to announce the start of construction at Realty Towers, 47 Central Federal St.
The company plans to convert the building into 25 upscale apartments, primarily to attract young professionals to live in the city’s downtown. The public is invited.

[Art1979]

Originally Posted by JR_C

This thread seems like the appropriate place for this.


From the Vindicator:

Construction to begin at Realty Towers
YOUNGSTOWN — The Frangos Group will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday to announce the start of construction at Realty Towers, 47 Central Federal St.
The company plans to convert the building into 25 upscale apartments, primarily to attract young professionals to live in the city’s downtown. The public is invited.

Wow, that sounds awfully familiar. It's great news for Y-town, but I can't shake the feeling I've seen that suggested... somewhere... before... man, I just can't place it.

[South Range Family]

Originally Posted by TKramar

whatever...I've never gotten a handout in my life...at least not since leaving the Navy.

What's important to ME is can I find somewhere to rent--if I was going to live in the area--for less than $650 a month? Because I pay less than that now, and I think it's affordable. My job's transferable, with the same pay rate...so that isn't barring me.

Four places, right off the top: Salem, Austintown, Boardman, and Niles. Which has the cheapest housing? Do you all use natural gas up there? Costfor utilities? Cost of living compared to Florida? Things like that.

I can help a little bit with Salem. I live in a neighboring township with a Salem Address. The Salem Morning Journal is the local paper. Morning Journal News | Morning Journal News

Salem itself is a very small City. The East side of town is the developing area for shopping. The West side of town is the old industrial area. The residential area is everything in between. Many of the old houses were built in the 1800's. It's like driving back to small town America. The Morning Journal prints the police reports every day. It looks like domestics, noisy kids on bikes, and a few drunks that need a ride home. (I have actually read that more than once.) The entire City has natural gas. Once you get beyond city limits, your choices are oil, propane, wood, and electric for heating. There are a lot of geothermal systems here too. A few lucky ones have their own gas wells for free heat.

You should be able to check the classifieds online. It would probably be fun to have them send you a few printed copies. That way you can read the police reports, and the local ads that aren't online.

For as small as Salem is, they have two very large beautiful parks in town, a new community center with a pool and weight room, and a stocked fishing reservoir that is hidden outside of town. It's worth checking out.

[CortlandGirl79]

Here's a new video from Accent Media on good things happening in the YO!

YouTube - "Accent On Youngstown" Episode 3

Featuring the great work of Junior Achievement, the awesome workout at Jump Stretch, and the fantastic food at The Rosetta Stone Cafe

[CortlandGirl79]

Looks like Boom Boom Mancini and some others are in town doing a documentary on Youngstown. I would love to see this.

DEFEND YOUNGSTOWN

[Cle440]

I know we are supposed to be optimistic and hopeful, but honestly I dont see Youngstown turning around anytime soon. Ive been to the city more than a few times, some parts of the city are just ridiculous. Just block after black of boarded up and falling down houses and vacant lots. Its like they took a chunk of the most abandoned area in Cleveland and dropped it 50 miles SE.

The worst areas are south of downtown off of Market st and Hillman, but the crime and decay is not limited to that area. The westside seemed nicer and some areas on the Northside, but the areas closer to downtown are pretty bad looking. If they are going to turn around Youngstown they need to get a lot more blue collar jobs, or try to educate the people better. They need to fix the poverty issue. They also need to get something for people to come to Youngstown, something to attract people there like Cedar Point or a good college or something, there is really nothing in Youngstown right now that would even make a traveler want to stay a few hours there. Cleveland can turn around because of the sports and museums and the lake and so many other things, there has so be something in Youngstown like that for it to change. There is really nothing attractive about it right now.

[JR_C]

Originally Posted by Cle440

Ive been to the city more than a few times,

How recently?

some parts of the city are just ridiculous. Just block after black of boarded up and falling down houses and vacant lots. Its like they took a chunk of the most abandoned area in Cleveland and dropped it 50 miles SE.

The Youngstown 2010 plan addresses this issue.

If they are going to turn around Youngstown they need to get a lot more blue collar jobs, or try to educate the people better. They need to fix the poverty issue.

No argument here. Though I think high tech is the way we're going.

They also need to get something for people to come to Youngstown, something to attract people there like Cedar Point or a good college or something, there is really nothing in Youngstown right now that would even make a traveler want to stay a few hours there.

You mean like: Youngstown State University, Chevrolet Centre, Mill Creek Park, Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor, Butler Art Institute, etc.?

Cleveland can turn around because of the sports and museums and the lake and so many other things, there has so be something in Youngstown like that for it to change.

With the obvious exception of the lake, I think Youngstown is just like Cleveland, with very similar amenities, just proportionately smaller.

There is really nothing attractive about it right now.

I disagree. Maybe you should re-read this post from the beginning.

[TKramar]

Originally Posted by Cle440

I know we are supposed to be optimistic and hopeful, but honestly I dont see Youngstown turning around anytime soon. Ive been to the city more than a few times, some parts of the city are just ridiculous. Just block after black of boarded up and falling down houses and vacant lots. Its like they took a chunk of the most abandoned area in Cleveland and dropped it 50 miles SE.

The worst areas are south of downtown off of Market st and Hillman, but the crime and decay is not limited to that area. The westside seemed nicer and some areas on the Northside, but the areas closer to downtown are pretty bad looking. If they are going to turn around Youngstown they need to get a lot more blue collar jobs, or try to educate the people better. They need to fix the poverty issue. They also need to get something for people to come to Youngstown, something to attract people there like Cedar Point or a good college or something, there is really nothing in Youngstown right now that would even make a traveler want to stay a few hours there. Cleveland can turn around because of the sports and museums and the lake and so many other things, there has so be something in Youngstown like that for it to change. There is really nothing attractive about it right now.

It's closer to Columbiana County than the other airports.

[South Range Family]

Originally Posted by TKramar

It's closer to Columbiana County than the other airports.

Youngstown doesn't have any airline service, though. The only things that fly out of YNG are a few corporate jets, and C-130's.

Pit and Akron are the two closest aiports to Columbiana County. Salem is 1 hour from Pit. Akron is half the distance, but takes just as long to get there.