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TLDR version ahead of time: I live in California, I'm thinking of moving to Ohio. Will my liberalism be totally shunned there? Also my ideal home/city is a suburb outside a big city (like Cleveland) - I'd really like to have a charming old house with a porch and a big backyard where I can have a bunch of animals (dogs, pigs) roam around in a fenced in area. Know any cities/neighborhoods/towns like that?
I've lived in Southern California my whole life and always said I would never, ever move away. My parents are from the Midwest (Wisconsin), but even though I would go back and visit once a year (and loved Wisconsin!), I never felt like I fit with Midwest life.
But I'm 24 now, and my boyfriend is "from" Ohio (he lived there till he was 5, has visited once a year, and is 100% obsessed with it) wants to move back more than anything. Because of California traffic, the horrors of parking in Los Angeles, and the fact that housing here is outrageous... I've been considering it.
Thoughts:
1. The weather. If it gets like 65'F or below I turn into a whining mess. I've never driven in snow. Any west coast (Arizona? California?) transplants who've gotten used to the winters there?
2. Liberalism/conservative.....ism. I've heard horror stories about small towns and racism and I don't want to blanket Ohio as prejudice or anything but, I just don't know! I've never been there. I'm Filipino/white and my boyfriend is white so it's something I feel like I have to think about. Any areas that are more liberal than others? Any to avoid? On road trips through the middle states my family has gotten plenty of weird stares so I'm just trying to avoid that in a place where I'd want to settle down.
3. The perfect town. I want an older house, with a front porch and a big backyard. I want to adopt a lot of animals and I'd like to have a huge fenced in backyard where they can run around. I'm horrible with dimensions but... 0.25 acres? (Sorry, I'm awful.) Definitely not a city, but a suburb outside on - ideally Cleveland, because my boyfriend is diehard Browns fan. I've seen good things about Lakewood, but it doesn't look like they have huge-ish backyards.
And a question for any native Ohio-an (oh God, is that the right phrase?) - what do you love most about living in Ohio?
And for any people who've moved there - why did you move? Why did you stay? What do you miss most about your previous home?
TLDR version ahead of time: I live in California, I'm thinking of moving to Ohio. Will my liberalism be totally shunned there? Also my ideal home/city is a suburb outside a big city (like Cleveland) - I'd really like to have a charming old house with a porch and a big backyard where I can have a bunch of animals (dogs, pigs) roam around in a fenced in area. Know any cities/neighborhoods/towns like that?
I've lived in Southern California my whole life and always said I would never, ever move away. My parents are from the Midwest (Wisconsin), but even though I would go back and visit once a year (and loved Wisconsin!), I never felt like I fit with Midwest life.
But I'm 24 now, and my boyfriend is "from" Ohio (he lived there till he was 5, has visited once a year, and is 100% obsessed with it) wants to move back more than anything. Because of California traffic, the horrors of parking in Los Angeles, and the fact that housing here is outrageous... I've been considering it.
Thoughts:
1. The weather. If it gets like 65'F or below I turn into a whining mess. I've never driven in snow. Any west coast (Arizona? California?) transplants who've gotten used to the winters there?
2. Liberalism/conservative.....ism. I've heard horror stories about small towns and racism and I don't want to blanket Ohio as prejudice or anything but, I just don't know! I've never been there. I'm Filipino/white and my boyfriend is white so it's something I feel like I have to think about. Any areas that are more liberal than others? Any to avoid? On road trips through the middle states my family has gotten plenty of weird stares so I'm just trying to avoid that in a place where I'd want to settle down.
3. The perfect town. I want an older house, with a front porch and a big backyard. I want to adopt a lot of animals and I'd like to have a huge fenced in backyard where they can run around. I'm horrible with dimensions but... 0.25 acres? (Sorry, I'm awful.) Definitely not a city, but a suburb outside on - ideally Cleveland, because my boyfriend is diehard Browns fan. I've seen good things about Lakewood, but it doesn't look like they have huge-ish backyards.
And a question for any native Ohio-an (oh God, is that the right phrase?) - what do you love most about living in Ohio?
And for any people who've moved there - why did you move? Why did you stay? What do you miss most about your previous home?
Thanks all for the help!
I don't think your race or liberalism would be an issue in most in most Greater Cleveland (Cuyahoga County and four contiguous counties).
You certainly should have no problem finding the house of your dreams at a fraction of the cost of a similar home in Los Angeles.
Having too many pets or farm animals (such as pigs) likely is restricted by ordinance in most suburbs, but rural townships may have few or no restrictions (e.g., Greater Cleveland has a robust horse culture). Perhaps check out the eastern townships of Geauga County, if you need to be located closer to Cleveland. The other townships of Geauga County are even more rural. Geauga County, however, is in the heart of Greater Cleveland's "lake effect" snow belt. Chesterland is more suburban even though a township. Lake County has more developed/expensive rural townships/villages, some of which might permit farm animals. Perhaps check out Kirtland, Kirtland Hills, or Leroy Township.
You similarly could consider townships of Lorain, and Medina counties, all adjacent to Cleveland's relatively highly developed Cuyahoga County. Summit County (Akron) is more similar to Cuyahoga County in population density, suburbs, etc.
If you would forget about farm animals, you could find several Cleveland suburbs that would meet your housing needs that are more liberal and more diverse than rural townships, but I would be surprised if you encountered much of a racial bias in these rural townships either. They are more conservative politically than the more immediate suburbs of Greater Cleveland, but still have progressive values (such as good parks, good schools, etc.). You might even find suburbs that permit chickens; there is no substitute for checking ordinances.
Read through the Cleveland forum for many threads discussing relocation to Greater Cleveland. As for weather, post 14 is one of the best discussions for someone relocating from a warmer state and not used to snow.
Many Cleveland residents enjoy the region's distinct four seasons of weather. Winter activities include hiking, cross country skiing, tubing, sledding, downhill skiing (small slopes in Greater Cleveland, and larger slopes/resorts a few hours east in western NY), running (many days without snow or ice on the ground), skating, etc. And maple syrup season begins in February!
The region can be extremely beautiful in winter, with many parks, including Cuyahoga Valley National Park with cross country trails. The holidays are especially delightful, but winter is celebrated in Greater Cleveland.
Winterfest will move back to the renovated Public Square this year, but Cleveland's great theater district at Playhouse Square and the renown University Circle cultural district certainly help many Clevelanders pass the winter in great joy.
Outdoor ice skating will return to the six-acre Public Square in the heart of downtown this year. It will be fascinating to see the new Public Square during its first Cleveland holiday season and winter.
<<November brings the opening of the Ice Rink on November 18>> Nov. 18 seems awfully early, especially if the rink will be real ice and not the artificial surface which I still think is used in the Wade Oval rink in University Circle.
It's hard to imagine that Lake Erie can freeze so hard that it's possible to walk a mile offshore, but reach close to 80 degrees F. in the summer justifying a robust summer boating culture.
As for someone not used to winter, post 14 here has a good discussion of acclimating to Cleveland winters. Winters go quickly for those who stay active, and especially engage in outdoor activities.
I moved here from Oakland eight years ago. Of course I'm from Ohio, but felt to be a native Californian after 16 years. The first winter is the worst, after that you get used to the change of seasons. In fact, we never had a real summer in the Bay Area, so I enjoy the weather here.
The bigger cities like Cleveland and Columbus are mostly left-leaning, along with some of the smaller college towns like Athens, Oberlin, Yellow Springs.
I think anything you pay here will be a bargain, compared to CA. Cleveland has a lot of good suburbs you may like, along with Lakewood look at Shaker Heights. What do I miss most about California? The food, though I can find enough ethnic restaurants to get my fix, along with Trader Joe's and the natural food section of Kroger.
In the end, it's a worthwhile move, you just have to get accustomed to seeking out what you need instead of being surrounded by it. I don't miss the financial struggle, especially after having kids.
I doubt if you will find any suburb that will allow pigs. As noted, you will probably have to look towards a township. Do you realize that pigs will destroy your yard?
TLDR version ahead of time: I live in California, I'm thinking of moving to Ohio. Will my liberalism be totally shunned there? Also my ideal home/city is a suburb outside a big city (like Cleveland) - I'd really like to have a charming old house with a porch and a big backyard where I can have a bunch of animals (dogs, pigs) roam around in a fenced in area. Know any cities/neighborhoods/towns like that?
3. The perfect town. I want an older house, with a front porch and a big backyard. I want to adopt a lot of animals and I'd like to have a huge fenced in backyard where they can run around. I'm horrible with dimensions but... 0.25 acres? (Sorry, I'm awful.) Definitely not a city, but a suburb outside on - ideally Cleveland, because my boyfriend is diehard Browns fan. I've seen good things about Lakewood, but it doesn't look like they have huge-ish backyards.
0.25 acres will not be enough (that's about 13000 square feet to put it in perspective, or 1/3 the size of your local Office Depot or Bed, Bath, & Beyond store).
You will need at least 5 acres for what you'd like, probably 10 acres would be more ideal.
The "liberal" rural spots in Ohio are quite nice, probably more akin to California (I've never been to CA so I can't judge) but with that are more expensive. My first instinct is to tell you to go for Yellow Springs (Miami Township, Greene County, OH when searching on Zillow) but it'll be expensive. You can save yourself some big $$$ and get a "funkier town" type experience with its neighbor to the west, Bath Township (Fairborn) but it'll also be a bit more conservative.
My best advice is to take a full week off and limit yourself to Ohio. Travel to all corners of the state, stop in the local places chain or non-chain and get a feel for the state and the people before you both pull the trigger and make the move. I'd avoid the suburbs and cities since you won't be looking for that lifestyle, and go to the college towns and places inbetween, places like
Athens
Yellow Springs
Oxford
Oberlin
Wooster
Ada
Portsmouth
Vermillion
Granville
Urbana
Troy
Bellefontaine
Kent
Rootstown
Conneaut
... and anywhere inbetween.
Stick to the back roads, and limit yourself to OH, see what you think.
If none of it is your cup of tea, I'd try Columbus IN, the area seems to fit your description well
0.25 acres will not be enough (that's about 13000 square feet to put it in perspective, or 1/3 the size of your local Office Depot or Bed, Bath, & Beyond store).
You will need at least 5 acres for what you'd like, probably 10 acres would be more ideal.
The "liberal" rural spots in Ohio are quite nice, probably more akin to California (I've never been to CA so I can't judge) but with that are more expensive. My first instinct is to tell you to go for Yellow Springs (Miami Township, Greene County, OH when searching on Zillow) but it'll be expensive. You can save yourself some big $$$ and get a "funkier town" type experience with its neighbor to the west, Bath Township (Fairborn) but it'll also be a bit more conservative.
My best advice is to take a full week off and limit yourself to Ohio. Travel to all corners of the state, stop in the local places chain or non-chain and get a feel for the state and the people before you both pull the trigger and make the move. I'd avoid the suburbs and cities since you won't be looking for that lifestyle, and go to the college towns and places inbetween, places like
Athens
Yellow Springs
Oxford
Oberlin
Wooster
Ada
Portsmouth
Vermillion
Granville
Urbana
Troy
Bellefontaine
Kent
Rootstown
Conneaut
... and anywhere inbetween.
Stick to the back roads, and limit yourself to OH, see what you think.
If none of it is your cup of tea, I'd try Columbus IN, the area seems to fit your description well
Places like Oberlin, Wooster and Kent are cities. Surrounding townships might be good ideas.
Conneaut is a bad choice as it is well over an hour from Cleveland if somebody wants big city amenities, but also doesn't offer much locally IMO. Wooster also is over an hour from Cleveland, but also is 90 minutes from Columbus. Kent is an hour from Cleveland. Oberlin is 45 minutes from Cleveland.
And for any people who've moved there - why did you move? Why did you stay? What do you miss most about your previous home?
I attended grad school in the Los Angeles area, and relocated to Ohio for employment reasons.
Culturally, Ohio isn't monolithic, just as Southern California isn't monolithic. Riverside, Pasadena and West Hollywood are mutually quite different. A comparable variation exists amongst Ohio's regions, between its cities and suburbs and towns. An excellent primer is the PBS video on another thread in this forum, about Ohio's status as a Presidential-election bellweather. That video discusses the "5 regions" of Ohio, and the differences between the core-cities, the secondary cities and the towns.
But variations aside, yes, there are some sweeping generalizations that aren't entirely misplaced. Southern California tends to have a demographic dynamism. Ohio is more settled. There are fewer transplants or immigrants. It isn't totally stereotypically "Heartland", but that trope does have some relevance. Ohio's conservatism isn't generally bigoted or terribly retrograde, but it will be more informed by religious persuasion, than what's more overtly typical in Southern California. Ohio is more permeated by what's currently termed "working class" or "blue collar" values. These are less about doctrinaire conservatism, than about a nostalgia for a simpler time, of more straightforward employment options for people without a college degree, and the cultural implications thereof.
By my reckoning, the chief trouble in a relocation of the type that the OP is contemplating, is neither weather nor culture nor real-estate, but... relationships. As in, a SoCal transplant could find the dating-situation in most places in Ohio to be... challenging. But since the OP already has a relationship, this potential difficult is obviated.
By my reckoning, the chief trouble in a relocation of the type that the OP is contemplating, is neither weather nor culture nor real-estate, but... relationships. As in, a SoCal transplant could find the dating-situation in most places in Ohio to be... challenging. But since the OP already has a relationship, this potential difficult is obviated.
I'd say that's true only in a small town where most everyone is already settled. While California people have "the look", there's also a coldness which makes dating difficult. If I weren't already married, I'd be going nuts here
If you are contemplating raising pigs as a food source, you first might want to visit Cleveland's West Side Market.
You can buy every part of the pig there, from head to likely even tail. The butchers at the WSM are very accommodating for special orders.
You likely could do better by composting waste and having a large vegetable garden, something that would pose few obstacles in Greater Cleveland, or anywhere for that matter. However, beware of restrictions imposed by any Homeowners' Association, if you were to buy a property in an HMA.
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