Mansfield, OH

[adgaja]

I lived i mansfield for many years when i was little and most of my friends were black the only way you willhave problems with them is if you use the n word and if they use it don't think it is ok for you to use it

[tony831]

i lived in columbus ohio till i was 9 years old .. and then moved to mansfield and have lived here since . i am now 18 . the main drug that ive grew up around is mary wanna .. and let me tell u there are very very many people in the mansfield community that smoke reffer .. and ive noticed that now ahh days there are alot more pills going around .. hope ive helped ..*)

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by birdy...

I've asked folks that live in Mansfield from other internet sources that many parts of the town are really bad to live in. I don't have a lot of money so I was hoping to purchase a property that is cheap and re-model it myself.

I am amazed at the negativity in questions I ask about this area. Is it really that bad? I'm told the local blacks hate whites (which I am) and the drug dealers come down from Detroit and hang on local streets.

My initial reaction was "Why Mansfield?"

My wife has a number of cousins who have rehabbed some off the old Victorians around Park Ave. The problem is getting a house that is not too far gone is not real cheap and after you spend a year rehabbing it, it is hard to get any money out of the property as the Mansfield public schools are considered the pits.

You can pick up a cheap 2 br anywhere around town but you are going to have little chance to make any money after making it habitable.

You would almost be better to look at older homes in smaller towns in the area - Bellville, Shelby, Mt. Vernon, Lexington. Or if you are more adventurous, find an old farm house in Richland or Wayne Co.

[mermaidtail]

Mansfield Ohio was on the Oprah show a few months ago it is not a good place to move or live in there are alot of drug problems here and no jobs. and the weather is cold!

[toledoattorney]

First, to clear up Mermaidtail's confusion, the Oprah show unnecessarily abused Mansfield's reputation. I lived in Mansfield for 18 years, and drug use is not nearly as prevalent as that show made it seem. The truth is: Drug problems exist everyone in the United States. Mansfield provided but one example.
Any concern of racism or drug use should NOT be a concern to anyone considering a move to Mansfield. Are you planning to move to the ghettos of downtown Mansfield? Surely not. There are many neighborhoods that are very safe and family friendly: I, for example, grew up in Madison Township, and there are kids running around safely everywhere! There are homes off of Lexington Avenue and off of Millsboro Rd that I would feel quite lucky to live in.
I would be much more concerned about hillbillies than racism. I honestly believe that the biggest problem facing Mansfield is the high rate of uneducated and often unemployed whites. It does make going to a bar or restaurant an interesting experience. I like to play a game called: "Count the Nascar shirts" but there are also many educated white-collar residents as well.
It is a fine place to raise a family with plenty of shopping, restaurants and things to do at your disposal. Parks, lakes, rivers, skiing, are within 20 minutes and Columbus and Cleveland are just over an hour away.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by toledoattorney

I would be much more concerned about hillbillies than racism. I honestly believe that the biggest problem facing Mansfield is the high rate of uneducated and often unemployed whites. It does make going to a bar or restaurant an interesting experience. I like to play a game called: "Count the Nascar shirts" but there are also many educated white-collar residents as well.

In those towns where you have had a large union presence, you will find that education is devalued. I mean, why spend a ton to go to college when you can go to the plant, make a ton of money and not work too hard and come out ahead? I encountered a number of people in Richland County who want to blame their lack of preparation for the new economy for all their woes.

While I am tempted to blame the schools - and Mansfield Public are among the worst, I have seen the same tendency at places like Clear Fork and Lexington.

[truemuck]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

In those towns where you have had a large union presence, you will find that education is devalued.

So is birth control! I think thats the one thing, I always noticed a lot of in Mansfield is a lot of pregnant teenagers, even more so than I notice here.

[dblockindabuildin]

I lived in Mansfield from when I was 7 to 17. I'm 19 now living in Columbus. Mansfield is not a dangerous city, but it is not the safest. However, many of the things said in this thread have been completely absurd. The blacks in Mansfield do not hate whites, at least most of them don't. Most of my friends growing up in Mansfield were black and that statement was definitely not true. There are only two parts of Mansfield that I consider to be "bad". One part is the projects on King Street and Burns Street. I was once robbed there and consider myself to be a very street smart, cautious person. The other are is Little Kentucky, north of Route 30. There isn't much violence there but it is home to hella racism and some of the rudest people I have EVER met. The Westside is a lower income area, however it is not particularly dangerous, with perhaps the exception of 5th street. The Brinkherhoff and Ranchwood areas are nice, diverse, middle class areas.

Overall I wouldn't recommend moving here, but it is not as bad as one might think.