Is "The Grass Is Greener" More Prevalent In Ohio Than Other States? (Columbus: amusement park, credit)

[QCongress83216]

Originally Posted by Bo

I moved to Ohio after 30 years in Texas, Wisconsin, Tennessee and New York. I've lived enough other places that I can appreciate Ohio's charms.

Earlier this month, I made my first visit to several places along the Lake Erie shore. What a great place to hang out and enjoy the weather and the water!

What's the difference between Ohio and the previous state you have lived?

[Vegabern]

The grass is greener elsewhere (for me). I left 15 years ago and am now in my third state not named Ohio. I was/am happier in two of those states. I can't imagine a scenario where I would ever live in Ohio again. No amount of money could draw me back.

We went back to visit family over Labor Day weekend and my nine year old said it was terrible and asked how we ever lived there while driving through Maumee and Perrysburg.

My mom is planning her escape next month. My sister left about 14 years ago. My dad and one aunt are the only family members left out of their family of nine. They all left Ohio after college.

I'm glad some people enjoy it but clearly not my family.

[Bo]

Originally Posted by QCongress83216

What's the difference between Ohio and the previous state you have lived?

It has a harsher winter than Texas and Tennessee and a gentler winter than New York and Wisconsin. It has far fewer hot days than South Texas.

The population is more dense, on average, than in Texas. Texas has a lot of lightly inhabited, rural areas. Ohio has more large cities within a 2-1/2-hour drive of the center of the state.

Most of our extended family lives in Ohio, so we can see them more often.

I'm happy to be back!

[ram2]

Originally Posted by Vegabern

The grass is greener elsewhere (for me). I left 15 years ago and am now in my third state not named Ohio. I was/am happier in two of those states. I can't imagine a scenario where I would ever live in Ohio again. No amount of money could draw me back.

We went back to visit family over Labor Day weekend and my nine year old said it was terrible and asked how we ever lived there while driving through Maumee and Perrysburg.

My mom is planning her escape next month. My sister left about 14 years ago. My dad and one aunt are the only family members left out of their family of nine. They all left Ohio after college.

I'm glad some people enjoy it but clearly not my family.

Toledo is only one small part of Ohio.

[ABQConvict]

Ohio is sorely underrated, not least by Ohioans.

I mean, if you must have ready access to the beach, months on end of 100F days, steep mountains, or Broadway shows and Vietnamese takeout at 3am, you won't find it, fair enough. I myself am a wilderness guide and ski instructor which would make a career in Ohio difficult.

But if you are looking for dreamy, bucolic landscapes reminicent of Tolkien's shire, towns and villages with utterly charming 19th century architecture lining main streets brimming with Americana in its best sense, farmland that looks human scaled, not like monstrous agribusiness, comfortably sized big cities, with gorgeous settings on a Great Lake and great rivers, that have fun food and entertainment scenes, opportunities that are family friendly, but not creepily Puritanical, a surprising diversity of people in the cities, and a salt of the earth Midwest German farmer population in the country, and just a great location if you do want to get into rugged countryside, mega cities like NYC, or have a beach vacation, while not suffering the COL of actually making a living in those places, Ohio is pretty hard to beat.

Now, is when people will chime in about the addiction problems, the economic problems, the empty shops on those charming main streets, etc. like they aren't a problem in just about every corner of the country. That is the defeatist, poor me atitude that, sadly, has characterized certain Ohioans.

I am not from Ohio. I grew up in NYC, have lived in New Mexico for decades now, and have worked and studied abroad. I did live in a (widely mocked) small city in SW Ohio for a while and loved it. I decided it was not for me, in great part because it is too far from the types of environments my career requires, but if things were different I wouldn't mind settling in the state at all.

One of my retirement dreams would be to have a small hobby farm/permaculture/off-grid type setup with an old farmhouse and I can think of few places I would rather do that than the hinterlands of the Miami Valley. Rolling, wooded hills interspersed with small fams, and shooting distance to the entertainment, great beer, and great food of Cincinnati? Sounds good to me!

And though it is not fashionable to say so in Ohio, I like the other Cs, too. And the Appalachian region of SE Ohio is, outside of the Hocking Hills, an underappreciated gem. Tons of wild land out there. I have done a fair bit of backpacking in Wayne NF and Shawnee SP which proves you don't have to even coss the river or head out to the Alleghenies to feel like you are in remote wilderness in Ohio.

This turned into a bit more of a exposition than I meant it to, but the sad sack, Eeyore mentality I hear about Ohio is tiresome and ignorant.

[RunD1987]

Was going to make a post about Ohio

Just I hear healthcare is amazing

Cost of living is low

Weather is similar to New England States/New York

Traffic is non-existent

It is a haunted State

Has great food

Great school systems

Has awesome amusement parks and roller coasters

Heavy metal music festivals

Reninisance Faire

Haunted attractions and unique museums

Has zoos, museums, and aquariums

Close to major cities

Low cost housing market

Low rents

Low taxes

Higher education facilities

Football!!!

[Bo]

Originally Posted by ram2

Toledo is only one small part of Ohio.

Toledo might as well be Michigan. Few Ohioans aspire to live in Michigan.

[Vegabern]

Originally Posted by ram2

Toledo is only one small part of Ohio.

Gee, I didn't realize that. Thank you . But since you seem to need things spelled out specifically, I lived in Bowling Green, several different areas around Columbus, Athens, and Findlay. Oh, and I have family in Cleveland so I spent a significant amount of time there as well.

If nothing else, I'm glad I got away from the Ohio *******s.

[ram2]

Originally Posted by Vegabern

Gee, I didn't realize that. Thank you . But since you seem to need things spelled out specifically, I lived in Bowling Green, several different areas around Columbus, Athens, and Findlay. Oh, and I have family in Cleveland so I spent a significant amount of time there as well.

If nothing else, I'm glad I got away from the Ohio *******s.

What does Milwaukee offer that cities in Ohio do not?

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by ram2

What does Milwaukee offer that cities in Ohio do not?

Objectively? Nothing. Subjectively? I'm sure he just likes the vibe better or has good friends there or any number of other things.