Questions about Columbus & Ohio State (Cleveland, Westerville: transplants, apartment complex, rent)

[MitchArk87]

I am an Arkansan who is interesting in relocating to healthy, liberal-friendly Midwestern city with both awesome university and deaf community.

Although I am deaf and I can speak orally well, I still want an active deaf community with deaf population and deaf school nearby. I heard about large deaf student population at Columbus State Community College, but I am curious about Ohio State.

I wonder how the city of Columbus and Ohio State University ranks among other Big 10 universities such as Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan that I also have been accepted by. I am leaning toward either Minnesota or Wisconsin, but I feel somewhat more attracted to Ohio State myself. At the same time, I don't want to take the risk of moving from conservative South to another conservative city of Columbus especially with all the stories I heard about Columbus and its racist attitudes toward diverse population and bad cops, but I hope I am wrong about Columbus.

What about Ohioans? Are they friendly to outsiders? I hope there isn't any materialism in Columbus where you have to keep up with the Joneses.

If I happen to choose Ohio State, my future wife and I would be interested in living in surburbs that is not far from OSU without the hassles of commuting through traffic/rush hour. We both heard about wonderful surburbs of Dublin, Westerville, Worthington, New Albany, Hilliard, Powell, Upper Arlington, and Grandview/Marble Cliff. Since we would be both working and wanting to live in wonderful apt. complex, I don't think the cost of living would be any concern.

Any information you can share on this subject would be helpful and deeply appreciated. Thank you and have a great evening!

[Clevelander17]

Columbus is generally pretty moderate when it comes to politics. The city itself is like most cities, more liberal, but the surround suburbs and counties are more conservative. I don't know much about the deaf community so on that level I can't really help. But Ohio State is the largest college in the country and has all kinds of student groups, so I don't believe it would be that hard to find what you're looking for.

As for materialism, I think most Ohioans are less concerned with that than a lot of other places (like where I was living in Arizona), but who knows how that compares to where you're coming from.

Feel free to ask if you have any other questions.

[MitchArk87]

Thanks for informing me more about Columbus and Ohio State University. Based on my research, OSU looks great and I can stand a large city with moderate politics as long I don't have to worry about extreme Bible Thumpers.

However, I am more concerned about cynical Ohioan economy with its being part of Rust Belt. I am not sure if it applies to Columbus Metro Area or not. I wonder if I would have good chances of finding a job right after graduation from Ohio State as high school teacher with a possibility of becoming a future college professor after graduate school without having to move out of Ohio for jobs. If I happen to find my ideal job, would Columbus Metro Area be a great, safe place to live and raise a family? I was told to avoid Ohio because the state property taxes are ridiculous along with high crime rate and crazy political system.

Of course, I love college football. I was told that there is nothing to do in Columbus except during Buckeye Football season. Is this true at all?

[Bowie]

Originally Posted by MitchArk87

especially with all the stories I heard about Columbus and its racist attitudes toward diverse population and bad cops, but I hope I am wrong about Columbus.

I grew up in the Columbus area and still follow the news there, so this surprises me. Columbus has an African-American mayor and police chief, so I find it hard to imagine there could be widespread institutional racism in the city.

As for the quality of Ohio State, it's a very good school with some majors stronger than others. How it compares to those other schools you mentioned will depend on the major. What major or type of major are you considering?

[streetcreed]

Okay, unlike the previous posters I actually live in Columbus.

Columbus is a liberal city. Someone who does not live in columbus or been here recently is out of touch with how progressive the city has become.

The Short North actually has archways with the gay rainbow flag illuminating for miles up high st. Columbus' city limits are much more liberal than before, but the suburbs are becoming more moderate. I study politics for my living, and in the past years columbus went from having republicans on city council to having 0 rep. and 7 dem.

The county government went from having a republican majority to a democratic majority, and all county commissioners are now democrats.

The house district for the city of Upper Arlington, long a republican suburb, is now held by a democrat. Lastly, the cities suburbs are moving further left quicker than the rest of the country.

Now to assist your question better: I attended Columbus State and Ohio State. At Columbus State there was actually a teacher who would sign in front of the class for a student who is deaf.

Columbus is home to the Ohio School for the Deaf and Blind. This assists in providing a center for the culture. However, I would see almost all of the school districts as being great for your kids, and very accommodating. The city has worked hard to think of the deaf. If you live off of high st. the COTA bus route, number 2, links Columbus state, Ohio State, downtown, the schools for the deaf and blind, and is the most welcoming urban street and most accommodating for the communities.

I highly recommend the Columbus area for someone seeking a city with a liberal to moderate population and a good selection of communities.

Columbus' more liberal attitude is attributed to a secular mindset, younger population, and people who are liberal minded because of social issues more than your traditional union democrat.

I really think you would like Columbus, however, I want to clear up the impression that Columbus is a medium sized city or college town. Columbus is a pretty big metro of nearly 2 million. The metro is comparable to Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Austin. The cities center includes many of the known institutions such as Ohio State. When you get further out in the burbs it can be an entire different culture, but I would still recommend the innerburbs.

Columbus is often ranked one of the most least racist cities and is known for being a very welcoming place. Because Columbus is a city made up of many transplants that were drawn here by a better economy, it has escaped a backwards mindset and is a place where people are use to meeting someone new.

[streetcreed]

I did want to say that while Columbus city limits are progressive, some of the suburbs can be more socially conservative. Hilliard (west side), Grove City (south west), and Obetz would not exactly be places where you want to settle for the lifestyle your looking for. All of these areas have many transplants, so they are changing, but they are still moderate to conservative.

I would look at trying to relocate to the city limits of Columbus, the NW side, Clintonville, Beechwold, are all great neighborhoods with good columbus schools.

Also, Worthington, Grandview Heights, Upper Arlington (once very conservative now more liberal), sections of NW columbus that attend dublin or worthington schools, and Westerville would better fit the environment your looking for, in a suburb.

[MitchArk87]

Originally Posted by Bowie

I grew up in the Columbus area and still follow the news there, so this surprises me. Columbus has an African-American mayor and police chief, so I find it hard to imagine there could be widespread institutional racism in the city.

As for the quality of Ohio State, it's a very good school with some majors stronger than others. How it compares to those other schools you mentioned will depend on the major. What major or type of major are you considering?

I am happy to hear that Columbus isn't racist with corrupt cops like I heard. I guess unhappy residents who are unsatisfied with their lives think very negative with a tendency to create stories about Columbus.

If I choose Ohio State, I plan to major in History with a possibility of having a minor in Secondary Social Studies Education for Ohio teaching licensure. I wonder how Ohio State's undergraduate History Department ranks among other Big 10 universities such as Minnesota and Michigan. Although Minnesota and Michigan are great schools, their graduate schools aren't good as Ohio State though. I plan to teach full-time while attending graduate school part-time for MA in either History or Political Sciences.

[MitchArk87]

Dear Streetcreed:

Thanks for sharing helpful information about Columbus neighborhoods and surburbs along with its cultural and big city amenties. I will use your advices while I'm seeking a nice apartment complex/or townhouse to live with monthly rent below $900.00. If you have any townhouses/ or apartments in mind, I would appreciate your sharing with me.

I also would like to get opinions from residents. Since I am profoundly deaf but can speak fairly well, I wonder if I would struggle to make friends/develop connections especially with Ohio State being the largest university in the country located in Columbus, which is the 15th largest city in the U.S. I heard that Ohioans are less concerned about materialism, which is good, but I am not sure about their friendliness.

[HuskerDu]

I grew up and lived in Columbus for 37 years and, besides the urban core (Short North, German Village, Old Towne East) and some surrounding areas (Clintonville, Grandview) Columbus is about as diverse and exciting as a warm bowl of milk... It's a safe place, that could be any place. As far as OSU is concerned, it is an excellent University for research but the undergraduate programs are Community College level. The surrounding campus area neighborhood is a crime ridden slum also.

[MitchArk87]

Originally Posted by HuskerDu

I grew up and lived in Columbus for 37 years and, besides the urban core (Short North, German Village, Old Towne East) and some surrounding areas (Clintonville, Grandview) Columbus is about as diverse and exciting as a warm bowl of milk... It's a safe place, that could be any place. As far as OSU is concerned, it is an excellent University for research but the undergraduate programs are Community College level. The surrounding campus area neighborhood is a crime ridden slum also.

Thanks for the information about Ohio State's quality of undergraduate education and its surrounding crime-ridden slums.

I was surprised because I was told that the surrounding areas were excellent with its diverse and liberal population with nice Upper Arlington and Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff areas in splitting distance along with gay-friendly areas such as Short North, German Village, and Victorian Village.

Which bad, slumy areas surrounding OSU Campus should I avoid?