Moving from Florida to Medina, Ohio (Oberlin: houses, transfer, construction)

[Donna7]

Originally Posted by GAL13

That's what I like to hear.......optimism!
Also great to hear of Florida transplants who are happy they moved to Ohio!

It sure would be nice to have change of seasons again! Right now it is so hot and humid and our area was just flooded really bad with Tropical Storm Fay and then we saw Gustav, who turned and may be threatening New Orleans and today they told us about Hurricane Hanna out there, looking like she may be headed this way; I live on the east coast of Florida.

I am getting tired of the anxiety each season! 2004 was the worst ever!
So I am wondering if it would be easier dealing with snow storms!
Seems like it is only really bad in January and February, right?

Thank you so much for your input!

Well, I can say this; I've known of no snow storms that have done as much damage in one fell-swoop as hurricanes have done in one landing. You definitely won't be living in fear for your life (and house) when a snowstorm comes through. Your house won't be blown away to smithereens from a snow storm; although there are other things that can happen like pipes freezing, roof collapsing, and other things like that, but your house won't be blown away with all of your contents in it.

Also, this is not to say that there aren't traffic casualties in the winter, or people keeling over after they've shoveled snow, or people dying from inadequate heating or breathing problems. I know of three people we've known closely that died after shoveling snow; they were all men in their 60's who exerted themselves a little too much shoveling snow and had heart attacks. It's also sometimes very hard to breathe when temps dip in the single digits or below 0. There are sometimes stretches of this that last 1-3 weeks. For example, I was walking up a slight incline from the parking lot at the U of Akron to Bierce library (two blocks) and by the time I walked into the building I felt that I was literally having a heart attack because my body was working so hard on breathing that frozen air in February of 2007. I don't know if I did any permanent damage to my heart, but for the next three months, I could feel when I exerted myself too much and had to watch it. I don't have any breathing problems or asthma or anything like that, but still walking and breathing very cold air is dangerous. It's not dangerous for people that park their car in a parking lot and have 10 steps to take to get into a building that is heated, or park their car in a heated parking deck and take an escalator up to the building they work in like I did when I worked in downtown Akron (OH). It is different for people that have to work outside, or have to wait for public transportation, or the school bus, or have to walk. When it gets this cold, many schools and events are cancelled because it IS just plain dangerous to be out and about. Again, before someone goes off on me and tells me that it's "not normally like that", my reply is that the WHOLE WINTER is NOT like that, but there are ebbs and flows in NE OH winters that are very bad for a few days or weeks, then it subsides to a more managable state. And then the whole process repeats depending on what Alberta Clipper is coming from Canada and God knows where else.

The winters in NE OH can be bleak and gray for what seems like months on end. If you have any issues with SAD (seasonal affective disorder), you might have problems with Ohio winters. You can help alleviate that with special lights designed for this purpose, getting out, exercising, etc.

As far as jobs are concerned, there are jobs depending on what sector of work you're involved in. I know that you stated your experience. Maybe you should put out feelers out there and use your family's address and phone number to see where that leads you, see if you get any bites.

Besides the weather and the jobs, there is an invisible thing called a "vibe" that each city has due to the make-up of the people there, the "culture". Everyone resonates differently with an area. In my opinion, when people say, "I really didn't like living there" while someone else says, "I really LOVE living there or I loved living there", it means that they were in not in congruence or were in congruence with the vibe there, the people, and all that goes with that. Whether or not you are congruent with the vibe in NE Ohio is something only you can find out or maybe you already know. If you love the Cleveland Indians, the Cleveland Browns, and the Cavaliers, the Michigan vs. Ohio State rivalry or the Browns vs. Steelers rivalry, then by golly, you're going to love it here. Break out the crockpot for the kielbasa, hot wings, and chili (for Sunday sports). Get out the beer kegs. I think that the mood for some NE Ohians is dictated by how well their sports teams are doing. Get ready to gain 20+ pounds in the winter because all there is to do is eat and then eat some more. Hey, that's why God invented Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Nutri-slim (and the rest). Spring comes eventually when the sins of winter overeating are revealed.

If your main priority is getting out of the way of hurricanes, being closer to your family, Medina is a very nice place to be in depending on what you're looking for and what age of life you're in. I think it's good for families. I am approx. 30 minutes away from Medina proper. I go to Wadsworth ALL the time, like 5 times a week at least because there is NOTHING, I repeat NOTHING, in the small town I live in. Wadsworth is part of Medina County.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

[GAL13]

Hi, thanks so much for your answer. You are so right about hurricanes and what they can do! Look at Texas recently and Katrina! I went through Frances and Jeanne back to back, 3 weeks apart in 2004; it was unheard of for a second hurricane to hit 9 miles from another, esp. only 3 weeks later!! I am so over all the anxiety, esp. with the storms getting worse. I am working in disaster relief case management right now, for the flooding from Tropical Storm Fay, what a mess!
I just turned 52 and so I do weigh the answers based on one's point of reference.
You are so right about the vibe in a place. I usually know instantly when I drive into an area, whether or not I would feel comfortable living there.
I knew right away when I went to Alexandria, VA/DC area, that it didn't feel right and moved there anyway. A month later my beloved car was stolen from in front of the house! Didn't take me long to pack up and move
back to FL.............that will teach me not to listen to my gut!
Was wondering if there were any others out there who had relocated from FL to OH.
Thanks again!

[GAL13]

Hi, I am wondering what part of Florida you are moving to?
The economy is worse here than in some other areas, esp. because we depend so much on tourism, which is at an all time low right now!
Remember the good thing is that FL does not have a state income tax, but that means reduced tax base to draw from for social services, law enf./ fire rescue services, etc.
Salaries in FL are notoriously low!
It is a very transient state and as long as they have so many people looking for work in FL, they don't have to raise the salaries and believe
me.............they don't! (Unless you are in the defense contractor business, but they are going through massive lay-offs right now.)
In my field, working with troubled youth, the salaries have not gone up in
over 14 years!!
And believe me the cost of living has not stopped going up!

I am also wondering what age range you are in, which may be different than me, which makes a difference as to what is available there, to do.
I was so happy to find a chapter of Single Volunteers in Strongsville, which is interesting to me.

[PalmettoGuy]

We did not move from FL, but we moved to Medina from the Southeast two months ago. Haven't experienced winter here yet, but I'd be glad to answer any questions about our experience so far. We really like it!

[GAL13]

Hi, thank you so much for your reply. I have visited Medina and also thought it was nice. I would be interested in hearing from you as you experience winter up there! Where did you move from?
Thanks again.

[livebyoptimism]

Ohio isn't bad at all! I thin kit's great! I lived in Green (about 1/2 South of Medina) until August when I moved to SC to teach. But Medina really is great. There is everything you could ever want w/in driving distance. Cleveland is close, Canton isn't that far... LOTS to do. & the neighborhoods are very nice & schools are great.

[totsuka]

You should move to fairfax va...northern ohio has been going down for the past 25 years...once the old retired folks die off..so does the medical network...which is a big employer up here....

[GAL13]

Hi, I apologize for the late response to both messges. But, as usual I am working two jobs in order to survive in Florida; that is one of the main reasons for wanting to relocate, wages are REALLY low in Florida. Since so many move to FL, they are never lacking for folks who will accept lower wages in order to live in the Sunshine State!
Anyway, thanks for the notes, I do like Medina and have only considered it because I have family there, but I am still wondering if I could tolerate the cold winters and gray days! Still weighing my options.
Thank you again.
P.S. As far as Fairfax, VA, there is no way......I lived in Springfield for a short time and left to return to FL after my beloved car was stolen from in front of the house! It took 5 phone calls to the Police Dept. and 2 1/2 hours before they would respond, while my vehicle was being driven further away! Not the least bit interested in that area, thank you!

[livebyoptimism]

You'll get used to the grey days & the snow really isn't that bad. Those really are some of the best days... when you get snowed in & can't leave. Ha ha. Sometimes when you leave the house & there's lots of snow out there & it's still coming down, it's like a battle. But I love the feeling of conquering the snow! When you can go out & drive in it, & the road are icy, & you're sliding all over the road, or get stuck in the snow... that's half the fun of it.. making it home safe!! It really is fun & Medina is a good place. It will def be an adventure! When we moved to SC a few months ago, I didn't know what to expect at all. But I did know that I was going to make to make the best of it & have fun no matter what. & that's just what I'm doing. But I sure can't wait to move back to Ohio! I talked to my mom last night & she said that it was icing, so nobody (but the brave, crazy souls) were going anywhere! Can't wait to go home for Christmas!!

[Sandyatkw]

I moved to Medina County (Hinckley, to be exact) from Arizona -- quite a difference! Granted, I had lived here before, so I knew what to expect, but I could have moved almost anywhere and chose to live here. The seasons, the terrain, the family ties, the park systems, and FOOTBALL (well, except this year for the Browns...). The pace of life is sometimes a bit slow for me, but I can always fly somewhere more frantic then come home to relax. I like this area so much I became a real estate agent, and help people relocate here all the time. You may be surprised how many people move here from Florida -- especially since that last bad hurricane. From what I understand, homeowners insurance rates there increased exhorbitantly. Affordability is a definite plus here in Medina County. Can get large homes on large lots for much less than most places in the country.