From Roanoke ,Va To Wooster Ohio,should we? (West Hill: college, live)
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I currently live near Tampa FL but grew up in Wayne county (Apple Creek) and most of my familiy are still in the area. I went to school in Columbus and have relocated to several areas around the country over the years, and have spent time in many areas of the country as part of my job. I didn't realize how special Wooster was until I left. I bought a 2nd home in the north end of town that I currently rent out until I can find a way to 'come back home". My home is within walking distance of the High school, Junior High, and Elementary school as well as Freedlander park. We took a tour of the new High school when it was built and before it was opened, and my kids begged to move out of Florida so they could go wo WHS. My kids are out of school now but I'm still trying to work out a telecommuting arrangement that might allow me come home.
There's not as much to do as here, but I never grow tired of just driving around the country side looking at the Amish farms to the south. The last time I was home, they had the entire downtown area blocked off with a huge car show and concert at the square. I assume they do something similar nearly every weeknd during the summer.
Mrs. Roanoke, Va.
I currently live in downtown Washington, D.C., but grew up and went to college in Wooster (about 21 or 22 years in Wooster, to be exact). I'd be more than happy to give you further details on the "city" of Wooster, but can at least answer the basic questions that you originally posed. If you're looking for a medium-sized high school, then you should probably look at the Triway School District. Most of the teachers have been at Triway for years, but are still able to come up with a new and inventive curriculum. The school has great athletics programs and the baseball team is no exception. Indeed, there is a "newer" housing development that fits perfectly into your price range and is only 1/2 mile from the Triway High School and Jr. High. It's called "Green Meadows" and is actually where I grew up.
I'm sure that it will be hard transitioning from the DC-Metro Area to small town Ohio, but you can at least rest assured that Wooster has more cultural activities than most of the surrounding area thanks to the College of Wooster. Nationally recognized speakers come in frequently for public lectures and there are all types of musical/dance/arts performances for little-to-no cost to the public.
It is fairly cloudy in Wooster, but that really goes for all of northern Ohio.
MY HUSBAND MAY TAKE A POSITON IN WOOSTER OHIO THIS SPRING. WOULD APPRECIATE HELPFUL INFO ON THE AREA! HAVE 2 HIGHSCHOOL AGE CHILDREN AND ONE MIDDLESCHOOL AGE (GR 6). lOOKING FOR A MIDSIZE HS (500-800 STUDENTS) SAME OR LESS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL MUST BE SAFE, HAVE GOOD TEST SCORES, ACCEPTING OF NON NATIVES, AND GOOD OR GREAT BASEBALL PROGRAMS! lOOKING FOR NEW HOME NEIGHBORHOODS IN 225-289K PRICE RANGE? ARE WE DREAMING?HAVE HEARD ITS VERY CLOUDY,TRUE? IS THAT DEPRESSING?ANY INFO IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!
too funny! i live in roanoke, va. i have been here for about 18 yrs and it's just okay to me. i have found that ROA is very clickish. i have found that they aren't as friendly as people in the mid west. yes, that's what they call us. we aren't yankees. okay, enough of that...t
i was born and raised in massillon ohio. it's hmmm probably 30 minutes from wooster ohio. it is very nice there. it has a small town atmosphere with tree lines streets, sidewalks, etc. the weather up there is very comparable to the summers here. the winters start about a month sooner than here and end about a month later. although the winters have gotten alot more milder in the past years. my whole family is up there so that is what they tell me.
i think that you would really like it. it is a very laid-back and friendly town. not far away is the town orville where all of the smuckers jellies are made. not to far away you can venture into the land of the amish. i'm sure you have done a search on wooster so you can compare some info that other ppl have given you.
shoot, give it a shot...you can always come back to ROA.
oh by the way...the coach on the movie we are marshall lived in wooster. (just some trivia) i work near the new finks store and north cross.
small world! p.s the cost of housing is lower. the wages just depend on what your occupation is...good luck!
Last edited by Yac; 05-04-2007 at 10:45 AM..
Reason: added the extra line from duplicate post.
I have been reading your forum on Wooster, Ohio. My son just got a teaching job there and I have been researching apartments . Does anyone have any suggestions for some nice apartments in Wooster? He would like to stay away from the college crowd and you have to remember that this is his first job and money is an issue,so something decent, but affordable.Thanks in advance for all your help!!!!!!
I moved from Blacksburg to Wooster 3 years ago! We were aiming for Columbus, but took a job at the college here in Woo. I was like "Where the heck is Wooster???"
So right after we moved here we ended up falling in LOVE with Wooster as just about everyone does. We have two young children and this is such a perfect community for families. Wooster was named Ohio's Hometown by Ohio Magazine recently.
Our schools are rated excellent by the state. I don't think we have to pass levees for funding, or at least I haven't noticed any since I've been here. Our HS is large w/ an ice rink, a large pool, etc. The town of Wooster has a huge Soccer complex for all ages and that's about all you see all Summer is kids playing soccer day in and out! Our huge new library opens in 3 weeks.
The weather-- ah it kinda sucks! Same temps as Roanoke, but more cloudy-- it's true. It is LESS WINDY than VA though! We have about the same amount of snow believe it or not, but we had kind of a good amount of snow when we lived in Bburg. Wooster is a lot like Blacksburg, really... Quaint town, nice downtown area w/ coffee shops... Lots of parks and green space. We don't have the same amount of nearby hiking and outdoor rec... There are hitching posts at the Walmart because this is Amish Country. It's neat! It's REALLY FLAT up here, you'll be shocked.
As far as shopping, you have to drive to find some! We have adequate shopping for a small town, but a good nearby mall is about a 45 minute drive. NO big deal if you're trying to escape traffic. Also, we are right on Route 30 so commuting to the big cities nearby is easy and quick.
Over all, from one Hokie to another, I'd say move to Wooster over other nearby cities. I know several cities due to my line of work.
I know you're out there. Former Orrvillians who have left and now you want out the rat race. You think back to the good, simpler times you experienced here in Amish country. You miss the small hometown feel, the fall leaves, the farms, the countryside and the clip clop of Amish buggies. Well, come on back home to Orrville.
We are in the midst of a revitalization. Orrville is one of a handful of towns across Ohio that are part of the Ohio Main Street program. We have received grants to revitalize our downtown and improvements are evident everywhere. Our downtown is becoming quite quaint these days. If you are looking to open up a little store, come on back and open one downtown. We have plenty of industry and our own electric company too!
Contrary to some statistics you might come across, Orrville is virtually crime free. It is a very safe town. I am prone to take walks in the middle of the night and have never been accosted in any way. I don't know where they got their statistics from because I'm sure if any serious crime happened it would be the talk of the town. There are no such thing as home invasions here, no carjackings and no murder. I feel completely safe here in Orrville.
We have a beautiful park with a creek running through it that holds concerts in the summer and abound with ballfields. We have great schools, in fact they just built a new school. There is a boys and girls club that caters the youth. Your kids can even go there while they wait for you to get off work. This is a wonderful place to raise children.
You are just 20 minutes away from all the shopping in Wooster and close to Canton, Cleveland and Akron. Orrville is not a mecca for shopping but they like to keep it that way. I can sit on my front porch and watch Amish buggies clipclopping down the street. They come in to go to our grocery stores. A very short drive takes you right into the heart of Amish country and its breathtakingly beautiful.
Nearby Kidron is a mecca for the Amish and there you have Lehmans, the largest old fashioned hardware store in the world. They have been selling hard to get non electric items since the 50s. They started out catering to the Amish's needs. Refer to Lehmans.com to see what I'm talking about.
Kidron also has weekly livestock auctions and an outdoor flea market where Amish and "Englishers" mingle. All around the area you can get locally made Swiss cheese and bulk food stores abound. One of the simplest pleasures around here is to take a country drive and get lost in Amish country. Marvel at the beauty of the well kept farms, see beautiful draft horses and dairy cows in the pasture. You'll see the Amish working teams of horses in the field. Okay now your turn fellow Orrville residents, help me explain why living in here is so great!
I grew up in Wooster, and my family still lives there so I visit there often. I think it's a great place to grow up, however the high school is probably a little bit bigger than what you were looking for (I think there were about 200-300 kids in my graduating class of 2003), but it is a great school with lots of great science classes (and the music program is great). There are lots of AP options as well for your high school students. Edgewood is the middle school. I know they've made some improvements to it since I was there. The whole north end of Wooster is filled with shopping and there is actually a decent amount of stuff for teenagers to do in Wooster. There may be farm lands all around Wooster, but it's definitely not the country! I always felt that it was pretty accepting of non-Wooster natives. The sports teams are...so, so at best...or at least they were when I was there. Triway high school generally had better sports teams, but I had a lot of friends who went there growing up and they didn't have much good to say about it). The weather isn't that bad. Move a little further north to Kent-Ravenna if you want cloudy---there's an old arsenal there that the military built there a million years ago b/c they have soooo many cloudy days that they didn't have to worry about planes flying over and seeing the arsenal (or that's the story).
I'm a New Englander, transplanted to N Medina Co, just north of Wooster. It's incredibly beautiful here in spring, summer and fall, and the winter is probably not much different from VA. It's a rural area, not unlike NH, and there are local shopping areas and restaurants. If you require a Saks Fifth Ave. then you will need to travel far to shop, but if you don't, you won't need to go far.
I don't know about specific schools, but I assume they are similar to the schools here (13 miles away). My son's exprience with the schools here were positive, full of plenty of sports and really good kids for friends.
Wooster is a college town..College of Wooster... and a region with a lot of Amish people. It's fun to see the Amish buggies hitch up at the local drug store or Walmart.
Fear not.
Oh, and you will have no trouble finding a house in your price range.
Wooster, Ohio is not my cup of tea. The people here are rude and there is NOTHING to do here. If you want to get out and do anything, everything is 30 minutes away. There is nothing to do that can be just right around the corner. And no night life here at all. It is as if the world ends at 7 and wakes back up at 4 in the morning. I hate Wooster, sorry but may be perfect for families but my poor teenagers hate it here. Our family has had nothing but horrible times here.
Plus be leary of churches here. One called West Hill...ESP!
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Orrville Ohio is a great town too!
