Sylvania HELP! (Toledo, Maumee, Franklin: upper-class, crime, house prices)

[buckeye111]

Looking to relocate to Sylvania--but I can't decide on a subdivision....the problem is my husband who want to be in a very, very NON-Diverse subdivision. Due to bad experiences he has had, he just prepers his home to be in an all-white subdivision...

[AnytimeAnywhere]

Does he mind Jewish people? According to this website, Sylvania is 94.2% white.

[Pilliod Njaim]

Well, first off, I don't think you'll be happy in the Toledo area if you're looking for "non-diversity". Much of the area's activities revolve around ethnic festivals and a very integrated bar/club/restaurant scene. There are still some white suburban areas, but even they are starting to integrate. The Toledo area is known for its wealth of ethnic restaurants before anything else, and it's very liberal by Midwestern standards. Also keep in mind that Toledo is heavily Eastern European, so your idea of "white" won't be just English, German, and Irish. There will be lots of Poles and Hungarians too, and let me really stress the Polish part. Some white areas are actually more Polish than anything else.

The Toledo area also has a good number of Arabs (mainly Lebanese and Syrian) included in its "white" count.

Sylvania was listed at over 90% white, and it is Toledo's most conservative suburb. Still, in most neighborhoods there are significant populations of Jews, Muslims, Arabs, Asians, Persians, and East Indians. I think the actual percentage of whites is a lot lower than what it's printed at. I'd put the non-Arab/non-Persian/non-Israeli percentage of whites at about 80%, certainly not 94% like was reported in the 2000 census. On top of that, Sylvania is heavily Jewish.

Even if you live in a white neighborhood in Sylvania, you will likely be shopping, eating, and regularly attending events with people of every race and creed. That's just the reality of metro Toledo. Most retail is in the central city's annex areas. The city is very integrated by Midwestern standards, and the closer suburbs are starting to follow suit.

Also, one thing I've noticed in Sylvania lately is a more open gay culture. It's quite bizarre to see that in a heavily upper-class, somewhat conservative, suburban town like Sylvania. Last time I was at Franklin Park Mall, my brother and I were hit on by multiple gay men. We're straight, but we didn't get offended or anything. 10 years ago, that would have never happened in the Franklin Park area...

For the whitest area in metro Toledo, you're going to have to look further out. Waterville is known for being lily-white, and most of Wood County and Monroe County is white too. You'll have to drive a lot further to activities, but if you're looking for the least diverse area, then you have to go into the rural areas of Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. Everything in Toledo and immediately adjacent to Toledo is fairly diverse. There's been some big changes since the 2000 census. My hometown Maumee used to be nearly all white Catholics, but last time I visited home, there was a visible change (and I'm happy to see a change). There is certainly more racial and religious diversity in the inner-ring suburbs than there was in 2000.

If looking for "non-diversity" (which I assume means "European white"), Sylvania is probably not the best place for you. Sylvania kind of has its own unconventional form of diversity.

Though, why not live in a diverse neighborhood? I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how many friendly, integrated neighborhoods there are in Toledo's urban area, and even some of its suburbs.

[Jashrema]

Have to agree that "white" is pretty broad...does that mean no Jews, Arabs, Lebanese, Mexican, etc also? You're going to have to move to a very small town somewhere to get that all white thing going.

I used to live in The Meadows of sylvania. HIgh priced..house ranges from hi 200's to 400 I think. Mostly white, but Indian, Arab also. Virtually crime free, but Sylvania to me is getting WAY to crowded and congested. The property taxes are outrageous, and so is their water. Part of the reason I moved!

[Paddington]

Your best bet might be to live in one of the trailer parks near the expressway, because all the better subdivisions in Sylvania have large numbers of East Indians, Arabs, East-Asians, and Jews.

[MiamiU08]

Try the neighborhoods along Erie Street between Monroe and Centennial. Centennial Farms is a good place to check. House prices are decent and I believe you will find the non-diverse (how boring, though!?) population you are looking for. I live in that area, and let me tell you... it is pretty non-diverse. Really, though, diversity in Sylvania comes down to the difference between Polish roots and Irish roots sometimes... It is not true diversity in the sense most people imagine. It sounds like the area your husband desires.

[fishnfool]

Try Ottawa hills. They arrest black people for walking down the street.

[MiamiU08]

Originally Posted by fishnfool

Try Ottawa hills. They arrest black people for walking down the street.

I found a city that is actually worse about this kind of stuff than Ottawa Hills. There is a suburb of St. Louis where the cops are enforcing a "no sagging" law. If an officer can see your underwear over the tops of your pants, you can be fined up to $500, and the parents of a "sagging" minor can be jailed for up to 90 days!! Residents are complaining that it is specifically meant to target the so-called "hip-hop culture" and the predominantly black population of the area.

Talk about a harsh punishment...

[Mikieo415]

Originally Posted by buckeye111

Looking to relocate to Sylvania--but I can't decide on a subdivision....the problem is my husband who want to be in a very, very NON-Diverse subdivision. Due to bad experiences he has had, he just prefers his home to be in an all-white subdivision...

Perhaps you should consider a move to West Virginia. There are a lot of white people there and he would fit right in with them. Does your husband wear a white gown when he hangs out with his friends?

I hope black people move in next to you. Across the street some Mexicans. Maybe behind you some Arabs. It will teach you some diversity and tolerance.

[MiamiU08]

Originally Posted by Mikieo415

Perhaps you should consider a move to West Virginia. There are a lot of white people there and he would fit right in with them. Does your husband wear a white gown when he hangs out with his friends?

I hope black people move in next to you. Across the street some Mexicans. Maybe behind you some Arabs. It will teach you some diversity and tolerance.

In truth, your reply is not showing the tolerance you are hoping to bestow on buckeye111. It is obviously a complicated issue for the OP, and judging/bashing will not help them solve the dilemma at hand.