Good Things About Toledo - ONLY positive comments, Please! (Beavercreek: condos, home)

[SCBeaches]

Having lived away from the Toledo area for 25 years now, I am not in tune to what has been going on there, except through relatives and friends who still live there and what I read on here. I hear that the local government is corrupt and has helped to run the local economy into the ground (again, this is heresay for me), that there are very few jobs, and that housing prices are at an all-time low. Getting those negative facts out of the way, can the locals make some positive comments about what keeps you there and what might draw others there? There are people who read these boards who are honestly trying to decide where to make their home next and by maybe drawing more people into the area, it might actually help to build Toledo up again. Hey, it's worth a try!

I'll start:

The Toledo Museum of Art is one of the best art museums I have ever visited...and I have been to many in different states and in 6 different countries.

The Toledo area has a large variety of festivals, celebrating different heritages - a great way to learn about other cultures!

[nickw252]

The Mud Hens games are a blast to go to and they are usually one of the best AAA Teams in the Nation. They also have a beautiful brand new stadium in the heart of downtown.

In addition to Baseball, the new Hockey Arena that's going up looks like it's going to be just as big of a hit as 5th Third Field.

Lucas County Arena Project

Outside of sports; we have the University of Toledo, a major university with great graduate programs including a Law School and Medical College.

[canudigit]

Traffic, even during rush hour, is nonexistent compared with other good-sized cities.

People are friendly and down to earth.

You can get from point A to point B anywhere in the metro Toledo area in roughly twenty minutes or less.

Lake Erie is close by, with places like Put-In-Bay, Cedar Point, and Maumee Bay State Park only a short drive or boat ride away.

The cost of living is very low.

The Toledo Museum of Art and the Toledo Zoo are better than most in cities of this size, and even better than some in much larger cities.

Toledo has some very attractive suburbs, Perrysburg and Waterville being the two best ones that come to mind.

[NeedAVacation]

The Toledo-Lucas County Public Library has to be among the best library systems in the country.

The Toledo Zoo.

The metroparks.

[nickw252]

Originally Posted by NeedAVacation

The Toledo-Lucas County Public Library has to be among the best library systems in the country.

Agreed, the library downtown is a great resource and it's in a beautiful Art Deco building.

[nickw252]

I agree with you for the most part but dissent on a few things you mentioned.

Originally Posted by canudigit

Traffic, even during rush hour, is nonexistent compared with other good-sized cities.

On Secor, Monroe, or Reynolds in West Toledo during rush hour traffic is miserable.

Toledo has some very attractive suburbs, Perrysburg and Waterville being the two best ones that come to mind.

I think suburbs detract from cities rather than making them better. While Perrysburg and Waterville are generally nice towns in themselves, they make Toledo a worse place overall by taking the tax base out of Toledo, making people commute longer distances in cars, and taking away civic pride that could be placed in Toledo rather than those 'burbs. This problem, however, isn't exclusive to Toledo - all large cities have suffered from a "white-flight" what have left urban town centers decimated and decrepid.

[SCBeaches]

Another thing I'll add is Toledo's close proximity to bodies of water such as Maumee River and Lake Erie, making it a boater's mecca. Also, people down here (SC) think it's SO COOL that I grew up so close to the Canadian border....I didn't think it was such a big deal at the time, but I guess it is pretty convenient to be able to go to another country in little over an hour!

AND THE PEOPLE....you can't beat the people in NW Ohio...very friendly and down-to-earth. I'd put them up against Southerners, who are known for their hospitality (and most are very hospitable) anyday!

[PhillytoCincy]

I think you can say a lot of cities economies across the country have been run into the ground. I think Toledo is an underrated city. Why is that? Even though they may have a sour economy, they still have a lot of things to offer, and things going for them. They are on the forefront of the new wind energy of the Great Lakes, they offer a somewhat diverse economy for a city of its size, they have one of the busiest inlands ports in the nation, a huge interstate hub, it offers one of the nation's best zoos and art museums, Toledo has a very nice metro parks system, and its not far from great state parks along Lake Erie, and not far from Cedar Point, one of the world's best theme parks, and one of the busiest too.

Toledo has an attractive skyline, and just like many cities across the country, it is seeing development dollars being spent downtown to bring people back. Remember, sprawl takes place everywhere, people are finally going back to the downtowns. They have a great new ballpark, and the new downtown arena for hockey is one of the most modern in the nation, and when it is finished, Toledo will have a very nice bustling downtown. Don't forget about the Warehouse District plan, which is underway. It will be a mixed use development plan across the river from downtown, and it will include shops, restaurants, and condos. The new bridge they just built is by far one of the best new bridges in the country. The Veterans Glass Skyway Bridge.

Toledo has a lot to offer, but just like so many people in this state with negative attitudes, they fail to realize that or just don't want to realize that. What I have to say to them is... PLEASE LEAVE. I mean I leave Toledo and head over to Detroit, instantly the roads in Michigan get worse, and Detroit, a city of 5 million looks completely dead to a city like Toledo with 600,000.

Toledo has great univesities, great parks, and a promising future. I can't wait to see Toledo in 10 years.

[PhillytoCincy]

BTW, Toledo challenged the census:

Toledo had a population of 298,000. After challenging the census, it now currently has 316,000.

[SCBeaches]

Originally Posted by Beavercreek33

I think you can say a lot of cities economies across the country have been run into the ground. I think Toledo is an underrated city. Why is that? Even though they may have a sour economy, they still have a lot of things to offer, and things going for them. They are on the forefront of the new wind energy of the Great Lakes, they offer a somewhat diverse economy for a city of its size, they have one of the busiest inlands ports in the nation, a huge interstate hub, it offers one of the nation's best zoos and art museums, Toledo has a very nice metro parks system, and its not far from great state parks along Lake Erie, and not far from Cedar Point, one of the world's best theme parks, and one of the busiest too.

Toledo has an attractive skyline, and just like many cities across the country, it is seeing development dollars being spent downtown to bring people back. Remember, sprawl takes place everywhere, people are finally going back to the downtowns. They have a great new ballpark, and the new downtown arena for hockey is one of the most modern in the nation, and when it is finished, Toledo will have a very nice bustling downtown. Don't forget about the Warehouse District plan, which is underway. It will be a mixed use development plan across the river from downtown, and it will include shops, restaurants, and condos. The new bridge they just built is by far one of the best new bridges in the country. The Veterans Glass Skyway Bridge.

Toledo has a lot to offer, but just like so many people in this state with negative attitudes, they fail to realize that or just don't want to realize that. What I have to say to them is... PLEASE LEAVE. I mean I leave Toledo and head over to Detroit, instantly the roads in Michigan get worse, and Detroit, a city of 5 million looks completely dead to a city like Toledo with 600,000.

Toledo has great univesities, great parks, and a promising future. I can't wait to see Toledo in 10 years.

Great Post!! You are a PR person's dream come true! You should work for Toledo's Chamber of Commerce!