Oberlin?? (Cleveland, Youngstown, Lorain: sales, real estate, apartments)

[maragrigsby]

My mother in law is thinking about selling her home in Oberlin and my husband said he would like to buy it. We currently live in Kansas City Missouri. Can anybody give me info on Oberlin. My husband grew up there but that was quite a few years ago. Not sure if has changed. I like the thought of moving to a smaller town where there is a community feel and not such long commutes. We have two children so the schools need to be good. Also, I like to buy lots of organic food and all natural products. Does Oberlin or some place nearby have grocery stores that sell organic/all natural food. Thanks!

Mara

[EarthBound?]

I would think adout moving to anywhere in Ohio, Twice over.
Now grant it Oberlin is a nice little town. but,the crime rate in this area is going off the chart. Taxes are are so high that most working class people are having a hard time making ends meet. The only ones that seem to be able to get along around here are the Welfare riders that live in apartments. Here in Ohio you have, Property tax, Income tax (federal,state & local), sales tax, (RITA) Regional Income Tax Agency depending on where you work and where you live. And City and school taxes as well in other towns at 1% of your income.
The one thing that most people don't know about Ohio (Lorain County) is that All the jobs seem to be leaving in droves. There are over 2,000 houses on the market in this county alone. Evan the real estate sales people are having a hard time making any money, because the prices are falling so badly.
Ohio is turning into a strip-mall society with all the good jobs leaving.
Oberlins school, well now there is another story. The teachers don't seem to have any control over the kids because of the violance in the classes and outside the classes. All they're intrested in is sports.
And lets not forget Bob Tafts great idea of the E-Check needed on your vehicle before you can get your plates up-dated every two years.
The only thing that keeps moving in this area is, gangs and crime. In cleveland alone there has been 17 deaths and shooting.
So, I hope that I answered you question about Ohio, the Oberlin area for you.
I keep a loaded gun me most of the time, I have a gun permit.
Think twice about it.

[jjsnyder]

Originally Posted by SeabeeBolt

I would think adout moving to anywhere in Ohio, Twice over.
Now grant it Oberlin is a nice little town. but,the crime rate in this area is going off the chart. Taxes are are so high that most working class people are having a hard time making ends meet. The only ones that seem to be able to get along around here are the Welfare riders that live in apartments. Here in Ohio you have, Property tax, Income tax (federal,state & local), sales tax, (RITA) Regional Income Tax Agency depending on where you work and where you live. And City and school taxes as well in other towns at 1% of your income.
The one thing that most people don't know about Ohio (Lorain County) is that All the jobs seem to be leaving in droves. There are over 2,000 houses on the market in this county alone. Evan the real estate sales people are having a hard time making any money, because the prices are falling so badly.
Ohio is turning into a strip-mall society with all the good jobs leaving.
Oberlins school, well now there is another story. The teachers don't seem to have any control over the kids because of the violance in the classes and outside the classes. All they're intrested in is sports.
And lets not forget Bob Tafts great idea of the E-Check needed on your vehicle before you can get your plates up-dated every two years.
The only thing that keeps moving in this area is, gangs and crime. In cleveland alone there has been 17 deaths and shooting.
So, I hope that I answered you question about Ohio, the Oberlin area for you.
I keep a loaded gun me most of the time, I have a gun permit.
Think twice about it.

Have you ever looked at crime in other places? Like New Orleans or Detroit? Ever looked at taxes in TX? The jobs are leaving a lot of places but the high teach and bio job is what it changing too. People need to remember its not 1980 anymore manufacturing is not in america anymore as we wanted 30 dollars an hour for a 12 dollar an hour job.

[BelieveInCleve]

Oberlin defiently doesnt have a high crime rate. I cant remember the last time ive ever heard of a murder in Oberlin. Ive been through Oberlin a lot of times driving and walking and ive never seen a crime there ever. Oberlin is a very nice small town, not the best around but its not bad at all beleive me. The schools arent that bad either, come on this town only has 8,000 people it cant be that bad.

[EarthBound?]

If I remember correctly, I don't recall ever saying that Oberlin its self has had a murder problem...
But what I did say was that this area in general has a crime problem.
And as for the schools go, they do have a big problem. Some of my friends children go to Oberlin High school, and they complain about all the fights that go on that the teachers aren't aware of, gang controlled ones.
I don't just go through Oberlin from time to time, I do all the time. I was born in Oberlin, and worked there as well for a number of years.
I also said that "Oberlin was a nice little town". It does have one of the best colleges in the country, fourth most expensive too. The college does have a bit of to much control on the city though, as far as voting for or against certain issues in on the ballots. And Oberlin college did play a big part in the Under ground railroad days, GOD BLESS'M.
So please don't take one or two of the items that I wrote about and feed off of that alone. I talked about many thing in my thread. Thank you.

[BelieveInCleve]

I understand what you are saying now. Cleveland is now the 7th most dangerous city in the country and Youngstown is the 9th. I heard about gangs in Oberlin too, thats surprising to me the city only has 8,000 people and is only 20% black and other than that its below average for poverty rate, vacant housing, etc. Its easy to understand that Cleveland has gangs and even Elyria 56,000 ppl, and Lorain 67,000 ppl, have gangs but Oberlin is so small it just seems like that wouldnt be a problem.

[gentlearts]

I have only been around the college and downtown, but Oberlin seems to me to be a cute, vibrant litte small town. Wouldn't your mother in law be the best source of info for you? As far as organic/natural foods, you can't get much more "crunchy granola" in NE Ohio than Oberlin.

[streetcreed]

Yes, this person talking about Oberlin having crime is nuts. Oberlin is a small NE ohio town, with a liberal mindset

[EarthBound?]

So streetcreed, How long have you lived aroud Oberlin? ME? let see 1) born there, 2) worked there, 3) my father had an auto shop there, 4) lived there, 5) I have many freinds that live there now who's children go to school there.
So, how do you know all about Oberlin? Uh, I drove though the town once .
The cheif of police, who is now the head of the Oberlin College Security was the only person that had the Nads the keep the town in check.
Lets not forget a couple years ago the idiot that was taking pop shots at the Citgo employees on the corner of St.Rt. 58 & 20, thank God he did us all a favor and shot himself. Or, the two black kids that robbed a gas station employee then stabbed her with a screw driver trying to kill her. Or, more times than not, everytime Oberlin has a football game a fight brakes out. Must I keep going.
Now don't get me wrong, I know that there are other towns out in the country that the crime rate is of the chart. All I am saying is, If you want to move to Oberlin, then put your kids in a private school, and watch what side of town you move to.
But on a good note, there is a great little organic produce shop on East Lorain Street, or other wise known as Rt. 511 east.

[Merlander]

SeabeeBolt - From your description it really sounds awful! Do you still live there? If it was me, I would have moved to a safer place along time ago, especially if I had children!!!