People giving us crap about possible move to NE Ohio

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by maxmodder

Comparing total monthly/yearly cost of living across states when considering a move from one location to another is something that I did. And while you certainly get what you pay for, there are ways to get what the next guy is paying for but paying much less. I've lived in the deep south and it wasn't all that bad. What did you not get in the south that you could have gotten up north by paying for it?



Then they best be keeping up that good work. I was in downtown CLE last week and it felt like mid 60's. I will be in Mentor area visiting relatives Christmas Eve and it looks like it will be no snow this entire week and wed will be low 60's.

Keep these El Nino's coming.



If you are used to snow and cold, that's great but not everyone is in that same boat. Not everyone likes relocating from areas of warmth in the winter and having to deal with a typical Cleveland winter, or any other northern winter. I don't understand why Cleveland natives get so defensive about the area when people talk about winters there. You can't control the weather so who cares. If you want to live there, accept the fact that a majority of winters are going to be cold, and that driving conditions may or may not be unpleasant at certain times depending on several factors. If someone doesn't like the cold, this place nor any other norther state with similar temps/snow fall may not be for them.

It's more that it's the only thing people mention about Cleveland and the weather is hardly the 1st thing one hears about Boston, New York, Chicago, Detroit. So cares is right? People need to stop mentioning it then. Your winter weather conditions scenario is hardly unique to Cleveland.

[Rebek56]

I suspect if the OP were moving to any of those other cities, she would hear about the weather. (In my Florida girlhood, when a friend took a job in northern Alabama, we worried that she would freeze to death.)

[kitschroeder]

I moved here in 2008 from Boston, so I was used to winter weather. There are so many perks to living in the Cleveland area, especially the cost of living. The summers are awesome, and you never feel as if you're landlocked because of Lake Erie.

[jeffhs560]

Why are folks "giving you crap" about living in this area?

I am 59 years old, will be 60 on my next birthday. Grew up in Wickliffe in western Lake County and an eastern suburb of Cleveland, and moved to Fairport Harbor, near Painesville in east-central Lake County, 16 years ago. I like living in northeastern Ohio, as I was born in East Cleveland and raised in Wickliffe, moving to Fairport in late 1999 due to very unfortunate circumstances. I will be staying in Fairport Harbor indefinitely, as I enjoy living in a small town (our population is currently just under 3100) as opposed to a good-sized Cleveland suburb (Wickliffe's population was something on the order of 12,500 at the last census).

Granted, Cleveland has its problems, but I am sure there are far worse places to live. I am very sorry that folks are giving you such a hard time about moving to northeast Ohio. Have any of these people actually been to or seen Cleveland and its suburbs recently? Certainly, Cleveland has been made fun of more than it should be (being referred to back in the late '60s and '70s as "the mistake on the lake", for example, because of the infamous Cuyahoga River fire in 1969), but the area isn't nearly as bad as all that. I don't know much about the west side of Cleveland, but Lake County is a very nice place to live if you don't mind being miles away from the city. Here in Fairport Harbor, I am 30 miles from downtown, but I live on disability so driving to and from work in the city isn't a concern for me.

Don't let others' opinions bother you. Northeastern Ohio is a great place to live, the area's weather (we often get heavy snow off Lake Erie in the winter, due to a phenomenon known as the "lake effect") and Lake County's distance from Cleveland notwithstanding. If you want to be closer to town, I would suggest moving to one of the city's Cuyahoga County suburbs such as Cleveland Heights, which is only about five miles from downtown. I lived there for three years in the early '70s (long story) and didn't like it in the least, but I returned to Wickliffe (an eastern suburb of Cleveland) in 1975, stayed there 24 years, then came to Fairport Harbor in 1999 and have not looked back.

For quite a while, Cleveland was Ohio's largest city, but it was overtaken by the city of Columbus about ten years ago (approximately; don't hold me to it) when farmlands surrounding the city were annexed to it. Just an interesting bit of Ohio history trivia.


I hope you enjoy living in northeastern Ohio, should you decide to move here. It's not Chicago, New York or certainly not Los Angeles, but for what it is, it is a very livable area. For years the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company (now known as FirstEnergy) had a slogan, "Serving the Best Location in the Nation", which it proudly printed on its bills.

Good luck, and again, I hope you will like it here. Ohio is a great Midwestern state, one I have called home all my life. I'm sure you will like it here too. Our state slogan, one of them, anyway, is "The Heart Of It All"; the other is "The Birthplace of Aviation", coming from the fact that the Wright Brothers, who invented heavier-than-air flight, were from the Dayton area.

[Minervah]

So I wonder what happened to Mamabear. I hope she didn't listen to the naysayers from afar and will return here tell us what her decision is/was.

Long distance moving is a huge gamble. I have done it twice. There are no guarantees as to how it will turn out but listening to others who have never lived in the places you are considering especially those who have never even been to those places is the worst possible thing you can do.

People like to spout knowledge based only on hearsay. I think many people who have never been to Cleveland have told her about stereotypes, old tall tales and given her information about which they had no first hand knowledge. I'll take negative information along with the positive from anyone who has been someplace or is living in that place I don't listen to secondhand opinions from those who haven't. People did that when I told them I was considering moving to Cleveland and I stopped them cold when I asked them "When did you visit/live there?" and they couldn't answer.

I hope whatever decision Mamabear has made or will make it will be based on what she hears from those who really know what they are talking about.

[petermmiller1952]

Cleveland and surrounding area are great places to live!!!!!!! Cleveland and it"s surrounding area has a very large population with with large suburbs also contrary to many peoples believe that live in other states. It's a great city and everyone will see nationwide with the republican convention coming in July. I have been to many other areas and although some winters are colder than others! Chicago, Detroit along with Minnesota and Indianapolis share the same weather as Cleveland and they are great cities to live and raise a family as well. If you haven't been there then how would you know!!! Spend some time there and you will see for yourself. Great places to visit and many fine restaurants to eat at. It has everything that you could ask for just like any other area in the country. The spring, summer and fall are great every year even though winters can get cold but that's not every year, this winter as an example. It doesn't have any more problems than any other area in the country. Lake Erie is a great secret!!!!!! It's beautiful!!!!! I live very close to it. I spend a lot of time near the lake and the islands as well. They are very close to Cleveland and are easy to get to. Try it sometime. You could not find a nicer place to go. Come visit and see for yourself. You would decide to live there live there in a flash.

[teacherdad]

I just sent the Bingham a request for a quote: $ to stay for July! they have short term rentals. Looking for a month. I will visit family in Maine, but want 2-3 weeks in CLE!

[MamaBear999]

We ended up staying in GA. I visited Ohio with hubby back in March, we drove around several communities in Summit Co and realized we had "grass is greener" attitude. We realized we have a beautiful home down here in GA, we have an awesome church, a good neighborhood filled with kids, yes it's hot but after living in the south for the past 18 years it's hard to go to pot hole filled roads again, I know it's petty but a lot of the roads look like crap!!!! We have heard from several people we know who have lived in NE Ohio that it's a great area, which I am sure it is, we just felt we had more to lose than gain by relocating.

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by MamaBear999

We ended up staying in GA. I visited Ohio with hubby back in March, we drove around several communities in Summit Co and realized we had "grass is greener" attitude. We realized we have a beautiful home down here in GA, we have an awesome church, a good neighborhood filled with kids, yes it's hot but after living in the south for the past 18 years it's hard to go to pot hole filled roads again, I know it's petty but a lot of the roads look like crap!!!! We have heard from several people we know who have lived in NE Ohio that it's a great area, which I am sure it is, we just felt we had more to lose than gain by relocating.

Roads can't be permanently repaired after the freeze/thaw cycle until warmer weather. Perhaps communities avoid the cost of temporary patches in some cases.

Greater Clevelanders get used to dodging potholes. As we know they'll eventually be repaired in most communities once possible, we find it a topic of bemused discussion, perhaps like mosquitoes, powerful storms, excess heat, etc., in the South.

I'm not looking forward to the time that we have to deal with problems such as fire ants, Formosan termites, killer bees, Zika virus, etc., due to climate change. As someone who enjoys our great parks, the northward march of kudzu saddens me. If the potholes is the consequence of avoiding these problems, I'll take potholes.

It always saddens me when prospective residents visit in March, not seeing the best of any of Cleveland's seasons. Candidly, March may be the worst month in most years, although occasionally it's brilliant with temperatures well above normal.

BOL with your decision!!!

[HOMETO2]

Cleveland is a really nice City, some of the Suburbs are top notch. Best schools like Solon,Mentor,Westlake if you making 100k as a family you will definitely enjoy it cost of living is much less then some other cities