Big City transplants to CLE...what tipped your decision? (Columbus: houses, neighborhoods)

[OyCrumbler]

Selling your pricey Boston area home and being financially very secure means you can reserve more time to be with family and making friends as well as the means to afford those flights to Europe, even if it involves a transfer (and you can go for a longer layover in Boston and make your trip a twofer). Lake Erie gets warmer in summer than the waters of New England. One thing about the politics is that if you move there, then so does your vote.

[citymama]

I didn’t read all the responses but we are SF/Oakland transplants and love it in Rocky River. I wish it was more diverse, but the proximity to the lake and downtown are ideal. We frequent University circle at least twice a month for the art museum, severance, or classes my kids take. Our cultural amenities continue impress me 12 years later. We have been so happy with our decision to move away from the Bay Area. We were just there for Xmas and confirmed our decision again.

Good luck!

[citymama]

Oh! What tipped our decision was that I wanted the freedom to stay home with my young kids so when my husband got offered the promotion, it was a no brained. Cost of Living tipped it!

[QCongress83216]

Originally Posted by citymama

I didn’t read all the responses but we are SF/Oakland transplants and love it in Rocky River. I wish it was more diverse, but the proximity to the lake and downtown are ideal. We frequent University circle at least twice a month for the art museum, severance, or classes my kids take. Our cultural amenities continue impress me 12 years later. We have been so happy with our decision to move away from the Bay Area. We were just there for Xmas and confirmed our decision again.

Good luck!

What are the differences between Cleveland and SF/Oakland?

[TechieTechie]

Originally Posted by citymama

Oh! What tipped our decision was that I wanted the freedom to stay home with my young kids so when my husband got offered the promotion, it was a no brained. Cost of Living tipped it!

That's what is really making me lean in. Housing is SO cheap compared to the coasts. Do you miss the ocean/mountains or the plentiful diversity of restaurants? That (along with Lake Erie dying a slow death) what is holding me back. Then again, my sister says, you can't hug a mountain

[citymama]

Originally Posted by TechieTechie

That's what is really making me lean in. Housing is SO cheap compared to the coasts. Do you miss the ocean/mountains or the plentiful diversity of restaurants? That (along with Lake Erie dying a slow death) what is holding me back. Then again, my sister says, you can't hug a mountain

I really do miss living among the natural beauty, but living such a stressed day to day life in the Bay Area really kept me from enjoying it or really appreciating it. Now, we can travel multiple times a year and spend quality time anywhere we want to get a fix of the mountains or ocean. Living near Lake Erie, at this time, feels like living near the Oakland Bay but prettier, to be honest. I know it’s not the healthiest lake, the the Bay isn’t very healthy either. I didn’t live in Monterey or San Diego. Oakland has an underutilized water front, like Cleveland and is a gritty city like Cleveland. It was an easy transition for us. We also lived in Tennessee for a while. The natural beauty was breathtaking. But culturally, way to conservative for us. The inner suburbs of Cleveland feel more centered than TN even though Ohio may be getting more red.

The day to day living in Rocky River has been the best for us by leaps and bounds.

[TechieTechie]

Originally Posted by citymama

I really do miss living among the natural beauty, but living such a stressed day to day life in the Bay Area really kept me from enjoying it or really appreciating it. Now, we can travel multiple times a year and spend quality time anywhere we want to get a fix of the mountains or ocean. Living near Lake Erie, at this time, feels like living near the Oakland Bay but prettier, to be honest. I know it’s not the healthiest lake, the the Bay isn’t very healthy either. I didn’t live in Monterey or San Diego. Oakland has an underutilized water front, like Cleveland and is a gritty city like Cleveland. It was an easy transition for us. We also lived in Tennessee for a while. The natural beauty was breathtaking. But culturally, way to conservative for us. The inner suburbs of Cleveland feel more centered than TN even though Ohio may be getting more red.

The day to day living in Rocky River has been the best for us by leaps and bounds.

Thanks for this perspective, much appreciated. Like I told my sister, I would just have to change up my dynamic and commute for vacations. Heck, I might even have the flexibility to buy a vacation home in Maine or the Cape (and rent it out for 90% of the year) with the COL savings.

I feel like Lake Erie is where Mass Bay and/or Chesapeake Bay were 15 years ago...and once they stopped the runoffs, both have gotten significantly cleaner.

Decisions, decisions.

[WRnative]

Lake Erie isn't dying a slow death. It's being poisoned by the failure of the Ohio Republican EPA and the federal EPA under the Trump administration to implement a Chesapeake Bay-like plan to shut down pollution by concentrated animal feeding operations.

https://www.toledoblade.com/local/en...es/20190409167

A change in political administration of the environment in Ohio and Indiana, especially the federal EPA, likely would result in a rapid improvement in Lake Erie's waters.

Local governments have spent billions improving municipal sewage capture and treatment.

Despite the CAFO pollution, Lake Erie's famed walleye fishery supposedly has been spectacular in late 2019.

https://www.cleveland.com/sports/201...for-nov-1.html

Most of the toxic algal blooms have been limited to the western basin so far, but this certainly detracts from boating to the Lake Erie islands.

[216facts]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Lake Erie isn't dying a slow death. It's being poisoned by the failure of the Ohio Republican EPA and the federal EPA under the Trump administration to implement a Chesapeake Bay-like plan to shut down pollution by concentrated animal feeding operations.

https://www.toledoblade.com/local/en...es/20190409167

A change in political administration of the environment in Ohio and Indiana, especially the federal EPA, likely would result in a rapid improvement in Lake Erie's waters.

Local governments have spent billions improving municipal sewage capture and treatment.

Despite the CAFO pollution, Lake Erie's famed walleye fishery supposedly has been spectacular in late 2019.

https://www.cleveland.com/sports/201...for-nov-1.html

Most of the toxic algal blooms have been limited to the western basin so far, but this certainly detracts from boating to the Lake Erie islands.

Good follow up. Lake Erie has significantly improved over the last 4 decades, and if the algae blooms can be dealt with, along with CSOs, we'll be in great shape. The Akron and NEORSD systems are investing billions to deal with CSOs and stormwater runoff. We can definitely be optimistic about the future as long as we contain the farm runoff, as you made clear.

[teacherdad]

As someone who is still on the coast of CAL (2 miles from beach), but loves to visit and stay downtown in CLE, I find MORE diversity in restaurants around CLE than here.

I don't eat out that often, probably because COL here takes most of my money, but when I visit CLE I see pretty unique places to eat. There's a middle eastern place on W4th or 6th that's really good and other places around the city.

Indian food here is popular, but after that, it's mainly about In N Out or The Habit burger joints it seems. That's just fast food, really.