Columbus Ohio--Best place (Toledo, Westerville, Worthington: crime rate, homes, neighborhoods)

[perfctplace3]

I've been searching for a new place to call home after living in Austin Texas for a few years. After countless hours online I've come to the conclusion that Columbus, Ohio and the surrounding suburbs are the best place for me. Why you ask? Here are my reasons...

1. Rain--enough of it not to be in the major drought areas especially in the central and northeastern part of the state. I like gardening and having nice plants so this was important to me.

2. Columbus Zoo and aquarium--one of the best zoos in the country. I like being able to take my nieces and nephews to a fun place.

3. Good Libraries--rated best libraries in the country in many parts of Ohio. Love a good book and it is a good indication that people are literate.

4. Restaurants--great restaurants here especially for someone with Celiac-gluten intolerance like I have. I found 7 restaurants so far that have gluten free menus.
They also have Whole Foods, Raisin Rack, and Trader Joes which carry specialty foods.

5. Four seasons---I can't wait to get out of the heat of Central Texas...It will be so nice to see the leaves changing, and some snow maybe for Christmas. I like that central Ohio doesn't get too much snow, just enough to enjoy now and then.

6. Less chance of catastrophic weather. Low chance of major earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, hail...etc.

7. Beautiful parks and gardens. I found countless parks and gardens to visit and a bird watching society.

8. Housing prices are still reasonable. There are alot of good deals on homes in Ohio and they aren't 1,000 sq ft ranches like in some of the affordable states.

9. Farmer's Markets--lots of fresh produce from local farms. Just look on Local Harvest online to find them.

10. Lots of things to do in and around the city....festivals, ballet, theater, symphony, sports, museums, shopping at big malls and little boutiques.

I have looked all over the US and I'm very happy to have finally found a good place to relocate.

[Waterlily]

I'm glad you've found your perfect place. Have you gone up there to see it yet?

[perfctplace3]

Not yet...but hope to be able to go up soon or for Christmas holidays. Would be great to see some snow.

Not sure why my post got moved from the General Us forum because it was meant to be seen by those looking for a place to move to.

[GhostPoet]

I heard Columbus has A LOT of crime for a city it's size....true? I'm always hearing about bank robberys and shootings on the news from there

[NewToCA]

I don't think the crime rate is that high, remember the metro area has over 1.5 million folks.

The area is a good place to live, I can't find anything I disagree with concerning the 10 reasons stated in the OP. I liked it there a lot, and easily could have continued enjoying it in retirement.

[streetcreed]

perfectplace3
I am really impressed by your judgement of Columbus, there are people who have lived in Columbus their entire life and would overlook many of the positive things that you said.

You are dead on though about all of your positives.

The library system is very good, the zoo, the boutiques, malls, and all of the arts/cultural happenings are very good as well. Some people in Columbus never take the time to do some research and learn about all of the things there are to do here.

[vegaspilgrim]

I'm a college student living in Tempe, Arizona (Phoenix area), right now-- a place that many Ohioans have moved to-- and I want to get out for many of the same reasons that the original poster wants out of Austin, TX. I'm originally from Denver-- which is still a major consideration, but I also am exploring some other possibilities. Has anybody ever moved from "out west" to Ohio-- or is that unheard of?

[OhioKid]

I grew up in Ohio and lived in Columbus for a while after college(wish I never left) I also lived in Monterey, CA, Tacoma/Seattle and Las Vegas.

If you did move to Columbus I think you would be happy. It just doesn't have the traffic and congestion you find in western cities. People say there is a lot of crime but unless things have changed I never saw it. Most of it is domestic stuff it seems to me. It is a city though so there are a few areas to stay out of.

People say Columbus has a suburban feel to it. It kinda does. I lived in Little Turtle in Westerville. About as cookie cutter soccer mom as you'll find anywhere in the US.

Columbus has a lot neighborhoods around downtown that are "citified." German Village, Short North, Vic Village, UA, OSU Campus, Arena District, etc. And Worthington would be a fantastic place to live. That's probably where I'll settle when I go back. (for good this time)

Columbus has a lot to offer. And you don't find the racial animosity as you will other places. There is a lot to do and plenty of great restaurants and culture. Despite what some people say.

I've lived in Toledo, Detroit, Birmingham, Knoxville and the cities I already mentioned above. I would take Columbus any day. That's not to say the other places are bad. I just like Klumbus better.

[vegaspilgrim]

Thanks, OhioKid. I think I will definitely do some further investigation of Columbus. There are a lot of factors I am looking for in a new city: 1. Climate-- I want a place with a solid four seasons. I am sick of extreme heat. I love bicycling and being outdoors, and I want a place where I can go outside in the summer without being so hot I feel like I'm going to die, being burnt to a crisp by the sun (no joke here in Phoenix-- the sun will literally kill you). I can handle some humidity, as long as it's not deep-South extreme humidity. I want a place that has a lot of greenery in the city and in the countryside, with beautiful forests to explore within an hour's drive. As you can tell, I am getting burnt out, literally, of living in the desert. In the winter, does snow cover the ground continuously for months at a time, or are there many periods where the ground is dry?

2. I want a good sized, growing city, around 2 million people, with a great economy, tons of jobs in finance, with an educated population, a lot of young people, good universities, civic spirit, and a nice selection of cultural institutions and activities given the cities size. And with a moderate cost of living. Basically, I want a place that offers a bang for your buck! Phoenix has 4 million people, and yet there are metro areas with less than half the population that offer more than double the amenities.

Does Columbus, OH sound like it has what I am looking for? Please be honest. And one question: how is Port Columbus International Airport? How many direct flights do they offer to cities around the country? Do you have to frequently take connections to get to where you are going? Does anybody know if you can fly from Columbus directly to Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas, or San Diego? I'm guessing not, but I want to know for sure.

[streetcreed]

www.

(broken link) Do you have to frequently take connections to get to where you are going? Does anybody know if you can fly from Columbus directly to Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas, or San Diego? I'm guessing not, but I want to know for sure.

You are in better shape than you know. As long as your fine,sometimes, getting a direct flight on the new airline Skybus.
Port Columbus is now one of the fastest growing airports in the us. The major airlines have been slowly adding more direct flights from Columbus to other cities (Columbus lost its only major HUB around 2003, and direct flights have been added to make up)

This year, however, SKYBUS airlines opened up shop in Columbus. The discount airliner is very fast adding direct flights all over the country. All flights fly to less busy airports, some the main airport for the region, and a some a smaller sub airport.


Denver Phoenix are served by the major airlines, San Diego has a direct flight via skybus, and Las Vegas by a major airline (not sure of which one)
This is their website, for skybus: and you can only buy tickets for skybus from their website. The first ten seasts are 10 bucks, all planes are new, and all are direct flights from Columbus.
Skybus (http://www.skybus.com - broken link)