Need Advice - East of Columbus Area (Newark, Pickerington: for sale, house)

[patientOT]

A liberal mindset in central Ohio, LOL. I live in the Pickerington/Reynoldsburg area, and, believe me, this area is teeming with fundamentalists. Pickerington seems to be becoming quite multi-national, however, and despite rampant conservatism, pluralism is doing quite well.

Yes, there are two Walmarts nearby. #$%&!!! Vile, monopolistic beast!!!

[Dreamitanyway]

I liked what I saw of the scenery in Zanesville, but I am looking at Mt. Vernon, Ohio.
Anyone have any input about this area of Ohio? I am widowed with 1 child at home and live on Social Security. Would like to get out of Texas...maybe..too soon after the loss of my husband to make the decision now, but just checking my options.
Help..anyone?

[LancasterNative]

Originally Posted by Dreamitanyway

I liked what I saw of the scenery in Zanesville, but I am looking at Mt. Vernon, Ohio.
Anyone have any input about this area of Ohio?

Howdy, Dreamitanyway!

I'm actually considering a move to Zanesville myself. Love the scenery there, and the people are actually normal—not all stressed-out yuppies like in the big city.

But since you asked, I just have to share a few thoughts on Mt. Vernon. I'm somewhat familiar with this area...

Mt. Vernon itself is a charming little town, the seat of rural Knox County. Very vibrant downtown for a city its size. Many antique stores, Sips Coffeehouse (a must-visit!) and even an old opera house they're still figuring out how best to restore, are all features of the downtown area.

Mt. Vernon has no enclosed malls, but it has a more suburban-type commercial area out along U.S. 36 east.

Speaking of which...access to Mt. Vernon is by U.S. and state routes only, as the nearest Interstate (71) is several miles away. This is kinda nice really; it cuts down on outta-control growth and sprawl. Also perhaps for this reason, Mt. Vernon has more of a self-contained economy than similar towns further in toward Columbus. It's not a commuter town, but more like a "micropolitan" area in its own right.

[dobiefamily]

Don't forget to look at Lancaster ! We have been here 7 years and love it ! My husband had to travel to Cambridge frequently with his last job and it would be within your time frame. A pretty drive and not any traffic. LOW, LOW crime, decent schools..........I have a daughter who just finished 1st grade at Tarhe, and another that was in a church preschool. Older schools, but I was pleased. Lanc. Parks and Rec. has soccer, softball leagues. There is a newly remodeled YMCA. They are just building a Kohl's, Super Target, and Walmart on Ety Road. Everyone is friendly......great state fair.......if you live on west side where the newer subdivisions are then you are only 30 minutes to Columbus..............As far as churches that are not stuffy......we go to Lancaster Community Church..........very progressive, as far as churches go............awesome kids programs. Anyway, check it out. We have loved it. Job is transferring us South to SC/Georgia area and we hate to go............this is a perfect town to raise a family in my opinion. But once the house sells, we will be moving on.
Best of luck, know how the town search can be frustrating.......I am tired of researching SC and Georgia and would rather just stay here.

[jjwc4lad]

If you want a really beautiful town, try Cambridge Ohio. It is rural small town with rolling hills everywhere. The city park is very beautiful and maintained well. There are new schools and churches on each corner in town, anything that you would want to pick from. We have two close lakes, Salt Fork State Park, and Seneca Lake, which are very busy all summer long. With Salt Fork having activities all year long. There is a new YMCA going up, still in construction, though the old one is still open. The City Park has festivals and alot of ball parks. Come for a visit and see for yourself. jjwc4lad

[higas]

I live in a small village in southeast Ohio, relocated from Oregon. What a mistake! On the whole, I find Ohio to be a great state if you're white. Everyone stares at us. My husband is asian, I'm white. People have not accepted us even after three years we've made no friends. We had tons of friends back west.

On the plus side, housing is dirt cheap compared to the west, shopping is great, especially in Lancaster and Zanesville. Zanesville has recently undergone a lot of city restoration and added a lot of shopping on Maple Avenue. This is a close enough proximity to Cambridge. The bottom line is...you're moving to Appalachia. It's VERY different. There are nice people here. My advice is get yourself involved in a church or something you like to do. Wages aren't great, my husband commutes from California. But cost of living is somewhat cheaper and there are abundant travel opportunities in surrounding areas. Athens is very liberal as is Reynoldsburg so I hear. The Mayor of Pickerington is a loose canon, I know that to be true based on what I read in the paper.

Hope this is somewhat helpful and don't want to discourage you. There are good points, but like everything, there are bad too.

[streetcreed]

I find Ohio to be a great state if you're white. Everyone stares at us. My husband is asian, I'm white. People have not accepted us even after three years we've made no friends. We had tons of friends back west.

It is your own fault that you have no friends and have found ohio to be boring because you moved to the rural country.

Hello! It is really not that difficult to figure out, for those who do not know Columbus is a great city and if you lived in Columbus or a actual suburb then you would find the place to be very diverse.
Columbus is becoming Ohio's most modernly diverse (meaning the modern 2007 diverse groups) in the state.
Since your husband is Asian you should move to NW Columbus where there is a great Asian population.
Ohio's cities have great diversity and history. Make no mistake the diversity and acceptance climate in Ohio is night and day when comparing the larger metro areas (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati) with the rural and small towns.

I live in a small village in southeast Ohio, relocated from Oregon.

You get what you ask for, moving to rural Ohio where everyone is 95 percent caucasion would be a mistake if your looking for diversity.
Just a thought, someone with a great "outwest" mindset should be capable of accomplishing this reasoning.

[Dreamitanyway]

Thank you all for so many replies. I am still sitting in Alvin, Texas at this time. I am told that I should not make any drastic changes in my life for at least the 1st year of loosing my husband. I think this is a wise statement. PLUS the fact that I have a 13 year old daughter who refuses to leave the place she was born and her many friends..LOL
Teenagers do not adapt to change as easily as a young child, or us "old folks". It is also very scary for me to move, but I still like what I hear and see about the MT. Vernon area. My small town is growing way too fast for this country girl!
I would have replied with a thank you sooner, but could not find this spot on the site untill today...Good thing I was looking through my "saved Favorites" and had put this page there..Learning new tricks every day!
This area looks so perfect for me! I may be stuck here untill my daughter is 18 and able to care for herself, with family here. Sure hope things do not change too much in the MT. Vernon area by then.
I do not like shopping malls! Yep, thats right..a woman who likes small town life, small store's where the owner knows the customer. But I will admit to shopping at Wal-Mart and enjoy the conveniance of one stop shopping. LOL
See you all up there one day?....And thank you again.....Mary

[LancasterNative]

Originally Posted by Dreamitanyway

Thank you all for so many replies. See you all up there one
day?....And thank you again.....Mary

Howdy Mary/Dreamitanyway!

I look forward to having you as a neighbor here in Ohio someday. I've been to Texas and known a few Texans, and I gotta say y'all are GREAT people! We could sure use a few more good folks like yourself here in the Buckeye state.

I think you'll like the Mt. Vernon area. There are some delightful, very unique mom-and-pop stores in the downtown, plus a Wal-mart out on the edge of town. Hard to imagine the place changing much in the next few years; it's far enough away from Columbus that all that big-city crap is unlikely to invade.

Anyway, may God bless you and your daughter, and may He guide and watch over y'all whenever the time is right for a move.

-Lanc

[higas]

I did not say I had no friends, I said we have made no friends. Mind you I HAVE been very involved with my church and community, donating hundreds of hours of time, and energy to this community. The fact is that if you're not from this pathetic little place, you are never accepted. It's not just my opinion, it is also the perception of many people in surrounding areas, and other newcomers who plan to now move. It is not my fault I haven't made other friends since my first visit here. It is cause the people are all about themselves and too many have their heads in the wrong places. I guess first I'd have to WANT to fit into a community of people where many lack morals, ethics, values and would scam their mother blind, but they could be an ax murderer if they were from this place and be accepted. Or I'd have to want to scam money off the welfare system as a way of life. But I do think you make a good point about moving to a larger area, but if we are truly America why do we HAVE to move to an area with a larger Asian population? I'll tell you why...it's because too many white people live in a bubble and think they have more of a right to live here then any other race, where actually I have MORE right to because I pay taxes not just here but also in another state. My son's girlfriend came here (african-american) and had the same experience. My son's friends came to visit (Mexican) and had the same experience. However, every place else we've lived (3 other states) we had TONS of friends. Get your facts straight before deciding who is responsible for what dear!