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My vote is for Columbus, but I am biased. I really love Cbus, has so much to offer and I like the lifestyle. Has Hocking Hills and other outdoor getaways, dining, shopping, festivals and the COL is quite good. KC would be second choice, st Louis 3rd and indy 4th.
I am attracted to booming Texas cities with excellent job market, such as Austin, Dallas, and Houston; however, I do not adjust well in hot summers. I prefer the cold. I am also attracted to Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota but I am not sure if I could handle that kind of cold though.
Lower Midwest is perfectly in the middle when it comes to climate so I have been looking into Lower Midwestern cities as ideal choices for relocation/new change in life.
Affordable cost of living and good economy along with nice suburbs and good schools for children are all musts. My wife and I are both fiscally moderate and socially liberal. There should be a plenty of things to do for families with children. We like to go on dates just two of us plus we have my own Guys Night Out and her Ladies Night Out so there should be a plenty of non-family things to do as well.
My wife and I enjoy fishing, camping, hunting, and swimming at lakes once awhile. Museums, pro sports (baseball & football) and college football, amusement parks, and theatre (plays & opera) are more of my thing.
We both work in the field of education with my wife having a licensure in Deaf Education and I have experiences at university level teaching. Our jobs are mostly in the field of education and government. We plan to start out renting then buy a house eventually so property taxes need to be considered.
Do you have any suggestion for best cities in Lower Midwest to live? Please use the poll to vote on some of the cities we have been checking out.
St Louis is a national leader in deaf education - Due to a long history of Catholic Sisters who specialized in deaf education setting up a convent here in the mid 1800's. It has since secularized and grown.
I know of a couple who moved here from New Orleans years ago because of the quality of education for their hearing impaired daughter - They stayed because they loved the city. The local schools for the deaf have dorms since they attract many deaf children from around the country
St. Louis meets all of your other criteria, its probably not a lot like Texas (I have limited experience with Texas) But its historic, easy to get around, great neighborhoods with distinct identity.
Check out suburban Webster Groves or Kirkwood - good schools, great housing stock, but also have old downtowns that actually function as downtowns
City neighborhoods are amazing, the schools are not
Again, I have never been to Kansas City but I have visited Columbus, Ohio 3 times.
I really like it; however, it feels more like a huge college town instead of a city. Even Indianapolis has a slight edge when it comes to better downtown and more professional sports.
I wonder why Indianapolis ranks lower than Kansas City and Columbus.
Indianapolis is supposed to have one of best Downtowns in America. What does Indianapolis lack compared to these two cities? I'm curious.
Again, I have never been to Kansas City but I have visited Columbus, Ohio 3 times.
I really like it; however, it feels more like a huge college town instead of a city. Even Indianapolis has a slight edge when it comes to better downtown and more professional sports.
I wonder why Indianapolis ranks lower than Kansas City and Columbus.
Indianapolis is supposed to have one of best Downtowns in America. What does Indianapolis lack compared to these two cities? I'm curious.
Columbus has some livelier neighborhoods than Indianapolis does.
Why is (insert name of city here) losing in the poll and (other city) winning? Because this forum runs on homers and city fanboys, not on intellect. If I were making a relocation decision, a poll in the general us forum on city data would be about the last place I would look. You'd get as useful a conclusion if you taped the names of the four cities to turtles and had a turtle race.
The first city that came to my mind when you said Best City in the Lower Midwest is Cincinnati. But she is not listed on the poll.
I suppose Indianapolis and Columbus being state capitals might give them a better job market?
Indianapolis and Columbus generally have better economy and colder climate than Cincinatti.
I believe Cincinatti has more southern influences for a city in the Lower Midwest. It's almost like Louisville but bigger in my opinion. I love the view of Cincinatti's Downtown though when you first enter into Ohio from Covington, KY.
Columbus has some livelier neighborhoods than Indianapolis does.
Why is (insert name of city here) losing in the poll and (other city) winning? Because this forum runs on homers and city fanboys, not on intellect. If I were making a relocation decision, a poll in the general us forum on city data would be about the last place I would look. You'd get as useful a conclusion if you taped the names of the four cities to turtles and had a turtle race.
Yes, I've noticed the differences between Indianapolis and Columbus while visiting both cities.
Indy has a better downtown; however, neighborhoods in Columbus are more diverse and livelier, such as Worthington, Short North, German Village, Victorian Village, and Italian Village.
Columbus also seems to be well maintained (cleaner) with better roads.
Columbus is much denser while Indy is more sprawling far from Downtown.
Having Ohio State University (traditional university) makes student life and educated population more visual in Columbus compared to Butler, IUPUI, and U of Indy (basically commuter schools).
Indy has more pro sports while Columbus has more college sports.
Indy has Eagle Creek Reservoir & Geist Reservoir; Columbus has Alum Creek Lake and Hoover Reservoir.
Winter is slightly colder in Indy.
Columbus is slightly more liberal and GLBT-friendly.
I don't know about Indy but Columbus is 4th best shopping city in America.
Indy suburbs (Zionsville, Carmel, Westfield, Noblesville, Fishers, etc.) are just like Columbus suburbs (Dublin, Powell, Westerville, and New Albany). However, Columbus has less suburbs.
Other than their differences, they are basically similiar cities.
Last edited by SciFiNerd1; 06-16-2015 at 09:05 AM..
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