Location Information for a Prospective Resident of Ohio (Columbus, Toledo: apartments, rentals)

[overstock]

Hi everyone,

I will be moving to Ohio this summer for school and would like some information about the state; specifically around Findlay since I will be attending UFindlay. I'm a California native so Ohio will definitely be completely different. Recently, I've read some thread about the area and did some minor research (apartment price, jobs, etc) and got mixed feelings about the move. Please, can anyone give me some insights and recommendations? I would really love to hear them.

Some concerns/questions that I have:

1. Any public transportation available? Usage to school or work. If so, is it safe?

2. Recommendations on apartments based on city: Bowling Green, Findlay, Toledo or Columbus? [safety, piece n quiet preferred, close to shopping facilities (for supplies like home, school or everyday use and supermarkets), and employment (medical related)?

3. Wireless Mobile service: Does AT&T service work out in Findlay, Ohio? Or Ohio in general? The reason why I asked because AT&T is mediocre here in Upland, CA. =0(

For now, I think these are the only questions/concerns I have.

Thank you so much for all your help/comments/feedback and recommendations! =0)

[progmac]

Findlay is a nice town and it definitely has AT&T service. I don't think Findlay has a bus system but I could be wrong on that. Most mid size Ohio towns are lacking in terms of public transportation.

Bowling Green would be my choice to live in among the cities you listed, but probably not if I would be commuting to Findlay everyday. B.G. is a quintessential college town, more or less.

Generally speaking, northwest ohio is a very quiet part of the state. This has its advantages and disadvantages. Good luck with the move!

[Art1979]

Wow, it has been a while since I've responded to much of anything around here.

Originally Posted by overstock

I will be moving to Ohio this summer for school and would like some information about the state; specifically around Findlay since I will be attending UFindlay. I'm a California native so Ohio will definitely be completely different. Recently, I've read some thread about the area and did some minor research (apartment price, jobs, etc) and got mixed feelings about the move. Please, can anyone give me some insights and recommendations? I would really love to hear them.

I will hazard to say you will have mixed feelings about Findlay upon arrival. That's just me being bluntly honest. You're right, it's not like California and there will be some adjustment needed for the residents. I'm not sure what your political affiliation is, but the town still has a heavy concentration of conservative Republicans. I'm not saying this as a pejorative, rather just as background information. There is very little in the way of night life, and the U of F influence extends only as far as the campus. I've discussed my definition of a college town, and that is if the city caters to the college. Bowling Green is much more a college town than Findlay will ever be. That's just my opinion. The city of Findlay has its own agenda, and the U of F is only a small part of it.

There are three bars college students frequent:

- Nino's (Main St.)
- Uncle Buck's and Boudreaux's (Main St.)
- Old Stoney Ledge (Howard St.)

I'm not a huge fan of them, but maybe that's because I'm past college age. If you have anything a little more specific, I could probably give you some more ideas.

Originally Posted by overstock

Some concerns/questions that I have:

1. Any public transportation available? Usage to school or work. If so, is it safe?

The HATS system just terminated a pilot program for a shuttle service in February. The residents don't embrace public transit very much.

Originally Posted by overstock

2. Recommendations on apartments based on city: Bowling Green, Findlay, Toledo or Columbus? [safety, piece n quiet preferred, close to shopping facilities (for supplies like home, school or everyday use and supermarkets), and employment (medical related)?

If you're attending the U of F, then Toledo and Columbus are going to be fairly lengthy commutes. Bowling Green is manageable, but I'm slowly drifting away from the apartment scene around here. Maybe the university has some suggestions?

Originally Posted by overstock

3. Wireless Mobile service: Does AT&T service work out in Findlay, Ohio? Or Ohio in general? The reason why I asked because AT&T is mediocre here in Upland, CA. =0(

I can't say for sure, because I don't use AT&T. This seems to suggest it does cover well.

[wanderbygrace]

Overstock, allow me to be very blunt about something: take the idea of a daily commute from Columbus and pitch it off the highest building you can find, never to let it cross your mind again. It's already at least a 90 minute commute (and that's just to the beltway), and you wouldn't believe the horror of making it in a snowstorm at probably 3-4 hours. NW Ohio roads are notoriously nasty for drifting snow in the winter, drastically reducing travel speeds. Stick with something that is within about a half hour of Findlay.

[ImaMichigander]

Welcome!

There is no public transportation to speak of.

Unless you have your own car, driving in from BG or Toledo would not be an option. Both BG and Toledo are drivable on an every day basis. BG is only 30 minutes and has the nearest Starbucks. As mentioned, BG is a decent college town. Toledo is 45-60 minutes and is a very monotonous drive, but Toledo is the nearest town with shopping amenities. Grace is right, you ABSOLUTELY don't want to make the drive to C-bus on a daily basis. Even if you went every weekend, it would start to get old pretty quick, I would guess.

I don't know anything about the apartments here in town, but there are a quite a few...

I have heard that ATT service is somewhat shaky here in town. We use Verizon, as do a lot of our friends, and we've had to troubles.

Good luck!

[overstock]

Art1979,

First, thank you for taking the time and responding to my questions. Yeah, I'm having mixed feelings right now. I know that it won't be like CA and I have looked online to get an idea of what Findlay and what the university is like. I'm not really into the college partying life either so thanks for all the bars suggestions...lol...I won't be needing them as well.

I'm in UF to start my pharmacy program but I heard that Toledo or Columbus have plenty of medical jobs open but I think it's a bit far away from UF so do you have any suggestions to where will be the closest to finding a medical/health related jobs?

Any pharmaceutical companies around the area?

The school has suggested dormitory on campus but it's a bit pricey as well as too much of the college life, which I'm over it.

That sucks that they have terminated their transportation, I really needed it! First time to experience the snow so I was thinking of leaving my car behind if they offer some sort of public transportation. =0( thanks for letting me know.

Yeah, I was looking into renting an apartment in Bowling green. Is there a city closest to Findlay? I tried to find apartments 20 minutes away from findlay but no luck. the closest result that RENT.com gave me was BG. Suggestions?

Thank you for all your help. Very informative.

Originally Posted by Art1979

Wow, it has been a while since I've responded to much of anything around here.



I will hazard to say you will have mixed feelings about Findlay upon arrival. That's just me being bluntly honest. You're right, it's not like California and there will be some adjustment needed for the residents. I'm not sure what your political affiliation is, but the town still has a heavy concentration of conservative Republicans. I'm not saying this as a pejorative, rather just as background information. There is very little in the way of night life, and the U of F influence extends only as far as the campus. I've discussed my definition of a college town, and that is if the city caters to the college. Bowling Green is much more a college town than Findlay will ever be. That's just my opinion. The city of Findlay has its own agenda, and the U of F is only a small part of it.

There are three bars college students frequent:

- Nino's (Main St.)
- Uncle Buck's and Boudreaux's (Main St.)
- Old Stoney Ledge (Howard St.)

I'm not a huge fan of them, but maybe that's because I'm past college age. If you have anything a little more specific, I could probably give you some more ideas.



The HATS system just terminated a pilot program for a shuttle service in February. The residents don't embrace public transit very much.



If you're attending the U of F, then Toledo and Columbus are going to be fairly lengthy commutes. Bowling Green is manageable, but I'm slowly drifting away from the apartment scene around here. Maybe the university has some suggestions?



I can't say for sure, because I don't use AT&T. This seems to suggest it does cover well.

[overstock]

Thanks guys!

Everything you said were very helpful. I really appreciate it! =0)

[wanderbygrace]

Originally Posted by overstock

Yeah, I was looking into renting an apartment in Bowling green. Is there a city closest to Findlay? I tried to find apartments 20 minutes away from findlay but no luck. the closest result that RENT.com gave me was BG. Suggestions?

Thank you for all your help. Very informative.

Fostoria (pop 13k) is about 20-25 minutes NW of Findlay and would be the close 'burg of any real size. Bowling Green (pop 30k) would be next at about 30 minutes. The other possibility would be Lima (pop 35k), about 40 minutes to the SW. You have to remember that NW Ohio is HIGHLY agricultural in nature, so most land is occupied by farmland and the area is considered pretty rural.

Toledo does have two smallish communities to the south of it, that are both about 40 minutes away - Maumee (pop 15k) and Perrysburg (20k). The latter is one of the few NW Ohio towns that has grown in size in the last 20 years, due to urban flight (and a pretty good school system).

The interstate will be fairly well plowed during winter storms, but MOST other roads won't be, due to drifts & decreasing operations of plows (budget cuts). On the plus side, there aren't a lot of hills. If you do not have them already, you'll want to invest in all-season tires. We have winter tires, too, but I don't think they're worth the difference.

PS: Findlay's school of pharmacy is highly regarded in Ohio. It's definitely a good program!

PPS: The only medical centers in NW Ohio are in the decent sized towns. Google those towns that I mentioned, and you'll find the local med centers. But yeah - Toledo & C'bus would be much better options, esp. the latter.

[Art1979]

Originally Posted by overstock

Art1979,

First, thank you for taking the time and responding to my questions. Yeah, I'm having mixed feelings right now. I know that it won't be like CA and I have looked online to get an idea of what Findlay and what the university is like. I'm not really into the college partying life either so thanks for all the bars suggestions...lol...I won't be needing them as well.

I'm in UF to start my pharmacy program but I heard that Toledo or Columbus have plenty of medical jobs open but I think it's a bit far away from UF so do you have any suggestions to where will be the closest to finding a medical/health related jobs?

That's a good question, because I think internships are handled by the university internally. The office of career services does have a job database, which can be accessed here (http://www.findlay.edu/offices/adminoffices/careerservices/default.htm - broken link). Once you've completed your degree work, you may find that you have to relocate to Toledo or Columbus to get a permanent job. The only pharmaceutical jobs I can think of in the city are the typical drugstore type you find in Walgreens or Rite-Aid or Walmart.

To speak on a general medical/health related area, here is the Blanchard Valley Hospital, which is the largest gig in town. There's also NWO Othopedics and Sports Medicine that expanded recently and Ohio Orthopaedics that opened up a few years ago. That may be not what you're trying to find, but I thought I'd lay it all out in front of you.

Originally Posted by overstock

Any pharmaceutical companies around the area?

Not to my knowledge, no. It wouldn't be a bad area to look into for Findlay, but the "movers and shakers" of this town haven't even figured out how to mitigate flooding, let alone develop a town in the 21st century.

Originally Posted by overstock

That sucks that they have terminated their transportation, I really needed it! First time to experience the snow so I was thinking of leaving my car behind if they offer some sort of public transportation. =0( thanks for letting me know.

No problem. It's a very car reliant town, suffice it to say. HATS is still available on a call basis, but a public transportation service has never flown here since the turn of the 20th century.

Originally Posted by overstock

Yeah, I was looking into renting an apartment in Bowling green. Is there a city closest to Findlay? I tried to find apartments 20 minutes away from findlay but no luck. the closest result that RENT.com gave me was BG. Suggestions?

As I see it, your only real options are Findlay and Bowling Green. Lima is a longer drive than Bowling Green and Fostoria has much less in the way of amenities than either Findlay or Bowling Green. At least with Bowling Green, you have a shorter trip to Toledo or Ann Arbor, MI.

Renting in Findlay isn't a terrible option, really. It's just small enough and inland enough that the use of Internet services like rent.com aren't that frequent. There are plenty of small-time landlords around campus that rent to college students. They usually list their rentals in the classified section of the Courier. I'm not sure how frisky you want to get about calling these people and bending their ear about a place, but the numbers are there if you want.

Originally Posted by overstock

Thank you for all your help. Very informative.

Not a problem. My pleasure.