Do not move to Portsmouth,Oh (Columbus, Cincinnati: pharmacists, stores, housing)

[plowe]

the campus is the best thing going in town..I live not a mile away from ssu, and have 2 children who commute.

I can tell you through personal observation, discussion with my children, and local police briefs..even though the campus "seems" to be well patrolled, it is not.

A city judge's son was mugged on campus, several cars vandalized and broken into, so forth...

and dear writer, please, keep your child out of the portsmouth city night life. I say this to you in all honesty, one parent to another.

Hopefully your child will attend a univ. that isn't located in such a horrible area. It's too bad really, because ssu has wonderful potential.

[plowe]

dear perspective retiree..stay out of portsmouth, this is a horrible place. Yes, it doesn't cost much to live in squalor. a p'mouth resident.

[Indiana 79]

I go to Portsmouth about once a month. My husband is from there. I can tell you, I would not be visiting there if it weren't for that. I was raised between Cincinnati and Dayton and it was never as sad as what I have seen in Portsmouth. Sure you have a few patches of nice homes but keep driving and it ends quickly. When I first met my husband I knew by the second visit I would never move there and raise my kids. NO THANK YOU~!~

[BuckeyePorcupine]

I'm originally from Chillicothe. I went to Portsmouth many times for athletics in middle and high school. I've never had a positive impression of Portsmouth, unfortunately.

Only good time I've ever had down there was a free Eddie Money show back in '07. Unfortunately I don't see me ever going back, unless I'm driving through to get somewhere else.

The only few people I know from school that ended up in Portsmouth are also the ones that had the most problems. Go figure.

[hmr82002]

Originally Posted by Mackletree_man

I know that all of you are speaking either from first-hand, second-hand, or media-based information when you talk about the negative issues in Portsmouth, Ohio. That being said, currently there is a dedicated DEA and Joint Operations Task Force operating in the Scioto County area with the specific mission of Drug interdiction and prosecution. They are targeting local Doctors operating with the expired and false sense of impunity that they have enjoyed for so long at the expense of our youth. These agents are arresting patients of these doctors who are engaged in unlawful activity, offering them a deal, and getting sworn statements and full cooperation, leading to the arrest of the next size fish, and so on, and so on. This is known as actual police work, and has been absent in recent years fomr the Scioto County area.

Please don'tgive-up on Portsmouth, OH just yet. There is hope for a brighter future, one Pill Mill doctor at a time.

There is a lot of work that is being done to revitalize the city. Yes, there are those few people that would rather complain or keep the status quo, but the majority of the people want Portsmouth to be a bustling town again. I only moved from Portsmouth for my job (promotion). I still miss it after being gone for 2 years. If, I could earn the same money and live in Portsmouth, I would be happy.

And for all of you that talk about the drugs, etc., in Portsmouth and surrounding areas, it is not as bad as you make it out to be. If you are getting your information from the Nightline special a couple of years ago, that really was focused more on Adams county than on Portsmouth. In fact, I know that the piece was edited to make it look worse than it actually is. The last scene is a picture taken from around a dumpster of people supposedly doing drugs. Well, I know for a fact exactly where that dumpster is and the people pictured were actually outside smoking cigarettes as it is illegal to smoke inside a bar in Ohio.

That is not to say that there aren't areas that could be cleaned up, nor that there isn't corruption in city government, but tell me what city doesn't have corruption? What city doesn't have crime? What city doesn't have boarded up homes? I would love to move there.

[ABQConvict]

I was wondering what people think about the safety of the trailheads in the nearby Shawnee State Forest.

I know that in New Mexico trailheads near depressed little mountian towns are rife with car burglary and sometimes even holdups when hikers return to their cars. Is this a problem in the area around Portsmouth with townies messing with out of town hikers?

[HappyDogToday]

Geeze, what a ridiculous thread.

I've lived in 3 locations in Cincinnati as well as in Adams County and worked for 3 employers in Portsmouth during those Adams County years.

I've traveled doing home health care throughout Adams, Scioto, Lawrence, Pike, Ross, Lawrence, Galia, and Jackson Counties and Portsmouth proper is no worse than anywhere else.

It has nice residential and commercial areas and some attractive revitalization down town. It has poor depressed areas as well.

No different than Cincinnati where drugs, prostitution, and violent crime is even found in the burbs.

Shawnee State, SOMC, Adena, and Kings Daughters lead in healthcare and education.
Many people commute to Ashland, KY, Huntington, WV, and Columbus burbs for work.

Between Portsmouth and Cincinnati I'd live in Portsmouth any day.

[troubledresident]

I am currently living in portsmouth and when the bypass goes in it will be the final nail in the the coffin of what used to be portsmouth mainly because this town is full of the worst those that can help wont and those that want to help cant because of our leadership why dont we have a booming economy we have two major highways a river and the railroad in my personal opinion we have our city council to thank for our dissolution

[pOrTsMoUtHbound]

Portsmouth has its ups (one or two), but for the most part, you'll find it's residents don't care about it, there's garbage all over the sidewalks and run-down, sickening houses that haven't been cleaned in years. There's more drug activity in area now more than ever. I still live here and I've seen prostitutes on every street, drug needles lying in open alleys, the smell of weed in most neighborhoods. Domestic violence in parks (where children are free to witness that sort of thing), small toddlers outside alone (most likely bc their parents are out dealing drugs), this town has some serious red-flags, I don't recommend living here bc it doesn't truly have anything to offer. I highly suggest you keep you're kids away from this town and every other child/adult in it. THIS IS WHERE GOOD THINGS GO TO DIE.

[greenvillebuckeye]

Portsmouth sadly is no different then any other rust belt / Appalachian town. One trick pony economy.

Whenever I watch the movie "All the Right Moves" with Tom cruise and Lea Thompson I think of Portsmouth.

Last check 92% of the Portsmouth City Schools receives some form of free and or reduced lunch aid. Chances are that number could be closer to 100% as typically in every community there are those who even if they qualify for the aid refuse to accept it.