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Maybe I can answer your ?'s pretty good, I live in Savannah but grew up in Lima & lived in Cincinnati 15 years....
1. What are the good/bad neighborhoods? (Out of the 5 cities)]
5.How do the school systems operate? IEP(5 Cities)
12. what are the crime rate?
Cincinnati has bad neighborhoods but it's not like Savannah where driving 2 blocks changes everything. In Cincinnati Avondale, Price Hill, West end are your bad areas. You can live in areas like Pooler, in northern kentucky or suburban Cincinnati where violent crime is almost non-existent. Even the murder rate for the entire metro of 2.5 million is about the same as Savannah metro of 400k people.
Schools in the suburban areas are much better overall compared to Savannah. Most of the schools are very good & you don't have to navigate them like in Savannah.
Crime is much lower than in Savannah overall.
2.What’s the cost of living there? (childcare? Utilities? Gas?)
7.what are the affordable (5 Cities)
Cost of living is about 20% lower for car insurance, food, gas is about the same, Cost to register your car is much lower, there is a one time sales tax & around a $40 a year registration per car. Electric is lower due to not needing AC all year. If you live north of C-bus, you'll need the AC less than 30X a year, growing up in Lima we slept with windows open almost all summer long.
8. what is the rent average for a 4 or 5 bedroom house.
I rent my house out in Union Ky. for $1550 a month, it's a 2200 square foot, 4 bedroom 2 1/2 bath newer home. The basement is finished giving you an extra 900 square feet.
11. How are Healthcare affordable?
Most healthcare is connected with your jobs, wages are generally $3 to 5 an hour more & most jobs include health care. Much better job market than Savannah.
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we enjoy going out on Saturday Parks, Festivals, Beach My boys play football and basketball for the parks so i wanted to know if they also have youth park leagues. My girls are dancers and gymnast
All of the cities will have options for these things.
In Cincinnati a season pass to Kings Island is $250 per month, includes a theme park & an aquatic center. Excellent parks & youth leagues.
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i don't like to drive far i want to stay at least 3 miles to shops school and malls.
Look up Union Kentucky, everything you ask for is within 3 miles. I used Union KY. in this quite a bit as I moved across the river from Cincinnati. The northern six counties in KY are a suburb of Cincinnati, schools are very good & is more Ohio than Kentucky.
Weather..
If you remember the snow & cold snap we had in January for about 5 days, that is a typical winter day in Cincinnati. 20's at night, 40's during the day.
Oh My Goodness you have giving me a good detailed answer i so appreciate you Man! Thank you so so much i will be looking into Union Ky and additional i will be aware of the bad neighborhoods in Cincinnati. When you commented to the school system in
Schools in the suburban areas are much better overall compared to Savannah. Most of the schools are very good & you don't have to navigate them like in Savannah.
In my heart i felt like their have to be something better that Chatham county Savannah, Ga.
Oh My Goodness you have giving me a good detailed answer i so appreciate you Man! Thank you so so much i will be looking into Union Ky and additional i will be aware of the bad neighborhoods in Cincinnati. When you commented to the school system in
Schools in the suburban areas are much better overall compared to Savannah. Most of the schools are very good & you don't have to navigate them like in Savannah.
In my heart i felt like their have to be something better that Chatham county Savannah, Ga.
Again I thank you i will do my research
My daughter went to Erpenbeck Elementary & we moved to Savannah when in grade 7 for her. Her middle school honors programs at Derenne was about the same level as regular middle school. She went on to Savannah Arts which was fantastic, but in the Cincinnati area there are 5 high schools of the same quality with no audition and lottery. I really liked the Union area as it had a very good quality of life which was very affordable with good schools.
Cincinnati is also much more hilly than the other cities in Ohio, this is something which hasn't been mentioned.
Another thing which also hasn't been mentioned, Cincinnati is much more conservative socially than what I have seen in Savannah. By this there are very few adult businesses compared to Savannah & the archdiocese & conservative christian values groups play a much larger role politically there than in Savannah. To give you an idea of this until a couple of years a go adult magazines were not sold in Hamilton County & there are no free premium previews "hbo" as groups call in Charter to complain.
Cincinnati is also much more hilly than the other cities in Ohio, this is something which hasn't been mentioned.
Greater Cleveland has hills that survived glaciation, but Cleveland itself is not hilly like Cincinnati proper. There are several deep river gorges, most notably the Cuyahoga River valley (known as "The Flats" in Cleveland), which splits Greater Cleveland into an East and West Side.
These Greater Cleveland river valleys are very different than the Ohio River valley in Cincinnati as they are much more intimate than the very wide Ohio River valley. They also are generally populated by large marinas at their mouths providing easy access to Lake Erie. Visitors to Cleveland's Flats can dock their boats to boardwalks on both sides of the river, which are connected by a water taxi in summer months. The Cuyahoga River also is famous for its lift bridges, and lighted high level bridges, which fascinate visitors. And, there's nothing like sitting on a river patio in the flats when a massive, self-navigating (jet thrusters) lake freighter ascends or descends the Cuyahoga passing less than the length of a football field from your perch.
Much of Greater Cleveland sits on the Appalachian Plateau. So there are remnant peaks that survived the glaciers, and sufficient hilliness to offer small downhill ski and tubing slopes within 45 minutes of downtown Cleveland.
On a visit to Cincinnati, don't miss taking a stroll on the Roebling Bridge, the ancestor of the Brooklyn Bridge, located just south of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.
Guess What i just found out my son and your daughter both go to Derenne Middle School interesting. My son is as well is in honors and i feel like its to easy for my son and their not looking to push him to the max. And the way you describe the river the ambiance similar to the night life of south beach Miami area but it sound so laminating which i like another similarity is downtown Savannah with their lighting
My daughter went to Erpenbeck Elementary & we moved to Savannah when in grade 7 for her. Her middle school honors programs at Derenne was about the same level as regular middle school. She went on to Savannah Arts which was fantastic, but in the Cincinnati area there are 5 high schools of the same quality with no audition and lottery. I really liked the Union area as it had a very good quality of life which was very affordable with good schools.
Cincinnati is also much more hilly than the other cities in Ohio, this is something which hasn't been mentioned.
Another thing which also hasn't been mentioned, Cincinnati is much more conservative socially than what I have seen in Savannah. By this there are very few adult businesses compared to Savannah & the archdiocese & conservative christian values groups play a much larger role politically there than in Savannah. To give you an idea of this until a couple of years a go adult magazines were not sold in Hamilton County & there are no free premium previews "hbo" as groups call in Charter to complain.
Guess What i just found out my son and your daughter both go to Derenne Middle School interesting. My son is as well is in honors and i feel like its to easy for my son and their not looking to push him to the max. And the way you describe the river the ambiance similar to the night life of south beach Miami area but it sound so laminating which i like another similarity is downtown Savannah with their lighting this research has me at the edge of my seat. If you don't mind me asking why did you leave ohio to go to Savannah
Guess What i just found out my son and your daughter both go to Derenne Middle School interesting. My son is as well is in honors and i feel like its to easy for my son and their not looking to push him to the max. And the way you describe the river the ambiance similar to the night life of south beach Miami area but it sound so laminating which i like another similarity is downtown Savannah with their lighting this research has me at the edge of my seat. If you don't mind me asking why did you leave ohio to go to Savannah
My wife was a professor at Armstrong is how I ended up here.
I'll answer specifically for Toledo as I live in Toledo. I'm also African American. My family though has very long roots in Toledo (since the 1830s-1840s).
First on weather, I'll note that out of all of our Ohio big cities that Cincinnati and IMO Columbus has the mildest winters of the ones in your list. I'd also add Dayton, mostly because they are more southern. People I know who have lived in Columbus even have told me the weather in Toledo in the winter is much colder.
Quote:
Originally Posted by QueenEsther15
Hello Everyone
I'am comparing 5 cities in the state of Ohio.
before moving. May the best cities win!!!!
1. What are the good/bad neighborhoods? (Out of the 5 cities)
Toledo has quite a few rough neighborhoods in the inner city, I'd think you'd want to live in some of the suburban communities and nearly all of them have excellent schools systems - Perrysburg, Sylvania, Ottawa Hills (a suburb surrounded by the city - they have the best school district in the area and one of the top in the state of Ohio I believe, and the Anthony Wayne district encompasses a few of our southern suburbs
2.What’s the cost of living there? (childcare? Utilities? Gas?)
Everything is pretty cheap in Toledo. I moved back to Toledo after living in various places around the country, prior to moving back I lived in Atlanta, GA and childcare, utilities, and gas and especially housing are all cheaper here than in Atlanta
3. What’s the job market like? (out of the five cities)
It truly does depend on your field of employment but you indicated you husband is a warehouse manager. Toledo is a transportation/logistics hub and we have a very good job market right now. Depending on the skill set and experience
4.How much does it cost to register my vehicle? (5 Cities)
Just registered mine, I have a minivan it was $60
5.How do the school systems operate? IEP(5 Cities)
Depends on the school district you live in but all I know of work with parents on IEPs especially public school as they are required to do so by law. Some magnet programs aren't required to accept all students with an IEP depending on the needs of the student and if they can/cannot be met by the facility. One of the best middle/high schools in the City of Toledo is Toledo Technology Academy and they don't accept all students with IEPs since they are a public magnet school - but they have an excellent program/school if
your older kids are interested in STEM
6.How much is gas ? (5 Cities)
It was $2.65 a gallon a couple days ago, I go to Costco and it is usually 20-30 cents cheaper than most other gas stations so I paid $2.45 a gallon
7.what are the affordable (5 Cities)
Toledo is very affordable
8. what is the rent average for a 4 or 5 bedroom house
That size house would be difficult to find. Most rentals have a huge range depending on the neighborhood for 3bds and up of about $700-$1500 a month. For the more expensive suburbs, it may be higher than that. In the city itself, you could find some less than that.
9. What are the most culture diverse cities between 5 of the listed cities
IMO Toledo is culturally diverse but not typically how most people see "diversity" whereas they see it primarily based on race. Will note that Toledo is technically one of the most diverse metros in the country as our demographics almost match exactly US demographics by race. We get a lot of opportunities for paid consumer surveys and trying new products at chain restaurants/stores due to this.
We do have a small West Indian population, also a small African population but they are not all that visible.
We have a lot of diversity in our white community from an ethnic perspective (German, Polish, Hungarian, Irish, Greek, etc.) and we have a lot of ethnic festivals as a result. As I noted, I am black and our black community in the city itself is about 25% of the population of the city as well, my own family has very long roots in the city. We also have a decent sized Latino population and Asian population in our metro area
10.What are the population Growth/Decline (5 cities)
Toledo is not seeing any population growth and it has declined for many decades like similar "Rust Belt" cities but the decline has slowed recently and most movements have been from people leaving the city and moving to the suburbs. Note we also have suburban communities in Michigan that are very nice - most of the people I personally know have moved to Michigan, which is about a mile from my own house and down the street from us
11. what is the difference in weather from Savannah, Ga?
We have a typical 4 season year. As noted I lived in Atlanta prior to moving back here. Georgia is much hotter and humid longer than Toledo but we do have some very humid days. But it can be pretty brutally cold in the winter. I personally enjoy the 4 seasons and I especially enjoy the fact that it doesn't get too hot here in the summer compared to GA. We can really enjoy the outdoors due to this and because we have so many beautiful waterways we have a lot of breezes and cool evenings and mornings to take advantage of
12. what are the crime rate?
Toledo does have crime, most of it is property crime. It is much less crime here than Atlanta. I joke but when I lived in Atlanta my vehicle was stolen at least every year - and I drive a minivan lol. When I moved back to Toledo I have yet to have my vehicle vandalized or my house broken into or any crime at all occur at all and I live in what is considered a bad neighborhood
11. How are Healthcare affordable?
Unlike Georgia, our Governor here took the ACA medicaid expansion so lower income people can take advantage of that. Healthcare is very accessible in Toledo and it is a major industry here. My health insurance rates are about 75% less here per month than they were in Georgia
12 Are their any culture supermarket? I enjoy cooking Haitian Cuisine Jamaican Food
We have an African market here but not a Caribbean one - however we have a ton of ethnic markets.
Most are Arab markets as we have a large Arab population compared to other parts of the country. IMO they have some of the best produce, prices, and offerings of all our ethnic markets. We also have Asian, Polish, "International" and Indian markets
I'am a African American with Haitian decent family of 6 Myself, Husband with two sets of twins Boys and Girls Elementary and Middle school aged we enjoy going out on Saturday Parks, Festivals, Beach My boys play football and basketball for the parks so i wanted to know if they also have youth park leagues. My girls are dancers and gymnast. i don't like to drive far i want to stay at least 3 miles to shops school and malls. My husband is a warehouse manager We are a young couple I'm in my early 20's and my husband is in his early 30's we enjoy date night walk downtown going out to dinners we love jet skiing the beach, canoeing We do a lot of family functions i'm a stay at home mom. almost forgot we are originally from Miami, Fl I'am open to a smaller town close to a major city.
Thank you in advance who help in providing answers
On parks, Toledo has a metropark system that is considered one of the best in the country. We also are on Lake Erie and have two major rivers so lots of opportunities for recreation. We have a plethora of various types of festivals as well and as I mentioned above.
I'll note the best thing to me about Ohio is that we are very nice, cool, down to earth people. IMO there also isn't as much, what I call "racial mess" in Ohio cities and suburban communities (not so IMO though in more rural areas) and especially for me in Toledo (my friends in Cincinnati though do complain about racial mess there). My husband jokes that NW OH and SE MI have the nicest white people in particular he has ever come across and he feels we have a very laid back atmosphere. The culture here in that regard is one of the main reasons why I wanted to move back to Toledo. Not sure about Savannah but racial issues was a huge drain and stress for us in Atlanta (that and the traffic and the expense and the kind of annoying culture in Atlanta).
Will note on Toledo as well that we are only 35-45 minutes from Detroit and the various activities in SE Michigan are close by and we are also only a 2.5 hour drive to Cleveland and a 3.5 hour drive to Chicago. We are a 50 minute drive from Cedar Point, one of the best amusement parks in the world and also only a 1.5 hour to 2 hour drive to Canada. We go to Canada sometimes (I'm a black history nerd and so I go to Canada to visit black history sites there - kids under 16 years of age don't need a passport to visit Canada as long as they are with both parents or have a note from one parent and are with another).
Will also note on our suburban Michigan communities you can check out Temperance and Bedford and even Monroe as all are pretty close to Toledo and have more of smaller town feel. All of them also have decent school districts in the vicinity. It is also good to consider that if you moved to Michigan and your kids remain stellar students they can gain free admittance to the University of Michigan if income qualified based on a new program. Also we have a similar program in the State of Ohio for The Ohio State University as well.
Last edited by residinghere2007; 05-03-2018 at 07:39 PM..
Another thing I didn't mention about Toledo in regards to schools in particular is the fact that it is VERY easy to transfer to out of zoned schools here.
As I noted I live in a rough neighborhood. I do because prior to moving back here I owned rental properties and one of them was empty when I got a job offer and moved back to my hometown. We bought this house for cash for under $10k and just fixed it up by ourselves with some help from relatives who are contractors (we had to put in some new furnaces as they had been stolen when the house was empty - note we bought it in an "as-is" condition and hadn't had the opportunity to fix it up when we were in Atlanta so when I got the job offer, I came early and had it put into a livable state and when my husband came he fixed it up slowly over the course of year. Everyone is always surprised at how good it looks now).
We stay in the neighborhood we are in because as I noted, I've not had any issues - I also have wonderful neighbors who are primarily owner/occupants and they've been in their homes for 20-60 years (I have a neighbor in her 90s who bought her house when she was in her 30s).
Also, our kids go to magnet schools in the Toledo Public Schools district. My oldest to Toledo Technology Academy mentioned above and my youngest to the highest performing public magnet in Toledo as well. They get free buses/transportation to school.
As noted though, I am from Toledo and have a lot of roots here. Some people are afraid of specific neighborhoods, but both my husband and I are not the scary types. My husband is from the Southside of Chicago.
In Toledo you can also get what is called an "inter-district" transfer to out of TPS schools. I know someone whose kids go to Ottawa Hills schools in particular, which as noted is the best district in the state. They do have to provide their own transportation but Toledo is very easy to get around especially if you live in the city.
I also have some little step siblings who graduated from other district like Rossford and Northwood school districts and Anthony Wayne even though they do not live in those surburban communities. At Toledo Technology Academy, they also receive and accept students from the suburban communities at that school even though it is a TPS school (not suburban). My son has friends who live in Sylvania, Maumee, and Perrysburg who go to TTA. One of my co-worker lives in Holland (another suburb) and her child goes to my daughters TPS school.
We also have the EdChoice program and lots of people in Toledo take advantage of it. They provide vouchers to kids to go to private schools. Most of our private schools are Parochial/Catholic schools. Many of my nieces and nephews go to Parochial schools in Toledo via EdChoice. You have to pay some fees but their parents feel it is worth it. Elementary students at the Parochial schools are also eligible for transportation to school via TPS buses.
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