Cincinnati vs. Columbus (Cleveland, Akron, Bexley: apartment, condominiums, safe neighborhoods)

[Elayyo]

Columbus has the best job market in the state, and its suburbs are more than bedroom communities.
Cincinnati, though, has bigger corporate anchors (eg Procter and Gamble).

Columbus has the largest Asian population in the state, and the White and Black communities are far more integrated than in Cincinnati (according to all the friends I've met who've come to Ohio State).

And yes, Columbus is highly liberal. Somewhat in economics/politics, but very much so in lifestyle.
Guys going shopping and having (sometimes annoyingly) high levels of personal hygiene will not set off a Columbusites gaydar.
Cincinnati has the state's next largest Gay population (4% to Columbus' 7%, and Cleveland's 3%), but it doesn't seem to be as accepted in the mainstream.

Cincinnati is very historical, Columbus is trying to carve out a modern identity.
Don't get me wrong, if I didn't live in Columbus and lived in Ohio, I would choose Cincinnati.

[cyberdasher]

Something that always annoys me about these Cincy vs Columbus threads is the mention of OSU being some kind of trump card for culture and activity in the state. Indeed, it's a fine university. But Cincinnati has its own home-grown university that's almost 4/5ths the size.

Try this in your next comparison - Take Columbus & Cincy, and subtract the top 4 or 5 local institutions from each. Compare what's left, and you'll find one town that is still easily recognizable and another that's wondering where all its Short North art galleries went.

Can't find a decent "middle class" landing spot in Cincy? There's 75 miles of middle class between Vandalia and Richwood, Ky. There's plenty of room for you!

[progmac]

Originally Posted by cyberdasher

Something that always annoys me about these Cincy vs Columbus threads is the mention of OSU being some kind of trump card for culture and activity in the state. Indeed, it's a fine university. But Cincinnati has its own home-grown university that's almost 4/5ths the size.

A nice thing about OSU is that it has a solid history of being a large residential campus. It attracts people to the Columbus area and offers them local jobs and internships and ultimately keeps many in the metro.

University of Cincinnati is behind in that respect but catching up fast. It has changed DRAMATICALLY in the past ten years. UC was more or less a commuter college (incidentally contributing to Cincinnatians' propensity to never leave the city, even for college) until that tide started changing in the mid-to-late 90s. For several years from about '03-'08 it was erecting more new buildings and doing more construction than any other college in the country. UC went from being "University of Concrete" to "Under Construction" and today it is perhaps the best looking and most unique urban university in the country. Anyone owes it to themselves to walk through campus next time they are in Cincinnati. You can walk the whole campus in an hour or so, including the oldest football stadium in the NCAA, is confined in a single megablock.

[MRY]

Originally Posted by ruthlessdk

i dont have much to say about cinci. the only thing i can compare is the schools, but im from columbus and lived there most of my life, columbus seems to be getting worse in crime more and more every year, and there is a bigger gap between lower and upper class theres really no longer a middle class...columbus public schools are horrific. most people would not believe how bad the schools are until they see what goes on, i nolonger go to columbus public anmore i now live in north carolina and am loving it here. my friend telles me all the stuff that goes on back in columbus during school, people bringing ak47's to school and shooting it up in the air, lock downs, race riots, and you get jumped for no reason just walking down the hallways,kids beating up the teachers i knew someone from cinci who said their schools were ruff also but columbus has a lot more problems school wise...if your in college its a pretty cool city to live in,the campus area is pretty fun. but i really dont miss columbus i got tired of all the crime and problems the city has and tired of the extremely rude people there too

[FONT=Verdana]Columbus is actually much safer than Cincinnati and Cleveland. I think that your friend lied to you because I go to Columbus City Schools and never have had any issues with; bullying, lockdowns, race riots, or people shooting ak47's in the air.[/FONT]
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[1watertiger]

happy thanksgiving ! cinci vs cbus? ok, cinci is like a stuffed 25lb. turkey with all the trimmings. cbus is like a cornish hen.

[thefrenchfries]

Originally Posted by progmac

A nice thing about OSU is that it has a solid history of being a large residential campus. It attracts people to the Columbus area and offers them local jobs and internships and ultimately keeps many in the metro.

University of Cincinnati is behind in that respect but catching up fast. It has changed DRAMATICALLY in the past ten years. UC was more or less a commuter college (incidentally contributing to Cincinnatians' propensity to never leave the city, even for college) until that tide started changing in the mid-to-late 90s. For several years from about '03-'08 it was erecting more new buildings and doing more construction than any other college in the country. UC went from being "University of Concrete" to "Under Construction" and today it is perhaps the best looking and most unique urban university in the country. Anyone owes it to themselves to walk through campus next time they are in Cincinnati. You can walk the whole campus in an hour or so, including the oldest football stadium in the NCAA, is confined in a single megablock.

UC definitely is the most beautiful campus in the USA...

If only I could afford to go there

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs406.snc4/46928_10150245918235246_652345245_14603074_7904223 _n.jpg (broken link)
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs429.snc4/47219_10150245917590246_652345245_14603049_1279654 _n.jpg (broken link)
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs206.ash2/46928_10150245918240246_652345245_14603075_4601770 _n.jpg (broken link)
These were all taken with a very crappy cameraphone and don't do it any justice at all.

[streetcreed]

Originally Posted by progmac

A nice thing about OSU is that it has a solid history of being a large residential campus. It attracts people to the Columbus area and offers them local jobs and internships and ultimately keeps many in the metro.

University of Cincinnati is behind in that respect but catching up fast. It has changed DRAMATICALLY in the past ten years. UC was more or less a commuter college (incidentally contributing to Cincinnatians' propensity to never leave the city, even for college) until that tide started changing in the mid-to-late 90s. For several years from about '03-'08 it was erecting more new buildings and doing more construction than any other college in the country. UC went from being "University of Concrete" to "Under Construction" and today it is perhaps the best looking and most unique urban university in the country. Anyone owes it to themselves to walk through campus next time they are in Cincinnati. You can walk the whole campus in an hour or so, including the oldest football stadium in the NCAA, is confined in a single megablock.

Regarding OSU being a large residential campus:

This is very true, but today Columbus' population is one of the youngest in the country not due to universities alone.

This is something people fail to see. You could have a large university, but if the metro economy was in the toilet, then people would move from the metro after graduation (and wouldn't move to it as transplants.)

On the other hand Columbus has a good economy and 12 universities/colleges including the largest community college in the state and the largest university in the country, OSU. This brings in, and retains, many 18-21 year olds. On the other hand, Columbus has one of the highest percentages of 25-34 year old populations in the country. This is due to the good economy.

When you combine many college students + a good economy = a very vibrant, young city for a combination of reasons.

[1watertiger]

streetcreed, then why is most of columbus a bland suburban-feeling mess? (except the few neighborhoods you always mention). and another thing. you always say "inner-ring" suburb of columbus, why? cleveland and cincy are the only cities that are "ringed" by its suburbs. just saying.

[streetcreed]

Originally Posted by 1watertiger

streetcreed, then why is most of columbus a bland suburban-feeling mess? (except the few neighborhoods you always mention). and another thing. you always say "inner-ring" suburb of columbus, why? cleveland and cincy are the only cities that are "ringed" by its suburbs. just saying.

Inner ring suburbs, in Columbus, has the same meaning as in any other metro. Columbus is a citymetro that is circular in layout. The city developed in "rings". Each ring belonging to a different era. Inner-ring suburb doesn't mean that a city is "inner-ringed" by them but that they are the most inner suburbs in rings of metro development.

1) The inner-ring suburbs of Columbus would be Grandview, Bexley, and Upper Arlington (though Upper Arlington has a its own newer eras through expansion). Surrounding these suburbs is another ring of development from the 40s-70s.

It is more complex in Columbus because many areas that would be "inner-ring" suburbs are in the city of Columbus. These were townships that were annexed and then developed as Columbus. These would include Clintonville (northside), Linden (NE side), Eastmoore (Eastside), parts of the west side Hilltop. In most, Midwestern, cities these areas belong to an inner-ring suburb Many of these areas were developed in the 1930s-1950s, and other than the west side, are still nice/great places to live today with little decline.

Second, regarding the Short North or other gentrified neighborhoods, I can accept your viewpoint that OSU has had an impact on these neighborhoods gentrification, but it is not the main driving factor. Where OSU may fit into the puzzle is that is served as a buffer zone from decay and could have helped to propel economic growth.

On economic growth: The gentrification of these neighborhoods is mostly due to the expansion of the job market in the city from the 70s-today. With these jobs comes higher incomes, transplants, a creative culture, etc. The majority of OSU professors/students do not live in any of these neighborhoods.

When you live in Columbus you learn who lives in the gentrified neighborhoods and how they function.

Most of the people I know in Victorian Village, German Village, etc. work for companies, the private sector, or possibly the state of Ohio. Many work for retail corporations, are artists that went to Columbus College of Art and Design (or are a fashion designer who worked for Limited) and open their own "gallery."

Without the job growth there wouldn't be as much central city neighborhood growth and "boom town" (or sprawl as you call it) surrounding the pre 1950 Columbus boundary and inner-ring suburbs.

Columbus has a culture of rehabbing the inner-city that has been propelled by economic job growth. It is great to live in a place that has changed so greatly. Instead of looking down upon Columbus perhaps view it is a state of Ohio lesson on how change can occur, for the better, when a good economy is the underlying factor.

[1watertiger]

streetcreed, i will agree to disagree. your explanation may apply in your eyes regarding columbus and its growth. i could accept 'INNER" suburb, but thats it. i do like three center city neighborhoods that you promote. but come on . we all know cbus feels like a giant burb in most areas of the "city-proper". and i dont look down on cbus, i just am more realistic about cbus than you. regarding ohio, cleveland and cinci are the only true large metros with a true city feel imo. i dont see anything cleveland can copy columbus that it isnt already being done.