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There's nothing really that any of the "Three C's" offer that Toledo/Akron/Dayton don't have. Sure, there may be more restaurants, but there are still the same types of restaurants in all the cities in regards to ethnic food or the range in prices/atmosphere. Toledo has its own ballet, opera, symphony, art museum, zoo, regular concerts, Broadway productions, etc. All of which the average person only attends sparingly anyway. Roughly the same range of shopping experiences are available in each city (I don't consider having 4 Dillards instead of 2 a major difference). Movie theaters in Toledo are the same as Cincy. A doctor in Dayton is generally the same as a doctor in Cleveland. Driving around Maumee is no different than driving around Parma, and houses in Perrysburg are largely the same as houses in Avon Lake. The ghetto in Toledo is pretty similar to the ghetto in Cleveland. Educational offerings in the cities are all roughly equivalent. If you want an inner-city school with low standards you can get it. If you want a solid suburban school you got it. If you want a mid-priced Catholic school you got it. If you want an extraordinarily overpriced private school you got it. Want to attend a comprehensive four-year research institution? Got that as well.
I disagree.
I recently moved from Toledo to Cincinnati. Being a young professional, there are many differeces between the cities. To begin, Cincinnati has areas that cater towards, and are fun for, young people. Toledo does not this. The city is trying to turn downtown into a draw for the young crowd, but Cincinnati has several cemented neighborhoods like this (clifton gaslight, hyde park, mt. adams, eden).
For people of all ages, Cincy has much more to do in daily life, especially in regards to shopping. Arguably the two biggest shopping areas in Toledo are westgate and franklin park. Here in the Nati, tri-county mall alone takes both of those on. The mall has everything franklin park has plus a few, and right down the road is costco, wal-mart, bestbuy, a restaurant strip, and several other things to do. That is only one mall. Cincy can throw in there Cincinnati Mills, kenwood, and newport in kentucky to mention a few. Plus, kings island is in the cincy metro.
For young professionals, singles, and people who want to do more with life, Cincinnati outclasses T-town immensely.
I don't know enough about Columbus or Cleveland to comment on them.
With all that said, I loved growing up in Toledo. I'm proud of where I'm from. I also love the state of Michigan. Unfortunately, with the current state that Michigan and Toledo are moving in, I cannot subject my future family to those conditions.
For example, the nationwide unemployment is currently 6.5%. Cincy's is 6.1%, while Toledo's is 8.5%. Many would make the argument that I'm making about Cincy compared to Toledo in terms of Cincy vs. Dallas, Cincy vs. Boston, etc.
One thing I must say is I really like the diversity in Ohio's cities.
Cleveland is the "bigger" type city, downtown you get a very urban feel.
Columbus is young and experiencing some growing pains.
Cincinnati is old/new and shows great qualities of the north and south.
Our smaller cities are awesome too.
They all are home to large corportations and have so many interesting districts to them. Old and new, big and small. Ohio has a great range of big and small cities. And I think you see that in Toledo too.
Toledo isn't as bad as everyone puts it, but it is by no means great. To be honest, the lifestyle in Toledo is similar to that of other Ohio cities (C'bus, Cleveland, Dayton, etc). Jobs are scarce in most of Ohio, and Ohio is largely stagnant (Cleveland is noticeable declining, Cincy and C'bus are slowly growing, Dayton, Toledo, and Akron are all just flat).
Toledo's success depends on a few things: 1. Will the US auto industry crumble? If so Toledo will decay rapidly. If not it will live to survive another day. 2. Will solar and alternative energy become an economic force to be reckoned with? If so then Toledo stands to benefit greatly because the University of Toledo is one of the top 5 or so universities in the world when it comes to developing solar energy and other alternative energies. There are already several new startups in the area, and if a boom happens in the coming years Toledo will stand to grow. 3. Will the University of Toledo continue to grow? The new merger of MCO and UT has dramatically improved UT as an institution, and if this growth continues good things will come for the city. 4. Will Toledo take advantage of its logistics potential? With major shipping, rail, air, and highway facilities Toledo can benefit from globalization. Ironically, the very entity that killed Toledo's growth could be its savior in years to come.
Hey hey,
Right on. I concur with you. I am living in Italy now and try to keep up on the latest. I recenty saw an ABC news story on the U of Toledo and the city's attempt to redefine it self. Toledo has the skilled labor to make a transition successful. Good luck, all Toledo will need is good leadership to see it through... I too see Toledo as a logisitcal Hub unlike anything along the Great Lakes.
I was born in Toledo but grew up in outlying Waterville on the Maumee River. Back in the 1960's - early 1980's downtown Toledo was still somewhat active. I remember shopping downtown at Tiedtke's, LaSalle's, the Lion Store, and Lamson's with my mom and Grandma when I was little....loved eating at the lunch counter at Woolworth's too! Going to the Art Museum and zoo were a real treat. Later they built the riverfront shopping complex (can't remember the name of it) but it never quite seemed to get off the ground...was always pretty empty. I moved away in 1984 (to coastal SC) and was shocked to see what Toledo had become when I went back for visits in the later 80's and 1990's. Downtown, which used to be full of life and excitement, was/is now pretty much a ghost town. Franklin Park Mall seems to be the only real place to shop anymore. And, according to my cousins who still live there, there isn't anything to do there unless you go to bars or like bowling. The only family I have left there are soon planning to move to FL.
It's sad to see an entire city drying up and withering away...
That riverfront shopping complex was PORTSIDE. It lasted about 5 years and closed. I think the reason was that it had no off-street parking. Eventually a kids museum occupied it known as COSI (Center of Science & Industry). It's the 2nd one in Ohio- Columbus has the original one. Well, the one in Toledo suffered a decline in attendance and was on the verge of closing. But in 2008 a levy was put on the ballot to sustain COSI and the voters approved it.
Yep, I remember those department stores, restaurants, etc. that were downtown. Movie theaters? Oh boy! Paramount, Lowe's Valentine, Rivoli, Granada, Pantheon, Princess...all gone. Now there are cinemas in the suburbs that have around 16 theaters in each one showing a wide array of films simutaneously.
There used to be a boat that sailed from Toledo to Cedar Point. It was named S.S. Put-in-Bay. It departed the Adams Street Dock at 6:00 AM and returned at dusk. Later, there were other boats that sailed to Bob-Lo, an amusement park ner Windsor, Ontario. Today there is a small boat named the S.S. Sandpiper that goes up the river a couple miles.
As far as the shopping mall boom goes, one theory is that is was due to the flat land that Lucas County has- which can provide acres of free parking. Do you recall Southwyck Mall on Reynolds Road? It's been closed for several months now. It has 3 owners and the city is negotiating to buy it. For what? so they can demolish it and then lengthen Cheyenne Blvd. A new mall has been built on Jerome Road between Maumee and Waterville. It's name is the Shops at Fallen Timbers. The layout is something like a village with intersecting streets. It's rather upscale pricewise but it has eye appeal. Across the river, just south of Perrysburg, is a similar mall called Levis Commons.
That riverfront shopping complex was PORTSIDE. It lasted about 5 years and closed. I think the reason was that it had no off-street parking. Eventually a kids museum occupied it known as COSI (Center of Science & Industry). It's the 2nd one in Ohio- Columbus has the original one. Well, the one in Toledo suffered a decline in attendance and was on the verge of closing. But in 2008 a levy was put on the ballot to sustain COSI and the voters approved it.
Yep, I remember those department stores, restaurants, etc. that were downtown. Movie theaters? Oh boy! Paramount, Lowe's Valentine, Rivoli, Granada, Pantheon, Princess...all gone. Now there are cinemas in the suburbs that have around 16 theaters in each one showing a wide array of films simutaneously.
There used to be a boat that sailed from Toledo to Cedar Point. It was named S.S. Put-in-Bay. It departed the Adams Street Dock at 6:00 AM and returned at dusk. Later, there were other boats that sailed to Bob-Lo, an amusement park ner Windsor, Ontario. Today there is a small boat named the S.S. Sandpiper that goes up the river a couple miles.
As far as the shopping mall boom goes, one theory is that is was due to the flat land that Lucas County has- which can provide acres of free parking. Do you recall Southwyck Mall on Reynolds Road? It's been closed for several months now. It has 3 owners and the city is negotiating to buy it. For what? so they can demolish it and then lengthen Cheyenne Blvd. A new mall has been built on Jerome Road between Maumee and Waterville. It's name is the Shops at Fallen Timbers. The layout is something like a village with intersecting streets. It's rather upscale pricewise but it has eye appeal. Across the river, just south of Perrysburg, is a similar mall called Levis Commons.
Thanks for swapping memories and for bringing me up to date. I may be up that way this summer, so might get to see the new Shops at Fallen Timbers while visiting friends and family. I remember when Southwyck Mall was first built...the "new" mall concept. It had the most movie theaters in the area. Is Southwyck Lanes still there? Back in the 70's that was one of the few things there was to do for teenagers in the winter - go bowling. Oh, I had totally forgotten about Bob-Lo Island....
Well, I grew up in a small town about 30 miles west of Toledo and now live in Bedford Twp., MI, a suburb. I have never left the area because my family is here and I married a terrific guy from Toledo. What do I think Toledo will look like in 15 or 20 years? If the past 15 or 20 years are any indication, you don't want to know.
First off, the local politicians are a joke, in every sense of the word. Are you a Democrat? Are you related to someone already entrenched in the local government? Did you grow up in Toledo? Are you deep in the pocket of a large labor union such as the UAW or Teamsters Local 20? Then you're in. It doesn't matter if you don't know your hind end from a hole in the ground, you are in and you will never, ever be voted out of office, no matter what you do. But first, you must decide if you want to join the ranks of the "A Team" Democrats or the "B Team" Democrats. You see, several years ago when the local politicians realized that they didn't have a clue how to stop the hemorrhage of jobs and people leaving Toledo, they thought of a great way to distract themselves from the problems that they are elected to address. That's right, they split into two factions so that they can bicker and fight between themselves instead of doing the work that they were appointed to do. It's a great system, in that when you have Democrats fighting amongst themselves, the occasional lone Republican that can actually get elected in Toledo gets ignored pretty much completely, ensuring that Democrats will continue to run the city indefinitely. The local "newspaper" even gets into the action from time to time with their "fair and unbiased" (Bwahahahaha) reporting. It's a real circus that would even make Monty Python envious.
Entertainment options? Well...there's eating out...and, shopping at big box or chain stores that can be found in Anywhere, USA...and then there's...eating out...and an occasional baseball game at 5/3 Field is fun, but only in the summer...and then you could go out to eat...and yes, we have a world class zoo and art museum, but when you've lived here all your life, well, it's kind of like, BTDT. But hey, you can always eat out! Most of the quirky local restaurants are closing though, so make sure you patronize one of the many, many big chain restaurants that can, again, be found in Anytown, USA.
Jobs? Well, if you're a factory worker, this is (oops! WAS) your town. Most of the factories are closing and leaving town, but hey, maybe you could scope out some of the local watering holes that are still open and at least find a group of laid off factory workers to hang out with. White collar worker? Well, head out to Arrowhead Business Park in Maumee. It's not big by any stretch of the imagination, but it still boasts more workers than all of downtown Toledo. And that with Arrowhead having "For Lease" signs all over the place. Healthcare? I'm a nurse myself, so I can tell you firsthand about this one. Nurses here are getting laid off, and the ones that still manage to hold onto their hospital jobs are looking unsuccessfully for part-time supplemental jobs since hospital census numbers are taking a beating here and the nurses get called off work half the time. Fewer people = fewer sick people. And the sick people that are here either don't have health insurance or are afraid to miss a day of work lest they be let go too.
I realize that this post sounds snarky and sarcastic to a fault, but I have lived in this area my entire life, and I have to tell you that I cannot honestly understand why anyone would come here who doesn't have to. The winters are endless and bitter (though, to be fair, the summers are very nice) and the local government is a mess. In 15 or 20 years, this place will either be a ghost town with less than half of its present population and a bunch of boarded up factories, or it will be a thriving mid-sized Great Lakes city. It will all depend on who is in charge and if there does indeed end up being a severe water shortage in other areas of the country that will force people to come back to this area. Personally, I don't plan to be around to see which of these happens. I have served my time.
Well, I grew up in a small town about 30 miles west of Toledo and now live in Bedford Twp., MI, a suburb. I have never left the area because my family is here and I married a terrific guy from Toledo. What do I think Toledo will look like in 15 or 20 years? If the past 15 or 20 years are any indication, you don't want to know.
First off, the local politicians are a joke, in every sense of the word. Are you a Democrat? Are you related to someone already entrenched in the local government? Did you grow up in Toledo? Are you deep in the pocket of a large labor union such as the UAW or Teamsters Local 20? Then you're in. It doesn't matter if you don't know your hind end from a hole in the ground, you are in and you will never, ever be voted out of office, no matter what you do. But first, you must decide if you want to join the ranks of the "A Team" Democrats or the "B Team" Democrats. You see, several years ago when the local politicians realized that they didn't have a clue how to stop the hemorrhage of jobs and people leaving Toledo, they thought of a great way to distract themselves from the problems that they are elected to address. That's right, they split into two factions so that they can bicker and fight between themselves instead of doing the work that they were appointed to do. It's a great system, in that when you have Democrats fighting amongst themselves, the occasional lone Republican that can actually get elected in Toledo gets ignored pretty much completely, ensuring that Democrats will continue to run the city indefinitely. The local "newspaper" even gets into the action from time to time with their "fair and unbiased" (Bwahahahaha) reporting. It's a real circus that would even make Monty Python envious.
Entertainment options? Well...there's eating out...and, shopping at big box or chain stores that can be found in Anywhere, USA...and then there's...eating out...and an occasional baseball game at 5/3 Field is fun, but only in the summer...and then you could go out to eat...and yes, we have a world class zoo and art museum, but when you've lived here all your life, well, it's kind of like, BTDT. But hey, you can always eat out! Most of the quirky local restaurants are closing though, so make sure you patronize one of the many, many big chain restaurants that can, again, be found in Anytown, USA.
Jobs? Well, if you're a factory worker, this is (oops! WAS) your town. Most of the factories are closing and leaving town, but hey, maybe you could scope out some of the local watering holes that are still open and at least find a group of laid off factory workers to hang out with. White collar worker? Well, head out to Arrowhead Business Park in Maumee. It's not big by any stretch of the imagination, but it still boasts more workers than all of downtown Toledo. And that with Arrowhead having "For Lease" signs all over the place. Healthcare? I'm a nurse myself, so I can tell you firsthand about this one. Nurses here are getting laid off, and the ones that still manage to hold onto their hospital jobs are looking unsuccessfully for part-time supplemental jobs since hospital census numbers are taking a beating here and the nurses get called off work half the time. Fewer people = fewer sick people. And the sick people that are here either don't have health insurance or are afraid to miss a day of work lest they be let go too.
I realize that this post sounds snarky and sarcastic to a fault, but I have lived in this area my entire life, and I have to tell you that I cannot honestly understand why anyone would come here who doesn't have to. The winters are endless and bitter (though, to be fair, the summers are very nice) and the local government is a mess. In 15 or 20 years, this place will either be a ghost town with less than half of its present population and a bunch of boarded up factories, or it will be a thriving mid-sized Great Lakes city. It will all depend on who is in charge and if there does indeed end up being a severe water shortage in other areas of the country that will force people to come back to this area. Personally, I don't plan to be around to see which of these happens. I have served my time.
You're correct about the politics in Toledo, and this feeds the cynicism among the residents there. I hurts me to see Toledo go on as it has -- it is the place of my birth and home to much of my family. Hopefully one day folks will finally get fed up and install a competent, visionary leadership.
For people of all ages, Cincy has much more to do in daily life, especially in regards to shopping. Arguably the two biggest shopping areas in Toledo are westgate and franklin park. Here in the Nati, tri-county mall alone takes both of those on. The mall has everything franklin park has plus a few, and right down the road is costco, wal-mart, bestbuy, a restaurant strip, and several other things to do. That is only one mall. Cincy can throw in there Cincinnati Mills, kenwood, and newport in kentucky to mention a few. Plus, kings island is in the cincy metro.
I personally wouldn't use shopping malls and Wal-Mart as a good judge of cities. I would prefer it if both cities had NO shopping malls or big-box stores sitting in a sea of concrete parking lots - they ruin the character of a nice town and make the city more car dependant and take all the businesses out of downtown.
There is probably a reason why New York City has no Wal-Marts
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Well said
Downtown life
