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| Columbus isn't perfect, but it's livable - 4/9/2013
I've read a lot of comments on here that are biased in saying that Columbus is either heaven on earth or hell on earth. Columbus is neither. I have lived here with my family for the past five years and as like getting used to a different place, it took some adjusting.
First off the weather is sporadic. One year it cold snow, a lot, not like in Cleveland or northern Ohio, but enough to close the roads down and the next year it could not snow as much, barely at all. One year we could have a long winter from October to Mid-April and another year winter could start in December and end in March, you just never know. One day it could be hot and the next day over cast and rainy. It's not ideal weather but it is not as cold as Cleveland, NY or WI by any means.
The cost of living in Columbus, depends on the part of town you live in. If you live in downtown Columbus and pay $400 in rent, don't let the nice houses fool you, because you are in the middle of the ghetto. If you want to live in an area with decent schools, Columbus city schools have a bad reputation, then you have to live in a suburb where a condo/apartment could cost you $900+. Also since we live in the Midwest, we have to pay utilities like gas, which in other parts of the country are unnecessary. So if you can afford it, by all means, head to the burbs.
I heard that the people in Columbus are ruder than people in NY, and if you're in the ghetto or in a very uppity part of town, then yes people can be trashy or rude respectively, just like in every city in the country! Columbus is no different.
I also read a comment where it mentioned that Columbus has nothing to do and to throw your nice clothes away because there is no where to go. So Columbus isn't NY or LA or Miami, or Chicago. You have to remember you are in the MIDWEST! Columbus has corn fields for crying out loud! The people are simple, down to earth, and hardworking, and that is something you can not say about NY or LA or Miami. People aren't pretentious or superficial. They are not the friendliest and warmest people in the world but they are generally very polite.
The restaurant chains in Columbus are it's downfall where one part of town could have an Olive Garden where another part of town doesn't so you have to drive eight miles to get Olive Garden. It's like trying to find a needle in a hay stack sometimes finding an address because everything is so nondescript and the roads are confusing if you don't know the area. Invest in a GPS or smartphone when looking for an address here.
Columbus has several theaters like the Palace theater and Southern theater, the Ballet Met holding several shows a year, art galleries with an annual Gallery Hop, a vibrant local music scene, an up and coming poetry scene with a different coffee shop open mic reading every night M-F, along with the many conventions, fairs, festivals that happen around the city annually. There are good places to eat in The Short North, the famous North Market to visit, along with a nationally ranked Jack Hannah owned zoo. The children's museum, COSI is also nationally ranked. There are dozens of parks where they have community gardens, bike trails, walking paths, and The Park of Roses in Clintonville.
The University holds all sorts of events from performing art productions, to festivals, the Ohio State Fair, art museum, holds different concerts featuring orchestras and bands alike. Along with all the other things to do near campus, there is the Gateway Film Festival showing a broad range of artsy independent films.
The Nationwide Arena holds several different sporting events relating to the Hockey team.
The Ohio State games are a very big deal here whether they are Football or basketball and are a sight to see if you ever get to see the TBDBITL perform in all its glory on the field.
Central Ohio is home to nearby Amish Country which is a nice day trip to take with the kids.
In other words, if you get bored in Columbus, it's your own fault and maybe you don't belong in a city with culture. If you need more culture than that then by all means, NY and LA are calling your name.
If you get sick in Columbus, head to The Ohio State Hospital, with a nationally ranked Heart and Cancer center.
All in all, its a great small city to live in. A lot of the things in Central Ohio are nationally ranked places to visit from the galleries to the hospitals. If you can deal with the weather, understand that no place is perfect, and can steer clear of the sketchy areas of town you'll like it here.
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| Columbus needs to be more hospitable - 2/23/2013
Daisey you are right I've only been here 7months and I had no idea the people were so rude. My brother just moved here from New York and he said columbus by far is worst. There are a lot of things to do but don't move here if you have high blood pressure. You have to fight traffic because there is hardly any courtesy and the hospitality I would rate a 3 out of 10. Pubic housing has a 2 year waiting list and most of the good school zones have high rent rates which would not be a problem except most jobs don't pay well. A lot of people have two jobs here and that's not living when you have a family. Racism is alive and well here although you don't see rebel flags waving. My best experience here was catching a glimpse of the presidential motorcade or Marine 1 flying over my job. [read more...]
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| Columbus - 10/12/2012
Columbus does have a variety of things to do for the family, arts and entertainment. Cost of living is okay and I haven't been affected by the crime rate. I am seeking a new start soon and I am seeking a new city to move to. If anyone has any ideas, I am willing to listen.[read more...]
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| Housing - 9/1/2012
Columbus, Ohio has a great housing market. There are plenty of low cost accommodations that fit to most people's circumstance. Either renting or buying, you WILL find something. For the real estate investor, it can be a wise risk, of sorts. There are many universities and colleges which keep values up. There are also many smaller municipalities and townships that are responsive to the needs of their communities. This means that you could live in Columbus proper, but be on the edge of one of these communities and reap all of the rewards that they offer. The City Government is also very proactive in keeping the community thriving by investing in infrastructure, supporting emergency services, and looking out for the arts communities. They regularly partner with the university and other civic organizations to create new and fresh ideas and activities. I also want to mention that one of the biggest and most prestigious research universities lives in Columbus, The Ohio State University. There's more to tell, but you kinda get the picture. [read more...]
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| BIG MISTAKE!!! - 8/30/2012
The people here are very rude, mean, and unfriendly. The water quality is horrible. Air very poluted. Then there's the occult of the osu football. EXTREMELY HIGH CRIME RATES ABOVE CITIES IT'S SIZE. [read more...]
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| Seriously, I hate this city - 5/9/2012
Look, Columbus sucks. I absolutely hate this place and I wish I would have stayed here a few days before deciding to move here. The air quality is horrible and this year I have had BY FAR the worst allergy season I've ever had in my entire lifetime. To call Columbus a "real city" is a complete JOKE. This is a cowtown at best full of cliquey, standoffish, backstabbing, mean, ignorant and boring people. This is funny because you'd think it would be quite the contrary with the fact that this place somehow houses one of the top colleges in the country. My thought is that the city suffers from brain-drain in that the best and brightest individuals leave for better areas of the country. This city has some of the worst drivers I have ever seen and I've been to other major cities such as Cincinnati and Cleveland. Columbus is about as worse as it gets driving wise. The land area is just way too small to accommodate the over 730,000 plus people that live here. The sad story is that even more people are moving here by the day. Roadways are a nightmare during Rush hours and most times of the day and there is no form of a highly developed mass transit system like a rail system. Columbus only has COTA as a bus system which is honestly a joke.
The restaurant scene is horrendous. If you want to go out to eat, you have your choice between all of the typical chain restaurants. This is a travesty especially if you were used to tasty mom and pop, small business eateries etc. Nope, you won't find much of that in Columbus. In terms of entertainment, there is nothing for young people to do around here. It's extraordinarily boring. The city also has no culture whatsoever. There is nothing that defines the city or makes it stand out from the competition. Yes, there is a melting pot of diverse culture that lives here but they contribute nothing at all to this city. Most share the same agenda that I have, they just tolerate this place because this is where they work but they show no loyalty or contribution to the region.
How about land geography? Well, Columbus is a whole lot of nothingness. It looks like someone cleared out a farm and built a bunch of buildings on top of it. The terrain is extraordinarily flat and there are no interesting parks or natural wildlife areas. If you like nature, here is another reason to hate Columbus. The suburbs are your typical cookie cutter suburbs where there racial segregation and income disparities become apparent. Downtown Columbus is a joke and is dead after rush hour traffic has cleared. It also looks like trash in that it should belong to one of the smaller, more economically depressed Ohio cities like Dayton.
Speaking of economy, the economy in Columbus in my opinion is typical of what you'd see in Ohio. It's not as bad as Northeast or Northwest Ohio but it is not far off. Don't be fooled as there are no jobs here and you can really do better some place else in the country.
How is the weather? It is schizophrenic like most of the city's residents. One day it might be 80 degrees and the next 5 days it's raining with highs only in the mid to low 50's. When you wake up, the sun and warmth will smile in your face and later that day the cold will freeze your spirit. The summers get hot and muggy and the winters are long and cold even though it doesn't snow much here.
I failed to mention the wild, psychotic obsession over the OSU buckeyes but why even bother? Unless you're into OSU football, you will already have a big enough reason to feel overwhelmingly out of place here.
I know after reading all of this, you are wondering to yourself "Well, what is good about Columbus, Ohio?". To be honest, absolutely nothing and I truly mean that from the bottom of my heart. The place is abysmally lame and overrated. Anything that I have found tolerable about the city are traits that I could find in a city with better weather, more friendly, educated residents and a stronger, more diverse economy. I don't plan on staying here much longer and am seeking to move in a couple years. If you're reading this and deciding whether or not you should "take the plunge", step away, no..., run away from the diving board before you make a mistake you will regret. There are better options. Remember, location is everything..... [read more...]
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| Great place to live if you're an OSU football zomb - 4/26/2012
Everything here is about college football because the city isn't good enough to have a professional team. For a city that was touted as "up and coming", I was surprised how hillbilly it was. Third rate news talent, overrated restaurants and shopping, and people that don't know how to dress or act (throw out your dress clothes because you won't need them here no matter where you're going). Very unfriendly and cliquish people too. In the two years I was here, I didn't make one friend. Lived in a number of places including the east coast. Philadelphia was the worst, and Columbus comes in second.[read more...]
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| Do your research - 3/5/2012
I have lived here almost 20 years and I do have to weigh in. First, all the posts that I read about Columbus are correct from the good to the ugly. The most important things to consider before moving here are: 1) racial tensions. There is a huge influx of immigrants from all over the world coming to Columbus, Ohio. It is one of the most diverse cities in the U.S. and there is approximately 250 different languages spoken in this city. This causes a lot of problems especially when you have people coming from areas where internal fighting or wars are a natural state. You will get people who continue to live in this state of mind and life even in the richest country in the world. If you want diversity, this is the place for you but be careful what you wish for. 2) To work in this town you have to know someone. They call this a cowtown because the "good-old boys club" is still thriving. It won't be enough for you to network. If you don't know someone you will be unemployed until you can find a good network of people that will recommend you. Make sure you have about 8 months of financial support until you get on your feet. 3) Because this is 500 or 600 miles to 70% of the country (don't the know the specific numbers) you get a lot of drugs, guns, and human traffiking crimes. We've had a lot of horrific types of crimes in small sleeping towns across Ohio.
Just a word of advise, do your research before coming to Columbus and be sure to know someone who can help you get acquainted with people and tell you the places to avoid and where to find work. [read more...]
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| Comments on living in Columbus, Ohio - 2/5/2012
I've lived in Columbus, Ohio for nearly forty years (yes, four decades), having moved here from Brooklyn, N.Y. There are a number of positive aspects of life in Columbus, and the immediate vicinity, as well as a number of aspects of life, which are either unpleasant, or which can stand improvement.
Pros-
a) The cost of living in Central Ohio is lower than the national average. Although the cost of electricity has recently climbed to about 13 cents per kilowatt hour, for years, it was much lower than that. Also, the cost of natural gas has moderated, and has actually decreased in recent years. In addition, the cost of water/sewer services provided by the City of Columbus is reasonable. Columbus does not charge its residents any additional fees for trash collection, and recycling, at no additional charge, will be provided in the near future. Real estate taxes of homes, are much lower than similar homes in the northeast, or on the west coast.
b) Commuting by car is not really a problem, even at rush hour. Rarely, does the Columbus area experience the bottlenecks in traffic, which are prevalent in larger metropolitan areas, such as L.A., Chicago, NYC, etc.
c) Maintaining a car- It does not cost that much to maintain an automobile in the Columbus area, as there are many auto mechanics, and competition tends to drive the prices down.
d) Food- There are many retail grocery markets such as Krogers, Walmart, Meijers, which tend to be competitive, and keep grocery prices at reasonable levels.
e) Medical care- The quality of medical care, with rare exceptions is very good, and prices are also reasonable. There are many drive in drug stores, which make buying prescription drugs very convenient.
f) Banking- There are also a number of banks with drive in facilities, which also make the banking experience a pleasant one.
g) Home maintenance contractors- One can choose from many different contractors for home repairs, whether it involves roofers, plumbers, electricians, painters, driveway contractors, heating and air-conditioning personnel, etc. Although prices have risen in recent years, I still feel that the prices are competitive.
Cons-
a) I've never gotten used to the driving habits of Columbus motorists. I've observed numerous accidents which could have been avoided, if the offending motorist would have kept a clear distance from the car in front of him, as required by law. Instead, Columbus drivers tend to tailgate, and fail to stop in time, thus striking the car in front of them.
b) Also, I've observed numerous Columbus drivers who excel in making obscene gestures with their fingers and hands. Many times, Columbus drivers will daydream and hesitate, when the light changes from red to green. Hence, a gentle tap on the horn is a gentle reminder for them to accelerate. Unfortunately, it is also a signal for some drivers to make obscene gestures.
c) Many Columbus drivers don't believe in using directional signals when changing lanes, make sudden, and unsafe lane changes, fail to yield the right of way, go through stop signs, drive with defective mufflers, headlights and taillights which don't work,or drive with license plates which have not been cleared of snow, or even drive with license plates which should have been replaced. Also, I've noticed drivers who will pass one's rear bumper with less than two inches to spare!
d) Anti-semitism- Although people don't like to hear about this phenomenon, there are still those in the Columbus area, who can't seem to accept the fact that observant Jews have the right to walk to the Synagogue of their choice on Saturday, without being verbally assaulted or intimidated by anti-semitic motorists in their car, who will either loudly honk their horns, or yell things out of their cars.
e) Racial tension- Unfortunately, racial tension in the Columbus area still exists, whether it involves whites against blacks, or blacks against whites.
f) Crime- Many homes in quiet residential areas, now have burglar alarm signs in front of them. Whereas years ago, there would be signs which stated "Welcome, "The Smiths", now there are signs which prominently display the name of the security company, with warning signs. Unfortunately, homes have suffered burglaries, and homeowners have incurred thefts of items, which cannot be readily replaced. Hence, they have no choice, but to invest in a security system. In addition, there have been a number of heinous crimes in the Columbus area, too numerous to mention on this site.
g) Sports arenas- Regarding Nationwide Arena and the Schottenstein Center, unless one has a private box, it is difficult to feel comfortable being seated, when watching a professional sports team, as opposed to a college team. Alcohol is served at those events, and it tends to loosen inhibitions in people, leading to rowdy, and aggressive conduct.
h) Lack of an effective snow removal program- In the forty years that I've lived in Columbus, I always hear the same ridiculous excuses every winter, to justify the City of Columbus' substandard snow removal program. The excuses are "the equipment broke down, we didn't have sufficient warning that such a large snowfall would result, we didn't anticipate that a freeze would result, before the salt could be spread, our personnel have worked twelve hours straight and are fatigued, we don't plow residential areas, if the snow is less than four inches", etc. Quite frankly, Columbus has run out of excuses. In 1978, there was a large blizzard which struck Columbus, and the city closed the downtown area for days. Motorists were stranded all over town. At that time, the city promised that new snow plows would be ordered, and such a situation would never occur again. Unfortunately, the same situation has occurred time and time again. In March, 2008, the City of Columbus failed to effectively plow James Road, a large arterial roadway. As a result, there was black ice on that street, which caused a very precarious driving situation. Also, even when the snowfall has reached four inches on the residential streets, the snowplows in many instances never come to the residential areas. If they do, all they do is spread the existing snow around with a plow. The residential streets are never salted. On the other hand, a number of the suburban municipalities in the area surrounding Columbus, have very good snow removal programs, as does the airport. [read more...]
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| Quality of Life Says It All - 1/29/2012
Columbus actually has a lot to offer. It has a relatively low cost of living, affordable housing, a pretty stable economy (proven through the many ups and downs the country had gone through) and is definitely - 'Midwest'. There are numerous options in culture, education, high quality health care, parks & recreation, shopping, dining, and professional & college sports. It is a family friendly community that is easy to navigate. All-in-all, the climate is pretty mild considering how far north the state is located in the country.
If you are considering relocating to Columbus, know that is is within 550 miles of more than half the US population - Which makes visiting family a little easier. I highly recommend Columbus as a viable option if it presents itself to you.[read more...]
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| Can I support my family? - 12/9/2011
I am looking into relocating to Columbus area from Illinois. Since I would be the only person working (hopefully not forever) I need to know if a salary of 44k can support a family of five in the Columbus area. Also, need school info (elem, middle and high - I have one at each level) I would appreciate links to other websites that you believe could be helpful to me in making this decision.
My husband has not worked in 3 years, I work PT. Needless to say we have been struggling and it just seems to get worse. I need to know if moving to Ohio is going to improve things for my family.....[read more...]
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| Always something to do - 10/13/2011
There's symphonies, ballets, horse, dog, and cat shows throughout the year. Also, there's cultural festivals almost every month. In in October there's the Pumpkin Festival for example. The Columbus Zoo is fun even in the winter time with the Christmas lights. There are ammusement parks in two different directions outside of Columbus (within an hour or so away). Just about whatever you can imagine you can find to do in Columbus or surrounding areas. Plus it is convenient to everything along the Eastern half of the US.[read more...]
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| quality of life in columbus, ohio - 8/6/2011
Columbus is a place where midwest values meet Big city activities, great restaurants, health care, education, culture and friendliness. There are always so many things to do---every weekend it is hard to choose.
If we had a beach and mountains it would be perfect, yet it is green and lush in spring and summer. It does not get that cold in the winter. We do lack sunshine compared to other places, but we are able to hop on a plane and go visit for sunshine.[read more...]
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| humid - 7/25/2011
the city is expanding in both urban and exurban areas. many affordable and alternative housing options. like the entire midwest, a wonderful place if you dont mind the snow![read more...]
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| Air is horrible!!! - 7/5/2011
Well I moved here toward the end of June from an area that has a 50 air quality, to 12 here in Columbus. It is very suffocating and clausterphobic. I feel like I am using a quarter of my lung capacity. The plants look like they are all wilted ,and I cant believe how alot of the pine trees are bare or dying. Its a shame there is so much pollution here. [read more...]
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| Things won't handed to you... - 6/11/2011
As I read the posts, I just want to say that I am a Columbus native and have enjoyed my experiences here. When I was younger, I couldn't leave Columbus fast enough. I looked at every school that was outside of here! But Columbus has afforded me many opportunities that I know that I couldn't get anywhere else.
Some of these other posts talk about not having culture or things to do, but it won't just fall in your lap. Because of the culture here I have been able to travel around the world on someone else's dime (through community programming not college study abroad), to experience performance arts, science, and festivals galore!
While the politicians are not always transparent (which is everywhere!) they are very accessible. That is not very common for larger cities. People seem to forget that Columbus is around #15 in cities in the US.
Also I came from a middle class family that does a lot of non-profit work which I have continued the tradition.
While Ohio is for the most part a red state, Columbus is somewhat progressive and has been making strides in the local food movement to stimulate the local economy here as well as green buildings and energy.
There are many minority groups that are very active in Columbus including Latino, Somali, Ghanaian, Jewish, African American and GLBT. The cost of living here is awesome and is hard to beat. There are suburbs and urban areas for everyone.
It very much about WHO you know in Columbus, so before you come here, brush up on your networking skills. It will make a HUGE difference in your experience. [read more...]
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| You can do better - 5/31/2011
I'm a successful, educated Cleveland native and lived in Columbus for three long years before moving to Chicago. While Cleveland is a mess, Columbus has largely grown due to 1) migration of people from Cleveland and Cincinnati for jobs 2) Ohio State, and 3) it has land to annex (unlike Cleveland and Cincy). I applaud Columbus for revitalizing High Street from the Arena District up through the OSU campus - great area. However, I have issues with the residents themselves. It doesn't really speak well to such a large metro area as Columbus that social activities largely focus around Ohio State. Heaven forbid you don't jump on the OSU bandwagon! If you don't, the natives can turn nasty...really quickly (even if you're not a Michigan fan). I don't blame the students for this, but the residents of the area overall - zombie-like group-think. Call me arrogant, but there is a serious lack of sophistication to the area. Perhaps it's because Columbus is a newer city, but the cultural amenities of both Cleveland and Cincinnati put Columbus to shame (COSI being the one exception). Also, do not move to Columbus if you are over 30 and single. It's a dating wasteland. I think it's a great place for 20-somethings (mainly due to OSU), but once you hit 30, you're much better off heading to Chicago, DC, NYC, Atlanta, etc.[read more...]
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| Not exciting weather - which is a good thing - 5/29/2011
Like many other aspects of living in this city, the weather is not extreme. Not overly cold in the winter nor overly hot in the summer; few major weather events. If you want wonderful weather, this is not the place. But if your object is to avoid hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards and floods, this might be the place for you![read more...]
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| Living in Columbus - 3/19/2011
New Albany is a great community, known for its school district and beautiful Georgian homes. My advice is to go for the real thing and live in the inner loop neighborhoods. New Albany and greater Columbus in general suffers from unbounded overbuilding from local homebuilding behemoth M/I and others. Housing values will never adequately maintain in any of the suburban neighborhoods as a result of the boundless cornfields and accessible highways.
Would recommend Upper Arlington or Bexley.[read more...]
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| Looking like Detroit - 1/10/2011
Columbus has deteriorated and it is a shame. Crime is through the roof and no one reports on it, just go the Columbus police, and other agencies websites and search for yourself. This would be another Flint or Detroit if not for OSU and a couple large businesses. To many rental homes and not enough home owners who care about their homes. Damn shame.[read more...]
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