Sandy

has written 2 SperlingViews. Currently, Sandy is living in Canal Winchester, OH and has a little something to say:

Stay away from Huntington! Posted On: 12/29/2008 9:56:25 AM

I lived in WV my whole life. I married, and moved to the Huntington, WV area in 2005. This past fall, we finally moved out of WV for better work elsewhere. While Huntington isn't the worst place to live, it's not the best either. Decaying city, elected government not getting along (so the city suffers), and, slow/no job growth (call centers abound though). Like I said, we moved due to the lack of good paying jobs. We moved to Columbus, but that wasn't the answer either. Coming from two people that value smaller towns and family, Columbus was too big too fast. As for Huntington, the streets were laid out well. Far better than it's sister city Charleston, WV. Generally, the people were friendly. Unlike Columbus. Not sure, but it seems the further north you go...the more uptight these people are. Pathetic. Anyway, real estate is a little over priced for the area. A good deal can be found though. Like they have said in the past, there isn't too much to do there. Unless you want to go to a bar or out to eat. I saw that Huntington, WV was rated the fattest city since I moved to Columbus. Don't think we didn't get picked on for that. Makes a person proud. If you're a drinker, there are plenty of bars. Crime has risen sharply while we lived there, and has become much worse since we left. Many warned us of Columbus before we left, but honestly Huntington has gotten really bad considering the number of incidents and it's size. I would not feel safe there anymore. Of course I don't feel safe in Columbus, Ohio either. Seems like there is a daily shooting, stabbing, robbery, car jacking, and etc. Still, I expect it a little more due to the rapid size increase from WV. Doesn't mean I like it. Next move I make within the year, I will be heading back south. Not to WV as I feel there isn't anything there for us. Just family. We can always call and visit them. We are though going back in size. Sure you're opportunities will be greater in a larger city, but there are small things in a smaller city that you can't get in a bigger one. Friendly people are one of them. If Huntington has nothing else, that is it. Of course you have your butt head every now and then. LOL

Skip Columbus, Ohio! Go somewhere else! Posted On: 12/28/2008 9:49:16 AM

We haven't lived here long. We're transplants from Huntington, WV. Mind you, that wasn't a great area either. We did it more out of necessity than anything else. Rapidly rising crime, and very poor economy. We moved to Columbus, Ohio trying to better ourselves and stay somewhat close to family in WV. Before anyone says anything, I did my research. A lot of these sites don't tell you everything, and at times the data isn't completely accurate. On paper Columbus looked great, but it's not. We made a horrible mistake. First of all the economy is now worse off here as well. I give them that though. Just about everywhere is bad right now, so can't hold that against them. We knew traffic would be bad, but bad doesn't describe it. Columbus is an aging city that has not kept up with growth. The people generally aren't friendly. Something that shocked me considering where in the "wholesome" midwest. Your neighbors could care less about you. Crime is getting so out of hand. My husband and I live in a area that is considered a "better" area, but it's slowly turning into the "hood" for a lack of a better word. People will shot you for anything right now, and it's disturbing. Taxes are excessive. You pay your federal income tax, state income tax, municipal income tax, sales tax, property taxes, and school taxes. I'm sure there are many I'm missing. In most other states, the school taxes are included in with your property taxes. Not here. They get you twice for that if not more. A typical home property taxes run you around $1,500 to $2,000 per year. In some areas, that isn't bad. I say it is if it's for a $100,000 home! You think you can afford more home here, but you obviously can't with that eating your house payment every month. With all the taxes, Ohio has no money. I'm sure when all is said and done, taxes will be raised shortly to remedy that on the backs of the poor taxpayer. Jobs are being lost at a alarming rate, their losing their homes, and more taxes is the last thing they need. Back to the commute. It's excessive. You can live right on the edge of town, but you're still going to be driving anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour one way to work. If there is bad weather, you can double that. No one can drive in it. Rain or snow. That's shocking as well. I imagined this city could handle it considering. Columbus now doesn't touch city or residential streets unless there is quite a bit of snow pack on it. This just doesn'