Living in Columbus Ohio
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8/29/2008
I read the comments about Columbus and felt compelled to post this.
I have lived in Ohio for 20+ years, 10 years in Columbus.
I was born and raised in Canada (including Toronto), lived in Philadelphia and Dallas, as well as Columbus.
When I first moved to Ohio from Canada, I really missed many things about Canada - the lakes, the woods, the mild summers, the beauty. But after getting to know the state of Ohio, I realized there is a different kind of beauty here...maybe not as obvious as I was used to, but beautiful nonetheless.
Things I love about Columbus
1. The Metro Park system - absolutely the best. Safe, clean, large, wonderful for hiking, bird watching, great programs, progressive.
2. The People - friendly, mid-western, down to earth.
3. The Diversity - I live near OSU so there is more diversity because of the student population in the area. My husband and I love cooking a variety of cuisines and the number of ethnic markets in the city are great - Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Hispanic - to name a few. Clintonville (north of OSU) is considered one of the best gay friendly communities in the U.S.
4. Cost of living - reasonable. Very great home values without some of the crazy ups and downs of more populated cities.
5. Open spaces - you don't have to drive far to find wide open spaces. It is not an endless sea of suburbia between cities - no overcrowding.
6. Traffic - for a city this size, the traffic is really..not bad. Compare it to Toronto or San Francisco. If you live near the center like I do, you can reach any part of the city within 25 minutes. Commutes can be very short and fast.
7. Health Care - great hospitals and doctors to choose from.
8. Schools - a great number of school systems to pick and some great universities.
9. Fun things to see and experience - The Short North (especially Gallery Hop nights), German Village, tons of great festivals including Columbus Arts Festival, ComFest, Greek Festival etc., rails to trails (bike riding), canoeing on the rivers, apple picking at Lynd Fruit farm, visiting Amish country, eating at a restaurant in the Short North or Grandview.
10. Employment Opportunties - many great places to work.
Things I don't like about Columbus and agree with other comments:
1. The weather in the summer. The spring and fall can be quite beautiful but the summers can get very hot and humid (i.e. 90 degree heat with 85-90% humidity). Winters can be very grey and rainy. I would prefer sun and snow. Without any moderating effects from a large body of water, Columbus definately has some unpredictable weather.
2. Flatness - Columbus is located in the flatter area of the state. However, just travel a few miles south and east and you can be in the Appalachian foothills.
All in all, I would say, Columbus is a great place to live...
Brenda | Columbus, OH