Reviews & Comments
Lancaster, OH
A safe place with all the right amenities! -
3/21/2023We've lived here for 3 years and I've lived in Ohio my entire life.
It's probably the best smaller city in the state. A historic town - well maintained and just enough business, food, and entertainment for self sufficiency.
There's plenty of homes/land available in and around the city limits and the city has done a terrific job at limiting new builds catering to Columbus tax credit/ low income housing. It's done a great job at deterring the riff-raff from coming in.
There are some homeless and drug users here; not unlike anywhere else. But the violent crime is extraordinarily low; we haven't had a murder in some 4-5 years. Which is unheard of for a city our size in much of the US.
CONS: This is Ohio! Five months out of a year you can't wear a t-shirt outside. Which really drags for anybody that enjoys warmer weather on the whole.
The humidity in Ohio has been ungodly for the last 5 years alone. It's not so bad in the spring or late fall, winter. However, June - September can have repetitive humidity rates of 80-95% by 1pm; it's a little ridiculous. The best months regardless only end up being April, May, and October.
As for things to do; there's always the downtown area; many times blocked off for live entertainment and activities. The city allows open containers on that stretch during the Summer. There's the fair in October, as well as a few bike paths, and Mt. Pleasant.
I suppose it keeps long terms residents happy. However, if you're looking for constant activities and excitement; Lancaster might not be the place for you. It can be quite dull for many younger people.
Greenville, SC
Not ideal for raising a family. -
3/19/2023My wife and I were prospecting Greenville, looking for work and a place to raise our son and grow our family. There's nothing inherently wrong with Greenville. The people are very kind and if you're looking for work; they've got it. However, there were a numbers of pros and cons about the city and outlying areas.
Pros -
1. Plenty of work.
2. Wonderful weather most of the year.
3. Resources/amenities are in abundance.
4. Clemson is a short drive and has a beautiful campus.
Cons -
1. Salaries here are roughly 10-15% less than in the Midwest. While prices (especially on groceries) are 10-20% more.
2. There is no land available; at least not 1-4 acres for home plots. The ones that do exist are either heavily forested OR they are cleared and very expensive. In many places the land will be worth almost the value of the house if you can get some.
3. The driving is poor at best. Everyone is in a hurry and everybody is up your rear - all day - every day.
4. The city sprawl and opportunities have already brought in a lot of riff-raff from Atlanta and Columbia. There are numerous groups of young men that roam around all areas of the city (mainly the business districts and Haywood) looking for amusement. Most of them are not from Clemson. They cause a lot of problems with disturbances and assaults.
5. The worst aspect I must say, is the number of people living in the 25 mile radius of Greenville is insane. Roads are packed and trying to maneuver around town always seems to be a struggle.
Overall, the city and suburbs (like much of the east coast) are packed in like sardines. You can't drive down the state routes to Easly, Lyman, or Traveler's Rest without a car line up your rear and traffic ahead of you.
It's a nice place to stay for a few days and they quite a few unique and excellent restaurants. However, if you're looking to raise children here. Understand that they will be playing on a 0.1 acre lot in a densely packed city sprawl.