Reviews & Comments
Greenfield, OH
Slow Lifestyle With Outdoor Recreation -
5/22/2022I was not born and raised in Ohio. I have lived in Greenfield for about fifteen years now. This is my honest opinion.
Things to do: The spring, summer, and fall months offer a lot of outdoor activities. I live within minutes of three different lakes. Each lake has a campground and hiking trails. Of course there is fishing and boating. Extending travel to an hour, there are at least two more lakes with the same amenities. Some are very nice such as Deer Creek.
Outside of lakes, there are still more hiking trails, creeks, woods, nature preserves, ancient burial grounds, and more.
The hunting is very good- both mushrooms and animals.
There are Amish stores of many kinds and although I prefer my own baking, many people like their pies, donuts, and cookies. They also offer handmade goods, antiques, and other supplies. They are also very nice and I enjoy visiting the greenhouses during the spring and summer. Outside of camping and water activities, the Amish bring in a lot of tourism.
I live in a rural area and it is fairly quiet out here. I can see how someone who prefers a faster life style may not appreciate the slower rural life style. It is not for everyone.
Winter months can be slow and monotonous. It snows here but not enough to have fun in. No skiing, no snowmobiling, and often just barely enough to toboggan in. Winter is when I take a vacation to a warmer climate. Usually January or February. If you don't have a winter plan, expect to be BORED out of your mind. The snow is often followed by rain and then freezing temperatures making walking or even driving hazardous during January and February. Ice can form to an inch thick. July can be uncomfortably humid. It rains A LOT from March through May. Never a drought here but flippin awesome kayaking!
The schools are substandard. Usually hired are locals or someone who knows someone. Aptitude plays second to “who you know.” Yes, there is a thick, greasy layer of nepotism here. It continues in the workplace and even many churches. However, the area is steeped in tradition and families have lived here for generations and there isn't a high turnover of outsiders so you get what you get. If you can overlook that and find your own niche, or at most work your way in, then it really isn't too influential and will mostly go unnoticed.
There are two types of people here. The haves and the have nots. Unfortunately, many of the brighter students leave after graduation, and the unmotivated tend to stay (irony?) Downtown is run down and there is a large rural poor population. Drugs are a problem as they are almost anywhere.
Despite Greenfield’s drawbacks, it is a good place to retire or raise a family if you can supplement the school system at home. You will not run out of outdoor activities outside of the winter months. It is relatively safe, quiet, and the cost of living is low. You will probably commute using back country roads at least 30-45 minutes to a decent paying job. Columbus is an hour away, Cincinnati is a little over an hour, Dayton is about an hour. So, getting to a city isnt difficult just time consuming due to lack of interstate from rural areas. If outdoor activities, a quiet lifestyle, self sufficiency, and a slower paced lifestyle are what you are looking for, you might consider Greenfield.