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My husband has just accepted a job outside of Columbus, near Marysville. We plan to move there this summer from Arizona, where we have both lived our most of our lives.
We always have PLENTY of advice for new Arizona residents to help them survive, since most of them are coming here from vastly different place of the country - now WE are going to the the "fish out of water"! We are looking forward to the move, and have been wanting to get out the over-crowed Phoenix area for a while, but we are nervous because we both really love Arizona, and think we're going to miss it a lot - especially in the winter!! And maybe even in the summer... I've heard its REALLY humid in Ohio in the summer, and that there's LOTS of bugs.... gotta say, I'm not looking forward to that!
I have been reading the message boards here and have gotten mixed messages about Ohio from many people. I guess we won't really know how WE like it until we live there... but all the same, I'd love it if you could answer any of the following questions:
What do you like about living in Ohio?
What do you dislike about living in Ohio?
What do you think of the Columbus area?
What advice do you have for someone who has spent their entire life in a dry desert who is coming to Ohio?
I liked the friendliness of the residents, and the relative safety of most areas despite not being very expensive. Traffic generally isn't too bad, considering the size of the metro Columbus area.
I disliked the constant hassle with school boards pleading for property tax increases, and the splintering of local Govt inhibiting regional cooperation and coordinated growth.
Very nice area, very pretty residential areas and shopping plazas. Relatively safe, not very violent for crime, even in areas not wealthy.
It has four seasons, and you need to get used to frequent rains. If you learn to like the rain, and how it helps make the area cleaner, then perhaps you won't mind the change. Same with snow, Marysville and vicinity really don't get that much in a normal year, and if you can enjoy how it makes the environment look, then it isn't so bad.
Like most things in life, your attitude will determine how much you like the area.
My husband has just accepted a job outside of Columbus, near Marysville. We plan to move there this summer from Arizona, where we have both lived our most of our lives.
We always have PLENTY of advice for new Arizona residents to help them survive, since most of them are coming here from vastly different place of the country - now WE are going to the the "fish out of water"! We are looking forward to the move, and have been wanting to get out the over-crowed Phoenix area for a while, but we are nervous because we both really love Arizona, and think we're going to miss it a lot - especially in the winter!! And maybe even in the summer...
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I've heard its REALLY humid in Ohio in the summer,
It's not particularly humid in Ohio. Most days it goes up to about 85, and there are few days higher than 90. It's still a lot more comfortable than Phoenix's 107 degree searing hot winds.
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and that there's LOTS of bugs.... gotta say, I'm not looking forward to that!
Where did you hear this from? There's a lot more insects in Phoenix than there are in Ohio. Go over to the Phoenix forums and read all the threads about poisonous spiders and scorpions and termites coming inside people's houses. I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen a bug inside my house in the past year. Insects in Ohio is a non-issue. They're not even around 9 months of the year, and there's not that many of them in the summer compared to warmer parts of the country. There's no lizards, no snakes, no poisonous spiders, no scorpions, and other creepy **** that people have to deal with elsewhere in the country.
NewToCA:
Thank you so much for the reply, it was helpful!
We'd heard that the property taxes are higher and more of a hassle out East, so your comment shed some light on that. And it's nice to hear that the traffic isn't too bad - in Phoenix, it takes me 45 minutes to drive 7 miles to work each morning!
I'm pleased to hear about the weather - in Arizona rain is a precious commodity, so we value rain VERY VERY much around here. We tend to feel about sunny days the same way most other folks feel about rainy days, "oh great, not ANOTHER ONE"! It would take me paragraphs to explain why we love rain so much, so I'll just leave it at that. I think my family will enjoy the novelty of the snow, as well!
Paddington:
Thank you for your reply as well! You have NO IDEA how relieved I am to hear that the bugs are not the "size of squirrels" as one person has told me! I have seen two scorpions in the 19 years I have lived in AZ, and each time it was traumatic, but if i can live through that, then i guess i can face Ohio's harmless critters! Oh, which reminds me: Can anyone tell me, does Ohio have fireflies in the summer??? I used to catch them as a kid when I lived in Virginia, I hope they're in Ohio, too!
And as much as i curse the heat here six months out of the year, and as horrible as it is that three of those months it never drops below 100 degrees (usually around 115), i still would rather live in DRY heat than oppressive humidity, so I am thrilled to hear that it's not "particularly humid" around Columbus!
Thanks for the advice guys, my worries have been squelched - I look forward to coming to Ohio!
Yes we have fireflies (i've always called them lightning bugs). Another thing you will probably notice is how green everything is. I had a friend (from here) that lives in AZ and her husband had never been back east. You should have seen his face looking around at all the green trees and grass. He couldn't believe his eyes, he thought ohio was totally beautiful! We all thought it was funny. Another good thing about ohio is that you almost never, ever have to water your grass! Good luck on the move! Welcome to OHIO!
I have lived in Ohio all of my life, 50+ years! Currently in the Columbus area. My advice? The best part about Ohio is the Green Scenery! You'll enjoy this unless you favor "desert brown"! Bugs? Not a big deal..mosquitos at dusk in the summer, and those fireflies-you will see them after you arrive mid-late summer! Humidity is a fact, but central Ohio is average midwest-some "muggy" days in July-Aug. (thank goodness for air conditioning) Rain? Oh yeah, better enjoy that-plus gray days, "mostly cloudy", "partly cloudy" are standard weather terms, but when we get good weather, it is heaven, and Everyone is outdoors! Speaking of gray...become a Buckeye Fan of the Scarlet & Gray OSU! You'll make many fan/friends. This town is all about the team. Shopping?-some of the best I've known! Easton is awesome! You're being in Marysville is out a little ways, but easy to get to town. My sis lives there- and prefers it to "living in the city"-quieter, open spaces, good schools, too!(need a Moderator cut: Realtor solicitation ?) Good luck with your move!
Bad drivers (no seriously compare them to Miami...)
Good people
Mediocre/illegally funded schools(education funding has been ruled unconstitutional 3 times and they aren't doing anything about it) (think about private schools)
LOTS to do, good museums, great restaurants and bars, lots of stuff for kids, culture, entertainment, and amazing shopping
Crime is what any middle-sized mid-west city would experience, not too bad, but take your precautions and try to avoid the east side...
Something to consider is that was get the occasional tornado and lots of severe thunderstorms. Might look into storm and tornado protection if buying a house.
EVERYTHING IS BUCKEYE (Ohio State) I'm a graduate myself but I came from idaho so I got drug into the culture and it's a lot of fun!!! If you can't take the amount of enthusiasm for the college football scene, might want to reconsider The place shuts down every football saturday and is sealed like a drum on M*ch*g*n weekend except for campus which is filled with hundreds of thousands of tail-gaters and fans. Stadium seats 105,000 people, and guaranteed there's another 105,000 tail-gaiting nearby.
To be short, we're a mid-west city that thinks it's the center of the universe
Yes we have fireflies (i've always called them lightning bugs). Another thing you will probably notice is how green everything is. I had a friend (from here) that lives in AZ and her husband had never been back east. You should have seen his face looking around at all the green trees and grass. He couldn't believe his eyes, he thought ohio was totally beautiful! We all thought it was funny. Another good thing about ohio is that you almost never, ever have to water your grass! Good luck on the move! Welcome to OHIO!
haha! That sounds just like me, when we visited I couldn't get over how green everything was! I mean, we have greenery here, but NONE of it is natural, and you have to fight nature to KEEP it green - like the lawn! I am SO EXCITED to not have to water my lawn! haha! Thanks!
I have lived in Ohio all of my life, 50+ years! Currently in the Columbus area. My advice? The best part about Ohio is the Green Scenery! You'll enjoy this unless you favor "desert brown"! Bugs? Not a big deal..mosquitos at dusk in the summer, and those fireflies-you will see them after you arrive mid-late summer! Humidity is a fact, but central Ohio is average midwest-some "muggy" days in July-Aug. (thank goodness for air conditioning) Rain? Oh yeah, better enjoy that-plus gray days, "mostly cloudy", "partly cloudy" are standard weather terms, but when we get good weather, it is heaven, and Everyone is outdoors! Speaking of gray...become a Buckeye Fan of the Scarlet & Gray OSU! You'll make many fan/friends. This town is all about the team. Shopping?-some of the best I've known! Easton is awesome! You're being in Marysville is out a little ways, but easy to get to town. My sis lives there- and prefers it to "living in the city"-quieter, open spaces, good schools, too!(need a Moderator cut: Realtor solicitation ?) Good luck with your move!
Thanks so much for your reply!
I most definately prefer greenery to "desert brown", and I am really looking forward to Ohio's greenery! Here in AZ we are always fighting to keep stuff green, green doesn't just happen naturally for us.
Yes, the biggest reason that my husband and I wanted to take this job is so that we can be in Marysville - close enough to the city to get it's benefits, but still in the "country" - it's hard to get that balance in Phoenix.
Thanks for the advice!
Bad drivers (no seriously compare them to Miami...)
Good people
Mediocre/illegally funded schools(education funding has been ruled unconstitutional 3 times and they aren't doing anything about it) (think about private schools)
LOTS to do, good museums, great restaurants and bars, lots of stuff for kids, culture, entertainment, and amazing shopping
Crime is what any middle-sized mid-west city would experience, not too bad, but take your precautions and try to avoid the east side...
Something to consider is that was get the occasional tornado and lots of severe thunderstorms. Might look into storm and tornado protection if buying a house.
EVERYTHING IS BUCKEYE (Ohio State) I'm a graduate myself but I came from idaho so I got drug into the culture and it's a lot of fun!!! If you can't take the amount of enthusiasm for the college football scene, might want to reconsider The place shuts down every football saturday and is sealed like a drum on M*ch*g*n weekend except for campus which is filled with hundreds of thousands of tail-gaters and fans. Stadium seats 105,000 people, and guaranteed there's another 105,000 tail-gaiting nearby.
To be short, we're a mid-west city that thinks it's the center of the universe
I have heard about Ohio's school system, and it scares me! AZ is usually in the bottom 5 of the states for public education, but at least we KNOW what we're getting. Thanks for the advice! Our kids aren't school-aged yet, so we still have time to figure out what we want to do.
And TORNADOS - wow, I didn't realize they happened so far North?? We have HUGE storms here in AZ, so we're used to that (seriously, people who move here from out of state are always shocked at the severity of our monsoons), but tornados scare the crap out of us! I guess we want to make sure we buy a house with a basement!
And as for OSU.... My husband and I both have our bachelors and masters' degree from Arizona State University, and I have worked in administration at ASU for the last few years.... so we'll have to see how we feel about all the OSU madness! We might become converts... or, we might have to stay underground with our love for ASU Thanks for the advice, now I'll know not to venture into Columbus on game days!
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My Central Ohio Observations
I think my family will enjoy the novelty of the snow, as well!
I have seen two scorpions in the 19 years I have lived in AZ, and each time it was traumatic, but if i can live through that, then i guess i can face Ohio's harmless critters! Oh, which reminds me: Can anyone tell me, does Ohio have fireflies in the summer??? I used to catch them as a kid when I lived in Virginia, I hope they're in Ohio, too!
