Sorry, found Ohio not so appealing... (Columbus, Cleveland: houses, bankruptcy, university)

[paintballer1708]

Very well said, donato. I wish more people could see it that way.

[hairmetal4ever]

Originally Posted by ColdCanadian

In southern Ontario and perhaps most or all of English Canada we say "Pop" too. You'll even see it listed as 'pop' in restaurant menus sometimes if it's not called "soft drinks". I have almost never heard of anyone call it a "soda" besides in music, tv etc.

They call it soda in New England and the Philadelphia area. EVERYONE says soda.

[Groovymommy]

I WOuld reconsider the Arizona idea. We are trying to get OUT of AZ ( Tucson) as fast as we can. Many reasons here a few:


1.) Tucson was rated the #1 rated crime ridden city in the NATION, following close behind is PHOENIX!!! Home invasions are becoming an everyday item on the news here. If you are unfamilar with home invasions it is were several armed gunman enter your home with an intent to harm/ kill you while cleaning out your home of anything they can sell/ barter for DRUGS!!!!!!!!!!!
DRUGS FROM THE BORDER ( APPROX 80% of the drugs are from south of the border) Major drug issues, gangs & CAR THEFT

2.) HOUSING- housing prices have increased 70% in the past decade, but minimum wage is still $5.15 an hour. Insane .....now that the investors from CA are done reeking havoc on our market , we cant afford a house ( average price for a 3-4 bedroom is between 300-400K, in a cookie cutter development) Really for the "nicer areas" ( which is all relative) is 400-500k

3.) SCHOOLS- AZ was just awarded the 50th place out of the 50 states for their education system ..sadly poor education here is an UNDERSTATEMENT!!

4.) ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION- 300,000 illegal immigrants living in AZ alone and 450,000 apprehended yearly. 1/3 of our tax dollars are spent on immigration issues and donT even get me started on the impact of immigration on crime and the economy. Dont get me wrong we WELCOME ANYWAY REGARDLESS OF THEIR NATIONALITY HERE if there are here LEGALLY.


Regardless of what our horrible GOVENOR thinks Arizona is becoming an armpit!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.edweek.org/rc/states/arizona.html

5.)FRIENDLINESS- people here as a whole just seem much different and not as a friendly , we have lived in our home 7 years and dont know any of our neighbors..LITERALLY. We try to wave when we do see them and strike up conversations but as a whole people are too busy to care. I am NOT saying there are NOT nice friendly people in AZ as we have alot of great friends here, ironically most transplants from other parts of the country though!!


I CAN THINK OF MUCH SAFER, MORE ECONOMICAL STATES IN THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY THAN HERE

[OneWayOut]

Originally Posted by donato

Just alittle note from some one who was raised in C Town, then lived in PA and now in the Mrytle Beach aera. People are people. Towns are towns they all have the + and - and things are what you make them. I have been happy and met good people every were I lived .my heart is still with Cleveland becuse thats were I was raised and will always consider home. But hey get over yourself maybe its not the towns you are living in or the people maybe its you.

Hope you find Paradice. From what I understand there is only one way to find that and I for one am not ready for that trip.

I can understand what you are saying to a point. It is what you make it, but you have to have certain things that are unique to each person to be able to enjoy it, which to me is the most important thing there is. I try to make due with what I have here, and do a pretty good job of it. But its just not for me here. I could "make it" here, but I would rather "make it" somewhere else where there are more possibilities available to me. Where ever I end up, I still call MD home, and always will.

BTW, I just got back this morning from Atlanta. What a great looking city. Plenty to do, nice downtown. I took a tour of Turner field, and generally explored much of the city. The Grand Hyatt on Peachtree in Buckhead is an awesome place to stay if anyone ever goes. I found plenty to do, lots of diversity, and it was great the way the whole city appeared as if it was growing out of the woods. The only thing missing was some mountains. Oh, and they drink soda there and use sweepers.

Originally Posted by Groovymommy

1.) Tucson was rated the #1 rated crime ridden city in the NATION, following close behind is PHOENIX!!! Home invasions are becoming an everyday item on the news here. If you are unfamilar with home invasions it is were several armed gunman enter your home with an intent to harm/ kill you while cleaning out your home of anything they can sell/ barter for DRUGS!!!!!!!!!!!
DRUGS FROM THE BORDER ( APPROX 80% of the drugs are from south of the border) Major drug issues, gangs & CAR THEFT


3.) SCHOOLS- AZ was just awarded the 50th place out of the 50 states for their education system ..sadly poor education here is an UNDERSTATEMENT!!

4.) ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION- 300,000 illegal immigrants living in AZ alone and 450,000 apprehended yearly. 1/3 of our tax dollars are spent on immigration issues and donT even get me started on the impact of immigration on crime and the economy. Dont get me wrong we WELCOME ANYWAY REGARDLESS OF THEIR NATIONALITY HERE if there are here LEGALLY.

I can see where your coming from here. I was just in Atlanta, and let me tell you the crime there appears on the higher side too. The first 10 minutes of the local news there was all about murders, kidnapping, and other crimes, every time I watched. However, Atlanta is a very nice place, as is Phoenix, and I feel as if I could find a home in either city; but will not move to either without extensive additional reasearch on both, and any other city I may choose to look into. Every major city and state has it's problems, all over the US. Phoenix is not alone. The crime rate there is not high everywhere just as in any city. I have a friend in Chandler and they say its a nice, quiet, and friendly neighboorhood. They know most of their neighbors.

The Immigration thing is not to be blamed on AZ. Arizona, Cali, and Texas especially all have huge immigration problems. Must be something to do with their close location to the Mexican border, and the lack of interest from the White House and some of the state governments to do anything about it.

The schools are not a problem to me personally at this time, but it does sadden me to know that they are in such bad shape.

[Groovymommy]

I agree Chandler is a pretty nice place but still part of the crime stats....right?
It is sad about the schools, and even though are kids dont attend public schools it is important wherever we are to live in a good school district simply because of resell. That is what MOST families care about these days. So that is one perspective to think about. Atlanta is a very cool city. We just got back from South Carolina and enjoyed that area very much!! I hope you find the right fit for you and the good news is there are LOTS of really cool places out there

[A German]

Originally Posted by happycow

[...] as long as you're dissing our speech, don't forget [...] "please?" when we misunderstand someone.

Haha, this seems to have a german origin!

edit

Originally Posted by snakecotc

Here are some examples of my family, in Ohio of course.

[...]
**** = Dirt (as in bird dirt, dog dirt, etc.)
[...]

^^ Some (older, polite) people in Germany say this, too.

[donato]

If its not for you is fine but state that way.

You went on to downgrade whole the city of Toledo, From they way they talk to were they shop Like MD has no problems.

Just to let you know I been to Balitmore Plenty of times I could even live there have a few good friends there. But did you know that they lead the USA in S.T.D.'s That doesnt mean I am going to condem the whole town.



Your right not every town is for every one And there are places I could not live but do not blame the locals if you or I cant fit in.

[Cosmic]

OneWayOut you must stop this endless search for Paradise.

There is one sure way to make you love Toledo.

Move to Boston, buy a cheap condo in a 3-decker in Mattapan, pocket change of maybe 500K. Experience the good life. Learn to ask about somebody's sweeper by caliber. You won't be sure what you are drinking no matter what they call it. To get popped is not a good thing.

Learn the thrills of shopping in the most sly places since Oliver Twist picked pockets. Get culture that will stick to your ribs.

After five years or so, you will come to realize, your heart may be in MD, but your A_rse is Boston. By that time, you may have been separated from other body parts also.

Then move back to Toledo. I bet you will love it. It is all relative, folks that work in sewers think they are in Paradise after a hard day at the office, even if they live in a hut. Toledo is not on the bottom rung of the ladder.

Your's is that age old Human problem of struggling to be FREE. The chains are in your mind. A good Yankee adventure will show they can also be put around your legs.

[OneWayOut]

Originally Posted by Cosmic

OneWayOut you must stop this endless search for Paradise.

There is one sure way to make you love Toledo.

Move to Boston, buy a cheap condo in a 3-decker in Mattapan, pocket change of maybe 500K. Experience the good life. Learn to ask about somebody's sweeper by caliber. You won't be sure what you are drinking no matter what they call it. To get popped is not a good thing.

Learn the thrills of shopping in the most sly places since Oliver Twist picked pockets. Get culture that will stick to your ribs.

After five years or so, you will come to realize, your heart may be in MD, but your A_rse is Boston. By that time, you may have been separated from other body parts also.

Then move back to Toledo. I bet you will love it. It is all relative, folks that work in sewers think they are in Paradise after a hard day at the office, even if they live in a hut. Toledo is not on the bottom rung of the ladder.

Your's is that age old Human problem of struggling to be FREE. The chains are in your mind. A good Yankee adventure will show they can also be put around your legs.

Heh, I'm not searching for Paradise. I am searching for place that I can simply enjoy life everyday. That is not much to ask for. I just can't do it here. It doesn't "click." It is not like I mope around all the time because I dislike Toledo. I make the best of it, but its just not for me. I need something better. There is nothing wrong with personal preference. I am not going to just stay here, and grin and bear it just because I am supposed to like it. I would never move to a place like Boston, and live that sort of life because that is not me either. I have the option to move somewhere now, and with so much out there, I would be stupid to stay in a place like this. To me it's not "all relative". It is not "what I make it". It is what it is, and I am who I am, and "what it is" is not "what I am" if that makes sense to you.

[tairausmc]

I have been reading all the posts and I wanted to say how homesick I am! I am currently living in San Diego and I missing Ohio so much. Why? some people would ask. One reason would be the friendly people, honestly. I am from Lisbon and it is a small town where we all say sweeper and pop...haha. People out here for the most part aren't very friendly, but that is the norm with bigger cities I have realized. Back home we weren't in so much of a hurry and in big cities that is par for the course.
I'm sorry people weren't that friendly to you. And I got to thinking....I DO say Yep alot when people say Thank you. That made me smile. But I wouldn't worry about some knucklehead whose pants are falling down or at the very least that someone like that won't take the time to be nice to you. I suggest you move (if not to a better neighborhood) then to another town in Ohio. I don't remember your work but you said it has you inside and outside. I DO bet that is cold in the winter, but, better excuse to come in and drink coffee and BS....hehe.
Well, wish you luck on your endevours. (Hope I spelled that right). I wish I was back in Ohio. I have been in places (military) where the seasons don't quite change like they do back home, just the faces of people that come and go. I'll tell ya, you sure don't miss what you don't like! -Take it easy.