Ok I think its clear since the 70s that no part of the country has fallen as far as the rust belt espically ohio in the 50s 60s Cleveland was a spot for names like Vanderbilt Carnegie and Rockefeller who all owned property in the very gated millionares row Cleveland was up there with the la sf as far as wealth but what also killed this st was look who Cleveland elected as mayor in the 70s and almost defaulted. Cleveland I don’t think has been the same since .Dallas and Houston were at a crossroads in the second half of the 80s but they pulled out of it to be kings of success .Face it Cleveland Cincy and Toledo failed .Dallas Houston and co are built to last . Ohio is 7th in population growth because of a high birthrate which is akin to child poverty which is among the worse in the country . Minorities in cities like Seattle ,Portland , Dallas and Houston ,are more likely to have higher education and earnings by far largely because the segeration in those cities is nowhere near as rigid as Cleveland , Cincy and co unfortuneately Ohio will never be a progressive st until hell freezes over . The potential is there but our leaders stay out of Washington and end up in prison that’s why this st is what is it and like it said before Ohio bar none has population growth that’s among the slowest in the country and by next yr we will be joining Michigan as the only states in the us that are losing population all of the big 8 have lost no fewer than 30 pct of its population since 1970 and the high taxes in this st is making it very hard to maintain schools and services making those cities even less desireable to live in .Ive been to the big states 10 of them all 10 and Georgia im not too impressed with .Atlanta is a beautiful city but people aren’t as friendly as the people in ohio who come from other states .But its true Georgia is much more economically healthy than Ohio and if Ohio did some of the things that the newer cities did it would have a recipe for a comeback like Dallas and Houston in the 80s .The attitudes of racism is a problem mostly because this is an old st with old people this is one of the oldest median age states in the country and the amount of young people leaving is among the highest in the country and this st will only get older .My friend whos Asian girlfriend got called a n##### G### now is married to hereand lives in Wash St . Its true the West coast and Minneapoilis and Denver are much better for interracial couples than Ohio .And Lebron leaving he left because of what happened to his mother as I mentioned in my earlier post and Delonte West was not suspended and Amare Stodamire didn’t want to come to Cleveland in 2010 him and Joakim Noah are friends and Joakim Noah asked quote “who wants to come to Cleveland ?
Correction Ohio is 7th in state population but last in net gain which usaually is a barometer for a states job growth and success . We have two of Americas poorest big cities and a few others who are near the top in their population brackets like Youngstown ,Canton ,Toledo and Dayton.
While you’re right about the rust belt states falling the hardest. Ohio, since 2011, has recovered every job lost since the recession. And has actually added more. These are facts. 2011-2012 saw Ohio gain more jobs than every state, with the exception of the Big 3 (NY, California, and Texas). That’s pretty impressive considering Florida, Pennsylvania, and Illinois also have more people. Look around Ohio. Go to UrbanOhio.com and look at all the projects going on in Ohio’s cities. Literally thousands of projects. 6 Billion worth in Cleveland alone. Don’t get me wrong, Ohio was hit hard. And when you get punched in the mouth, you get back up with a new strategy. And Ohio has done that. The only question in Ohio’s future is: Will Northeast Ohio keep losing population? If so, Ohio will eventually be passed by Georgia in Population.
Growing up in Wooster 50 miles south of Cleveland Wooster is a college town but im my mind its more like a conservative exurb or has the culture of one many of the Cleveland refugees from the suburbs and west side live here that’s why im saying that . But I have to wonder that 7 of 8 cities have lost population because of the collapse of industry and what job seekers possess is different from what job interviewers are asking for in the 21st century the lack of education is a problem in Cleveland and Cincy they are near the bottom in residents with a college degree. Many colleges in Ohio but many students leave st which im in the process of doing my parents are from the sunbelt to be exact and are moving back to the west coast because of retirement . Ohio st is diverse but many students based on experience are once again leaving st post college because its true in ohio most rural communities are 90 pct white and OSU has a predominately in state draw .While most places in the coasts are on avg 40 pct white and 10 pct black Latino Asian and other. .Ohio’s immigration rate is very low we are 86 pct white and 9 pct black and 2 pct Asian and 2 pct Latino .What troubles me is most cities like Dallas Denver Houston and even Indy and Oklahoma City and the big Cali cities have a lot of immigrants making positive and innovative contributions to their communities . Immigration can help cities as I just explained . Clevleand hasn’t had an immigration boom since the 40s irish Italian and polish mostly .In Wooster the most popluar attire is “Welcome to America now speak English “.shirts I see a lot of them also in Strongsville and Brunswick too. The new cities in the south and west have a more tolerant vibe and a more affluent minority community lots of successful people in Atlanta as you may know and as I found out than not just the ohio cities but the rust belt in general This is so because the schools in most of ohios urban core are just shit . I went to a hs in Wooster that was among the top 10 tech buildings in the us but we need to do that in the ‘Clevelands and Cincys of the world and the Ohio gop should emphasize more business and schools in minority communities rather than welfare and child poverty ,Ohio is one of the worse states for child poverty and that’comes because this st is near the top in children born without fathers .Potental Ohio has potential but must take a stick of dynamite and blow up the rust belt poor illeducated bible thumping image and take a plunge in the tech age and utilize its strengths beaches Ohio river Lake Erie . Cleveland could be like Boston or Philly and Cincy with its Ohio river could be like New Orleans and Nashville .Columbus is very similar to Austin or Seattle and should give light rail a chance I would turn Cincy and Cleveland into tourisim markets clean up and demolish the factories that are abandoned and give the buckeye st a makeover . Texas in the 80s im not going to defend George W Bush but he was a better governor in Texas than president he did what Ohio failed to do Texas was saved in the 90s and look at it now .Its giving my fav st in the world Cali a run for its money .The changes that I will see should and would make this st a lot more attractive to the educated and if we lower taxes on business we could bring some manufacturing to Toledo and Youngstown and yes Youngstown can be saved as bad and decrepit it is .These changes would make Ohio a place where people from all over the usa would relocate to and it would be a model for the rust belt to follow . We need to invest as well into modern transportation like the bullet train once we take off economically if we do so .We have a surplus but we need to use it carefully to make the state a better place to live and to not just rebound but to be a big player in the country like it was in the glory days . As of now Columbus is the largest city in state by far with over 800 000 people ..Most of Columbus gain though unlike most fast growing cities are those from other parts of the state .Columbus doesent have very much out of state arrivals other than ky wv and pa .An investment in light rail would not just change that but it would mean conventions and maybe new sports teams and a flirtation with status as a global city,
Look, here is the problem with Ohio in general. 1) Terrible economy and unusually high state and corporate taxes, 2) Terrible weather 3) An uneducated workforce and 4) a prejudice, OLD SOUTH mentality which includes racism against all ethnicity and “the good ole boy” system of employment. Let’s dissect each concept one by one, shall we?
The taxes in this state are terrible and they tend to scare away potential employers looking to relocate or maintain their business in Ohio. This is bad, especially now, when the economy is really pivoting right now. The state taxes it’s residents higher than even California does and Cali DEFINITELY has a more diverse economy than Ohio does. Ask yourself why Fortune 500 companies are relocating to Texas? Why are people relocating to Texas? Well, here is your answer: JOBS and NO TAXES. Texas also has a stable, diverse economy that is based around the oil industry. I don’t see our dependence upon oil fading anytime soon. Ohio and most of the Rust Belt has lost 98% of it’s manufacturing base and those jobs HAVEN’T and will NOT come back. It’s simply cheaper to “make stuff” oversees in the emerging markets like China and India. Ohio’s economy largely consists of private sector employment in the healthcare and service industries. Outside of that, the other jobs are only in skilled trades and public sector employment (state jobs). The IT jobs go to foreigners from India. Northeast is largely a warzone as it continues to lose solid employers and residents relocate to other areas. Where are these people going? They’re either moving to Columbus, Ohio or they are leaving the state entirely. Now, in this second part, let’s focus our attention on the so called Ohioan utopia that is Columbus, Ohio. This place is FAR from that. As I mentioned, this city is comprised of Ohio transplants from Northeast Ohio and a MASSIVE amount of foreigners. The population in this city has FAR exceeded 800,000. I would estimate 1.2 million by now in the entire area. The place has become overpopulated and the traffic is as bad if not worse than Atlanta metro traffic. The drivers are terrible and yes, you could say that about any other city but why are they so bad here? It’s the foreigners and the transplants from the east coast that make driving around this place hazardous at all times of the day. There are only TWO major employers in Columbus, Ohio: The Ohio State University and The State Government (the state of Ohio). Outside of that, once again, you are stuck with healthcare, IT and skilled trades. If you are outside of those areas, you are going to struggle badly. For a city of this caliber, it is outrageously expensive to live here. Rent prices are through the roof and you are generally better off buying a home. However, unless you are working in one of the aforementioned employment areas, then it would be suicide to buy a home in this area and regionally tie your hands and feet. I’ve already mentioned the other issues like the terrible food etc. Yes, the food really is terrible. I’ve been to Chicago and other major cities where the food is just phenomenal. The food in Northeast Ohio is TEN TIMES better than the food here in Columbus.
Secondly, terrible weather. What more can I say about the weather here? It is the END OF MAY and it is STILL cold. Weather actually does have a long term effect on a state’s city’s economy. Businesses do not want to move to an area where it is snowing and is cold all the time. Why? Not because they couldn’t make it or do business there but largely because they would have a difficult time attracting employees. If I built a Fortunate 500 company, would I do better in Cleveland or Miami. Or how about Ohio or Texas? This of course neglects the tax advantages of both but the argument holds true. It’s always raining, snowing, or it is hot or bitterly cold. Once again, yes, this stuff happens in OTHER states but the emphasis that I am trying to drive home are the “EXTREMES”. Yes, other states have better weather but Ohio’s weather is “EXTREME”. Cold weather for 5-6 months out of the year is EXTREME. Yes, other states have economic problems but Ohio’s economy is of the EXTREME…extremely bad. I once had a government social worker would worked on unemployment claims tell me that I was best leaving the state for employment opportunities because “Ohio is in a perpetual state of recession” and has been in recession prior to 2007-2008. There is poverty in Georgia but Ohio has EXTREME, profound levels poverty.
Uneducated workforce? Yes, that is right. MOST Ohio residents, these young kids who go to college, do so in hopes of fueling the phenomenon known as “brain-drain”. It’s where the residents attend in state colleges and achieve employment out of state and “smartly” so. The job scene is abysmal in Ohio and if you have the requisite education, why would you settle for the misery of living in a state like this. When you are educated, you want to live and work around educated people. You want to own a home with neighborhoods full of educated people who maintain their property. You don’t want your property values diminished by low income housing which has permeated into most suburbs in Ohio. You don’t want to deal with the insane crime rates that plague cities like Columbus, Ohio. After “brain-drain”, all that is left are largely uneducated, unskilled workers who are funneled off into the service sector. It’s sad, but, true. Could that explain why Columbus, Ohio has a LARGE service sector presence? You can find just about ANY store or restaurant here yet high wage, skilled jobs that require a college degree are scarce. Things that make you go..hmmm…
Lastly, the mentality here in Ohio is that of extreme prejudice and racism along with the “good ole boy” system akin to the “old south”. When I speak of “old south”, I mean Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama and southern Tennessee. You’re probably looking at that list and saying “Kentucky!!”? Yes…Kentucky. Kentucky, along with Ohio, is one of those states that belongs in the deep south. I’ve been there and it is EVERY BIT as racist as Alabama. Columbus, Ohio is polluted with 20th century hell-spawned racists from Kentucky, West Virginia and upstate New York. Not to mention the separatists who managed to break off from the cancer that is Cleveland, Ohio. There’s tons of discrimination in the workplace and hiring is based off of the good ole boy system. What is the “good ole boy system”? If you are married to a hiring manager’s daughter then you are instantly hired and promoted to an executive position the following week. If you are a certain race, *ahem* outside of being a minority *ahem* then you are automatically qualified and accepted for positions even if your skill set is not a fit. It’s called “being in the club”. If you get into a workplace and you don’t join the club or at least yield to it, then, you better update your resume. People are racist here against any minority: Asians, Blacks, Hispanics etc. Even MULATTOES (Like Obama) are considered minorities in Ohio. If you’re not thoroughbred, then, you are not deemed a position in the stable and they will give you subtle hints that you are not wanted “around these parts” as the old hicks say. I’ve heard everything from prejudice jokes to the slandering of President Obama. This place is just terrible.
I also want to say, to the stark “Ohio Patriot” who keeps beating his drum in support of Ohio, good for you! Rock on, if you will. I am glad that you enjoy living here but I can’t help but to ask this question: Why are you posting on a site that is mainly concerned with our disdain for this putrid state? How did you find this site in Google? You had to have typed in “Ohio Sucks” or something to that effect so are you truly being honest with us? Most importantly, are you being honest with YOURSELF? You sound like a lot of people who have overstayed their welcome in this state and have become “trapped” here. As a result of being trapped, you continue to feed yourself lies as a coping mechanism. You can have this garbage ass state and all it “doesn’t” have to offer. As soon as the right opportunity arises, I am on the next train out of here. Last one out, please turn out the lights.
In reply to “ohiosucks”, you say that Ohio is “extreme” with everything. When you’re just DEAD WRONG, FACTUALLY! Where are you getting your facts about Ohio’s economy? It FACTUALLY has the 7th strongest economy in the U.S. Just today there are 152,424 jobs available (ones that are posted), 80,000 of those jobs are between $40-$90,000 a year. 26,000 of those jobs are between $80-$6 figures. That’s 106,000 jobs available in Ohio on May 26, that pay over 40k a year. That leaves another 46,000 jobs available below 40k. Ohio has 11.6 million people, and at a unemployment rate of 5.7, still better than most states with half that population. The weather, extreme? No, Florida and Texas in the summer is extreme. Minnesota, New York, New England, Michigan (to name a few) are extreme in the winter. There’s only ONE state in the U.S., that didn’t get snow this year, and that’s Florida. Texas and Georgia both get regularly hammered in the Winter time. Let’s face it, aside from Florida, you ain’t going to the beach ANYWHERE between December and early March. Stop with the weather, everybody gets it. Now..to my point. If you want to compare CITY to CITY, fine…I agree…some Ohio cities just don’t compare to some of the bigger cities in the U.S. I get it, but you people are labeling AN ENTIRE STATE, thats based on whatever bad experiences you may be having in a small area. Even within the state, each area is BLATANTLY different from the others. There are 5 regions in Ohio that are all extremely different from each other. Travel the state, get out, explore, then make your assumptions. I have yet to have a challenger tell me what he can’t do in “boring” Ohio, that he can do anywhere else in the U.S.
And also the “trapped” comment. As I’ve previously stated…I am VERY WELL TRAVELED. I thoroughly enjoy most places I travel to, and I compare everything to my home State and Cities. Like I said, there are bigger cities than Ohio’s, there are Cleaner cities than Ohio’s, there are bigger mountains than Ohio’s, there are a lot of places that have something “better than Ohio’s something”….but what I’ve come to realize is that very few States can offer literally everything that Ohio can. 2 VERY HIGHLY Rated Amusement Parks, 310 miles of lakefront (more of sea, than a lake), 4 VERY HIGHLY RATED Zoos, Half a State of National Forest and small mountains, 3 Large Cities in the Top 40 Largest Cities, More Colleges and Universities per capita than anY other state, Skiing and Snowboarding parks, 28 Fortune 500 companies, and 100s of Fortune 1000 companies, A STRONG ECONOMY, Amish towns, farmland, swampland, Top Rated suburbs, Amazing Shopping, etc. There is so much to love about Ohio, that I know those of you complainers haven’t stepped outside to discover. The way I feel is….if you’re not happy, or Ohio isn’t home…Travel the country, get out and discover other places. When you blog harsh comments about a State, you’re also insulting 11.6 million other people with baseless, classless blasphemy. I’m not here to sell you on my state, I’m here to DEFEND my state with FACTS, and my traveling experience. Again, don’t blog about it, do something about it.
One last thing, about racism and acceptance. Look, I don’t agree with prejudice of any kind, and of course there are prejudiced people in Ohio. But…A lot of you compare OHIO (the entire state) prejudice to the prejudice in the Southern states, then in the same paragraph say how much better the Southern states are than Ohio. What’s it going to be? You can’t have your whiney cake and eat it too. There’s prejudice EVERYWHERE, because literally EVERYONE on the planet is prejudice in one way or another. That’s just the truth. I guess if Georgia and North Carolina are “cooler” than Ohio, then the prejudice down there can be tolerated, right?
There’s something that Ohio people do — and Jon over there is a prime example of it. They’re born-and-bred; gonna die there too Ohioans. And yet the fact that they’ve visited a place leads them to believe they really know enough about it having spent a whole week or so there, to really know and judge it. I’m from the East Coast, not Ohio, but had the displeasure of living there, in Columbus, for almost eight long years. You’ve been to NYC Jon? Yeah, right. You walked around Mid-Town a whole lot, maybe did a selfie in Times Square, or hung around Rock Center with all the noobs hoping to be on-camera with Al Roker. Maybe went to the FiDi to see the WTC. Whatever — you don’t know jack-doodly-squat about this place. You can’t argue whether or not a place sucks, because it is biased and subjective — it’s an opinion. “lisa” a couple of pages back moved to Cow-moo-bus from the East Coast and her opinion (notice that word I used) is very much the same as mine: it’s very middle-brow; little-to-no real culture; sterile and very, very provincial. The place likes to beat its chest as to how it’s such a big city (“we’re the 15th “largest”) but so often acts like a small ‘burg — don’t even get me started on how annoying it is when everyone gets so super-geeked about OSU. Trust me, the cities that Columbus would compare itself to, as being as big—or bigger (Baltimore, Boston, DC) have way, way way more going on then Cow-suck-ass. In terms of space, you get a lot of bang for your buck, but that’s about all you can say about the place. Again, this is just my opinion. But the thing that hasn’t seemingly gotten through your thick head, Jon, is that we are all entitled to our opinions and allowed to express them. It’s too bad it’s hurting your widdle-iddy-bitty fee-wings. The people on this thread are here to vent their dislike of Ohio. Throwing a lot of useless numbers at them isn’t going to change anyone’s mind.
OhioHtr, youve lived in Columbus for 8 years and you’re telling me there’s no diversity in the State of Ohio? Get the Fuck out of here. That alone shows your ignorance. Apparently from what I know about NYC, you know about the same about Ohio. Here we go again with CITIES vs. STATES. Are you too fucking dumb and lazy to read my previous posts? Why are you comparing Columbus to NYC? There are NO CITIES IN THE US THAT COMPARE TO NYC. It’s stupid. Why try an make that comparison? For the last time…Columbus is GROWING COLLEGE TOWN!!! It”ll never be an east coast city…because IT’S NOT ON THE EAST COAST!!!! And Baltimore, really? Cleveland>>>>>>> Baltimore all day and yesterday too. You’re apparently ignorant like most people on this forum, mainly because you can’t read and formulate a coherent response to my previous posts. WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU BLOGGING ABOUT A STATE, WHEN YOU COULD BE LEAVING THE STATE? And if your home city is so great, why are you over 500 miles away in the first place?
And if you don’t think Cleveland has any “real culture”, I know for a damn fact you’ve never been there. Keep lying though
Where to begin? Ohio just can’t seem to pull itself up! In fact, they only people that think Ohio is progressive are Ohioans: uninformed, unattractive, unhealthy, unworldly, this place is a train wreck! If I have to look at another dowagers hump on every woman past the age of 35 in this hell hole of a state, I will puke! So much thyroid disease, diabetes, all the men get prostate cancer! The vitamin D deficiency is epidemic and the results aren’t pretty. These people seem terrified of life in general, afraid of anything they don’t understand but willing to ignorantly comment and even argue about topics they have no experience with. The accent!!!!!!!! EEEWWW! “Apple” equals “AYHAAPUUULL” and so non progressive! I would say Ohio is a good 10 years behind in every aspect of life. Single and dating? Try finding anyone who is even relatively attractive, good luck. Halle Berry was from this hell hole? No wonder she lit out! Lazy, Lazy, Lazy, people! So lethargic and lifeless, just like robots. I feel about Ohio they way I feel about roaches and have to question the existence of both.
BTW I have lived in big cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, NYC, Miami, Minneapolis, Las Vegas as well as small towns such as Ellsworth Maine, Bolivar, Missouri and let me tell you that all these places had both good and bad in varying degrees. Cleveland has been the only exception. No redeeming qualities whatsoever! The people being the main problem. Consequently crappy architecture, no class, no passion for anything! Horrible weather! The people here rant and rave if it is a warm day, regardless of how overcast, gray and dreary it usually is. They live in denial by saying things like “It wouldn’t be any fun if it were pretty every day.” Can you imagine how sad and defeated these locals are? On a more comical note uneducated palettes are always good for a chuckle. They will eat food that is going bad and declare it delicious. I have yet to find a great restaurant in Cleveland. For the record, I am not crazy about Columbus either. The food sucks! I am here for obligations just a tad longer and then it’s Adios and then please Ohio put yourself out of your misery and get hit by a asteroid storm.
@JON what “traveling experience” do you have?? A couple of weeks in different cities and countries? Get a clue! You are the typical Ohioan I am speaking of. Try living in a different country or even REAL American city for a few years before feeling that you are adequately able to comment. Thanks for displaying the third grade mentality you all have! I am originally from Los Angeles and when visitors would say negative things about my home city, who cares? You are being overly sensitive because what more cosmopolitan and discerning people are saying about Ohio messes with your sense of delusion. This self imposed delusional state is a survival mechanism that allows you to stay in the most depressing state in America. Even Detroit has more to offer! Yes, I lived there as well.
AHHH! I forgot! I saw a movie a few weeks ago with John Candy and Robert Wagner. Robert Wagner appears in a scene and points at gun at John Candy. John Candy says “What are you doing here? I sent you to Cleveland.” Robert Wagner responds “For that alone I should kill you!” Some things are just common knowledge.
CathM, where shall I begin? Firstly, let me get straight to your bullshit. You’ve lived in Minnesota, NYC, Missouri, Michigan, and Maine. That’s 4 states Colder, and more northern than Ohio…..and yet you’re still complaining about weather and gray skies? You’re just like every other whiney ass on this forum…..FULL OF SHIT! And if you expect me to believe that you’re under 35 and have lived in all of those cities, then you better expect to me to believe that you have no real career. Which, in turn, leads me to believe that you’re low_to_moderate income like everyone else on this forum. Therefore, if you’re truly seeing these “ugly, ass backward” people that you claim to see EVERYDAY, I can only assume that YOU live in the same environment as these people and are their equals. But, if you’re truly above these Ohio people, then you should have the resources to bail, right? Face it, you’re ignorant! Only ignorant people make broad, generalized statements about the 7th most populous State based on their pathetic little life experiences in a small area.
My travels have taken me all ACROSS THE FUCKING WORLD! Think Paris, London, Rome, Scandinavia, Spain, etc. So, yes I can definitely comment and defend my state. Also, I find it FUCKING HILARIOUS that you just referred to yourself as “cosmopolitan”. Haha! GTFOH Lame-Ass! Wake the Fuck up from your little luxurious dream world and take a long look in the mirror. You’re a fucking nobody. A piss-on who is apparently stuck in a State, and takes to an online forum to whine about it. So Cath, with your definition of Ohio, I’d say you fit in well.
CathM, Cock Rcoaches? Asteroid? Your hate for a place with imaginary borders is comical. Comments like these are exactly what people expect from a highly educated, well traveled, cosmopolitan person like yourself, lol. This whole forum is GOLD. And I’m the one whose delusional?
And let me just get ONE MORE laugh in.
You claim you’re Cosmopolitan, well educated, beautiful, well traveled, the works. And yet, here you are, a nobody, a piss-on…..throwing around elementary insults on an internet message board. SURE you’re Cosmopolitan. OKAYYY!
Jon,
Baseless, classless blasphemy? I am actually a transplant from NE Ohio so my opinion about this garbage state is well qualified. CathM’s comments are pretty much dead on. Like I said before, you’re likely an individual who is stuck here and is trying hard to convince himself that this place is some utopia. Northern Ohio, from east to west from Cleveland to Toledo looks like one HUGE hollowed out nuclear bomb site. Cleveland is like a poor man’s Chicago (yes, I have been to Chicago). Youngstown is Detroit’s mini-me and Toledo is just a city that nobody even talk about anymore. All of my views that I have expressed here are opinions, yes, but LOTS of people share the same opinion I have. It is WELL DOCUMENTED that Ohio has THREE of America’s top 10 most miserable cities. Want to know what they are? Cleveland, Toledo and Youngstown and all three are garbage cities. COW-lumbus should be on that list also.
@OFS
So you think Ohio citizens are cockroaches? So you hope Ohio gets hit with an asteroid? That’s not classless? And what science is there behind some magazine’s opinion about miserable cities? They baselessly equate rustbelt to miserable. WRONG!
To your “Cleveland to Toledo” comment. Ummm, have you never been to the islands? Sandusky? Lake towns in between? Is absolutely beautiful country…And you damn well know it. The most visited place in Ohio (you know, Cedar Point) also sits in there.
And lastly, for the LAST TIME, I AM FAR FROM STUCK. As I’ve previously stated, I spend a lot of time in Atlanta, and have been offered numerous times to pack up and go. Why should I, though? Why should I uproot my family and leave more family? What does any place in the U.S. offer me…that I can’t get here at home? A “cool” factor? I’m proud of where I’m from…Im not going to leave my home just so I can tell people I live somewhere “hott”. Like I said, everywhere I go has something better than Ohio’s something. And that’s great, if I wanna stay near large, beautiful mountains, I’ll vacation in Colorado. If I want to go to a ocean, I’ll vacation in Florida. If I wanna see beautiful skylines, I’ll travel to Chicago. And so on. But move? no need. Mountains, outdoors, rough terrain…I already live in Southeast Ohio (Appalachia). Beaches, Water….I’ll go to Lake Erie. Skylines? We have 6 I can look at. Theme parks? No further explanation needed. But if y’all want to leave, or go home…..how is degrading an entire state on the internet going to help you achieve your move?
Heres 3 cities in Ca that would better any city in Ohio Oakland . Oakland has more diversity more ways to get around bart train and buses and light rail less segeration and more educated people than Cleveland but it has something that even rivals the flats which is Jack London square a riverfront of hotels shops and bars . Oakland is what Cleveland would be like if Cleveland was cool. Sacramento is clean green has a historic old town district and even less expensive than Columbus and is the most intergrated city in the usa. Cleveland and Cincy are two of the most segerated in the country .UC Davis and Sacramento st are top notch . San Jose high tech to the hilt and a booming economy better than Columbus or Cleveland Cincy but also once again people from around the world and not just Mexico Asia . The point old cities in not just ohio are dying but in states like Michigan west New York and in PA. If Ohio is an awesome place and has many big cities why are so many people moving and leaving those big cities mostly young people why is this st losing population ?Why is Cleveland and Cincy the most poorest big cities ?Why are we content to be just to pre recession economy ?Why is this st getting older faster than the national avg ? Why did Youngstown Ohio lose almost half its population in 30 yrs and why is Northeast Ohio and Northwest Ohio still clinging on to her rust belt blue collar image like a old 60s passé fashion trend ? Its about how we treat success in Ohio if you are successful you are hated .In the more prosperous states its expected . This is why business don’t come here taxes are too high and the population is dwindling its true most people who are stuck here don’t want to be here and cant afford to move or don’t want to leave family .If the us government gave anybody a choice to move and if the gov paid for the move most people who can would take the opportunity .And this brings true to the Midwest this is probably the least desireable part of the us to live in a landslide and most people who do live here have that illeducated rust belt drink your beer mentality . Time to get in the tech age and get to the 21st century Ohio Indiana Pa West NY before America leaves you behind .You know this is a problem because immigrants haven’t came to ohio since the early 20th century and its because this part of the USA doesent have much going for it other than a governor who is trying hard to suppress votes to save face for his illeducated base . We have two of the most poorest big cities Cleveland and Cincy for a reason they both are near the bottom in residents with college degrees near the top in single parent homes near the bottom in intergrated blocks and dead last in new immigrants . Six Flags in Texas GA and Denver could top Cedar Point which by the way closes for half the year at least . Busch Gardens FL .Myrtle Beach and Santa Monica boardwalk and Venice Beach would also be more preferred Kellys island only in the summer can you visit try the winter its would be an icy hell trying to go by boat .
SOO, you said it, clear as day: “Oakland is what Cleveland would be if it were cool.” Do you see what’s wrong with this statement (which I just addressed in my last comment)? It’s perception. It’s all perception. Do you REALLY think Oakland is better than Cleveland? Take away San Francisco and what is Oakland? That city would NEVER stand alone. And THERE ARE SO MANY STATEMENTS THAT YOU POST…THAT ARE BASELESS, AND DOWN RIGHT LIES. You know damn well Cedar Point is the better than those in Texas and Georgia, and anyone in America would say the same.
You mention a lot of California cities and their diversity. And their perceived healthy economy.
1.) California has 3x more people than Ohio, borders Mexico, and has more Hispanic people than white people. Diversity comes natural when you are originally a Mexican state.
2.) California unemployment: 8.7%..HIGHEST IN AMERICA.
3.) 3 Fortune 500 Companies have left California in 3 years to go to Texas. Why? Because California has high taxes and IS BROKE!!!
4.) If you’re going to compare apples to oranges (Ohio to Florida and California), then by the rules of this forum, at least 46 other states should suck a$$ then, right?
And now to address your little factoids.
1.) “Ohio is losing population/dying” LIE! Ohio has never lost population. Immigrants account for over 60,000 people in the last 3 years.
2.) “There are NO immigrants coming to Ohio” LIE! See statement #1.
3.) “Businesses don’t come here” LIE! If businessas don’t come here, then how is Ohio in the Top 5 of job creation since the recession?
4.) “The Midwest is illeducated” LIE! Firstly, “illeducated” is not a real word, and secondly…if that’s the case, then why are Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York ranked 1, 3, and 4 respectively..in number of colleges and universities in State?
As I’ve said, you make these absurd statements and never provide a link, or a source for your information. You are right about Cincinnati and Cleveland having a high percentage of low income people within city limits. That’s definitely not acceptable. With that said…Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus all have gained population 3 years straight as of May 23, 2014. Columbus is the fastest growing city in the Midwest, and 14th fastest growing in the U.S…..it’s hott. Cleveland and Toledo both did continue to lose population, albeit, only about 6,000 people. The decline has to drop off somewhere, and it’ll bottom out soon.
Jon I was typing while im sitting here at Jack London Hotel in Oakland . Here’s this Chicago has a large Latino pop and Asian pop and it’s only 4 hrs from here . Ohio has the colleges but not the graduates they go to the sun belt . Minneapolis St. Paul . Better than Cleveland it has u of m and in my mind is the true San Francisco of the Midwest . Very true Cleveland Cincy near the top in single parents and child poverty . San Jose one million strong no beaches needed . Fact Chicagos Latin pop recently passed the Black American pop and Chicago is nowhere near Mexico . Berkeley near Oakland aka Tha Town . Better than Cbus and C bus has 800 000 mostly in state . How’s Atlanta ? You must like it more to leave your precious Ohio LOL. I love the Bay Area !
My friend, as I’ve said at least 4 times previously…I live in Ohio. Not Georgia. Atlanta has better skylines than every city in Ohio, I’ve said that. That’s all it has. It’s a visually appealing city…but I don’t need to move just to appease my eye.
Do a google search Ohios clowdy future it tells it as it is . Read it .
Solid post “Straitouttaohio”. That article basically reinforces what everyone has been saying about this state. While I believe that the United States as a whole is in economic decline…Ohio is in a STEEP decline and has always been in decline even during times when the rest of the country was experiencing boom times. I would even argue that Michigan and Ohio are the models for what the rest of the country will be like in the near future. Scarce jobs that are livable wage, a hollowed out industrial base and a predominately service economy is what characterizes Ohio. The poverty rates in this state are downright frightening and sad. I read the little bit about Columbus being the only city that is gaining in terms of population growth. Well, that is due to the fact that people are leaving Cleveland, Cincy, Toledo, Dayton, Youngstown, Akron and Toledo and moving to Columbus. The variety of jobs really are no different than what you would find in Cleveland. I look at the classifieds every weekend and it’s the same types of jobs (healthcare, truck drivers, IT, some finance, skilled trades and the rest are $9-12/hr. service type jobs). And down the toilet Ohio goes……
I have lived and worked in several other places for years at time, did well, and chose to move back to Ohio. And yet, I do agree with most of the negatives here. It just seems like everything being yelled about “so bad”could be said anywhere? Winter isn’t that bad, compared to Chicago, and people aren’t that bad, compared to Pittsburgh. All together now, take a breath, calm down…
I wonder if something written on an earlier post might answer a lot of these questions going back and forth? Namely, the neighborhoods people live in, and their background(s). We do have some abysmal walking roadside trash in this state, but there is just so much more filth in larger urban areas. Then again, I’m older now, and do remember ***HATING*** this place when I was 18, and wanted nothing to do but get the hell out of here! Perhaps getting one’s skin hardened by the world has made the Ohio “rudeness” less noticable? It definitely IS there, but I guess I just don’t see it as much anymore. Hmmm- maybe that’s not such a good thing…
y’all bogus types no gotchda booms, skitcha. Natch. We got the Ohio bang to-GOTS, meefs! Coot. Das riiiiiight, hohmie. We in da HI-o hatesya good. Want nuthin’ tado witchyoo smarts! Dem big words make me HON-gry. Youse fizzle me shizzles needs ta getcha on yer way OUT of dis gray grate land ourn. We digz da teamz, we digz da geotta, we digz da slam. Boom! ssssss time for yoo to goo, meefs. Bleet da skeet and ZAP
I just came to this website because i will be relocating to Ohio with my Fiancee from Philadelphia. He is from Ohio and had relocated to Philadelphia to be with me 10 plus years ago. He has obtained a job that requires him to relocate back to Ohio and it is a wonderful opportnity for him. I have a position in philadelphia but will go with him and hopefully will get a position there with my skills that I have acquired in business. I have followed this blog and it appears that people are a bit hostile on both sides. I am a philadelphian and sometimes I don’t like my city very much either. But I am proud to call me self a philadephian accepting the good and the bad that the city has to offer. I hope that wherever I go I take those good qualities with me. I don’t have a lot of factual information about Ohio. I only know that while visiting Ohio and I have visited often I have met some wonderful people. Now Im sure that people can be racist there, but people can be racist in philadelphia. I’m very sorry that versing one’s opinion can bring out the worst in people as I have read on this blog and hopefully you guys will not tear me to shreds for versing my opinion, but this sight mentioned reason’s why Ohio sucks. I was just curious but it looks like I shall have to find out for myself. Thanks and no worries, I will never get to a point to go on an attack for ones opinion.
I think in my earlier posts I described that Ohio Pa .Mich and Indiana are just like a mirror images of each other I think Pa is actually worse than Ohio but big John thinks ohio is on the same level as the big 5 states . Fact these cities are shrinking with the exception of Columbus Fact Ohio is getting older because young people are leaving because they have thought about it since age 18 . Fact Ohio is very culturally bland this st doesent have the type of economy to keep people here 60 000 new jobs in Columbus is expected because Columbus is growing because of in state transplants . Fact Columbus isn’t as multicultural as advertised 65 pct white 23 pct black 5pct Asian and Hispanic a piece its just like your typical Midwestern city that has been gentrified to kingdom come with typical ohio people from all over the st very few people who live there come from the west and sunbelt . Fact Ohio will continue to lose population bad leadership is why and we still cant keep corruption out of the state capitol building . Fact Ohio winter is just as bad as Colorado and Minnesota ,It gets very cold from Oct to May that is 8 of 12 months .Fact Ohio is very segregated by race most smalltowns in this st are 90 pct white and tend to be very racially conservative and also fact we have two of the most segregated cities in America in Cleveland and Cincy .Fact Minorities don’t do well in this st Minorites are doing much better in the sunbelt and west coast in the rust belt they are being dragged back to jim crow at times as far as employment and discrimination and once again the level of segeration in the rust belt not just ohio is staggering .Fiction Jon when did pa and ny become Midwestern states ? Fact Ohio has not and will not become a tech state if ohio brings more educated people here we will get better as far as tolerance . Fact states that have more going for them economically are more racially diverse and have a diverse economy as far as jobs ohio is still dreaming about the industrial age which is gone
Maybe all of us who think “Ohio sucks” and live here but aren’t like that should team up AGAINST all the people who make it this way? All the garbage with the prison tats, the angry scowls, the purple hair, the wretched filth, the permanent trailer park crowd. Then we just have to devise a machine to clean the air, water, soil, lakes, rivers, highways, etc… (sigh)
Cleveland sucks so much that even Craigslist won’t list it under their “City” category. Jon is the very much the typical Ohioan who thinks because he has traveled (if that’s even true) he can comment on diversity. Jon what part of what I stated did you miss? You need to actually live in a place for an extended period of time to properly evaluate it. Sandusky beautiful? What drug are you on? Let me tell you another little ugly fact about Ohioans …. they are some of the most hateful jealous people I have encountered. They detest anyone who lives a lifestyle above their depressing penny pinching mentality (even those who are wealthy) and will verbally thrash them. Everyone here is going on about employment, taxes, etc. When it comes down to it, who the hell cares? Lot’s of cities have these issues but still have fantastic assets to balance all that out. Jon, mocking me for being cosmopolitan is a dead give away of the mentality I mention above “OOHHHH Who the hell does she think she is?” It also exposes the controlling, anal, self loathing most Ohioans suffer from. Just look at the stupid news channel with that retarded slogan, “Cleveland’s Own” How friggin hokey can you get? I have lived in places that were very redneck and guess what? Most people from those places accept what they are and some are even proud of their hillbilly roots. I say good for them! The problem with most Ohioans is that they refuse to accept that they are basically a pack of hillbillies. They protest loudly when called out on it which is hysterically funny. If they learned to accept themselves they just might be happier instead of desperately trying to defend their “flyover” state. Jon, stop being such an example of all this. Be a man and admit the truth. @Van, you do have a point; a place is only as bad as it’s inhabitants.
I think we should all team up if we haven’t moved already this st is what Cathy said it is she is one smart cookie. John thinks most Ohio haters are low income rejects wrong they are smart intelligent and resourceful . Those who defend this state defend what it is and that’s all that needs to be said
…okay…
so, we team up.
Now what?
CathM
Do you realize how retarded you sound: “they refuse to accept that they are basically a pack of hillbillies”. I don’t know where you’re from, but that place has to be proud of you. So, 11.6 million people of all diversities and backgrounds should just accept that they’re hillbillies? Okay, Cath. Sure we will. See, that’s the problem with the whiners on this board, every last one of you applies blanket statements to an entire population/state. That in and of itself is enough to discredit any notion that you know anything about the subject you’re bitching about. Address this question, Cath: If you’re so cosmopolitan, then why are you in (your version of) Ohio? If you’re so uppity, then how are you constantly surrounded by all these heinous creatures and places? If you’re so damn wealthy, then why do you have to come to an online forum to bitch about being stuck? My suggestion is to shut the hell up as to avoid sounding like a mind-trapped lunatic. As I said, you’re a piss-on living in a fantasy world. A nobody. A fraud.
CathM
“Learn to accept themselves”.
Straight from the horses mouth. Practice what you preach, sweetheart. Keep playing the lottery (I know you do, don’t deny it), then maybe one day you really can be cosmopolitan.
To SOO,
If you can’t put together a second grade sentence structure, and you REALLY think CATHM is a “smart cookie”, then you should immediately refrain from posting.
I’m out here in the Bay Area and this place is full of Midwest refugees .I met some awesome people who left that part of the USA and Cali is full of ex Midwesterners who told me stories much worse than what Cathy has to say .They hate ohio but Indiana Pa , and most not all of the rest but espically Missouri I heard some stories about vanilla Middle America and these people are some of the most open minded people I’ve met . Big Jon if you mess with me and Cathy you mess with all of them . This one girl told me the Midwest is as classy as nuclear waste .
In short in Cali they call the Midwest a lot worse things than hillbilly land a lot .
Ohio and the heartland is only for the typical hunting ,fishing ,hard hat ,blue collar Middle American ,support your troops ,god and country Christian conservative , marriage by 18 ,tea bagging ,vanilla traditional American types . If you are hip cool different and want to turn the system upside down and if you are gay , non Christian black, Hispanic ,liberal and anti war most of Ohio isn’t for you at all .The Midwest is a part of America where things are done in a traditional manner where everybody knows their place “and those who don’t are put there”. where the old guard has and will always prevail over change . Its Middle America at its finest its called the Midwest where simple American values and simple traditions always rule all .
Jon do a google search “Ohio’s cloudy future its not lies its the truth .The sooner its realized the sooner Ohio can be rescued from its problems that the article explains .
“jon” is so cool
Jon, why are you here? You are diligently defending your state online with lengthy comments, but I think that shows that there really isn’t anything else to do here in Ohio but be a Troll. I think you are funny. Someone who was probably born and raised in this dump. Weekend trips to Big Lots and Steak n Shake huh? Then sitting in your house doing searches of Ohio Sucks while eating buckeyes. Proudly displaying your extra large OSU shirt every day of the week. That top notch education at “The” Ohio State University (**chuckle**) got you at most a $150,000 house and a Honda Civic. Not to mention your debt. HAHAHAHA! Family vacation every year to Cedar Point. Yeah!
The thing you are obviously missing in this thread is the complaint of everyone being cookie- cutter copies of each other. This is the story of damn near everyone here. And as you can tell, this story is awful. This is what Ohio breeds. This is what makes it so bad.
Jon, you are defending a place with one of the highest obesity rates in the country. It was the worst air quality in the country. It is one of the most racist states and lower than average life expectancy. This state has 2 of 10 most miserable cities. Sources: MSN, USATODAY, Cleveland.com, Forbes.com, Harvard. Countless sources called O-H-I-O one of the worst states in the country. Do you think they all have it out for Ohio or maybe, just maybe, there is some validity to what they say.
Jon- please stop being Ohio brainwashed and open your eyes.. things here are not as good as you think.
yeeeeeeeee-HAH! darn TOOTIN’ we luv oHIo! Yuk yuk! Me an’ da missus both got matchin’ tatoos, pierced tongues, a rusty red Honda Civic, and a broken down Harley outside the trailer we have sex on every Friday night. yeeee-HAH! eber since ah got mah disabeel-a-tee from the sewer lid factory, we’s be libin’ high off da hog! Yesum! Plenty of pot for the neighbors, and the kids only have to steal school supplies twice a year. yeee-HAH!
I’m not here in defense of Ohio. I’m here to EDUCATE with facts. Franco….you imply that every Ohian patronizes Steak n Shake, Big Lots, drives a Honda Civic, and owns a $150000 house. Now, although that’s ridiculous to assume, what if every Ohioan did? What would your point be? Is it that Ohio doesn’t have luxurious, expensive stores? Because last time I checked, stand alone Burberry, Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade, Tommy Bahamma, etc….would certainly qualify. What about Bang and Oluffsen? Ferrari and Lamborghini dealerships? Do they qualify? Because Ohio has all of these and thousands more. Are you implying that no one in Ohio owns a home over $150000 dollars? Even you know that that’s a dumbass statement. A.) Every state and city in the US has fast food restaurants, $150000 dollar homes, and people drive Honda’s. Jesus, what kind of people are you? Did I stumble upon some kind of fantasy site where lower middle class people fantasize that they are rich and high class? None of you make any valid points. None of you do any research, other than to cite 4 year old opinion pieces in some magazine…also failing to mention the positive articles about Ohio In those same magazines.
Listen, if you don’t like Ohio, fine. You don’t have to. Not everyone does. Not everyone likes any other state they live in. I’m here because…if you’re going to make idiotic, baseless statements and arguments that make ZERO sense, to attack a large population of people, I’m going to educate your dumbasses on why you’re dead wrong. Apparently though, I’m dealing with a different kind of human. One who can’t read and comprehend. One who can’t differentiate fact from opinion. One who doesn’t care to research and learn before stating “facts”. And most frequently….a human who is so stuck in their fantasy mindset, that they can’t understand how the real world works EVERYWHERE. Good luck in your moves people, just don’t expect an online hate forum to help you with that.
I think unlike Jon most people on this site are relatively educated and they are on here because they are sick of being treated like an alien if they are successful or educated . Its true most people in Ohio look at you funny if you don’t drive an American car or if you are educated its true very true .Ohio has limited success because we don’t invite success .Its true most good jobs in this st go to people who aren’t native Ohioans . Im a ex Ohioan .Here in the Bay Area in Berkeley we embrace different cultures ,we accept people for who they are .In Ohio you have to be a bible thumping ,teabagging god and country support our troops, hunting ,fishing, white male with kids to make it . Ohio isn’t alone Indiana ,Pa, West NY Michigan are just as bad if not worse .Jon people on here are bitter about it and would not want to take a punch in the mouth from an Ohio cheerleader for speaking their mind on how Ohio st fans treat visiting fans . If I was a visiting Ohio st fan at a football game I would watch my back especially if I was from Michigan .Here in Berkeley Ohio st fans were treated like the way guests should be when they came to Berkeley for the football game . There was no rioting and hissing and trashing buckeye fans after Cal lost and Cal sucks at football and life still goes on and so does happiness .Columbus may have more than Berkeley its 8 times bigger in the city limits alone not counting the suburbs it has Easton and other malls but it isn’t as bohemian and hip as Columbus . Columbus it its true 15th largest city best shopping city and most smartest population but if I had a choice to live in Columbus or Berkeley I would pick Berkeley despite Berkeley having only 150 000 people .Berkeley isn’t about beating its chest about city size and all its about a way of life that’s more cultural rather than what this and that city has and how many bars pubs and malls we have Berkeley has no malls but it in my opinion is better than Columbus and its just as educated and its residents are more culturally and socially intergraded long before it was politically correct to. Columbus is a city with simple vanilla Midwest values and Midwest culture and its in the same league as fellow heartland cities like Oklahoma city Wichita KS Indianapolis Indiana and Louisville KY .On the same note Franco post was relatively accurate and he didn’t hit all the notes but Jon do a Google search on Ohio’s cloudy future this is why successful people on here have their concerns and this is why Franco’s post is correct and Ohio’s population is getting older because young people are leaving fast but same can be said of most heartland states . Do a Google search PA sucks its a carbon copy of this site you will see the same stuff .I did a Google search CA sucks all I saw was traffic illegals earthquakes etc and how you get treated if you are a conservative .If I was a conservative I would have stayed in Ohio but im not . Also im going to say this most of the problems and posts on here are correct but Ohio isn’t alone and on the Forbes miserable cities there were cities from all over the country and yes Cali too Stockton and Modesto made the cut. Ohio had Youngstown Canton and Cleveland and Toledo on it and I mentioned the good things about Columbus .Anyway do a Google search Ohio’s cloudy future its only a year old and its accurate and also shocking that Columbus is almost bigger than San Fran and has no light rail or subway .I took that into account in deciding to move to Bay Area the traffic in Columbus is like Dallas Ft Worth or Washington Dc 270 is built just like the beltway in DC .A subway or light rail would take care of that problem to a degree .
And Jon to prove a point I was raised in Wooster its a fairly educated college town were most people make well above 50 grand and yet its teabagger city usa and there are just churches everywhere and every car no matter what its is has a right wing bumper sticker on it but its about culture not about what city has this and that and Berkeley is just a better fit for me.
And something else I would not go as far as calling Ohioans Cockroaches like a certain person on here but I find it disturbing that you call everybody who cant fit in this Ohio Midwest culture low class or poor there are some cool people I met in CA from Ohio and PA and many Ohio critics don’t hate the people here they hate the problems and that’s like that everywhere .
anybuddy else here work at the sewer lid factory? yeee-HAH!
SOO,
Once again you paint with a broad brush. You say: “treated like an alien if they are successful or educated . Its true most people in Ohio look at you funny if you don’t drive an American car or if you are educated its true very true.” Really? Most people look at you funny if you don’t drive an American car? Really SOO? Dude, c’mon. Some of the things you say are ridiculous. I’ve never been to Wooster…so maybe MOST OF WOOSTER, looks at you funny, but that still leaves 11.5 million people you’re painting with that brush. And for the record, I don’t even believe the residents of Wooster are as you describe. I think you have an underlying issue. I’m getting a sense of “outcast” from a lot of posters.
I’m getting a sense of “loudmouth trash-talking thinks he’s a tough-guy” punk.
And yes, I live here and like it also, but don’t close my eyes to someone else’s valid complaints.
SOO, you’re perfectly entitled to live where you please. And with the weather in Berkeley, I would imagine you love it there. That being said, if all (or even most) Ohioans were conservative, Barack Obama wouldn’t be your President right now. Think about that. Your assumptions about Ohio tell me that you never gave the State a fair chance. You never explored each large city and region of Ohio. There are so many different cultures within this State that you’ve missed most of it, I’m sure. There’s nothing special about Ohio. It’s a state of many faiths, values, and cultures. If I could sum up Ohio in one word…I’d use “Family”. I’m a Democrat who enjoys tradition, hard work, and family. If Ohio isn’t home to you, it isn’t home. No need to degrade 11.5 million people. Just go where you want to go.
To Jon I want to live somewhere where its more acceptable to have Che Guevara in your reading library and Ohio is ready for Barack Obama but not for the real revolutionary like Che Guevara and Ohio isn’t the Bay area as far as treatment for minorities like me .The Bay area knew what radical politics and liberalism was before the rest of the country did and it wasn’t built or doesent have the people to foster the same culture and ideals as the Berkeley or Oakland Or San Francisco and Portland caliber type cities .Heres my assessment on Ohio cities 1 Cleveland Ive been to Indians games in the 00s and I really just felt that I missed this once proud cities glory years some 50 yrs ago and its brief comeback in the 90s before I was old enough to drive and even get into the flats due to age but what ive seen is a city that is trying hard to avoid being like Detroit and worse Gary Indiana but during this time of incompetent Democratic leadership Kucinich, White and ,Jane Campbell to Frank Jackson has really put this city in the doldrums since at least the early 70s during the time most other Ohio cities have begun their downslide albeit at various speeds .Cleveland is plagued by downside of the auto industry which was to Cleveland as Microsoft is to the Bay area and it accounted for much of the jobs and when it went under in the 70s and 80s Clevelands population and morale went down to and its reputation too in 1920 Cleveland had a million people in just the city now the DFW suburb Arlington TX is bigger . Cleveland is near the top in child poverty single parent homes which are poor to begin with on avg fewest residents with college degree high school dropouts and segerated blocks .I had to tell that the east end is mostly black and the west side is mostly white and a pinch of Hispanic .Extremely segregated Cleveland is 6 pct Hispanic and 3 pct Asian and 50 pct black. Most west suburbs like Parma Brookpark are like to Cleveland as Bensonhurst and Howard Beach are to NYC .By comparison Oakland does have a higher crime rate but its condensed in smaller neighborhoods and its one of the most diverse major cities in America 20 pct black white Hispanic Asian and even multiracial many blacks ages 18 to 40 are mixed and there are far more citzens with a degree than Cleveland , By the way im coming from parents who grew up on both coasts but came to Wooster because of jobs . It really had a bad effect on me growing up in Wooster at a young age til about high school when things got better to a degree Its a very cliquish and insular town that don’t like outsiders and sticks to what I said in my last post but being in a town Wooster of 25 000 and growing that’s 90 pct white and fairly solid middle class is why the Bay Area was quote ‘very appealing’ its a totally different setting than where I grew up and much more accepting of different races than most of the country for that matter let alone little old Wooster Ohio . And something else many transplants to the Bay Area come from all over the country,world and are all colors and races . Cleveland has had a hard time getting people to live there and most people who live there live in the suburbs . Cincinatti ive visited a few times Cincy and my impression of the place is that its even worse than Cleveland and the suburbs are nice even very nice but if your a minority you just don’t get the feeling you belong and being told by a old guy boy you a little too far north that really stuck with me and this was in 2006 5 years after the riot in 2001 I have had no plans to live in cincy based or rep by word of mouth its very very segerated and even my white friends belive its a very racist city because of proximity to Kentucky which in some areas is just as racist as Alabama or Arkansas but I would go as far as saying that Nashville TN was much more friendly and hospitable than Cleveland or Cincy .Im a minority who belives in an partakes of interracial dating .Surprise theres more of it in the south than in the Midwest and Ohio lags behind the national avg in interracial marriages but worse even the Midwest avg . Cleveland and Cincy are two of the worse cities for interracial couples and dating Oakland was 9th best and la was seventh and of course San Fran was 1st but I think Oakland deserves its rightful place as second behind the San Fran I mean I saw more mixed kids interracial couples than in one day than I’ve seen in all 31 years of my life in the Buckeye st .Berkeley in the 60s black and white couples were quote”in vogue” . Where in Ohio let alone America can you say that at that point in time ? like I mentioned in little Wooster Ohio its not like that its very vanilla and traditional . Many of the ladies I dated out here have parents who were in interracial relationships in high school and they are 60 yrs old . I went to see Wooster high play a b ball game in 1993 one girl named Marcie who played for Wooster called a girl on the other team who was black a N##### and she wasn’t punished at all . In a more liberal culture she would have been taught a lesson . Columbus Been to Columbus and its trying to be a big league type city and its true 800 000 in just the city not the suburbs and one of the largest if not the largest city without light rail . I visited it and in my opinion the place is a kinder gentler Cincy its looks nice in the areas around it but the core of Columbus is dead and what city doesen’t have malls and pubs .Difference is that Columbus has more of them than most cities on average because there is no places that consistently bring in tourists .Most people who visit are from other parts of Ohio PA and Wva and that’s it . In Sacramento everybody is from somewhere else .Why no light rail when traffic is just horrendous and this city is continuing to grow like a weed because of mostly in state transplants I don’t know but its cheap to live there because its a more spiffy version of Cincy or Cleveland and most osu grads leave Columbus after their time there . So I really a few yrs ago after understanding that the east coast and FLA were good but really didn’t wow me and that Texas was pretty much Ohio on steroids and extreme discusting heat for 8 months of 12 and the thought of having a 70 degree thanksgiving and even December was just revolting . I just said its time to see the west coast and I visted la and its two cities in one .Downtown La with skid row in the fold is pretty much worse than any ohio city the homeless dross will shout and scream and curse you for money .However west of Beverly Hills its very very nice and Santa Monica and Venice Beach were every bit as awesome as Berkeley and Sf . So after a few more Cali trips and some networking with friends I met there and all I said the Bay area is where its at after toiling in a small insular Midwestern town called Wooster Ohio . But everywhere has its downside but Ohio weaknesses really effected me and a lot of its low rankings as far as quality of life are true like Franco ponited out even in the places like Hudson and Bath and Indian Hills and New Albany they are there and I really belive Columbus is in the same league as Louisville Ky Indianapolis Indiana and Oklahoma City . Its not in the second tier of us cities yet .Cleveland back in the 20s was in that upper tier but it has fallen the same way Toledo has and Youngstown which are former industrial towns that are strugging severely to find their way in the 21st century . Ohio if it had did what the Texas cities did in the 80s and 90s diversified it would the 4th largest st and have at least 16 mil rather than the 11 mil today and it would foster innovation and education in a region that still clings to her blue collar roots in much of the st .
its this simple its all about style Ohio is a blue collar rustbelt agriculture rural st and its not suited to be hip and cool its more of a down and dirty god and country gritty type place . To be specific PA Ohio Indiana and Michigan are cookie cutter images of each other.
its this simple its all about style Ohio is a blue collar rustbelt agriculture rural st and its not suited to be hip and cool its more of a down and dirty god and country, support our troops pro life, Christian Fundamentalist , gritty type place . To be specific PA Ohio Indiana are cookie cutter images of each other.
@Jon, I don’t have to play the lottery; I have been retired for 3 years now. As for those expensive stores you are speaking of … well go ahead and shop at the pathetic Saks at Beachwood in the Cleveland area. Very little stock! BTW I just purchased a $3,000 Chanel handbag there. Still think I need to play the lottery? I am in this state for personal reasons, not for a job. Unlike you, I do not ridicule people who play the lottery, however, I don’t have a problem ridiculing people like you. WHY ARE YOU HERE? If your Ohio life is so great, why are you dedicating so much time trying to deflect every comment about this frumpy ass state? Jon, I want an actual answer to this question! If you are so happy in Ohio why are you spending so much valuable time on something that should not even concern you? Sorry, something just doesn’t add up here. Obviously it’s not “fine if you don’t like Ohio” stop contradicting yourself. Get the hell off this forum already! The people posting here have a genuine need to vent for catharsis. Not every Ohioan I have met is like this Jon character. Unfortunately most are. Some are actually okay and to set the record straight I did not say that Ohioans are cockroaches. I compared my opinion of Ohio itself to that of roaches. FRANCO, great comment! Jon wants facts and you gave it to him, which of course went right over his head. How does everyone feel about a social network site? Maybe call it http://www.Tio.com (trapped in Ohio).
Jon, where else have you actually lived? In other words, have you ever been in one place exclusively aside from Ohio for a year or more? If you had any real knowledge you would know that the only states that I lived in colder than Ohio are Minnesota and Maine. Get your facts straight. Ohio is too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. Okay, so again, tell all of us where else you have lived? I think we would love to know how you have drawn your comparisons. What other states have you been a resident of? Answer the question without skirting around it with your usual mindless rhetoric. Where have you lived other than Ohio for a year or more? If I seem redundant here it’s because you seem to be more than a bit dense with comprehension. So one more time Jon, in caps this time …. WHAT OTHER STATES HAVE YOU BEEN A RESIDENT OF FOR A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME?
Okay, CATHM, for the 1000th fucking time, I’ve lived in GEORGIA. For 2 years to be exact. I’ve spent 8 months in Tampa, Florida. I’ve been to, or vacationed in Sweden, France, Spain, Colorado, New York, Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, Michigan, etc, etc, etc. I’ve stated numerous times that I’m well traveled. Of course you don’t read, so you wouldn’t know this. To your “colder than” comment: So then NYC and Michigan, both NORTH of Ohio, aren’t colder than Ohio? Okay, Cath, Google is your friend. And now, you say “it’s too hot” in Ohio. But you’ve lived in, and loved small ass Missouri…which makes Ohio feel like Antarctica in the Summer time. Like I’ve said, Mrs. $3000 purse (lol), you don’t have to like Ohio. That’s your right. But if you’re going to make shit up to justify your (extremely flawed) reasoning, I’m going to call you out. Ohio is a place with imaginary borders just like every other place. I don’t give a damn how you feel about that, but when you call Ohioans disgusting cockroaches and so forth…that includes me. So I will defend MYSELF. So funny you can find all these nice things in such a decrepit state, huh. And by the way, I answered your question…now answer mine: If you’re so cosmopolitan, uppity, and can afford a $3000 purse (God you’re so rich)….then why are your “TIP”?
“TIO”, excuse me.
CathM’s opinions of Ohioans, the PEOPLE. Just disgusting. And btw CathM, one minute you’re in your mid-30’s, now you say you’re retired. Let’s address your other BIG LIE:
1.) “they only people that think Ohio is progressive are Ohioans:”
2.) “uninformed, unattractive, unhealthy, unworldly, this place is a train wreck!”
3.) “If I have to look at another dowagers hump on every woman past the age of 35 in this hell hole of a state, I will puke!”
4.) “So much thyroid disease, diabetes, all the men get prostate cancer!” 5.) “The vitamin D deficiency is epidemic and the results aren’t pretty.”
6.) “These people seem terrified of life in general, afraid of anything they don’t understand but willing to ignorantly comment and even argue about topics they have no experience with.”
7.) “The accent!!!!!!!! EEEWWW! “Apple” equals “AYHAAPUUULL” and so non progressive!”
8.) “Single and dating? Try finding anyone who is even relatively attractive, good luck.”
9.) “Lazy, Lazy, Lazy, people! So lethargic and lifeless, just like robots.”
10.) “I feel about Ohio they way I feel about roaches and have to question the existence of both.”
“jon” is so cool
OHIO SUCKS
Lived in Norwood Ohio for twelve years the asshole of Cincinnati I mean the police are a joke when you call them they either don’t come or won’t arrest anybody even the smoking gun is practically in their hands and if they do the punks only get 12hours in jail because nobody wants to take the time to send them to county because they know the turd. For being a big city they have the mentality of closed community to which if you aren’t a born and raised Norwoodian the way you are treated ranges from decent until you’ve lived there long enough to like shit but once you are established and aren’t known as a druggie or a troublemaker they treat you right. In speaking of crime they have a town bully and a street gang that runs around like they own the town they commit robbery, violent assaults, rape of both genders, break-ins, home invasions/ burglaries, theft of just about everything, a few kidnappings, shakedown/ extortion of a few local bars and businesses, drugs and everything in between and neither the local or county won’t touch them because they either have friends in the department, paid off or intimidated the right people, FBI snitches, or just simply considered to be respected members of the community therefore have carte blanche to do whatever they want after all the Iron Horsemen were once considered respectable in the wood.
Here in the small towns of Northwest Ohio, there’s so much homophobia and racism, as well as sexism. Everyone hates Obama, when he’s literally only tried to help the nation. This place is overly conservative and hates and rejects anything that changes, i.e. the wind farms that are *beneficial* to the area! I’ve gotten so much hate about being gay. It’s too bad I’m under 18 because I’d be out of here in a heartbeat if I had the chance. Can’t wait to graduate this year.. I hate it.
Based on a national study Ohio children are more likely to be exposed to abuse , sexual abuse , mental disabilities alcoholism, drug abuse ,single parent homes , parent in prison , obesity , underweight birth , poverty and subpar schools and drooping out of school than the national avg . Do a google search ” More than half of Cleveland kids live in poverty .It boils down the fact that these kids will raise other kids into a culture that they grew up in . If you are a young law abiding single adult with a good job and are well cultured this is the kind of people you have to choose from as partners . On top of that Clevelanders were voted most unattractive and the city that was voted most vain was Salt Lake City . I’ve been to SLC and the difference between the two cities a mental retard could figure out .
Heres the buckeye st autopsy . Ohio ranked as a state among the worse in job growth,since 2005 avg, income obesity , single parent homes .median age in Ohio is among the oldest ,people moving out ,net population gain ,net population loss ,racial,gay and ethnic tolerance ,child well being ,life expectancy ,human well being ,residents with a high school diploma residents with a college degree and only Kentucky and wva residents had lower evaluation of personal life . Ohio is almost as bad as smog plagued California as far as pollution. Ohio is one of the most angry and stressed states in the country . Seasonal disorder is a major factor in that regard because the great lakes region has some of the worse weather in the country . Ohio has two of the 20 most racially segerated big cities in America Cleveland Cincinatti two of the most ugliest cites Cleveland and Cincinatti two of the most obese cities Cleveland and Cincinatti two of the worse cities for interracial couples Cleveland and Cincinatti and two of the most poorest cities Cleveland and Cincinatti . Cleveland hasn’t won a major sports title since 1964 . Cleveland is one of the few major cities to default .Detroit did in 2009 as well . Cincinatti in 2001 had the worse race riot since Rodney King in 1992. Cincinatti Reds fired an owner Marge Schott in 1993 over anti semetic and racial remarks .The Cincinatti Reds are one of the oldest and first teams in pro sports but have won only 3 world series 1975 76 90 .Cincy hasn’t won a pro sports title since 90 and the Bengals have only won 3 playoff games in their 50 plus year history and lost two super bowls . Bengals last playoff win 1990 . Ohio as a state is 88 pct white and 9 pct black and 2 pct Asian and 2 pct latino . Ohios immigration rate is among the slowest in the nation and Cleveland and Cincy has some of the most smallest latino population for the 50 largest cities .On Forbes most miserable cities Cleveland Toledo Youngstown Akron and Canton were on it . Ohio cities have declined tremendously since the early to mid 70s but the decline has accelerated since the 2000s .Ohio is in grave trouble of joining Michigan as the only state to lose population .Ohios net gain has regressed to that extent that it could lose electorial votes in national elections as well . The stereotype of Ohio State University is most of the draw is in state but many of the in state draw comes from rural towns and cities that are 90 pct white if not more . In short most Ohioans do not come from cultrally intergrated settings and thus they don’t know how to treat people different from them .That’s why many who attend OSU from other parts of the country end up working in more progressive parts of the country .I will ask anybody who is leaving or thinking about leaving .IS EVERYTING IN THIS POST I MENTIONED WHAT YOU WANT IN LIFE ? IF YOU DO YOU SHOULD STAY .IF YOU DONT THERE ARE OTHER CHOICES.
Ill be fair Michigan ,PA ,Indiana ,and West NY suck just as much
…aw baby, OhiO not so bad. Make my toilet spin the down way, drink mah pee outta da bucket. Welfare stamps crushed my spine and skull, I bled to death inside the porta-potty behind Channel 9. Mop mee down to the see in ships, ahm waxin’ the bounds of Middletown beyond the nearest star…
If you’re educated and have any type of ambition, leave Ohio now.
There is a serious lack of opportunity in this state.
Ever wonder why home prices are so low? Or, why cost of living is so attractive?
It’s simple economics, because supply has completely outstripped demand.
People vote with their feet and with their dollars. They’re leaving Ohio for good reason, and the educated and opportunistic will join them.
If the above mentioned stereotypes of Ohio and Ohioans are not true, why is it that Ohioans try so hard to live up to them? Ignorance for days and days in Ohio, NY, PA, MI, WV, KY……
JON is RIGHT ON! Educate them JON! You Rock! And for the others…”Get a life”
Another problem that I had with living in Norwood is the resentment that some of the locals have towards those who are financially responsible such as paying your bills off on a monthly bases rather than let them pile up, have extra money in the bank to enjoy yourself rather than live paycheck to paycheck, in other words if you have a job that pays over prevailing wage and keep up with your bills and have money to buy nice things and keep your nose clean some people think that they entitled to make your life miserable. In, speaking which it’s pretty ironic that the same people that bitch about not having any money but yet you see these same damn losers at the bar about three to four times a week pounding down booze and hassling those of us who actually aspire to earn more than prevailing wage.
The Columbus Metropolitan Library is the best public library system in the entire country.
There are many professionals here that are highly invested in education.
I have found the people of Columbus to be “liberal leaning conservatives”. We have a large gay population which is respected. A diverse population.
Great concerts, theater, shopping, Ohio State University, short north, the #1 rated zoo in the country. We host the largest single breed horse show in the world.
We have great hospitals and physicians.
People are generally very friendly and neighborly.
I think Columbus is very livable even if you are more into the arts, education and alternative lifestyles than sports and the tradional things that people associate with the state.
I live in OH, to be specific I live in Dayton, OH.
I’m 18, I’ve lived in multiple states (Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Arizona) and OH definitely has a lot of bad aspects. But guess what? So does every place on the planet.
Florida? You practically need to speak Spanish to get around, you need to prepare for property damage every year, people complain when it gets under 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and I personally have never been attacked with racism more than in any other state.
Illinois and Indiana are almost the exact same as OH from my experience so there won’t be much talk about them.
Arizona is so racist that if you aren’t white you have to carry your papers to show that you are a legal citizen! Combine having to carry around your birth certificate/SSC with an average of over 90F heat it is a fairly shitty place to live.
Even though OH does have a lot of bad problems it is nowhere near as bad as these people are making it out to be. No attractive people? HA! I see attractive people everyday of my life! Extremely conservative? Nope, not true. All of the rural areas are conservative, but that is the case EVERYWHERE. Not to mention that since most of the population lives in urban centers (LIBERAL AREAS) that would make a majority of the state liberal. Except in a few rare cases, neither I or any of my friends (diverse group of people) have ever experienced any racists or at least people who are openly racist.
I will not be living in this state after college but that is because my aspirations take me to an entirely different country. Not because I think OH sucks, but because I think America is such an ass backwards place.
Here’s a tip on how to form an argument:
Leave out all bias when stating what you call “facts”
Don’t belittle people on the opposing side (WHICH ALL OF YOU HAVE DONE)
Be ready to cite your sources!!!
Here’s a tip on what a fact is:
Something that contains no bias
Something that is irrefutable
Something that has been proven
A fact is a noun, not an adjective like I’ve seen it used in this thread.
Anybody want to dispute anything I’ve said? PLEASE do, especially if you are going to use the grammar you have to this point. Based on both my opinion and the head of my debate club, Jon would’ve hands down won this if it were a legitimate debate. Solely because:
He used proper grammar, conveyed his opinion where it was necessary, the opponents (SOO, etc.) don’t know how to formulate a complete sentence properly, the opponents are overly biased, and the opponents consistently using belittling as a tactic.
Don’t hate something you either don’t understand or had a “bad” experience in. Plus, buying a $3,000 handbag says nothing more than you are shallow, Cath. Why in the world would you need a fucking purse that expensive? It is excessive, unnecessary, and shallow. Hell, $3,000 could be put to MUCH BETTER uses than housing your billfold/wallet/money clip, make-up, and cell phone. Also, which is it? Are you mid 30’s or retired? BTW to get full SS benefits from retirement you need to be older than 65, NOT SOMETHING SOMEONE IN THEIR MID 30’s GETS.
Want to know my university?
Wright State University, Dayton, OH, 45324.
I have lived on the east side of Cincinnati, Ohio since I was born.
Trapped here due to husband wanting to stay here for his uncle and mother. Year after year I wanted to leave and go some place warm. Being a chronic pain patient and the weather here is always cold or raining. I was able to get 10 days to swim in 2014, that is how cold it is and if you do get hot days it is never enough to warm your pool. Everyone I know wants to be around me so they can get something for nothing. Everyone I know is lazy and only looks out for themselves and everyone judges everyone because there is nothing to do here. Cincinnati area can not even get good concerts going. If you want to canoe you have to go all the way to Brookville Indiana just so you don’t canoe in sewer water. Everyone I know is an alcoholic because there is nothing to do here. I have been rear ended over and over in accidents and my back is a year away from a wheelchair but yet I am the one that didn’t even get a settlement out of being crashed into all the time because there was no such thing as an MRI in the mid 90’s so I was treated as a liar and now destroyed physically for life because the people are under educated out here to the point that they can not even drive correct. Here you have Kings Island and a few bike trails and bowling, everything else is related to drinking….drinking….drinking. There is no beach, no nice malls, oh but the casinos are popping up and that is for the alcoholics. There is nothing here. My home is going on the market spring of 2015 if I can get it to happen that fast and I am going to a place where I can eat or smoke medical marijuana for my chronic pain since the bible belt here thinks it is a satanic plant but it sure is ok to drink a gallon of vodka a week around here. I don’t even want to be around anyone here because I worked my ass off all of my life and anyone who knows me think that my stuff is for them….asking about my material belongings if they can have them or use them or take them. Everyone I know is a lazy sponge that still lives with mommy and daddy at age 50. I have grinded the enamel off my teeth trying to figure out how to sell and buy at the same time now that I am one person and no longer have my deceased husband controlling that I stay here I am out of this hell hole that I NEVER COULD STAND FOR ALL THE YEARS THAT I HAVE BEEN HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The buyer of my home can have my in ground pool that cost $1000 a year to run and for what! It never gets warm enough to swim and if it does …the leaves fall off the trees 2 weeks later. Nothing here, this area sucks!
Hey Pat I think it’s safe to say that most if not all of the stats I posted are accurate . I think you have the skill to look them up . Second i think that you never had the disadvantage of having family being raised in Twinsburg and Akron where you get beat up on your birthday . If you did I guarantee you you would be siding with me . Third and I’m supposed to love this st after what it did to them ? There was a magazine called the roots that did a study on worst states to grow up black and Ohio was the fourth worse Wisconsin Mississippi and Michigan was ahead . Guess what ? Based on mostly what I said about my parents expirences Ohio should be número uno and was near the top during the time my parents were growing up . And to be blunt Ohio has the worst voter suppression laws bar none !
I admit I have a bias about rust belt states but who doesen’t most Midwestern rust belt states and cities have staggering income disparity , severe racial segergation and for many White Americans it’s not a bed of roses either . The only state I like in the Midwest would be Minnesota espically the Twin Cities .
Cleveland is NOT better than Baltimore.
The borders are not “imaginary”. Lake to the North, rivers to the South and East. Connect the dots on this mediocre box and that’s Ohio, land of the bland. Continue arguments, please… (munching popcorn)
The people in the state are absolutely retarded. I have been here 3 years and haven’t come across a single person with a brain cell. They ALL make me sick. I wish I could slap every one of them.
Ohio is a “great” place to live. It put food on my table for many a years. Yes, I was what “you” called one of those uneducated people, but it wasn’t because I wasn’t smart it was because I made a different choice then you. I labored many a years in the factory, but let me tell you what I saw. We would have what “you” called educated people (engineers) put in an assembly line backwards. You can have book smart, but have no common sense. I chose to make the big bucks rather than go to college, and have to pay back student loans. I made more money than most people with a college education. So who’s the wiser one? Every state has it’s pros and cons. We enjoy the changing of the seasons. Being from a rural town is awesome too. I can’t drive down the road without someone waving to me. People still care about one an other here. Neighbor still helps neighbor. Ohio is a great place to raise kids. Oh, and even in our rural town our Asian daughter has never dealt with rascism. Unfortunately, the truth is rascism is everywhere.
Interesting comments. I grew up in Ohio south of Sandusky, went to college in Toledo. I lived one year in the bay area, CA and another in Peoria, IL. Peoria was the most depressing place I have ever lived. I left Ohio 4 yrs ago for Oregon. I want to raise my children without the constant feel of racism (we are white and is sickened me to hear so many disrespectful comments of other human beings). I am conservative but here, there is respect for others’ beliefs. I love how kind and friendly the people are. It rains of course but weather is so much better than my home state. It is January, 61 degrees and sunny. Mt Hood is covered in snow in the distance. There isn’t alot of amusement park opps here because nature is everyones’ playground. I almost moved back tto Ohio because I have a chronic illness and was getting very ill. I could sell my house and with eauity buy a house outright in Ohio bc it is so cheap. But I started looking at statistics on crime and air quality in Ohio amd I was shocked at how bad it is! I loved Lake Erie and Malabar Farms nd other things but the really poor air quality and high crime rate are both scary. My parents love Ohio and will stay so I will enjoy visiting Ohio from time to time but I can never live there again, not after experiencing other (although more expensive) options.
To be frank I think that at least where I lived or via my own expriences as a BIack American think white vs black racism in Ohio isn’t as bad as places like Milwaukee ,Detroit ,Buffalo ,Toledo ,St Louis or the constant tension since the early 90s in LA with black and latino gangs My expirence visiting Twinsburg espically you have many of your fellow African Americans calling me whitey or oreo or uncle tom for not being like them or drinking and smoking and Twinsburg is so separated that the city is all white and the township is all black ! I would say where I grew up in Wooster isn’t perfect based on my earlier posts but there are a lot of nice people but most of them do not like Ohio because the lack of culture ,poor weather bad economy and in most not all the state since the early 70s . and the fact we export more people out of st than any other st except Michigan . The beef I have with the st is the poor weather and the fact that this st was built to be an industrial st not a touristy and fancy type place . Second this place is very bible belt to be this far north. I guess its a Midwestern thing . Third Ohios jobless rate has gone down because most people here have been employed through low wage jobs that keep it low . If you want a booming tech economy Cali and Texas are where to look not blue collar guns and fishing bible thumping Ohio. The culture of Ohio and the Midwest for that matter is very different from the bay area. I would say as a black man interracial couples in the Bay Area are far more accepted than in any Midwestern locale .This is a country that has struggled with it , ‘when it comes to black and white in particular’ but I would say that there are parts of America that have done much better .Ohio ranked 38 of 50th in numbers of mixed marriages .In Cali especially the Bay Area and Seattle you could see them in the 60s and 70s .I confess im a Black male who has a urge for cool takes care of himself is very slim and doesen’t drink or smoke has no kids isn’t married and wants to be around people who believe in the same thing . Ohio for some reason not drinking is met with shrugs and wows ! I get cross eyed looks on how I stay very young and why I have no kids . I really would confess I love cool and I don’t think of Cleveland and Cincy in that fashion. The Bay area since ive been here is expensive but its worth every penny for a political science major . The culture in the Bay Area is far different from the Midwest . Ill say this Im not into Amish country hunting .fishing ,country road driving ,cornhole and county fairs with tractor pulling but Ill make a statement out of all the states ive visted which is most of the 10 largest this is certain ,Ohio may not be perfect but it isnt the most racist by far ! Nebraska via my luck of draw living there for 4 months due to work holds that honor by far I mean I felt like I was in Mississippi at times ! As far as crime Ohios large cities are bad Oakland has a slightly higher crime rate than Cleveland but it has far and I mean far less poverty ! Denver guys post several pages back I endorse totally !
Jon did a post on the weather .Let me say this the south may get hit with snow for about a few weeks but after that its usaually business as usaual as far as sunshine .The east coast the sun is out far more than in Ohio and winter ends when its supposed to in March . Minnesota and Colorado get hammered harder than the great lakes but they see the sun far more than Ohio does. Ohio has Kings Island and Cedar Point there cool but you only get to enjoy them for about 60 70 days of the year they are closed in the fall and the rain in spring and summer can put a damper on any fun you may have there !
Ohio weather is the worse in the fall its cold dry and chilly and winter comes in November til almost May and in May its rainy up til july . You only get about 2 months and 3 at most of good weather!
Great Lakes weather is the worse in the fall its cold dry and chilly and winter comes in November til almost May and in May its rainy up til july . You only get about 2 months and 3 at most of good weather!
And as for Deborah s comments about the availability of jobs like what she had guess what ? Most of them are gone and they will never come back .Ohio has high corporate sales tax and those kind of employers as much as people in NE Ohio wishes in the modern day will not come to Ohio to pay higher taxes and what job seekers possess are different than what employers are asking for in todays economy .
Yeeeeeeeeeee-HAH! Yuk-yuk! Y’all bunch -a- stoooooooooooopid peeples on dis heer webSAHT. Ah’ll tell yoo whut. Ohyo dun ben GRAT place fo’ me un’ mah kin fok dun livin’. ‘Sup wit dat? Y’all bunch -u- ignorant bunnahs, ah’ll tell ya! Ah’m talkin’ dat BIG smack, sho nuff! Wat’s gonna doo? Whas gonna doo? Chicken? Baa-AK! BAAK! Cheee-KEN! As dun WON dis here ah-goo-ment, ah tell yoo WHUT. Tahm fer me tuz skedaddle on back to daz tattooz pahlo’ and gits mah neck coved’ in bloo paint. Sold drugz to pay fer it! yeeeee-HAH!
What?
Like it’s not true.
(sigh)
That was crap.
That was so crap.
That is not Ohio. We are Ohio. We grind our teeth in angry silence as you walk by. We ignore your greetings, and live next door for 30 years. We throw garbage in the driveway and cigarette butts off the deck, then wonder why you complain. We don’t care. We smoke all night and drink all day. We are loud, angry jerks but YOU have the problem. We are not hillbillies. We just don’t care. Welcome to Ohio, the miserable bitter vile pill of America.
Except for Pittsburgh. (wink)
Ohio is a joke. People in states like Texas and nc laugh at Ohio. The people are rude, the weather sucks and the jobs are few and far between. That’s just to name a few things I could go on all day.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MAH FLAPPIN’ DOES WAN THA MMMMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKK oooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah harmony biscuts lemme tell ya Fl34^&*gH<
I think I read a while back someone say you only stay in ohio for family… so true. My best friend lives there. I effed up and gotta baby momma there. my license has said ohio for years even though ive lived in other states. I have lived off and on in Cincinnati since 2008. I would say there definitely is an Ohio culture. You have your typical rough-and-tough rust belt attitudes across colors. you have the people who stretch their ears to look different but end up looking like every other stretched ear hipster/thug. You have the strong blue collar attachments to service jobs that while both disheartening and annoying ensure that those who really want to work will. You’ve got your old money, the only thing left standing after the recession, starkly contrasting the surreal poverty that surrounds it. Ohioans are very labor-oriented almost to the point of it feeling like a lobotomy to show up every day to the same job, having only the weekend to look forward to. I don’t like how materialistic the middle class is. Because Ohio misses a central sense of culture, fashion statements are all the rage making it acceptable to be “fake,” get facial tattoos, rock mismatching color jordan wear, and talk shit about others. If you are here, its either to get more money than you were getting down south or its family related. I notice that women in Cincinnati are always sick, in pain, or not feeling well. It’s annoying to hear constantly, when usually lack of activity is the culprit. Prepare not to have many male friends if you live here, when a male gets to a certain station in wealth/popularity he fancies himself a celebrity, its now about hos and haters. Expect that most guys around will be broke, if they weren’t, they’d be far, far away by now. Ohioans know how to stay in the house longer than the average person, so don’t expect one to want to go out and do something if there are other options, television, video games, snacks, the internet, these are staples of life here. Cincinnati is considered the South of Ohio whereas places like Akron, Columbus, Dayton represent more of the quirky unique Rust Belt experience Ohio offers. I would say this
pros
higher minimum wage
steady work is valued more in the rust belt
cultural highway means you never have to worry about fitting in
cheaper cost of living
cons
isolation is more embraced and accepted here, the down south, east coast mega-city social hum is missing.
if you aren’t upper middle class, the amount of suffering you will witness will make you angry and stressed out like every other ohioan
higher than acceptable taxes
cliquish, farmville usa mentality in the city for some reason
ohio is a good place guys… We have Graeters ice cream. Oprah likes our ice crem the best and we have Donatos pizza and nobody else has it and let me tell you, its so good. We have Cedar Point and Kings Island. We may not have an ocean but we have Lake Erie, Huge lake has a bunch of Islands and has a ferrie! We created rock and roll. We also have an official state rock and roll song its hang on sloopy. So while you all think our state sucks it is actully a really good state and if you still now then come over here and see for your selves
Ok I think its clear since the 70s that no part of the country has fallen as far as the rust belt espically ohio in the 50s 60s Cleveland was a spot for names like Vanderbilt Carnegie and Rockefeller who all owned property in the very gated millionares row Cleveland was up there with the la sf as far as wealth but what also killed this st was look who Cleveland elected as mayor in the 70s and almost defaulted. Cleveland I don’t think has been the same since .Dallas and Houston were at a crossroads in the second half of the 80s but they pulled out of it to be kings of success .Face it Cleveland Cincy and Toledo failed .Dallas Houston and co are built to last . Ohio is 7th in population growth because of a high birthrate which is akin to child poverty which is among the worse in the country . Minorities in cities like Seattle ,Portland , Dallas and Houston ,are more likely to have higher education and earnings by far largely because the segeration in those cities is nowhere near as rigid as Cleveland , Cincy and co unfortuneately Ohio will never be a progressive st until hell freezes over . The potential is there but our leaders stay out of Washington and end up in prison that’s why this st is what is it and like it said before Ohio bar none has population growth that’s among the slowest in the country and by next yr we will be joining Michigan as the only states in the us that are losing population all of the big 8 have lost no fewer than 30 pct of its population since 1970 and the high taxes in this st is making it very hard to maintain schools and services making those cities even less desireable to live in .Ive been to the big states 10 of them all 10 and Georgia im not too impressed with .Atlanta is a beautiful city but people aren’t as friendly as the people in ohio who come from other states .But its true Georgia is much more economically healthy than Ohio and if Ohio did some of the things that the newer cities did it would have a recipe for a comeback like Dallas and Houston in the 80s .The attitudes of racism is a problem mostly because this is an old st with old people this is one of the oldest median age states in the country and the amount of young people leaving is among the highest in the country and this st will only get older .My friend whos Asian girlfriend got called a n##### G### now is married to hereand lives in Wash St . Its true the West coast and Minneapoilis and Denver are much better for interracial couples than Ohio .And Lebron leaving he left because of what happened to his mother as I mentioned in my earlier post and Delonte West was not suspended and Amare Stodamire didn’t want to come to Cleveland in 2010 him and Joakim Noah are friends and Joakim Noah asked quote “who wants to come to Cleveland ?
Correction Ohio is 7th in state population but last in net gain which usaually is a barometer for a states job growth and success . We have two of Americas poorest big cities and a few others who are near the top in their population brackets like Youngstown ,Canton ,Toledo and Dayton.
While you’re right about the rust belt states falling the hardest. Ohio, since 2011, has recovered every job lost since the recession. And has actually added more. These are facts. 2011-2012 saw Ohio gain more jobs than every state, with the exception of the Big 3 (NY, California, and Texas). That’s pretty impressive considering Florida, Pennsylvania, and Illinois also have more people. Look around Ohio. Go to UrbanOhio.com and look at all the projects going on in Ohio’s cities. Literally thousands of projects. 6 Billion worth in Cleveland alone. Don’t get me wrong, Ohio was hit hard. And when you get punched in the mouth, you get back up with a new strategy. And Ohio has done that. The only question in Ohio’s future is: Will Northeast Ohio keep losing population? If so, Ohio will eventually be passed by Georgia in Population.
Growing up in Wooster 50 miles south of Cleveland Wooster is a college town but im my mind its more like a conservative exurb or has the culture of one many of the Cleveland refugees from the suburbs and west side live here that’s why im saying that . But I have to wonder that 7 of 8 cities have lost population because of the collapse of industry and what job seekers possess is different from what job interviewers are asking for in the 21st century the lack of education is a problem in Cleveland and Cincy they are near the bottom in residents with a college degree. Many colleges in Ohio but many students leave st which im in the process of doing my parents are from the sunbelt to be exact and are moving back to the west coast because of retirement . Ohio st is diverse but many students based on experience are once again leaving st post college because its true in ohio most rural communities are 90 pct white and OSU has a predominately in state draw .While most places in the coasts are on avg 40 pct white and 10 pct black Latino Asian and other. .Ohio’s immigration rate is very low we are 86 pct white and 9 pct black and 2 pct Asian and 2 pct Latino .What troubles me is most cities like Dallas Denver Houston and even Indy and Oklahoma City and the big Cali cities have a lot of immigrants making positive and innovative contributions to their communities . Immigration can help cities as I just explained . Clevleand hasn’t had an immigration boom since the 40s irish Italian and polish mostly .In Wooster the most popluar attire is “Welcome to America now speak English “.shirts I see a lot of them also in Strongsville and Brunswick too. The new cities in the south and west have a more tolerant vibe and a more affluent minority community lots of successful people in Atlanta as you may know and as I found out than not just the ohio cities but the rust belt in general This is so because the schools in most of ohios urban core are just shit . I went to a hs in Wooster that was among the top 10 tech buildings in the us but we need to do that in the ‘Clevelands and Cincys of the world and the Ohio gop should emphasize more business and schools in minority communities rather than welfare and child poverty ,Ohio is one of the worse states for child poverty and that’comes because this st is near the top in children born without fathers .Potental Ohio has potential but must take a stick of dynamite and blow up the rust belt poor illeducated bible thumping image and take a plunge in the tech age and utilize its strengths beaches Ohio river Lake Erie . Cleveland could be like Boston or Philly and Cincy with its Ohio river could be like New Orleans and Nashville .Columbus is very similar to Austin or Seattle and should give light rail a chance I would turn Cincy and Cleveland into tourisim markets clean up and demolish the factories that are abandoned and give the buckeye st a makeover . Texas in the 80s im not going to defend George W Bush but he was a better governor in Texas than president he did what Ohio failed to do Texas was saved in the 90s and look at it now .Its giving my fav st in the world Cali a run for its money .The changes that I will see should and would make this st a lot more attractive to the educated and if we lower taxes on business we could bring some manufacturing to Toledo and Youngstown and yes Youngstown can be saved as bad and decrepit it is .These changes would make Ohio a place where people from all over the usa would relocate to and it would be a model for the rust belt to follow . We need to invest as well into modern transportation like the bullet train once we take off economically if we do so .We have a surplus but we need to use it carefully to make the state a better place to live and to not just rebound but to be a big player in the country like it was in the glory days . As of now Columbus is the largest city in state by far with over 800 000 people ..Most of Columbus gain though unlike most fast growing cities are those from other parts of the state .Columbus doesent have very much out of state arrivals other than ky wv and pa .An investment in light rail would not just change that but it would mean conventions and maybe new sports teams and a flirtation with status as a global city,
Look, here is the problem with Ohio in general. 1) Terrible economy and unusually high state and corporate taxes, 2) Terrible weather 3) An uneducated workforce and 4) a prejudice, OLD SOUTH mentality which includes racism against all ethnicity and “the good ole boy” system of employment. Let’s dissect each concept one by one, shall we?
The taxes in this state are terrible and they tend to scare away potential employers looking to relocate or maintain their business in Ohio. This is bad, especially now, when the economy is really pivoting right now. The state taxes it’s residents higher than even California does and Cali DEFINITELY has a more diverse economy than Ohio does. Ask yourself why Fortune 500 companies are relocating to Texas? Why are people relocating to Texas? Well, here is your answer: JOBS and NO TAXES. Texas also has a stable, diverse economy that is based around the oil industry. I don’t see our dependence upon oil fading anytime soon. Ohio and most of the Rust Belt has lost 98% of it’s manufacturing base and those jobs HAVEN’T and will NOT come back. It’s simply cheaper to “make stuff” oversees in the emerging markets like China and India. Ohio’s economy largely consists of private sector employment in the healthcare and service industries. Outside of that, the other jobs are only in skilled trades and public sector employment (state jobs). The IT jobs go to foreigners from India. Northeast is largely a warzone as it continues to lose solid employers and residents relocate to other areas. Where are these people going? They’re either moving to Columbus, Ohio or they are leaving the state entirely. Now, in this second part, let’s focus our attention on the so called Ohioan utopia that is Columbus, Ohio. This place is FAR from that. As I mentioned, this city is comprised of Ohio transplants from Northeast Ohio and a MASSIVE amount of foreigners. The population in this city has FAR exceeded 800,000. I would estimate 1.2 million by now in the entire area. The place has become overpopulated and the traffic is as bad if not worse than Atlanta metro traffic. The drivers are terrible and yes, you could say that about any other city but why are they so bad here? It’s the foreigners and the transplants from the east coast that make driving around this place hazardous at all times of the day. There are only TWO major employers in Columbus, Ohio: The Ohio State University and The State Government (the state of Ohio). Outside of that, once again, you are stuck with healthcare, IT and skilled trades. If you are outside of those areas, you are going to struggle badly. For a city of this caliber, it is outrageously expensive to live here. Rent prices are through the roof and you are generally better off buying a home. However, unless you are working in one of the aforementioned employment areas, then it would be suicide to buy a home in this area and regionally tie your hands and feet. I’ve already mentioned the other issues like the terrible food etc. Yes, the food really is terrible. I’ve been to Chicago and other major cities where the food is just phenomenal. The food in Northeast Ohio is TEN TIMES better than the food here in Columbus.
Secondly, terrible weather. What more can I say about the weather here? It is the END OF MAY and it is STILL cold. Weather actually does have a long term effect on a state’s city’s economy. Businesses do not want to move to an area where it is snowing and is cold all the time. Why? Not because they couldn’t make it or do business there but largely because they would have a difficult time attracting employees. If I built a Fortunate 500 company, would I do better in Cleveland or Miami. Or how about Ohio or Texas? This of course neglects the tax advantages of both but the argument holds true. It’s always raining, snowing, or it is hot or bitterly cold. Once again, yes, this stuff happens in OTHER states but the emphasis that I am trying to drive home are the “EXTREMES”. Yes, other states have better weather but Ohio’s weather is “EXTREME”. Cold weather for 5-6 months out of the year is EXTREME. Yes, other states have economic problems but Ohio’s economy is of the EXTREME…extremely bad. I once had a government social worker would worked on unemployment claims tell me that I was best leaving the state for employment opportunities because “Ohio is in a perpetual state of recession” and has been in recession prior to 2007-2008. There is poverty in Georgia but Ohio has EXTREME, profound levels poverty.
Uneducated workforce? Yes, that is right. MOST Ohio residents, these young kids who go to college, do so in hopes of fueling the phenomenon known as “brain-drain”. It’s where the residents attend in state colleges and achieve employment out of state and “smartly” so. The job scene is abysmal in Ohio and if you have the requisite education, why would you settle for the misery of living in a state like this. When you are educated, you want to live and work around educated people. You want to own a home with neighborhoods full of educated people who maintain their property. You don’t want your property values diminished by low income housing which has permeated into most suburbs in Ohio. You don’t want to deal with the insane crime rates that plague cities like Columbus, Ohio. After “brain-drain”, all that is left are largely uneducated, unskilled workers who are funneled off into the service sector. It’s sad, but, true. Could that explain why Columbus, Ohio has a LARGE service sector presence? You can find just about ANY store or restaurant here yet high wage, skilled jobs that require a college degree are scarce. Things that make you go..hmmm…
Lastly, the mentality here in Ohio is that of extreme prejudice and racism along with the “good ole boy” system akin to the “old south”. When I speak of “old south”, I mean Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama and southern Tennessee. You’re probably looking at that list and saying “Kentucky!!”? Yes…Kentucky. Kentucky, along with Ohio, is one of those states that belongs in the deep south. I’ve been there and it is EVERY BIT as racist as Alabama. Columbus, Ohio is polluted with 20th century hell-spawned racists from Kentucky, West Virginia and upstate New York. Not to mention the separatists who managed to break off from the cancer that is Cleveland, Ohio. There’s tons of discrimination in the workplace and hiring is based off of the good ole boy system. What is the “good ole boy system”? If you are married to a hiring manager’s daughter then you are instantly hired and promoted to an executive position the following week. If you are a certain race, *ahem* outside of being a minority *ahem* then you are automatically qualified and accepted for positions even if your skill set is not a fit. It’s called “being in the club”. If you get into a workplace and you don’t join the club or at least yield to it, then, you better update your resume. People are racist here against any minority: Asians, Blacks, Hispanics etc. Even MULATTOES (Like Obama) are considered minorities in Ohio. If you’re not thoroughbred, then, you are not deemed a position in the stable and they will give you subtle hints that you are not wanted “around these parts” as the old hicks say. I’ve heard everything from prejudice jokes to the slandering of President Obama. This place is just terrible.
I also want to say, to the stark “Ohio Patriot” who keeps beating his drum in support of Ohio, good for you! Rock on, if you will. I am glad that you enjoy living here but I can’t help but to ask this question: Why are you posting on a site that is mainly concerned with our disdain for this putrid state? How did you find this site in Google? You had to have typed in “Ohio Sucks” or something to that effect so are you truly being honest with us? Most importantly, are you being honest with YOURSELF? You sound like a lot of people who have overstayed their welcome in this state and have become “trapped” here. As a result of being trapped, you continue to feed yourself lies as a coping mechanism. You can have this garbage ass state and all it “doesn’t” have to offer. As soon as the right opportunity arises, I am on the next train out of here. Last one out, please turn out the lights.
In reply to “ohiosucks”, you say that Ohio is “extreme” with everything. When you’re just DEAD WRONG, FACTUALLY! Where are you getting your facts about Ohio’s economy? It FACTUALLY has the 7th strongest economy in the U.S. Just today there are 152,424 jobs available (ones that are posted), 80,000 of those jobs are between $40-$90,000 a year. 26,000 of those jobs are between $80-$6 figures. That’s 106,000 jobs available in Ohio on May 26, that pay over 40k a year. That leaves another 46,000 jobs available below 40k. Ohio has 11.6 million people, and at a unemployment rate of 5.7, still better than most states with half that population. The weather, extreme? No, Florida and Texas in the summer is extreme. Minnesota, New York, New England, Michigan (to name a few) are extreme in the winter. There’s only ONE state in the U.S., that didn’t get snow this year, and that’s Florida. Texas and Georgia both get regularly hammered in the Winter time. Let’s face it, aside from Florida, you ain’t going to the beach ANYWHERE between December and early March. Stop with the weather, everybody gets it. Now..to my point. If you want to compare CITY to CITY, fine…I agree…some Ohio cities just don’t compare to some of the bigger cities in the U.S. I get it, but you people are labeling AN ENTIRE STATE, thats based on whatever bad experiences you may be having in a small area. Even within the state, each area is BLATANTLY different from the others. There are 5 regions in Ohio that are all extremely different from each other. Travel the state, get out, explore, then make your assumptions. I have yet to have a challenger tell me what he can’t do in “boring” Ohio, that he can do anywhere else in the U.S.
And also the “trapped” comment. As I’ve previously stated…I am VERY WELL TRAVELED. I thoroughly enjoy most places I travel to, and I compare everything to my home State and Cities. Like I said, there are bigger cities than Ohio’s, there are Cleaner cities than Ohio’s, there are bigger mountains than Ohio’s, there are a lot of places that have something “better than Ohio’s something”….but what I’ve come to realize is that very few States can offer literally everything that Ohio can. 2 VERY HIGHLY Rated Amusement Parks, 310 miles of lakefront (more of sea, than a lake), 4 VERY HIGHLY RATED Zoos, Half a State of National Forest and small mountains, 3 Large Cities in the Top 40 Largest Cities, More Colleges and Universities per capita than anY other state, Skiing and Snowboarding parks, 28 Fortune 500 companies, and 100s of Fortune 1000 companies, A STRONG ECONOMY, Amish towns, farmland, swampland, Top Rated suburbs, Amazing Shopping, etc. There is so much to love about Ohio, that I know those of you complainers haven’t stepped outside to discover. The way I feel is….if you’re not happy, or Ohio isn’t home…Travel the country, get out and discover other places. When you blog harsh comments about a State, you’re also insulting 11.6 million other people with baseless, classless blasphemy. I’m not here to sell you on my state, I’m here to DEFEND my state with FACTS, and my traveling experience. Again, don’t blog about it, do something about it.
One last thing, about racism and acceptance. Look, I don’t agree with prejudice of any kind, and of course there are prejudiced people in Ohio. But…A lot of you compare OHIO (the entire state) prejudice to the prejudice in the Southern states, then in the same paragraph say how much better the Southern states are than Ohio. What’s it going to be? You can’t have your whiney cake and eat it too. There’s prejudice EVERYWHERE, because literally EVERYONE on the planet is prejudice in one way or another. That’s just the truth. I guess if Georgia and North Carolina are “cooler” than Ohio, then the prejudice down there can be tolerated, right?
There’s something that Ohio people do — and Jon over there is a prime example of it. They’re born-and-bred; gonna die there too Ohioans. And yet the fact that they’ve visited a place leads them to believe they really know enough about it having spent a whole week or so there, to really know and judge it. I’m from the East Coast, not Ohio, but had the displeasure of living there, in Columbus, for almost eight long years. You’ve been to NYC Jon? Yeah, right. You walked around Mid-Town a whole lot, maybe did a selfie in Times Square, or hung around Rock Center with all the noobs hoping to be on-camera with Al Roker. Maybe went to the FiDi to see the WTC. Whatever — you don’t know jack-doodly-squat about this place. You can’t argue whether or not a place sucks, because it is biased and subjective — it’s an opinion. “lisa” a couple of pages back moved to Cow-moo-bus from the East Coast and her opinion (notice that word I used) is very much the same as mine: it’s very middle-brow; little-to-no real culture; sterile and very, very provincial. The place likes to beat its chest as to how it’s such a big city (“we’re the 15th “largest”) but so often acts like a small ‘burg — don’t even get me started on how annoying it is when everyone gets so super-geeked about OSU. Trust me, the cities that Columbus would compare itself to, as being as big—or bigger (Baltimore, Boston, DC) have way, way way more going on then Cow-suck-ass. In terms of space, you get a lot of bang for your buck, but that’s about all you can say about the place. Again, this is just my opinion. But the thing that hasn’t seemingly gotten through your thick head, Jon, is that we are all entitled to our opinions and allowed to express them. It’s too bad it’s hurting your widdle-iddy-bitty fee-wings. The people on this thread are here to vent their dislike of Ohio. Throwing a lot of useless numbers at them isn’t going to change anyone’s mind.
OhioHtr, youve lived in Columbus for 8 years and you’re telling me there’s no diversity in the State of Ohio? Get the Fuck out of here. That alone shows your ignorance. Apparently from what I know about NYC, you know about the same about Ohio. Here we go again with CITIES vs. STATES. Are you too fucking dumb and lazy to read my previous posts? Why are you comparing Columbus to NYC? There are NO CITIES IN THE US THAT COMPARE TO NYC. It’s stupid. Why try an make that comparison? For the last time…Columbus is GROWING COLLEGE TOWN!!! It”ll never be an east coast city…because IT’S NOT ON THE EAST COAST!!!! And Baltimore, really? Cleveland>>>>>>> Baltimore all day and yesterday too. You’re apparently ignorant like most people on this forum, mainly because you can’t read and formulate a coherent response to my previous posts. WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU BLOGGING ABOUT A STATE, WHEN YOU COULD BE LEAVING THE STATE? And if your home city is so great, why are you over 500 miles away in the first place?
And if you don’t think Cleveland has any “real culture”, I know for a damn fact you’ve never been there. Keep lying though
Where to begin? Ohio just can’t seem to pull itself up! In fact, they only people that think Ohio is progressive are Ohioans: uninformed, unattractive, unhealthy, unworldly, this place is a train wreck! If I have to look at another dowagers hump on every woman past the age of 35 in this hell hole of a state, I will puke! So much thyroid disease, diabetes, all the men get prostate cancer! The vitamin D deficiency is epidemic and the results aren’t pretty. These people seem terrified of life in general, afraid of anything they don’t understand but willing to ignorantly comment and even argue about topics they have no experience with. The accent!!!!!!!! EEEWWW! “Apple” equals “AYHAAPUUULL” and so non progressive! I would say Ohio is a good 10 years behind in every aspect of life. Single and dating? Try finding anyone who is even relatively attractive, good luck. Halle Berry was from this hell hole? No wonder she lit out! Lazy, Lazy, Lazy, people! So lethargic and lifeless, just like robots. I feel about Ohio they way I feel about roaches and have to question the existence of both.
BTW I have lived in big cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, NYC, Miami, Minneapolis, Las Vegas as well as small towns such as Ellsworth Maine, Bolivar, Missouri and let me tell you that all these places had both good and bad in varying degrees. Cleveland has been the only exception. No redeeming qualities whatsoever! The people being the main problem. Consequently crappy architecture, no class, no passion for anything! Horrible weather! The people here rant and rave if it is a warm day, regardless of how overcast, gray and dreary it usually is. They live in denial by saying things like “It wouldn’t be any fun if it were pretty every day.” Can you imagine how sad and defeated these locals are? On a more comical note uneducated palettes are always good for a chuckle. They will eat food that is going bad and declare it delicious. I have yet to find a great restaurant in Cleveland. For the record, I am not crazy about Columbus either. The food sucks! I am here for obligations just a tad longer and then it’s Adios and then please Ohio put yourself out of your misery and get hit by a asteroid storm.
@JON what “traveling experience” do you have?? A couple of weeks in different cities and countries? Get a clue! You are the typical Ohioan I am speaking of. Try living in a different country or even REAL American city for a few years before feeling that you are adequately able to comment. Thanks for displaying the third grade mentality you all have! I am originally from Los Angeles and when visitors would say negative things about my home city, who cares? You are being overly sensitive because what more cosmopolitan and discerning people are saying about Ohio messes with your sense of delusion. This self imposed delusional state is a survival mechanism that allows you to stay in the most depressing state in America. Even Detroit has more to offer! Yes, I lived there as well.
AHHH! I forgot! I saw a movie a few weeks ago with John Candy and Robert Wagner. Robert Wagner appears in a scene and points at gun at John Candy. John Candy says “What are you doing here? I sent you to Cleveland.” Robert Wagner responds “For that alone I should kill you!” Some things are just common knowledge.
CathM, where shall I begin? Firstly, let me get straight to your bullshit. You’ve lived in Minnesota, NYC, Missouri, Michigan, and Maine. That’s 4 states Colder, and more northern than Ohio…..and yet you’re still complaining about weather and gray skies? You’re just like every other whiney ass on this forum…..FULL OF SHIT! And if you expect me to believe that you’re under 35 and have lived in all of those cities, then you better expect to me to believe that you have no real career. Which, in turn, leads me to believe that you’re low_to_moderate income like everyone else on this forum. Therefore, if you’re truly seeing these “ugly, ass backward” people that you claim to see EVERYDAY, I can only assume that YOU live in the same environment as these people and are their equals. But, if you’re truly above these Ohio people, then you should have the resources to bail, right? Face it, you’re ignorant! Only ignorant people make broad, generalized statements about the 7th most populous State based on their pathetic little life experiences in a small area.
My travels have taken me all ACROSS THE FUCKING WORLD! Think Paris, London, Rome, Scandinavia, Spain, etc. So, yes I can definitely comment and defend my state. Also, I find it FUCKING HILARIOUS that you just referred to yourself as “cosmopolitan”. Haha! GTFOH Lame-Ass! Wake the Fuck up from your little luxurious dream world and take a long look in the mirror. You’re a fucking nobody. A piss-on who is apparently stuck in a State, and takes to an online forum to whine about it. So Cath, with your definition of Ohio, I’d say you fit in well.
CathM, Cock Rcoaches? Asteroid? Your hate for a place with imaginary borders is comical. Comments like these are exactly what people expect from a highly educated, well traveled, cosmopolitan person like yourself, lol. This whole forum is GOLD. And I’m the one whose delusional?
And let me just get ONE MORE laugh in.
You claim you’re Cosmopolitan, well educated, beautiful, well traveled, the works. And yet, here you are, a nobody, a piss-on…..throwing around elementary insults on an internet message board. SURE you’re Cosmopolitan. OKAYYY!
Jon,
Baseless, classless blasphemy? I am actually a transplant from NE Ohio so my opinion about this garbage state is well qualified. CathM’s comments are pretty much dead on. Like I said before, you’re likely an individual who is stuck here and is trying hard to convince himself that this place is some utopia. Northern Ohio, from east to west from Cleveland to Toledo looks like one HUGE hollowed out nuclear bomb site. Cleveland is like a poor man’s Chicago (yes, I have been to Chicago). Youngstown is Detroit’s mini-me and Toledo is just a city that nobody even talk about anymore. All of my views that I have expressed here are opinions, yes, but LOTS of people share the same opinion I have. It is WELL DOCUMENTED that Ohio has THREE of America’s top 10 most miserable cities. Want to know what they are? Cleveland, Toledo and Youngstown and all three are garbage cities. COW-lumbus should be on that list also.
@OFS
So you think Ohio citizens are cockroaches? So you hope Ohio gets hit with an asteroid? That’s not classless? And what science is there behind some magazine’s opinion about miserable cities? They baselessly equate rustbelt to miserable. WRONG!
To your “Cleveland to Toledo” comment. Ummm, have you never been to the islands? Sandusky? Lake towns in between? Is absolutely beautiful country…And you damn well know it. The most visited place in Ohio (you know, Cedar Point) also sits in there.
And lastly, for the LAST TIME, I AM FAR FROM STUCK. As I’ve previously stated, I spend a lot of time in Atlanta, and have been offered numerous times to pack up and go. Why should I, though? Why should I uproot my family and leave more family? What does any place in the U.S. offer me…that I can’t get here at home? A “cool” factor? I’m proud of where I’m from…Im not going to leave my home just so I can tell people I live somewhere “hott”. Like I said, everywhere I go has something better than Ohio’s something. And that’s great, if I wanna stay near large, beautiful mountains, I’ll vacation in Colorado. If I want to go to a ocean, I’ll vacation in Florida. If I wanna see beautiful skylines, I’ll travel to Chicago. And so on. But move? no need. Mountains, outdoors, rough terrain…I already live in Southeast Ohio (Appalachia). Beaches, Water….I’ll go to Lake Erie. Skylines? We have 6 I can look at. Theme parks? No further explanation needed. But if y’all want to leave, or go home…..how is degrading an entire state on the internet going to help you achieve your move?
Heres 3 cities in Ca that would better any city in Ohio Oakland . Oakland has more diversity more ways to get around bart train and buses and light rail less segeration and more educated people than Cleveland but it has something that even rivals the flats which is Jack London square a riverfront of hotels shops and bars . Oakland is what Cleveland would be like if Cleveland was cool. Sacramento is clean green has a historic old town district and even less expensive than Columbus and is the most intergrated city in the usa. Cleveland and Cincy are two of the most segerated in the country .UC Davis and Sacramento st are top notch . San Jose high tech to the hilt and a booming economy better than Columbus or Cleveland Cincy but also once again people from around the world and not just Mexico Asia . The point old cities in not just ohio are dying but in states like Michigan west New York and in PA. If Ohio is an awesome place and has many big cities why are so many people moving and leaving those big cities mostly young people why is this st losing population ?Why is Cleveland and Cincy the most poorest big cities ?Why are we content to be just to pre recession economy ?Why is this st getting older faster than the national avg ? Why did Youngstown Ohio lose almost half its population in 30 yrs and why is Northeast Ohio and Northwest Ohio still clinging on to her rust belt blue collar image like a old 60s passé fashion trend ? Its about how we treat success in Ohio if you are successful you are hated .In the more prosperous states its expected . This is why business don’t come here taxes are too high and the population is dwindling its true most people who are stuck here don’t want to be here and cant afford to move or don’t want to leave family .If the us government gave anybody a choice to move and if the gov paid for the move most people who can would take the opportunity .And this brings true to the Midwest this is probably the least desireable part of the us to live in a landslide and most people who do live here have that illeducated rust belt drink your beer mentality . Time to get in the tech age and get to the 21st century Ohio Indiana Pa West NY before America leaves you behind .You know this is a problem because immigrants haven’t came to ohio since the early 20th century and its because this part of the USA doesent have much going for it other than a governor who is trying hard to suppress votes to save face for his illeducated base . We have two of the most poorest big cities Cleveland and Cincy for a reason they both are near the bottom in residents with college degrees near the top in single parent homes near the bottom in intergrated blocks and dead last in new immigrants . Six Flags in Texas GA and Denver could top Cedar Point which by the way closes for half the year at least . Busch Gardens FL .Myrtle Beach and Santa Monica boardwalk and Venice Beach would also be more preferred Kellys island only in the summer can you visit try the winter its would be an icy hell trying to go by boat .
SOO, you said it, clear as day: “Oakland is what Cleveland would be if it were cool.” Do you see what’s wrong with this statement (which I just addressed in my last comment)? It’s perception. It’s all perception. Do you REALLY think Oakland is better than Cleveland? Take away San Francisco and what is Oakland? That city would NEVER stand alone. And THERE ARE SO MANY STATEMENTS THAT YOU POST…THAT ARE BASELESS, AND DOWN RIGHT LIES. You know damn well Cedar Point is the better than those in Texas and Georgia, and anyone in America would say the same.
You mention a lot of California cities and their diversity. And their perceived healthy economy.
1.) California has 3x more people than Ohio, borders Mexico, and has more Hispanic people than white people. Diversity comes natural when you are originally a Mexican state.
2.) California unemployment: 8.7%..HIGHEST IN AMERICA.
3.) 3 Fortune 500 Companies have left California in 3 years to go to Texas. Why? Because California has high taxes and IS BROKE!!!
4.) If you’re going to compare apples to oranges (Ohio to Florida and California), then by the rules of this forum, at least 46 other states should suck a$$ then, right?
And now to address your little factoids.
1.) “Ohio is losing population/dying” LIE! Ohio has never lost population. Immigrants account for over 60,000 people in the last 3 years.
2.) “There are NO immigrants coming to Ohio” LIE! See statement #1.
3.) “Businesses don’t come here” LIE! If businessas don’t come here, then how is Ohio in the Top 5 of job creation since the recession?
4.) “The Midwest is illeducated” LIE! Firstly, “illeducated” is not a real word, and secondly…if that’s the case, then why are Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York ranked 1, 3, and 4 respectively..in number of colleges and universities in State?
As I’ve said, you make these absurd statements and never provide a link, or a source for your information. You are right about Cincinnati and Cleveland having a high percentage of low income people within city limits. That’s definitely not acceptable. With that said…Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus all have gained population 3 years straight as of May 23, 2014. Columbus is the fastest growing city in the Midwest, and 14th fastest growing in the U.S…..it’s hott. Cleveland and Toledo both did continue to lose population, albeit, only about 6,000 people. The decline has to drop off somewhere, and it’ll bottom out soon.
Jon I was typing while im sitting here at Jack London Hotel in Oakland . Here’s this Chicago has a large Latino pop and Asian pop and it’s only 4 hrs from here . Ohio has the colleges but not the graduates they go to the sun belt . Minneapolis St. Paul . Better than Cleveland it has u of m and in my mind is the true San Francisco of the Midwest . Very true Cleveland Cincy near the top in single parents and child poverty . San Jose one million strong no beaches needed . Fact Chicagos Latin pop recently passed the Black American pop and Chicago is nowhere near Mexico . Berkeley near Oakland aka Tha Town . Better than Cbus and C bus has 800 000 mostly in state . How’s Atlanta ? You must like it more to leave your precious Ohio LOL. I love the Bay Area !
My friend, as I’ve said at least 4 times previously…I live in Ohio. Not Georgia. Atlanta has better skylines than every city in Ohio, I’ve said that. That’s all it has. It’s a visually appealing city…but I don’t need to move just to appease my eye.
Do a google search Ohios clowdy future it tells it as it is . Read it .
Solid post “Straitouttaohio”. That article basically reinforces what everyone has been saying about this state. While I believe that the United States as a whole is in economic decline…Ohio is in a STEEP decline and has always been in decline even during times when the rest of the country was experiencing boom times. I would even argue that Michigan and Ohio are the models for what the rest of the country will be like in the near future. Scarce jobs that are livable wage, a hollowed out industrial base and a predominately service economy is what characterizes Ohio. The poverty rates in this state are downright frightening and sad. I read the little bit about Columbus being the only city that is gaining in terms of population growth. Well, that is due to the fact that people are leaving Cleveland, Cincy, Toledo, Dayton, Youngstown, Akron and Toledo and moving to Columbus. The variety of jobs really are no different than what you would find in Cleveland. I look at the classifieds every weekend and it’s the same types of jobs (healthcare, truck drivers, IT, some finance, skilled trades and the rest are $9-12/hr. service type jobs). And down the toilet Ohio goes……
I have lived and worked in several other places for years at time, did well, and chose to move back to Ohio. And yet, I do agree with most of the negatives here. It just seems like everything being yelled about “so bad”could be said anywhere? Winter isn’t that bad, compared to Chicago, and people aren’t that bad, compared to Pittsburgh. All together now, take a breath, calm down…
I wonder if something written on an earlier post might answer a lot of these questions going back and forth? Namely, the neighborhoods people live in, and their background(s). We do have some abysmal walking roadside trash in this state, but there is just so much more filth in larger urban areas. Then again, I’m older now, and do remember ***HATING*** this place when I was 18, and wanted nothing to do but get the hell out of here! Perhaps getting one’s skin hardened by the world has made the Ohio “rudeness” less noticable? It definitely IS there, but I guess I just don’t see it as much anymore. Hmmm- maybe that’s not such a good thing…
y’all bogus types no gotchda booms, skitcha. Natch. We got the Ohio bang to-GOTS, meefs! Coot. Das riiiiiight, hohmie. We in da HI-o hatesya good. Want nuthin’ tado witchyoo smarts! Dem big words make me HON-gry. Youse fizzle me shizzles needs ta getcha on yer way OUT of dis gray grate land ourn. We digz da teamz, we digz da geotta, we digz da slam. Boom! ssssss time for yoo to goo, meefs. Bleet da skeet and ZAP
I just came to this website because i will be relocating to Ohio with my Fiancee from Philadelphia. He is from Ohio and had relocated to Philadelphia to be with me 10 plus years ago. He has obtained a job that requires him to relocate back to Ohio and it is a wonderful opportnity for him. I have a position in philadelphia but will go with him and hopefully will get a position there with my skills that I have acquired in business. I have followed this blog and it appears that people are a bit hostile on both sides. I am a philadelphian and sometimes I don’t like my city very much either. But I am proud to call me self a philadephian accepting the good and the bad that the city has to offer. I hope that wherever I go I take those good qualities with me. I don’t have a lot of factual information about Ohio. I only know that while visiting Ohio and I have visited often I have met some wonderful people. Now Im sure that people can be racist there, but people can be racist in philadelphia. I’m very sorry that versing one’s opinion can bring out the worst in people as I have read on this blog and hopefully you guys will not tear me to shreds for versing my opinion, but this sight mentioned reason’s why Ohio sucks. I was just curious but it looks like I shall have to find out for myself. Thanks and no worries, I will never get to a point to go on an attack for ones opinion.
I think in my earlier posts I described that Ohio Pa .Mich and Indiana are just like a mirror images of each other I think Pa is actually worse than Ohio but big John thinks ohio is on the same level as the big 5 states . Fact these cities are shrinking with the exception of Columbus Fact Ohio is getting older because young people are leaving because they have thought about it since age 18 . Fact Ohio is very culturally bland this st doesent have the type of economy to keep people here 60 000 new jobs in Columbus is expected because Columbus is growing because of in state transplants . Fact Columbus isn’t as multicultural as advertised 65 pct white 23 pct black 5pct Asian and Hispanic a piece its just like your typical Midwestern city that has been gentrified to kingdom come with typical ohio people from all over the st very few people who live there come from the west and sunbelt . Fact Ohio will continue to lose population bad leadership is why and we still cant keep corruption out of the state capitol building . Fact Ohio winter is just as bad as Colorado and Minnesota ,It gets very cold from Oct to May that is 8 of 12 months .Fact Ohio is very segregated by race most smalltowns in this st are 90 pct white and tend to be very racially conservative and also fact we have two of the most segregated cities in America in Cleveland and Cincy .Fact Minorities don’t do well in this st Minorites are doing much better in the sunbelt and west coast in the rust belt they are being dragged back to jim crow at times as far as employment and discrimination and once again the level of segeration in the rust belt not just ohio is staggering .Fiction Jon when did pa and ny become Midwestern states ? Fact Ohio has not and will not become a tech state if ohio brings more educated people here we will get better as far as tolerance . Fact states that have more going for them economically are more racially diverse and have a diverse economy as far as jobs ohio is still dreaming about the industrial age which is gone
Maybe all of us who think “Ohio sucks” and live here but aren’t like that should team up AGAINST all the people who make it this way? All the garbage with the prison tats, the angry scowls, the purple hair, the wretched filth, the permanent trailer park crowd. Then we just have to devise a machine to clean the air, water, soil, lakes, rivers, highways, etc… (sigh)
Cleveland sucks so much that even Craigslist won’t list it under their “City” category. Jon is the very much the typical Ohioan who thinks because he has traveled (if that’s even true) he can comment on diversity. Jon what part of what I stated did you miss? You need to actually live in a place for an extended period of time to properly evaluate it. Sandusky beautiful? What drug are you on? Let me tell you another little ugly fact about Ohioans …. they are some of the most hateful jealous people I have encountered. They detest anyone who lives a lifestyle above their depressing penny pinching mentality (even those who are wealthy) and will verbally thrash them. Everyone here is going on about employment, taxes, etc. When it comes down to it, who the hell cares? Lot’s of cities have these issues but still have fantastic assets to balance all that out. Jon, mocking me for being cosmopolitan is a dead give away of the mentality I mention above “OOHHHH Who the hell does she think she is?” It also exposes the controlling, anal, self loathing most Ohioans suffer from. Just look at the stupid news channel with that retarded slogan, “Cleveland’s Own” How friggin hokey can you get? I have lived in places that were very redneck and guess what? Most people from those places accept what they are and some are even proud of their hillbilly roots. I say good for them! The problem with most Ohioans is that they refuse to accept that they are basically a pack of hillbillies. They protest loudly when called out on it which is hysterically funny. If they learned to accept themselves they just might be happier instead of desperately trying to defend their “flyover” state. Jon, stop being such an example of all this. Be a man and admit the truth. @Van, you do have a point; a place is only as bad as it’s inhabitants.
I think we should all team up if we haven’t moved already this st is what Cathy said it is she is one smart cookie. John thinks most Ohio haters are low income rejects wrong they are smart intelligent and resourceful . Those who defend this state defend what it is and that’s all that needs to be said
…okay…
so, we team up.
Now what?
CathM
Do you realize how retarded you sound: “they refuse to accept that they are basically a pack of hillbillies”. I don’t know where you’re from, but that place has to be proud of you. So, 11.6 million people of all diversities and backgrounds should just accept that they’re hillbillies? Okay, Cath. Sure we will. See, that’s the problem with the whiners on this board, every last one of you applies blanket statements to an entire population/state. That in and of itself is enough to discredit any notion that you know anything about the subject you’re bitching about. Address this question, Cath: If you’re so cosmopolitan, then why are you in (your version of) Ohio? If you’re so uppity, then how are you constantly surrounded by all these heinous creatures and places? If you’re so damn wealthy, then why do you have to come to an online forum to bitch about being stuck? My suggestion is to shut the hell up as to avoid sounding like a mind-trapped lunatic. As I said, you’re a piss-on living in a fantasy world. A nobody. A fraud.
CathM
“Learn to accept themselves”.
Straight from the horses mouth. Practice what you preach, sweetheart. Keep playing the lottery (I know you do, don’t deny it), then maybe one day you really can be cosmopolitan.
To SOO,
If you can’t put together a second grade sentence structure, and you REALLY think CATHM is a “smart cookie”, then you should immediately refrain from posting.
I’m out here in the Bay Area and this place is full of Midwest refugees .I met some awesome people who left that part of the USA and Cali is full of ex Midwesterners who told me stories much worse than what Cathy has to say .They hate ohio but Indiana Pa , and most not all of the rest but espically Missouri I heard some stories about vanilla Middle America and these people are some of the most open minded people I’ve met . Big Jon if you mess with me and Cathy you mess with all of them . This one girl told me the Midwest is as classy as nuclear waste .
In short in Cali they call the Midwest a lot worse things than hillbilly land a lot .
Ohio and the heartland is only for the typical hunting ,fishing ,hard hat ,blue collar Middle American ,support your troops ,god and country Christian conservative , marriage by 18 ,tea bagging ,vanilla traditional American types . If you are hip cool different and want to turn the system upside down and if you are gay , non Christian black, Hispanic ,liberal and anti war most of Ohio isn’t for you at all .The Midwest is a part of America where things are done in a traditional manner where everybody knows their place “and those who don’t are put there”. where the old guard has and will always prevail over change . Its Middle America at its finest its called the Midwest where simple American values and simple traditions always rule all .
Jon do a google search “Ohio’s cloudy future its not lies its the truth .The sooner its realized the sooner Ohio can be rescued from its problems that the article explains .
“jon” is so cool
Jon, why are you here? You are diligently defending your state online with lengthy comments, but I think that shows that there really isn’t anything else to do here in Ohio but be a Troll. I think you are funny. Someone who was probably born and raised in this dump. Weekend trips to Big Lots and Steak n Shake huh? Then sitting in your house doing searches of Ohio Sucks while eating buckeyes. Proudly displaying your extra large OSU shirt every day of the week. That top notch education at “The” Ohio State University (**chuckle**) got you at most a $150,000 house and a Honda Civic. Not to mention your debt. HAHAHAHA! Family vacation every year to Cedar Point. Yeah!
The thing you are obviously missing in this thread is the complaint of everyone being cookie- cutter copies of each other. This is the story of damn near everyone here. And as you can tell, this story is awful. This is what Ohio breeds. This is what makes it so bad.
Jon, you are defending a place with one of the highest obesity rates in the country. It was the worst air quality in the country. It is one of the most racist states and lower than average life expectancy. This state has 2 of 10 most miserable cities. Sources: MSN, USATODAY, Cleveland.com, Forbes.com, Harvard. Countless sources called O-H-I-O one of the worst states in the country. Do you think they all have it out for Ohio or maybe, just maybe, there is some validity to what they say.
Jon- please stop being Ohio brainwashed and open your eyes.. things here are not as good as you think.
yeeeeeeeee-HAH! darn TOOTIN’ we luv oHIo! Yuk yuk! Me an’ da missus both got matchin’ tatoos, pierced tongues, a rusty red Honda Civic, and a broken down Harley outside the trailer we have sex on every Friday night. yeeee-HAH! eber since ah got mah disabeel-a-tee from the sewer lid factory, we’s be libin’ high off da hog! Yesum! Plenty of pot for the neighbors, and the kids only have to steal school supplies twice a year. yeee-HAH!
I’m not here in defense of Ohio. I’m here to EDUCATE with facts. Franco….you imply that every Ohian patronizes Steak n Shake, Big Lots, drives a Honda Civic, and owns a $150000 house. Now, although that’s ridiculous to assume, what if every Ohioan did? What would your point be? Is it that Ohio doesn’t have luxurious, expensive stores? Because last time I checked, stand alone Burberry, Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade, Tommy Bahamma, etc….would certainly qualify. What about Bang and Oluffsen? Ferrari and Lamborghini dealerships? Do they qualify? Because Ohio has all of these and thousands more. Are you implying that no one in Ohio owns a home over $150000 dollars? Even you know that that’s a dumbass statement. A.) Every state and city in the US has fast food restaurants, $150000 dollar homes, and people drive Honda’s. Jesus, what kind of people are you? Did I stumble upon some kind of fantasy site where lower middle class people fantasize that they are rich and high class? None of you make any valid points. None of you do any research, other than to cite 4 year old opinion pieces in some magazine…also failing to mention the positive articles about Ohio In those same magazines.
Listen, if you don’t like Ohio, fine. You don’t have to. Not everyone does. Not everyone likes any other state they live in. I’m here because…if you’re going to make idiotic, baseless statements and arguments that make ZERO sense, to attack a large population of people, I’m going to educate your dumbasses on why you’re dead wrong. Apparently though, I’m dealing with a different kind of human. One who can’t read and comprehend. One who can’t differentiate fact from opinion. One who doesn’t care to research and learn before stating “facts”. And most frequently….a human who is so stuck in their fantasy mindset, that they can’t understand how the real world works EVERYWHERE. Good luck in your moves people, just don’t expect an online hate forum to help you with that.
I think unlike Jon most people on this site are relatively educated and they are on here because they are sick of being treated like an alien if they are successful or educated . Its true most people in Ohio look at you funny if you don’t drive an American car or if you are educated its true very true .Ohio has limited success because we don’t invite success .Its true most good jobs in this st go to people who aren’t native Ohioans . Im a ex Ohioan .Here in the Bay Area in Berkeley we embrace different cultures ,we accept people for who they are .In Ohio you have to be a bible thumping ,teabagging god and country support our troops, hunting ,fishing, white male with kids to make it . Ohio isn’t alone Indiana ,Pa, West NY Michigan are just as bad if not worse .Jon people on here are bitter about it and would not want to take a punch in the mouth from an Ohio cheerleader for speaking their mind on how Ohio st fans treat visiting fans . If I was a visiting Ohio st fan at a football game I would watch my back especially if I was from Michigan .Here in Berkeley Ohio st fans were treated like the way guests should be when they came to Berkeley for the football game . There was no rioting and hissing and trashing buckeye fans after Cal lost and Cal sucks at football and life still goes on and so does happiness .Columbus may have more than Berkeley its 8 times bigger in the city limits alone not counting the suburbs it has Easton and other malls but it isn’t as bohemian and hip as Columbus . Columbus it its true 15th largest city best shopping city and most smartest population but if I had a choice to live in Columbus or Berkeley I would pick Berkeley despite Berkeley having only 150 000 people .Berkeley isn’t about beating its chest about city size and all its about a way of life that’s more cultural rather than what this and that city has and how many bars pubs and malls we have Berkeley has no malls but it in my opinion is better than Columbus and its just as educated and its residents are more culturally and socially intergraded long before it was politically correct to. Columbus is a city with simple vanilla Midwest values and Midwest culture and its in the same league as fellow heartland cities like Oklahoma city Wichita KS Indianapolis Indiana and Louisville KY .On the same note Franco post was relatively accurate and he didn’t hit all the notes but Jon do a Google search on Ohio’s cloudy future this is why successful people on here have their concerns and this is why Franco’s post is correct and Ohio’s population is getting older because young people are leaving fast but same can be said of most heartland states . Do a Google search PA sucks its a carbon copy of this site you will see the same stuff .I did a Google search CA sucks all I saw was traffic illegals earthquakes etc and how you get treated if you are a conservative .If I was a conservative I would have stayed in Ohio but im not . Also im going to say this most of the problems and posts on here are correct but Ohio isn’t alone and on the Forbes miserable cities there were cities from all over the country and yes Cali too Stockton and Modesto made the cut. Ohio had Youngstown Canton and Cleveland and Toledo on it and I mentioned the good things about Columbus .Anyway do a Google search Ohio’s cloudy future its only a year old and its accurate and also shocking that Columbus is almost bigger than San Fran and has no light rail or subway .I took that into account in deciding to move to Bay Area the traffic in Columbus is like Dallas Ft Worth or Washington Dc 270 is built just like the beltway in DC .A subway or light rail would take care of that problem to a degree .
And Jon to prove a point I was raised in Wooster its a fairly educated college town were most people make well above 50 grand and yet its teabagger city usa and there are just churches everywhere and every car no matter what its is has a right wing bumper sticker on it but its about culture not about what city has this and that and Berkeley is just a better fit for me.
And something else I would not go as far as calling Ohioans Cockroaches like a certain person on here but I find it disturbing that you call everybody who cant fit in this Ohio Midwest culture low class or poor there are some cool people I met in CA from Ohio and PA and many Ohio critics don’t hate the people here they hate the problems and that’s like that everywhere .
anybuddy else here work at the sewer lid factory? yeee-HAH!
SOO,
Once again you paint with a broad brush. You say: “treated like an alien if they are successful or educated . Its true most people in Ohio look at you funny if you don’t drive an American car or if you are educated its true very true.” Really? Most people look at you funny if you don’t drive an American car? Really SOO? Dude, c’mon. Some of the things you say are ridiculous. I’ve never been to Wooster…so maybe MOST OF WOOSTER, looks at you funny, but that still leaves 11.5 million people you’re painting with that brush. And for the record, I don’t even believe the residents of Wooster are as you describe. I think you have an underlying issue. I’m getting a sense of “outcast” from a lot of posters.
I’m getting a sense of “loudmouth trash-talking thinks he’s a tough-guy” punk.
And yes, I live here and like it also, but don’t close my eyes to someone else’s valid complaints.
SOO, you’re perfectly entitled to live where you please. And with the weather in Berkeley, I would imagine you love it there. That being said, if all (or even most) Ohioans were conservative, Barack Obama wouldn’t be your President right now. Think about that. Your assumptions about Ohio tell me that you never gave the State a fair chance. You never explored each large city and region of Ohio. There are so many different cultures within this State that you’ve missed most of it, I’m sure. There’s nothing special about Ohio. It’s a state of many faiths, values, and cultures. If I could sum up Ohio in one word…I’d use “Family”. I’m a Democrat who enjoys tradition, hard work, and family. If Ohio isn’t home to you, it isn’t home. No need to degrade 11.5 million people. Just go where you want to go.
To Jon I want to live somewhere where its more acceptable to have Che Guevara in your reading library and Ohio is ready for Barack Obama but not for the real revolutionary like Che Guevara and Ohio isn’t the Bay area as far as treatment for minorities like me .The Bay area knew what radical politics and liberalism was before the rest of the country did and it wasn’t built or doesent have the people to foster the same culture and ideals as the Berkeley or Oakland Or San Francisco and Portland caliber type cities .Heres my assessment on Ohio cities 1 Cleveland Ive been to Indians games in the 00s and I really just felt that I missed this once proud cities glory years some 50 yrs ago and its brief comeback in the 90s before I was old enough to drive and even get into the flats due to age but what ive seen is a city that is trying hard to avoid being like Detroit and worse Gary Indiana but during this time of incompetent Democratic leadership Kucinich, White and ,Jane Campbell to Frank Jackson has really put this city in the doldrums since at least the early 70s during the time most other Ohio cities have begun their downslide albeit at various speeds .Cleveland is plagued by downside of the auto industry which was to Cleveland as Microsoft is to the Bay area and it accounted for much of the jobs and when it went under in the 70s and 80s Clevelands population and morale went down to and its reputation too in 1920 Cleveland had a million people in just the city now the DFW suburb Arlington TX is bigger . Cleveland is near the top in child poverty single parent homes which are poor to begin with on avg fewest residents with college degree high school dropouts and segerated blocks .I had to tell that the east end is mostly black and the west side is mostly white and a pinch of Hispanic .Extremely segregated Cleveland is 6 pct Hispanic and 3 pct Asian and 50 pct black. Most west suburbs like Parma Brookpark are like to Cleveland as Bensonhurst and Howard Beach are to NYC .By comparison Oakland does have a higher crime rate but its condensed in smaller neighborhoods and its one of the most diverse major cities in America 20 pct black white Hispanic Asian and even multiracial many blacks ages 18 to 40 are mixed and there are far more citzens with a degree than Cleveland , By the way im coming from parents who grew up on both coasts but came to Wooster because of jobs . It really had a bad effect on me growing up in Wooster at a young age til about high school when things got better to a degree Its a very cliquish and insular town that don’t like outsiders and sticks to what I said in my last post but being in a town Wooster of 25 000 and growing that’s 90 pct white and fairly solid middle class is why the Bay Area was quote ‘very appealing’ its a totally different setting than where I grew up and much more accepting of different races than most of the country for that matter let alone little old Wooster Ohio . And something else many transplants to the Bay Area come from all over the country,world and are all colors and races . Cleveland has had a hard time getting people to live there and most people who live there live in the suburbs . Cincinatti ive visited a few times Cincy and my impression of the place is that its even worse than Cleveland and the suburbs are nice even very nice but if your a minority you just don’t get the feeling you belong and being told by a old guy boy you a little too far north that really stuck with me and this was in 2006 5 years after the riot in 2001 I have had no plans to live in cincy based or rep by word of mouth its very very segerated and even my white friends belive its a very racist city because of proximity to Kentucky which in some areas is just as racist as Alabama or Arkansas but I would go as far as saying that Nashville TN was much more friendly and hospitable than Cleveland or Cincy .Im a minority who belives in an partakes of interracial dating .Surprise theres more of it in the south than in the Midwest and Ohio lags behind the national avg in interracial marriages but worse even the Midwest avg . Cleveland and Cincy are two of the worse cities for interracial couples and dating Oakland was 9th best and la was seventh and of course San Fran was 1st but I think Oakland deserves its rightful place as second behind the San Fran I mean I saw more mixed kids interracial couples than in one day than I’ve seen in all 31 years of my life in the Buckeye st .Berkeley in the 60s black and white couples were quote”in vogue” . Where in Ohio let alone America can you say that at that point in time ? like I mentioned in little Wooster Ohio its not like that its very vanilla and traditional . Many of the ladies I dated out here have parents who were in interracial relationships in high school and they are 60 yrs old . I went to see Wooster high play a b ball game in 1993 one girl named Marcie who played for Wooster called a girl on the other team who was black a N##### and she wasn’t punished at all . In a more liberal culture she would have been taught a lesson . Columbus Been to Columbus and its trying to be a big league type city and its true 800 000 in just the city not the suburbs and one of the largest if not the largest city without light rail . I visited it and in my opinion the place is a kinder gentler Cincy its looks nice in the areas around it but the core of Columbus is dead and what city doesen’t have malls and pubs .Difference is that Columbus has more of them than most cities on average because there is no places that consistently bring in tourists .Most people who visit are from other parts of Ohio PA and Wva and that’s it . In Sacramento everybody is from somewhere else .Why no light rail when traffic is just horrendous and this city is continuing to grow like a weed because of mostly in state transplants I don’t know but its cheap to live there because its a more spiffy version of Cincy or Cleveland and most osu grads leave Columbus after their time there . So I really a few yrs ago after understanding that the east coast and FLA were good but really didn’t wow me and that Texas was pretty much Ohio on steroids and extreme discusting heat for 8 months of 12 and the thought of having a 70 degree thanksgiving and even December was just revolting . I just said its time to see the west coast and I visted la and its two cities in one .Downtown La with skid row in the fold is pretty much worse than any ohio city the homeless dross will shout and scream and curse you for money .However west of Beverly Hills its very very nice and Santa Monica and Venice Beach were every bit as awesome as Berkeley and Sf . So after a few more Cali trips and some networking with friends I met there and all I said the Bay area is where its at after toiling in a small insular Midwestern town called Wooster Ohio . But everywhere has its downside but Ohio weaknesses really effected me and a lot of its low rankings as far as quality of life are true like Franco ponited out even in the places like Hudson and Bath and Indian Hills and New Albany they are there and I really belive Columbus is in the same league as Louisville Ky Indianapolis Indiana and Oklahoma City . Its not in the second tier of us cities yet .Cleveland back in the 20s was in that upper tier but it has fallen the same way Toledo has and Youngstown which are former industrial towns that are strugging severely to find their way in the 21st century . Ohio if it had did what the Texas cities did in the 80s and 90s diversified it would the 4th largest st and have at least 16 mil rather than the 11 mil today and it would foster innovation and education in a region that still clings to her blue collar roots in much of the st .
its this simple its all about style Ohio is a blue collar rustbelt agriculture rural st and its not suited to be hip and cool its more of a down and dirty god and country gritty type place . To be specific PA Ohio Indiana and Michigan are cookie cutter images of each other.
its this simple its all about style Ohio is a blue collar rustbelt agriculture rural st and its not suited to be hip and cool its more of a down and dirty god and country, support our troops pro life, Christian Fundamentalist , gritty type place . To be specific PA Ohio Indiana are cookie cutter images of each other.
@Jon, I don’t have to play the lottery; I have been retired for 3 years now. As for those expensive stores you are speaking of … well go ahead and shop at the pathetic Saks at Beachwood in the Cleveland area. Very little stock! BTW I just purchased a $3,000 Chanel handbag there. Still think I need to play the lottery? I am in this state for personal reasons, not for a job. Unlike you, I do not ridicule people who play the lottery, however, I don’t have a problem ridiculing people like you. WHY ARE YOU HERE? If your Ohio life is so great, why are you dedicating so much time trying to deflect every comment about this frumpy ass state? Jon, I want an actual answer to this question! If you are so happy in Ohio why are you spending so much valuable time on something that should not even concern you? Sorry, something just doesn’t add up here. Obviously it’s not “fine if you don’t like Ohio” stop contradicting yourself. Get the hell off this forum already! The people posting here have a genuine need to vent for catharsis. Not every Ohioan I have met is like this Jon character. Unfortunately most are. Some are actually okay and to set the record straight I did not say that Ohioans are cockroaches. I compared my opinion of Ohio itself to that of roaches. FRANCO, great comment! Jon wants facts and you gave it to him, which of course went right over his head. How does everyone feel about a social network site? Maybe call it http://www.Tio.com (trapped in Ohio).
Jon, where else have you actually lived? In other words, have you ever been in one place exclusively aside from Ohio for a year or more? If you had any real knowledge you would know that the only states that I lived in colder than Ohio are Minnesota and Maine. Get your facts straight. Ohio is too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. Okay, so again, tell all of us where else you have lived? I think we would love to know how you have drawn your comparisons. What other states have you been a resident of? Answer the question without skirting around it with your usual mindless rhetoric. Where have you lived other than Ohio for a year or more? If I seem redundant here it’s because you seem to be more than a bit dense with comprehension. So one more time Jon, in caps this time …. WHAT OTHER STATES HAVE YOU BEEN A RESIDENT OF FOR A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME?
Okay, CATHM, for the 1000th fucking time, I’ve lived in GEORGIA. For 2 years to be exact. I’ve spent 8 months in Tampa, Florida. I’ve been to, or vacationed in Sweden, France, Spain, Colorado, New York, Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, Michigan, etc, etc, etc. I’ve stated numerous times that I’m well traveled. Of course you don’t read, so you wouldn’t know this. To your “colder than” comment: So then NYC and Michigan, both NORTH of Ohio, aren’t colder than Ohio? Okay, Cath, Google is your friend. And now, you say “it’s too hot” in Ohio. But you’ve lived in, and loved small ass Missouri…which makes Ohio feel like Antarctica in the Summer time. Like I’ve said, Mrs. $3000 purse (lol), you don’t have to like Ohio. That’s your right. But if you’re going to make shit up to justify your (extremely flawed) reasoning, I’m going to call you out. Ohio is a place with imaginary borders just like every other place. I don’t give a damn how you feel about that, but when you call Ohioans disgusting cockroaches and so forth…that includes me. So I will defend MYSELF. So funny you can find all these nice things in such a decrepit state, huh. And by the way, I answered your question…now answer mine: If you’re so cosmopolitan, uppity, and can afford a $3000 purse (God you’re so rich)….then why are your “TIP”?
“TIO”, excuse me.
CathM’s opinions of Ohioans, the PEOPLE. Just disgusting. And btw CathM, one minute you’re in your mid-30’s, now you say you’re retired. Let’s address your other BIG LIE:
1.) “they only people that think Ohio is progressive are Ohioans:”
2.) “uninformed, unattractive, unhealthy, unworldly, this place is a train wreck!”
3.) “If I have to look at another dowagers hump on every woman past the age of 35 in this hell hole of a state, I will puke!”
4.) “So much thyroid disease, diabetes, all the men get prostate cancer!” 5.) “The vitamin D deficiency is epidemic and the results aren’t pretty.”
6.) “These people seem terrified of life in general, afraid of anything they don’t understand but willing to ignorantly comment and even argue about topics they have no experience with.”
7.) “The accent!!!!!!!! EEEWWW! “Apple” equals “AYHAAPUUULL” and so non progressive!”
8.) “Single and dating? Try finding anyone who is even relatively attractive, good luck.”
9.) “Lazy, Lazy, Lazy, people! So lethargic and lifeless, just like robots.”
10.) “I feel about Ohio they way I feel about roaches and have to question the existence of both.”
“jon” is so cool
OHIO SUCKS
Lived in Norwood Ohio for twelve years the asshole of Cincinnati I mean the police are a joke when you call them they either don’t come or won’t arrest anybody even the smoking gun is practically in their hands and if they do the punks only get 12hours in jail because nobody wants to take the time to send them to county because they know the turd. For being a big city they have the mentality of closed community to which if you aren’t a born and raised Norwoodian the way you are treated ranges from decent until you’ve lived there long enough to like shit but once you are established and aren’t known as a druggie or a troublemaker they treat you right. In speaking of crime they have a town bully and a street gang that runs around like they own the town they commit robbery, violent assaults, rape of both genders, break-ins, home invasions/ burglaries, theft of just about everything, a few kidnappings, shakedown/ extortion of a few local bars and businesses, drugs and everything in between and neither the local or county won’t touch them because they either have friends in the department, paid off or intimidated the right people, FBI snitches, or just simply considered to be respected members of the community therefore have carte blanche to do whatever they want after all the Iron Horsemen were once considered respectable in the wood.
Here in the small towns of Northwest Ohio, there’s so much homophobia and racism, as well as sexism. Everyone hates Obama, when he’s literally only tried to help the nation. This place is overly conservative and hates and rejects anything that changes, i.e. the wind farms that are *beneficial* to the area! I’ve gotten so much hate about being gay. It’s too bad I’m under 18 because I’d be out of here in a heartbeat if I had the chance. Can’t wait to graduate this year.. I hate it.
Based on a national study Ohio children are more likely to be exposed to abuse , sexual abuse , mental disabilities alcoholism, drug abuse ,single parent homes , parent in prison , obesity , underweight birth , poverty and subpar schools and drooping out of school than the national avg . Do a google search ” More than half of Cleveland kids live in poverty .It boils down the fact that these kids will raise other kids into a culture that they grew up in . If you are a young law abiding single adult with a good job and are well cultured this is the kind of people you have to choose from as partners . On top of that Clevelanders were voted most unattractive and the city that was voted most vain was Salt Lake City . I’ve been to SLC and the difference between the two cities a mental retard could figure out .
Heres the buckeye st autopsy . Ohio ranked as a state among the worse in job growth,since 2005 avg, income obesity , single parent homes .median age in Ohio is among the oldest ,people moving out ,net population gain ,net population loss ,racial,gay and ethnic tolerance ,child well being ,life expectancy ,human well being ,residents with a high school diploma residents with a college degree and only Kentucky and wva residents had lower evaluation of personal life . Ohio is almost as bad as smog plagued California as far as pollution. Ohio is one of the most angry and stressed states in the country . Seasonal disorder is a major factor in that regard because the great lakes region has some of the worse weather in the country . Ohio has two of the 20 most racially segerated big cities in America Cleveland Cincinatti two of the most ugliest cites Cleveland and Cincinatti two of the most obese cities Cleveland and Cincinatti two of the worse cities for interracial couples Cleveland and Cincinatti and two of the most poorest cities Cleveland and Cincinatti . Cleveland hasn’t won a major sports title since 1964 . Cleveland is one of the few major cities to default .Detroit did in 2009 as well . Cincinatti in 2001 had the worse race riot since Rodney King in 1992. Cincinatti Reds fired an owner Marge Schott in 1993 over anti semetic and racial remarks .The Cincinatti Reds are one of the oldest and first teams in pro sports but have won only 3 world series 1975 76 90 .Cincy hasn’t won a pro sports title since 90 and the Bengals have only won 3 playoff games in their 50 plus year history and lost two super bowls . Bengals last playoff win 1990 . Ohio as a state is 88 pct white and 9 pct black and 2 pct Asian and 2 pct latino . Ohios immigration rate is among the slowest in the nation and Cleveland and Cincy has some of the most smallest latino population for the 50 largest cities .On Forbes most miserable cities Cleveland Toledo Youngstown Akron and Canton were on it . Ohio cities have declined tremendously since the early to mid 70s but the decline has accelerated since the 2000s .Ohio is in grave trouble of joining Michigan as the only state to lose population .Ohios net gain has regressed to that extent that it could lose electorial votes in national elections as well . The stereotype of Ohio State University is most of the draw is in state but many of the in state draw comes from rural towns and cities that are 90 pct white if not more . In short most Ohioans do not come from cultrally intergrated settings and thus they don’t know how to treat people different from them .That’s why many who attend OSU from other parts of the country end up working in more progressive parts of the country .I will ask anybody who is leaving or thinking about leaving .IS EVERYTING IN THIS POST I MENTIONED WHAT YOU WANT IN LIFE ? IF YOU DO YOU SHOULD STAY .IF YOU DONT THERE ARE OTHER CHOICES.
Ill be fair Michigan ,PA ,Indiana ,and West NY suck just as much
…aw baby, OhiO not so bad. Make my toilet spin the down way, drink mah pee outta da bucket. Welfare stamps crushed my spine and skull, I bled to death inside the porta-potty behind Channel 9. Mop mee down to the see in ships, ahm waxin’ the bounds of Middletown beyond the nearest star…
If you’re educated and have any type of ambition, leave Ohio now.
There is a serious lack of opportunity in this state.
Ever wonder why home prices are so low? Or, why cost of living is so attractive?
It’s simple economics, because supply has completely outstripped demand.
People vote with their feet and with their dollars. They’re leaving Ohio for good reason, and the educated and opportunistic will join them.
If the above mentioned stereotypes of Ohio and Ohioans are not true, why is it that Ohioans try so hard to live up to them? Ignorance for days and days in Ohio, NY, PA, MI, WV, KY……
JON is RIGHT ON! Educate them JON! You Rock! And for the others…”Get a life”
Another problem that I had with living in Norwood is the resentment that some of the locals have towards those who are financially responsible such as paying your bills off on a monthly bases rather than let them pile up, have extra money in the bank to enjoy yourself rather than live paycheck to paycheck, in other words if you have a job that pays over prevailing wage and keep up with your bills and have money to buy nice things and keep your nose clean some people think that they entitled to make your life miserable. In, speaking which it’s pretty ironic that the same people that bitch about not having any money but yet you see these same damn losers at the bar about three to four times a week pounding down booze and hassling those of us who actually aspire to earn more than prevailing wage.
The Columbus Metropolitan Library is the best public library system in the entire country.
There are many professionals here that are highly invested in education.
I have found the people of Columbus to be “liberal leaning conservatives”. We have a large gay population which is respected. A diverse population.
Great concerts, theater, shopping, Ohio State University, short north, the #1 rated zoo in the country. We host the largest single breed horse show in the world.
We have great hospitals and physicians.
People are generally very friendly and neighborly.
I think Columbus is very livable even if you are more into the arts, education and alternative lifestyles than sports and the tradional things that people associate with the state.
I live in OH, to be specific I live in Dayton, OH.
I’m 18, I’ve lived in multiple states (Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Arizona) and OH definitely has a lot of bad aspects. But guess what? So does every place on the planet.
Florida? You practically need to speak Spanish to get around, you need to prepare for property damage every year, people complain when it gets under 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and I personally have never been attacked with racism more than in any other state.
Illinois and Indiana are almost the exact same as OH from my experience so there won’t be much talk about them.
Arizona is so racist that if you aren’t white you have to carry your papers to show that you are a legal citizen! Combine having to carry around your birth certificate/SSC with an average of over 90F heat it is a fairly shitty place to live.
Even though OH does have a lot of bad problems it is nowhere near as bad as these people are making it out to be. No attractive people? HA! I see attractive people everyday of my life! Extremely conservative? Nope, not true. All of the rural areas are conservative, but that is the case EVERYWHERE. Not to mention that since most of the population lives in urban centers (LIBERAL AREAS) that would make a majority of the state liberal. Except in a few rare cases, neither I or any of my friends (diverse group of people) have ever experienced any racists or at least people who are openly racist.
I will not be living in this state after college but that is because my aspirations take me to an entirely different country. Not because I think OH sucks, but because I think America is such an ass backwards place.
Here’s a tip on how to form an argument:
Leave out all bias when stating what you call “facts”
Don’t belittle people on the opposing side (WHICH ALL OF YOU HAVE DONE)
Be ready to cite your sources!!!
Here’s a tip on what a fact is:
Something that contains no bias
Something that is irrefutable
Something that has been proven
A fact is a noun, not an adjective like I’ve seen it used in this thread.
Anybody want to dispute anything I’ve said? PLEASE do, especially if you are going to use the grammar you have to this point. Based on both my opinion and the head of my debate club, Jon would’ve hands down won this if it were a legitimate debate. Solely because:
He used proper grammar, conveyed his opinion where it was necessary, the opponents (SOO, etc.) don’t know how to formulate a complete sentence properly, the opponents are overly biased, and the opponents consistently using belittling as a tactic.
Don’t hate something you either don’t understand or had a “bad” experience in. Plus, buying a $3,000 handbag says nothing more than you are shallow, Cath. Why in the world would you need a fucking purse that expensive? It is excessive, unnecessary, and shallow. Hell, $3,000 could be put to MUCH BETTER uses than housing your billfold/wallet/money clip, make-up, and cell phone. Also, which is it? Are you mid 30’s or retired? BTW to get full SS benefits from retirement you need to be older than 65, NOT SOMETHING SOMEONE IN THEIR MID 30’s GETS.
Want to know my university?
Wright State University, Dayton, OH, 45324.
I have lived on the east side of Cincinnati, Ohio since I was born.
Trapped here due to husband wanting to stay here for his uncle and mother. Year after year I wanted to leave and go some place warm. Being a chronic pain patient and the weather here is always cold or raining. I was able to get 10 days to swim in 2014, that is how cold it is and if you do get hot days it is never enough to warm your pool. Everyone I know wants to be around me so they can get something for nothing. Everyone I know is lazy and only looks out for themselves and everyone judges everyone because there is nothing to do here. Cincinnati area can not even get good concerts going. If you want to canoe you have to go all the way to Brookville Indiana just so you don’t canoe in sewer water. Everyone I know is an alcoholic because there is nothing to do here. I have been rear ended over and over in accidents and my back is a year away from a wheelchair but yet I am the one that didn’t even get a settlement out of being crashed into all the time because there was no such thing as an MRI in the mid 90’s so I was treated as a liar and now destroyed physically for life because the people are under educated out here to the point that they can not even drive correct. Here you have Kings Island and a few bike trails and bowling, everything else is related to drinking….drinking….drinking. There is no beach, no nice malls, oh but the casinos are popping up and that is for the alcoholics. There is nothing here. My home is going on the market spring of 2015 if I can get it to happen that fast and I am going to a place where I can eat or smoke medical marijuana for my chronic pain since the bible belt here thinks it is a satanic plant but it sure is ok to drink a gallon of vodka a week around here. I don’t even want to be around anyone here because I worked my ass off all of my life and anyone who knows me think that my stuff is for them….asking about my material belongings if they can have them or use them or take them. Everyone I know is a lazy sponge that still lives with mommy and daddy at age 50. I have grinded the enamel off my teeth trying to figure out how to sell and buy at the same time now that I am one person and no longer have my deceased husband controlling that I stay here I am out of this hell hole that I NEVER COULD STAND FOR ALL THE YEARS THAT I HAVE BEEN HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The buyer of my home can have my in ground pool that cost $1000 a year to run and for what! It never gets warm enough to swim and if it does …the leaves fall off the trees 2 weeks later. Nothing here, this area sucks!
Hey Pat I think it’s safe to say that most if not all of the stats I posted are accurate . I think you have the skill to look them up . Second i think that you never had the disadvantage of having family being raised in Twinsburg and Akron where you get beat up on your birthday . If you did I guarantee you you would be siding with me . Third and I’m supposed to love this st after what it did to them ? There was a magazine called the roots that did a study on worst states to grow up black and Ohio was the fourth worse Wisconsin Mississippi and Michigan was ahead . Guess what ? Based on mostly what I said about my parents expirences Ohio should be número uno and was near the top during the time my parents were growing up . And to be blunt Ohio has the worst voter suppression laws bar none !
I admit I have a bias about rust belt states but who doesen’t most Midwestern rust belt states and cities have staggering income disparity , severe racial segergation and for many White Americans it’s not a bed of roses either . The only state I like in the Midwest would be Minnesota espically the Twin Cities .
Cleveland is NOT better than Baltimore.
The borders are not “imaginary”. Lake to the North, rivers to the South and East. Connect the dots on this mediocre box and that’s Ohio, land of the bland. Continue arguments, please… (munching popcorn)
The people in the state are absolutely retarded. I have been here 3 years and haven’t come across a single person with a brain cell. They ALL make me sick. I wish I could slap every one of them.
Ohio is a “great” place to live. It put food on my table for many a years. Yes, I was what “you” called one of those uneducated people, but it wasn’t because I wasn’t smart it was because I made a different choice then you. I labored many a years in the factory, but let me tell you what I saw. We would have what “you” called educated people (engineers) put in an assembly line backwards. You can have book smart, but have no common sense. I chose to make the big bucks rather than go to college, and have to pay back student loans. I made more money than most people with a college education. So who’s the wiser one? Every state has it’s pros and cons. We enjoy the changing of the seasons. Being from a rural town is awesome too. I can’t drive down the road without someone waving to me. People still care about one an other here. Neighbor still helps neighbor. Ohio is a great place to raise kids. Oh, and even in our rural town our Asian daughter has never dealt with rascism. Unfortunately, the truth is rascism is everywhere.
Interesting comments. I grew up in Ohio south of Sandusky, went to college in Toledo. I lived one year in the bay area, CA and another in Peoria, IL. Peoria was the most depressing place I have ever lived. I left Ohio 4 yrs ago for Oregon. I want to raise my children without the constant feel of racism (we are white and is sickened me to hear so many disrespectful comments of other human beings). I am conservative but here, there is respect for others’ beliefs. I love how kind and friendly the people are. It rains of course but weather is so much better than my home state. It is January, 61 degrees and sunny. Mt Hood is covered in snow in the distance. There isn’t alot of amusement park opps here because nature is everyones’ playground. I almost moved back tto Ohio because I have a chronic illness and was getting very ill. I could sell my house and with eauity buy a house outright in Ohio bc it is so cheap. But I started looking at statistics on crime and air quality in Ohio amd I was shocked at how bad it is! I loved Lake Erie and Malabar Farms nd other things but the really poor air quality and high crime rate are both scary. My parents love Ohio and will stay so I will enjoy visiting Ohio from time to time but I can never live there again, not after experiencing other (although more expensive) options.
To be frank I think that at least where I lived or via my own expriences as a BIack American think white vs black racism in Ohio isn’t as bad as places like Milwaukee ,Detroit ,Buffalo ,Toledo ,St Louis or the constant tension since the early 90s in LA with black and latino gangs My expirence visiting Twinsburg espically you have many of your fellow African Americans calling me whitey or oreo or uncle tom for not being like them or drinking and smoking and Twinsburg is so separated that the city is all white and the township is all black ! I would say where I grew up in Wooster isn’t perfect based on my earlier posts but there are a lot of nice people but most of them do not like Ohio because the lack of culture ,poor weather bad economy and in most not all the state since the early 70s . and the fact we export more people out of st than any other st except Michigan . The beef I have with the st is the poor weather and the fact that this st was built to be an industrial st not a touristy and fancy type place . Second this place is very bible belt to be this far north. I guess its a Midwestern thing . Third Ohios jobless rate has gone down because most people here have been employed through low wage jobs that keep it low . If you want a booming tech economy Cali and Texas are where to look not blue collar guns and fishing bible thumping Ohio. The culture of Ohio and the Midwest for that matter is very different from the bay area. I would say as a black man interracial couples in the Bay Area are far more accepted than in any Midwestern locale .This is a country that has struggled with it , ‘when it comes to black and white in particular’ but I would say that there are parts of America that have done much better .Ohio ranked 38 of 50th in numbers of mixed marriages .In Cali especially the Bay Area and Seattle you could see them in the 60s and 70s .I confess im a Black male who has a urge for cool takes care of himself is very slim and doesen’t drink or smoke has no kids isn’t married and wants to be around people who believe in the same thing . Ohio for some reason not drinking is met with shrugs and wows ! I get cross eyed looks on how I stay very young and why I have no kids . I really would confess I love cool and I don’t think of Cleveland and Cincy in that fashion. The Bay area since ive been here is expensive but its worth every penny for a political science major . The culture in the Bay Area is far different from the Midwest . Ill say this Im not into Amish country hunting .fishing ,country road driving ,cornhole and county fairs with tractor pulling but Ill make a statement out of all the states ive visted which is most of the 10 largest this is certain ,Ohio may not be perfect but it isnt the most racist by far ! Nebraska via my luck of draw living there for 4 months due to work holds that honor by far I mean I felt like I was in Mississippi at times ! As far as crime Ohios large cities are bad Oakland has a slightly higher crime rate than Cleveland but it has far and I mean far less poverty ! Denver guys post several pages back I endorse totally !
Jon did a post on the weather .Let me say this the south may get hit with snow for about a few weeks but after that its usaually business as usaual as far as sunshine .The east coast the sun is out far more than in Ohio and winter ends when its supposed to in March . Minnesota and Colorado get hammered harder than the great lakes but they see the sun far more than Ohio does. Ohio has Kings Island and Cedar Point there cool but you only get to enjoy them for about 60 70 days of the year they are closed in the fall and the rain in spring and summer can put a damper on any fun you may have there !
Ohio weather is the worse in the fall its cold dry and chilly and winter comes in November til almost May and in May its rainy up til july . You only get about 2 months and 3 at most of good weather!
Great Lakes weather is the worse in the fall its cold dry and chilly and winter comes in November til almost May and in May its rainy up til july . You only get about 2 months and 3 at most of good weather!
And as for Deborah s comments about the availability of jobs like what she had guess what ? Most of them are gone and they will never come back .Ohio has high corporate sales tax and those kind of employers as much as people in NE Ohio wishes in the modern day will not come to Ohio to pay higher taxes and what job seekers possess are different than what employers are asking for in todays economy .
Yeeeeeeeeeee-HAH! Yuk-yuk! Y’all bunch -a- stoooooooooooopid peeples on dis heer webSAHT. Ah’ll tell yoo whut. Ohyo dun ben GRAT place fo’ me un’ mah kin fok dun livin’. ‘Sup wit dat? Y’all bunch -u- ignorant bunnahs, ah’ll tell ya! Ah’m talkin’ dat BIG smack, sho nuff! Wat’s gonna doo? Whas gonna doo? Chicken? Baa-AK! BAAK! Cheee-KEN! As dun WON dis here ah-goo-ment, ah tell yoo WHUT. Tahm fer me tuz skedaddle on back to daz tattooz pahlo’ and gits mah neck coved’ in bloo paint. Sold drugz to pay fer it! yeeeee-HAH!
What?
Like it’s not true.
(sigh)
That was crap.
That was so crap.
That is not Ohio. We are Ohio. We grind our teeth in angry silence as you walk by. We ignore your greetings, and live next door for 30 years. We throw garbage in the driveway and cigarette butts off the deck, then wonder why you complain. We don’t care. We smoke all night and drink all day. We are loud, angry jerks but YOU have the problem. We are not hillbillies. We just don’t care. Welcome to Ohio, the miserable bitter vile pill of America.
Except for Pittsburgh. (wink)
Ohio is a joke. People in states like Texas and nc laugh at Ohio. The people are rude, the weather sucks and the jobs are few and far between. That’s just to name a few things I could go on all day.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MAH FLAPPIN’ DOES WAN THA MMMMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKK oooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah harmony biscuts lemme tell ya Fl34^&*gH<
I think I read a while back someone say you only stay in ohio for family… so true. My best friend lives there. I effed up and gotta baby momma there. my license has said ohio for years even though ive lived in other states. I have lived off and on in Cincinnati since 2008. I would say there definitely is an Ohio culture. You have your typical rough-and-tough rust belt attitudes across colors. you have the people who stretch their ears to look different but end up looking like every other stretched ear hipster/thug. You have the strong blue collar attachments to service jobs that while both disheartening and annoying ensure that those who really want to work will. You’ve got your old money, the only thing left standing after the recession, starkly contrasting the surreal poverty that surrounds it. Ohioans are very labor-oriented almost to the point of it feeling like a lobotomy to show up every day to the same job, having only the weekend to look forward to. I don’t like how materialistic the middle class is. Because Ohio misses a central sense of culture, fashion statements are all the rage making it acceptable to be “fake,” get facial tattoos, rock mismatching color jordan wear, and talk shit about others. If you are here, its either to get more money than you were getting down south or its family related. I notice that women in Cincinnati are always sick, in pain, or not feeling well. It’s annoying to hear constantly, when usually lack of activity is the culprit. Prepare not to have many male friends if you live here, when a male gets to a certain station in wealth/popularity he fancies himself a celebrity, its now about hos and haters. Expect that most guys around will be broke, if they weren’t, they’d be far, far away by now. Ohioans know how to stay in the house longer than the average person, so don’t expect one to want to go out and do something if there are other options, television, video games, snacks, the internet, these are staples of life here. Cincinnati is considered the South of Ohio whereas places like Akron, Columbus, Dayton represent more of the quirky unique Rust Belt experience Ohio offers. I would say this
pros
higher minimum wage
steady work is valued more in the rust belt
cultural highway means you never have to worry about fitting in
cheaper cost of living
cons
isolation is more embraced and accepted here, the down south, east coast mega-city social hum is missing.
if you aren’t upper middle class, the amount of suffering you will witness will make you angry and stressed out like every other ohioan
higher than acceptable taxes
cliquish, farmville usa mentality in the city for some reason
ohio is a good place guys… We have Graeters ice cream. Oprah likes our ice crem the best and we have Donatos pizza and nobody else has it and let me tell you, its so good. We have Cedar Point and Kings Island. We may not have an ocean but we have Lake Erie, Huge lake has a bunch of Islands and has a ferrie! We created rock and roll. We also have an official state rock and roll song its hang on sloopy. So while you all think our state sucks it is actully a really good state and if you still now then come over here and see for your selves