Anyone from Columbus, Ohio who can comment on what it is like there? Things are going sideways at work, and I am told that the job market where I live is HORRIBLY competitive right now. As in, even a master's degree and years of experience isn't enough to land a new job quickly. Housing costs have also risen dramatically over the last three years. As such, I may be able to sell my home and net somewhere between $50,000-$100,000 depending on the final selling price. In some locations, it is possible to buy a livable home in this price range. So I started looking into affordable college towns, and Columbus was on the list. Searching real estate listings showed plenty of homes in that price range (though I don't know the neighborhoods). However, I do see housing prices are increasing in Columbus as well (up 50% since 2004). I'm not out at work but don't want to live in a place where intensely homophobic attitudes are commonplace. Is Columbus worth considering as a place to live, especially if I could purchase a home for around $75K? Or should I consider other places? I don't think I would choose any other Ohio metro area (definitely not Cleveland or Cincinnati). I had thought about Bloomington, Indiana, though with the wingnuts in their governor's mansion and legislature I'm hesitant to go there.
I've never been there but I have heard good things about it and would suggest you give it a shot and move there.
Good to hear - hopefully someone from the area will add more to this thread later. Looks good "on paper" but now I'm trying to get a better understanding of the city, neighborhoods, what it's like, etc.
I have a friend who just moved there from North Carolina because he wanted to be somewhere more LGBT-friendly. Sounds like a ringing endorsement to me!
I'm from about 30 minutes east of Columbus. It is a great city, but housing can sometimes be expensive in the city. As you go further out from the center of the city, the housing costs less. There are also some neighborhoods to avoid (like Franklinton, there is a shooting there at least once a week during the summer.), so I would be sure to do some research on an area before looking for housing there.
BradTheCat - Thanks for the reply. Besides Franklinton, what other neighborhoods are thought to be bad / unsafe? I'm not afraid of ethnic diversity so mixed neighborhoods are fine with me as long as they aren't run-down or crime-ridden. Also, anything you know of that's unusual or different about the area compared to other major US cities?