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Columbus, Oh ...... Pros and Cons

tucsoncacti

tucsoncacti

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Wife works for the VA and got a job offer to relocate to Columbus through the system. We would not entertain this but a couple of factors haveade us think twice. 1) we have friends there, 2) closer to family, 3) we need family help at times and we have zero help here in Phoenix.

My wife loves Phoenix and this makes this decision much more difficult. She's from the Midwest and understands the weather that comes with it. Any way.......pros and cons?
 
Relocations are rarely easy or without a lot of emotional tug of war. Best of luck to you and your wife, whatever your decision is.
 
Your Pros are pretty solid. Con is weather. The VA is pretty messed up. I'd get really comfortable the job is as presented.
 
I complain about it a lot but Columbus is actually a really great area amd growing. I'm about 25 minutes northwest. Cost of living is way better than a lot of the country. Schools are good if you have kids. Tons of golf courses both public and private depending on your preference. Weather isn't as bad as people say. Really Jan and Feb are the two bad months, March can go either way
 
Another pro for the most of the Midwest is that there is plenty of water for the most part. The southwest has always been one of my favorite places in the country but the impending water crisis has always crossed my mind.
The weather is terrible in Ohio for a longer time than St. Louis, so I wouldn’t be able to do it personally.
 
Best of luck on your decision. A relo like that is never easy.
Your biggest con though would be missing out on the AZ THP events... We'd all miss you!
 
Danimal said:
Another pro for the most of the Midwest is that there is plenty of water for the most part. The southwest has always been one of my favorite places in the country but the impending water crisis has always crossed my mind.
The weather is terrible in Ohio for a longer time than St. Louis, so I wouldn’t be able to do it personally.
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The water piece also has me concerned about moving out west. It is not nearly your concern and the great lakes states.

i’m just down the road in Cincinnati and my wife lived in Columbus for a good while. You know how to get a hold of me if you want to talk anything through.

All the best making that decision.
 
I agree with @Nerdy_81 on those points. I'd say coming from Arizona the weather will be a big change. Weather is not nearly as bad as people claim once you get used to it. If it were Cleveland or Northeast Ohio, I'd say it's worse weather in the winter as you get lake effect snow (nothing against NE Ohio)
 
Nerdy_81 said:
I complain about it a lot but Columbus is actually a really great area amd growing. I'm about 25 minutes northwest. Cost of living is way better than a lot of the country. Schools are good if you have kids. Tons of golf courses both public and private depending on your preference. Weather isn't as bad as people say. Really Jan and Feb are the two bad months, March can go either way
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Yes I did look at weather was surprised at how mild it is compared to other places in Midwest....is Columbus Midwest or is it considered Ohio Valley?
 
Here is the thing that really made us consider. Last 3 weeks have been pure chaos because covid school closure. It's been a complete nightmare. I work all night and then take care of kids during day...... repeat. Covid is not going any where and if we stay nightmare continues.
 
Con: Ohio State Buckeyes. 😉

On a serious note, Columbus is a nice city. The weather is much better than even a hour north of there. It’s no Cincinnati in that regard, but Cincinnati is not really part of Ohio. j/k.

there are times of the year that Ohio is a very beautiful place to be. But then it changes 10 mins later.

proximity to family and overall quality of life for you and your family is really what should drive your choice. At least real estate is very high in AZ so you’ll have a lot of buying power in Ohio.
 
Columbus is a test market for a ton of retailers, so you get a lot of shopping and dining that you don't get anywhere else in the midwest. It is really a quick drive to Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis. Topgolf to get you through the winter :ROFLMAO:. There are many really nice places to live around there.
 
tucsoncacti said:
Yes I did look at weather was surprised at how mild it is compared to other places in Midwest....is Columbus Midwest or is it considered Ohio Valley?
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Always considered it mid west. Ohio Valley would be southern Ohio

It'll be mostly 40s and 50s through December. Jan and Feb are cold. March starts to get better and then it's good from April on
 
tucsoncacti said:
Here is the thing that really made us consider. Last 3 weeks have been pure chaos because covid school closure. It's been a complete nightmare. I work all night and then take care of kids during day...... repeat. Covid is not going any where and if we stay nightmare continues.
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Franklin County itself (Columbus) is still mandatory indoor masking, but no school closures or anything. We are the next county over and we are mask optional. Obviously with covid it could all change tomorrow but our kids have been full time in school since the year started
 
I like it here. We have everything I would want and it isn't 110 in the summer. That being said, I've loved AZ in the times I've visited there.

Columbus doesn't take an hour to get from 1 side of the city to the other like Maricopa County can. Every major professional sport is close by within a 3 hour drive if not already in the city. We have the Memorial Tournament. Lots of major companies have headquarters or large offices here.
 
I've moved so many times, it's crazy

Go for it, nothing like having family near!
 
tucsoncacti said:
Wife works for the VA and got a job offer to relocate to Columbus through the system. We would not entertain this but a couple of factors haveade us think twice. 1) we have friends there, 2) closer to family, 3) we need family help at times and we have zero help here in Phoenix.

My wife loves Phoenix and this makes this decision much more difficult. She's from the Midwest and understands the weather that comes with it. Any way.......pros and cons?
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I moved to Columbus about 10 years ago, so take my 2 cents for what its worth.
Pros:
medium size city thats easy to drive around. Traffic in Columbus is seldom to the point where its gridlock and the city isnt so big that its difficult to find your way around.
Ample Shopping. Theres plenty of stores and a wide selection of kinds of stores.
Location. Columbus is within a day's drive of a lot of major cities; Chicago, DC, Pittsburgh and Philly are all within a day's drive. Also, if you need to fly, the Columbus airport does flights to pretty much anywhere youd want to go and a lot of time they are direct flights.
Jobs. Theres lots of opportunity in Columbus, partly because its a central location for companies that do business on the east coast or midwest and partly because there are so many retail companies that are based here.

Cons:
Climate. If you cant stand cold winters, Columbus may not be for you. Ohio isnt the worst place in the worlds, winters here are certainly better than they are in Wisconsin or Minnesota but if you cant stand 5 months of cold weather, it may not be for you.
Crime. Columbus has had a major uptick in violent crimes in the past few years. Shootings are at a record high and break-ins are up the rise too. Columbus isnt super dangerous, IMO but it is a place where you would be wise to be aware of your surroundings at all times.
Bad drivers. I used to think that Illionois drivers were bad and then I moved to Ohio. People around here seem to have no understanding that other people are trying to get somewhere too and people often like to squat in the left lane and driver in other drivers' blind spots. They also like to tailgate, blow through red lights and seem to think that the highways are their own personal race track.
Buckeye fans. All Im going to say is that there is a reason why Ohio State fans are some of the most disliked fans in the world and many of them seem to be proud of it. They all seem to think that the world revolves around Ohio State, especially Ohio State football. If you move here, dont be surprised if they all just assume that youre going to become a Buckeye fan just because you move here.
All in all Columbus is a pretty cool city and Ohio isnt nearly as boring of a place as people think it is. Its really just a matter of if you cant stand the cold and learn to ignore Buckeye fans.
 
Ohio is the biggest con anyone can give.
 
Congratulations on opportunity. Columbus is such a fun city. Trendy neighborhoods and fun things to do for restaurants, events, and golf! COL is better for what you get but certain spots can be pricey, but that's coming from NEO... Weather is sooo mild down there!

As long as the job checks all the boxes and you can travel back to AZ for ⛳ sounds fun. Can't wait to tee it up if all goes through.
 
I like Columbus. Lots of nice golf, great pockets to live in, and early adapters of many things due to their test market status.

I really like the northwest area around Dublin. Their downtown is nice as well.
 
Nerdy_81 said:
I complain about it a lot but Columbus is actually a really great area amd growing. I'm about 25 minutes northwest. Cost of living is way better than a lot of the country. Schools are good if you have kids. Tons of golf courses both public and private depending on your preference. Weather isn't as bad as people say. Really Jan and Feb are the two bad months, March can go either way
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And consider the cost of living. Whatever house you're living in in Phoenix, you could find the equivalent in Columbus for about 1/3 the price. My Cousin used to live in Tucson, and she would have my Mom out to visit. My Mom told me the cost of housing was just obscene! And, you don't have to deal with caliche! We have actual, real soil here. So, if you want to have a veggie garden, you can! But then, you will have to cut grass, or hire a lawn service.

The Dave said:
I agree with @Nerdy_81 on those points. I'd say coming from Arizona the weather will be a big change. Weather is not nearly as bad as people claim once you get used to it. If it were Cleveland or Northeast Ohio, I'd say it's worse weather in the winter as you get lake effect snow (nothing against NE Ohio)
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Absolutely! Ohio has been described as two states, One north of I-70 and one south of it! Columbus sits right on that line.

tucsoncacti said:
Yes I did look at weather was surprised at how mild it is compared to other places in Midwest....is Columbus Midwest or is it considered Ohio Valley?
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No, Cincinnati is in the Ohio Valley. Columbus is pretty close to the center of the state. About midway between Cleveland and Cincinnati, but actually a bit closer to Cincinnati! So, the weather is not usually really bad, but it's all relative to what you have experienced.
 
My memories of Columbus…Jacks Museum and Hot Chicken Takeover.

But, I never lived there…just football camp.
 
Buckeyegolfnut said:
So, the weather is not usually really bad, but it's all relative to what you have experienced.
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His experience is Phoenix. Winter is going to suck in Ohio.
 
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