Thinking about moving to Columbus soon... (fit in, transplants, credit)

[A girl from Stockton,CA]

I've been scouting all over the US to find a city that would be a good fit for me. I think Columbus is somewhere I could live for a while. About me: I live in the central valley in California and I can't stand it here. I'm a single, African American female, with no children, looking to date and maybe start a family in the future. I like 4 season weather, I don't like extreme heat, I like the Midwest, and I like that Columbus is a capitol city. I've learned so much about Columbus and Ohio that I've gotten kind of overwhelmed. I have family(That I don't speak to) that live in Ohio. I also want to continue my education and Columbus seems like a good fit for that as well. I'm also a little kooky and I'm a school bus driver right now, but I would like to become a special education teacher in the future. Okay enough about me, what I wanted to know is there something I'm missing? Would Columbus be a good fit for me or should I look somewhere else? I also don't have a big budget which is another reason I was considering the Midwest. I've only been to Ohio once years ago so I have an idea but not a clear one. I've also been scouting this forum for anything that could help me. Is it easy to land jobs? What about dating? Is the winter harsh or tolerable? Are there good thrift shops? What colleges are in the area? Please help if you can.

[molukai]

About You Fitting In: You sound perfect.

About Jobs: Columbus has a very diverse economic portfolio. Since you expressed interest in being a special education instructor, you should be able to find a lot of work here given the large public school system.

About Dating: OSU has +/- 50K students. The area between downtown and OSU is block-after-block of great places to meet people.

About Winter: Varies. Severe blizzards have been known to exist, as are mild winters.

About Thrift Shops: Yes. And they aren't trashy. Goodwill, Salvation Army...my favorite 'thrift' store is actually a used & new book store chain called 'Half Priced Books'. Best bookstores EVER.

About Colleges: There are many great colleges in Columbus, but the one you will want to go to is definitely The Ohio State University. It is an awesome experience, both socially and academically.

Last Remarks: Have fun in Columbus.

[Buckeye614]

Columbus is very affordable, laidback, and accepting as far as cities go. The Ohio State University has 50k undergraduate students and close to 65k total students when including graduates. It's a pretty social city and on the weekends a lot of the "going out" involves drinking but there is certainly more than that (art galleries in the short north, concerts/sporting events at nationwide, exhibits at the Wexner center etc.)

In terms of weather, winter can be unpleasant but nowhere near as bad as Chicago or Minneapolis. The winters really aren't that much different than what I experienced growing up on the east coast.

Oh, and there are so many different types of people in the city of Columbus that you don't really need to worry about fitting in, good luck with your search!

[molukai]

That 65K number is when you talk about the total student population from all of OSU's regional campuses combined. The number at the main Columbus campus is in the ~50K range, undergrad and grad combined.

[Natural510]

Well, as a former NorCal resident, I can guarantee the harsh winters (which become tolerable after a year or two) are much more preferable to the everyday harshness of life in the Central Valley. Columbus isn't San Francisco (or Oakland), but it has much more to offer than where you are now. The COL may be higher than average for Ohio, but it's still very cheap by California standards.
Once you gain state residency (a year, maybe two, can't remember exactly), you have a plethora of options for school. OSU is inexpensive for its reputation. You can start at Columbus State Community College for basic classes and transfer them to OSU or another school whose credits transfer well.
As far as work goes, it's tough to find work after relocating anywhere, but the Cbus job market is better than most.

[Meemur]

You sound like you'll fit in just fine.

As for winter, various stores sell different weights of thermo underwear (Target and Cabella's are examples. There are more). Adding a light layer of the silken type can make all the difference on chilly mornings, and it's not bulky!

You may want to go buy the longest, heaviest parka you can find, but try layering first, before you spend several hundred on a coat. I typically wear a thermo hoodie with a down vest to 20 degrees and only switch to my heavy parka if it's colder than that or I'm going to be standing around outside for awhile.

I add a light fleece vest under my dress coat if there are high winds or the temps are below 20.

Columbus does get a few days of -10 (and below) every few years, but upper 20s during the day is common for January and February. It's the combination of wind and wet that you have to watch if you're going to be out in it. Central Ohio does get a lot of ice. It's worth grabbing two pairs of ice claps to pull on your boots. I keep one pair in the hall closet and one pair in my car.

Most of the transplants from CA I know complain endlessly for the first winter. By the second one, they've gotten better at dressing for the weather, which is key.

In fairness, I should add that I'm from Michigan and tolerate cold much better than heat!

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by Meemur

You sound like you'll fit in just fine.

As for winter, various stores sell different weights of thermo underwear (Target and Cabella's are examples. There are more). Adding a light layer of the silken type can make all the difference on chilly mornings, and it's not bulky!

You may want to go buy the longest, heaviest parka you can find, but try layering first, before you spend several hundred on a coat. I typically wear a thermo hoodie with a down vest to 20 degrees and only switch to my heavy parka if it's colder than that or I'm going to be standing around outside for awhile.

I add a light fleece vest under my dress coat if there are high winds or the temps are below 20.

Columbus does get a few days of -10 (and below) every few years, but upper 20s during the day is common for January and February. It's the combination of wind and wet that you have to watch if you're going to be out in it. Central Ohio does get a lot of ice. It's worth grabbing two pairs of ice claps to pull on your boots. I keep one pair in the hall closet and one pair in my car.

Most of the transplants from CA I know complain endlessly for the first winter. By the second one, they've gotten better at dressing for the weather, which is key.

In fairness, I should add that I'm from Michigan and tolerate cold much better than heat!

I would say the -10 and below has been a very rare occurrence in Columbus considering it's only happened about 2 times in the last 23 years. Even windchills don't usually get that low very often.

[A girl from Stockton,CA]

Thank you for the good advice everyone! Columbus definitely seems like a place I could call home.