Columbus or Pittsburgh for ethnic/cultural diversity (Beavercreek, Dublin: houses, neighborhoods)

[marsha1c]

I lived in both cities for 10+ years each and based on your post, Pittsburgh. Don't get me wrong, I love Columbus and currently live there but going to Pittsburgh is like going to a mini Chicago or New York. They have their own Macy's X-mas Parade, an impressive theatre district and the downtown is active 24/7 jsut for starters. Downtown Columbus is improving but they just aren't there yet. The two cities have different types of diversity. Pittsburgh is more European/Asian/African American while Columbus is a mix of everybody and everthing. Columbus is more family oriented and our economy is always thriving. Pittsburgh has had some challenging years when it comes to jobs and the economy. The only reason I came to C-bus when I did was because the jobs were here. PLUS, the food is way better in Pittsburgh. NO comparison. Pittsburgh is going through their 3rd Renaissance right now and the jobs and economy are good. Plus, they are a "green city." I hope this helps!!

[J'aimeDesVilles]

Definitely Pittsburgh. Columbus is more like a "mega-suburb" than a "city".

[GearHeadDave]

Originally Posted by uurevmpc

Hello,

I'm currently contemplating a move from Denver, CO, to the Columbus, OH, area to take a consulting job.

I'd appreciate any insight, opinions, knowledge, experience, or even biases anyone might share regarding Columbus and/or Pittsburgh!

I have to agree with the majority here. Columbus is the typical sprawling Midwestern city that started out as an agricultural center, then morphed into a business/industrial town. Add in a huge State University and a vast State Government and you have a recipe for a safe and relatively prosperous city - but also bland and boring. Lots of chain restaurants and cookie-cutter suburbs. Indianapolis and Columbus are very similar in many respects.

A big problem with Columbus for me is the topography. Flat, flat and more flat. There is precious little outdoor recreation, there is a pretty decent local park system, but you have to travel some distance for any sort of more interesting outdoor experiences. Especially coming from Denver this could be a problem.

The geography of Pittsburgh is pretty fantastic in my opinion. I love the hills around there, and you are within minutes of all sorts of outdoor recreation. Not like the Rockies, but hey, it's the Midwest!

[SteelersFan09]

I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and it's a wonderful city. I was proud to be raised there, visit there whenever I can, and will likely move back there at some point in my life.

But although Pittsburgh may "feel" like a bigger city, keep in mind that it's not. Columbus is MUCH bigger in both population and size. And if you're looking solely for ethnic diversity, Columbus also has Pittsburgh beat in that category. Pittsburgh is basically black and white, and in terms of culture, is only recently starting to embrace different culture. Pittsburgh has a very "old-school" way of doing things and doesn't change for much. Columbus obviously has the opposite plan. I'm not saying one is better than the one, just different.

In Columbus, I often encounter different culture. There are mexican music stations on the FM dial right next to rock n roll. There are ethnic grocery stores in every neighborhood, and when I go grocery shopping at whole foods, I often hear european accents or different languages. I lived in Pittsburgh for almost 15 years and most of those things are a rarity in Pittsburgh.

If you want culture/diversity from other places, move to Columbus.
If you want an urban environment, and an entirely new culture that you have never experienced anywhere else, move to Pittsburgh.

You can't go wrong either way. Both are great cities to live in. Just don't forget that they are night and day in every way.

[spotch]

If you want culture/diversity from other places, move to Columbus.

I've lived here 2.5 years, and this is absolutely not true. 99.9% of the people in this town were born within 100 miles of the city center, as were their parents and their grandparents and their grandparents. Go to any dentist office or doctor's office or vet office or just about any job that requires a college degree and ask where the workers there went to school. Almost invariably, every single one of them will have gone to OSU. That's great and all, but that's the kind of thing you expect to find in a small rural college town. You don't expect one of the (purportedly) largest cities in the country, the capital city of a state, to be more insular than Athens Georgia. Columbus is basically a rural college town with a big population. Except college towns are generally charming, and Columbus doesn't really pull charm off very well.

[SteelersFan09]

I'm certainly not disagreeing with that, but Pittsburgh is no different. Most people living in the city have rarely left the city and have their set way of doing things. It's very much the same city it was 20 years ago. I don't think that can be said for Columbus.

I don't think either city is really a hotbed for diversity.

[spotch]

Originally Posted by SteelersFan09

I'm certainly not disagreeing with that, but Pittsburgh is no different. Most people living in the city have rarely left the city and have their set way of doing things. It's very much the same city it was 20 years ago. I don't think that can be said for Columbus.

I don't think either city is really a hotbed for diversity.

That's terrible.

[14thandYou]

Originally Posted by SteelersFan09

If you want culture/diversity from other places, move to Columbus.

Which "Columbus" are you referring to? The Columbus, Ohio I know could be described in many ways, but multicultural would typically not be at the top of the list.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by marsha1c

I lived in both cities for 10+ years each and based on your post, Pittsburgh. Don't get me wrong, I love Columbus and currently live there but going to Pittsburgh is like going to a mini Chicago or New York. They have their own Macy's X-mas Parade, an impressive theatre district and the downtown is active 24/7 jsut for starters. Downtown Columbus is improving but they just aren't there yet. The two cities have different types of diversity. Pittsburgh is more European/Asian/African American while Columbus is a mix of everybody and everthing. Columbus is more family oriented and our economy is always thriving. Pittsburgh has had some challenging years when it comes to jobs and the economy. The only reason I came to C-bus when I did was because the jobs were here. PLUS, the food is way better in Pittsburgh. NO comparison. Pittsburgh is going through their 3rd Renaissance right now and the jobs and economy are good. Plus, they are a "green city." I hope this helps!!

Interesting post. What 'asian' did you recognize/see the most in Pittsburgh?

It doesn't seem to be noted for such...yet, statistically, when looking at Pittsburgh zip codes, there does seem to be an Asian presense - in for example Oakland, etc. However, I haven't seen a breakdown of the ethnicities.

Just curious.

Also, great post, particularly since you lived in both cities, etc.

[PhillytoCincy]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Interesting post. What 'asian' did you recognize/see the most in Pittsburgh?

It doesn't seem to be noted for such...yet, statistically, when looking at Pittsburgh zip codes, there does seem to be an Asian presense - in for example Oakland, etc. However, I haven't seen a breakdown of the ethnicities.

Just curious.

Also, great post, particularly since you lived in both cities, etc.

You would see a higher asian population because of the university in Oakland. Besides that, Pittsburgh really doesn't have an asian influence.