Move to the Dayton area....? (Columbus, Cincinnati: high crime, home, find a job)

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by joe from dayton

That is starting with the assumption that NYC (or wherever) is inherently "better" than the Midwest, and that we all value the same things. Perhaps they consider the low cost of living and lack of traffic congestion to offset the benefit of living in a more "happening town." Every location has its plusses and minuses.

So true and thank you. I have lived in larger and smaller metro areas and in both suburbs and out in the country (and in military housing, as well as apartments, etc.) and I know what I like and what I don't like, what's important to me personally and what's not as important, and all the other stuff is subjective opinion. I have to find what suits my unique situation best, period.

[ohio_peasant]

Originally Posted by KathrynAragon

Hello, I just got back from visiting friends and family in the Dayton area, and am strongly considering moving to Xenia in a year or so (from NE Texas)! It's close to Yellow Springs and has a lot of charm to it but isn't as liberal, or as expensive, as Yellow Springs (where you probably know Dave Chappelle lives but I digress!). Anyway, I saw it it probably it's worst - cold, gray, sleety, snowy, ugh - and I still liked it again.

My sister in law lives way out in the country to the southwest of Dayton and though the countryside is beautiful, I don't much care for the overall vibe of that area. But hey, that's just me.

Anyway, I also like Kettering and Beavercreek but I think I prefer Xenia.

Xenia often receives the brunt of derision, as being the most rust-belty of the rust-belt. My very first posting on this entire forum, and the reason for having visited it in the first place - now nearly 8 years ago - was to learn more, about why Xenia labors under such ill repute.

But living in the countryside isn't the same as living on North Detroit Street. The countryside outside of Xenia doesn't differ much from that outside of Centerville... or for that matter outside of Peoria or Minneapolis or Toledo or Terre Haute. The one notable difference, is that Xenia schools cover a vast swath of land in Greene County. These schools are not highly regarded. So an unsuspecting resident might find a lovely wooded estate, with brooks and ponds and old-growth trees, some 10 miles from Xenia, only to find oneself part of the Xenia school district. Beware.

As for the broader picture, yes of course, it's appropriate to cue the usual refrain about everyone's opinion being different, etc.; there is no universal optimum. My own view is that the truly leading points on the globe have a particular appeal, despite the higher taxes or traffic or urban woes. There is a kind of sisterhood between Moscow, NYC and London and so on. They're special. And I love them. To be elsewhere, just isn't... the same.

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by ohio_peasant

Xenia often receives the brunt of derision, as being the most rust-belty of the rust-belt. My very first posting on this entire forum, and the reason for having visited it in the first place - now nearly 8 years ago - was to learn more, about why Xenia labors under such ill repute.

But living in the countryside isn't the same as living on North Detroit Street. The countryside outside of Xenia doesn't differ much from that outside of Centerville... or for that matter outside of Peoria or Minneapolis or Toledo or Terre Haute. The one notable difference, is that Xenia schools cover a vast swath of land in Greene County. These schools are not highly regarded. So an unsuspecting resident might find a lovely wooded estate, with brooks and ponds and old-growth trees, some 10 miles from Xenia, only to find oneself part of the Xenia school district. Beware.

As for the broader picture, yes of course, it's appropriate to cue the usual refrain about everyone's opinion being different, etc.; there is no universal optimum. My own view is that the truly leading points on the globe have a particular appeal, despite the higher taxes or traffic or urban woes. There is a kind of sisterhood between Moscow, NYC and London and so on. They're special. And I love them. To be elsewhere, just isn't... the same.

Interesting - I've never heard anything particularly negative about Xenia and I've had family and friends in that area for a long time and made a lot of visits up there. Not saying there's no negativity, but just offering another perspective.

I'm not buying anything right now and will definitely check into school district ratings before doing so, but thanks for the heads' up.

Personally I really, really don't like big urban areas so there's zero appeal to me to live in one. By "big urban areas" I mean anything over about 600,000 people. I like being close enough to one to visit when I want or need to, but I would absolutely hate living in one of them, and not just because of the higher COL. I've visited London and Berlin and Seoul and Tokyo and (fill in the blank) many times over the years and every single time, without exception, I leave thinking "Nice place to visit but I'm so glad I don't live there." I am very grateful that living outside of them definitely isn't "the same" as living in them. NO, THANK YOU.

[wrightflyer]

Originally Posted by ohio_peasant

Xenia often receives the brunt of derision, as being the most rust-belty of the rust-belt. My very first posting on this entire forum, and the reason for having visited it in the first place - now nearly 8 years ago - was to learn more, about why Xenia labors under such ill repute.

But living in the countryside isn't the same as living on North Detroit Street. The countryside outside of Xenia doesn't differ much from that outside of Centerville... or for that matter outside of Peoria or Minneapolis or Toledo or Terre Haute. The one notable difference, is that Xenia schools cover a vast swath of land in Greene County. These schools are not highly regarded. So an unsuspecting resident might find a lovely wooded estate, with brooks and ponds and old-growth trees, some 10 miles from Xenia, only to find oneself part of the Xenia school district. Beware.

As for the broader picture, yes of course, it's appropriate to cue the usual refrain about everyone's opinion being different, etc.; there is no universal optimum. My own view is that the truly leading points on the globe have a particular appeal, despite the higher taxes or traffic or urban woes. There is a kind of sisterhood between Moscow, NYC and London and so on. They're special. And I love them. To be elsewhere, just isn't... the same.

I get what you mean with the "sisterhood" analysis. I think this may also tap a bit into why middle America, and "middle anywhere" allows populism to rise in the face of globalism. At least it could be looked into as what makes one place disconnect with another, without resorting to simple polls or answers (while all well and good) that explain it is what it is. Would be an interesting educational-based study or research.

As for Xenia, I would be interested in knowing where in Xenia? 45385 is a big zip code, and includes parts of Beavercreek Township even, where schools are either Beavercreek, Sugarcreek or Xenia City/Local Schools. The biggest difference of course in the everything in "the same middle America" is price. While nothing will compare to land costs in major coastal metros, 10-20 acres in Beavercreek, Centerville or Springboro Schools will be vastly more than 10-20 acres in Xenia or Jefferson (Township) Local Schools. The same could be said for 10-20 acres in Western Brown Schools in Clermont County (OH) versus 10-20 acres in Union Township in Warren County. Like the coasts, school desirability makes up a big part of most buyers purchasing decisions. Just in middle America it can be had in some places for $300-$500K versus $1mil-$2mil+ in major coastal metros like NYC, DC or SF, LA.

I think areas around Cedarville and Clifton, despite being the conservative opposite to Yellow Springs, is pretty and cheaper. Schools are also separate from Xenia. But with being a conservative area (home to a major Baptist higher education campus - Cedarville University), I am sure the make up of the student body differs greatly from Yellow Springs or even Fairborn and Bath Township.

[Natural510]

Xenia seems fine. I've worked with a lot of people who lived there and never heard anything bad about it. The main issue is the freakish weather. Of course, they had the famous tornado but they've also had freak hail storms (the size of softballs) and such that that which didn't affect the rest of the Miami Valley. There's local legend the Native populations stayed away from (what's now) the Xenia area because of cursed weather, and probably fictional but still tells the perception people have.

[ohio_peasant]

Xenia resembles Fairborn, or Middletown, or any of the smallish cities up and down the I-75 corridor. None is particularly deficient or outstanding. All suffer from de-industrialization and the legion struggles of heartland towns. All are dominated by what might be termed blue-collar culture (more Cracker Barrel than Whole Foods).

Xenia was especially unfortunate as the butt of all sorts of cultural jokes. One is the movie “Gummo”. But the reality is that all of these towns have an opioid problem, an unemployment/underemployment problem, a brain-drain problem. The particular criticism of Xenia is a tad unfair.

Townships differ from the cities of which they are the satellites. Xenia township, Caesarcreek township and New Jasper township have something like 3 times the per-capita income, relative to Xenia city. There is palpable tension: the township regards itself as the source of funds for the city…. The township pays the taxes, while the city receives them. The township is late-model F-150s and Silverados; the city is 1990s Escorts and Cavaliers.

At the risk of injecting a political bent, I find upon driving around the township this season, an absolutely unvariegated collection of political signs, for one particular national candidate in 2020, and only one. Most houses have such signs. None – and I do mean exactly none – have signs for the opposing candidate. To me this represents, shall we say, a lack of diversity. Does this matter? Perhaps not. But it does have implication for the preponderance of thought in a given locale. And I assert that this preponderance is much the same throughout the “heartland”, exterior to the major cities, or the university/tourist towns.

[WRnative]

Fairly or unfairly, Xenia has a reputation as a tornado target.

https://www.libraries.wright.edu/com...rnado-of-1974/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2ZfHUSm7Cs

<<A violent tornado that moved at 65 mph hit the town of Xenia for the second time in 26 years damaging some of the same areas that were hit in 1974.

https://www.tornadotalk.com/xenia-oh...ember-20-2000/

Perhaps there is some reason that tornadoes follow the same path through Xenia.

I don't know if some types of construction better survive powerful tornadoes.

In coming years, tornado frequency may increase in southern Ohio due to continuing climate change:

<<There is also evidence to suggest that tornado patterns have shifted geographically. The number of tornadoes in the states that make up Tornado Alley are falling, while tornado events have been on the rise in the states of Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky. >>

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/a...limate-change/

[KathrynAragon]

All I can tell you is that so far, Xenia is still on my list as far as relocation goes. In fact, it's right up there with Beavercreek and Kettering and Centerville.

Anyway, I would be moving from Texas where the weather is always exciting and unique so Xenia doesn't scare me one iota in that regard.

To the poster asking where it is - it's about 25 minutes east of Dayton proper. It takes less time than that to get to other areas just outside of Dayton. It's close to Yellow Springs.

[skeddy]

I was living in Dayton in 1974 when the famous tornado hit Xenia. Never had seen a railroad car full of coal flipped over by the wind.

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by skeddy

I was living in Dayton in 1974 when the famous tornado hit Xenia. Never had seen a railroad car full of coal flipped over by the wind.

Wow, that was a long time ago. I live in Tornado Alley and I guess I'm just used to severe weather. Back in 1989 when that big tornado hit Fort Hood, TX, I saw huge helicopters literally yanked out of their moorings to concrete, and flipped over. Cars were flipped over, huge trees downed, roofs taken right off housing, etc. It was crazy.