An Expat Talks about Living in Columbus, Ohio

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Columbus

What activities, clubs and organizations would you recommend to newcomers to help them meet others?

As a stay-at-home mother of twins, I met a lot of people through a Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group. You can find locations online.

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In terms of religious, racial, economic and cultural diversity, are the people of this city or town diverse? Are they accepting of differences? Describe.

Having moved from Cincinnati, I found Columbus to be more diverse and less conservative. There are a greater number of people that are not originally from Columbus, so there is more diversity. I felt that people were fairly open and accepting.

What are the main industries in this city? What types of career opportunities commonly exist? How do most people find new jobs?

Banking, Insurance, IT. The most known companies are BankOne, Household Finance, The Limited (which includes Bath and Body Works and Victoria's Secret), Wendy's Headquarters, The Longaberger Company, and many others.

In general, what are peoples' priorities in this city? For example, do lives revolve around work, family, socializing, sports, etc.?

We lived in Westerville, an area we highly recommend for families. Of course, people are focused on work and family. Westerville has a GREAT park system, sports facilities and teams, etc. Lots of activites for families to do. Columbus is sports-minded in supporting OSU and hockey.

If a friend of yours was thinking of moving to this city or town from far away, what other advice would you give them.

Select the area in which you live carefully. At first, we lived 5 miles from my husband's job, but due to traffic, it took him 30 minutes to get there. When we moved to Westerville, which was 12 miles away, it only took him 20 minutes to get to work.