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Toledo Talk   (musing about Lake Erie West and beyond)
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How Close Do You Live to Work?

When I was much younger I didn't own a car. I determined where I worked based on whether I could get there by foot, bike, or bus. I thought in terms of 5 miles or less on foot (about a 35-40 minute jog then). One of the reasons I chose where I live was that it was only about a mile from my employment.

So where do you live? Do you depend on work within the Toledo limits (where taxes are collected), and live elsewhere, or do you live in Toledo and travel outside the limits for employment? Is Toledo providing employment to thousands who take their wealth to Maumee, or Perrysburg? Or are thousands living in Toledo, and traveling to Maumee, Holland and Sylvania to work? Is Toledo's economic prosperity important to you, or could you care less? Can you get along with the "pustule" on the shores of Lake Erie? Does Toledo proper only serve as a place for cheap housing for the elderly, a collection of government offices for the rest of us, a dumping place for the poor, and a railroad terminus. Is the future of retail outside the city (such as Fallen Timbers) because that is where the money is at?

created by oldsendbrdy on Oct 04, 2007 at 09:34:11 am     Comments: 25

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Comments ... #

I live in Point Place and work downtown so it is a straight shot down Summit for me.

I think Fallen Timbers was a bad idea, but we will see. I mean, I will check it out because I am curious, but rarely do I see myself driving out there when Franklin Park Mall (yep, that’s what I will always call it) is right there. I know a lot of people are moving out that way – but they still work in the city for the most part, so we will see.

posted by Ryan on Oct 04, 2007 at 10:42:03 am     #



I live about a five minute walk from where I work and it makes me really happy. Mostly because I don't have to burn gas to get there.

posted by Reinhart on Oct 04, 2007 at 11:33:44 am     #



I live in Old Orchard and I am about 1.2 miles from work. I enjoy walking and hate driving. I wish there was more frequent and convenient bus service. I would take the bus but walking to the bus stop, waiting for the bus, and then walking to work all take much longer than walking directly to work. Tarta is just not that convenient.

posted by ilovetoledo on Oct 04, 2007 at 11:57:36 am     #



I can see my office from my house in the wintertime when there are no leaves on the trees. The front door of my office is 175 steps from the back door of my house (I counted). Now that is convenient. About as close to having a home office while still avoiding the temptation to hang about in your pajamas all day.

posted by Ace_Face on Oct 04, 2007 at 12:20:25 pm     #



7.5 miles. All E-way. I was raised in the country, and given the opportunity I'd move back out to the sticks and drive further.

posted by billy on Oct 04, 2007 at 01:14:47 pm     #



I'm with Ryan - live in Point Place and worked most of my employment downtown. Before public service, I worked on Stickney Ave, so about the same distance.

I live in the Point because my parent's house was on the water, my husband grew up on the water (Lasalle Township) and neither of us want to be anywhere but on the water. We could go to Oregon or toward Sandusky area or even into Michigan, but we really like the Maumee Bay view - more protected than the open lake and a couple of islands (Turtle and Grassy) to add dimension.

Also, the house we can afford here is much bigger than what the same cost can obtain in other areas.

But as a commissioner, I drove all over the county - at first, it seemed like such a long way to go from the far edge of Jerusalem Township all the way out to the far edge of Waterville Township ... but after a few trips, I came to enjoy it. At most, it was about a 35-40 minute drive, depending on traffic. There aren't a lot of places where you can travel like that and still have the benefits of a large-ish city...

posted by MaggieThurber on Oct 04, 2007 at 01:35:22 pm     #



I live I Perrysburg and work Downtown. I would love to be able to depend on my bicycle more but I can’t. I actually enjoy my ride to work because I leave early enough to get there early and often take the river road. Otherwise I laugh at those neurotic jerks on the freeway that don’t know the meaning of a speed limit or the dangers of tailgating.

posted by Offshore on Oct 04, 2007 at 02:06:37 pm     #



About 5 feet, from the bedroom to my office?

posted by jhostetler on Oct 04, 2007 at 02:09:27 pm     #



35 miles from my downtown office. I've doing it for 20 years and it still sucks. But I love the rural setting & small town America. Problem is I love Lucas County, and Toledo too.

posted by justareviewer on Oct 04, 2007 at 02:38:08 pm     #



1.4 miles... 5 minutes when the school zone light isn't flashing and 10 minutes when it is.

posted by SensorG on Oct 04, 2007 at 02:45:01 pm     #



I live where I want (currently in Temperance) and then work within where I want to drive. Been fortunate to find work in the area -- currently in Maumee's Arrowhead Park. So, it's about a 25-min drive (think about 17 miles).
-- Mike

posted by miked918 on Oct 04, 2007 at 02:49:19 pm     #



I think its about 5 miles, 12 minutes give or take. YES, the A-hole lives in Ottawa Hills. When we moved back to Toledo recently we would have loved Old Orchard again (where some houses are a steal right now), but that meant mandatory, increasing with age PRIVATE SCHOOL TUITION.

So we looked in Sylvania, Maumee, and Perrysburg...but eventually found an affordable house in one of the top school districts in the State. The Vill.

Now, I recognize the Village never saw a levy it didn't like. BUT, the support, response and results I have seen form OHSD has been well worth it. If the housing market stays suppressed we will even be able to purchase the house we are in for a great price. OF COURSE that will only be IF I EVER SELL MY HOUSE in S. Ohio.

So, I travel downtown, leave from work and don't go back unless we attend a Mud Hens game. The arena may change that some......IF..ticket prices are reasonable for Hockey. I pay my city taxes, drive the crappy roads, and get my water/sewer via contract with the village and the city.

I need some separation between work and home, but a nice country drive would be better than my shot up Dorr.

The A-Hole.

posted by TheAssHoleLawyer on Oct 04, 2007 at 03:14:48 pm     #



All I have to do is walk down into my basement office.

posted by camaroman2125 on Oct 04, 2007 at 04:47:20 pm     #



Live in Sylvania Twp, work in Maumee (Arrowhead).

I worked downtown for 3 years and honestly enjoyed it - I'd consider working there again if the right opportunity came up. Was just downtown today, actually, and thought about all the changes that have happened since I worked there (2000-2003)...almost made me miss the place. lol

posted by mom2 on Oct 04, 2007 at 06:14:36 pm     #



I have to Drive 20 minutes, sometimes I take the #5 downtown.

posted by jdmsbyrd on Oct 04, 2007 at 08:28:01 pm     #



I live near Holland and work at the airport. Wish I had one of those home offices though.

posted by micah on Oct 04, 2007 at 10:00:45 pm     #



Maybe this is skewed because so many of us "live" with our computers. A lot of people seem to be working from their homes. So there seems to be some potential there. Maybe the "work at home" revolution is happening (just more quietly than expected).

posted by oldsendbrdy on Oct 04, 2007 at 10:49:53 pm     #



I wonder how businesses determine where to set up shop. You have unique neighborhoods in Point Place, and the East Side, but there seems to be no "mall" for Point Place (which you think would attract customers from southern Michigan), and the mall at Woodville seems to be dying. Is it just cheaper to let a mall go dead after a certain amount of time rather than spend money on renovation? Franklin Park, or Westfield, seems to be making a go of it, but Southwyck seems to have been a business mistake. It seems to have had problems when it tried "Old Towne". When Southwyck opened I thought Southland would die, but it made a transition to "dollar stores", and attracted a clientele with less disposable income (but enough). Whoever manages Southland must be laughing their tales off at the "foresight" of the owners of Southwyck.

posted by oldsendbrdy on Oct 04, 2007 at 10:59:20 pm     #



Oldsendbrdy, Some quick thoughts to answer you. I’d say mainly “newness” followed by disposable income and customer sophistication.

There are beautiful homes in the Point, the South End etc. But what they don’t have is space to grow. There are also some unsavory areas there too for both commerce and raising kids.

Levis Commons and Fallen Timbers lie, where there were just a short time ago, farm fields. When new housing, which is usually expensive, goes in, new retailers follow.

There are new shops to the west of Sylvania, but with Franklin Park (Westfield) in close proximity, who needs a whole new mall?

Even though Ottawa Hills allows ass-hole lawyers to live there :), some of dem guys bring home a fat paychecks that can be divided nicely among the shops at Westfield. The “village” and Sylvania didn’t go unnoticed by Westfield either and refurbished their mall to accommodate the retail addictions of local housewives.

There are restrictions too. Whole Foods Market (Whole Paycheck) apparently declined an invitation to Levis because the area didn’t meet Whole Food’s (Parking lot for Volvos) criteria, namely high concentrations of households with wealth and college degrees.

I don’t think we can ignore the social element that Southwyck endured towards its end. Do you remember “black night”? Whenever whitey sees two or more black teenagers together it’s another goddamm gang fight. And in fact, there turned out to be some truth to that.

What bothers me the most is the profound lake of regionalism. A P. F. Chang’s in Fallen Timbers is the same as one in Scottsdale, or Atlanta. Hell, there are Westfield Malls all over the world.

posted by Offshore on Oct 05, 2007 at 08:20:33 am     #



I live near Navarre Ave and work downtown. So only a hop on 280 and I'm there. Say 10-15min traffic pending. Couldn't afford to live further with gas prices lol

posted by jshriver on Oct 05, 2007 at 11:08:42 am     #



YES, the A-hole lives in Ottawa Hills.

Actually, I know several A-holes that live in "the Bubble".....;)

posted by Ace_Face on Oct 05, 2007 at 11:17:42 pm     #



I live near Miracle Mile and work on Executive Parkway. 8 Miles round trip 10 to 15 minutes depending on traffic.

"I live near Holland and work at the airport. Wish I had one of those home offices though."

I would miss our fun chats then :(

posted by avinsurer on Oct 07, 2007 at 01:03:02 am     #



UT is about 25 miles from my BG farmhouse. It takes me about 30 minutes to get there thanks to the interstate.

posted by timault on Oct 08, 2007 at 05:27:19 pm     #



I live in Temperance Michigan, right on the border of Toledo, basically have grown up in Toledo and only have ever worked there. I work downtown on erie street and take lewis to phillips to 75 about 12-15 minutes tops. Now that I bought a scion I get great gas mielage and wished I worked a further distance. :)

posted by stooks on Oct 08, 2007 at 06:40:22 pm     #



"So there seems to be some potential there. Maybe the "work at home" revolution is happening (just more quietly than expected)."

It is happening. Why??
Here is why (from the us chamber of commerce)

Greater control over time and activities
More time with family and children
spending less time commuting
Fewer bureaucratic chorse
No layoffs (which is a big reason now adays)
Better balance of work and family life

A recent report from the US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE states,"(entrepreneurship) is an exciting path, and where it thrives, it will define successsful economies in the 21st century."

posted by camaroman2125 on Oct 10, 2007 at 09:26:10 am     #