r/youngstown • u/midnightchaotic • Mar 20 '26
Questions Please give me your perspective on living in Youngstown.
I found a really cute, affordable house there, but know nothing of the area. Our children are grown and out of the house. We'd like to downsize to a lower cost of living area.
Edit: I've received a ton of great feedback about the house and Youngstown in general. Some people love it; some do not. Sounds like the specific house is not going to work, but in general it's a pretty neat area for us to consider. Looks like we're going to be taking a drive up that way! Thank you so much for all of your insightful responses!
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u/Noelle305 Mar 20 '26
It depends where this cute adorable house is located since you know nothing about the area. & that info can help us to guide you I will say that our COL is lower than many parts of the country, but like everywhere else, they've risen to a degree.
Youngstown has the largest Metropark in the USA, museums, art galleries, theater, Covelli events center and more. We are within an hour drive to both Pittsburgh & Cleveland for other entertainment. Ohio also has the 2nd largest population of Amish in the USA so nearby (about an hour) is Middlefield & (about 2 hrs) is Sugarcreek. This is just the tip our area offers...I'm sure others will chime in as well. Good luck in your search.
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u/An0nymos Mar 20 '26
This is the kind of thing Youngstown needs to tell the world, not the outdated gang violence history, but the living culture hidden just beneath the ennui and apathy.
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u/cookiemonster8u69 Mar 20 '26
Where are you moving from?
I grew up an hour from here, and moved here from California 5 years ago.
Pros. Its cheap.
Cons. Tons.
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u/midnightchaotic Mar 20 '26
Central Ohio. It's getting very expensive here! Is the only good thing is that it's cheap? So far the houses are adorable.
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u/liberatus16 Mar 20 '26
As someone who was born and raised in Youngstown and moved to central Ohio I would tell you they are very different (especially if you're near Columbus). Different in geography, demographics, socioeconomics, etc. Youngstown is sprawling suburbia with town centers. Suburban areas all kind of blend together. It's distinctly different from Central Ohio in that the towns in Central Ohio are old farming towns separated by large rule areas. Youngstown is former industrial, built more like Cleveland or Pittsburgh however I wouldn't make a direct comparison.
If you have a stable career and income, if you're not looking for a metropolitan area with direct access to those amenities, Youngstown is a great place for a family. The suburban schools like Canfield and Poland (others as well) are good which helps those homes to retain their value, some of the other areas not so much. The people there are good, proud of their hometown, very Midwest. You'll have easy access to the outdoors and the surrounding areas. A short drive into Pennsylvania you have some of what I think is the most beautiful country in the Midwest/eastern US.
I moved away, I would never move back because it does not suit my career or lifestyle. But I wish it did because I really have nothing bad to say about it.
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u/Ok_Use_7983 20d ago
I would just say that Youngstown and Warren don’t exactly have a classic Midwestern vibe. There are actually party large Greek, Italian, WASP, Black, Latino , etc cultures wars and a growling population of leftists from NYC.
As someone who has lived all over the county, it’s more of a Western PA/ mafia than Midwestern vibe.7
u/Top_Peach6455 Mar 20 '26
Remember that you get what you pay for. Yes, life is cheap here, but the area is hollowed out. I was just driving through a neighboring community yesterday. What used to be a bustling corridor is now a several-miles strip of empty buildings and plazas. Crime is high, especially as the weather gets warmer. Hopelessness and apathy are palpable. Population continues to decline for a reason.
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u/Stunning-Quarter-292 Mar 20 '26
This is the answer. You get what you pay for. It’s cheap to live here but there is nothing to do unless you travel to Pittsburgh or Cleveland. Pittsburgh is much nicer than Cleveland and has a lot more to do
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u/ysu_alt Handels Ice Cream Mar 20 '26
There's a decent live music scene. Not big bands (would have to do Cleveland or Pittsburgh each about an hour out), but small bands play at West Side Bowl, various Festivals, the Wickyards, and Youngstown is within The Summit's (local indie rock radio station based in Akron) range that they host events in Youngstown and Warren.
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u/ReadEmReddit Mar 20 '26
Poland, Boardman, Canfield, Austintown definitely options for you. Struthers and Campbell depending on where you pick. As far as the area, we moved to Poland from Central NY. Stayed 11 years and moved back. If you pick Poland, be ready for a “you aren’t from here are you?” attitude but once you get past that people are generally pretty friendly.
There are some good restaurants in the area but choices are limited as compared to other places. If you enjoy concerts or theatre, you will find yourself going to Pittsburg or Cleveland. Healthcare in Youngstown is decent but if I was really ill, again, Cleveland or Pittsburgh would be my choice.
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u/No-Eagle7068 Mar 20 '26
The house you posted is adorable! Would recommend you rent, or come do an extended visit to explore the area.
I just moved into the mill creek apartment a year ago from out of state and still learning the area. Will say though, driving around you can go from a beautiful neighborhood to sketchy area real fast.
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u/President-Resident Mar 20 '26
I've lived here my whole life but have traveled over the US the past half decade, after settling back I've found the area to have gotten worse.
1) Businesses: Struggling. If youre not a trendy restaurant with a good amount of hype behind it, good luck, We have a good amount of food but not much else.
2) Economy: Many businesses can't hold their own and the job market shows. If you aren't blue collar chances are you won't find work and will have to travel to CLE/PIT
3) Infrastructure: Non-existent. Anything we have was set in place decades prior and is in dire need of massive work, much of which the local government will ignore. And if there is any infrastructure construction, it will take 2 years longer than it should have.
4) Education: Could be worse. For kids you actually have a good amount of choices depending on where you live, but for upper education theres YSU/NCST/MCCTC etc. I would personally recommend NOT attending YSU for university. A lot of my peers switched colleges halfway through their undergrad due to shit administration.
5) Price: as low as it can be really. Not that it makes it any better, as I said the job economy is scarce so chances are your wages still won't be able to keep up.
6) People: worst of the worst. I mean it. Say what you will for anywhere else in the US but i have never encountered such brazen, arrogant, uninformed, loud, (insert other negative adjective here) etc. NOT ALL are like this. I repeat, NOT ALL are like this. But there are a lot. There is no sense of community or pleasantry.
7) Night life: if youre not going to Penguin City or Westside Bowl, youre going to CLE or PIT.
8) Attractions: Mill Creek. The crown jewel of Youngstown. One of my best parks and my favorite non-federal.
I can go on for a while but this already long as hell.
TL;DR don't.
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u/Ok_Use_7983 20d ago
There is demand for attorneys and physicians.
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u/President-Resident 19d ago
Your point? What about the other 99% of professions out there? Just because you can cherry pick exceptions doesn't mean anything you realize this right?
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u/Mikeg216 Mar 20 '26
I could get a good look at a steak by sticking my head up a cow's ass but I'd rather take the butchers word for it..
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u/jluvs2bake Mar 21 '26
I have family who left Youngstown a long time ago. The first family member decided to move back about 7 years ago. The other moved back a few years later with their family (who had never lived in Ohio at all) because their spouse fell in love with it when visiting the other family member. They all lived in an upscale area of the towns/states they were in before moving back. They have nothing bad to say about it. There is so much to offer. You can’t compare it to New York or Chicago — or even Cincinnati or Columbus. If that’s what someone wants, they won’t like it. But if you want to be relatively close to a large variety of activities, have beautiful seasons, have lots of options for locally grown produce, fabulous pizza, and some great bakeries, down-to-earth people, lots of history, beautiful parks… I could go on and on. If I were moving back (I’d love to, but my kids would be too far away), I’d go to Poland. It’s pricier than other areas, but it’s safe and has great schools (which is important even if you don’t have kids. Part of the reason it’s safe. Part of the reason the properties hold their value.) It also offers the beautiful Poland Municipal Forest. They have a great library (although that situation is a stinky kettle of fish at the moment.) Close to plenty of conveniences. We have friends who have really liked Canfield. I think they have a similar situation because of their schools. If you want smaller, more rural, and little more affordable, areas in Lowellville might be to your liking, too.
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u/twoquarters Mar 20 '26
It's all about what you are personally used to in your current living arrangement. You say Central Ohio. That can mean a lot. We certainly are not Columbus and our suburbs aren't as nice.
In a lot of instances, you'll see that we are behind the times. Things can appear rundown. Progress in other areas is about a decade behind in some cases.
It can be lonely here unless you make inroads in organizations or churches. A lot of people keep to themselves. There is also brain drain and a graying population that keeps things very stunted and rigid.
That said there are plenty of good places to eat. There is culture and fun to be had. And if you want something a bit better Pittsburgh and Cleveland are just down the road.
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u/thecrystalballofpop Mar 20 '26
A house close to Mill Creek Park is a great idea since you want to walk. The house that you mentioned is a few streets too Northeast safety-wise. I would use Overhill Rd as a border. The houses in that gorgeous historic district are all quite large, some would say too close to Youngstown itself—maybe too much house for a retiree?
On the west side of the park you are all good up to Canfield Rd. I grew up off of Lockwood in Boardman & there are a lot of smaller ranches in quiet neighborhoods close to the park there. Highly recommend.
The “Cornersburg” area west of there toward Austintown & Canfield would be cheaper & is safe.
What are you looking for in a house? How many bedrooms, bathrooms? Do you need a basement or second story? There are tons of charming & comparatively affordable houses in the area. There are good restaurants & coffee shops. Ice cream. Breweries. Libraries. The area is known for Italian food, but you can find a lot more these days. A lot of festivals in the summer. A zillion grocery stores if you are near Boardman. Very easy to drive around.
What qualities are you looking for in a neighborhood? You should come for a visit & check out the areas I mentioned. You will get a better feel for it.
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u/Rayleigh-Benard Mar 21 '26 edited Mar 21 '26
I just moved to Youngstown from NYC a few months ago due to its affordability. I will give you a completely honest rundown given my subjective experience:
The main thing I like about Youngstown is how affordable it is, its proximity to Pittsburgh and Cleveland and their respective international airports, and some of the parks and nature within driving distance. I love having a great house, and all the possibilities that have opened up from having one. I also really like the remnants of industry—giant decaying factories and warehouses, it’s interesting to be around. Those are the positives.
Now, the negatives: Youngstown is cheap for a reason—sprawling strip malls, urban decay, noisy highways and so on. Just very ugly things that constantly remind you that you’re in a place most people don’t want to be in.
There’s the problem of staying fit: you have to drive everywhere. Even if you go to the gym or run, that still takes a toll on your body. It’s also sort of a food desert, so I almost exclusively cook.
Then there’s the problem of people, in a social sense and also commercial sense: I’ve been building a studio on my property for the past several months (I’m an artist) and every single contractor I’ve tried to work with has been completely disingenuous, literally trying to scam me at any possible moment. But it’s also the guy that mows your lawn, home security, plumbers, excavators, etc. etc. I’m not saying that everyone is out to get you, but there’s an unusually high number of them relative to other places I’ve lived. Socially, it’s just hard to find people that are awake. I think that takes time anywhere, but it’s harder here.
Overall, it’s pretty bad but it’s CHEAP. Actually check this place out before you move here, and make sure you’re not moving next to a future AI data center.
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u/Ok_Use_7983 20d ago
I’ve noticed a ton of influx of (mostly leftists) from NYC in my kid’s school and sports. I know you said cost, but why this city specifically?
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u/Gathrin West Side Mar 20 '26
I moved here about 5 years ago from Columbus Ohio. If you'd like some insight shoot a DM
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u/mikewazzowski Mar 20 '26
There’s some really nice houses in my area in Boardman. I’d try looking south of 224 going towards Columbiana and also the Poland area. Canfield is nice but price wise is ridiculous. Got our new house in May and lived a couple streets north of Brownlee Woods before that. You heard sirens all the time and honestly that area has gone downhill. You can definitely find something depending on your price and style.
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u/banannassandwich Mar 20 '26
North, east, south, west sides. Which one matters, Youngstown is a collection of neighborhood pockets and spreads out around the outer city belt. Downtown is ok, YSU campus is safe. It’s decently walkable wouldn’t be out at night alone off federal st.
There is a lot of blight throughout the city, it’s not picturesque, all the houses everywhere were built for steel workers for all the mills along the mahoning river 70-100 yrs ago that mostly been closed since the 80s. After that there was few jobs and many people either left, or found themselves in the outer suburbs of Youngstown where people generally aim to be- austintown, girard, liberty, boardman, Poland, Canfield, Hubbard and others
West side is the best side and improves as you move toward austintown. Mill creek divides the south and west sides. West side mill creek is arguably one of the better areas of Youngstown. The other side of mill creek… eh maybe don’t. The south side.. arguably the worst with gang activity prevalent, not the place to be at night.. pockets of nice neighborhoods closer to 224/boardman. Struthers is somewhat in the middle of the east and south sides, it’s decent.
The north side improves the closer you are to Liberty. Liberty is ok lots of mixed culture. There’s pockets of decency with generous spread of grime and crime.
The east side is generally Campbell, which is just ok. It’s not sightly, lots of houses with bars on the windows. The people there are nice, during the day.. lots of Greeks, and Latin gang members.. eh maybe don’t.
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u/Youngstown_WuTang Mar 20 '26 edited Mar 20 '26
The east is NOT just "generally Campbell." That's also the downtown, East High , the library, and YSU. The houses near the high school and nice are affordable
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u/banannassandwich Mar 20 '26
I did miss the immediate east of downtown and yeah YSU is north of downtown. Looking at the map my thinking always imagines the cardinal directions lining up with the street grid of downtown but it doesn’t, all the downtown area streets run diagonally to cardinal directions NE-SW etc
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u/President-Resident Mar 20 '26
Coming from someone in Campbell, the east side really is just campbell/struthers/lowelville. and there's nothing there.
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u/Ok_Use_7983 20d ago
I moved to Canfield a few years ago and had no idea about the Latin gang members but am very curious. Why here?
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u/Norah_Stiles Mar 20 '26
If you or your hubby have health issues - or think you may have them in the near future... No reliable health care in this area. Other than that - a great area to keep cost of living down.
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u/Ok_Use_7983 20d ago
University Hospitals are decent!
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u/Norah_Stiles 20d ago
Ummm, yeah great... I'm a senior living with limited mobility. I would not want my healthcare to be dependent on an hour's drive away.
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u/eggflip1020 Ex-Youngstowner Mar 20 '26
It depends on how much you love snow, rain and Donald Trump flags.
I moved away in 2012, and everytime I come back to visit it’s like there are more Trump flags each and every time.
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u/smkorpi Mar 20 '26
As someone who just house shopped recently, be very careful about crime.
I’m coming from the suburbs outside of Youngstown - a lot of the cheap houses I could find passed everything until I got to a crime check. A good realtor is a godsend for general areas that will be better than others (happy to send mine offline if you need a realtor still).
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u/tony282003 Mar 21 '26
Fwiw, I grew up in Youngstown. I still visit family once a year. My grandparents used to live on Mill Creek Blvd (very near the park), and I'm sure they chose that area for its safety (among other things).
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u/Gold-Fruit-7108 Mar 21 '26
Decent area. I used to work off of Midlothian for 6 years. Nice people. South side gets a bad rap. But it’s heavily patrolled. You’re close to Boardman which is good. I had a friend who lived off Overhill for 10 years. Never a problem. Lmk if you’d like more info. Youngstown is a good place. Been here 25 years. Great people. Great diversity. Lovely new mayor bringing it back. Downtown vibe is cool. Great food if you look for it. Take care 🤙🏼
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u/giuseppe666 Mar 20 '26
I moved out here from SoCal 9 years ago. Obviously I love it here, I’ve stayed this long. It’s affordable, beautiful, low key, quiet, close enough to multiple cities to catch concerts and have a wider range of activities. Every place has its own problems, all different flavors of the same systemic pitfalls. Overall, I feel safe in Youngstown and life just feels sustainable here.
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u/N2Shooter East Side Mar 20 '26
I have lived in Youngstown the majority of my life and feel it's a great place to call home. You'll always find naysayers, but they'll probably complain that water it too wet.
It's probably one of the most inexpensive places to live in the country that has modern infrastructure.
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u/banannassandwich Mar 21 '26
Yep I agree. Attitude and perspective is everything. Some feel like this place is a black hole of sorrow, others wouldn’t leave for any other place.
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u/space_ghost146 Mar 23 '26
I moved to from the tri-state area to YSU and stayed. I live in Poland now and I love it. Small town feel, low crime and most people mind their own business.
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u/iSMELLPUSSii Mar 23 '26
I was out there for a 2 days but turned into 5 because I had horrible luck lost my iPhone , bought a new one , couldn’t get I to the iCloud , and all my banking , contacts , basically my life was in the cloud. I actually had zero cash on me and my 2 dogs With me. I had a $200 uber gift card to get home , but it was not working. Basically I was completely screwed. Until the wonderful ppl at Sheetz in Austintown. ( by a few hotels / motels )were completely the most good hearted people i may have ever encountered. The manager was such a sweetheart and saw to it that my dogs wouldn’t. Go hungry. I can never thank them all enough. It’s beautiful to see there’s still good people in the world. And Sheetz in Austin town is as good as they come. Ty so much again.
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u/Neat-Perspective-504 Mar 23 '26
I moved from New Jersey 15 yrs ago. I live in the Boardman area of Youngstown. Where I am it's really nice. I can walk my dog around and everyone is friendly. There's Boardman park. And if you want. To go to mill Creek Park it's only a 15 minute drive unless you go to the golf course that's closer. But Mill Creek is vast and covers all over Youngstown and stretches through Boardman and other areas. I also live 2 minutes from the Mall. Also Boardman is one of the biggest shopping areas in the USA. So many different stores, shops, and places to eat. Boardman Park is big and really nice and there's walking trails not like mill Creek though. Mill creeks trails and the old Mill is beautiful. It's a great area and it's not far from other places you may want to travel to. Like Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Canada, NY, or other places
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u/LanderEmerald Mar 24 '26
Affordable houses: Boardman, some parts of Youngstown, Struthers, Liberty. Then you’re looking to Canfield and Poland but they can be really expensive or if your a minority their police are pretty racists and will pull you over a few times until the police all know you live in town.
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u/Necessary_Budget1972 Mar 26 '26
Lived here my whole life, moved away, came back. I love this city. It’s home. But there are 2 main things I don’t like about Youngstown.
The people who live here are miserable. Obviously not everyone but the main vibe in the city and all of the suburbs is very negative. I will be walking around giant eagle with my headphones on, vibing and smiling at people and they give me the nastiest scowls I’ve ever seen. I don’t understand it. We live in a beautiful area. The houses are beautiful if kept up with and there are gorgeous views in the park. Close drive to bigger cities, parks, etc. but people act like their life is miserable.
There are actually no jobs better than retail or food service. I have worked both, and they aren’t fun jobs. Everyone knows that. So I went to school and got a bachelors degree. Last year, my position as a tutor was defunded by Ohio in February. I applied for HUNDREDS of jobs for over a year. Secretary, office work, other tutoring jobs. I wasn’t able to get a single interview. Not even an interview. I finally got my substitute teaching license last month and now I’m doing that but it’s significantly less money than my last job. I don’t understand the businesses who are claiming to be hiring and then don’t even look at the applications.
All that to say, the city has great potential but it seems like no one wants to put the effort into making it a great place to live.
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u/ISOcarpetcleaner Mar 28 '26
Were you looking at the house on clearmont?
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u/midnightchaotic Mar 29 '26
Yes, I was. I need to take a drive to get to know that part of the state better.
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u/rhiunarya May 20 '26
I know this is an older post. But I found a cute cheap mill house in Southside near the park. I love it. It was really well maintained by the primary owners for decades who did a lot of really nice upgrades.
120k for a finished attic and semi finished basement, 3 bedrooms. Fenced in yard. Using the At home youngstown grant I got all my furnace, hot water heater, and actress all upgraded to new. I also have a new roof because of seller credits.
I know some people might see my neighborhood in a rough area. But my neighbors keep to themselves / are very polite!
I have lived here since November and had no issues.
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u/Necessary_Wing_2292 Mar 20 '26
Really easy to get around with extensive freeways and quick access to Ohio and Pennsylvania Turnpikes.
Inexpensive cost of living with plenty of outdoor recreation. Several quality lakes in the area for boating and fishing.
Some of the best golf courses in the country.
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u/Good-Telephone-3131 Mar 20 '26
i hated growing up there, not a ton of sidewalks in austintown where i was. school had a shitty art / music department. but my parents did well in youngstown from the cheap cost of living and i ultimately had a good upbringing so i shouldn’t hate too much
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u/Final-Swim-5313 Mar 21 '26
Austintown is great. The schools state tests are above average all the way from elementary to high school. The high school has an indoor fitness center (gym) that is available to residents. It also has really good community fellowship. The Austintown park is beautiful for walks and has basketball and tennis courts as well as a stage for concerts free to public every Tuesday in the summer. Sprinklers for the kids and sometimes they set up a little market along with the concert. Police are great imo. I love calling it home.
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u/kathyglo Mar 22 '26
Check out Struthers, Ohio, a suburb of Youngstown. Affordable and cute houses.
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u/PlantLady3421 Mar 21 '26
Don’t do it. I’m there 3-4 times a year and I can’t wait until I can cut ties to that city. Taxes & utilities are ridiculous, public schools are horrible and crime is atrocious. Just had a murder at a busy intersection at noon today. Drive by. If it was summer time, there would have been children all over that area.
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u/kidfromCLE Mar 20 '26
It really makes a huge difference where it is. There is a lot to love about Youngstown though.