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[threefive]

It seems like I may be catching a flight to Granville (via Columbus) soon. I know plenty about Denison University: around the bottom of the top 50 for SLACs, relatively low teaching load (3/2), strong students, plenty of research support. It would be a significant upgrade from where I am: not ranked, 4/4, and little support for research.

What I don't know is what Granville, OH is like. We are currently in a small town about the same size as Granville. My wife hates it and I'm not too terribly excited about it. My wife is from a small town, so she doesn't hate were we are now because it is small. Her hometown was more of an artist community, and she loved it. Our current small town is not at all a cute college town. It's relatively poor, the schools are terrible, there are a few chain restaurants with absolutely terrible locally owned restaurants. Zero culture and very little for the little ones. Very few of the faculty at my current school live in town. They commute from towns about an hour away. Every time my wife or I makes a new friend, they move.

Granville seems different. From what I have read, the public schools in the area are ranked the highest in Ohio. There looks like a bunch of nice local restaurants and several parks. What else? I don't know.

Anyone have any experience with the area that they would like to share?

[barred_owl]

Granville will remind you very much of rural New England towns (if you are familiar with such).  Many older, but generally well-maintained, buildings, a central main street lined with small shops, antiques stores, etc.  In a word, "quaint."  The surrounding countryside is rural, gently rolling farmland; the village's location in Licking County puts it very near Ohio's largest concentration of Amish farms (be alert for buggies on the roads).

The village is not too far from Columbus or the medium-sized town of Newark, Ohio--you'd probably go to Newark or Columbus if you need to shop big-box stores, malls, or giant grocery stores.  The Granville Inn is the fancy restaurant/lodging facility in town (I'm guessing, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's where you're put up for the night); it's quite lovely, really.  There is at least one other fine dining restaurant, The Short Story Brasserie--it's online menu is pretty impressive.

The village's website has information about some of the historical sites, recreational opportunities, and so forth.  There are also several state parks, nature preserves, and scenic rivers within easy driving distance (e.g., Mohican, Malabar Farm, Mt. Gilead, Delaware, Alum Creek St. Parks).  Very scenic countryside.  All in all, not a bad place to live--in fact, I'd say it would be a great place to live--provided you don't need to go shopping all the time.

Good luck during your visit there!

[dellaroux]

Warning: People in Ohio, like, say, "Hi!" to you on the street, whether they know you or not. They talk to you on the bus and in line at the bank. They remember your name and ask how you're doing the next time you come into the library.

Having lived in both, that is one difference that can be unsettling if you're coming from the New England towns Barred_owl has correctly compared Granville to, above...

:--}

I was raised in Ohio. I was never bored there, I had a very good basic preparation for what I wanted to do and learn in the arts, and I still rely on materials and teaching moments remembered from that setting.

I can't discuss politics with my folks, or most of my former classmates, anymore, but they're actually not representative of the larger population, especially not in many of the larger towns and schools in the area.

And beyond that, there are a LOT of arts-friendly events and groups to be aware of.

1) A friend exhibits with these people:

    http://www.oac.state.oh.us/

2) The musical scene is good at the classical, folk, and ever other level in the places I know of:

   There are several excellent music education organizations

and a demanding high school state competition system for high school students in both classical (NMTA)

     http://www.ohiomta.org/state.asp?page=mtnacompetitions

and band/popular music divisions (MENC)

   https://www.omea-ohio2.org/Activities/Activities.html

as well as an active professional and amateur scene for blues, jazz, folk, etc.

3) There are indeed events like the Pumpkin Festival, etc., because much of Ohio is still farmland--thank goodness. The State Fair encompasses more than tractor-pulling by a long shot.

   http://www.ohioexpocenter.com/osf/osf2.php

4) There is also a huge state park system with gorgeous lodges, well-run restaurants, and trails for many different seasonal sports.

   http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Default.aspx?alias=www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks

5) Traffic is much more sane, and getting to either the Newark or the Columbus campus of OSU (whose libraries are chock-a-block full of well-collected stuff) is not hard at all.

6) Theater activities are very strong in larger areas, and Columbus has several large-venue sites that host touring works and concert series

   http://www.capa.com/columbus/venues/ohio_about.php

as well as very good regional theater groups

   http://www.ltob.org/

and for Children, the Columbus Junior Theater:

   http://www.colschildrenstheatre.org/


And no, I'm not a member of the Chamber of Commerce!    Just a fond former resident....

[concordancia]

Warning: People in Ohio, like, say, "Hi!" to you on the street, whether they know you or not. They talk to you on the bus and in line at the bank. They remember your name and ask how you're doing the next time you come into the library.

Scares the bejebbies out of the rest of the world when you walk around making eye contact, smiling and chatting:)

[dellaroux]

Yeah, if I've been back for any period of time, I have to re-set my friendly-o-meter in public places, remember to scowl, and speed up my speech by 6 words per second.

Friends say they can tell by the latter measure when I've just come back from visiting my folks...

[bibliothecula]

What field are you in? There are some nasty politics going on in the English dept and some others at Denison.

[threefive]

What field are you in? There are some nasty politics going on in the English dept and some others at Denison.

I'm in a field that rarely has much in the way of nasty politics. Saying my field would give me away, but anyone on the search committee would be able to figure out who I am pretty easily, anyway. My moniker sort of gives away my research area.

I'm in the sciences.

[midwestgrad]

I presented a paper at Denison a few years ago, so I was only on campus for a day.  My impression was that Denison was your classic "college-on-a-hill" (I mean quite literally you have to drive up a monster hill to get to it).  Very small college.  The dorms are a 2-3 minute walk from major class buildings.  The buildings themselves seemed extremely up-to-date and modern.  I can't say much about the town, except to say that it looks very far removed from the college.

[chomp96]

Ohio magazine recently named Granville one of the state's five "best hometowns."

http://www.ohiomagbesthometowns.com/main/articles/granville_3.aspx

[ruralguy]

The sciences there are excellent. I have a colleague there who has done R1 level research, really.
Expect high expectations from them!  But that's not a bad thing.

[thenewyorker]

Warning: People in Ohio, like, say, "Hi!" to you on the street, whether they know you or not. They talk to you on the bus and in line at the bank. They remember your name and ask how you're doing the next time you come into the library.

But at least Ohioans don't make you hug and kiss them. I had quite the adjustment in NY; everyone here wants to hug and kiss me hello and goodbye.
And thanks for writing "in line at the bank." I have also had to adjust to waiting "on line."

Dennison is pretty. Its a lot prettier than the town of Wooster where I did my undergrad. Are the sports teams still the Lords and Ladies? ugh
As previously noted, you are close enough to Cols to benefit. The State Fair is a must! The Butter Cow has gotten even bigger and better!
Ohio in general is pretty. A great trip is to the the Serpent Mounds of the Hopewell Indians. Gorgeous.
I was also raised in Ohio ("round in the end and hi in the middle, O Hi O") and can't believe that I would consider moving back. But I would.

[history_grrrl]

A town of 8,000 Republicans, so I've been told.

[rescueremedy]

You were entirely misinformed, history_grrrl... look at the voting patterns in recent elections and consider how likely this is in a town where most residents are Denison faculty, academic transplants from other places.
Midwest's comments are also perhaps misleading. The college is in the town, although blink and you might miss it.

Granville is pretty, pretty, pretty. Denison is a great liberal arts college and the new science building is demonstrative of a real commitment to the sciences.

We drive into Columbus an awful lot - to the Wholefoods, Trader Joes, to eat Thai food - but Granville is a lovely place to live.

[thenewyorker]

You were entirely misinformed, history_grrrl... look at the voting patterns in recent elections and consider how likely this is in a town where most residents are Denison faculty, academic transplants from other places.
Midwest's comments are also perhaps misleading. The college is in the town, although blink and you might miss it.

Granville is pretty, pretty, pretty. Denison is a great liberal arts college and the new science building is demonstrative of a real commitment to the sciences.

We drive into Columbus an awful lot - to the Wholefoods, Trader Joes, to eat Thai food - but Granville is a lovely place to live.

Cols now has a Wholefoods and a Trader Joe's? Wow. Progress.

[dellaroux]

C'mon, cut it out, now.

Be nice.

They even have a Target's.

Several, in fact.

(If you consider that progress...)