This story in the Cincinnati Business Courier troubled me greatly. The article said that the majority of current college students in the state of Ohio plan on leaving Ohio once they graduate. Though no Cincinnati area schools were included, the numbers here may be similar.
I grew up in, well, not in Ohio, and came to Cincinnati because that’s where Xavier is. The school drew me to the region; Cincinnati didn’t draw me to X. I chose to stay here after graduation for a lot of reasons: UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning for grad school; good prospects for finding a job post-graduation; the low cost of living; the arts here; even Skyline. Actually, I typed “even Skyline” sorta tongue-in-cheek, but I recently left the area for about 4 months, and had regular Skyline cravings. Plus, the Indian food here is unreal.
What really kept me here was how much the area has to offer vs. the low cost of living.
If the city wants to continue to flourish (and it is flourishing – go downtown if you haven’t been in a while), we need to ensure that the young talent we draw here with our colleges and universities stay here. They will be the ones who will continue to grow our economy.
You tell me: how can we brand the city as a desirable place for potential new residents? What amenities are here for the young and mobile? What do we need here that isn’t here yet?