Lifestyle

Our kind of lifestyle is an alternative, not a competition. A person who thrives on big city hustle and bustle will not choose Union City. It's a different kind of pace. It's also an informal place. Tuxedos and white gowns may go a long time between gigs

We are not a flawless picture postcard. As in many Midwestern towns, the plant closings of the 1980-90s hit our economy hard. You can still see it in many places, but beautification is part of our revitalization goal and we're making steady progress.

You will find a healthy dose of old-fashioned American virtues: humor, optimism, resilience, determination, hard-work, faith and family. You will find new neighbors who become new friends who are willing to reach out and help, just because that's what neighbors do.

You will find friends and families enjoying a community park that reminds you of movie scenes in small town parks. At our parades, you will see people stand, remove their hat and salute when the veterans and our first responders march past.

You will find a whole different kind of safety and security -- little kids playing in the streets, older kids able to bicycle anywhere in town -- but always aware that a dedicated police force and alert neighbors, who look out for each other, are nearby.

You will find enormous pride in our school system -- following athletic teams, of course, but also a remarkable range of state-of-the-art endeavors in the arts and in STEM -- Science, Technology, Education and  Mathematics. Best of all, kids are excelling here who would be playing literal second-fiddle or sitting on the bench or in the cheer-block at  larger schools. And they are excelling again when they go out, fully competitive, into the real world. 

You will find cost of living, including cost of housing, that is sometimes a  source of humorous exchanges with big-city people: Union City resident  reveals the cost of his quite-comfortable home to a visitor from San  Francisco.  The San Franciscan shakes his head, "I couldn't build a good sized garage for that." (Not  surprisingly, attractive cost of living is a factor in the decisions of  retirees to move to Union City, including UC alumni who come back  home.)

Locally, we have a long list of things to do, places to worship and ways to stay fit. We are within easy driving distance to professional sports, Broadway productions, zoos, and other family fun, music and the arts.    

The city government is active and creative in economic development projects. Jobs are returning to Union City: retail, business relocations to our industrial park, small start-ups often in-home but working nationally online. And we are an easy commute to jobs in both central Indiana and south-central Ohio, although you'll have to  adjust to commuting in quiet rustic countryside rather than ob 8-lane interstates.

So, Union City is vintage small-town America. Not for everybody. But when it's right, it can be really right. We welcome your continued exploration. 

Lifestyle Menu