Moving to Akron or surrounding area (Springfield, Cuyahoga Falls: appointed, school districts, college)

[Katzpurr]

Hi there!
We are relocating from Bakersfield California but I grew up in Upstate NY. I am dreading this move as I have been in Cali for 8 years and have grown accustomed to the weather and the California way of life. I am looking forward to the 4 seasons and having my children experience the magic of that. I also feel like my childrens life will be less complicated as silly as that sounds. I am looking for some honest opinions about some decent towns near there with a great elementary school district. I am not into country living but don't want to be smack dab in the city either. Someone mentioned Stow? All responses are appreciated!
Thanks!!
Stacey

[Simfan453]

Well you do not want to live directly in downtown Akron because that's the hotspot for nightlife, and I'm sure you do not want your children exposed to that. Stow and Cuyahoga Falls are nice suburbs and kid friendly. Although in Cuyahoga falls there are a lot of drinkers and partiers. If you are intrested in places a little further from Akron, Kent is nice even though It's a college town, the only drawback is that it's about a half hour to forty minuets away from Akron. Have fun and enjoy your new life in Ohio! But bundel up because you are in for a Long, Long, Long winter. Trust me on that. That's why I left.

[cgm]

Originally Posted by Katzpurr

Hi there!
We are relocating from Bakersfield California but I grew up in Upstate NY. I am dreading this move as I have been in Cali for 8 years and have grown accustomed to the weather and the California way of life. I am looking forward to the 4 seasons and having my children experience the magic of that. I also feel like my childrens life will be less complicated as silly as that sounds. I am looking for some honest opinions about some decent towns near there with a great elementary school district. I am not into country living but don't want to be smack dab in the city either. Someone mentioned Stow? All responses are appreciated!
Thanks!!
Stacey

Both Bath and Hudson communities are upscale and have a GREAT school system. Also they are close to Akron.

[theautismguru]

I am looking to leave Akron soon due to schools, but I have kids with special needs. I agree with the poster that stated that Hudson and Bath are great areas. Copley-Fairlawn is a suburb lots of people like for the schools (not good for spec. ed). Akron Public Schools are pretty lousy, and not safe for Middle school in any of them. Much will boil down to the price range you're after.

[htlong]

portage lakes south of akron , aka, coventry, new franklin and green, are nice and great summer rec.schools are ok also

[yagisenin]

Stow-Munroe Falls, Hudson, Green, Revere (Bath), Copley-Fairlawn, Wadsworth and Kent are probably your best bets for school districts in the immediate Akron metro area. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses, however, and each community is unique. I might also suggest Tallmadge, possibly Cuyahoga Falls and Woodridge, and possibly the Firestone and Ellet school "cluster" districts of Akron. I wouldn't recommend most of the rest of the Akron City district at this point, however, as well as Springfield and Coventry, which have been plagued pretty badly in recent years by budget and program cuts.

Ultimately, it really depends upon what you are looking for in moving to the Buckeye State, however. I have talked with many native Californians who move to Ohio only to find themselves disappointed in a short while with what they find here. They come expecting a progressive, extremely diverse and inclusive state, much like the one they left, only a bit [insert one: slower/less-complicated/lighter on crime/environmentally sound/etc]. But California is California, just as Texas is Texas, and neither are much at all like Ohio. Your expectations may be different because of your roots in New York, however. But even New York often stands out in a class of its own.

My advice would be to take some time, if possible, to check out several of the school districts and their surrounding communities. Visit each of the district offices and speak with their administrators. Visit the schools that your children would be attending and request to speak with the teachers and principals there. Drive around the surrounding community and check out the places of interest (i.e. town square, grocery stores, the library, etc.), and strike up conversations with the people you meet in those places. What impressions do you gather from these interactions?

People on any message board can tell you volumes about what they truly believe is a great place, and it may very well be from their perspective. But then you move there and find that you absolutely hate it. Don't base your decision to move just upon district number crunching. Check it out with your own eyes and ears.