If I describe my perfect town, can you tell me where it is? (Cleveland: rental, hotel)

[katiecabot]

Hi everyone,

My family wants to relocate from Massachusetts to Ohio. We are looking for a nice, unpretentious Mid-Western lifestyle. I have list of particulars describing my "perfect town". Could you please look it over and let me know which areas I should be considering? So far I am thinking Shaker, Medina, and Lakewood, but I know that the locals will be able to look and my list and let me know if I'm on the mark or way off, and if there are other areas I should be considering.

Thanks so much!

Katie

My small town is a thriving “Main Street USA” kind of town. It’s not a tiny little small town, but rather a completely self sufficient large-small town or very small city.

There is a downtown business district, (larger than one block) with a combination of restaurants and NON TOURISTY shops. Some restaurants are casual, while others are upscale. A few of the shops can be touristy, but the majority are actual stores that residents of the town can shop at (five and dime, hardware, jewelry, barber shop, ice cream, blue plate café, pharmacy, dry cleaner, etc). The people of the community are friendly, regular everyday people, not pretentious. The schools are exceptional. The town is not depressed.

My town has:

A local movie theatre and a small historic hotel

A town square, with fountain and/or gazebo, surrounded by a business district

A community pool or beach

An active recreation department

Pond or lake where my son can fish

Tree lined streets of stately older homes

Friendly, regular everyday people, not pretentious

Community festivals, parades and outings

Block Parties

Live community theatre

“Walk to” activities and hangout for my older children

Access to a city

Climate: Four distinct seasons. Cold (not bitter) winters with average snowfall, not constant blizzards. Hot summers. Spring that lasts continually (not intermittent days here and there) from March through May. Falls with beautiful foliage and pumpkin /apple festivals.

[Clarkx3]

Originally Posted by katiecabot

Hi everyone,

My family wants to relocate from Massachusetts to Ohio. We are looking for a nice, unpretentious Mid-Western lifestyle. I have list of particulars describing my "perfect town". Could you please look it over and let me know which areas I should be considering? So far I am thinking Shaker, Medina, and Lakewood, but I know that the locals will be able to look and my list and let me know if I'm on the mark or way off, and if there are other areas I should be considering.

Thanks so much!

Katie

My small town is a thriving “Main Street USA” kind of town. It’s not a tiny little small town, but rather a completely self sufficient large-small town or very small city.

There is a downtown business district, (larger than one block) with a combination of restaurants and NON TOURISTY shops. Some restaurants are casual, while others are upscale. A few of the shops can be touristy, but the majority are actual stores that residents of the town can shop at (five and dime, hardware, jewelry, barber shop, ice cream, blue plate café, pharmacy, dry cleaner, etc). The people of the community are friendly, regular everyday people, not pretentious. The schools are exceptional. The town is not depressed.

My town has:

A local movie theatre and a small historic hotel

A town square, with fountain and/or gazebo, surrounded by a business district

A community pool or beach

An active recreation department

Pond or lake where my son can fish

Tree lined streets of stately older homes

Friendly, regular everyday people, not pretentious

Community festivals, parades and outings

Block Parties

Live community theatre

“Walk to” activities and hangout for my older children

Access to a city

Climate: Four distinct seasons. Cold (not bitter) winters with average snowfall, not constant blizzards. Hot summers. Spring that lasts continually (not intermittent days here and there) from March through May. Falls with beautiful foliage and pumpkin /apple festivals.

out of all of your choices Medina would top the list...it won't have all the wants but most. It is a growing area though as well. Lakewood is right on the border of Cleveland and has big city feel mostly as well as a largely and openly gay community...nothing wrong with that, just letting you know. You can of course fish right in Lake Erie if you pick Lakewood. For a smaller country town you could look in to Wooster and Wellington (farther south and inland) these are more rural but growing and would be just a bit warmer in the winter being farther from the effects of the lake. Good luck, I'm an Ohio gal living in Alabama for hubby's job and I miss the lake especially. I wish you well with your move!

[nlschr0]

I agree that Medina might be closest for you of the list. I would also look at Avon Lake, and possibly Bay Village or Rocky River (both being slightly more prestigious/pricier so possibly falling into that "pretentious" category). Lakewood is a nice area with some gorgeous homes, but the schools are more lackluster and there are parts of the town that are gritty. There are also a lot of singles and a hopping nightlife in Lakewood, with a lot of rental units. It does offer some nice parks and family events, as well as a well-respected arts center.

I believe Shaker and Lakewood have higher taxes, although it's been a few years since I've checked. Shaker is more of an inner-ring suburb and has more of an urban feel to it, although there are some nice park spaces and nature preserves (including a nice lake) as well as some very beautiful homes. It is probably the most diverse of all of the areas you've mentioned, and has a long and rich history. However, some of the areas have declined over the years, and the schools aren't as well rated as they once were.

If it weren't for the snow issue, I would also suggest Chardon on the east side. It sounds like a perfect match...except for the huge snowstorms it gets .

[bubbagirl]

It is a nice little town that is growing. I don't know the other cities as I just got to the area myself, but it does come very close to your list. It has a nice little town square with mom n pop shops and the area holds small festivals during the summer (I happened to run in to quite a few in the area throughout my week unintentionally). It is a growing town - not completely commercialized, but has good options for shopping, coffee, etc. I don't know the scene for teenagers at all. Housing is great, schools seem to be good from what I have heard.

It is, however, not that far of a drive from Fairlawn / Akron area, and there is a decent sized outlet mall in Lodi, only minutes away. Very convenient for some of the larger shopping stores and restaurants, malls, etc, and great highway access. Medina is a growing city but still has a very small town feel. We opted for Doylestown because the rent was cheaper and we're still picking ourselves up from a bad economy we moved from.

[TheProf]

Medina's too far from Cleveland for my tastes -- it's in the next county... Also, it's really homogenous and cookie-cutter. It's lilly white. Is this what you really want. If so, Cleveland's really irrellevant to you.

[nlschr0]

Well, considering that the OP stated she is looking for a "small town", that would eliminate much of the metro Cleveland area. Obviously some people prefer smaller towns over urban areas. There are nice small towns all over the state of Ohio, but I know many people who prefer living in a small town that's still within a driving distance of a city like Cleveland, where cultural events, shopping, dining, and other amenities are easy to find.

As far as the diversity issue, Medina has had some growth in its diversity rates, but it is still pretty homogenous. Perhaps you have some better suggestions that would meet her needs? Since the snow issue disqualifies most of the east side, what would you recommend? Unfortunately I am not aware of any places that would offer more diversity and still fit her requests.

[citybythebay]

With the things you have listed, I would have to say Medina.

Lakewood would be a runner-up...depending on what end of Lakewood.
The west end of LKWD would probably fit your description better.

In reality, is there really a perfect town?

[artcgal]

I know this won't help you...but, as I was reading your post, your description sounds like so many places here in Texas. One place in particular...Grapevine, Texas. If you ever want to visit the DFW area...hop over to Grapevine! LOL!

[louislinus]

Can't believe no one has mentioned Hudson and Chagrin Falls. also lily white - but definitely has that charm and main street appeal.

[nlschr0]

I agree - Hudson is one of my favorite "small towns" in the Cleveland area, and although it is a more expensive town, it has great schools, terrific local shops and restaurants, and just a strong community vibe. But, the snow can definitely be much more significant in Hudson and Chagrin Falls than Lakewood or even Medina. If you think you can make peace with a little more snow (and their lack of diversity), I would really agree that Hudson and Chagrin Falls should be at the top of your list. Even Twinsburg has a nice rec center, housing options, town festivals, etc - it doesn't have as much charm but it does have some nice areas and a decent amount of diversity for an outer-ring suburb.