Any nice towns northeast of Cleveland? (Akron, Youngstown: real estate, 2014, homes)

[katharsis]

We live in Colorado and have been researching New Hampshire for retirement, but it just seems as though none of the homes or communities we have checked out seem to be right for us, after three years of vacations/scouting trips there. So, as we love the New England four-seasons climate and a small town atmosphere, are there any modestly affluent communities you would suggest? (Btw, I am an Akron, Ohio native and loved my childhoods there.)

We are nature-loving introverts (but friendly), agnostic, and politically moderate. We are looking to spend about $350K for our retirement home.

[Clevelander17]

The following communities generally meet your criteria, though a few might be slightly out of your price range: Gates Mills, Kirtland, Kirtland Hills, Concord, Chester Township. If you're willing to look a little less northeast of Cleveland and more east, Pepper Pike, Hunting Valley, Orange Village, Russell Township, and Chagrin Falls might also fit the bill.

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by whocares811

We live in Colorado and have been researching New Hampshire for retirement, but it just seems as though none of the homes or communities we have checked out seem to be right for us, after three years of vacations/scouting trips there. So, as we love the New England four-seasons climate and a small town atmosphere, are there any modestly affluent communities you would suggest? (Btw, I am an Akron, Ohio native and loved my childhoods there.)

We are nature-loving introverts (but friendly), agnostic, and politically moderate. We are looking to spend about $350K for our retirement home.

Chagrin Falls is a premier small town east of Cleveland and you might find something there in your price range that would suit you well.

Kirtland doesn't have a real town center, but it's very close to the shopping mecca of Mentor, Lake Erie, small downhill ski slopes, and it has Holden Arboretum (one of the best in the U.S.) and several reservations of the Lake Metroparks system. Kirtland Hills is more upscale, but more rural, but still convenient to Mentor.

Willoughby is close to Kirtland and has a charming downtown, but only a tiny public square.

As you don't have kids, you probably could get a great bargain in Painesville, the Lake County seat with a great public square and some wonderful older homes. There are several good B&Bs in Willoughby and Painesville, including the Steele Mansion and Fitzgerald's Irish B & B in Painesville. The host families there could probably fill you in on Lake County, and Fitzgerald's owner I believe is on the Painesville City Council.

Mentor and Highland Hts. are modestly affluent and highly regarded communities.

Definitely check out Chardon in Geauga County if you like snow. It's the snow capital of Ohio, and with a great town square.

Good luck!

[216facts]

Burton, OH. Maple sugar capital of Ohio. Bucolic.

[katharsis]

Thanks to all who have replied so far. You have definitely given me quite a few places for some on-line research.

Thanks again!

[citymama]

We are visiting Petoskey, MI and it has that New England feel with and artsy edge. Have you been?

In Cleveland, I agree with the Chagrin Falls area being quite beautiful and charming.

[WRnative]

Hudson is an upscale community southeast of Cleveland, but not far from Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Peninsula and Richfield are other charming communities with close proximity to CVNP (great for bikers) but not northeast of Cleveland.

See post 22 here for a discussion of town squares in northeast Ohio, if you like that aspect of New England.

Best places with active town squares

Fairport Harbor, north of Painesville is a charming Lake Erie port city with very affordable housing and excellent if you would like a beach, boating, etc. It's close to several Lake Metroparks. For those who love the outdoors, checking convenience to the area's many natural areas is a wise decision.

http://www.lakemetroparks.com/

http://cityofmentor.com/wp-content/u...s-brochure.pdf

http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/headlandsbeach

http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/headlandsbeach#nearby

http://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Home.aspx

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Metroparks

http://chrislanger.com/canopy-walk-emergent-tower/

Ian Adams, Ohio's premier landscape photographer, is a mainstay at the Holden Arboretum and other northeast Ohio parks.

http://ianadamsphotography.com/news/...ember-25-2016/

http://ianadamsphotography.com/news/...s-lake-county/

http://ianadamsphotography.com/news/...g-an-iphone-6/

Certainly read through the Cleveland forum for much info, such as this thread mostly about near eastern suburbs.

Compendium of threads & posts on Univ. Circle, Cleveland Hts., Shaker Ht., Univ. Hts., Beachwood area

This thread also has some great info, especially see post 44 for winter in northeast Ohio.

Where's the best place to live in Ohio?

See also post 20 here:

Greater Cleveland versus Greater Sacramento

Lake Erie has a substantial boating culture during summer months, if that is an interest. There are many marinas in the Greater Cleveland area. Tall ships and even naval warships periodically visit Cleveland's harbor. Cleveland has even hosted a Navy Week. River and Lake Erie kayaking and canoeing are other recreational options in northeast Ohio.

http://www.ashtabulametroparks.com/2...oe-kayak-race/

http://www.starbeacon.com/news/local...ffd580632.html

http://photos.cleveland.com/plain-de...ver_ca_13.html

Here's a thread about Ohio activities. Check out the Great Geauga County Fair.

Greater Cleveland versus Greater Sacramento

One other thing about northeast Ohio is it's proximity to the likes of Niagara Falls, Letchworth State Park, western Lake Erie including the Lake Erie islands (Put-in-Bay and Kelleys Island), and even the New River National River in WV is an easy weekend trip for the best U.S. rafting east of the Mississippi River.

The ski areas of western NY (Peak 'n Peek, Holiday Valley), Chautauqua Institute, Presque Isle, and the mountains of the Allegheny National Forest are just a few hours east of Cleveland.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...Day.Trips.html

[teacherdad]

Great post! So much information! I did not know about the LakeMetroparks. Thanks!

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by teacherdad

Great post! So much information! I did not know about the LakeMetroparks. Thanks!

The Cleveland Metroparks are best known, but each of the counties in Greater Cleveland have metro (county) park systems. I'm most familiar with the Lake (County) Metroparks, which are relatively well funded and supported, and one of the youngest park systems. The Lake Metroparks benefit from the beautiful terrain and Lake Erie shoreline in the county. The contiguous combination of the Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve, Mentor Headlands Beach State Park, Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve and the Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, are a unique cluster of natural assets controlled by the City of Mentor and the State of Ohio and a good complement to the Lake Metroparks, as is the magnificent Holden Arboretum for Ohio's smallest county in land area.

Geauga Park District

Lorain County Metro Parks

Medina County Parks

Summit County (Akron) has an extensive metropark system.

Parks and Recreation in Summit County | Summit Metro Parks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summit_Metro_Parks

Not all counties in Ohio have tax-funded metroparks, but I suspect most counties in northeast Ohio do so. Some of the park systems are a century or more old and unique compared to many other regions of the U.S. They were inspired by the national parks movement, and financed readily by the industrial wealth of the region at the time and donations of prime pieces of real estate by rich industrialists. The Seiberling family, including the founder of Goodyear Tire & Rubber (check out Stan Hywet Hall as well) were instrumental in promoting the Ohio metropark movement and later the establishment of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The region's great support for preserving natural areas as a result of the success of the metropark movement made the preservation of the Cuyahoga Valley between Akron and Cleveland a top political priority of the region's Congressional delegation led by the powerful Ralph Regula and John Seiberling.

https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvis...al_for-web.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Seiberling

The combination of Cuyahoga Valley National Park and extensive adjacent and nearby reservations of the Cleveland and Summit County metropark systems create a unique oasis of nature in the middle of the urban sprawl of one of the nation's largest metropolitan areas. Even the one-time site of the Richfield Coliseum was consumed by the CVNP and is now a highly praised birding area.

https://www.tpl.org/magazine/rise-an...eum-landpeople

http://www.cleveland.com/entertainme...eum_at_ri.html

http://wksu.org/post/pluto-field-fad...field#stream/0

The Mahoning County (Youngstown) metro parks are actually named after Mill Creek Park, one of the oldest and best of the many metro parks in northeast Ohio.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_Creek_Park

Mill Creek MetroParks | Your Memories. Your MetroParks.

Park lovers should never be bored in northeast Ohio, as local nature areas are abundant, located near residents, and complementing extremely well Cuyahoga Valley National Park and state parks and nature preserves in the area.

Additionally, there are magnificent nature preserves just to the west often covering the remnants of the Great Black Swamp, much of which has been converted to some of the most fertile agricultural land in the U.S.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Black_Swamp

Just a few examples include the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and the adjacent Magee Marsh Wildlife, featuring a boardwalk famed among birders.

The Biggest Week in American Birding - Home

Among the best of the region's nature destinations are the six National Natural Landmarks in northeastern Ohio.

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nnlandm...te=OH#stateMap

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nnlandm...e.htm?State=OH

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...dmarks_in_Ohio

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Here's a thread about Ohio activities. Check out the Great Geauga County Fair.

Greater Cleveland versus Greater Sacramento

Correction:

Here's a thread about Ohio activities:

Day/weekend trip?

Also check out the Great Geauga County Fair.

History of the Great Geauga County Fair - the Oldest Fair in Ohio!