I hate to do it but another "where to live in cleveland" ... (Parma: renting, selling a house)

[19hsm]

Twinsburg? How is that area?

[jimmy ohio]

Ok, first I have to comment on this...Athens is a 4-plus hour drive from anywhere in Cleveland area, not something you'll do often in the winter. Erie is an easy 1 to 1.5 hour drive from the eastside.

The primary snowbelt (where most of the snow falls) is anywhere in Lake County and includes south to Chardon and east to just about Mayfield. Other than that, all areas can get plenty of snow.

Not sure exactly what you're looking for in a home/town. But these places are good bets (decent schools, low crime, shopping, restaurants): Solon, Mentor, Willoughby, and Twinsburg. If you go into Geauga County you'll get more rural. I've left out all of the expensive burbs since you listed $150 as your price range.

[ottomobeale]

Brunswick is nice suburban in parts. Kind of hillbillyish in others. Running up I271 from Brunswick is easier than other west /southwest areas but harder than almost all the east side.

[patty1019]

warm fuzzy feelings thinking back to long days spent on lake erie.........now back to the harsh reality of snow, ice, freezing rain, sleet,.........ho hum....that's life in lancaster, ohio right now. thanks for posting that pic. it made my day.....

[anodyne]

Many of the inner ring suburb schools (cleveland heights, euclid, lakewood) are having some serious issues in the last few years. I am a teacher in a Cleveland area suburban/city school and I wouldn't send my son there. In fact, I'm actively looking to move out of state due to the deteriorating conditions of the cities and the economic stagnation here.

North Olmstead is a good choice. I'd be wary of Cleveland Heights, Euclid or Lakewood schools. All of these had undertaken the Small Schools initiative and all have been reporting successes that aren't there. Don't look too closely at test scores -- statistics can be gamed pretty adroitly by inefficient administrators.

[wmcgahee]

Yes - "commuting" to Athens is not really an option from Cleveland.

Anyway, you need to consider what you are looking for out of your neighborhood. Shaker/University/Cleveland Heights are all kind of "urban suburbs" - suburbs that have a more urban feel to them. Many homes with lots of character and you'll have all the pluses and minuses of urban living.

I would look at Twinsburg over Bedford/Oakwood but if you are going to go as far out as Twinsburg, I would look at the areas in Kenston or West Geauga school districts out in Geagua county. This would be more rural.

With commuting to Erie being a consideration, I would consider Willoghby, South Euclid/Lyndhurst as well.

[19hsm]

Thanks for the input. I realize I will not be "commuting" to athens though

I really appreciate ALL your feedback. Right now I'm looking at Streetsboro, Aurora, Twinsburg, off of 271 then I'm also looking in Eastlake/willoughby/wickliff area. We're trying to stay in Summit, Lake, Portgage, maybe Geauga

Is northfield center a decent area? Thanks!

My realtor really sucks by the way.

[patty1019]

the part of ohio i know best is from central ohio south. we lived in the cincinnnati area for awhile recently but didn't like it. there were so many nationalities around you at any given time that you'd swear that you're in a foreign country. for people who grew up with traditional values and clean living in the country this was an adventure but not our ideal place to live. when i think of the best places to live i think of how safe the community is. i do the research on the internet about what's available culturally in each one, what there is to offer as far as good stores are concerned, but in the end i'm more at ease just visiting such places. we live in a unique place in that it's much older than the city surrounding it. it's a closed community with rules to keep kindness and decency in focus. it's not everyone's cup of tea but it's like a small town atmosphere in and of itself. we're surrounded by 1800's cottages all clumped together on a hilltop. the hilltop is lined with blacktop streets for cars and some for pedestrians only. the hilltop is covered with all sorts of different types of trees but most are oaks which have seen over a hundred years of history here. we like a place that exudes history and promotes a clean lifestyle for not only the residents but for the public that is invited to come join us in activities. the programs open to the public include those that are church oriented as well as those considered chataqua. can't remember if that's spelled right. there is another even better place just like this at lakeside, ohio near marblehead lighthouse. there's an historic hotel there with a museum, shops, swimming in lake erie, a pier to take long walks on, a fabulous ice cream shop that's open all summer, book stores, basically a rich and diverse lifestyle. people sit on large ornate front porches in antique rocking chairs as people pass by on long walks around the community. it's a closed community that hosts the west and east ohio conference of the united methodist church of ohio each year. it's a one of a kind place not to be missed if you're visiting the area. the lighthouse at marblehead lighthouse is one of the most beautiful attractions in the area, especially if you just like to sit and watch the sailboats and ore freighters criss crossing the lake in the sparkling sunshine. you can watch the sea gulls working the fish as they spawn in what looks like the boiling of the lake water. beyond on the far shore you can see the graceful lines of the rollercoasters of cedar point at sandusky. this attraction is within driving distance. beyond the lighthouse is johnston's island, home to a civil war prison for confederate prisoners of war. many died there and so are buried on the grounds. visiting the quiet solitude of this resting place speaks to eons past when the entire state was embroiled in the great civil war. the lake itself has seen military battles from before the time of the revolution to the civil war and beyond. there are the rumrunners, the whiskey smugglers, amongst the best stories. the best though are of the many lives lost in this mighty lake when great ships were wrecked during furious storms which frequent the region. there are vineyards to your west from lakeside to catawba, state parks, and ferry landings on their way to and from the islands of lake erie. port clinton is to the west as well and harkens back to a time of leasure and good living. the area abounds in local artists work in the many little speciality shops. lakeside is in the middle of it all on lake erie. toledo is to your west in the far northern corner of ohio. i've only been there once but found their zoo to be interesting. the weather was cold, with a harsh wind. i longed to go back home to the hills of central southern ohio, to the warmth of wood and coal stoves and old german style homes built like fortresses. even so lake erie is a wonderful place where lakeside is situated. if you go there be sure to go by brown's diary for the ultimate in orange vanilla swirl icecream stacked high on a cone. be ready to stand in line for awhile, it's that good. nearby to the east is the coast guard station, then marblehead which sits next to an orthodox church with strange adornments on it's roof. on to the east is cleveland and sandusky. below that is akron where klinger from the show mash was from. it's known as the tire capitol of ohio. cleveland has much to offer such as the rock and roll music hall of fame. it's been called the mistake on the lake for generations, lol. drew carey's show was of the life of a clevelander and his friends. it depends upon what speed you live your life and what speed you would like to go at for some years to come. the shores of lake erie has it all. there's just so much to offer to any resident that one would be wise to just begin in earnest to research it all. just so you know what's there, when it's there, and how to get to it. a good place to start is to get tourist information from the state of ohio. just google it. you'll find out region by region what ohio has to offer the tourist and the resident. the next step might be to google each and every county in the areas you are looking at for a more intense look at what each one has to offer a resident. from jobs, to shopping, to the arts, and daily living these guides are invaluable. once you get to your new location pick up a map of the area as well as the ads for yard, barn, garage sales and rummage sales for instance. just traveling from one to the other will get you oriented to the area quickly and you'll be meeting the people of the area at the same time. it's a great way to see the area's true nature. next take out the weekly ads and cut coupons. make an effort to visit each store to see what it has to offer that you might want to take advantage of. by all means don't leave our walmart or sams' club when you get here. if you need it walmart's usually got it all. one stop.....lol sams club is where you can buy in bulk if you don't like shopping each and every week for each and every item. you get better prices buying bulk and keeping it in stock at home. it's also a good idea in case of harsh weather. on the net view pictures of each town or city you're considering in all 4 seasons. sometimes a place is great in the summer but goes to sleep all winter. other places are busy all year long with all sorts of great activities. take advantage of tourism opportunities of literature in each and every way whether it be for travel, shopping, tourism, or just kicking back. the small towns in ohio have alot to offer and sometimes are a better choice to sanity, lol. people are not so driven to living life by the seat of their pants. so, be it living in a busy place or in one that takes it slower, i'm sure you'll find your niche in ohio. i hope this information helps you make an informed decision that you can live with easier. having moved so far from home in the past few years myself i know now what i could've done to make things easier and where to look for what i really wanted to know before we moved there. in retrospect it would've made great sense to listen to the area radio stations of the area before we decided to move there. lol not to scare you but we were too close to an area rife with gang violence but knew nothing of it before this. we were from central ohio you see and the news there did not reflect the circumstances of other big cities to a great degree. for the sake of business and tourism i don't think i'd want everyone to know about "over the rhine" in cincinnati either, lol. the police don't go in there after dark. in the day they only go in in great numbers if they have to go in at all. it's like a war zone down there at night and pity the hapless individual who wanders into it. it's nothing to hear daily on the news there that anywhere from a couple to many people were killed there the night before. this goes on almost daily if it isn't everyday. just be sure you check the crime stats online and take a close look at the ethnic diversity and if there are blocks of ethnicity in pockets within each town. every town has a good section and a bad one. it's your job to find out where they are and make the best of it. i wish you well and hope ohio is all you want it to be. sorry for your realtor experience. maybe you can find one that's more informed next time.

patty

[Johnnybegood]

Hello All - Just moved to Streetsboro a few days back, and am very pleased at the location. Very close to all. I like the fact the interstates are very close to where I live. About a 20 minute commute. Alot of snow so far!! Peace

[ohme]

many people commute from canton/akron area. canal fulton is a nice area to live, its not quite an hour commute.