Brecksville: Bored in the 'burbs? (Akron, Lakewood: real estate, house, safe area)

[kerensa]

Please give me any and all opinions on Brecksville!

What do most people do on the weekends? Will we be outsiders since we didn't grow up there? What are the people like? Someone told me it was a bit snooty - is this true?

We don't have kids yet, and I found a house I like in Brecksville. It just feels weird to buy a house in the suburbs when we are still in our 20s with no kids - I don't want to feel like an outsider if the whole community revolves around little league! Brecksville just feels like such a mature community. It seems like there are lots of older kids but not many babies/toddlers.

We do want to have kids someday and I'd like to live somewhere there are other young families. Would we be better off living somewhere in a starter home (like University Heights, Mayfield Heights) where I know there are lots of young families, and moving to more of a established suburban area later?

Also, Brecksville is very hilly - how are they are snow removal? Does the power go out very often?

Thanks in advance for any info!

[chrisolsen]

I live in Brecksville and am a REALTOR and sell on both sides of town. When it comes to real estate these days, you should think long-term, so that may affect an interim purchase. Regarding the snow, I have never had any issues being snowed in. The City services are exceptional. I think the best way to get accurate data on demographics is from census.gov. I haven't experienced power outages outside of typical storms on occasion. Keep an eye on taxes, as University Heights is about 1/3 higher in taxes then Brecksville. Have you visited the Brecksville Community/Recreation Center? This is something some older/inner suburbs lack.

[kerensa]

Yes, the rec center and library are both really nice, and definitely better that what we currently have in our town. It's a big draw for us.

However, here they are very good at keeping the roads salted and clear in the winter, but the neighboring town has adopted a "sensible salting" policy which means they barely clear the roads at all! It's good to hear Brecksville would be a bit more sensible than that!

I think I have seen your website before - can you tell me more about Echo Hills area?

[costello_musicman]

Personally, I would be bored out of my mind.

Don't get me wrong, it's a nice area--family-friendly and clean--but if you need constant activity around you like me, I wouldn't recommend it. I think most people would disagree with me, but I need places to walk to.

Property values though, I think it should hold strong for years to come if that's another issue as well.

[treat]

People in Brecksville will tell you they're not snooty, but as someone who has lived in Brecksville, I can tell you, yes, they're snooty. Brecksville is new money, and since it's on the west side, it's not very diverse (primarily white Christians, very few blacks, more Asians than the east side.) People in Brecksville are more country-ish than you would find in the inner ring suburbs (off-roading is popular, people are more into hunting than some of the other communities.)

Overall, it's a very nice, beautiful and safe area, but it's true that there is very little to do within the community. On the brightside, it's not a very far commute to downtown.

Power does go out often in the summer, but it's not too bad. As for snow, they do get a LOT of it compared to some of the other communties, but as for snow removal/salting, the city does do the best it can.

As a young couple, I think the east side would be way more exciting, but perhaps you can get your house in Brecksville and commute to the east side for stuff to do. It's a relatively long drive (about 45 minutes), but if you really like the house....

[5Lakes]

Move to Lakewood. That is where the biggest population of your demographic is on the west side. There are also familes in Lakewood, so it will also be good for that down the road. Brecksville is boring and isolated.

[chrisolsen]

Echo Hills has two lakes (swimming, fishing), tons of common area to enjoy -- with a baseball/softball diamond, soccer field/nets, volleyball court with deep sand, space for dogs to run, etc. There are community events held throughout the year -- some adult only parties, some for everyone, fall festival, Sunday evening cookouts, etc. The swimming lake has a lifeguard and the water is tested and very clean and you can find lap swimmers using it as well as others. I only know one person who is a hunter out of hundreds of people that I have met over the past several years, so I'm not sure there is a hunting bonanza compared to other communities, I think there are always stereotypes that someone can find if they look for things. As far as things to do in the community compared to others, how many inner suburbs can you walk out of your door or within a 2 minute drive and hike for hours in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park year round, or go skiing in 5 minutes at Boston Mills or Brandywine; or go to the Brecksville Center for the Arts and learn to ceramic, paint, draw, and other things, or see a play at the Brecksville Little Theater, or take a horseback riding lesson at the Brecksville Stables, or hop on I-77 and be at the airport in 20 minutes, downtown in 20 minutes, University Circle in 30 minutes or downtown Akron in 25 minutes. Having lived in Lakewood, Shaker and Brecksville, we still take advantage of all the offerings of the west, east, downtown and University Circle areas regardless of where we live and haven't found that a 20-25 minute drive versus 10 in Shaker was a deal breaker.

Regarding walking to things, even in many inner ring suburbs, depending on where one is, the majority of housing doesn't have a ton of things to do by walking, it's simply too far. If you are going to be near amenities that are walkable, the prices go up, and you should take a hard look at those retail/dining/entertainment options and see how often and what it is you would actually do. I know some clients who have bought to be near walkable amenities and haven't really utilized them much.

Each community is unique with pluses and minuses and you have to find what you think works best for you. Explore...explore..explore...in person...:-)