Can anyone give me the pro's and con's of living in willoughby ? (Cleveland: best town)

[cicilyb]

Hi- I originally posted my question on the Ohio forum- but d/t lack of response I thought I would try the Cleveland forum since Willoughby is so close to Cleveland. I also welcome info on other towns in close proximity to Willoughby. My husband is considering applying for a position there. We live in Florida. Hubby grew up in Northern Illinois. He loves the snow. I love to snow ski but have never lived in the far north. We are looking for a new and different climate. I am a nurse. Any good hospitals close by? Is there alot to do with kids? Our girls are 8 and 6. I have an Aunt in Cleveland. I have relatives in Jefferson- ashtabula county area. When I was a kid, I always remember visiting my grandparents in the summer in Ashtabula. Fond memores. But- what is it really like to live there? Schools any good?? Thanks for whatever you can offer! Looking for a town with nice neighborhoods in the $200,000 range.

[5Lakes]

Willoughby is the best town in Lake county IMO. It has an older town center that is walkable with some cool bars and restaurants. There are also some nice parks over there along the river. Surrounding the old part of the town is your more typical suburbia, which contains all the standard suburban big-box type stores. Also, there is a mall close by in Mentor. I imagine the Willoughby schools are pretty good. The Cleveland area is really cheap, so I don't think you will have much of a problem finding affordable housing. If you Husband loves snow than Willoughby will not disappoint, as it is in the western Great Lakes snow belt.

[Puddy4LyF]

My brother lives in Willoughby. He lives right off of Rt. 2 and it's a nice neighborhood - a park nearby and no crime. I also like the cute little old downtown, but everything else about it I pretty much can't stand. Currently everything around Rt. 2 is under construction, and the shopping districts are both mad-houses. Suburban sprawl hit this town hard - it wouldn't be my first choice to live, but it's not bad. It's just kind of blah.

Best part about Willoughby, though, is the Holden Arboretum. Love that place.

[kerensa]

Parts of Willoughby are a bit hilly/windy roads.
Taxes and insurance are lower in Lake county than neighboring Cuyahoga County (where downtown Cleveland is location).
Cute downtown, but didn't strike me as kid-friendly - it's more a place for nightlife, bars and restaurants, and a coffee shop. Library is pretty nice though and there is an awesome hill for sledding in the middle of town.
I think the price matches yours, there are some newer construction homes and some beautiful older homes.
Schools and safety are so-so, about middle of the pack (according to the latest rankings in Cleveland Magazine's "Rating the Suburbs"). You might also consider Mayfield Heights or Lyndhurst for houses in your price range, also close to East Side highways (about 15 minutes south of Willoughby) with decent (but not excellent) schools. Mentor is also close to Willoughby with better schools and houses in the same price range. But it can seem a bit crowded (to me) since there is so much shopping.

[Intermountain Dog]

Willoughby is nice, kind of snooty people though.

[ohiogirl22]

I dont really post on here but I grew up in Willoughby Hills. When i was young I lived in the condo complex across from Paninis and my dad would push me down to the Willoughby Pool in a stroller in the summer. We moved to Willoughby Hills when my little sis was born. i LOVEd living in Willoughby Hills it is close to everything. Willoughby is also great and fun with its little down town althought I don't recommend moving north of the tracks tho. Willoughby is one of the few places left that has a "wrong side of the tracks"

[citydudeallover]

Lake County , Willoughby carve out of the original Ashtubula county,
just a fact , Lake County hospitals rate with the best for this area ,
I have heard , Do not remember the rating it self , But keep in mind
LAKE West , LAKE East ,That said, for its size that spans a good deal of people needing care , As far as Snow , East is best known for LAKE Affect
Snow, When good Old Lake Erie is not froze over , The winds pick up the
moister from the waters of Lake Erie and dump it on land as snow,
If you move to Lake County , Most East to West
Commute is not bad during rush hour , There for You got the Cleveland
Clinic , University Hospital System Ect. Which both having clinic and other campuses , other the the Main Campus. So come on up, Let
your kids go sled riding , and see THE CHRISTMAS STORY HOUSE
( IN TREMONT OF CLEVELAND )

[mommamia b]

Holden Arboretum is actually in Kirtland...

Willoughby, overall, is a great city and has a great school district (willoughby-eastlake sd). That price range might actually get you new construction, but definitely a nice home. Nursing? You couldn't have picked a better city. Cleveland Clinic (Hillcrest isn't far from Willoughby), Lake Health System, and University Hospitals are all in the area. There is also Willoughby Hills, which is a little more "country," but "country" comes at a cost (housing is a bit more expensive).

Snow? We get plenty...lake effect