Moving to Stow or Tallmadge? (Cleveland, Akron: housing, rent, high school)

[Katzpurr]

We cannot decide between the 2. My husband insists I am not going to be happy in a town with 15,000 people. I am not so sure I will be either. I told him as long as I am close to shopping and such and in a nice house I wont care. They both have good school districts and we are looking to build a new home in one oft hese 2 places. Anyone have any other suggestions about a different city that is a little bigger but has a good school district? I dont want to live in Akron or in any bigger size city..but maybe something a little bigger than Stow or Tallmadge?
Thanks alot!!
Stacey

[anodyne]

they're very comparable, but stow has better freeway access. i lived in stow before they had their housing boom (when the developments called something farm were still farms). they have relatively high taxes (tallmadge is lower), but better infrastructure. stow has newer school buildings. tallmadge has the highest per-capita ratio of churches in ohio (and maybe the country). it's a more conservative township.

both are relatively close to Kent State and the University of Akron.

other communities you might want to consider that are similar are bath + richfield (excellent schools! the revere district is very strong) on the west side and green on the south side. there are lots of new constructions in all these places. bath and richfield both have excellent freeway access.

[yagisenin]

Tallmadge is a small and relatively sleepy, incorporated city of about 19,000. Stow is the thriving, third largest city in Summit County, behind Akron and Cuyahoga Falls, at 25,000.

Of the two, as anodyne said, they both have decent school systems that haven't yet had to suffer much in the way of crippling levy funding losses. Stow has the better infrastructure overall, however, with newer schools, roads and housing compared to Tallmadge, although Tallmadge is in the process of building a brand new high school and recently finished building a natatorium, which will connect with the new high school.

Tallmadge, beyond the Circle/"Downtown" area, really has no major shopping districts of its own, and has fought pretty hard to keep it that way for the longest time, although there is now a Walmart Supercenter east of town in Brimfield Township, along I-76. Its' west border runs alongside the Chapel Hill commercial/retail district of Akron, however, which is home to one of the area's regional malls, in addition to Target, Best Buy and Home Depot stores.

Stow is home to a few modest retail districts, with the most significant being located on the city's east side, near Kent, which includes a Target, Kohls, Macy's, Giant Eagle, Bed, Bath and Beyond and an Acme supermarket. Beyond the city's southwest border, in Cuyahoga Falls, there is another shopping district that includes a Wal-Mart and Lowe's.

As far as aesthetics, etc. go, Stow is actually a nice, modestly upscale and safe suburban community for a young couple, especially one looking to settle in and raise a family. It's also pretty close to just about everything, including the local universities, Kent State and The University of Akron, again as anodyne mentioned, with easy highway access along State Rt. 8 south into Akron or north to Cleveland. Tallmadge is a nice, quiet, safe suburban town, but feels a bit on the stuffy side as it is home to a seemingly disproportionate number of elderly/senior citizens and churches.

For a young, middle class couple new to the area, I'd probably recommend Stow. You might also want to check out Green, south of Akron along I-77, and perhaps Copley Township, west of Akron along I-77 towards Cleveland. Bath and Richfield are very nice, but extremely pricey, unless you are into the really upscale market, of course.

Want bigger than Stow? You can also check out Cuyahoga Falls, the second largest city in Summit County at 50,000. Falls feels like a modest suburb, with lots of amenities, including its own natatorium and the Riverfront, downtown, which always has some fun and entertaining event taking place there throughout the year. The schools there are somewhat on the shaky side, however, having been recently forced to make cutbacks and close some buildings.

[BUCKFANZ444]

I would move to Tallmadge! New High School, Excellance School rating, Great people. Also your by a walmart and a nice mall. Stow schools isn't as good of school system. Tallmadge is very big in churches were 2nd for most per square mile in the world 1st in nation. Were also big in sports. I would move to tallmadge, lived in stow didn't like it people were very mean and way more shopping by tallmadge.