Best Small Town in Ohio (Columbus, Cleveland: restaurant, design, suburban)

[mytarps]

I am living in Wooster. I like my city.

[thebpseven]

Just for the record, I live up north, walking distance from the lake, and I LOVE Cincinatti! No one forgot you Cincy!

[Ohioan58]

I don't have a particular small town to nominate in this thread but I do have a thought about the northern vs southern Ohio issue.

I've grown up and lived most of my life (less some stints working around the country when I was younger) in Southern Ohio (Cincinnati-Dayton region.)

After some trips to northern Ohio recently I'd say that the northern part of the state is generally neater, cleaner, and more manicured than the southern part of the state. The northern part and the lakeshore area east of Cleveland in particular reminds me of a depopulated version of parts of the east coast. The small towns up there are just better kept than you find in southern Ohio.

And superficially, the natural environment seems better respected in the north. The shoreline along Lake Erie looked pretty clean when we were out walking. Walking around Caesars Creek it almost feels like you'd better watch out for needles in the sand. And there is no concept of "natural area" along the Ohio side of the Ohio river, it all looks industrial for 100 mi. east of Cincinnati.

Example, this last summer we stayed at the resort at Geneva-On-The-Lake. The resort was nice but the town itself was a tattoos, jello shots and choppers hell hole. In one way.

In another way it seemed much, much cleaner and more, uh, actually civilized than a similar town or area that would be located in southern Ohio.

Geneva-On-The-Lake was kind of a dump but it didn't seem scary. The same kind of environment were it close to Dayton or Cincinnati would be scary. And would be extremely run down.

It's probably a function of less Appalachian culture - things are neater and better kept and people are more courteous - and more money sloshing around locally.

There's definitely a cultural difference in things like how older structures are kept up and that affects how the stock of homes in a town looks. IE: Appalachians don't keep stuff painted so it gets weatherbeaten so in Southern Ohio you have one poor, run down looking town after another and it's usually lack of maintenance caused. The more northern, New Englandy way that you observe in Northern Ohio is to keep up appearances.

Northern Ohio looks better and less dumpy than Southern Ohio.

[ram2]

Originally Posted by Ohioan58

I don't have a particular small town to nominate in this thread but I do have a thought about the northern vs southern Ohio issue.

I've grown up and lived most of my life (less some stints working around the country when I was younger) in Southern Ohio (Cincinnati-Dayton region.)

After some trips to northern Ohio recently I'd say that the northern part of the state is generally neater, cleaner, and more manicured than the southern part of the state. The northern part and the lakeshore area east of Cleveland in particular reminds me of a depopulated version of parts of the east coast. The small towns up there are just better kept than you find in southern Ohio.

And superficially, the natural environment seems better respected in the north. The shoreline along Lake Erie looked pretty clean when we were out walking. Walking around Caesars Creek it almost feels like you'd better watch out for needles in the sand. And there is no concept of "natural area" along the Ohio side of the Ohio river, it all looks industrial for 100 mi. east of Cincinnati.

Example, this last summer we stayed at the resort at Geneva-On-The-Lake. The resort was nice but the town itself was a tattoos, jello shots and choppers hell hole. In one way.

In another way it seemed much, much cleaner and more, uh, actually civilized than a similar town or area that would be located in southern Ohio.

Geneva-On-The-Lake was kind of a dump but it didn't seem scary. The same kind of environment were it close to Dayton or Cincinnati would be scary. And would be extremely run down.

It's probably a function of less Appalachian culture - things are neater and better kept and people are more courteous - and more money sloshing around locally.

There's definitely a cultural difference in things like how older structures are kept up and that affects how the stock of homes in a town looks. IE: Appalachians don't keep stuff painted so it gets weatherbeaten so in Southern Ohio you have one poor, run down looking town after another and it's usually lack of maintenance caused. The more northern, New Englandy way that you observe in Northern Ohio is to keep up appearances.

Northern Ohio looks better and less dumpy than Southern Ohio.

You should try the resort at Maumee Bay State Park. Very clean and well kept.

[klsp10]

i would say lake milton ohio i grew up there all my life it is quiet everyone knows every one and when u get to know the people there they will always have ur back its a great place and there is a beauty full lake there as well i recently moved and i miss it so bad i want to move back there is no other place like it

[ohazco]

I really like Edgerton, Pioneer, Fayette, & Arcanum.

Though I am quite partial for small farm towns.

[missik999]

Port Clinton.

[rrtechno]

Originally Posted by ohazco

I really like Edgerton, Pioneer, Fayette, & Arcanum.

Though I am quite partial for small farm towns.

I get the connection between Edgerton, Pioneer and Fayette. I guess Arcanum must be a lot like them, just in a different area of the state.

[ohazco]

Originally Posted by rrtechno

I get the connection between Edgerton, Pioneer and Fayette. I guess Arcanum must be a lot like them, just in a different area of the state.

Haha ya, a good friend from college grew up on a farm there and lives in town now, I always liked it there. Didn't want to seem too biased to the NW corner . Darke county is kind of the southern end of the corn belt in Ohio though, so it has a lot in common with NW Ohio in that sense it (seems like to me at least).

[johngilmurray]

We are coming over from England and we are looking for a town like Branson Mo or Pigeon Forge Ten and we heard there is a town in Ohio that is similar if anybody can help,not a city but lovely countryside,shows and great American steak houses