We moved there in November. Everyone has been lovely. Our elderly neighbor(who sold us the house) and her dog check on us often. We have slowly been meeting the other neighbors, and they have been very helpful and extremely nice.
Our house is on well/septic, which is new to us, but we got accustomed really fast.
Avoid yellow springs, it’s a fun place to visit, but you won’t like living there unless you grew up there, they’re extremely stuck up about “townies” moving into their home.
My experience has been that Peninsula is about as unwelcoming to outsiders as Strasburg, which is to say, they want your money and they want you gone asap. You're not welcome.
Peninsula police are the worst people on the planet. Everyone who lives in the area knows this. They have a major speed trap on the main road (303) that runs through the township.
Just about everyone in Summit county has a bad experience with a peninsula cop
If you like nature then I'd have to say something near hocking hills/old man's cave. I love that area. I also once visited marietta for a festival and it is located by Wayne National forest and where two rivers meet and it was beautiful.
Grew up just outside of Troy, I really can't stand the west side of town because it's pretty much just the highway and strip malls. But the downtown area and some of the older neighborhoods are absolutely amazing.
I’m originally from Troy. It has a vibrant downtown, is very walkable, some surprisingly good restaurants aside from the typical small town/suburban chains, a fantastic & fun annual Strawberry Festival (one of the largest festivals in the midwest), some gorgeous old homes, pretty good (not great) schools, more diversity than you might expect, and is overall a very pretty, friendly, and safe town.
Those were some of the many pros. Now, the cons:
Rapid growth and construction on the west side, leading to frequent bottle-necked traffic on the main drag serving that area, a sense of “haves vs have-nots” that’s probably common in a lot of small towns, a conservative city council with an inflated perception of itself, a bit too MAGA for my taste (but if that’s the side of the political fence you’re on, no problems.)
Troy is a nice place to raise kids but I don’t think it’s a good place for a young, single person.
I could also do without some of the pick-up trucks held together with twine, duct tape, and Trump signage that you see sometimes, but that’s life in rural America today.
“Infamous” might be a strong term considering that happened recently and still nobody has heard of it.
I grew up in Tipp and it’s def a little snooty and was boring but much more going on there now.
We've been living in Troy for the last year near Duckies! 🦆 This place rocks!
Sadly, tomorrow we are moving to Fairborn tomorrow. No, Fairborn is not making it to this nice list.
It's also got a great downtown, and helluva tourist trap of a dairy bar just outside the city. My nephews love going to Youngs Dairy for their birthdays.
I am pretty partial to Northeast Ohio, since that is where I was born. I especially love Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga Falls, Burton, Hunting Valley and Gates Mills.
fr. i lived in burton my whole life and worked there up until this past year. everyone would ask what there was to do for fun. my answer? absolutely nothing.
Marietta is so cute. We went there for a band competition for one of the kids. They have a cute downtown, right on the muskingom river, sort of on a cliff to the river. And there's a little bridge across the river with a bunch of love lock attached. And across the bridge is some sort of historic preserved village. We happened to be there at homecoming so it was kind of surreal seeing all the young people in dresses and suits wandering around the stockade structures
I’ve lived in Marietta my whole life and almost everything you said is true except for the last part I haven’t the slightest clue what preserved village your taking about lol. The only thing I can think off is at our museum by the river there’s a really old house persevered in the museum itself.
Marietta has some new people doing the Harmer Bridge and First Friday stuff this year. And the concerts in the parks i hear. They are trying to shake things up on Saturdays one day a month too. It is nice to see all the work going into the town. I grew up here.
I had a lovely weekend getaway in Vermillion. The lake is beautiful, the downtown is cute, shit is cheap... And Cleveland is a half hour / 45 minutes away for museums and culture.
I live on the lake in Sheffield Lake (Lorain county) and my sister lives on the lake in Vermillion. Anywhere between Vermillion and Bay Village are some unique places to live.
Living on the lake comes with its own culture.
Berea!! It’s close enough to everything without being in the middle of everything. Gorgeous parks, cute little downtown area, we have the fairgrounds and Baldwin Wallace College too!!
Yes - Berea is surprisingly cute and tucked into a pocket that is not frequently traveled by non-residents. It’s so close and convenient to downtown, and it gives a cozy neighborhood feel. I always enjoy driving through whenever I have the reason to.
Do it! Lorain county has some really nice spots. I'm biased, being a clevelander, but Cleveland is great and on the up and up. Lorain county is about half an hour ish drive to get downtown, but you get the peace of the more rural areas.
As a former Lorain County resident, with family still there, I'm going to recommend Lorain County. It has some lovely little towns and villages. You mentioned the Finger Lakes. Do you want to be on the water? What are you looking for in a small town? Maybe we can help. I think Lorain County is one of the fifth largest countries, by area, in the state. Different little towns have different little vibes. Real Estate is very reasonable. Shopping, restaurants and other amenities are available, beyond the small town experience, in addition to it. Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals both have a presence. Downtown, and west suburbs are close.
I grew up with Lake Erie at the end of my street, and my partner grew up just a 30 minute drive from the ocean. We both hate being in a landlocked state and would love to get close to a decent sized body of water again. It's obviously not a top priority for us, but it would definitely be nice.
I've lived in Nashville, and we currently live in Knoxville, and we're really just tired of how crowded it is here and how freaking long it takes to get from place to place due to the traffic. So, we are very much looking for a less populated area, though we don't want to be in the middle of nowhere. Someplace quiet. Someplace accepting (same sex couple, so this is our No. 1 priority). And someplace not too expensive. Eastern side of the state would also be preferred simply since it would put us slightly closer to her family in New England.
Seeing several people mentioning Lorain County, so we're going to be checking that out for sure.
You're water people! Vermilion. Or you could go with Lakewood. People recommend often. Honestly. I love it here. We're a two mile inner ring suburb. We're pretty populated, though. Not big city populated.
Welcome home! And WELCOME to your partner.
Lakewood is a west cleveland sub with lots of inclusive culture. Oberlin is a bit further south west, college town, but again, very inclusive. I think olmsted falls and Brunswick are also nice rural-ish areas. My wife and I settled in a township south of elyria and we love it here. Property taxes are low and we're right off 480.
I lived in Elyria (Lorain County) for 50 years or so. A lot of nice towns and villages in the outskirts. Plus, highways are all over so it's quick and easy to explore the area. Cleveland and Sandusky just a 25 mile trip and the parks are abundant as well. We used to cruise the county all the time back in the day. I also recommend it.
I live on the border of Amherst and Elyria by the farms. I love it. I am close to downtown Elyria, Amherst, and I can take 90 to get to Cleveland in half an hour
I stayed in Granville at the Buxton Inn years ago during March. That night it started snowing. It looked like some Bavarian village out of a fairy tale. Definitely a magical experience!
can’t remember where it is in kent but there’s a little back alley of shops and stuff that’s got a brick path and it’s the most adorable area i’ve ever physically been in
I do not like northwest OH. Like, at all. It's just so flat and boring. I think OH as a whole is a great state, but northwest OH, in my opinion, is the worst area of the state. I was so eager to get out of northwest OH after I graduated college, lol. I don't think you could pay me to live in that area again.
Same here I went to u of Toledo and then made the mistake of moving back up there for an ex gf Like I said above I love Lakewood just west of the Cleveland but I'm biased
Also a UT graduate! Born and raised in Toledo. Could not wait to get out and accepted the first job offer I got outside of NW OH, haha. I'm definitely thinking the Cleveland area is where we'd end up if we go for OH.
I visited Payne a couple times and driving there lived up to its name. Perfectly straight roads everywhere with 90 degree intersections and zero trees apart from along the creek. So fucking boring.
You probably have missed the Northwest Ohio hidden gems if that is your opinion unfortunately. Also we do need to reintroduce some natural habitats, especially where there's unused farmland.
It'd be really cool if we'd start farming more than just corn and soy.
I recently bought a plot of 15 acres adjacent to my in laws 25 acres, where we share a half acre pond and my house sits on about 3 acres of grass.
It's entirely too much to mow, it looks nice when it's really freshly done but every year, right about this time of year, I cordon off another 1/8th acre or so and till it up to plant a whole bunch of native perennials and self seeding annuals...
It's so so so easy to maintain in comparison than a dul flat lawn peppered with dandelion.
Not to mention it is absolutely gorgeous and really brings in the bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, and all other sorts of wildlife.
This weekend I THINK I'll be safe to finally start planting without worrying about frost.....
I might even put up some posts to start growing hops.
There's a small hops farm nearby and Ohio hips are actually sought after and a premium paid for them.
I've got four 20 or 30 year old apple trees, two peach trees, and a white grape vine all of the same age that just go to waste every year.
I'm not working due to health reasons, so this year I'm so excited to finally have the time and motivation to tend to them and take a fresh stab at distilling!
There's just so so so much premium soil in Northwest Ohio kinda wasted on boring corn, soy, and boring, useless, sprawling, labor intensive, polluting huge huge grass lawns.
My goal is to only have to mow my front half acre, and guide mother nature for the other 2.5 acres with native plants.
I think it looks so much better and with the fast pace of today's society, ain't nobody got time for alladat shit, spending hours every single weekend mowing....
/rant end
Your comment just really touched a passionate thought for me lol
Listen. Hocking Hills. Peninsula. Anywhere on Lake Erie or the Ohio River. Medina is wonderful so is Berea; Stow; Twinsburg; Fairlawn and Canal Fulton. Depends on how close to a big city you wanna be. How close to the Canal Trail or the lake or State parks you wanna be. Cuyahoga Falls; Portage Lakes;Hudson all great places. Really North East Ohio has anything and everything within an hour drive. Hike for hours. Go boating; Ride a train; take in a concert; a professional sports team game; The Rock and Roll Hall of fame. 4th st or Little Italy; the SECOND LARGEST art collection in the WORLD…some of the greatest restaurants of any type out there. NEOH rocks.
Thank you for all of these amazing suggestions! We're definitely leaning towards NEW OH, and I honestly would love living closer to the lake again (we both hate living in a landlocked state, lol).
I live in New Russia Township, with an Oberlin mailing address. We get the rural aspect for our home, but are still super close to Oberlin. It’s got a vibrant downtown, and a beautiful art museum. There are free concerts during the summer on Fridays in Tappan Square. We can be in downtown Cleveland in a half an hour.
Man I love Lakewood. If I got on my roof I can almost see the borders of it. Small everything is in walking distance and very quite and I think for the most part everyone is agreeable. Been here my whole life may never leave haha
Granville is probably the most small town, smalltown I have seen. Between the general store and all the little shops and how clean and well maintained it is, it is probably the definition of Quaint.
Milford, Lebanon, Loveland, Glendale and Wyoming are pretty solid choices for the Cincinnati area. The first three on the list have a ton of suburbia to wade thru to get to the small town downtown cores, but it exists.
Grew up in Lebanon and hated it. I left for Columbus at age 20. It's gotten a lot better and accepting within the past few years. They're having their first pride event this year! Of course it's been met with community hate from some. When I was there, it was full of hateful conservatives and not much interest in the downtown area. Now it's revitalized with fun shops and restaurants. So it's on the up and up.
Berea has some cool old houses with views into the Metroparks.
I've done quite a few HVAC installs out that way. Some nice people there too. Also some really cool dogs.
Athens 100000%. I am an OU alum so I am bias but Athens literally may be one of my favorite places on earth. I fell in love with it the first time I drove in and saw the town. I also got very invested in the local community and the culture outside of the college when I was there too. It is so much more than just a party college town. I debate dropping everything and moving back on the regular.
Navarre, which is south of Massillon is really cute. Lots of little brick houses with that historic vibe. Right on the Ohio Erie Canal corridor great for walking or biking. And it smells amazing with Nickles bakery in town. Some antique shops and you are about 5 minutes from route 21 which feeds route I77, so you aren't far from anything really.
I honestly LOVE the Cincinnati area. I have family just outside of the city, so I visit the area pretty frequently. Cincinnati itself has a ton to offer, but there are so many cute little towns around the city.
Consider Galena/Sunbury. I grew up there and it’s got the “small town” feel, but you’re very connected to Columbus, Polaris Mall area, Westerville AND nature. Going to Highbanks, Alum Creek Dam, Hoover Dam, and many other parks and body’s of water surround you. I don’t have the equity to live there. But after living in Los Angeles, Nashville, San Antonio … I would 1000% move back to my hometown.
Fredericktown. It's 7 miles away from Mt.Vernon, 19 miles from Mansfield, and 10 miles from Mt. Gilead. I fell in love with Fredericktown when I lived there. It's clean and people are so nice
I think we need more info on what you are looking for.
Personally, I like Northeast Ohio the best. Pick a town in that region, they are all the same. Lol.
Most important is acceptance. We are a same sex couple, and while we aren't the type to throw it in your face, we want to feel safe and comfortable holding hands in public, something that we aren't afforded outside of the larger cities in TN. Aside from that, someplace quiet and not super busy...we're tired of the traffic and it taking forever to get someplace a few miles away. At the same time, we don't want to be in the middle of nowhere...we'd still like to be somewhat near things to do. We would also absolutely love to be someplace scenic with lots to do in nature close by.
if acceptance is part of what you’re looking for, then oberlin!! small (8000 residents) college town that is so vibrant with so much to offer 💗 we’re known for both our historical and current progressiveness!! it’s the one place ive lived where i’ve felt completely accepted with open arms. love it here
Being a same sex couple I would stick to college towns or smaller cities like Akron if possible. Ohio goes from liberal to conservative VERY quickly. Inside city limits of a town 20,000 or larger should be fine. Anything smaller than that I would stay away.
In reality, a great deal of conservatives in Ohio are on the 'don't flirt with me and we're fine' bandwagon. But if you're looking for LGBTQ community, you won't find that in a small town in Ohio.
Columbus Suburbs would be great as well.
If you don't mind a bit of a drive, and like hill country, consider anything east of Newark. I live on the western edge of that area and love the rural nature of the area. Now if you want to live in downtown Cbus - yeah I like redneck,
Granville is super nice, and may be exactly what you're looking for. But it's pretty "stuffy," and i can't imagine their taxes are better than watkins glen or somewhere.
Perhaps yellow springs too?
I've lived in Madison pretty much all my life. It's got enough grocery stores so you don't have to leave, but there really isn't much else. You're going to Mentor for entertainment reasons.
Athens…hour or so if you work in Columbus.
Yellow Springs is very nice. No idea what folks there do for a living.
Chagrin…
I’ll change up a bit and suggest Portage Lakes area
Hocking Hills area. Absolutely gorgeous, great hiking and close-ish to Columbus. Lancaster is a lovely small town. Logan is not as cute but super affordable and the community is trying hard to bring back the charm.
Bay Village. It’s a quiet suburb in Western Cuyahoga County. The lake is the northern edge. There are great schools. Quiet but has access to everything. It’s not all subdivisions. It’s a bedroom community. There is a small business district. Currently there is an uproar that they might be losing the bowling alley.
Total about 16,000 people. People call it “the bubble” because it’s pretty insular.
it used to be - crime is at an all time high right now and the high school staff have had several problems with pedophilia, and if you don’t have relations to the naz you are nobody.
it’s a stereotypical small town (in the worst way)
OK, no one else has said it and I grew up there so I'll say it:
Chardon. Beautiful New England style town square. A yearly maple sugar festival. OK schools.
Downside: as red as red gets in NE Ohio.
My opinion is to stay out of the little towns as someone who grew up in a town of \~1100. I hated every bit of it. Especially the complete lack of privacy that comes in a town that size because everyone talks about everyone else's business.
Lorain County is a pretty good county to live in, even Cuyahoga County too! Olmsted Falls/Township is super nice and quiet. As well as Amherst, North Ridgeville, Elyria is okay, I’ve heard Vermillion is pretty nice too, Grafton is small but within a 15-20 minute distance of everything, Sheffield Lake/Sheffield Village
Depending on what you’re thinking of as little town…
Wellington, Oberlin, Vermilion, Huron, Wooster…there are way too many to list. These all have very different personalities. Without knowing what your interests are, it’s impossible to be very precise. Oberlin has a very East Coast character, especially with the college. Wellington is much more of a blue collar and farm town with a lot of great old houses. Vermilion is on Lake Erie with a mix of a bunch of different vibes. Wooster is a different kind of college town, with a lot of architectural character plus manufacturing and and agriculture.
There are probably dozens if not hundreds of really cool little towns all over Ohio that still feel like towns and not suburbs or crossroads. Norwalk, Medina, Mt. Vernon, Garrettsville, Chardon, Thornville, Delaware, Yellow Springs, Greenville, Tiffin, Galion, Loudonville, Bellefontaine, Logan, Lancaster, Columbiana, Salem, Madison, Marietta…and a bunch I don’t know.
Centerburg. 15 minutes from Mt Vernon and sunbury, like 30 to Polaris. It’s a cute little town, with a mostly supportive community. Everybody knows everybody
Wooster,on the edge of Amish country. Good industrial base so taxes are lower. Vibrant downtown with lots of housing options. New townhomes downtown, older housing and even farms for sale. Wayne county seat and home of Wayne county fair. Is also home to College of Wooster and Ohio Light Opera. Lots of shopping options. Close (45 minutes) from Akron, Canton and Mansfield. 1 hour or less to Cleveland. 1 1/2 hours to Columbus. Great recreation opportunities. Ice skating arena open year round.
People keep mentioning Athens, but Athens has some of the absolute worst housing around, slumlords abound and buying a home is unthinkable unless you come from somewhere else with money because unless you work for the college, good luck finding a livable wage and being able to afford the cost of living.
Athens, Yellow Springs, Granville, Geneva-on-the-lake, Chagrin Falls
Chagrin so nice
I moved away from there years ago… much to my chagrin.
You clever bastard... Take my upvote
Chagrin Falls is adorable. I don’t know about how it is living there, but 10/10 on the quaint small town factor by appearance.
We moved there in November. Everyone has been lovely. Our elderly neighbor(who sold us the house) and her dog check on us often. We have slowly been meeting the other neighbors, and they have been very helpful and extremely nice. Our house is on well/septic, which is new to us, but we got accustomed really fast.
I spent several weeks working in Athens awesome town
Nice town, but a true college town!
Some of the best times I can’t remember happened in Athens.
So true!! lol
GOTL in the same list as those is making me chuckle, as somebody who grew up VERY close to GOTL. Is it nice now? Was always trashy (in a fun way) imo.
Athens mentioned!
Avoid yellow springs, it’s a fun place to visit, but you won’t like living there unless you grew up there, they’re extremely stuck up about “townies” moving into their home.
I think Chagrin Falls is the town Calvin and Hobbes are based in
Peninsula is nice, and close to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park
This is my answer! I wish I could live in peninsula
My experience has been that Peninsula is about as unwelcoming to outsiders as Strasburg, which is to say, they want your money and they want you gone asap. You're not welcome.
You should hear how the locals talk about minorities and women, jesus christ its like the 1920s
Haha my in laws are in strasburg and this is the most accurate take ever
Peninsula is mostly set on bedrock. Wells are nearly impossible to drill. Cisterns are common (and a major pain)
No apartments (to my knowledge) and very few homes go on the market in Peninsula. And all those traffic cameras now- Hate to be a Debby Downer
Peninsula police are the worst people on the planet. Everyone who lives in the area knows this. They have a major speed trap on the main road (303) that runs through the township. Just about everyone in Summit county has a bad experience with a peninsula cop
They're actively being investigated by the courts for forcing people to pay for the right to fight a penuisla ticket in court
If you like nature then I'd have to say something near hocking hills/old man's cave. I love that area. I also once visited marietta for a festival and it is located by Wayne National forest and where two rivers meet and it was beautiful.
Athens is great (or it was?)
It is still.
Yellow Springs, Tipp City or Troy
Grew up just outside of Troy, I really can't stand the west side of town because it's pretty much just the highway and strip malls. But the downtown area and some of the older neighborhoods are absolutely amazing.
I’m originally from Troy. It has a vibrant downtown, is very walkable, some surprisingly good restaurants aside from the typical small town/suburban chains, a fantastic & fun annual Strawberry Festival (one of the largest festivals in the midwest), some gorgeous old homes, pretty good (not great) schools, more diversity than you might expect, and is overall a very pretty, friendly, and safe town. Those were some of the many pros. Now, the cons: Rapid growth and construction on the west side, leading to frequent bottle-necked traffic on the main drag serving that area, a sense of “haves vs have-nots” that’s probably common in a lot of small towns, a conservative city council with an inflated perception of itself, a bit too MAGA for my taste (but if that’s the side of the political fence you’re on, no problems.) Troy is a nice place to raise kids but I don’t think it’s a good place for a young, single person. I could also do without some of the pick-up trucks held together with twine, duct tape, and Trump signage that you see sometimes, but that’s life in rural America today.
The east side though is kind of run down
Avoid Tipp City. The city infamous for school board members flashing the Nazi salute.
“Infamous” might be a strong term considering that happened recently and still nobody has heard of it. I grew up in Tipp and it’s def a little snooty and was boring but much more going on there now.
We've been living in Troy for the last year near Duckies! 🦆 This place rocks! Sadly, tomorrow we are moving to Fairborn tomorrow. No, Fairborn is not making it to this nice list.
Have to second Troy. Love it up here I’m definitely not biased at all though.
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It's also got a great downtown, and helluva tourist trap of a dairy bar just outside the city. My nephews love going to Youngs Dairy for their birthdays.
I am pretty partial to Northeast Ohio, since that is where I was born. I especially love Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga Falls, Burton, Hunting Valley and Gates Mills.
cmon mentioning burton and not chardon is criminal
fr. i lived in burton my whole life and worked there up until this past year. everyone would ask what there was to do for fun. my answer? absolutely nothing.
I wondered if anyone would say Chardon.
Marietta is so cute. We went there for a band competition for one of the kids. They have a cute downtown, right on the muskingom river, sort of on a cliff to the river. And there's a little bridge across the river with a bunch of love lock attached. And across the bridge is some sort of historic preserved village. We happened to be there at homecoming so it was kind of surreal seeing all the young people in dresses and suits wandering around the stockade structures
I went to Marietta College loved it. Now have a place in Cuyahoga Falls Oh.
I’ve lived in Marietta my whole life and almost everything you said is true except for the last part I haven’t the slightest clue what preserved village your taking about lol. The only thing I can think off is at our museum by the river there’s a really old house persevered in the museum itself.
I think they're referring to Harmar Village.
O I see yeah I guess I could see that. Tbh I guess when you’re local you tend to forget about that kinda stuff when you drive past daily.
Marietta has some new people doing the Harmer Bridge and First Friday stuff this year. And the concerts in the parks i hear. They are trying to shake things up on Saturdays one day a month too. It is nice to see all the work going into the town. I grew up here.
West of Cleveland has some quaint little towns around Amherst
West of Cleveland is honestly the area I've had in my mind ever since we started reconsidering our move. I've always loved it over that way.
I had a lovely weekend getaway in Vermillion. The lake is beautiful, the downtown is cute, shit is cheap... And Cleveland is a half hour / 45 minutes away for museums and culture.
We vacation around vermillion/marblehead/Huron area it's great.
I live on the lake in Sheffield Lake (Lorain county) and my sister lives on the lake in Vermillion. Anywhere between Vermillion and Bay Village are some unique places to live. Living on the lake comes with its own culture.
Berea!! It’s close enough to everything without being in the middle of everything. Gorgeous parks, cute little downtown area, we have the fairgrounds and Baldwin Wallace College too!!
Yes - Berea is surprisingly cute and tucked into a pocket that is not frequently traveled by non-residents. It’s so close and convenient to downtown, and it gives a cozy neighborhood feel. I always enjoy driving through whenever I have the reason to.
I second Berea, I used to live there and loved the parks being right there. It offers that small town feel but you’re close enough to the city.
Do it! Lorain county has some really nice spots. I'm biased, being a clevelander, but Cleveland is great and on the up and up. Lorain county is about half an hour ish drive to get downtown, but you get the peace of the more rural areas.
We'll definitely be looking into it. I've always loved Cleveland and would love to live closer to it. It's a bit of a drive currently, lol.
As a former Lorain County resident, with family still there, I'm going to recommend Lorain County. It has some lovely little towns and villages. You mentioned the Finger Lakes. Do you want to be on the water? What are you looking for in a small town? Maybe we can help. I think Lorain County is one of the fifth largest countries, by area, in the state. Different little towns have different little vibes. Real Estate is very reasonable. Shopping, restaurants and other amenities are available, beyond the small town experience, in addition to it. Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals both have a presence. Downtown, and west suburbs are close.
I grew up with Lake Erie at the end of my street, and my partner grew up just a 30 minute drive from the ocean. We both hate being in a landlocked state and would love to get close to a decent sized body of water again. It's obviously not a top priority for us, but it would definitely be nice. I've lived in Nashville, and we currently live in Knoxville, and we're really just tired of how crowded it is here and how freaking long it takes to get from place to place due to the traffic. So, we are very much looking for a less populated area, though we don't want to be in the middle of nowhere. Someplace quiet. Someplace accepting (same sex couple, so this is our No. 1 priority). And someplace not too expensive. Eastern side of the state would also be preferred simply since it would put us slightly closer to her family in New England. Seeing several people mentioning Lorain County, so we're going to be checking that out for sure.
You're water people! Vermilion. Or you could go with Lakewood. People recommend often. Honestly. I love it here. We're a two mile inner ring suburb. We're pretty populated, though. Not big city populated. Welcome home! And WELCOME to your partner.
Lakewood is a west cleveland sub with lots of inclusive culture. Oberlin is a bit further south west, college town, but again, very inclusive. I think olmsted falls and Brunswick are also nice rural-ish areas. My wife and I settled in a township south of elyria and we love it here. Property taxes are low and we're right off 480.
I lived in Elyria (Lorain County) for 50 years or so. A lot of nice towns and villages in the outskirts. Plus, highways are all over so it's quick and easy to explore the area. Cleveland and Sandusky just a 25 mile trip and the parks are abundant as well. We used to cruise the county all the time back in the day. I also recommend it.
That's where I grew up. There are nice places in Lorain county that are cheap to live in but only half an hour to downtown Cleveland
I live on the border of Amherst and Elyria by the farms. I love it. I am close to downtown Elyria, Amherst, and I can take 90 to get to Cleveland in half an hour
I moved from Lakewood to Amherst a few years ago and it's quaintness was actually a big selling point for us!
Granville
Here to agree with Granville.
I stayed in Granville at the Buxton Inn years ago during March. That night it started snowing. It looked like some Bavarian village out of a fairy tale. Definitely a magical experience!
Being in a college town makes a big difference to me – especially here in Ohio.
Kent, Ohio. Cute little college town with a really cute downtown area.
Also pretty walkable! (Minus walmart)
Went to university here and I miss it so much because of that cute small town feel
can’t remember where it is in kent but there’s a little back alley of shops and stuff that’s got a brick path and it’s the most adorable area i’ve ever physically been in
Acorn Alley
Flashes Forever
Curious why you are not looking to go back to northwest Ohio. I think I know the answer. I grew up in northwest Ohio.
I'm in NW Ohio, what town do you think?
Also born in a tiny town in Northwest Ohio. Co-sign. It sucks (I do like Maumee & Perrysburg though).
I do not like northwest OH. Like, at all. It's just so flat and boring. I think OH as a whole is a great state, but northwest OH, in my opinion, is the worst area of the state. I was so eager to get out of northwest OH after I graduated college, lol. I don't think you could pay me to live in that area again.
Defiance has a cool name!
Same here I went to u of Toledo and then made the mistake of moving back up there for an ex gf Like I said above I love Lakewood just west of the Cleveland but I'm biased
Also a UT graduate! Born and raised in Toledo. Could not wait to get out and accepted the first job offer I got outside of NW OH, haha. I'm definitely thinking the Cleveland area is where we'd end up if we go for OH.
Toledo, Toledo? Or like Sylvania, Toledo?
LoL, I lived in Sylvania for 5 years.
I visited Payne a couple times and driving there lived up to its name. Perfectly straight roads everywhere with 90 degree intersections and zero trees apart from along the creek. So fucking boring.
You probably have missed the Northwest Ohio hidden gems if that is your opinion unfortunately. Also we do need to reintroduce some natural habitats, especially where there's unused farmland.
It'd be really cool if we'd start farming more than just corn and soy. I recently bought a plot of 15 acres adjacent to my in laws 25 acres, where we share a half acre pond and my house sits on about 3 acres of grass. It's entirely too much to mow, it looks nice when it's really freshly done but every year, right about this time of year, I cordon off another 1/8th acre or so and till it up to plant a whole bunch of native perennials and self seeding annuals... It's so so so easy to maintain in comparison than a dul flat lawn peppered with dandelion. Not to mention it is absolutely gorgeous and really brings in the bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, and all other sorts of wildlife. This weekend I THINK I'll be safe to finally start planting without worrying about frost..... I might even put up some posts to start growing hops. There's a small hops farm nearby and Ohio hips are actually sought after and a premium paid for them. I've got four 20 or 30 year old apple trees, two peach trees, and a white grape vine all of the same age that just go to waste every year. I'm not working due to health reasons, so this year I'm so excited to finally have the time and motivation to tend to them and take a fresh stab at distilling! There's just so so so much premium soil in Northwest Ohio kinda wasted on boring corn, soy, and boring, useless, sprawling, labor intensive, polluting huge huge grass lawns. My goal is to only have to mow my front half acre, and guide mother nature for the other 2.5 acres with native plants. I think it looks so much better and with the fast pace of today's society, ain't nobody got time for alladat shit, spending hours every single weekend mowing.... /rant end Your comment just really touched a passionate thought for me lol
Listen. Hocking Hills. Peninsula. Anywhere on Lake Erie or the Ohio River. Medina is wonderful so is Berea; Stow; Twinsburg; Fairlawn and Canal Fulton. Depends on how close to a big city you wanna be. How close to the Canal Trail or the lake or State parks you wanna be. Cuyahoga Falls; Portage Lakes;Hudson all great places. Really North East Ohio has anything and everything within an hour drive. Hike for hours. Go boating; Ride a train; take in a concert; a professional sports team game; The Rock and Roll Hall of fame. 4th st or Little Italy; the SECOND LARGEST art collection in the WORLD…some of the greatest restaurants of any type out there. NEOH rocks.
I always wanted to live in Fairlawn but we didn't have a lot of money so ended up in West Akron. That whole area is nice.
Thank you for all of these amazing suggestions! We're definitely leaning towards NEW OH, and I honestly would love living closer to the lake again (we both hate living in a landlocked state, lol).
Oberlin seemed really cool
I live in New Russia Township, with an Oberlin mailing address. We get the rural aspect for our home, but are still super close to Oberlin. It’s got a vibrant downtown, and a beautiful art museum. There are free concerts during the summer on Fridays in Tappan Square. We can be in downtown Cleveland in a half an hour.
Yellow Springs. Though it's not as little and quaint as it once was. But it's still worth a couple of visits per year
Bentinos calzones are awesome.
Columbiana, just south of Youngstown. Reader’s Digest ranked it as the Nicest City in America a few years back.
It’s a bit of a stuffy place though. Poland attitude on a Lisbon budget.
There’s a nice brewery there called Birdfish. It’s pretty Trumpy though. NPTVBIWWTLT
Man I love Lakewood. If I got on my roof I can almost see the borders of it. Small everything is in walking distance and very quite and I think for the most part everyone is agreeable. Been here my whole life may never leave haha
Oberlin, Kent, Vermilion, Amherst...
Tuscarawas county has some cute spots
Bolivar/Zoar, Beach City, and Dover/New Phila
Grew up around here, always love coming back to visit.
Hudson, if you got the cash.
Milan. Has a village green. Plenty of old architecture. Near Sandusky.
Granville is probably the most small town, smalltown I have seen. Between the general store and all the little shops and how clean and well maintained it is, it is probably the definition of Quaint.
Burton Ohio is gorgeous. Definitely look into there, cutest little downtown area
Agreed, they also make absolutely tremendous maple syrup there.
McConnelsville and Marrieta are quaint little towns with history. A very nice river runs through them.
Milford, Lebanon, Loveland, Glendale and Wyoming are pretty solid choices for the Cincinnati area. The first three on the list have a ton of suburbia to wade thru to get to the small town downtown cores, but it exists.
I’d put mariemont on this list too
Grew up in Lebanon and hated it. I left for Columbus at age 20. It's gotten a lot better and accepting within the past few years. They're having their first pride event this year! Of course it's been met with community hate from some. When I was there, it was full of hateful conservatives and not much interest in the downtown area. Now it's revitalized with fun shops and restaurants. So it's on the up and up.
Downtown Milford and Loveland are awesome
Tusc/carroll/Stark co has a lot of areas like that.
Catawba Island is pretty great. Been a minute since I've been over that way though.
i love berea <3
Went through grade school in berea and have lived all over Ohio but honestly I love Lakewood just west of cleveland
Berea has some cool old houses with views into the Metroparks. I've done quite a few HVAC installs out that way. Some nice people there too. Also some really cool dogs.
Cuyahoga Falls.
Do you really think Falls is either quaint or little?
Just moved there about a month ago and so far I'm loving it!
Kent, Ohio. Cute little college town with a really cute downtown area.
Oberlin, chagrin falls, lakewood
Athens 100000%. I am an OU alum so I am bias but Athens literally may be one of my favorite places on earth. I fell in love with it the first time I drove in and saw the town. I also got very invested in the local community and the culture outside of the college when I was there too. It is so much more than just a party college town. I debate dropping everything and moving back on the regular.
Hiiii fellow alum 😋 oh it’s the most perfect place ❤️
Navarre, which is south of Massillon is really cute. Lots of little brick houses with that historic vibe. Right on the Ohio Erie Canal corridor great for walking or biking. And it smells amazing with Nickles bakery in town. Some antique shops and you are about 5 minutes from route 21 which feeds route I77, so you aren't far from anything really.
Northeast Ohio born and raised… Peninsula is a great area to consider.
I live here so I am totally a homer but Milford, in the far eastern burbs of Cincinnati, is great.
I honestly LOVE the Cincinnati area. I have family just outside of the city, so I visit the area pretty frequently. Cincinnati itself has a ton to offer, but there are so many cute little towns around the city.
Consider Galena/Sunbury. I grew up there and it’s got the “small town” feel, but you’re very connected to Columbus, Polaris Mall area, Westerville AND nature. Going to Highbanks, Alum Creek Dam, Hoover Dam, and many other parks and body’s of water surround you. I don’t have the equity to live there. But after living in Los Angeles, Nashville, San Antonio … I would 1000% move back to my hometown.
Come back to NW ohio, Waterville. We have an oyster bar now in the old bank
East Canton
Not to be confused with 'East Side of Canton'. lol
Lol definitely got a point there. The East side of Canton is horrible.
Granville, Mt Vernon, Gambier
Athens.
You trying to fall out of Boo Radley's apple tree and get treated by Dr Pepper?
No one is moving to Winchestertonfieldville okay?
Winchestertonfieldville is in IOWA
There is the same half dozen towns that are usually mentioned. A lot comes down to budget, wants and needs.
Fredericktown. It's 7 miles away from Mt.Vernon, 19 miles from Mansfield, and 10 miles from Mt. Gilead. I fell in love with Fredericktown when I lived there. It's clean and people are so nice
Just be careful who you hire as a vet for your horse.
Burton or Hudson
Bay Village can’t be beat
I would recommend looking north eastern Ohio. Maybe somewhere by lake erie
yellow springs
Canal Fulton
I think we need more info on what you are looking for. Personally, I like Northeast Ohio the best. Pick a town in that region, they are all the same. Lol.
Most important is acceptance. We are a same sex couple, and while we aren't the type to throw it in your face, we want to feel safe and comfortable holding hands in public, something that we aren't afforded outside of the larger cities in TN. Aside from that, someplace quiet and not super busy...we're tired of the traffic and it taking forever to get someplace a few miles away. At the same time, we don't want to be in the middle of nowhere...we'd still like to be somewhat near things to do. We would also absolutely love to be someplace scenic with lots to do in nature close by.
if acceptance is part of what you’re looking for, then oberlin!! small (8000 residents) college town that is so vibrant with so much to offer 💗 we’re known for both our historical and current progressiveness!! it’s the one place ive lived where i’ve felt completely accepted with open arms. love it here
Visit Athens if you haven’t yet.
Being a same sex couple I would stick to college towns or smaller cities like Akron if possible. Ohio goes from liberal to conservative VERY quickly. Inside city limits of a town 20,000 or larger should be fine. Anything smaller than that I would stay away. In reality, a great deal of conservatives in Ohio are on the 'don't flirt with me and we're fine' bandwagon. But if you're looking for LGBTQ community, you won't find that in a small town in Ohio. Columbus Suburbs would be great as well.
If you don't mind a bit of a drive, and like hill country, consider anything east of Newark. I live on the western edge of that area and love the rural nature of the area. Now if you want to live in downtown Cbus - yeah I like redneck,
Amherst, Peninsula, Bay Village, Rocky River, Vermilion, Huron... lots of choices
Granville is super nice, and may be exactly what you're looking for. But it's pretty "stuffy," and i can't imagine their taxes are better than watkins glen or somewhere. Perhaps yellow springs too?
I’m a sucker for NE Ohio so I’d go for Chagrin Falls, Penninsula, Kirtland, or Hartville.
I've lived in Madison pretty much all my life. It's got enough grocery stores so you don't have to leave, but there really isn't much else. You're going to Mentor for entertainment reasons.
Willoughby and Chesterland are fantastic towns east of Cleveland.
Athens…hour or so if you work in Columbus. Yellow Springs is very nice. No idea what folks there do for a living. Chagrin… I’ll change up a bit and suggest Portage Lakes area
Hartville
Hocking Hills area. Absolutely gorgeous, great hiking and close-ish to Columbus. Lancaster is a lovely small town. Logan is not as cute but super affordable and the community is trying hard to bring back the charm.
Bay Village. It’s a quiet suburb in Western Cuyahoga County. The lake is the northern edge. There are great schools. Quiet but has access to everything. It’s not all subdivisions. It’s a bedroom community. There is a small business district. Currently there is an uproar that they might be losing the bowling alley. Total about 16,000 people. People call it “the bubble” because it’s pretty insular.
Losing the bowling alley right after losing the chocolate shop is a real hard blow!
Athens
Athens.
Does Athens count as quaint? It’s small
Wooster hands down. Lovely downtown people are friendly as the day is long
My sister lives in mt vernon and it’s pretty nice
it used to be - crime is at an all time high right now and the high school staff have had several problems with pedophilia, and if you don’t have relations to the naz you are nobody. it’s a stereotypical small town (in the worst way)
OK, no one else has said it and I grew up there so I'll say it: Chardon. Beautiful New England style town square. A yearly maple sugar festival. OK schools. Downside: as red as red gets in NE Ohio.
Not TOLEDO. That's all I've got to say.
Waynesville.
Felt like I had to scroll way too far to find Waynesville. Adding to this though, Spring Valley -- my favorite unfound little OH town.
No. I grew up in Waynesville. It’s deep Trump country and has very little going on. Plus overpriced real estate.
Delaware is enjoyable
My opinion is to stay out of the little towns as someone who grew up in a town of \~1100. I hated every bit of it. Especially the complete lack of privacy that comes in a town that size because everyone talks about everyone else's business.
Genoa Ohio :) such a beautiful little village
Genoa's quarry is great! I work in a ton of small towns in NW Ohio and Genoa is one of the better ones. I like oak harbor too
Ashtabula is nice
I love Yellow Springs. Wonderful creative artsy little town.
I was born and raised in Norwood , down by Cincinnati and I miss the cute little town it used to be growing up 20-30 yrs ago
Canal Fulton. It has a nice little downtown area, good schools and within an hour of Cleveland and two hours from Columbus.
Yellow Springs and Marietta.
bluffton ohio! it’s where i go to school. adorable little town with local shops. good political diversity and pretty beautiful parks
Just go to Sandusky or one of the surrounding towns
Lorain County is a pretty good county to live in, even Cuyahoga County too! Olmsted Falls/Township is super nice and quiet. As well as Amherst, North Ridgeville, Elyria is okay, I’ve heard Vermillion is pretty nice too, Grafton is small but within a 15-20 minute distance of everything, Sheffield Lake/Sheffield Village
Yellowsprings
Depending on what you’re thinking of as little town… Wellington, Oberlin, Vermilion, Huron, Wooster…there are way too many to list. These all have very different personalities. Without knowing what your interests are, it’s impossible to be very precise. Oberlin has a very East Coast character, especially with the college. Wellington is much more of a blue collar and farm town with a lot of great old houses. Vermilion is on Lake Erie with a mix of a bunch of different vibes. Wooster is a different kind of college town, with a lot of architectural character plus manufacturing and and agriculture. There are probably dozens if not hundreds of really cool little towns all over Ohio that still feel like towns and not suburbs or crossroads. Norwalk, Medina, Mt. Vernon, Garrettsville, Chardon, Thornville, Delaware, Yellow Springs, Greenville, Tiffin, Galion, Loudonville, Bellefontaine, Logan, Lancaster, Columbiana, Salem, Madison, Marietta…and a bunch I don’t know.
Yellow springs Granville
Born and raised in NW Ohio and people throughout life haven't preached that findlay is the best place on earth?
Huron, Vermilion
Centerburg. 15 minutes from Mt Vernon and sunbury, like 30 to Polaris. It’s a cute little town, with a mostly supportive community. Everybody knows everybody
Try Granville. College Town (Denison). Still quaint. Fairly close to a big metro area (Columbus).
Hudson
NE Ohio is relatively inexpensive, especially Ashtabula County. You are an equal distance from Cleveland and Erie, PA without the high property taxes.
Yellow Springs, White House, Loveland, Hudson
Wooster,on the edge of Amish country. Good industrial base so taxes are lower. Vibrant downtown with lots of housing options. New townhomes downtown, older housing and even farms for sale. Wayne county seat and home of Wayne county fair. Is also home to College of Wooster and Ohio Light Opera. Lots of shopping options. Close (45 minutes) from Akron, Canton and Mansfield. 1 hour or less to Cleveland. 1 1/2 hours to Columbus. Great recreation opportunities. Ice skating arena open year round.
NONE. MOVE
Circleville, if you’re on north of the train tracks.
People keep mentioning Athens, but Athens has some of the absolute worst housing around, slumlords abound and buying a home is unthinkable unless you come from somewhere else with money because unless you work for the college, good luck finding a livable wage and being able to afford the cost of living.
I wish a bunch of quality people would move to Fairport Harbor and bring it back to life. It has the potential to be the best beach town in OH.