Ohio Residency Question

Good Morning all! It's great to be back. I joined Guide to the Point back in the late 90's and while I haven't really posted since about 2001 due to joining the Navy, I have followed through the decades. My question is, with my retirement from the military approaching soon, are there any good places to live in OH that anyone could recommend for a family of 5 with elementary to high school aged kids? I appreciate any help y'all may be able to provide!

Rob Niemiec

I live in Gahanna. Smallish town, a suburb of Columbus. It's nice, fairly quiet but close enough to the city that you can find some excitement if you want it. Quite a few parks too, and lots of hiking trails along the Big Walnut Creek.

I live in Westerville. Another Columbus suburb, very similar to Gahanna. I have young kids in school as well, and Westerville's strong school system was a big factor in why we chose to live here. Westerville also has a great community center (that is currently being expanded due to its success). and the parks and recreational trail network around Westerville are second to none. It really is a great community for a family.

I guess it depends on what your budget is for a home. But.. as a Cleveland native.

Solon, Macedonia, Twinsburg and Independence in the Cleveland east side are all great suburbs but on the higher end. All have school districts that typically rank top 25 in the state. Solon is regularly ranked as the #1 public school district in the State. Can also check out Mayfield and Mentor.

If you want to live near Cleveland but closer to Point I would recommend some west side communities such as Lorian, Avon, Rocky River or Fairview Park. All situated along I90 and all have good school districts.

Why not cut to the chase and move directly to Sandusky/Erie County? Sandusky schools aren't the greatest, but Perkins and Huron school districts aren't bad and neither is the Catholic school in Sandusky. In season, you can be at the park in 10-15 minutes after work/school depending on where you live/work/go to school - spend a few hours at CP on a weeknight, grab a meal or a show and a ride or two and still be home before dark - OR stay until the park closes and still be home before the late evening news. You also have quick access to the Lake Erie islands and several other indoor waterparks.

Off season there are still plenty of things to see/do in the area and you are still only an hour away from either Cleveland or Toledo if you want a larger city night life to sample.

^^My husband is in EMS in Lorain and based on what he deals with daily I wouldn't recommend it unless you had someone local steer you to very particular neighborhoods. Do you prefer in town, suburbia or more rural? West of Cleveland you can have any of those. You can feel like you're in the middle of nowhere in Lorain county and be a 5 minute drive from a major freeway with easy access to Cleveland or Cedar Point. Just have to be careful about the city of Lorain or city of Elyria. Some nice areas and some very much not.

Vermilion is one of my favorite towns on Lake Erie, and I sometimes stop there to or from CP. There's a nice central part of the town with shops and restaurants, including different family oriented outdoor events from spring to fall.

Hi N.P.R., I'm a Navy vet too. Grew up in Westerville and have had my share of Beanie Burgers at the Gahanna (rhymes with banana) Grill...

That being said there are soooo many variables in picking a place to live... If CP is a critical priority for you then The Greater Sandusky Area, in which I will include as far away as Clyde and Norwalk, has options that range from rural to urban. If kids education is a priority, then distance to CP or WDW or KBF is not relevant.

You need to decide what you want and what is important to you and make a balanced choice. There are compromises in EVERY decision, you cannot have it all, so pick based on some choices that are important to you and your family.

For me personally, The Greater Sandusky Area meets most of my needs, and those it does not meet are within a 3 hour drive usually.

Your mileage may vary...

Best of luck to you.