Solon, Ohio

Why do I love living in Solon, Ohio so much? I grew up in New England, a place notorious for it's beautiful autumns and quaint villages, and moved to Solon, a suburb right outside of Cleveland, notorious for it's two seasons, Winter and Construction. But I love it, and would never dream of moving back to New England or anywhere else for that matter.

Ten years ago Solon was given the honor of being named one of the Tree Cities in America. Lush woods overflowed the underpopulated city and nicely complimented the flat farmland. Since then, industries popped up around town (significantly lowering the resident tax) along with slick shopping centers and coffee houses. But nature remained intact. At the south side of town is the Blue Heron Reserve, a peaceful forrest home to the elegent bird that has remained untouched by the expanding suburbia. Travel north and you'll come to the Metro Parks, a series of hiking trails, rivers and hills ideal for horseback riding, fishing, sled riding and camping. In the center of town is the Sol shopping plaza, complete with coffee houses, restaurants, hotels, and every fashion store you can imagine. Solon has it all!

Travel north out of Solon, and within ten minutes you can view the beautiful skyline of Cleveland set against the spanning Lake Erie. Downtown Cleveland is wonderful. In the center lies Tower City, a giant mall built inside a skyscraper complete with a movie theater and a train station on the bottom floor. Within walking distance of Tower City are the Flats, a strip of bars, clubs and music venues popular to the college and business life alike. Right next to the Flats is the Warehouse District, a miniture Manhatten, filled with high class restaurants and clubs. Saint Patricks Day is where Cleveland really shines, though. Every year I take the RTA (Cleveland's train system) from Solon to Tower City, walk to the parade, then cross over to the east bank and enjoy lunch at the Flat Iron, a quaint Irish pub famous for their corned beef sandwhiches and home made root beer. Everything is within walking distance, and at the end of the day a second ride on the RTA returns me back to Solon. You never need a car!

Whenever I want to get away from the city life, I simply travel south of Solon, passing through the historical town of Hudson a mere ten minutes away. Beyond that lies vast lands of fields and farms as far as the eye can see. If you want to enjoy some quiet time then head over to Chagrin Falls, a small town built on the edge of a waterfall, home to the popcorn shop and the Chagrin Valley theater. Here you'll find all sorts of unique spots like the rare-book store, an old fashioned general store complete with a soda fountain (and the best milkshakes in the world) an art gallery, and a winding, brick layed street that travels up into the overlooking hills.

The weather in the surrounding Cleveland area takes some getting used to, but after living here for twelve years I absolutely adore it. The summers are refreshing, not too hot but always sunny. There really is no fall, and summer moves directly into winter, covering the lush lands with beautiful snowfalls ideal for sleding and skiing. There is no spring either, and winter changes right back into summer, which is fine by me. At first I didn't know what to expect with such black and white weather, but I soon realized that Cleveland and the surrounding subburbs has the best of both worlds, gorgeous winters and wonderful summers. You can never go a day in either season without seeing some sort of fair or festivity going around in the local towns. No matter what the weather, everyone around is bursting with life and enjoyable things to do.

I consider Solon my home, the place where I grew up and intend to raise a family. In 1995 Solon's school system was rated one of the top hundred best schools in the United States to attend, and since then they have only expanded on what was there. In every direction there is something for everyone, be it the quiet, slow life of farming, the fast paced night life of a major city, the beautiful scenery of rolling hills and rivers, or the quaint historical towns made up of brick layed roads and general stores. No matter what you enjoy, you will find something that fits your personality, and I hope that one day you will be able to call Solon your home too.

Josh E

Submitted: Monday 2nd February 2004, 5:02 PM

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