Leaving the WILD WILD WEST....Great RURAL areas to live around Akron/Canton??? (Cleveland: crime rate, house)

[Groovymommy]

Originally Posted by htlong

groovymom,
i live 25 miles from a target,home depot etc. and its the best thing i could have done! the money i save being to far for the wife out of boredom cant just hop in the car and binge spend, we must plan our shopping outings and coordinate each trek on a weekly basis. and we enjoy the quiet country living!

GOOD POINT ... SADLY, I ALSO LOVE TO SHOP, of course the internet doesnt help the addiction Maybe being a bit further out is better!

[Donna7]

Most of the towns in Wayne County will fit your bill. I personally suggest Orrville, or Wooster (Wooster is the county seat); I live in Doylestown. If you want to see cows and fields; then some of Doylestown, Marshallville, or Orrville, Wooster (and even other towns) will fit the bill. Jobs are always a concern though. I have to say that there seems to be a good number of people who are self-employed, or a subcontractor or contractor/consultant of some kind. As far as the weather; to me, this is the ONLY negative. NE OH is extremely cloudy/dark for too many days during the winter; this is my own personal opinion. However, if you don't like it; you're not really stuck; people move all the time. Wishing you the best.

[Groovymommy]

Originally Posted by Donna7

I personally suggest Orrville, or Wooster (Wooster is the county seat

What is Orrville and Wooster like? I really am looking for a small town feel w/ a nice size city relatively close in reach Any Amish around? My hubby is a contractor, so we will be ( or would like to) FLIP HOUSES!

Originally Posted by Donna7

NE OH is extremely cloudy/dark for too many days during the winter; this is my own personal opinion.

When are the darkest, coldest months? We are really considering buying a condo here in Arizona and "snowbirding" in AZ(visiting for 3-4 months) in the worst season in Ohio...hhmmm Is that "cheating"??

[Donna7]

As far as experiencing life around the Amish; you will experience that in Wayne County, the deeper you go into it; some parts of Wooster, Kidron, Applecreek, etc. I'm not really sure how you're going to experience life amongst the Amish though as to the Amish, if you're not Amish, you're an outsider, or as they like to call it, "The English". They don't mind your money though as huge tourist busses drop off the city people (from wherever they're coming from) to shop, eat, etc. There are plenty of flea markets, outdoor markets in the summer, etc.

Another suggestion that is not in Wayne County is Stark County - Harville or Uniontown.

It sounds like you're burned out by the rat race in AZ; I can understand this. All I can say is that NE OH will probably be a welcome change of pace, especially with what you've described. I don't know how you're husband will like the weather; again, I don't mean to be a downer, but Ohio is not the land of sun during the winter. I mean from late Fall until Spring (or later); there is a grayness that sets in that really affects many people; it is real.

As I said in my earlier post; give it a try. Your money will go far here; for under $500,000 (if this is your budget), you can get a huge house, acres, pond or lake, barn, etc. and live out the Little House on the Prairie life (there's nothing wrong with that). And if you're ready to move on later; at least your kids will have grown up with a different vantage point than what they're currently getting. I have a large family of my own; I am here because they do have room to roam around, it's peaceful, safe.

Best wishes to you.

[Groovymommy]

Originally Posted by Donna7

As far as experiencing life around the Amish; you will experience that in Wayne County, the deeper you go into it; some parts of Wooster, Kidron, Applecreek, etc. I'm not really sure how you're going to experience life amongst the Amish though as to the Amish, if you're not Amish, you're an outsider, or as they like to call it, "The English".

I understand, I just really respect them for their values, morals, hard work etc and I know I ( and the kids) could learn alot about being better people and man is it gorgeous through Holmes County

[Donna7]

I can't comment on flipping houses because I'm not personally into that (although I certainly understand the opportunity; I'm a former public accountant). The houses in this area are not exactly experiencing double-digit appreciation that AZ had formerly experienced, Las Vegas, CA, or FL. There is a record number of foreclosures going on in NE OH mainly due to economic downturn due to established companies moving out of the area. Also, seems like a good amount of people have fallen prey to loan shark type loans. It's not exactly a thriving environment for investors in this area; but perhaps I'm wrong and someone who actually invests in real estate can offer a different viewpoint. I've been in OH for 36+ years (barring a several year stint in S. CA - we moved back here to start our family - that was over 20 years ago). Anyways, this is not to discourage your husband; I do believe that when there's a will, there's a way.

As far as Orrville; Orrville is a great town in my opinion; I've taken part-time classes there for years at the Wayne branch of U of Akron. There is a YMCA there; as well as shopping, good schools, land and housing like you are looking for. It also has a hospital, library, etc. I would seriously consider Orrville; I get a great feeling when I'm there (I live about 15 minutes away from there). Wooster is bigger; has much more. There is a great thread on this board on Wooster; another lady and her husband (and kids) were looking to move out here. Please do a search on Wooster on this board as towards the end of the thread; several people who actually live in Wooster had great comments about it. Wooster has even more shopping, hospital, library, restaurants; both are really good. Both towns are very safe, very affordable, very strong community feel, mostly hard-working salt-of-the earth type people. As far as political affiliation, one would think that most are Republicans/conservative; I've found that to be true for some of the population, but surprisingly, there are also some that are quite liberal leaning, etc. It is really interesting to find that there are a number of people from other states (and even countries) who have found these towns.

I don't know if I answered your questions, so if you have more, let me know. Do a search for Wooster on this thread because I know that it will be helpful to you if Wooster is a town you're interested in.

[Donna7]

The land is gorgeous in Holmes, Wayne, Stark, (the list goes on), as there are many areas that have not been turned into McMansion territory. Driving through the country roads during the nice weather months is absolutely breathtaking; it certainly offers a different vantage point; reminds one of days gone by when life was simpler. One can see cows, sheep, horses, etc. grazing in the pasture, unspoiled land, peace, tranquility.

[Donna7]

Wooster thread - https://www.city-data.com/forum/ohio/...=Wooster%2C+OH

About 3/4 to the end - responses from people who do live in Wooster

[zipscott]

I grew up in Holmes County (Millersburg), graduated from the local high school and then moved away after college. The area is beautiful with nice rolling hills and country roads to get lost on. There is something soothing about the area every time I visit my family. I am still amazed at the Amish's ability to live a more simple life, so different from mainstream America where we cannot live without cell phones and the internet. Some notes on Holmes county-the area is not close to any major shopping-there is a super walmart in Millersubrg-but no Home Depot (yet). However, Wooster is only a half hour away and it has about all the big box shopping you could want. The area is becoming more touristy and land for farming and the like is becoming more scarce. Though, you could definitely find your paradise in Holmes county for $500K on at least an acre or more. Holmes County has two major towns-Millersburg and Berlin. Berlin and the eastern part of Holmes county have the larger Amish populations. The Amish have their own culture and language and attend their own schools. Other than running into the Amish at grocery stores etc, you won't be part of their world. They keep the "English" kind of at arm's length. I'll never forget as a child I had an Amish babysitter that babysat my brother and I at our house. We were never allowed to turn the tv on, which nearly killed my brother and I. But we were forced to find more productive ways to entertain ourselves ,which is not a bad thing for a child. Best of luck with your decision!

[Groovymommy]

However, Wooster is only a half hour away and it has about all the big box shopping you could want

What is Wooster like, does it have everything one could need? Also does Wooster bring any more or less "lake effect" weather say v. Akron/ Canton ?

The Amish have their own culture and language and attend their own schools. Other than running into the Amish at grocery stores etc, you won't be part of their world

Just being able to sit on my front porch and watching the buggies go by, and hearing the "clip clop" of the horses down the road is SUCH A JOY after living in a big nasty city .Man do I love Berlin, we always stay at a great B&B there and it is so pretty!