Bath Township
There’s a good reason LeBron James chose Bath Township to build his mansion: The Akron suburb offers large lots with plenty of room. “Most of the properties are acre-plus, so you’ve got neighborhoods with land,” says Howard Hanna real estate agent Jenny Frantz. Bath is also a desirable location for business travelers — it’s less than 30 minutes from both Akron-Canton Airport and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and has easy access to interstates 77 and 271. Plus, parks such as the 404-acre Bath Nature Preserve tempt outdoor enthusiasts. “You can ride your horses, you can walk your dogs,” Frantz says. “It’s a huge, huge advantage to have those park systems.”
Pepper Pike
The enclave known for its short commute to Eaton Corp., Parker Hannifin Corp. and Progressive is close to some of the area’s best private schools and is home to the top-notch Orange City School District. But the main draw to this East Side suburb is its selection of generously-sized properties and large houses. “When you buy a house [in Pepper Pike], the lots are bigger,” says Howard Hanna real estate agent Suzanne Deering. “[There’s] a little bit more privacy.” Although most of Pepper Pike’s homes were built prior to the ’90s, plenty of streets have houses that have been renovated or remodeled. If new construction is more your speed, you can find lots available in the gated community of Sterling Lakes.