1. ROCKY RIVER's 2 miles of Lake Erie coastline — including two public parks with lake access — has us dreaming about a day spent soaking up the sun.
2. Hiking, biking or just strolling, it doesn't get much better than BRECKSVILLE, thanks to the suburb's portion of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Cleveland Metroparks.
3. Eaton Corp.'s $170 million headquarters and the $298 million University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center in BEACHWOOD are the crowning jewels in the city's thriving economy.
4. When you need to get somewhere — and fast — look to INDEPENDENCE's easy access to interstates 77 and 480, which get you to most places in Northeast Ohio in 30 minutes or less.
5. We'd like our town to be bustling, and HINCKLEY TOWNSHIP is booming. With 135 new homes built in the past four years, and 10 currently under construction, its median home sale price has gone up more than 95 percent since 2003.
6. Who needs a water park vacation when MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS' recreation center has an outdoor pool with a 17-foot-tall, 120-foot-long slide, and an indoor pool with a current channel for carefree inflatable drifting.
7. This is one pop quiz we're happy to take. Picking SOLON's schools, which have placed No. 1 in our education rankings for the sixth straight year, is a no-brainer.
8. With plenty of options at HUDSON's First and Main and independent retailers such as the Grey Colt and the Learned Owl along Main Street, we've found a deal that fills all our shopping needs.
9. Frequently, we want to leave the car in the garage. That's why we like LAKEWOOD's accessibility. By foot or by bike, it's easy to explore the revitalized Detroit Avenue and beyond.
10. With its tradition of integration, SHAKER HEIGHTS puts the unity in community — whether it's rallying to pass a recent schools levy or supporting the popular farmers market just across the border in Shaker Square.
11. We love WILLOUGHBY's downtown for its easy navigation to spots like the popular Willoughby Brewing Co., charming dive bar Frank and Tony's Place or the upscale Ballantine.
12. With Cedar Lee Theatre, Dobama Theatre, the Grog Shop and Nighttown, CLEVELAND HEIGHTS is flush with cultural amenities, and just down the hill is University Circle.
13. From attractive homes built before 1910 to its iconic Popcorn Shop, CHAGRIN FALLS adds that small-town feel we want in our neighborhood.
