On a nice day, it’s difficult to drive through the city’s residential areas and not see children on bicycles or playing in their families’ often well-manicured front yards. There’s no shortage of things to do in Rocky River. The lakefront city boasts 10 public parks for residents to enjoy nature, with some of them giving terrific views of Lake Erie. Most of the parks also feature playground equipment, a welcome sight for those raising families in the area. This includes the newly renovated Bradstreet’s Landing, with a pier that goes out into Lake Erie.
RATED: 2024 Cleveland's Top 20 Suburbs by Cleveland Magazine
“I love that park because diverse things happen there. Just like all of our parks,” says Mayor Pam Bobst. “But that one has a lot of uses that coexist in this beautiful way. You have fishermen, you have sunset watchers, beach glass hunters, historians, birdwatchers, people who like to kayak, who like to paddle board, who like to dip their toes in the water. All of these individuals make their way to that park and it’s a small park that coexists with nobody getting in anyone’s way. They just all enjoy the beauty of the lake.”
The parks are great, but they don’t tell the entire story of Rocky River, Cleveland Magazine's No. 1 suburb for 2024. The city, which is located roughly eight miles west of Downtown Cleveland, is also home to a lively downtown district, one of the best school systems in Northeast Ohio and residents whom the city considers to be community partners.
Heading downtown, the area features several restaurants and coffee shops. Whether looking for an extravagant whiskey list at an establishment like Char Whiskey Bar and Grille, a unique pizza from Ohio Pie Co. or just dessert at Mitchell’s Ice Cream, Rocky River has it.
“It’s really become a destination because of the unique shops that we have,” Bobst says. “There’s been a lot of investment in really neat, unique, one-of-a-kind shops. And then, of course, you complement that with all these incredible restaurants serving diverse food, and there’s kind of something for everyone.”
Above all, what makes Rocky River thrive are both the people who visit and the people who call it home.
“It’s really the residents that bring that all to life,” Bobst says. “Residents in any community, they’re our partners here. They’re very thoughtful. They’re very insightful. And we take that and it’s our job to articulate some of those and put them into action.”
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Other suburbs we spent a day visiting:
Medina Keeps A Small Town Feel Despite City Amenities
Willoughby is All About Coolness
Larchmere is Ready to Stand Out
Avon Balances Past With Present
Hudson is a Walkable, Family-Friendly Haven
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