It’s a question that flits and ambles through so much of this issue — whether you’re searching for the perfect place to call home or hunting the Cleveland Flea for a vintage striped hammock for the backyard.
As the person who has evaluated suburbs based on median home sale prices, standardized test scores and crimes per capita for more than 15 years, I’ve developed a good sense for the data behind strong communities. I can quantify the value of a quality school system and the impact of walkable neighborhoods.
So, it’s not hard to understand why Richfield Village sits atop our list: The Summit County town ranks in the top 10 in both safety (9) and education (10), claims the largest increase in median home sale price over the past decade (54 percent) and has the fifth lowest property tax of the 77 towns we rate.
But relying solely on the numbers can feel like you’re looking at some 3-D Google Earth version of a place, stripped of its character and vibrancy. That’s why I enjoyed hearing from 30-year-old Steven Schafle, who grew up in Richfield Village, spent his summers playing baseball at Richfield Woods Park and built a home on 2 acres carved out of his family’s original 6-acre homestead.
So we offered glimpses into towns well-suited to young professionals, families and empty nesters, and gathered stories of suburban life from everyday folks from Lorain to Mentor-on-the-Lake. The strength of our communities can often be expressed in the daughter who returned from New York to care for her ailing mother, the banker who found ways to help small businesses grow and the sister who squirreled away money so her brother could build a home.
It’s also why I’ve long been a fan of Stephanie Sheldon and what she’s accomplished with the Cleveland Flea. Since its early days in a school parking lot, the Flea has always been about more than commerce. By combining her architectural training, do-it-yourself flair and entrepreneurial drive, Sheldon has created a monthly town square that’s part social gathering, part incubator for creatives, makers and foodpreneurs.
“It just feels like a celebration of the city,” she says.
By tapping into our past as creators of things and our surging pride about where we live and what makes us special, she’s created an environment built on authentic connections — and that’s the best kind of community development.
