We moved to Cleveland Heights almost a month ago now, and I have to say, I am really liking Cleveland! I was really nervous about coming here since I didn't know much about it (other than it being cold like Michigan), and I honestly thought I wasn't going to like it much. But so far, I have been pleasantly surprised! I think these are some of the main reasons why I like it so much:
1. Our Cute House
Mark and I have only ever lived in 1 or 2 bedroom apartments before, so it is awesome to have so much space all to ourselves. We are renting a 3-bedroom, 1.5-bath home that has an unfinished basement (which holds a lot of our food storage/pantry stuff, washer dryer, and our new treadmill!!), and an attic space that we use for all our other storage. We have a detached garage that Mark has turned into his own personal work-out space (he installed a pull up bar and everything), and an awesome backyard. We have 2 laundry shoots too (one by the bathroom and one in the kitchen) that I am loving so much! The house is so cute, and the owners have done a really nice job updating it. The street we live on is awesome, too! There is a street association that has been around for a long time, so everyone knows each other, and they have tons of events, street parties, garage sales, you name it, going on all the time. Every time we go outside, we meet new people, and neighbors introduce us around the street.
The backyard wraps around behind the garage. The owners left us the playset, and two swings in the trees. The also have a pretty cool garden and a few fruit trees.
There is a bonus room off the main living area that we have turned in to Kaylie's toy room. It's so nice to have all her stuff in a separate room so the front room isn't filled with toys all the time.
Our bedroom. We can't get our box spring up the stairs, so our mattress is on the floor for now. Hopefully we can figure out a way to get it up there so we can put our room together.
Main bathroom in the house. The other half-bath is downstairs in the basement - kind of funny.
2. There is A LOT to do!
I'm really surprised by how much there is to do here. Whenever I talk to people about their favorite places to go, I'm amazed by all the options. I seriously need to make a list of everything so I can try to make it to all the outdoor stuff before winter hits. There are a ton of indoor options too, which will be great to hit up when it's cold.
Parks - There are a ton of parks around here, and each one is different. Some of them have big sand areas to dig in, some of them have play houses to run around in, others are surrounded by trails and trees, and others are more for imaginative play (hollowed out logs to slide down instead of slides, or rocks/locks to jump and climb on).
Libraries - Then, there are great libraries. There is one within walking distance that is awesome, and Kaylie and I have already visited a few times already.
Pools - We haven't made it to any of the pools yet cause they just opened up for summer, but we have seen pictures online and I'm excited to go try them out. Each city has it's own pool, but they aren't just pools - they are more like waterparks. One has tons of waterslides, another has a lazy river...they all look cool. We have made it to a beach area already (Fairport Harbor), and that was really fun too. The weather is a little crazy here, though, and it just randomly rains. Our beach day ended up getting rained out at lunch time, but it was still a lot of fun.
Church Sites - We haven't made it to these yet, but are hoping to as a family over the next few weekends. Kirtland is close by (it is in our Stake boundaries), and the Johnson farm too. You will be sure to see pictures soon.
Zoo - The Zoo downtown is free every Monday for residents. Sweet!
Museums - There is a great children's museum not too far from us (we have already bought a year pass). There are a bunch of other museums close by too that we want to visit (but are saving for a rainy or cold day) :)
Metroparks - There are a lot of metroparks we are excited to visit too. We just went to Chagrin Falls today that has a few waterfalls, and a cute little downtown right by it. There is a castle in one of the metroparks I want to visit, and some springs that sound really cool. I seriously need to make a list!
And then there are farms to pick fruit at, and great trails to go walking, and really great shopping areas.
Anyway, what I am trying to say is that if anyone wants to come visit us (since I know most people weren't too excited at the idea of visiting us in Cleveland), there is A LOT to do! :) So you would have fun!
This post is going on forever...sorry! One last reason why I'm liking Cleveland:
3. Friends
One really nice thing about moving here was knowing that we would already have a few friends. Two families that were in our ward in Michigan (and were in the same MBA program with Mark) both accepted jobs in Cleveland. One family moved in a week before we did, and the other family just moved in this weekend. It has been so nice having someone we know close by so we don't feel like we are out here all by ourselves. We have met quite a few people already too, and everyone has been really nice.
Anyway, we are having fun out here and enjoying getting to know the area. Mark's job is going really well too, so that is always a plus! We are grateful to have a job, grateful to be in a new place, and grateful to be done with school! :)
