North Olmsted: A Cleveland suburb with small-town charm
Near the southeastern edge of Lake Erie on the outskirts of Cleveland is North Olmsted, a city overflowing with outdoor recreation, community pride and a commitment to urban forestry and small business development. Home to 31,000 residents, it’s the eighth-most populous area within Cuyahoga County. And with downtown Cleveland under 20 miles away, this suburb offers proximity to big-city amenities while maintaining a small-town, unique personality all its own.
Until the 1960s, the city was largely agricultural and grew from a collection of farms and small businesses. Growing rapidly after World War II, today, the Cleveland suburb has gotten back to its roots of small businesses, with over 1,200 thriving in the city. While small businesses are the backbone of the economy for North Olmsted, the largest employers are CommutAir, a regional airline flying on behalf of United Express, Cleveland Clinic and Moein, a faucet and fixtures manufacturer.
Homes in North Olmsted have easy access to amenities such as North Olmsted Community Park.
Conquer the stairs at Fort Hill in North Olmsted and be rewarded with a vista view.
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Recreation on reservations
The city operates 12 parks, and North Olmsted Community Park, at the heart of the city, is a local favorite for its cornhole boards, sand volleyball courts, walking path, senior center and multi-purpose fields. North Olmsted’s Recreation Center is also a central hub for programs, athletic facilities and is a massive ice rink that offers free skating to the public, classes and figure skating.
Rocky River Reservation is a top landmark in the area, which extends across the Rocky River and offers miles of hiking trails, a nature center, birdwatching and is ranked one of the 150 best fishing spots in the country. The reservation’s Fort Hill Stairs is an iconic landmark where residents can climb 155 steps for views 90 feet above the Rocky River, one of the picturesque places in the Emerald Necklace.
Nature lovers also love to escape to Bunns Lake Wildlife Area, located inside Bradley Woods Reservation. Here, residents can paddle out on Bunns Lake to fish and admire the waterfowl habitat or hop on the deeply forested Bunns Lake Trail to explore the entire swamp forest and butterfly waystation.
A Tree City for 27 years, North Olmsted has received awards for several years in a row, most recently in 2020, for its work in urban forestry. Spending $2 per capita for its annual community forestry, the city received an $11,500 grant to reforest North Olmsted Community Park, and it continues to make it a priority for neighborhoods and central parts of town.
North Olmsted has plenty of walking paths in its many parks.
The Rocky River Nature Center in North Olmsted offers repeatable fun for everyone.
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Middle Eastern fare, flea markets and the Great Northern Mall
North Olmsted’s dining scene is a mix of nationally renowned businesses like Harry Buffalo and locally owned mom-and-pops that range from Salvadoran to Vietnamese to Italian. Locals rave about the city’s Middle Eastern cuisine. Habibi Shawarma Way & Bakery is a popular restaurant serving up shawarma sandwiches, shawarma pizza, tabbouleh and Katayif, stuffed Middle Eastern pancakes. Sittoo’s, a Lebanese spot, is known for its kebabs and pita sandwiches. And while nightlife isn’t abundant here, Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon has its flagship location here and offers over a dozen craft beers and smoked meats. For sweets, Fragapane Bakery has been satisfying the community since 1971 with its donut nuts, specialty frycakes, pastries and breads.
Inside the Rocky River Reservation sits Frostville Museum, which captures 19th-century Ohio in seven historic buildings, creating a quaint museum village. The city is home to the Great Northern Mall, a 1.2 million-square-foot shopping center with over 130 stores, and one of the biggest and most popular shopping centers in the region. The city boasts a strong central cluster of retail, and residents can also find unique treasures at Westside Flea. The market, which runs in the summer and filled with over 100 vendors. “It's a very vibrant commercial district,” says Realtor Cindy Kelly with RE/MAX Crossroads. “The community has something for everyone.”
Keeping its small-town feel, the city hosts regular fish frys on Fridays that are open to the public. The city’s biggest event is Summer in the City, which began as a regular concert series but, over time, grew to include yoga, events at Westside Flea, live music, the Big Bike Bash and the Homecoming Parade. And North Olmsted residents looking for weekend excitement close by are only a short drive from downtown Cleveland, where the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the House of Blues and other attractions await.
Visit Cocky's in North Olmsted for a hot and delicious breakfast sandwich.
A family plays giant chess at Great Northern Mall in North Olmsted.
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Affordable housing surrounded by nature
Home to over 13 neighborhoods, North Olmsted has a wide variety of options and is one of the most affordable areas, as it’s lower than nearby Cleveland and the national average. The median price In January 2024 was $232,000, and houses stay on the market for 26 days on average. A quiet neighborhood with a median sale price of $203,000, Butternut Ridge offers ranch-style homes, split levels and bungalows with well-landscaped lots. The neighborhood is close to major highways, the airport and depending on which side of the neighborhood they live on, can quickly get to Bradley Woods Reservation and Rocky River Reservation. Deerfield Estates is a peaceful, tree-lined neighborhood and is close to parks, schools and shopping. With a median sale price of $197,500, newcomers will find a wide mix of modern two-story homes, Cape Cods, ranch-style houses and condos. For slightly more upscale living, Canterbury Woods is the place to settle. With a median sale price of $301,000, the neighborhood offers stately colonials and large modern homes with multi-car garages and easy access to Bradley Woods Reservation, downtown, highways and parks.
A cheerful split level house adds a splash of color to this street in North Olmsted.
Cape cod style homes can be found in North Olmsted.
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Top-notch schools from primary to higher ed
North Olmsted City School District serves the area. Earning a B-plus on Niche, the district caters to 3,700 students. In 2020, the city completed a $90 million, 39-acre campus for middle and high school students with a performing arts center and a new stadium. College-bound students who wish to stay close to home can attend Cuyahoga Community College, which earned a B-minus on Niche and ranked the sixteenth-best community college in Ohio. Cleveland State University is another nearby option, 17 miles from North Olmsted. Earning a B from Niche, it ranked the eighth-best public university in the state and is known for its research facilities and programs, including a partnership with the NASA Glenn Research Center.
The main entrance of Chestnut Elementary School in North Olmsted, Ohio.
The main entrance of North Olmsted High School in North Olmsted, Ohio.
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Navigating North Olmsted
Interstates 480 and 71, Ohio State Routes 10 and 252 easily get residents around the region, including Clevland, 18 miles away Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is only 6 miles from the city center, but airport noise is very low. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority provides bus and rail services to the city. North Olmsted Park-N-Ride is also available for residents, which is located at the North Olmsted Transit Center and has 489 parking spaces to get residents to the nearby mall, downtown and other places in the area.
Community approach to crime
According to the North Olmsted Police Department, violent crime was down 52% in 2022 from the previous year, when 59 crimes were reported. Property crimes, however, were slightly up for the same time period, with a 30 percent increase year-over-year. Compared to the entire state in 2022, the city’s violent crimes were 90% lower and property crimes were 75% lower. The police department has a community-focused approach to crime, involving residents with everything from “Coffee with a Cop” programs to taking in-need children shopping to putting on holiday celebrations.
North Olmsted opportunity
To inject life into local businesses, North Olmsted launched the “Fix Our Fronts” storefront renovation grant program in 2023. The grant provides a $10,000 reimbursement for the creation of every full-time job and up to $20,000 in construction upgrade costs. The city has provided several grants to locally owned businesses, including Fred Astaire Dance Studio and K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel of North Olmsted.
The same year, North Olmsted rolled out the “Safe & Healthy Homes” initiative, a home repair program that provides eligible homeowners with up to $15,000 in heath and accessibility repairs for their residences.
And by summer 2024, Great Northern Mall will be home to Phoenix Theatres. The $4 million investment will back movies at the mall and bring 50 new jobs to the city. The city is also working to upgrade North Olmsted Community Park with an all-inclusive playground, new ballfields, a performance stage and retention areas to help alleviate flooding. The first phase is slated for the fall of 2024.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
