"I couldn't really tell you how to get from Ravenna to Cleveland at this point. But I really liked the snow as a kid. You hate the snow as an adult, but as a kid, I just remember super deep snow you can make caves out of and the drifts were so high you could build little forts in it and have a lot of fun outside." -Maynard James Keenan, singer for Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, and a native of Ravenna, Ohio.
Keenan is perhaps one of the city's most famous former residents, but he's not the only one who has enjoyed its snowy winters. In fact, Ravenna, Ohio, is home to 11,724 like-minded residents who choose to stay for the Northeast Ohio winters, as well as the more temperate spring and summer months. Situated 35 miles south of Cleveland and a mere 18 miles east of Akron, Ravenna is in a sweet spot. Its proximity to Kent State University's main campus makes it a desirable place to live for young adults and aging hippies alike.
Ravenna has undergone a renaissance in the last 15 years, with a special focus on its historic downtown
"I couldn't really tell you how to get from Ravenna to Cleveland at this point. But I really liked the snow as a kid. You hate the snow as an adult, but as a kid, I just remember super deep snow you can make caves out of and the drifts were so high you could build little forts in it and have a lot of fun outside." -Maynard James Keenan, singer for Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, and a native of Ravenna, Ohio.
Keenan is perhaps one of the city's most famous former residents, but he's not the only one who has enjoyed its snowy winters. In fact, Ravenna, Ohio, is home to 11,724 like-minded residents who choose to stay for the Northeast Ohio winters, as well as the more temperate spring and summer months. Situated 35 miles south of Cleveland and a mere 18 miles east of Akron, Ravenna is in a sweet spot. Its proximity to Kent State University's main campus makes it a desirable place to live for young adults and aging hippies alike.
Moving to Ravenna
Ravenna has undergone a renaissance in the last 15 years, with a special focus on its historic downtown. Rental apartments and rental houses are plentiful, as many people are flocking to the city. Ravenna was once thought of as a rural town with little to do, but that attitude has changed as the city has beefed up its image and found its roots as an important role in its identity.
The best time to start shopping for apartments to rent in Ravenna is in early summer, because late-summer and fall is when the majority of Kent State students start looking for housing. Landlords will typically require the first month's rent, as well as an application fee and / or a security deposit. Where allowed, pets will usually add an additional fee to each month's rent. Renters will also need to provide proof of employment and a month's worth of pay stubs.
Neighbors and Neighborhoods
Picking a neighborhood is easy when you know what each one has to offer.
Paris Township: Home of the Ravenna Arsenal, an Ohio Army National Guard base. During WWII, the base had a munitions plant, and every once in a while, someone finds live grenades lying around. We're just kidding. It does, however, lend this part of town some definite street cred.
Palmyra and Diamond: Palmyra is rural and contains the unincorporated and equally rural area known as Diamond. Oddly, Palmyra was home to many 19th-century Welsh settlers, and the Welsh Cemetery contains their remains.
Shalersville: Home of former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar. Enough said.
Rootstown: Home of the Triangle Lake Bog State Nature Preserve, a beautiful spot for contemplation.
Life in Ravenna
Whether you're searching for townhouses for rent, or duplexes for rent, Ravenna's proximity to four major universities means plenty of opportunities for employment. Robinson Memorial Hospital is rated as one of the top 99 places to work in Northeast Ohio, and its facilities are found throughout Portage County. Ravenna is close to major interstates, and long country roads make for interesting drives throughout the county.
If the outdoors are more your thing, there's plenty to do at West Branch State Park. A 2,650-acre lake provides opportunities for fishing, boating and swimming in the summer. Camping hiking, and horseback riding are all possibilities on the park's 5,000-plus acres of land, as is in-season hunting. Winter is a great time to snowmobile or ice fish at the park.
If that's not enough excitement for you, there's always the Ravenna Balloon-A-Fair in September. Each year, dozens of hot air balloons lift-off the ground for two days of fun downtown. It's truly a cool site to see.
