.png){kind=logo}
LIVING IN CUYAHOGA FALLS OHIO
Alex Kolesar
Moving to Cuyahoga falls Ohio Tips - 2021
Published March 2021
If you're looking to move to Cuyahoga falls, then you came to the right place! I absolutely love the falls and I highly recommend this city to anyone looking to move to the Akron Area. Just behind Akron Ohio, Cuyahoga falls is the second largest city in Summit County with 50,000 residents, so this is definitely a densely populated city. If you're curious on the pros and cons of moving to Cuyahoga Falls, make sure you watch the video below.
Cuyahoga Falls Quick History
Originally named, "The city on the River", Cuyahoga Falls was founded in 1812 and was actually named Manchester, Ohio. The town’s name was changed to Cuyahoga Falls in 1828 to avoid confusion with another Manchester in Ohio. Due to the rough waters, Native Americans who used the river to travel from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi exited the river at the Falls and used what is now Portage Trail to continue their journey south. The river was an early source of power for mills and manufacturing, and by 1840, Cuyahoga Falls had a wider variety of manufacturing than any other Ohio settlement. The cities population has been growing ever since.
Downtown Cuyahoga Falls
The downtown area isn’t huge, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for it in beauty. The Cuyahoga river boarders the downtown, making it very scenic and walkable.
The river has been key to tourism and additional development opportunities in the city and to be 100% honest, the falls hasn't always been a great, fun city. The $14 million reconstruction of the downtown district began in 2014 with the election of Mayor Don Walters, who sought to reopen Front Street in the hopes of attracting new businesses and patrons. The risky bet paid off and developers are pouring millions of dollars into Walters’ vision.
The vibe of the city kind of reminds me of Kent Ohio since the Cuyahoga River cuts right through downtown, minus the college. There are tons of awesome breweries, great walkability, local art, and restaurants all make this city great.
Downtown Cuyahoga Falls provides shopping and dining experiences for all hours of the day, as well as festivals and other social activities throughout the year. Check out Cuyahoga Falls website. In the winter time, they turn the amphitheater area into an ice skating rink. It's a great place to take the kids or come out here on a date. Afterwards, head over towards the Cuyahoga River and walk along the riverfront boardwalk for a nice stroll.
Things To Do In Cuyahoga Falls Ohio
I already mentioned exploring downtown and all of the amazing restaurants, breweries, and festivals that happen throughout the year, so next up on the list is all of the outdoor activities that Cuyahoga falls offers. This is by far my favorite part about living in this amazing city.
Metro Parks
Everywhere you go there is a park to explore. Cuyahoga Falls is the proud home of 26 neighborhood park sites spread throughout the city limits so that families of all sizes may enjoy the outdoors at their leisure. Some are located downtown while others are only a 5-10 minute drive away.
 |  |  |  |
|---|
If you are an avid hiker, biker, or just a casual outdoor explorer, the Summit Metro Parks has you covered. With 150 miles of trails, there’s much to be discovered. From the winding and hilly trails of Sand Run to the impressive waterfalls at Gorge Metropark in Cuyahoga Falls, you won’t be disappointed! Seriously... go check them out.
My favorite 3 parks in Cuyahoga falls are:
Local Restaurants
After all those long hikes in the gorgeous parks Cuyahoga falls has to offer, you have to be hungry! The majority of restaurants are found on Front St, Howe Ave, and over off Portage Trail.
The one thing I really like about Cuyahoga falls is the fact that there is a bunch of commercial business spread throughout the town. Most of Akrons suburbs have a main downtown surrounded by residential housing, and thats it. In Cuyahoga falls, you have three different areas that all feel like a downtown area.
There are to many to list, but my favorite restaurants are:
Breweries
I love a good brew and Cuyahoga falls has plenty of good breweries! Akron does have a few more than the falls, but between the 2 cities you have over 10 breweries. Cuyahoga Falls has 4 local breweries:
Which one is my favorite?! I thought you'd never ask (: My favorite brewery is Missing Mountain Brewing Co. strictly because of the amazing patio that they have (don't get me wrong, they also have great beer). It's right along the Cuyahoga river and the patio is also pet friendly. The video was taken during the winter and during Covid, but in the spring, summer, fall time it does get really busy!
Blossom Music Center
Cuyahoga Falls is the home of the famous “Blossom Music Center”. This is where i saw my first concert! I saw Kid Rock. The well known music venue was built as an outdoor center for entertainment, including a stage, restaurant, art gallery, outstanding gardens and a beautiful picnic areas.
This place is huge! It can hold over 19,000 people and sits on over 800 acres of land, and its location makes it clear why the Blossom Music Center is a favorite of Ohio's music venues. Concerts go on rain or shine, so make sure you double check the weather when buying lawn tickets! Oh, and across the street you my favorite wine place, Sara's Vineyard. Grab a delicious bottle of wine, a brick oven pizza, and enjoy Ohio's beautiful weather.
Buying A House In Cuyahoga Falls Ohio
The great thing about buying a house in Cuyahoga Falls is the fact that the homes are so affordable! As you can see from the graph below, the average home price is right around $150,000. In 2020, you can see that home prices started going up quite a bit and thats because the number of homes for sale is rapidly decreasing. When supply is low and demand is high, home prices are bound to increase!
Cuyahoga Falls is filled with cape cod, bungalow, and colonial style homes. Near downtown, the housing is tightly packed together and most of the time you are lucky if you get above .3 acres of land. In my opinion, this is one of the bigger cons of living in Cuyahoga falls. It's a densely populated city with housing stacked on top of each other.
If you don't want neighbors, you're going to be paying a decent amount more to get away from the city and get some land. Up north near Steels Corner and out West near the Cuyahoga Valley National park are your best bet to get some land.
Does Cuyahoga Falls Have Good Schools?
The Cuyahoga Falls school district doesn’t have the best ratings. They’re not bad but they’re not great. Theres a little over 1,500 students at the high school and around 4,600 total, k-12, so it's a large school. Niche.com ranked the school district with an overall rating of a C+. With a large school there can be some challenges for some students but overall, they have great academic opportunities for students.
The high school and middle school are located near downtown and is surrounded by residential homes so it's very convenient for your kids to walk to school. Around 3pm, you will see a lot of students headed home walking down the streets.
Communities Served
In Conclusion, Who Is Cuyahoga Falls Right For?
Overall, I love Cuyahoga Falls and what the city has to offer. It has a ton of business, a great downtown, and tons of local parks to explore. The city is densely populated and most of the homes are stacked on top of each other, so if thats an issue for you, I recommended looking near steel corners or out west towards the Cuyahoga Valley Park. The location is great since you have route 8 right there for easy highway access. A lot of people that are looking to move to the Akron area find themselves in Cuyahoga Falls since it offers affordable and the location is ideal.
If you're looking to move to the area, make sure you reach out so we can help you with the transition!
 Akron Ohio |  Aurora Ohio |  Cleveland Ohio |
|---|---|---|
 Hudson Ohio |  Kent Ohio |  Ravenna Ohio |
 Shaker Heights |  Solon ohio |  Stow Ohio |