The 8 Coziest Towns Near Cleveland To Snuggle Up In This Season
By Nikki Rhoades|Published January 01, 2019
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Nikki Rhoades
Author
Nikki is a lifelong Ohioan with a love for literature. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Akron and has enjoyed publishing her written work since 2007. She has a love of travel and does so frequently, though she believes that home is where the heart is — she continues to work in and around Cleveland as a digital content specialist to this day, working on everything from commercial scripts and social media posts to grassroots marketing initiatives.
Winter, it seems, has yet to reach Northeast Ohio. Though the season has been mild thus far, there is no doubt that snow is in our future. Snow, though beautiful, brings raging cases of cabin fever to locals… but it doesn’t have to! There are plenty of cozy towns near Cleveland that are perfect for winter day trips and romantic starlit dates.
This teeny tiny village only hosts about 4,000 residents, but its personality is larger than life. Armed with a charming, small-town atmosphere and amazing finds like urban waterfalls and the antique Chagrin Falls Popcorn Shop, this cozy community is a dreamy wintertime destination.
Though Lakewood is so close to Cleveland that you can actually see the city's skyline, this quaint community can feel worlds away. Its gorgeous antique streets and lakefront green spaces are sure to delight visitors, leaving them with no doubt as to why roughly 52,500 residents call this city home.
Pictured here are two dreamy destinations in Bath Township: Hale Farm and Village, a historic destination under the guidance of the Western Reserve Historical Society, and the Wye Road bridge, one of the many gorgeous everyday places in the township. Roughly 10,000 people call this lovely place home, but it's super close to a handful of heavily populated areas. A charming combination of history, rural landscapes, and culture, Bath Township is truly a dream in the winter.
Painesville is doubtlessly a city, as it hosts about 20,000 residents. However, as it has grown, it has refused to lose its small-town charms. With locales like the gorgeous 284-acre Historic Downtown Painesville Recreation Area, history is truly abundant in this dreamy place. You'll probably want to swing by Lake County History Center during your visit!
This gorgeous community is a real-life model train town, particularly as winter snow gathers in the historic Chardon Square. This community of about 5,000 is the county seat, as well as the home of the annual Geauga County Maple Festival. This picture-perfect town is right in the snow belt, meaning it sees oodles of snowfall each year.
This charming community comes with a history all its own. Here, visitors will find the first-ever Mormon Temple, and it's open to the public to visit. As the headquarters for the Latter Day Saints movement in the 1830s, this community features some old and fascinating architecture. It's also home to Gildersleeve Mountain (which is occupied by the lovely Chapin Forest Reservation), an incredible petite mountain that can be seen from Downtown Cleveland.
Never been to Medina? This dreamy little town is about to become a winter wonderland on February 15, 2019, when the annual Ice Festival returns to Medina Square. This sleepy city is home to an amazing 27,000 residents or so, an amazing feat considering its unshakable small-town charm.
Across its 10-mile expanse, Wadsworth is home to around 21,000 residents. The city has been populated since 1814, and the most exquisite reminders of its historic charm exist in and around Downtown Wadsworth. Lined with shops, cafes, and filled with frequent celebrations, this lovely little city always offers a good time.
Winter is never complete without a visit to a cozy neighboring town. Which of these communities with small town flair is your favorite? Are you lucky enough to live in one?