i currently live in a suburb of Chicago, but we are considering moving in the next year or so. my hubby works from home so we can sorta move anywhere.
can anyone tell me about living in Toledo? do you like it? what is there to do that's fun for the kids? what is downtown like? i'm looking into Ottawa Hills, as the schools are very good there. any opinions?
in general any pluses or minuses about the area would be so appreciated!
oh, and is it a good area for cloth diapering/natural living, etc?
gaakoh
03-04-2011, 08:08 PM
I've only lived in the area for 2 1/2 years. It's a very flat part of the state (hills don't exist around here). I wouldn't say I like it, but it isn't bad.
The Toledo Zoo is a very good zoo.
The Toledo MudHens is the triple A minor league baseball team. The games are so much fun and the stadium is beautiful. On Sundays they let kids run around the bases after the game and then do fireworks.
Those are the top 2 things to do in Toledo.=)
However, there is now a minor league hockey team- the Walleye. The games are quite fun, but the seating is very close together.
Imagination Station is the new science museum. It's supposed to be really good.
Ohio has excellent Metroparks. All around Toledo are really nice Metroparks with trails, fields, and playgrounds.
The Toledo Art Museum has fun stuff for kids.
Downtown is not too impressive. It has the stadiums and a Spaghetti Warehouse.
There is a yahoo group for Toledo Natural parents. I wouldn't say it's a huge area for cloth diapering, but there are a bunch. There is not currently a store, but one is in the works (I think). Ann Arbor isn't too far and they have cloth diaper stores.
The libraries are really nice and have story times and stuff.
Ottawa Hills is a great section of town, but I don't know about the school system. Ottawa Hills is divided in a weird way and I don't know where the lines are drawn- parts of it can be dicey.
reihelen
03-16-2011, 09:37 AM
I'm a life-long Toledoan, but I don't have too much to add to the previous poster. I'll second the recommendations of our Art Museum and Metroparks, and add that there's a Farmer's Market downtown on Saturday mornings. I know it's not year round but I'm not sure exactly what part of the year it's in session, but they offer a decent selection of locally grown produce.
Right now I know only one other cloth diapering mom, but I know there are more out there.
Ann Arbor has a more vibrant downtown community than Toledo, and it's about a 45 minute drive away; we visit a couple times a year. Cedar Point is a little over an hour's drive away, if you like amusement parks.
I didn't know that there were cloth diaper store in Ann Arbor - I'll have to look into that!
gaakoh
03-21-2011, 07:48 PM
The cloth diaper store is set to open in Sylvania on May 2, I think. The link is http://puresweetcheeksbaby.com/. I think there is more info on facebook- search for sweet cheeks pure baby boutique. They are hosting the Great Cloth Diaper Change in April.
Ann Arbor has The Little Seedling. Also, Elephant Ears (I think that's the name) sells a few cloth diapers.
I have heard great things about the Farmers' Market. I'm hoping to get there a few times this summer.
hlstevens
04-04-2011, 07:52 AM
I've lived in NW Ohio for 4 years now and I LOVE it! There is so much to offer!
There is a neat babywearing group in Waterville, you can find them on Meetup.com I think!
I am not in Toledo but about 45 minutes west of there, we frequent Toledo often and will be visiting the Imagination Station in two weeks, I can't wait!
airmans_angel
04-04-2011, 05:58 PM
I live in Michigan. Right on the border and go down to toledo, and there are some bad areas but there are some good areas. parks are great, and the childrens hospital is good too.
what does your husband do?
steph410
04-06-2011, 08:57 AM
he is a software engineer for a big company based in CA :)
