Indiana has Nashville...Pennsylvania has New Hope....Arkansas has Eureka Springs.

 

I'm wondering if there are any small towns in Ohio that are similar.  You know, basically walkable towns that have a relaxing atmosphere where you'll find streets filled with old houses that have been converted into quirky shops and cafes - a place where a person can spend a weekend discovering interesting crafts and unique merchandise, as well as tasty bites for lunch.

 

Anyone know of any similar towns in Ohio?  Thanks.

Maybe Yellow Springs - I haven't been the towns you mention but they sound cool!

Waynesville is a small town with a lot of antique-type stores, but it's not to the level of a Nashville, IN. 

Chagrin Falls at the eastern edge of Cuyahoga County has the type of vibe you are looking for.  Maybe Granville near Columbus as well.  Other recommendations would be Middlefield or Burton Townships in Geauga County, which both have strong Amish influences, although probably not exactly what you described. 

I will keep Chagrin Falls in mind, and look into Granville too.  I've heard of Middlefield and Burton Township, as my grandparents used to live in Chardon when I was growing up.  I might have to take a drive back up there sometime.

 

Yellow Springs isn't too far...I could check it out.  I've been to John Bryan State Park and Clifton Gorge, which are kinda near there, right?  I think the next time I drive up in that direction, I'll go through Yellow Springs.

 

In case you've never been to Eureka Springs in Arkansas, it's unlike any place you've ever been - and hard to describe.  It's so unique.  It's in the Ozark Mountains, and the town is full of narrow, hilly streets that are lined with old brick buildings that are filled with boutiques, cafes, bars, specialty shops, hotels, and art galleries.  A lot of the places have balconies that remind you of something you'd see in the old wild west.  They have outdoor cafes built right into the side of the mountain, and the cafes (some with neat fountains) sit next to the main street that runs through town...on which you'll find trollies and horse-drawn carriages.  If you do a Google image search for Eureka Springs, you'll get a good idea about what the place looks like.  I really don't know if Ohio has anything like that, but it would be really cool to find something close to it.

 

Thanks for the responses!

If you want to go Amish, Millersburg would need to be on the list and as far as a strolling trip is probably the superior option.  It'd be generous to say Burton is a day trip kinda experience and to drag it out over a weekend you're not going to be walking for most of it.

 

Lakeside comes to mind for this.  As a Chautauqua community it exists somewhere between small town and theme park. I don't know if something so curated would appeal to what you're looking for. But it's a solid option for weekend trip and you can keep on going back thanks to all the other stuff to do in the area.

Yellow Springs is comparable to a Nashville (IN) and a New Hope.  Eureka Springs is quite unique and the only place that visually looks like it in this state is Pomeroy yet it doesn't have the artisan vibe.

 

Hope that helps.

I actually grew up nearby Eureka Springs, in the town of Grove (on Grand Lake) before my parents moved to OKC. Eureka used to be a lot more happenin' than now, but with the emergence of walkable areas in Tulsa and Little Rock (to a much lesser extent lol), I feel like less people are "daycationing" there.

 

Ah.. I miss that area so much. I need to go back, especially to see the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art that was just finished in Bentonville. We used to go to all of the OSU-Arky games back when that was a rivalry, but now there is just virtually no reason to go into Arkansas. Which is a shame because I've never had a bad time in NWA. :D

 

So Pomeroy is worth checking out? Funny, I would have suggested Sandusky, and I know so little about Ohio, being new. Sandusky has the vacationing going on, family attractions, proximity to larger metros, scenic surroundings - all it lacks is the critical mass of working artists.

Pomeroy is not Eureka Springs by any means but it's a nice river town with a fascinating layout.

I actually grew up nearby Eureka Springs, in the town of Grove (on Grand Lake) before my parents moved to OKC. Eureka used to be a lot more happenin' than now, but with the emergence of walkable areas in Tulsa and Little Rock (to a much lesser extent lol), I feel like less people are "daycationing" there.

Thanks to my parents divorce and my father deciding to take the first job he could find to get out of Ohio I spent a lot of time on the other side of the forest in Russellville.  Wish I had visited Eureka Springs at an age I would have better appreciated it more.  It was just a stop on our way to parts beyond.

 

Ah.. I miss that area so much. I need to go back, especially to see the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art that was just finished in Bentonville. We used to go to all of the OSU-Arky games back when that was a rivalry, but now there is just virtually no reason to go into Arkansas. Which is a shame because I've never had a bad time in NWA. :D

Just thinking about that billion dollar museum (costs+collections+endowment) sitting in the middle of nowhere just makes me want to vomit.

 

So Pomeroy is worth checking out? Funny, I would have suggested Sandusky, and I know so little about Ohio, being new. Sandusky has the vacationing going on, family attractions, proximity to larger metros, scenic surroundings - all it lacks is the critical mass of working artists.

 

Lakeside, the town I recommended is part of the greater Sandusky vacationland area, so it didn't go entirely unmentioned :)

I actually grew up nearby Eureka Springs, in the town of Grove (on Grand Lake) before my parents moved to OKC. Eureka used to be a lot more happenin' than now, but with the emergence of walkable areas in Tulsa and Little Rock (to a much lesser extent lol), I feel like less people are "daycationing" there.

Thanks to my parents divorce and my father deciding to take the first job he could find to get out of Ohio I spent a lot of time on the other side of the forest in Russellville.  Wish I had visited Eureka Springs at an age I would have better appreciated it more.  It was just a stop on our way to parts beyond.

 

Ah.. I miss that area so much. I need to go back, especially to see the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art that was just finished in Bentonville. We used to go to all of the OSU-Arky games back when that was a rivalry, but now there is just virtually no reason to go into Arkansas. Which is a shame because I've never had a bad time in NWA. :D

Just thinking about that billion dollar museum (costs+collections+endowment) sitting in the middle of nowhere just makes me want to vomit.

 

So Pomeroy is worth checking out? Funny, I would have suggested Sandusky, and I know so little about Ohio, being new. Sandusky has the vacationing going on, family attractions, proximity to larger metros, scenic surroundings - all it lacks is the critical mass of working artists.

 

Lakeside, the town I recommended is part of the greater Sandusky vacationland area, so it didn't go entirely unmentioned :)

 

Haha, Bentonville isn't the middle of nowhere, although it would have been cool had they somehow worked the museum into a more urban setting in NWA - but then they probably couldn't have preserved the natural vibe, unless they went with the backside of the UArk campus in Fayetteville. That said, there are 500,000 people living in NWA, Tulsa is just an hour away with 1 million, and Springfield is another hour away with another 500,000.

 

I also can't help but mention the number of "folks" (I believe that is the human sub-set) vacationing at Branson, Buena Vista, Eureka Springs, Grand Lake, and all over the Ozarks in general. To me, the Ozarks aren't at all remote - certainly no more remote than the Adirondacks or Blue Ridge mtns. There are many places east of the Mississippi that are a lot more remote than the Ozarks, but perhaps I'm biased growing up in there. Obviously when Tulsa is the regional "big city" you're not talking about one of the nation's big urban conglomerations, but it beats most other areas in the south.

 

Russellville - ew, no offense lol.. but have you seen some of the really cool new development in Conway? I'm surprised to say Conway is becoming a decent college town.  :-o

Nobody mentioned Marietta. Not as walkable as some places, but it has hills, tree-shaded streets, two rivers, a small college, a nifty vibe with funky local shops and various festivals year round.

Or Athens

 

If we're throwing colllege towns into the mix, then Kent might be due some consideration.... especially with all of the recent improvements to the downtown area.

I wouldn't exactly put Kent or Marietta under:

 

basically walkable towns that have a relaxing atmosphere where you'll find streets filled with old houses that have been converted into quirky shops and cafes - a place where a person can spend a weekend discovering interesting crafts and unique merchandise, as well as tasty bites for lunch.

 

Athens is the closest mentioned but it's still not as "quirky shop" driven.  Yellow Springs and Chagrin Falls are probably the closest to that description.  Yellow Springs certainly is like a Nashville, Indiana or a New Hope, PA.

You want quirky? Geneva-on-the-Lake

That's just tacky ;).

^ I dare you to walk right up to Geneva on the Lake and call it tacky....to it's face!

 

LOL!

While not in Ohio, I've heard that Maysville, KY (about an hour east of Cincinnati) is a really nice little river town with B+Bs, shops, restaurants, etc.

What about Oberlin?  I havent been there in a super long time so.....

i second, Oberlin!

Well you guys are certainly loading me up with options.  I'll have to check out Yellow Springs the next time I go to Clifton Gorge...can't believe I've never been there.

 

When you go I recommend the winds cafe, sunshine cafe, ha ha pizza. There is another thread about Young's Dairy. Definitely check that out.