Geneva-on-the-Lake was one weird discovery on the way back from the Warren/Youngstown meet. Groupings of tiny old cabins line the lake (including Kramer Cottages and Uncle Tom's Cabins :|) behind a strip of arcades, gift shops, and minature golf courses. Perhaps you'd classify it as a blue-collar resort town, sort a minature Gatlinburg for NE Ohioians, if you will.

 

Despite being completely weirded out, I found Geneva-on-the-Lake incredibly quaint and worthy of some photos. I fully expect a bitchslapping from ColDay for this...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spanish?  :|

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funny it took so long for UO to post a thread on this place: even Lonely Planet gave space to this town and states that this is the 1st resort in the state. How about that? Looks like a fun place to spend a summer day.

Phenomenal, ink!  Did you happen to make your way over to the marina at the state park?  That's one of my favorite places.  There's a bulkhead that you can walk on that goes out a good distance.

Phenomenal, ink! Did you happen to make your way over to the marina at the state park? That's one of my favorite places. There's a bulkhead that you can walk on that goes out a good distance.

 

We drove around the state park a bit, but missed the marina. I assume the park is why the town became such a destination.

I've loved that place since I was a kid!!  Fantastic photos!!  I try to go there at least once every summer, and have yet to go this year.  With these pics, I'm definitely setting up a trip there soon!!

What in sam hell is THIS?

 

I think we need to overhaul our "tourist" areas.

In the 3rd pic that used to be an entrance for the amusement park, all carnie style rides there. It got taken down like maybe 2 years ago. The whole strip there has a county fair feel (minus the animals) there. The state park part is real nice, me and the family years ago rented a cabin on the lake there. It was spartan but more than adiquite for a 4 day vacation. Mentor-on-the-Lake had a simmilar area.

Good old Geneva, thanks!

I was there for the first time about a year ago, at a conference at the lodge. But I was thoroughly intrigued by Geneva-on-the-Lake. Such a throwback -- a mom-and-pop resort town. A dose of reality in a surreal, manufactured, focus-group world.

In the 3rd pic that used to be an entrance for the amusement park, all carnie style rides there. It got taken down like maybe 2 years ago. The whole strip there has a county fair feel (minus the animals) there. The state park part is real nice, me and the family years ago rented a cabin on the lake there. It was spartan but more than adiquite for a 4 day vacation. Mentor-on-the-Lake had a simmilar area.

 

 

there was even another amusement park there too. it got taken down about 15 yrs ago. i went to the auction. it was sad but a lot of fun. they auctioned off an 1800's carousel and old carved rides.

 

geneva-on-the-lake reminds me of the current rockaway beach in new york. definately blue collar. everytime i've been there, even as kid, it's been filled with an interesting mix of families and bikers.

 

Phenomenal, ink!  Did you happen to make your way over to the marina at the state park?  That's one of my favorite places.  There's a bulkhead that you can walk on that goes out a good distance.

 

We drove around the state park a bit, but missed the marina. I assume the park is why the town became such a destination.

 

the park adds, but geneva-on-the-lake existed as a resort long before it. some info from about.com:

 

 

"Geneva-on-the-Lake, located on the shores of Lake Erie about an hour's drive east of Cleveland, was one of Ohio's first lakeside resorts.

 

In the early 1900s, the scenic location was home to dozens of cottages and was popular with the Midwest "gentry," including John D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone. Today, the area is filled with outdoor activities, arcades, summer events, and several Lake Erie wineries.

 

History:

Geneva-on-the-Lake calls itself "Ohio's First Summer Resort." The fun started in 1869 when the first carnival park, "Sturgeon Point" was built. In the early 1900s, Midwest inventors and businessmen, John D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone, chose the spot to spend camping weekends. Gradually, tents gave way to cabins and cottages, but the site still retains its humble, accessible appeal."

 

 

I love going to Geneva. It reminds me of what the Jersey Shore was kinda like 100 years ago.

 

Very fun, sometimes crazy atmosphere and generally a diverse group of people. The fact that it's below the radar makes it a cool place to be. Keeping it real lol.

 

Of course, every now and then you see some guys and think "damn they must be from Alabama" or whatever, but it makes for interesting people watching.

 

With some programs for beach replenishment and new investment, it could easily once again turn into "the place to be."

 

Nostalgia sells.

I don’t know if you were there at night, but back in the olden days—60’s & 70’s—I remember Geneva-on-the-Lake as a really wild scene. It was a crazy biker hangout, with the Hell's Angels and area teens swarming the main strip. I had a teacher from Geneva who told us she once witnessed a Hell’s Angel ordering a raw hamburger in a local diner (a fast food form of tartare!), stomping on it with his boot, and then forcing his "lady" friend to eat it!  Judging from the pictures, the town seems to have calmed down a bit.

Looks extra funky. Sign me up!!!  Love the quonset hut stores.  The no swimming sign is great. 

Wonderful old-school beach resort, with local enterprises and not a lot of chains (other than the ones the bikers wear). The cabins look pretty nice.

 

I camped once at the state park, after labor day. I was one of the few campers there, and enjoyed it a lot; the shore is most interesting in stormy weather.

 

What a cute area :)

 

I love this swimmer's expression:

 

neat photos!

 

having just getting home today from our annual ''week at geneva on the lake'' trip,it's cool to see a shot of the kramer cottages! the cottage in the photo is the one we've stayed at for the last 10 years.

I dont know if you were there at night, but back in the olden days60s & 70sI remember Geneva-on-the-Lake as a really wild scene. It was a crazy biker hangout, with the Hell's Angels and area teens swarming the main strip. I had a teacher from Geneva who told us she once witnessed a Hells Angel ordering a raw hamburger in a local diner (a fast food form of tartare!), stomping on it with his boot, and then forcing his "lady" friend to eat it! Judging from the pictures, the town seems to have calmed down a bit.

 

Been there in the evening a couple of times, and I'd say that it sounds about right.  Though I never witnessed a rawmeat stomp'n'eat.

I remember going there as a little kid, being from nortwest ohio we normally took our day trips to the port clinton/sandusky areas but once in a while my dad would take us up to "geneva on the lake" not be mistaken with "geneva" which is a city in ottawa county in north west ohio...i remember getting into the water and it was all stone and the water got real deep real fast...i was used to being able to walk a good 50 feet before the water even got above my knees...today i dont think id ever swim in the lake. totally get grossed out. fish and filth and gross..give me a cement pond any day! we had fun but if i had a choose i think port clinton and sandusky has more stuff to do aside from cedar point.

^  "geneva on the lake" not be mistaken with "geneva" which is a city in ottawa county in north west ohio...

 

there's something wrong here. The city of Geneva (OH) is located just a few miles inland from Geneva-on-the-Lake in Ashtabula County. Can there be another one in NW Ohio??  :wtf:

^Maybe he is thinking of Genoa, which is a village in Ottawa County.

ya im dumb

and this thread makes me scared.

I'm from Pittsburgh, and have been coming since the 70's with my mom and dad, brothers and sisters. Making the trip on Aug. 11-14 and staying at Allen Court Cottages, with my 2 kids and wife.  Its weird, when i went 5 years ago Allen's General Store still had the same smell when i went 25 years ago. Vintage Geneva is the best times,  I'm pumped for some Eddies Grill hamburgers and of course....Capos Pizza !!!!

My aunt and uncle are friends with Eddie of Eddie's Grill.  Weird coincidence:  my aunt and Eddie's wife were both born in Timmins, Ontario, were childhood friends, and found themselves in NE Ohio years later. 

We browsed the town while staying at the Lodge nearby.

 

The vibe of the town is bikers, bars, tats, jello shots, and Jaeger bombs. And fried food.

 

We couldn't find an inviting sit down place to eat in the entire strip. It's all fast food crap and bars with blasting scratchy radios. The Firehouse Winery is a joke, after waiting about 15 minutes for a couple of iced teas we decided that it was not worth the commitment of ordering dinner and we bolted.

 

The town makes Gatlinburg seem classy and upscale. I didn't get a bit of nostalgia. Just seedy.

 

Now, *Geneva* five miles south is adorable.

 

I guess you have to be from the local area to appreciate this town. I don't get the appeal.

 

</unfortunate flamebait>

Great photos...have friends who live near here and know others... Like it, for what it is, but to be honest, the turd-in-the-punchbowl becomes the overtaking of the bikers. It becomes "Hoonsville"  and a scene out of Mad Max... weaving a tapestry of "grotesquery" The cast of Jerry Springer abounds! Many local residents are actually fed up with it too. Why?...... See: http://qualitychatter.com/2011/06/benevolent-bikers-would-you-ride-for.html  Because of the scenario described in the link. Looking for a reasonable peaceable getaway on the lake with a carnival setting? Stay away from here. You get one, but not without a price. The place epitomizes, stylistically, 20's through 50's lakeside resort eras. Wish it were that without the crotch rockets and hogs.

I can almost picture the "Uncle Tom's Cabins" being owned by someone who doesn't know history but really likes the Warrant song.

Ha ha....didn't expect to see this! I grew up in Ashtabula County so I'm very familiar with Geneva-on-the-Lake. Growing up it was fun to go down there and hang out in the summer, but I actually appreciate it more as an adult who has moved out of the region. It's a very unique type of place these days with all mom & pop joints. Nobody is going to mistake it for being high class, but that's OK in my book.

good summer bump - cleveland's brighton lol! you know places like this used to be common before the days of the big destination amusement parks. lucky this one still even exists, no doubt due to its relative isolation. we have been going my whole life and its always been full of bikers ha, including the last time i was there a couple yrs ago. some people may not like that but one thing is for sure it still has a lot of local color and thats a good thing!

too bad the rides are gone.

Geneva on the Lake itself is a little skeezy for my liking, although my wife has fond memories of Eddie's Grill growing up (to me it just seems like a dirty fast food burger joint with a 50s flair).  However, we recently discovered the Lake House Inn and Winery, which is a B&B with a few patios that serve simple food and wine (I suppose they make some or all of the wine themselves).  The wine and food is serviceable, surely nothing special, but the patios overhanging beaches right on the water make for a spectacular and relaxing setting.  The place is just west of the main part of the strip, right between the lodge and the main strip, so it has a more relaxed feel and you don't get the bikers cruising up and down the street in that part.

 

http://www.thelakehouseinn.com/lakehouse_inn_winery.htm

 

Also, there are some nice views of the lake along 531 between Geneva on the Lake and 45.

 

Downtown Geneva itself has some nice buildings right at the corner of 20 and 534 as well, and it seems like they've had a little resurgence of late (less vacancies than I used to remember).

 

For checking it out, I recommend exiting I-90 at 45 to go to Geneva-on-the-Lake, driving up to Lake Rd. (531), turning left and enjoying the views (especially at the points where the road is literally feet from the water, separated by only a guardail and a small dropoff, then returning down 534 through downtown Geneva.

 

Lake Rd. in Saybrook - Street View (Obviously, looks much better on a sunny day, but you get the point.)

 

Downtown Geneva - Street View

 

Went there with the wife last weekend. We actually found a really good restaurant, a diamond in the rough if you will. They specialize in fresh seafood, and the chef herself came out to our table to go over the specials with us. I had a delicious trout special and she had a lobster lasagna that most certainly did not skimp on the lobster.

 

But the best thing...they have a bar area that still houses an early 1900's shooting gallery from Coney Island!!! And, amazingly, it's still operational. The bartender will turn it on for you and it's really a sight. When you see the bullet holes in the metal targets you realize that they weren't kidding around back then lol. Those must have been some serious guns and bullets in use.

 

Here's the Plain Dealer write up of the place:

 

Sandy Chanty

 

This quirky and cozy eatery is located in the heart of the Geneva-on-the-Lake strip, at the corner of Lake Avenue and New Street. The restaurant, open year round, specializes in fresh seafood and is overseen by chef, host, and intriguing personality Patt Bowen, a formally-trained chef and Cleveland transplant.

 

In addition to a variety of nightly fish specials, the Chanty features lobster lasagna, lobster focaccia, and lobster linguini. The dining room is friendly and cozy and features a unique back bar that once served as an arcade shooting game.

 

Sandy Chanty

5457 Lake Avenue, Geneva-On-The-Lake, OH 44041

(440) 415-1080

Oh yeah....on the drive to Geneva I was very surprised to see an official branch of the HELLS ANGELS alongside the road. It's a small place that could be a floral shop if you somehow didn't notice the huge commercial sign!

 

Well, I stopped the car and got out to take a pic of the sign, figuring there were no cars in the lot, and after all, they planted flowers around the place and it looks really non-threatening.

 

DO NOT DO THIS.

 

The second I got out of the car a jeep full of extremely dangerous looking guys pulled into the lot blocking my car in. They were not at all happy about me taking a photograph of their place. I apologized several times while they seemed to be having a discussion about what to do next. Even though I'm from New Jersey, I couldn't help but find the situation to be very scary. Then after a seriously awkward minute or so, they drove off. Already my wife has used this event twice as ammunition to support her claim that I'm an idiot.

Oh yeah....on the drive to Geneva I was very surprised to see an official branch of the HELLS ANGELS alongside the road. It's a small place that could be a floral shop if you somehow didn't notice the huge commercial sign!

 

Well, I stopped the car and got out to take a pic of the sign, figuring there were no cars in the lot, and after all, they planted flowers around the place and it looks really non-threatening.

 

DO NOT DO THIS.

 

The second I got out of the car a jeep full of extremely dangerous looking guys pulled into the lot blocking my car in. They were not at all happy about me taking a photograph of their place. I apologized several times while they seemed to be having a discussion about what to do next. Even though I'm from New Jersey, I couldn't help but find the situation to be very scary. Then after a seriously awkward minute or so, they drove off. Already my wife has used this event twice as ammunition to support her claim that I'm an idiot.

 

Is that the place on Route 20 in Perry Township?

 

I believe this might be it: Street View

Went there with the wife last weekend. We actually found a really good restaurant, a diamond in the rough if you will. They specialize in fresh seafood, and the chef herself came out to our table to go over the specials with us. I had a delicious trout special and she had a lobster lasagna that most certainly did not skimp on the lobster.

 

This was the one decent seeming place we ran across in town. The problem we had with it was that the weather was quite warm, there weren't even fans in the restaurant, and there was no outdoor seating. Also there was nobody eating in. It seemed dubious so we skipped it. It sounds like (except for the heat) it would have been OK. There's nothing else in town that even remotely looked sit down worthy.

Is that the place on Route 20 in Perry Township?

 

I believe this might be it: Street View

 

I love the first sponsored ad (yes, let's stay at Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club tonight, they have great room rates!)

 

Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club

Great rates at 155,000+ hotels.

Live support, Instant confirmation.

www.agoda.com/Hotels

 

:-D

This was the one decent seeming place we ran across in town. The problem we had with it was that the weather was quite warm, there weren't even fans in the restaurant, and there was no outdoor seating. Also there was nobody eating in. It seemed dubious so we skipped it. It sounds like (except for the heat) it would have been OK. There's nothing else in town that even remotely looked sit down worthy.

 

It sounds like you were in Geneva-on-the-Lake for the wrong reasons. You go there to take in the strip, the lake, and the old-school atmosphere; not for a nice sit-down meal.

 

I also find it amusing that people think it's sketchy there. Maybe if you have a feud with an outlaw biker gang it might be risky to show up in one of the biker bars there, but I guarantee the crime rate is much lower than the national average or the trendy urban areas that people on this forum like to frequent.

 

 

I personally love Geneva-on-the-Lake for its charm and cheesey atmosphere.  It's beautifully located on lake erie, has a great amount of things for people to do with kids...and can't think of anywhere else quite like it except for a few boardwalk communities along the Atlantic Ocean. 

 

I went as a kid ever year when Edgewater Landing amusement park was still operating - and go now a few times a summer to listen to music at Old Firehouse Winery - walk the strip, and just take in some old fashion americana. 

I remember loving going to Time Square Restaurant and getting the largest basket of fresh cut fries you will ever seen. Basically it was just a lunch tray that they filled up with fries at least a half foot high. And the price was pretty good. Probably wasnt the healthiest thing in the world though :)

My problem with Geneva-on-the-Lake was that it just felt too damn (white) trashy and I'm not talking guido Jersey trashy.  I'm talking Pigeon Forge-by-the-Sea.  Like a slightly lower-standard version of Put-in-Bay (which is already the epitome of trash to begin with).  A Cape May-by-the-Lake would be nice...or even an Ocean City, NJ-by-the-Sea.  Not only that, I felt like a pepper in THAT salt shaker...

Well, how shocked should I be....

It sounds like you were in Geneva-on-the-Lake for the wrong reasons.

 

Uh, we were tourists with money to spend? That's the wrong reason?

 

I could see that some people perceive it as funky. We didn't find enough things of interest to give it that honor.

 

My problem with Geneva-on-the-Lake was that it just felt too damn (white) trashy and I'm not talking guido Jersey trashy.  I'm talking Pigeon Forge-by-the-Sea.

 

Wayyy beyond Pigeon Forge in that category, IMO. If you discount the many bars, the town feels like you took all of the fried food places in a county fair and put them into storefronts. 

Pretty much.

^^ and you say that like it's a bad thing. I'll be up there for camping, greasy food and biker babes next weekend. Plus bike riding to the wineries...

God help this state.

You aren't kidding.

My problem with Geneva-on-the-Lake was that it just felt too damn (white) trashy and I'm not talking guido Jersey trashy.  I'm talking Pigeon Forge-by-the-Sea.  Like a slightly lower-standard version of Put-in-Bay (which is already the epitome of trash to begin with).  A Cape May-by-the-Lake would be nice...or even an Ocean City, NJ-by-the-Sea.  Not only that, I felt like a pepper in THAT salt shaker...

 

Put-in-Bay is not trashy by Ohio standards. It's a lot classier than Athens.

I'll be up there for camping, greasy food and biker babes next weekend. Plus bike riding to the wineries...

 

That sounds like a good time to me!

 

Hanging out in that atmosphere for me is a welcome change of pace from my current residence in Chicago's Gold Coast (yuppie central), so I enjoy a trip to Geneva-on-the-Lake from time-to-time when I'm back in Ohio visiting family and friends. I guess it makes me "white trash" to say that? LOL

 

 

My problem with Geneva-on-the-Lake was that it just felt too damn (white) trashy and I'm not talking guido Jersey trashy.  I'm talking Pigeon Forge-by-the-Sea.  Like a slightly lower-standard version of Put-in-Bay (which is already the epitome of trash to begin with).  A Cape May-by-the-Lake would be nice...or even an Ocean City, NJ-by-the-Sea.  Not only that, I felt like a pepper in THAT salt shaker...

 

it's geography. outside of one big example there is really no peninsula to wrap around like those places and to therefore be more picturesque. the lakeshore just goes straight across the state for most part. so port clinton and marblehead is as good as it gets (and it's pretty good considering that 'northcentral ohio vacationland' area includes a gorgeous old chataqua in lakeside and of course cedar point amusement park). i'll take cp over a bunch of gingerbread victorians on that peninsula anytime.

 

sounds like you are really mostly complaining about the saltine part. now that is a true lack because what ohio's lakefront genuinely needs is a martha's vineyard 'inkwell.' hot waters or lakeview park in lorain are not cutting it for that either lol!

 

Aesthetically the town made us go "blecch". And there didn't seem to be one thing to do in town unless you like mediocre fried food and jello or Jaeger shots. I've never seen any resort town quite this one-dimensional.

 

Bulldoze the town and open up the lakefront.  :whip: