Welcome to Lakewood. You are now free to move about the city.
This lakeside community enjoys a variety of distinctions — including being the most densely populated city in Ohio. Few cities compare with Lakewood when it comes to offering mobility advantages for residents and visitors alike.
Sea of Sidewalks
Visit Lakewood and you’ll immediately notice that virtually every city street has a corresponding sidewalk on both sides. More than 180 miles of sidewalks flank the streets of this inner-ring suburb of Cleveland, and Walk Score ranks Lakewood as Ohio’s most walkable city.
It’s a city made for walking, and that’s just what many Lakewoodites do. In fact, some have even made it a personal challenge to traverse every piece of sidewalk. Take Lakewood resident Zachary Acerra, for example. He posted on his Twitter account about his journey with his son to run with a stroller on every street in the city, according to Cleveland.com.
No School Buses? No Problem.
As a historic streetcar suburb, Lakewood was designed before automobile use was commonplace. The city features a compact network of schools spread across its 5.5 square miles, and — unlike the vast majority of schools nationwide — the Lakewood City Schools don’t rely on a bus system for daily transportation.
Instead, most students live within a mile or two of their schools and can reach their classrooms by walking, bicycling or catching a ride. Thanks to its status as a walking-distance district, Lakewood enjoys advantages ranging from cost-savings to healthier students to a unique brand identity.
Lakewood: Bike It and Like It
Regarded as one of the region’s most bicycle-friendly cities, Lakewood boasts a significant population of both transportation and recreational bicycle riders. The city has installed dozens of bike racks and added miles of bicycle lanes along Madison Avenue, Franklin Boulevard and Warren Road, with additional improvements to its biking infrastructure coming soon.
Biking represents an ideal method for visiting the numerous independent small businesses lining the Detroit and Madison Avenue commercial corridors, or for venturing to the Solstice Steps at Lakewood Park. Resident-led advocacy group Bike Lakewood, along with local bicycle shops Beat Cycles and Spin Bike Shop, offer many ways to get involved in the local bicycling community.
Matt Bixenstine is the marketing & development manager for LakewoodAlive. He resides in Lakewood near Madison Park with his wife, Alyse; son, Charlie; and basset hound, Huckleberry.
Register for the Virtual Meltdown 5K and Start Exploring!
Looking for an excuse to explore Lakewood’s wide variety of appealing neighborhoods? You’re in luck. Registration is now open for the inaugural Virtual Meltdown 5K and 1 Mile Family Fun Run & Walk.
The Virtual Meltdown 5K serves as a fundraiser for LakewoodAlive, a community-centered nonprofit organization striving to foster and sustain vibrant neighborhoods. Lace up your running shoes and complete the race at your convenience any time between July 15 and July 31. Participants can opt to conquer the actual Meltdown 5K course, or complete the race in another fashion of their choosing.
Visit lakewoodalive.org for more details and registration.
