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Rocky River Ohio

By Sandy Mitchell, About.com

Rocky River Ohio

Looking across the Rocky River from Lakewood

(© Flickr User: darkphoenix939/cc license)
Rocky River is a suburb of Cleveland Ohio, located about 15 minutes west of that city, along the shores of Lake Erie. Named for the river that forms its eastern boundary, the upscale community boasts gracious homes, plentiful parks, and a variety of restaurants and shopping.

History:

Rocky River was first settled in 1810 and incorporated as a city in 1960. Before settling on the name "Rocky River," the community had been called Granger City, Riverbank, Rockport, and Rocky River Hamlet.

Demographics:

According to the 2000 U.S. Census report, Rocky River has 20,735 residents. Approximately 97% are white and slightly less than half (47.2%) are married. Twenty percent of households include someone that is 65 or older and the median age is 44 years. The Median household income is $72,361.

Shopping:

Rocky River offers a variety of unique and upscale shopping. Among the city's many shopping areas are the Old River Shopping Plaza, located near the Westgate Condominium Building, and Beachcliff, which is currently being remodeled.

Restaurants:

Among the many restaurants in Rocky River are:
  • Salmon Dave's
  • Rocky River Brewing Company
  • Herb's Tavern
  • King Wah
  • Michael's Family Restaurant
  • Bearden's
  • Max's Deli

Parks:

Recreational facilities in Rocky River include the Don Umerley Civic Center on Hilliard Road, with its gym, track, and fitness center; the Hamilton Ice Arena; the Municipal (outdoor) pool; the indoor soccer arena; a skate park; and eight city parks, with tennis courts, picnic facilities, and playgrounds. For more about Rocky River parks and recreation, click here.

Education:

The Rocky River School system was awarded an "Excellent" rating by the State of Ohio for the 2006/2007 school year. The system consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.

Rocky River is also home to the private Magnificat High School and Lutheran West High School.

Rocky River Public Library:

Rocky River is home to one of the region's best libraries. Located on Hampton Road, between Detroit and Hilliard, the library's collection includes more than 160,000 books, CDs, tapes, and other media. The Rocky River Library is also home to the Cowan Pottery Museum and its holdings of over 1200 items produced by the early 20th century Rocky River-based pottery studio.

Hotels near Rocky River:

Rocky River is near the many hotels located one suburb to the west in Westlake Ohio, such as the Residence Inn (check rates) and the Holiday Inn West (check rates). It's also only a ten-minute drive from Rocky River to most Cleveland airport hotels.

(Updated 1-26-08)

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