Alliance, OH

The small settlements of Freedom, Liberty and Williamsport merged in 1850 to form Alliance. The name was chosen to reflect the coming together of the smaller settlements to create a bigger one, "an alliance." The village incorporated in 1854 and earned city status in 1887.

Students go to Mount Union College in Alliance to study and earn a degree. Residents of Alliance go there for theater productions and to listen to the Alliance Symphony Orchestra.

The Haines House on West Market Street, owned by Quaker farmers Jonathan and Sarah Haines, became part of the Underground Railroad system circa 1853. Tours are given on a regular basis with a charge for admission. A piece of New York City’s Twin Towers rests in the city’s 911 Memorial in Silver Park.

As would be expected in a college town, the majority of cafes and diners cater to the student-aged population of Alliance. However, there are some family-style restaurants as well.

Frank's Family Restaurant looks like an upscale restaurant with its attention to detail like white tablecloths, folded napkins and flowers on each table, but the prices are definitely family-friendly. This eatery serves up home-style meals from family recipes, making almost everything from scratch, including the variety of sauces, and it slow-roasts the turkey and pulled pork for great-tasting comfort foods. Try some of mama's meatloaf or a slice of homemade oatmeal crumb apple pie. What started out as an original Stewart's A&W Root Beer Drive-in now does business as Doug's Classic 57 Diner. This diner still sells the same root beer, but the place has changed dramatically. You will feel as if you have stepped back in time when you enter the '50s-era dining room complete with old-style tables, memorabilia and music. Come in on a cruise-in night, and see all the old cars in the parking lot. Enjoy a classic from the past such as bean and ham soup, deluxe cheeseburgers, pizza burgers, butter fries, apple fritters and malted milk shakes.

For a fun night out, hang out at Rey's Route 62 Bar & Grill, a popular bar and grill where the locals go. Grab a bite to eat, watch sports on the big screen TVs, or challenge a friend to a game of pool. Pool tournaments are held on Thursday nights and anyone can sing karaoke on Mondays.

It may sound like just a recording studio, but Jupiter Studios has so much more to offer than recording equipment. Locals go there for food, fun and entertainment. Eat gourmet pizza and subs while you listen to live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Most Thursday nights feature what the restaurants calls "dinner music," but every third Thursday of the month, you can come to the Celtic Jam Session where you will hear Irish, Scottish and Welsh tunes. All types of music plays on the weekends, including alternative rock, blues and folk tunes.

Sidewalks line the streets in the downtown and campus areas. Some residential streets also have sidewalks, but their presence can be rather hit-and-miss throughout the city. There are no designated bike lanes, so use caution if riding on the roads.

Residents of Alliance have many transportation options. Those with their own vehicles have easy access to State Route 62 which connects with I-77 southwest of the city. If they prefer not to drive themselves, they can call for a cab, but they call also ride a SARTA bus, which makes many stops in the area. Uber provides yet another option. Plenty of public parking can be found in the downtown area.

For long-distance trips, the Amtrak train line runs through Alliance. You can buy a ticket and board a train at the station on East Main Street downtown. If you want to fly, you can catch a flight to several major cities in the United States from Akron-Canton Airport or fly to Canada or Mexico from the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

You will find plenty of wide-open spaces in the Alliance area with several city parks throughout. Some have basketball courts, baseball fields, play areas and picnic shelters. Residents make great use of their parks to play and relax. The parks generally welcome pets, but keep them on leashes.

The 93-acre Lake Park, part of the state park system, lies just east of the city limits. The acreage has been set aside as a wildlife preserves. Locals go there for a quiet day of walking and bird watching, a popular activity. Fishing, hunting and trapping are permitted with the proper licensing.

In 1886, Dr. Levi Lamborn propagated the Scarlet Carnation, which became Ohio's state flower in 1904. The city of Alliance adopted the Carnation City nickname in 1959. The residents of Alliance celebrate the honor with the annual Greater Alliance Carnation Festival, two weeks of fun and games. Festival events are held throughout the city, but many of them take place in Silver Park.

The overall cost of living in Alliance stands about 2 percent lower than that of Cleveland, although both grocery and transportation costs are higher in Alliance, 10 percent higher for groceries and 19 percent higher for transportation. Housing costs are about 1 percent lower in Alliance than in Cleveland. The average cost of a one-bedroom house or apartment runs about $505 per month.

You can ride the SARTA bus for $3 for a full day or pay $45 for a 31-day pass. Gas prices tend to stay about 12 percent lower than the national average. Expect to pay about $5 to $6 for a pint of beer in the local restaurants and pubs.

Businesses of all types line both sides of State Street downtown. Residents of Alliance buy their groceries from several stores such as Giant Eagle, Thorne's IGA or Save-a-Lot.

You'll find fresh produce, eggs, homemade salsas, baked goods and beeswax candles at the Alliance Farmers Market, which runs on Saturday mornings, June through October, at the parking lot on the corner of Mechanic Avenue and East Main Street. Boutiques are scarce in Alliance, but you can find some great shops in nearby Canton. Ms. E's Place carries an ever-changing selection of ladies' fashions, accessories, jewelry and gifts. It stocks handbags from designers such as David & Young, Carrie Allen and Funky Fabrics as well as a number of other brands and products.

The owners of Laura of Pembroke want you to dress your home as well as yourself. Pick out beautiful furnishings for your home and clothing for yourself. For the home, dress up the furniture you already have with perfect accessories from the latest Laura of Pembroke collection. For yourself, choose clothing, shoes, handbags and jewelry from such designers as Alexis Bittar, Bailey 44 and Kate Spade.

If you have a knack for knitting or would like to learn the craft, stop by Bare Naked Wools Boutique. This shop has all the supplies you need, from yarn to needles to patterns. If you want to learn how to knit or just improve your technique, sign up for one of the many classes. Join other knitters for their First Friday Knit Night, or sign up for the Blanket Statement Club to get a pattern and yarn to make a new blanket each month.