Mansfield, OH

Mansfield was founded in 1808 near the Mohican River. Although surrounded by farmland, Mansfield became a manufacturing center with numerous railroad lines running through the area. Over the years, a dramatic decline in manufacturing has shifted the city's economy to include retail, health care and service industries.

Several museums and art galleries lie within Mansfield. Biblewalk presents a combination of history and art through life-sized recreations of Bible scenes. The Little Buckeye Children's Museum, The Mansfield Memorial Museum, the Mansfield Art Center and Oak Hill Cottage all allow visitors to take tours of the historic home and grounds. Mansfield also hosts an annual community festival called the Lexington Blueberry Festival in Lexington Park.

Mansfield serves as home to many locally owned restaurants and cafes. The Blossoms Cafe serves both fresh roasted coffee and over 80 different teas, and it prepares made-from-scratch baked goods each morning. Located within The Blueberry Patch Gift Shop and Greenhouse, residents go to the Blossoms Cafe to enjoy the beautiful and serene atmosphere.

Doc's Soup-Herb Deli serves a variety of signature sandwiches made with fresh ingredients. It features over 100 ingredients that patrons can choose from to create their own sandwiches. Once you find the combination of ingredients you like the most, the staff saves your recipe, so you can order your own creation the next time you visit.

For a fine dining experience, residents go to The Skyway East, which serves primarily steak and seafood. Dining at The Skyway East includes linen table clothes, low lighting and fresh flowers to ensure a romantic atmosphere. Customers can choose from a wine list with over 100 options to go with their meals.

With a large dance floor and live DJs every weekend, The Backroom Bar and Grille is the place to be on weekends. This establishment features pool tables, shuffle boards, beer pong tables and big screens in its Ohio State University-themed room.

Richland County Transit (RCT) services the Mansfield area, allowing residents to get around town with ease. In addition to its 13 set routes, RCT also provides Dial-a-Ride Services for individuals with disabilities. RCT also has an arrangement with the City of Shelby to provide taxi service to the residents of Mansfield. The taxis service can be used to get around Richland County. Uber doesn't currently service the area.

Ample parking throughout the downtown area and sidewalks make it friendly for pedestrians. While no bike lanes exist, the small-town nature of Mansfield makes it friendly to bike riders. With Mansfield being over an hour from Cleveland, people heading to Cleveland use their personal vehicles or Greyhound. Greyhound bus service has a bus stop in Mansfield, and residents can take a bus from Mansfield to Cleveland for $18 to $24 each way, depending on the time of departure.

With 33 neighborhood parks throughout Mansfield, the city's priority to provide residents with plenty of green space, playgrounds and areas for outdoor recreation really shines through. Residents of Mansfield enjoy access to well-maintained baseball fields, basketball courts and soccer fields. Several of the parks also maintain walking and jogging paths for fitness-focused residents.

Of the 33 parks in the area, 19 feature playgrounds, so all the children in Mansfield have a playground near their home. Five of the parks have covered pavilions, which residents can reserve for parties and cookouts simply by calling the recreation department. Although no dog parks exist in Mansfield, most of the area parks welcome owners with leashed pets as long as the owner cleans up after their four-legged friend.

Lexington Community Park hosts the annual Lexington Blueberry Festival — a much anticipated event in Mansfield. The Blueberry Festival, a four-day event, includes a parade, a 5K run/walk and a blueberry pageant as well as rides, craft vendors, food, games and fireworks. The park charges no fees for admission or parking.

The city of Mansfield owns several undeveloped plots of land reserved for future parks, which shows a commitment to providing for its residents. The City also maintains two city pools, which open during the summer months. Liberty Pool located on Grace Street has one large pool, while Linden Pool located on Donald Court has a swimming pool and a smaller wading pool for the little ones.

The cost of living in Mansfield comes in relatively low, sitting 13 percent lower than the average cost of living in Ohio and almost 21 percent lower than the national average. The price of gas in Mansfield runs slightly over 8 percent lower than the national average. The local bars serve beer for around $3 a tall glass. The average cost for a one-bedroom apartment in Mansfield runs approximately $431.

You'll find Mansfield's main shopping area in the Historic Carrousel District. This beautifully restored area features Victorian-age buildings, complete with wood floors, iron gates, courtyards and brass lighting. In addition to the many shops in this District, you'll also find a wide array of restaurants, art galleries and outdoor festivals.

Within the Carrousel District sits Carrousel Antiques, which houses over 40 different antique dealers. Locally owned bookstore Main Street Books carries a wide range of tomes by nationally recognized authors, but also stocks a variety of books written by local authors.

In the center of the Carrousel District sits Richland Carrousel Park, which features an indoor hand-carved carousel. In the Park, shoppers visit the Carrousel Gift Shop, which carries carousel-related gift items and items made by local artisans.

A highlights of the Carrousel District, the nationally recognized chocolate maker, Squirrel's Den, has been featured on the Food Network. With all its chocolates and candies made in-house, this establishment provides fresh, sweet treats to all who visit. It also sells gourmet nuts, candied popcorn and fudge if you want something a little different.

Several grocery stores reside throughout Mansfield, including Geyer's, Meijer, Kroger and Save-A-Lot. Residents also shop at Wayne's Country Market, which sells a wide selection of fresh produce, wine and landscaping supplies. Mansfield also hosts a seasonal farmers market in the downtown area every Friday from 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.