The Great Outdoors
Jeff lives in West Toledo. With its proximity to the University of Toledo, West Toledo has a college town feel with plenty of opportunities for young professionals to socialize and be active. The
University/Parks Trails are 13 miles of hiking and biking trails that connect different areas of West Toledo to the University, and the
Wildwood Preserve Metropark connects with those trails with others in the region west into Sylvania.
Ottawa Park is a golf course that has public running trails and a free Frisbee golf course where anyone can go and pick up a quick game with others.
Dining and Drinking
For dining and drinking, Jeff recommends
Fusion Bistro, a sushi and martini lounge known for being a stylish hangout. For some classic watering holes, Jeff suggests
Arnie's and
Nick & Jimmy's.
Because the neighborhood is near the University, there are a ton of nightlife attractions for college-age students and recent graduates. Jeff says that there are many bars and restaurants in the area. For live local music, check out
Basin Street Grille and
Bar 145.
If you're looking for a few good places to grab a quick bite to eat, Jeff promises
Barry Bagels is the best bagel joint you'll ever go to. For Mexican food,
El Camino Real is the real deal.
Beirut offers authentic Lebanese cuisine, while
Jo Jo's Pizza has half-off pizza deals and $1 beers.
The recently-opened
Gradkowski's Restaurant, located on the UT campus as part of UT's Gateway Project, is an upscale offering from former UT quarterback and NFL star Bruce Gradkowski. It's a sports bar featuring fresh, made-from-scratch dishes including pastas, steaks, specialty pizzas and burgers, as well as an extensive selection of wines by the glass from small vineyards around the world.
Entertainment
For sports fans, there's plenty of action to find. Check out a
UT's women's basketball or Rockets football game to support the local teams.
Other major attractions in the area include the
Westfield Franklin Park shopping center and the
Huntington Center downtown, which brings in a lot of national touring acts. There's also the
Hollywood Casino and ECHL hockey league the
Toledo Walleye. "There's a lot of different cool things that you can do in Toledo that people might not expect," Jeff says.
As far as livability, West Toledo offers affordable housing, great neighborhoods, and easy access to the highways. "Living here is kind of like you don't realize what you have until you start talking about it," Jeff laughs.
For more information and additional resources for young professionals, check out
toledoregion.com and
epictoledo.com.