TOGETHER WITH CHRIS SCHLENKERMAN AND THE COLLABORATIVE HOME SALES GROUP

This Rocky River Gem Checks All the Boxes

THIS could be the PLACE.

Welcome to Rocky River, where location + lifestyle meet in this meticulously maintained split-level stunner. With nearly 1,900 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, and 2 full baths, it’s got all the space you need wrapped in an open-concept layout flooded with natural light.

Highlights you’ll actually care about:

• Modern living flow: Updated kitchen with granite counters and seamless connection to dining + living areas.

• Cozy spaces: Lower-level family room with fireplace plus an extra finished basement for bonus hangout space.

• Outdoor entertainment: Large backyard with an above-ground pool.

• Everyday convenience: Two-car garage and close to Tri-City Park, shopping, and Rocky River’s award-winning schools.

Asking: $425,000 🛌 Beds: 3 | 🛀 Baths: 2 | 📐 Sq. Ft.: ~1,900

BHHS Professional Realty, alongside the collaborative HOME SALES Group

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WESTSIDE HISTORY

Farewell to the Arches: The Story of the Hilliard Road Bridge

For more than 100 years, the Hilliard Road Bridge has stood tall over the Rocky River Valley. The unmistakable set of concrete arches linking Lakewood and Rocky River is more than just an engineering feat—it’s a landmark. A piece of home.

But like so many Cleveland icons, time has taken its toll. The bridge is deteriorating, and plans are in motion to replace it. The unfortunate truth? The new design won’t feature those signature arches. Soon, the sweeping Roman-inspired curves that have greeted commuters since the 1920s will be gone.

From Swinging Rope to Concrete Arches

The Hilliard Road Bridge we know today was born in the roaring ’20s, when Lakewood and Rocky River were booming and needed a permanent connection. Walsh Construction won the contract—but not without controversy. To cut costs, they brought in unskilled workers from across the Midwest, paying them just 40 cents an hour and housing them in military-style camps. Union protests echoed across the valley for the entire project, turning the bridge into both a triumph of engineering and a flashpoint in the labor movement.

But even before those concrete arches rose, the crossing had a… shakier past.

Literally.

The first “bridge” was nothing more than a rickety rope suspension nicknamed The Swinging Bridge. One Lakewood resident, Kathryn Coleman, remembered being just 7 years old when a boy started bouncing on it as her father tried to push a stroller across. “We were frantic,” she recalled. “Afterwards, mother vowed we would never use that bridge again.”

A Landmark Fading Away

If you’ve driven the current bridge lately, you know it sometimes feels like a stiff breeze could knock it over.

So replacing it makes sense. Still, there’s something bittersweet about losing those arches. They weren’t just concrete—they were character. A piece of history that reminded us of the grit and growth of the Westside a century ago.

So the next time you drive across the Hilliard, take an appreciative look at those arches. They replaced rope bridges, spurred labor debates, supported baby strollers, and marked a century of Westsiders heading home.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

A Breakfast That Gives Back | Strongsville

On Saturday, September 21st (7:30 AM – Noon), the Walter F. Ernfelt Covered Bridge turns into the coziest breakfast spot in all of Cleveland. Picture it: a crisp fall morning in the Metroparks, hot coffee in hand, a full breakfast spread on your plate, and the kind of small-town charm money can’t buy.

This isn’t just about bacon and pancakes, though. It’s the Strongsville City Club’s biggest fundraiser of the year—and these folks have been making a real difference since 1968. They don’t just talk civic pride, they fund it. Their latest accolades are being named Best Supporting Organization of the Special Olympics in Ohio. That’s the kind of cause worth waking up early for.

This isn’t just a charity breakfast, it’s a Westside rite of passage.

WESTSIDE POUROVER

⚽ Downtown: Footie fans now have a new place to cheer on English Premier League games as The Whistle has been announced as an official Chelsea FC watch bar. Watch the Blues every weekend! (not including 7 AM matches)

🎨 Lakewood: The city wants your input on its new Public Art Master Plan. Residents can help shape the city’s future art scene by taking a quick five-minute survey before Sept. 30.

🏌️‍♂️ Avon: Top Golf announced that its opening day for its newest location on Chester Road is September 19th. One lucky customer who books and completes a bay reservation between opening day and October 3rd will be entered into a raffle to win one year of game play.

BUZZ FEEDBACK

Cedar Point Going Downhill?

Last newsletter we posed the question to Buzz Nation, “For those who’ve visited Cedar Point lately: does it seem like Six Flags’ influence is showing?”.

A staggering 80% of you who responded said they have seen some disappointing things from Cedar Point since the Six Flags acquisition.

Here are some of the responses:

🧠 TRIVIA

NEW BUSINESS

Finally, a Playplace Parents Actually Want to Go to | Avon

Imagine this: you’ve got emails piling up, but the kids are climbing the walls. Enter the newly opened Ity Bity Playhouse—the one place designed to keep both kids and parents happy at the same time.

Here’s what it’s all about:

• Kids get two hours of fun in a clean, modern play space (think: McDonald’s PlayPlace, but without the sticky mystery stains).

• Parents get to chill at the Stork Café, sipping coffee or tea that tastes like it was made by a hipster barista with just the right amount of piercings.

Everybody wins.

Reservations are encouraged to ensure there is plenty of space for everybody. Two hours runs $16.66, and you can even rent it out for birthday parties.

Bottom line: it’s the rare spot where kids burn off energy, parents relax, and nobody ends the day crying (hopefully).

BUZZSTRIP