TALLMADGE: You don’t even need to say the word “circle.” Just say Tallmadge, and most locals will immediately conjure an image of that regionally famous traffic wheel, its eight spokes spinning cars off into every direction.
But slow down a bit, and you’ll find those roads lead to some noteworthy attractions.
To help our readers take better advantage of the amenities in our region, the Beacon Journal is spotlighting a different community each week. We’ve made some obvious picks, but also enlisted local officials, residents, Facebook fans and our own expert staff writers to round out our list.
This week: 10 things to do in Tallmadge.
• Mayor’s Choice, by David Kline: The city’s iconic Tallmadge Circle — arguably one of the most recognized mapped shapes in Northeast Ohio — is a historic landmark. It was laid out more than two centuries ago, its eight roads oriented to and named for the points on a compass. The inside of the circle contains a 5-acre park that features two of the state’s oldest historical structures, Historic Church built in 1825, and Old Town Hall built in 1859. The church is available for rent, and the local historical society operates occasional tours of both structures.
• Shop Hop, by our home writer Mary Beth Breckenridge: Abbey Ann’s. “Abbey Ann’s was into repurposing before repurposing was cool. This place is packed with used furniture, home accessories, housewares and antiques. I usually come here to look for some specific item, but I often go home with something unexpected.” Located at 51 West Ave., the shop is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
• The Tallmadge Recreation Center, 46 N. Munroe Road, is a 100,000-square-foot fitness facility operated by the city. It targets all ages and features a one-fifth mile walking track, fitness equipment, four full-sized basketball courts and a full-sized indoor soccer field and offers a variety of sports programs and leagues. The center will even give you a free one-week membership to try it out. For hours and pricing, visit http://tallmadge-ohio.org or call 330-634-2349.
• Rather swim than sweat? The city also operates the Maca Aquatic Center at 183 Maca Drive. The water park includes a lap pool, slides, splash zone and bucket dumps, along with shower room facilities, a full-service concession stand and seating under large shade umbrellas. It will be open through August. The city has had a “Maca” pool since 1980, but the current one was built state-of-the-art in 2007. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday. For more information, visit http://tallmadge-ohio.org or call 330-633-2117.
• Social Media Shout-out: Facebook fans gave thumbs up to Delanie’s Grille, a block off the circle at 67 West Ave. It’s known for its burgers, wings and other casual fare in a tavern atmosphere, with an outdoor patio for those nice-weather days. It’s also famous for being Tallmadge’s first watering hole; the city was dry until voters permitted limited liquor options in 2001, paving the way. Find hours and a menu at http://www.mydelaniesgrille.com.
• Summit Racing Equipment bills itself as the world’s largest direct marketer of automotive performance equipment, and locals have the opportunity to shop directly from the company’s on-site retail store. Located at 1200 Southeast Ave., its large facility is easily recognized from Interstate 76. The store sells car parts, shop tools, apparel and more. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Visit http://www.summitracing.com.
• Many towns have a cherished hardware store, and in Tallmadge it’s the century-old Henry Bierce Co. at 50 Southeast Ave. At http://www.henrybierce.com you can take a virtual tour of its hardware, hardscape, tool rental and masonry departments. Better yet, stop by and browse its indoor and outdoor displays. They love catering to homeowners. Just don’t go on Sunday. They’re open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
• For decades, folks have turned to the Family History Center for help in researching their family trees. The center is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at their chapel in Tallmadge, 106 E. Howe Road. The center is equipped with computers and microfilm and microfiche readers, enabling patrons to look through surname books; cemetery, military and census records; county records; obituaries; old telephone directories and collections dedicated to African-American, Jewish and Native American cultures. To find the door to the center, drive to the far east side of the building near the ramp and look for the sign. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday; closed holidays. Call 330-630-3365 during open hours to ask for more information.
• A local developer rescued some vacant circle properties and put together a dining complex at 10 Tallmadge Circle. The businesses were later sold to a Cleveland restaurant group, but still attract many patrons to its sports bar Firehouse Grille and Pub, the Italian eatery Danny Boys, and an adjacent banquet hall called The Venue. Find hours and menus at http://thefirehousegrilleandpub.com/tallmadge, http://dannyboyspizza.com and http://www.thevenuebanquets.com.
• Tallmadge is home to the Summit County Fairgrounds, located at 229 E. Howe Road. The fair this year runs July 26-31, but the grounds hosts other events year-round, including NEO Roller Derby, horse shows, dog shows, gun and knife shows and motorcycle swap meets. Visit http://www.summitfair.com for the schedule.
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/paulaschleis.