Dayton Favorites

Favorite thing: My evening in Dayton was spent at ekoostik hookah's acoustic show at the Canal Street Tavern. If you're into jambands, then this is the place to drop into. Canal St. provides the perfect atmosphere for an unplugged evening. It also gives the band a chance to interact more with the audience. I had such a great time at this show! I got a chance to speak with one of the drummers and come to find out, we have a lot in common (drum corps rules!).
But back to the city itself; it's really clean and easy to get around. If I didn't get lost, then no one should.=0)

Favorite thing: "How does it compare in the outdoor recreation department?"
Honestly, it depends what you're comparing it to. I lived with a roommate from New Hampshire, and it's nothing like New England, Colorado, or California. She thought it was terrible that she couldn't climb a mountain. There aren't mountains and there isn't an ocean...it's the midwest! There ARE lots of lakes nearby, where you can boat, waterski, fish, and swim. They're lots of fun if you have a boat, and if not you can rent one. You can canoe or kayak in most of the area's rivers and lakes as well. You're within 2-5 hours of actual mountains and good rock climbing...the further you drive, the bigger the mountains get! There are tons of local parks where you can walk or hike, there are mountain bike trails, and there are indoor rock climbing places as well. In the summer, there are outdoor festivals every weekend. Dayton has a good network of long bike trails too. Additionally, those country roads outside of the city make for a great place to take long road bike rides on the weekends. There are several groups to meet up with to get started. There are also numerous adult-league sports both indoor and outdoor, year-round.

"How long of a drive to Lake Eerie(sic)?"
Parts of Lake Erie are 3+ hours away from Dayton. Other parts are much further east, and take longer to drive to. Almost the entire northern border of Ohio is Lake Erie.

"Are there any nice historical neighborhoods with good schools?"
Oakwood is both historical and has VERY good schools. Most of Dayton's historic neighborhoods are part of Dayton Public Schools, which generally are not "good". There are very good private schools within the city though, mostly Catholic. I lived in the Oregon District and absolutely loved it, but I wouldn't have lived there if I had children, because of Dayton Public and the yards being small. Oakwood is near University of Dayton and pretty close to several hospitals. It's very nice.

"Medical Centers?"
There is a Children's Hospital in Dayton, Miami Valley Hospital is very large, and there are several other hospitals as well, including in the suburbs. I think there's even a large group of practices called Dayton Medical Center. North of Dayton is Upper Valley Medical Center...it's a beautiful new facility in Troy.
Speaking of which, the suburbs of Troy, Tipp City, and Vandalia have good school systems and Troy and Tipp are less of a suburb and more of a small town/small city feel. They have numerous historic homes and also a traditional downtown Main Street. Those 3 are all north on I-75. South or east of the city are the more sprawling suburbs like Centerville and Beavercreek.

I liked growing up there enough that I moved back in my twenties. You'll like it as long as you keep a positive attitude and focus more on what it DOES have than on what it DOES NOT have. That was my roommate's problem, and I learned a lot from listening to her whine about the place!

For a city of its size, it has a lot of museums and historic markers. There is the USAF Museum (free), the Dayton Art Institute (free except for special exhibits), Boonshoft Museum of Discovery (natural history), and various parks centered around local history (Wright Brothers, NCR, etc.).

Fondest memory: Nights (and days) spent in the Oregon District! Fifth Street gets closed off for certain holidays. Halloween especially stands out in my mind. Costumed revelers walk the streets, listening to live bands, drinking, eating, watching freak shows, and admiring others' costumes.

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Favorite thing: J. Seward Johnson has created a set of sculptures that capture daily American life in an honest, candid way that few artists can do. These are so realistic that, at a glance, they seem to be real. They certainly liven up the downtown sidewalks.

Fondest memory: If you walk around downtown, you'll see these.

Favorite thing: In 2003, but especially the month of July, celebrations and events marking the 100th year of powered flight took place in and around Dayton, Ohio.
Wilbur and Orville Wright dreamt and developed their Wright B Flyer in Dayton, with their crowning achievement occurring on North Carolina's Outer Banks on Dec. 17, 1903.
The Wright brothers grew up in Dayton and operated their bicycle shop and printing press on Third Street.
In commemoration of the Wrights' centennial, the 2003 Dayton International Air Show was a four-day affair (July 17-20). It included the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels, the USAF's Thunderbirds and Canada's Snowbirds flying teams.
Also numerous historical sites, such as their home, bicycle shop and testing areas were either updated or created in the area to help tourists get a feel of the brothers' work.

www.airshowdayton.com

Fondest memory: Fireworks along the RiverWalk on the 4th of July is one of the more fun events.

Favorite thing: Spend a day touring the Wright Patterson Air Force Museum and learn more than yoou can imagine about the history of aviation. Very interesting stuff, but it can be tough on your feet if you're wearing the wrog shoes.