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I recently received an email from a reader who advised me that he was thinking of retiring to Ohio from California. He was particularly interested in small towns around Cleveland, and liked the article I wrote several months ago about Chagrin Falls. I told my wife he really ought to be looking here in Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley. I know numerous folks who have retired here, and have described the area as the nation’s best kept secret. While the press has dwelled on our industrial past and colorful mob history, today’s Mahoning Valley is a great place to live, with more to offer than cities like Columbus. As my mother-in-law says, we are never bored. So, to my reader, below is a letter I wrote to Southern Living Magazine after a derogatory comment was made about my hometown in one of its articles. Come to Youngstown. I will show you around. You will want to stay.
_____________________________
MARK G. MANGIEAttorney at Law
945 Windham Court, Suite 3
Youngstown, Ohio 44512
Phone: 330-726-1444
Fax: 330-726-5926
E-mail: Mangielaw@AOL.com
November 1, 2007
Editor
Southern Living Magazine
2100 Lakeshore Drive
Birmingham, AL 35209
RE: Youngstown/Warren, OhioDear Editor:
For some reason known only to your magazine and the author of a fishing article, your magazine described Youngstown, Ohio as a “black hole”. As a long time subscriber to your magazine and purchaser of many of your books, I think you should investigate this northern bit of paradise before passing judgment. I invite you, or any of your editors, to come here and see what this area has to offer. It is a beautiful area in which to live. Our orientation is more eastern than Midwestern. We are hardworking and self reliant. Below is a perfunctory list of this area’s highlights.
1) The Youngstown-Warren area boasts two symphony orchestras.
The Youngstown Symphony Orchestra is one of the few orchestras which own its own performance hall, a spectacular former movie palace built by the Warner Brothers in honor of one of the deceased brothers. The Warner Brothers were from this area. In addition, there are numerous community choruses, including
Seraphim, the Stambaugh Chorus, and the Reardon Singers. The
Youngstown Opera Guild mounts a full opera production every year.
The Ballet Western Reserve also offers several performances throughout the year. This past year, the Seraphim Chorus combined with
Westminster College Chorus, the Stambaugh Chorus, and the
Warren Symphony Orchestra for a rare and outstanding performance of the Verdi Requiem.
2)
The Butler Institute of American Art is the first art museum in the United States dedicated solely to the American art. It is world renowned and loans many of its pieces of art to museums all over the world, including the popular “Crack the Whip”. Its recent million dollar purchase of Norman Rockwell’s “Lincoln, the Rail Splitter” is just one more addition to its world class collection.
3)
Youngstown State University boasts 12,000 students, and has won numerous academic excellence awards for achievement in undergraduate education. The Business School holds the nation’s highest accreditations. Dana School of Music is among the oldest and most honored music schools in the country. Its Engineering School is rapidly regaining the national prominence it enjoyed in the steel mill glory days.
4) Youngstown State’s football team is continually nationally ranked in the Division 1-AA rankings, and has won numerous national championships. Its immediate past coach is now the head coach of the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes. In addition, high school football reigns supreme on Friday nights as the area has fielded numerous state championship teams from schools like
Cardinal Mooney and
Ursuline High Schools, who have also produced numerous college athletes and professional football coaches.
5) Legitimate and amateur theater is rampant in the area, including
The Oakland Theater for the Performing Arts,
The Victorian Players,
TNT Theater in Trumbull County, community theaters in New Castle and Salem, as well as the professional locally based troupe,
Easy Street Productions. Easy Street has the capability of presenting performances that rival anything, anywhere. Its production of
Annie is better than the one I saw in New York. It is renowned for its multi-year run of
Pump Boys and Dinettes.
6) Youngstown boasts three primary performance venues for the arts and other events: The recently expanded
Youngstown Symphony Center with 2 auditoriums and a pavilion, the
Stambaugh Auditorium, a Greek revival architectural gem; and the new
Youngstown Chevrolet Center, a 5,700 seat venue and convention center. In addition,
The Youngstown Playhouse and
Oakland Theater maintain their own individual performance venues.
7)
Mill Creek Metro Park is one of the largest metropolitan parks in the United States consisting of 2700 acres, and is the first municipal park in Ohio. It boasts three lakes, a beautiful 36 hole golf course, an 18 hole short hole golf course, a brand new nature and garden center located in
Fellows Gardens, which can hold its own with any public garden in the country, and numerous recreation venues, wetlands, and wildlife preserves. In addition to miles of hiking and bike trails,
Lanterman Falls Mill is a working grist mill and a centerpiece of the park.
8) Canfield, Ohio, Youngstown’s southwest suburb, was recently named one of the top 100 places to live in the United States. It hosts the
Canfield Fair, which is the largest fair in Ohio. Poland, Ohio, Youngstown’s southeast suburb, the cornerstone of the Connecticut Western Reserve, is New England personified, and has been used for location shooting in various movie and television productions. Poland also is becoming a bedroom community for Pittsburgh as Allegheny County residents look for more affordable housing.
9) Youngstown’s location places it 60 miles from Pittsburgh and 60 miles from Cleveland. Those of us who live here are within an hour’s drive of 2 professional football teams, 2 professional baseball teams; a professional basketball team and a professional hockey team. It also opens up all of the cultural, dining, and retail opportunities in both cities. I live in Canfield. From my driveway to downtown Pittsburgh is 55 minutes on a bad day. We are also located 10 miles from the Western Pennsylvania rural Amish country in Mercer and Lawrence Counties, making for many beautiful, sunny fall afternoon excursions. Although Youngstown has its own regional airport, most service is offered either through Canton/Akron, 45 miles to the west, or through Pittsburgh International, 45 miles to the south. There is easy access to both.
10) Our cost of living is among the lowest in the nation. Come here and see what kind of a house your money can buy.
11) While our weather tends to be on the damp side, our location puts us too far south for the lake-effect snows, and too far north for the southern storms. Our location is just south of the snow-belt off of Lake Erie. Chagrin Falls?? Right in the center of the snow-belt. We are the garden spot of Ohio.
12) Numerous golf magazines continually rank us as one of the top areas in the United States for the number and quality of golf courses, both public and private. All of these are top notch, with reasonable greens fees. In addition, both
Youngstown Country Club and
Tippecanoe Country Club offer outstanding private courses and facilities.
13) Our rich ethnic heritage makes this a center for a diversity of cultures, food, and festivals, including Italian, Greek, Jewish, German, Russian, Eastern European, African American and growing Hispanic community.
14) There are many architectural treasures located here. The configuration of the Central Square has been nationally recognized. The Metropolitan Tower is a recognized art deco masterpiece, along with other art deco buildings such as the WFMJ building, the Youngstown Police Department, and the Youngstown Vindicator building. The County Courthouse has been recently renovated and is recognized as the finest in the state with massive murals depicting the history of the county throughout the entire building. Multi styled churches grace the entire area from the gothic St. Patrick’s Church to the strikingly modern St. Columba’s Cathedral, and everything in-between from Onion Domed Orthodox Churches to the St. James Meeting House, the first Episcopal church west of the Allegheny Mountains.
15) Last, but not least, no matter what happens in the United States, there is ALWAYS a Youngstown connection. From professional athletes, to major university football coaches, to actors, to politicians, to businessmen, to musicians and health care, those that hail from the Mahoning Valley are quick to rise to the top of their chosen professions. This is due to the large talent pool, perseverance, hard work and dedication of those who our former Congressman called “junk yard dogs.” Above all, we are survivors.
Escape the southern heat and humidity this summer and come and visit us. Bring your golf clubs, and your passion for the arts and history. It will be the most interesting black hole you will ever visit.
Thank you for your consideration.
Very truly yours,
Mark G. Mangie
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