Loco for Local

I live in a small town with lots of small towns nearby. The closest town—Kent—has many little boutique-style specialty shops. Red Letter Days (stationery, greeting cards, paper, vintage posters, socks with cheeky sayings, and more)—Popped (Ohio grown popcorn and other confectionaries)—Last Exit Books (an independent used bookstore)—McKay Bricker Framing (the only place to go to have something framed…but also beautiful jewelry, cards, glassware, and gifts)—Off the Wagon (toys, games, and quirky gifts)—and many others.

Added to the shops are some of my favorite restaurants. Taco Tonto’s! Ray’s Place! Laziza Mediterranean Restaurant! Franklin Square Deli! Wild Goats!

When I want to go a little farther afield, I drive down the road to Hudson (many fantastic shops and restaurants)—or take the highway into Akron or Cleveland for more of the same.

The possibilities in Northeast Ohio are endless, and that includes the music scene, too. After all, this is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame—The Black Keys got their start in Akron—Joe Walsh from The Eagles went to Kent State University—Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders is originally from Akron—singer-songwriter/musician Marc Cohen was born in Shaker Heights in Cleveland. They are a fraction of the musicians from this part of the world (with many musicians coming to town to perform at the legendary Kent Stage!).

Yes, I order from Amazon when I need to amp up my social distancing because of the Pandemic. Yes, I go to big-box stores or grocery chains for the same reason.

But I am loco for local and try to spend my money close to home and at small, independent shops that are owned and operated by people I know, respect, and want to support. I want those stores and restaurants and music venues to succeed—I want them to continue to make this region a good place to live and work. I want to walk through the door of any number of places and have the person who greets me be a friend I have known for years.

I am…Loco for Local!