Mentor, OH

Mentor, Ohio, is a suburban city located about 20 miles northeast of Cleveland along the south shore of Lake Erie. With a population of around 50,000, Mentor serves as a primary retail hot-spot in the Greater Cleveland area. Home of the Great Lakes Mall and numerous other smaller shopping areas, Mentor is an attractive shopping destination due in part to the fact that the sales tax is lower in Lake County than it is in nearby Cleveland. Mentor is a unique community, with industry, commerce, and residential sectors.

Mentor gets around 35 inches of rain and 27 inches of snow each year. More than 130 days a year in Mentor have measurable precipitation, and like most other Midwestern cities, Mentor sees an average of 161 days of sun per year. The high temperatures in July are in the low 80s, and in January temperatures dip to an average low in the low 20s.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

The residential community of Mentor is quite diverse, offering everything from urban-like condominium living to small ranch homes to large houses along the lakefront. However, many of the neighborhoods are considered to be of high cost not only to the state of Ohio but to the entire country as well.

• City Center is a downtown neighborhood. Both owners and renters live in this neighborhood in a mix of college students, young singles, and seniors. This part of town is one of the few walkable areas in Mentor.
• Lake Shore Boulevard/Heisley Road is a desirable suburban neighborhood. This neighborhood has many lakefront properties. It is an upper-middle-income community, consisting mostly of families with children.
• Brentwood is home to The Great Lakes Mall. This suburban area is a mix of owners and renters, many of whom are in executive and managerial positions.
• Lakeland Freeway/Reynolds Road is a beautiful neighborhood, not too far from the water. The majority of residents in the Lakeland Freeway/Reynolds Road urban area are homeowners.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Mentor has a stable and diverse economy. Mentor's manufacturing base continues to grow, producing medical related, polymers, plastics, electrical boards and other peripherals that service the computer and automation industries. Mentor also ranks 6th in the state in volume of retail sales, as it is the major shopping region of northeastern Ohio.

While manufacturing and retail trade are the primary industries, other sectors also contribute to the local economy. Accommodation and food services; health care and social assistance; and wholesale trade all employ a large percentage of the population. The unemployment rate in Mentor is 8.9 percent, on par with the national average.

Top Mentor employers include Lake Hospital System, Avery Dennison, Mentor Schools, and Steris Corp.

EDUCATION

Mentor Public Schools is one of the larger school districts in Ohio. After suffering a financial crisis, like many Ohio schools, in 2000 the district passed a critical levy that helped the school system get back on its feet. With ten elementary schools, three junior high schools, and one high school, the school system received an "excellent" rating from the Ohio Board of Education for the 2006-2007 school year. Mentor also has four private schools, including Lake Catholic High School and Mentor Heritage Christian Academy, which enrolls children from kindergarten through 12th grade.

FOR VISITORS

Due to Mentor's location on Lake Erie, residents and visitors don't have to travel far to enjoy many different recreational opportunities. The city has more than 1,200 acres of green space that are occupied by more than 30 public parks and facilities. Among the activities the parks offer are an endless number of hiking trails, biking trails, picnic areas, a dog park, an outdoor pool, a softball/baseball diamond, and numerous playgrounds.

Other highlights in Mentor include:

• The James A. Garfield National Historic Site: The historic home of the 20th president of the United States. This stately home was purchased by Garfield in 1876 to accommodate his large family. Regularly scheduled house tours are available to the public, and there is also a variety of educational programs available for the whole family.
• Headlands Beach State Park: The largest natural sand beach in the state, standing at one mile long. Swimming, picnicking, hiking trails, and fishing are the main attractions at this state park. Within the park are two nature preserves: Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve (located at the east end of the park) and Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve (on the south side of the park).
• Holden Arboretum: As the largest arboretum in the United States, Holden covers more than 3,500 acres and 20 miles of hiking trails. With more than 100,000 plants displayed in themed areas, the arboretum welcomes hikers, bird watchers, gardeners, and nature enthusiasts.
• The Western Reserve Model Railroad Museum: The largest of its kind in the United States, the museum is dedicated to educating families about model railroading and the history of the rail system in the United States. The museum, opened in 2004, this is free of charge.

GETTING AROUND

Mentor has no public transportation system, so more than 90 percent of its residents use their own cars to get to and from work each day. The average commute in Mentor is about 25 minutes each way.

Cuyahoga County Airport is the closest airport to Mentor. It is about 12 miles away.