Westerville, OH

Westerville, Ohio, made national news in 1998 when residents in the city's largely undeveloped north side of the city voted to allow liquor sales in stores and restaurants. Before that, Westerville had been a dry city since 1858.

That isn't to say that 1998 was the first time the laws had been contested. In the 1870s, Westerville was the site of the so-called Westerville Whiskey Wars, a passionate struggle between pro- and anti-temperance factions. When a local businessman opened an illegal saloon in 1875, locals blew it up. He tried again in 1879, only to have his second saloon meet with the same explosive fate.

By 1909, Westerville's reputation as a fierce stronghold of temperance was so powerful that the Anti-Saloon League moved its national headquarters there in 1909, gaining the city its nickname as a dry capital. These days, alcohol is sold in both the north side of the city as well as at select restaurants in the historic Uptown Westerville neighborhood.

This turbulent history and the city's checkerboard of available liquor sales hasn't hurt it any: In 2007, the city was 46th on Money magazine's list of the top 100 Best Places to Live. Almost 37,000 people call the city home.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Once mostly a bedroom community with business as an afterthought, Westerville has worked in the last few decades to add more light industry and business areas. Now, more than 2,700 area businesses employ more than 31,300 employees. The city's largest employers come from a variety of industries and include:

• Chase Bank (finance)
• Mount Carmel Saint Ann's, (health care)
• Westerville City Schools (education)
• Alliance Data Systems (information services)
• Affinion Corporation (information services)
• Otterbein College (education)

With a relatively high median household income, many Westervillians have disposable income to spend. The area is spotted with retail business - both chains and locally owned - and is situated between two of the region's most upscale malls: Easton Town Center and Polaris Fashion Place.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Westerville offers housing stock of all kinds, from older, small starter homes to large, new-build executive houses to historic homes in several architectural styles. Housing options vary by neighborhood:

• Uptown: Westerville's original city center, called "Uptown" by locals, is the city's home for historic residences. Uptown's main area, State Street, is jammed with locally owned shops, cafes and restaurants. Most of the State Street buildings are the town's original architecture.
• Harlem/Center Village: Westerville's huge northern section was the last part of the city to be developed and, therefore, has many of the city's newest housing developments. With Hoover Reservoir cutting the section in two, some developments even offer waterfront properties.
• Schrock Road/Spring Road: The area bounded by Schrock and Spring roads contains Highlands Park, a sports and aquatic campus, as well as large neighborhoods developed mostly in the '70s and '80s. The section opens up on Inniswood, the city's most beautiful park. The single-family homes tend to have at least three bedrooms, which makes the area a big draw for families.
• Central College: This southernmost section of the city is home to the older Little Turtle Country Club and the southern end of Hoover Dam. The area sports mostly single-family homes along with some apartment complexes, and homes tend to be on the smaller side, as the area is popular with young singles.

BEST BETS

• Benjamin Hanby House: One of many Westerville homes that served as stops on the Underground Railroad, the Hanby House was also home to composer Benjamin Hanby, probably best known for his Christmas song, "Up on the Housetop." The house is fully refurbished and open for tours.
• Anti-Saloon League Museum: Now on the site of Westerville's public library, the Anti-Saloon League historic headquarters is open for tours. The museum showcases the vast amount of materials the temperance movement created in its attempt to promote anti-alcohol legislation.

FOR VISITORS

Westerville's parks and recreation department won the gold medal for Excellence in Parks and Recreation Management for Class IV in 2001 and 2007 (winners must wait five years between applications). It's no surprise then that Westerville has some wonderful outdoor offerings:

• Blendon Woods: This 654-acre park features tree-lined ravines and the 118-acre Walden Waterfowl Refuge. Visitors can check out the miles of trails and use elevated observation shelters for bird watching.
• Hoover Reservoir: Westerville's version of Hoover Dam is a modest structure, but it is important as a Columbus water source. The dam area is open to boaters and fishing enthusiasts and also provides a practice place for the Westerville Crew rowing team and several sailing teams.
• Inniswood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve: This gorgeous, 123-acre park contains more than 2,000 plant species planted in several themed gardens. Visitors can tour woodland trails that are lined with wildflowers.
• Sharon Woods: This 762-acre park features miles of trails, a 14-acre lake, excellent bird watching and a reputation as a great place for spotting throngs of deer.

FUN FACTS

• Before it was incorporated, Westerville was connected to Columbus by a wood-plank toll road. The toll? Ten cents.
• The American Ceramic Society, a nonprofit professional organization founded in 1899, is headquartered in Westerville.