Massillon

At the heart of Massillon, known as the City of Champions, is a commercial and residential hub with a warm hometown feel. Mom-and-pop shops and family-owned restaurants line the streets of the historic downtown, just steps from residents' front doors. The community is filled with pride for its local high school football team, the Massillon Tigers, as they celebrate with murals of the mascot splashed across building fronts throughout the neighborhood. The school spirit is a testimony to the city’s tightly knit community. “The city-wide support has only gotten bigger, and it blankets over everything,” says Amanda Hummel, librarian at Massillon Public Library and lifelong resident of the city. Shaded sidewalks line the landscape. Some lawns are sprawling and neatly trimmed with paved walkways leading to the sidewalk, while others are more compact and dotted with shrubbery. Brick colonials, Colonial Revivals, Four Squares, bungalows and ranch-style homes are common. With all the architectural variety, one thing is consistent— the vast majority of homes are historic, with most built before 1920. Homes in need of renovation range from $30,000 to $60,000, while turn-key homes fetch a $70,000 to $200,000 price tag. The Massillon City School District serves the residents of Massillon. Students can attend Whittier Elementary School, Massillon Intermediate and Junior High School and Washington High School, all of which received a B-minus from Niche. Local pride for the Massillon Tigers, Washington High’s mascot, is written across the neighborhood. The school spirit can be traced back to the rivalry between the Massillon Tigers and the McKinley Bulldogs that started in 1894. It has grown into a defining part of the city. “Massillon is absolutely a football town. Here, the Massillon-McKinley game is bigger than any professional football,” says the manager of Liebermann’s and Beyond Bakery, Brian Bixler, whose sister Jen Bixler recently bought the business. The week leading up to their annual showdown is a city-wide show of support that culminates in the Beat McKinley Parade, complete with a bonfire in front of the Massillon Recreation Center. The team is a defending state champion. Family-owned restaurants and unique mom-and-pop shops cluster along Lincoln Way East, the neighborhood's main street. Kozmo’s Grille serves elevated pub grub in a 150-year-old historic building with warm, vintage charm. Hummel mentions that this local gathering spot features an annual Mother’s Day Grande Buffet. Liebermann’s and Beyond Bakery is a historic downtown spot known for its fresh doughnuts and pastries, as well as Tigers-themed cookies during football. “We handmake all of our dough,” says Brian. “Everything is made from scratch.” For groceries, Marc's Stores is located just north of the neighborhood on Amherst Road Northeast. There’s also a Target about a mile east. Kiwanis Park has several walking trails, a basketball court and a playground with a climbing structure. The park is a popular event space, with a covered picnic area that can seat over 70 people and an enclosed pavilion that seats about 90. Hummel mentioned that residents of Massillon also explore nearby Stark Parks, which manages over 6,800 acres of land webbed with nature trails. Downtown also features the Massillon Recreation Center, which has a gym and an indoor pool with water slides open year-round. For a night out at the movies, the Regal Massillon is located on Cherry Road Northwest. The Massillon Museum is home to the Paul Brown Exhibit, dedicated to the former Tigers coach and founder of the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. This display of football history is only 8 miles west of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The city has an annual holiday parade that goes through the streets of Massillon, ending at Duncan Plaza, where Santa Claus lights up the Christmas trees. After the trees are lit, people can enjoy caroling or one of the other activities put on by local businesses. First Commonwealth Bank has previously sponsored free carriage rides around town. Massillon also features a summer concert series showcasing local musicians at the Duncan Plaza Amphitheater. In addition to having an array of books and a children’s room, the Massillon Public Library also hosts frequent events. This includes meetings of “Not Your Ordinary Book Club,” where readers pick their own book relating to a monthly theme. Massillon sits at the crossroads of major thoroughfares. Lincoln Way East bisects the neighborhood, running east to west and connecting the community with the neighboring town of Canton, while State Route 21 borders Massillon to the west. The Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) serves the residents of Massillon through several bus stops along Lincoln Way East, 3rd Street Southeast and Erie Street. SARTA also offers Proline ADA Paratransit. For longer-distance travel, the Akron-Canton Airport is about 11 miles northeast.

Suburban-style homes and nearly-rural open spaces sandwich between commerce and industry in Southeast Massillon, a neighborhood adjacent to the town’s core and west of Canton, Ohio. But it’s not all work and home life. Golf courses, ballparks, and access to a renowned trail combine with a deeper-than-typical connection to football to define the neighborhood of about 1,110 homes. Homes are clustered in the center half, ranging from properties of about a quarter acre to more than a full acre. New traditional homes with colonial influences and older, updated ranch-style homes dot broad streets with narrow sidewalks, especially west of Richville Drive Southwest. In areas with larger lots, though, sidewalks are not as common. Most homes sell for $100,000 to $300,000, whereas homes constructed in 2010 or later range from $300,000 to $550,000. Lowe’s Home Improvement, Menards, Wal-mart Supercenter, Aldi, Starbucks and a variety of national chain fast-food restaurants operate around the cloverleaf confluence of U.S. highways 30 and 62 and Ohio Route 21 in the southwest corner of the neighborhood. It’s about a 7-mile drive from the farthest portion of the neighborhood. Not far away, on Erie Street South is Erie Street Pub, a popular sports tavern serving traditional pub grub. Just outside Southeast Massillon, about 1 mile north of the neighborhood, is Cameo Grille, serving burgers and classic American fare for more than 70 years. The Massillon City School District serves the neighborhood. Students can attend Franklin Elementary School, Massillon Intermediate School, Massillon Junior High and Washington High School, all of which received a B-minus from Niche. The Washington High football team’s influence and the legacy of its more-than-century-old rivalry with nearby McKinley High goes beyond the gridiron and the high schools. “People are super passionate about the football team,” says Tyler Kuhns, a Realtor with Stewardship Realty, LLC, who grew up 20 miles from the neighborhood. Located on Warmington Road Southwest is John Glenn Grove Park, which includes a trailhead for Congressman Ralph Regula Towpath Trail, a 110-mile-long Ohio & Erie Canal path popular with hikers and cyclists. Two miles northeast is Arthur Genshaft Memorial Park, which features recently updated ballparks reserved for softball leagues. The park also has a concession stand and pavilion. The Legends of Massillon, a 27-hole resort-style golf course and clubhouse, is also home to an indoor and outdoor event venue for weddings and parties. Public access to the golf course is available but limited. Downtown Massillon, just north of the neighborhood, hosts the Paul Brown Museum, which honors the former Washington High coach who went on to a Pro Football Hall of Fame career coaching the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. Located on Lincoln Way East, the Massillon Museum features several art exhibits while providing interactive and educational events all year. Nearby, the Massillon Public Library has regular book recommendations and a full calendar of programs for residents to enjoy. The Stark Area Regional Transit Authority has one fixed route that takes passengers from the neighborhood into the city and offers Proline ADA Paratransit, a more accessible public transit for those unable to use the fixed routes. Residents can take U.S. Route 62 to get into the city or hop on U.S. Route 30 for 10 miles to reach Canton. For longer-distance travel, the Akron-Canton Airport is about 14 miles north.

Bordering downtown Massillon is Sippo Heights, a neighborhood filled with 20th century homes. Locals get their essentials at Meadows Plaza but go into the city to explore more retail, dining and entertainment options. Sippo Creek runs through three parks where people can walk through nature or play with their dogs. Students in the area attend Massillon City Schools, home to the Massillon Tigers. This Washington High School football team won the 2023 Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II State Championship game, solidifying them as the pride of the neighborhood. Houses in Sippo Heights come in an array of styles and ages. Early 20th-century bungalows, ranch styles and Foursquares sit on grassy lawns. The narrow roads by these older homes are lined with sidewalks. Closer to Furnas Park are new traditional and split-levels with colonial influences built in the mid-to-late 1900s that feature more decorative landscaping. Prices for three bedrooms fall between $150,000 and $300,000. Sippo Heights is home to Meadows Plaza, a shopping mall with various stores and restaurants. “It’s really close to all the shopping you need,” Robinson says. Residents can get groceries at Giant Eagle or Aldi and other essentials at Target and Home Depot, which sit at the bottom of the neighborhood and are within 2 miles of most homes. Among the chain restaurants in the plaza is Agavero Bar and Grill, a locally owned Mexican restaurant. People also cross State Route 241 to explore the retail and dining in downtown Massillon, such as Chloe’s Diner. Residents can drive the 1 mile into Massillon for countless events throughout the year. The annual Bulldog and Tigers showdown is celebrated with the Beat McKinley parade, and a holiday parade accompanies a Christmas tree lighting ceremony every year. Duncan Plaza hosts the Summer Concert Series, a series of weekly live shows every summer. Reservoir Park has a playground and a walking path along Sippo Creek. The creek goes down to South Sippo Park, which has basketball courts and another play structure for kids to explore. Dogs are welcome on any of the five short walking trails with their owners, or they can run around at Furnas Park, which has two off-leash dog parks that separate large and small dogs. Just 1 mile above the neighborhood is the Spring Hill Historic Home, built in 1821. This landmark served as a station on the Underground Railroad for several decades. Today, people can tour the home and learn about its extensive history. Canton, home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is about 7 miles from Sippo Heights. The Canton Cultural Center, home to the Canton Museum of Art, is also in the city. The Massillon Museum is 2 miles away and features the Paul Brown Exhibit, which highlights the life of former Tigers coach and co-founder of the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. Part of the Massillon City School District, students can start their education at Whittier Elementary School. Here they can attend kindergarten through third grade before heading to fourth through sixth grade at Massillon Intermediate School. Massillon Junior High teaches seventh and eighth grade, and students go on to earn their diplomas from Washington High School (WHS). All four of these schools are rated B-minus by Niche. WHS is home to the Massillon Tigers, who just won the state championship. “It’s the first win since 1970,” says Aaron Robinson, Realtor with Keller Williams Legacy Group Realty and lifetime resident of Massillon. “Everybody is crazy about that.” This win adds more weight to Massillon’s nickname, “The City of Champions.” Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) has a route that runs through the neighborhood and allows residents who need extra assistance to schedule direct rides through the Proline ADA Paratransit. State Routes 172 and 241 run alongside the community and will eventually feed into Interstate 77, which allows drivers to access Cleveland and other central Ohio cities. The Akron-Canton Airport is about 11 miles north of the neighborhood, flies into popular US destinations, and connects to international flights.

Sitting at the confluence of West Sippo Creek and the Tuscarawas River is West Massillon, a neighborhood directly west of downtown Massillon. New Englanders first settled in Massillon in the early 1800s for the region’s proximity to the waters and easy transport. Today, the area retains the same generational homes built from the previous century but has also developed into “an established and accessible neighborhood,” says Stephanie Sayles, a local Stark County real estate agent with Whipple Auction & Realty Inc. life in West Massillon offers proximity to downtown without the accompanying hubbub, as residents here enjoy a sparse, suburban landscape. Laid out in a grid, the residential area stretches from the Tuscarawas River in the east to 17th Street Northwest to the west. West Massillon homes sit atop lawns speckled with mature trees, providing shade to many front yards. Most homes were built between the 1870s and the 1920s with ranch-style, Colonial Revival and four-square architecture. The median lot size is around an eighth of an acre, smaller than those in adjacent neighborhoods to the west. Prices range from $60,000 to $170,000, with homes built after 1950 falling on the higher end of the spectrum. The Massillon City School District serves the residents of West Massillon. Students can begin their education at Gorrell Elementary, graded a C-plus by Niche. They can finish their education at Massillon Intermediate School, Massillon Junior High School, and Washington High School, both of which received B-minus grades on Niche. Washington High, home to the Massillon Tigers, has a rigorous athletics program. Local private academies include Massillon Christian School and St. Mary Elementary. To the east of the community is Oak Knoll Park, which hosts a playground, covered pavilion, open playing fields and walking trails. The kids' pool and splash pads are open during summer. Lincoln Park offers an 18-basket disc golf course and a playground within a wooded nature preserve. Wampler and Lawndale Park offer outdoor amenities such as basketball, baseball and tennis courts, while the Massillon Recreation Center features indoor amenities such as a fitness center, swimming pool and a running track. Located off State Route 172 is Top of the Viaduct Restaurant & Catering, serving classic American fare in a warm, homey atmosphere. For a night out, Old Timers Bar & Griddle serves happy hour pub grub with a laid-back hometown bar feel. Just east of the neighborhood across State Route 21 is the Towne Plaza Shopping Center, which has Save A Lot for discounted groceries, a Walgreens Pharmacy and a few local restaurants. Buehler's Fresh Food is another grocery store that is located at the Mayflower Plaza Shopping Center, 1 mile west of the community. The Home Depot is about 3 miles east of West Massillon, providing tools, appliances, and gardening supplies. “Massillon is a wonderful historic district,” says Cindy, a librarian at Massillon Public Library for over 13 years. “The city does many fun and free events for the public; the town is very community-oriented, and locals support each other.” Annual community festivals include Fun Fest and Massillon Museum Island Party, where local vendors set up booths and offer food and fun activities for residents. The Summer Concert Series takes place in Duncan Plaza, where music fills the air from June to August. “Another big thing is football,” adds Cindy. “People throw rallies and tailgating parties to support the Massillon Tigers, which is the local high school football team.” The SARTA bus provides transport throughout Stark County. People can find bus stops around the neighborhood to access Massillon’s city center and northern regions like Canton. State Routes 21 and 172 border West Massillon, providing driving routes to northeast Ohio. The closest airport is Akron-Canton Airport, about 12 miles north via State Route 241. Commuters can expect a 55-mile drive north on Interstate 77 to access Cleveland.