I moved from Florida to the Midwest. I was skeptical, but my new home has the perfect mix of city life and suburban charm.

I moved from Florida to Shaker Heights, Ohio.

Yelena Alpert

The first time my husband mentioned moving to Cleveland, I rolled my eyes. At the time, all I really knew about the city was that winters are beyond cold and last forever.Coming from Gainesville, Florida, the notion of not seeing the sun for months at a time was frightening. But over the years, it became clear that we missed the conveniences and culture of the major cities we had previously lived in — especially the historical architecture and walkability.So, four years ago, a job opportunity came along, and we decided to move to Shaker Heights, Ohio, a suburb 20 minutes from downtown Cleveland.Now that we've been here for four years, I've fallen in love with everything the Cleveland metro area has to offer.Living in the suburbs gives us the perfect balance of community and accessibility

I love that my kids are able to walk to school.

Yelena Alpert