Cuyahoga Valley: Willow

+ Willow

Willow is the place where the Mill Creek and West Creek Valleys reach the Cuyahoga River. Once a station on the Valley Railway, today it is a junction of roads entering the Valley and a place where the Valley widens out again.

It is in this place that Cleveland, Garfield Heights, Cuyahoga Heights, Valley View, Brooklyn Heights and Independence come together; it is their common ground.

Bracketed by the natural wonders of the River Valley to the north, the shale cliffs of Garfield Heights, the hillsides west of the River, and connected to the region and the nation by the intersection of I-77 and I-480, this node has the potential to be a world class example of place making which balances exceptional natural features and high-tech commerce.

		The Cuyahoga Valley is a complex and diverse landscape. It encompasses very distinct places: a national park, one of the nation's "edge cities", a major concentration of industrial production, a popular entertainment district, an international port, vibrant neighborhoods, and other uses. Separating these distinctive natural and man-made features are transition points, or nodes, which warrant special attention. They help define the Valley's structure and are potential gateways to experience the Valley and promote a sense of place.