Toledo, Ohio - A Great Place To Be! That Toledo is a great place to be is something its residents have known for a long time. However, fDi Magazine recently confirmed it by naming Toledo a "City of the Future" and the "Most Business Friendly City". Later, the new 2007 edition of Places Rated Almanac ranked Toledo 81st most livable in the United States among 379 metro areas.   Geography and Climate Toledo is located in Northwest Ohio. The City covers about 88 square miles and borders Lake Erie to the East and the State of Michigan to the North.   The City has convenient access to three of the country's most traveled interstates: I-80, I-90, and I-75. In fact, its location has allowed it to have one of the most active rail hubs in the United States and made it a center for the trucking industry.   Toledo, like many other cities in the Great Lakes region, experiences a continental climate, characterized by four distinct seasons with significant variations in temperature and precipitation between them. The warmest month of the year is July, when high temperatures average 87°F (30°C) and overnight low temperatures average 68°F (20°C). January is the coldest month, when high temperatures average 33°F (1°C) and low temperatures average 22°F (-5°C).    Transportation  Toledo Express Airport offers commercial convenience and affordability and is the 15th busiest cargo airport in the nation. The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority provides cargo facilities for ships using the Port of Toledo at the mouth of the Maumee River, which has been recognized as one of the Great Lakes' most diversified international cargo facilities. The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority provides mass transit bus service to the city and surrounding areas. Spanning the Maumee River is the $250 million  Veterans' Glass City Skyway - the most expensive project in the history of the Ohio Department of Development. After its completion Toledo's already impressive skyline ranked among the most beautiful in the Midwest.   *** Click here to download Downtown Parking Information   Development   Toledo is a city undergoing a renaissance. It is enough to mention just a few ongoing projects to understand why Toledo’s future is optimistic. Nearby the Veterans' Glass City Skyway, on the East bank of the Maumee river, is the Marina District. This $250 million development will feature a River Walk, market-rate housing, greenspace, retail, restaurants, a marina and a marine passenger terminal plus a visitor center and an ice-house. General Motors Corp. recently announced it will invest $332 million in the Toledo factory on Alexis Road to add production of more fuel-efficient front-wheel-drive transmissions. The plant was the nation's No. 1 productive powertrain factory two years ago and No. 2 last year in Harbour Consulting's widely respected industry report.  Currently 45 new schools are being built in the city of Toledo. Each of these technology-rich buildings will be a state of the art facility. All these projects, combined with other initiatives undertaken by the city, total approximately $6.5 billion of investment in the community.   Arts & Culture Many cultural and recreational opportunities are available in the City of Toledo and Lucas County.  The Toledo Museum of Art  is a privately endowed, nonprofit institution noted for the quality of its permanent collection and art education programs, as well as for its display of traveling exhibits.  In 2001, the Museum of Art celebrated its 100th anniversary, completed a major renovation and restoration of its existing facilities and dedicated a new sculpture garden. The Toledo Art Museum is  home to the nationally recognized Glass Pavilion. This amazing structure houses a priceless collection of glass art, which stunned the country with its beauty. The Toledo Symphony , the Toledo Ballet and the  Toledo Opera provide a variety of musical, dance and theatrical productions annualy. The Columbus, Ohio-based  Center of Science and Industry (COSI) operates a science museum in Downtown Toledo along the Maumee River. COSI is a dynamic center of hands-on science, learning and fun, and features both permanent and traveling exhibits. Library services throughout the County are provided by the  Toledo-Lucas County Public Library. It is the 8th best library system in the country, which has the third largest public library collection in the State with over 2.3 million books and annual circulation of over 6 million. The  Toledo Zoo, located within the City and owned and operated by the Toledo Zoological Society is nationally recognized as one of the most comprehensive zoological institutions in the nation.  The most ambitious project in the Toledo Zoo's history—Africa!—opened to the public on May 1, 2004. Toledo owns and operates 144 parks covering 2,367 acres. In addition, the  Metroparks Toledo Area  preserves 8,000 acres of natural, historic and cultural parklands in Lucas County. Eleven scenic parks and two recreational trails provide access and interpretation in northwest Ohio’s premier natural areas. Sailing, boating and fishing are common activities on Lake Erie and the Maumee River, which flows through the City. Education The   Toledo Public Schools  is the principal school system within Toledo, and the 4th largest school system in the State. The  University of Toledo is the third largest university in the State of Ohio. It offers a diverse curriculum from bachelors through doctorate degrees. A variety of other institutions in the area also offer great educational opportunities - Bowling Green State University,  Owens Community College, Lourdes College,  Mercy College,  Davies College, Stautzenberger College.     Sports Toledo is the home of the  Toledo Mud Hens, a Class AAA professional baseball team whose parent club is the Detroit Tigers. On April 9, 2002 a new 10,000-seat baseball stadium, owned by Lucas County opened for the Mud Hens in the Toledo Warehouse District. The Toledo Mud Hens won the Governor's Cup Championship two years in a row in 2005 and 2006. Source: http://www.ci.toledo.oh.us/index.cfm?Article=691&SecName=321