Brunswick, OH is a small town that is 30 minutes from Cleveland, OH. The population is around 35,000 people. Growing up in this small town (and I do not mean farm town), I have heard many things that people say about Brunswick. Some of what I have heard is positive and some of it can be quite negative. Here are 12 signs that a person is from Brunswick, OH.

1. "What on Earth is in Brunswick, Ohio?"

I have heard this question from many people who are close to the area. When people think about Brunswick, they only think about what is on Center Road (also known as 303). I will admit that we do not have many stores like those in Strongsville or even Medina. It doesn’t help that the biggest stores that we have are K-Mart, Home Depot, and Giant Eagle.

2. You see at least one person who you know.

Whether you are going to the grocery store, the rec center, or even out to a restaurant, you will find one person who you know at that place. With such a small population, I am not surprised to see someone. If you go somewhere like a Panini’s, you might find a classmate from grade school or high school.

3. There's lots and lots of blue.

Brunswick High School is known as the Brunswick Blue Devils. Do not be surprised if you go to Giant Eagle and you find Brunswick Blue Devil t-shirts and items for sale. Do not be surprised if you see a Blue Devil sticker on somebody’s car. Lastly, do not be surprised if you see blue ribbon around the area. We like our blue, which is fine by me, since that is my favorite color.

4. You graduated with 600 people.

I did not go to Brunswick High School, but most of my friends graduated from there. It is up there as one of the largest single-floor schools in all of Ohio. Roughly 2,200 students are enrolled at Brunswick High School. I wonder how long graduation took to name everybody?

5. Cozumel’s is the place to go for Mexican food.

There are times when I get really sick of this place, because my family and I go here quite a bit, but their food is really good. You cannot go wrong ordering a margarita. Not only do I come here with my family, but I come with my friends from Brunswick, too. If you are from Brunswick, you have been to Cozumel’s at least once in your lifetime. If you haven’t, go! Just make sure that you arrive before 7:00 p.m.

6. You have heard it called “Brunstucky.”

OK, so when I said that Brunswick is not a farm town in today’s world, that was not the case a while back. Brunswick was about as farm-like as some parts on Route 6. Since our state of Ohio is connected to Kentucky, people decided to call our wonderful town “Brunstucky.” I have no idea why people still call us “Brunstucky,” but I guess that we can let it slide.

7. You have two water towers.

Most cities that are small have at least one water tower, but we have two of them in Brunswick. Not only do we have two, but they are right next to each other. "Brunstuckians" thought, "Oh, they're building a new water tower, so the old one will come down." Nope, I guess that you can say that we do enjoy our water.

8. Auto part stores are everywhere.

Wherever you may go in Brunswick, whether it is on 303 or Pearl Road, you will find an auto parts store. If you have no idea which one to chose from, you have two great choices between Autozone and O'Reilly. It's basically the exact same situation as the one with the water towers. Both auto part stores are right next to each other. I guess that we like the competition to be right next door.

9. You are safe and sound.

This is actually a fact. Brunswick is one of the safest places to live in all of Ohio. I cannot think of one area where I have ever felt unsafe, which makes me really happy to be living in such a place. You may have an occasional drug arrest, but violence in this city is very unknown.

10. The Red Onion is your hangout.

My friends and I have been going to this place ever since we were little kids. The Red Onion is a local bar that is pretty run down nowadays, but it almost feels like home when you arrive. They have cheap drinks and the food is good. Just make sure to call ahead of time to see if the kitchen is still open. They always have some sort of events going on each day and they are known for their karaoke nights on Fridays. The Red Onion has a pool table in a separate room and a dartboard close to the door, but don't worry, the darts should not be thrown close to you when you arrive.

11. Brunswick Rec Center is the “hangout spot” after school.

You would think that kids, when they are finished with school, would go to the mall in Strongsville or to a friend’s house. That is not the case here in Brunswick, OH. The Brunswick Rec Center, which is right next door to the high school, is the place where kids like to hang out after school. Whether it is playing basketball in the gym, going upstairs to the weight room to workout, going swimming in the pool, or even just sitting down, it is the place to be when school lets out at 2:30 p.m. If you are older and want to go to the Rec Center between Friday afternoon and Friday night, forget it.That's one of the busiest times of the week.

12. It is always going to be your home.

I was born in Cleveland, OH and my family moved to Brunswick about two years after I was born. I have been living in Brunswick ever since. When you live in Brunswick and grow up there, you will always have the place deep in your heart. I may not live in Brunswick for the rest of my life, I may call another city my home in the future, but Brunswick will always be dear to me. It is a great place to start a family and I would not change a thing.

So there you have it. People may talk badly about my city, but I could not picture myself growing up anywhere else. Being in Brunswick has made me who I am today and has helped me develop strong relationships with my friends. These are friends who I will have the rest of my life, no matter where I may be in the future. If you are from Brunswick, OH, I hope that you feel the same way about it as I do.