Carolynne Zettler was raised in Sandusky. She and her husband spent some time in Boston before deciding that Lakewood was the place they wanted to call home, fifteen years ago...

Virginia Konchan, 28, has only lived in Lakewood for six months, but in a sense has come back home.

Christian and Kristin Warzocha, both 36, have lived together in Lakewood for 11 years. They were joined recently by their one-and-a-half year old daughter, Samantha. The Warzochas met at John Carroll University and lived in the east-side suburbs of Cleveland for several years before moving to Lakewood. Kristin works at the Cleveland Foodbank and Christian works in the health insurance industry. We met the Warzochas on their front porch, their favorite place in Lakewood, on a scorching Saturday in August, where their tall oak trees provided ample shade, and the breeze from Lake Erie cooled down the humid air. Kristin and Christian discussed what it is they each love about Lakewood.

Roy Williams works at the Phoenix Coffeehouse in Lakewood. His favorite place is the Marjorie Building where the coffeehouse is located. Roy, who is 42, is a man of few words, but he ably described what many of us love most about Lakewood. It’s a place to find friends, he said, where kindness is met in passing on the street. We met with Roy on a Saturday afternoon in January at the Phoenix Coffeehouse on Detroit Avenue.

Elizabeth Zander is a 78-year-old retired office worker and real estate broker. She has lived in Lakewood since 1959; her favorite places in town are The Oasis and the courtyard at The Barton Center.

You Are Here is a photo-documentary project highlighting Lakewood residents and what they think and feel about their city. We feel that a project like this shares a great affinity with many of the community efforts happening in our city. We are witnessing the emergence of an engaged, pro-active and committed community dedicated to creating the kind of place that we want to live in. But the question remains: who are you? To that end, we would like to use this project as a forum to meet as many Lakewood residents as possible. We would like to photograph you in your favorite place in Lakewood and discuss what you feel makes Lakewood a special place. These biographical vignettes will be published regularly in the Lakewood Observer. Publishing them in the Observer means that you get to share, and other people get to learn about, who you are and what you feel makes Lakewood a special place. Ultimately, a quilt of individuals and experiences will be available to all who live here, and those who do not live here yet, strengthening the sense of community that is Lakewood, Ohio.

Paul Beegan is a 35-year-old architect who has lived in Lakewood for eleven years. His favorite Place in Lakewood is Celeste Park.