If there’s one family whose story seems woven directly into the fabric of Beach Cliff, it’s the Crane family. For Kim and Ryan, returning home to Rocky River after early careers in San Francisco and Denver wasn’t just a choice, it felt like a natural homecoming. Both raised on the West Side (he in Bay Village, she in Rocky River), the couple first met at a Mardi Gras party at Miami University. After college, work took them across the country, but Cleveland eventually called them back in 2003 when Ryan joined as a Partner of Clutterbuck Capital Management and the desire to raise a family near their roots.

Today, the Cranes live just six houses down from Kim’s parents, Bob and Ginny Clutterbuck, in the same neighborhood Kim moved into when she began grade school. “We feel so lucky,” she says. “Our kids grew up with their grandparents right down the street, and my mother-in-law lives in Rocky River as well. Having both sides of our family nearby has been such a gift.”

Family life for the Cranes is active, outdoorsy, and full of movement. Their oldest, Kylie, now a sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder, has embraced the mountains and outdoor lifestyle the family has always loved, and as an Alpha Chi Omega legacy, she proudly carries on Kim’s sorority tradition. Their second daughter, Addison is a senior at Rocky River High School, and a talented golfer who works part-time at Lovely, a local boutique in Rocky River. Carter, their sophomore, is a runner and passionate fisherman who can be found casting a line even on the coldest fall days, a passion entirely his own. Their youngest, Brady, a seventh grader, is a multi-sport athlete who plays basketball, lacrosse, golf, soccer, and baseball.

“We’re boaters and skiers, those are our big family passions,” Kim says. “We spend a lot of time on the water, and we ski out West every winter, usually in Vail.”

The family’s two golden retrievers, Vail and Austin (named after Vail, Colorado and Austin, Texas), are beloved fixtures in the home. Despite previously swearing they’d never have two dogs again, the Cranes adopted their second dog during a moment of mid-COVID boredom, and have never looked back.

Kim is well-known in Rocky River, and not just because she’s been a licensed Realtor since 2003. As the leader of the Kim Crane Group, she works alongside six local women who have become both colleagues and genuine friends. “It really is a work family,” she says. “We are a small, mighty, boutique team, and we live, work, and play in this community. We are involved in the schools, clubs, and events, and become local experts through truly living the lifestyle every day.”

Outside of work, the team spends time together socially, often at the Cleveland Yachting Club, where many of them are members, or at local restaurants and shops. “We work hard and play hard,” Kim adds with a laugh.

The Crane family has also committed years of service to organizations close to their hearts. For over a decade, Kim and Ryan have served on the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital Board, as well as on the board for Prayers From Maria, the nationally recognized foundation dedicated to pediatric brain cancer research. “We hope you never need it,” she says of the Clinic, “but you’re so grateful to have it in your backyard. That’s part of what makes Cleveland special.”

For Kim, Beachcliff’s charm comes down to three things: walkability, community, and Lake Erie. “The walkability is huge, whether you’re 10 years old or 80,” she says. “You can walk to the lake, parks, and restaurants, or to get ice cream, and having both the MetroParks and the lake as your backdrop is incredible.”

Some of the family’s favorite local spots include Gather, Salmon Dave’s, the Cleveland Yachting Club, and Lake Road Market, where Kim herself worked as one of the “OG cashiers” at age 16. The Cranes also frequent Rose Point/Sunset Point, where generations of Rocky River families have watched the sun slip behind the water.

Their home has become a true hub for extended family, hosting holidays, summer cookouts, reunions, and gatherings of all kinds. “We love hosting,” Kim says. “Being on the lake makes it easy to bring everyone together.”

Ask anyone in Beachcliff, and they’ll tell you: Kim Crane is more than a Realtor, she’s an ambassador for the community. Her success, she explains, comes from authenticity.

“I’m proud to be from Cleveland,” she says. “When you truly love where you live, it’s easy to share that with others. We are not just selling homes; we are selling the lifestyle we live every single day.”

From her children walking to CYC, Mitchell’s Ice Cream, or Wild Flour Bakery, to the deep ties her family maintains across Rocky River, the Crane family embodies the spirit of Beachcliff.

“It’s a special place,” she says simply. “We have lived in other places, but this is home, and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”