carltron

Thanks all for the insight. My reason for moving to NE Ohio is to begin teaching at the University of Akron. This affords some flexibility in my daily schedule (and probably means that most of the time I would only need to make the drive 3 days a week). I have been able to visit Akron only once, for my job interview, but I spent two days there and did get a tour of the city and a bit of advice on places to live (everyone I spoke to recommended Highland Square - which looked to be very nice). I have, however, been to Cleveland several times in the distant past, and liked the city quite a lot. It seemed to have a really wonderful neighborhood geography, and Cleveland Heights especially reminded reminded me quite a lot of a few neighborhoods in Chicago (where I lived in the 1990s). So, when the prospect of moving to the area became real, I thought, 'Wow, maybe I should live in Cleveland.' I spoke to a couple of my future colleagues about the idea, and they mostly warned me about the transportation problems Cleveland's copious snowfall presents. I will be coming up in a about a month to look around and begin the search for housing, so I plan to spend a couple of rush-hour mornings driving between the two cities. If anyone has more specific advice about Akron, or sources to locate apartments, by all means pass them on. Akron craigslist is not as active as I had hoped.

I'm on the verge of accepting a new job in Akron (relocating from SW Virginia), but am interested in the possibility of living in Cleveland, at least for the first year. My work hours will vary, but most days I won't need to be in Akron before about 10am. I lived for a number of years in Atlanta, so I'm all too familiar with nasty traffic, but am a bit concerned about the winter sleet/snow problem. If anyone has experienced it, how bad (in terms of congestion and general annoyance) is the commute from, say, Cleveland Heights, to downtown Akron on a daily basis? Am I crazy to even contemplate this?