PhlToCle

Thanks everyone for the replies! We're coming to Cleveland this weekend to look at apartments and will hopefully sign a lease while here. Unfortunately, I've been hearing from everyone that Ohio City has a shortage of available rentals and the market is saturated with people looking to rent there, so the prospects are very slim right now. So far, we're slated to see a townhouse at 47 & Franklin and an available unit in Federal Knitting Mills and Tremont Place Lofts. I'm hoping to also get appts. to see places at 45 & Clinton, 81 & Franklin, Whitman & Randall, and 65 & Fir. I will post if any of these look good and I have specific questions, but I'm happy to hear any thoughts people have on these buildings / areas in the meantime. We're also probably going to look at apartments in walkable areas of Coventry and Shaker Square as back-ups. I'm really hopeful something works out in Ohio City as that was one of the things that sold me on Cleveland.

Thanks! We'll probably look at Detroit Shoreway as well. I've been more of a walking and public transit person in the past, but it sounds like a bike would be pretty indispensable for a car-light person in that neighborhood. I actually have a copy of "New to Cleveland" already and have found it absolutely invaluable! I brought a copy with me when I visited and it really helped me focus on a few potential neighborhoods.

I'm moving from Philadelphia to Cleveland in late August/early September and am currently looking for an apartment or house to rent for myself and my boyfriend. Although I'm moving for a job, we spent a weekend in Cleveland last spring and I'm really excited about the city! We identified Ohio City as our top choice because of its walkability, restaurants, shops, grocery options, beautiful houses, and overall character. We need to visit over the next few weeks to rent an apartment, but I'm looking for some advice on how to find a place and time our trip. We saw a few great places on craigslist that meet our needs over the past few months, but they are not as frequent as we'd like and seem to go quickly. I'd love any input about how realistic our expectations are and advice on the best way to approach this. Our criteria are: 2 Bdrm + office or 3 Bdrm, preferably private house or duplex, cats (2) allowed, rent $1000-1500 (flexible). We might consider a loft-type apartment, but would prefer a house and are not looking for standard, traditional apartment complexes. 1. Is there anywhere online other than craigslist we should be looking? 2. Are there postings ("for rent" signs, flyers, etc.) we would need to be in Cleveland to access? 3. Is it better to wait to visit until we see something great online, or just schedule a visit now and see what we can find in person? We'll likely only be able to make one trip for 2-3 days. When would be the latest we could safely wait for, say, a September 1 move-in date? 4. My employer will arrange for a realtor to help with the search. Since we already have a good idea of what we want, will that be of any help or allow us to locate properties not listed on craigslist? 5. If we can't find a place we like in Ohio City, any other ideas to consider? I'll be commuting to Cleveland Clinic and we will share one car between the two of us that we'd like to use sparingly. Tremont would be a second choice, but it doesn't seem like it would fill as many needs within walking distance as Ohio City (e.g. grocery store, West Side Market, RTA). Thanks for your help! (question also posted at <a href="http://www.city-data.com/forum/cleveland/1633801-finding-apartment-ohio-city-cleveland.html">city-data</a>, but someone recommended this forum as well)