Hts121

I am reporting you to PETA, Boreas.

While I agree the sales person would have a reason to be skeptical and protect the stores interest, I believe MTS's point was that the sales associate described the boy as a "black" teen from Cleveland. If he/she had just said a "teen from Cleveland" then one could say that racism played no role. The fact that the kid was black and THAT caused the person to be suspicious, if that's the case, is a reason to be upset.

I believe the clinic can provide you with some options for temporary housing. You might want to elect to do that so you can feel out the area and decide what is best for you long term.

Dreamz, you can probably figure out by now how Htsguy was referring to ;) And you will find a lot of Clevelanders that will agree with that forumer. Most of them will likely be from the outer-ring suburbs, though, and not actually live in Cleveland Hts. It's all subjective so you should assign weight to everyone's opinion as you see fit and the feeling you get from exploring these neighborhoods.

Welcome Dreamz, Great neighborhoods you are looking at ;). Downtown and CH are both safe when compared to other urban areas around the Country. The exurbia Clinic people have probably caused some undue fear. But I understand that you, as a woman, need to feel safe. So, it really comes down to what makes you feel unsafe. IMO, the biggest difference you would notice walking around at 2 a.m. is the vagrants that are Downtown. You will see very few homeless people in the CH neighborhoods. You will get some "cat calls" Downtown and Coventry, probably not so much in Cedar-Fairmount but only because the traffic is not comparable. Downtown has the safety ambassadors. CH has a cop on every corner (a burden and a perk at the same time as a resident). Living in Coventry or C-F you will be closer to the Clinic. But if you live at Prospect/9th, you would be just a skip and jump from our new state-of-the art Bus-Rapid-Transit system which runs between Downtown and UC... right through the middle of the Clinic's campus. While considering Coventry, you might want to consider that you would be within walking distance of Little Italy. While looking around, drive through that area to see if that is something that would appeal to you. With Downtown, you will be very close to Ohio City and the Westside Market, one of our true gems, as well as the trendy Tremont neighborhood. Public transit options from Downtown are also much more plentiful... you can take light rail to the airport, university circle, shaker square and more. The bus system hub is right downtown as well and can take you just about anywhere. Highway access is also much greater downtown, as no freeways/expressways run through CH or any of its bordering suburbs. As far as parking, if you are even remotely accustomed to NYC parking, Cleveland will be a breeze for both you and your visitors. BTW, my wife is from Jersey and she has really enjoyed living here the past 8 years.

I moved into my house five years ago. After moving back from NC, my wife and I rented a small house in Mayfield Hts while I was finishing up school. Racoon, skunks, etc. were a major hassle over there. Especially the skunks... my dog would get sprayed two or three times a year. However, my new house has a shed in the back with a Groundhog living underneath it. For whatever reason, the skunks and racoons won't come near my house and the Groundhog has not been a nuisance at all (he's actually kind of cute frolicing about). Someone told me that Groundhogs will keep skunks away because they compete for the same food. Not to take this too far off topic, but if anybody who owns a dog doesn't know about the "skunk mix", you need to educate yourself. Tomato juice just covers the smell up. But a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and Dawn dish detergent (don't ask why but it HAS to be Dawn) knocks the smell right out. In fact, it works so well with my dog's fur and sensitive skin that I use it to bath him now.

Rhododendrums need low to moderate sunlight. If you put them in full sun, they fry (I learned the hard way). You would need to clear out the clay though... digging a hole at least twice the size of the root ball (both width and depth). Last bed I did, I had to dig up a bunch of clay and I found embedded in the clay a ton of "bluestones" (hence "Village of Bluestone") and I used them for the border.

I was just reading the Cincy Crime Discussion thread where the forumers are discussing how racist the comments sections are following Enquirer stories on crime in the City and a thought came to mind that is relevant here. We often debate whether racism is alive and well in this country. Many claim it is not still a big issue. However, it seems that people are simply better at keeping their racist thoughts to themselves and certainly don't share them in a room full of strangers (collateral effect of the PC movement I guess). However, the digital age has revealed an ugly truth... just go visit about any unmoderated or undermoderated chat room, comment section, etc. and you will find it littered with racist comments. So, I can only draw the conclusion that we have a bunch of cowards in this country that love to 'tough it up' in anonymity using their keyboard but act totally different when in public, leading to the misconception that racism is eroding.

Uh-oh... I might need to call an exorcist for Lil' Hts. :-o

We are on a budget. I think it is around $120 per month for our 2500 sq ft colonial. That was before we just recently put glass-bloc windows in the basement, a new sliding patio door and a new fire place flu and door (highly recommend BusyBear on Chardon Rd for anyone looking BTW). I hope those impovements pay off, even if they were done for aesthetics as much as efficiency. I also bought one of those infra-red guns to scan for leaks (cost around $50). This simply confirmed for me that new windows were not worth it as mine, with a little caulking, hold up quite nice. The way the gun works is you stand in the middle of the room and gauge room tempature. That figure gets locked in and then you run the gun along the wall and watch the variable tempature below fluctuate. It is a great tool to either access whether the juice is worth the squeeze on a given project (such as new windows) or to locate leaks and fill them. While I don't have any, the draft guards sold at home depot, etc. seem like a good idea. They look like tubular sand bags that you place at the base of a door or window to prevent drafts. I am probably going to buy one to put on the door to the guest bedroom so I can close off the vents in there and save on heating that room while it is not in use. My stepmom... TWICE (replaced after it got too dirty for her to look at).

Clevelandjem, I would ask again for some specificity as to where you are looking. In that area, there are a few streets I would avoid, mostly between Cain Park and the High School. Not that they are "unsafe" however, but other factors such as lots of renters and some minor nuisances, like the kids from the HS crowding the street and parking on the curb during the day. And I think that McCleveland's narrative about his friends is how a lot of residents feel about the City. They don't live there for any white-picket fences, strip malls, or sodded front lawns. They live there for the character, the location, the diversity (some of us find this to be a good thing), the tolerance (CH was first City in Ohio and one of the first in the country to have a domestic partnership registry), and what I would call a "real neighborhood". Another great thing is that most everybody gets along. You don't have the racial and other tensions you find in areas that are newly diverse. CH has been diverse since I was born and many people target that area for that reason, not to avoid such demographics. There is a sense of community that you will likely enjoy with your neighbors, regardless of their race, class, religion. Drive through the neighborhood accross Taylor from where you are looking and you will find it to be filled with mostly blacks and orthodox jews, and they mix quite nicely. If only you could have known the City back in its "Mom and Pop Shop" heyday. Our grocery store growing up was a little storefont on Noble Rd. smaller than a modern CVS! We were on a first name basis with everybody that worked there and my mom kept a tab running that she paid at the end of every month. Businesses like that have largely went the way of the dinosaur, but CH still has some semblence of that past left. The Wal-Mart certainly didn't arrive without a fight that I am still bitter over losing.

Then maybe this will be of some assistance to the OP and.... well, you know... http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/oh/cleveland-heights/crime/

If you go less than a mile north of Monticello, you ARE in East Cleveland. Everything from Nela View to Euclid Ave. is East Cleveland. Even in that little stint north of Monticello, you have 2 police stations. One is right across Monticello in the old firehouse and there is another satellite station right on the border. So the notion of the area being "unsafe" is just not accurate. I think we will just disagree on what we would consider "dumpy" though. Cleveland Height Blvd, Yellowstone and the streets around that neighborhood, flowing into the Inglewood historic district are not dumpy. Denison Park and the red brick hill streets are not dumpy. Neither is Bluestone or anything south of there. There is a library, two elementary schools, and two police stations along Noble in CH. Very scary. I don't see how all those sweet old ladies brave it on their trips Charlie's Fabrics.

What is the "north Noble" neighborhood exactly? Set some parameters and then I can tell you why you are wrong... not to mention the OP was asking about a completely different neighborhood. And you can't go see xmas lights during the day, silly. Mike's Beverage is right across the street from Nela Park if you decide you need a little courage juice.

Welcome clevelandjem, I know a thing or two about the Heights ;) I grew up in the Monticello-Noble neighborhood and am a grad of the High School. I have also lived for short stints in the Coventry neighborhood and Cedar-Fairmount. First, the Mayor isn't really a "Mayor". The City has a City-Manager form of government. Mayor Kelley is more like the president of council, than somebody who runs the City on a daily basis. What street specifically are you looking at? There are pockets of great neighborhoods in the area you identified... and some that are more meh... North side of Cain Park is probably more desirable. There is one specific area of CH that I would never recommend. The area north of Mayfield, east of the cemetery, west of superior and bordered by East Cleveland on the north. Obviously, I don't believe in the "south of Mayfield" rule you will hear from time to time. Safety is just fine. Trust me when I tell you that the residents are WELL aware of the police presence and act accordingly. The City has one of the highest police per capita numbers in the State, if not the highest. I'm proud to be from there. I would challenge anybody to find a more diverse City of its size... and not just racially, but also economically, religously, architecturally... everything. Well, maybe not politically. Clevelander17 - anytime you want to take a stroll down Noble, you let me know. It would be a great acheivement, overcoming your fears and all. I won't let anything happen to you. We can go see the xmas lights at Nela Park next year! Just make sure to wipe your lipstick off first and leave the purse at home.

I've been eagerly awaiting this showdown. He's all yours MTS.

While I was totally against the sniper program in Solon, I see the argument somewhat now. The Bucks are scarce and I usually don't run into them, the Mama Deer with their babies can lead to some sticky situations. 2 years ago, a Doe put her newborn somewhere in the bed of the creek that runs behind my house. My dog (a 105 lb German Shepherd) goes back there a lot and will usually frighten any deer to keep their distance. He also chased a Coyote out of my yard once, the only time I have seen one of those. But this Doe was having none of that. I was on my deck when they tangled up and I started hollering for him to come back to the house. He turned and headed back in a dead sprint. The freaking Doe chased him! She caught him right by my deck and jumped on his back and started trying to stomp. Luckily he fought back and I picked up a chair and threw it at her. She eventually retreated, but there was a real uncomfortable stare down before she eventually trotted off. It's funny, because I probably only live about 3/4 mile from where I grew up and I NEVER ONCE saw a deer as a kid. Currently, I do live on the tip of the metropark and the Cutter's Creek development on Anderson and Green wiped out a dense forrest, so maybe that explains it. But it just seems like there are more and more every year. [rant off]

We try every year. Problem is, we live too close to the Euclid Creek Metropark and the deer are multiplying every year. I see packs as big as 10 wandering around the 'nabe. They even came up on my deck last year to get the rest of our tomatoes. Those f'ers also clean us out as soon as the Lillies bud too. The only thing we have consistent luck with is the herb garden.

In regards to what? Oh, I don't know. Maybe something like a totally new facade for Erieview. Those types of announcements always seem to pop up about this time of year.

RnR - do you live on the West side? Just guessing from the way you are describing Clevelanders. What I will add to your comment is that Cleveland's various neighborhoods have different "leans", levels of trendiness, etc.

Job numbers jump for the life sciences sector Good in biology? Medical sciences intrigue you? Well, if you're out of work or tired of your old job, now might be the time to think about becoming a doctor, medical researcher or bioengineer. That's because an intense focus on building the economy around biotechnology and turning the northeast Ohio region into a life sciences hub during the past decade seems to be paying off on the jobs front. http://news.yahoo.com/s/y_clevelan/y_clevelan_ts1404

If weather is not an issue, and judging from where you are looking, it is not... that takes away the biggest knock on Cleveland. As a matter of fact, you will be happy to find a few more sunny days than in Portland. We can't say that to most newcomers. I agree that you should find a job first. It seems to vary for different people with different skill sets and experience. A friend mine has been looking for 6 months and hasn't found anything. My wife is considering switching jobs and put in two applications. She was offered both jobs after interviewing. If you do find a job here, come back and let us know where you will be working because that will help us make recommendations. Cleveland is very diverse and you will find that the various neighborhoods are very different, each with its own strenghts/appeal.

Still waiting on the big announcement...