Hi..I am going to start residency at Rainbow Babies this June and am completely new to the country.

I don't have a car and very little experience in judging neighbourhoods. I've got a sublease close to the hospital for the first 2 months and hope to buy a car by then. I need to get an apartment for myself by August, which is a daunting task for me since all the neighbourhoods look the same on google earth :( Would anyone be kind enough to let me know of a neighbourhood..within 10-15 min driving distance to the hospital..which would be safe for a single girl to stay in!

Thanks a ton!

Hi and welcome from one of the few female members on the board. What country are you coming from?  Where is your sublease going to be located?  How old are you?

 

Generally, I would recommend you look at the Cleveland Heights neighborhood. VERY close to UH, safe, lots going on/fun, lots of rentals, lots of 20 and 30 somethings.  I personally recommend looking for a place with a devoted parking space as parking is hard to deal with in cle hts when you have to depend on street parking.

Take a look at the Cedar-Fairmount neighborhood in Cleveland Heights.  Very safe and very close to the hospital.  You should be able to rent a one bedroom apartment for $600-$650 per month and that will include heat.

There are a lot of factors to consider:

 

1) Do you want something newer (more modern) or something with more "character"?  (Regardless, we won't direct you to a dump).

 

2) What is your preferred price range?

 

3) What do you like to do when not at work? (recreationally and socially)

 

4) Any pets?

 

5) What type of neighborhood are you accustomed to and prefer? (urban, suburban)

 

I assume you are looking to rent, and not buy.

 

Within a 15 minute drive to the hospitals, you have several options and they vary greatly in characteristics so some more information woud aid us in making some recommendations.

Welcome from one of the other females on the board!!!  If you answer Hts121's questions, we can definitely help you more!!!

Wow...Its been just an hour since my post and I have so many helping hands...I feel special :)

First things first...

I'm from India and I'm 26. I've taken a sublease at Waldorf apartments on Overlook Road.

I wouldn't know the difference between modern or something of character :(...but I would go with modern....old houses...however aristocratic they may look....always make me wonder if they are haunted.

Expected price range for a 1 bed/bath would be 600-650 including utilities.

No pets...and won't be getting any either.

I'm not much of an outdoor person...like watching theater, movies..the usual. I would rate myself 5 of 10 socially..since I've always been a shy person....but usually hang out with close friends on weekends in restaurants (I love food).

Looking for a neighborhood with a good choice of grocery stores and restaurants. Can do without bars. If I get a car by then...I'd look for indoor parking..so public transport would not be a big issue.

I've always lived in an urban surrounding...but I am open to suburban options.....it just needs to be safe.

Cleveland Heights seems to win all votes here...and I'll go and check Cedar-Fairmount as soon as I reach Cleveland.

A friend in another forum recommended this one...and I think its the best advice I've received!I'm really glad I posted here.

Thanks a ton!

I'm not sure how far downtown is from this hospital but there was recently an article in the local newspaper about a growing population of Indian students downtown (specifically the Chesterfield and Reserve Square).

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/12/international_students_breath.html

 

Even if you are unable to live downtown, this may be an area you'd be interested in visiting.

Welcome, Ped_res!  The Waldorf apartment building will be a very convenient location for you.  I don't know anything about the building itself, but it's in a very nice neighborhood and is just a few blocks from the Cedar/Fairmount neighborhood, so you'll have no problems checking it out.  Even w/o a car you'll be able to walk to a grocery store and some restaurants and shops.

 

As a cinema fan,  you may want to check out the Cinemateque when you'v arrived (http://www.cia.edu/academicResources/cinematheque/cinematheque.php).  It's an artsy/international film series organized by the Cleveland Institute of Art, which is located very close to Rainbow and your apartment.  It keeps a low profile (the movies are shown in a lecture hall), so you might easily miss it.  There are, of course, several commercial theaters located a short drive or bus ride away as well.

 

Good luck with your move!

It sounds like you'd be happy pretty much anywhere here :).  The Waldorf is in a great area between Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Heights (where the Cedar-Fairmount neighborhood is).  Since you like food so much, your best options for lots of restaurants are definitely Cleveland Heights, downtown, or Shaker Square.  You should be able to find something in your price range in Cleveland Heights or Shaker Square - downtown will be a bit more difficult.  Let us know if you have more questions!

Welcome, and good luck!

 

Welcome, peds! I think all of the suggestions so far are spot on. Top on my list for you to check out would be:

 

- Cedar Fairmount (1920s architecture, a handful of restaurants, a full grocery, very close to the hospital);

 

- Shaker Square (dense urban neighborhood, several restaurants, a full grocery, a movie theater, lots of mass transit connections, maybe 1 mile from the hospital [and accessible by the 48 bus until you would have a car]);

 

- and possibly Little Italy (dense, vibrant neighborhood, a lot of [mostly Italian] restaurants, a small organic grocery [the Cleveland Food Co-op] a short walk away, the hospital only a few blocks to the west).

 

I agree with doctabroccoli ... I think you'll like all of the neighborhoods around the hospital, based on what you've described. Coventry, Cedar Fairmount and University Circle are also worth checking out, and you might want to take a look at downtown and Ohio City just for comparison, but I think you'll be well-served by the neighborhoods right around the hospital.

 

Good luck with your move, and let us know if we can help!

 

 

You might want to check out the Alcazar (apt. building) in the Cedar-Fairmount neighborhood as well.

Peds, since you like food you came to the right city! Some of the best restaurants, especially if you like spicy food, are in Cleveland Heights and surrounding areas like Shaker Square, Little Italy and University Circle.

Start here: http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/restaurants/

 

But I would look at this:

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/restaurants/cleveland+heights.html

There is Cafe Tandoor for Indian food, Aladdin's Eatery for Middle Eastern food, Battiste & Dupree Cajun Grill for some spicy Cajun-American food, Lemon Grass for Asian-Thai food, The Mad Greek (self explanatory but is famous locally for the best Greek food) and BD's Mongolian Barbeque on Coventry (that area is a fun place to live too). 

 

And if you like museums, classical music and culture, then you will love University Circle. The Cleveland Orchestra is one of the best in the world (I know many claim it, but read some international reviews online) and they perform at Severance Hall. The Cleveland Museum of Art was just expanded and updated for $200 million. There is the Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland Institute of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art and much more. See: http://www.universitycircle.org/category-listings.aspx?cat=3&section=visit

 

As for the Alcazar Apartment building, it's very beautiful. It does offer some corporate housing. See for yourself at: http://www.thealcazar.com/

 

Welcome to Cleveland. Don't be afraid to explore or to ask for help here. The people here at UrbanOhio know this city VERY well.

Peds, since you like food you came to the right city! Some of the best restaurants, especially if you like spicy food, are in Cleveland Heights and surrounding areas like Shaker Square, Little Italy and University Circle.

Start here: http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/restaurants/

 

But I would look at this:

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/restaurants/cleveland+heights.html

There is Cafe Tandoor for Indian food, Aladdin's Eatery for Middle Eastern food, Battiste & Dupree Cajun Grill for some spicy Cajun-American food, Lemon Grass for Asian-Thai food, The Mad Greek (self explanatory but is famous locally for the best Greek food) and BD's Mongolian Barbeque on Coventry (that area is a fun place to live too).  

 

And if you like museums, classical music and culture, then you will love University Circle. The Cleveland Orchestra is one of the best in the world (I know many claim it, but read some international reviews online) and they perform at Severance Hall. The Cleveland Museum of Art was just expanded and updated for $200 million. There is the Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland Institute of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art and much more. See: http://www.universitycircle.org/category-listings.aspx?cat=3&section=visit

 

As for the Alcazar Apartment building, it's very beautiful. It does offer some corporate housing. See for yourself at: http://www.thealcazar.com/

 

Welcome to Cleveland. Don't be afraid to explore or to ask for help here. The people here at UrbanOhio know this city VERY well.

 

Also on Coventry are Mint Cafe (IMO much better than Lemon Grass for Asian/Thai food) and Tree Country Bistro (which in addition to sushi/Japanese they serve some authentic Korean dishes).

I'm sure nobody will be surprised, but I would definitely disagree with KJP that the Mad Greek is famous locally for good Greek food.  But the rest of his post is spot-on!

I'm sure nobody will be surprised, but I would definitely disagree with KJP that the Mad Greek is famous locally for good Greek food. But the rest of his post is spot-on!

 

I have heard more than a few people say that.  Do you know of any places that do serve good, authentic Greek food around Cleveland?

If you would like good, relatively authentic Greek food, the only place to get it is our region's great Greek festivals which are held throughout the summer. The first is coming up in only a month's time, at the Annunciation church in Tremont on 14th street: www.annunciationcleveland.com

 

Mid-summer, St. Demetrios in Rocky River and St. Paul's in Broadview Heights also have good food:

www.saintdemetriosrr.org, www.stpaulgoc.org

 

The last one in this area is the one on Mayfield, St. Constantine & Helen: www.stsconstantine.com

 

Each has similar fare but some are better than others on certain dishes.  The Tremont one is the only one I know of that also has a side line (not the main food line) serving more authentic pita dishes (pita meaning phyllo, not the middle eastern pita) that are cooked more traditionally in a big pan in one, rectangular piece.  These have leeks or eggplant or whatever and are really tasty.  There's also a kitsch factor at most festivals as they usually have some kind of flea market or store. The RR festival has a pretty good silent auction.  Live music and dancing is only in the evenings, but that's also when the long lines are. 

 

I'm sure nobody will be surprised, but I would definitely disagree with KJP that the Mad Greek is famous locally for good Greek food. But the rest of his post is spot-on!

 

My wife (100% Greek) doesn't like the Mad Greek either, but from what I can tell it is regarded "locally" as the best Greek food we have.  Given the lack of competition, that isn't such a bold statement.

Honestly, I am overwhelmed with all the responses!! I visited Cleveland for only 2 days during the interview season and although it was right in the middle of winter I felt very comfortable. I stayed at Glidden House and Intercontinental (thank god for the generous programs who paid for our stay!) for both the interviews and took little walks around. I couldn't imagine how the place would look in summer...but I knew I would like it nevertheless.

I guess I'll have tons of question once I reach Cleveland and I'm so glad I found all of you! I'll keep posting :)

Just a quick question....I need a car to start with but don't think I will be able to afford a new one. Was hoping to buy a used car...but read somewhere that due to the high amount of snow, not all cars are suitable for Cleveland weather. Is this true?

 

P.S. All the discussion about restaurants made me hungry already :)

Honestly, I am overwhelmed with all the responses!! I visited Cleveland for only 2 days during the interview season and although it was right in the middle of winter I felt very comfortable. I stayed at Glidden House and Intercontinental (thank god for the generous programs who paid for our stay!) for both the interviews and took little walks around. I couldn't imagine how the place would look in summer...but I knew I would like it nevertheless.

I guess I'll have tons of question once I reach Cleveland and I'm so glad I found all of you! I'll keep posting :)

Just a quick question....I need a car to start with but don't think I will be able to afford a new one. Was hoping to buy a used car...but read somewhere that due to the high amount of snow, not all cars are suitable for Cleveland weather. Is this true?

 

P.S. All the discussion about restaurants made me hungry already :)

 

Most of the time, it's all about the driver, and not so much the car.  Yes, there are times when giant SUV would plow through the snow better then a compact car, but that's no reason to buy an expensive SUV if that's your only reason.  You should be fine with anything (I own a Honda Civic), and if you need some winter driving tips, you can always ask us when the time comes :)

IMO, don't buy anything that is rear-wheel drive.  Front wheel drive cars do just fine here, that's all I've ever driven, all wheel drive is even better if you're so inclined.  But sportier cars, which tend to be RWD, can be very hard to get going and/or control in the snow.

I personally drive a RWD and the main roads are almost never a problem but the side streets get a bit dicey. There is usually 3-4 days out of the year where I have issues on some parking lots of smaller stores or side streets but nothing impossible. I have only been stuck once in the snow and that was in Dayton at the shady Kroger (Close to UD) and that was on an unplowed hill.

If you would like to see what Cleveland looks like in the summer (OK, I took these pictures in May 2008, with part 1 photos taken in the University Circle, Little Italy and Murray Hill areas just across the tracks from Rainbow Babies & Childrens Hospital), then take a look at these:

 

Part 1:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,16259.0.html

Part 2 (Shaker Heights, Shaker Square, Larchmere):

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,16260.0.html

Part 3 (downtown, North Coast Harbor, Tower City, East Fourth):

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,16261.0.html

 

Don't be overwhelmed! We love to help visitors and newcomers! Welcome!!

All I would ask for in return is that now that you are a Clevelander, get involved and make the city better because of your contribution.

 

Its a great city, that is just getting better!