So I am new to Cleveland and plan on attending CSU law school this fall.  However  I am a single 22 year old female living on my own, so obviously safety is a huge factor.  I am not familiar with Cleveland and have become very confused about the best areas to live in (one person says its great, another says its not).  I am looking right now at Tremont and Cleveland Heights, but I am definitely overwhelmed.  I plan on driving up there this week to scope out areas.  Any recommendations on neighborhoods/apartments to focus on?  I also would like to be around people my age too. 

Lakewood.

Welcome to the forum! I just graduated from CM and I would also recommend Lakewood. It's a short commute and very safe. Cleveland Heights is safe but in my opinion Lakewood is safer. Also a lot more law students choose Lakewood so you'll be closer to your friends.

 

In Lakewood I would checkout apartments along Clifton and Lake road. Some of friends from school lived there and really liked it.

 

 

 

 

oakhe, welcome to Cleveland! I live at the east end of Lakewood and like it alot. I've lived in a fifth-floor condo a couple of blocks off the lake for 14 years. My area is called the Gold Coast.

 

Parking is an issue in the Gold Coast, so if you look at apartments in the area, see if it comes with a parking space. If you aren't going to have a car, so much the better! There is frequent rush hour bus service on Clifton that goes right to CSU. The service is hourly off-peak and the last bus from downtown now ends at 10 p.m. You can walk or bike to grocery stores, banks, salons, 24-hour drug stores, 24-hour restaurants and more. There's a Target and a huge 24-hour Giant Eagle south of my area on West 117th Street. There is 24-hour bus service from downtown on a route on Detroit Avenue just south of the Gold Coast.

 

Here's an example of some nice safe places on the Gold Coast with affordable rents under $700 per month....

 

http://www.burtoncarol.com/OhioProperties/ShorehamLakewood.aspx

http://www.burtoncarol.com/OhioProperties/MarineTowersWestLakewood.aspx

http://www.rent.com/rentals/ohio/cleveland-and-vicinity/lakewood/executive-house/6311775/?sp=1&searchrank=5&fl=

http://www.rent.com/rentals/ohio/cleveland-and-vicinity/lakewood/hayes-hall/439406/?sp=1&searchrank=5&fl=

http://www.rent.com/rentals/ohio/cleveland-and-vicinity/lakewood/shady-cove-apartments/434485/?sp=1&searchrank=6&fl=

http://www.rent.com/rentals/ohio/cleveland-and-vicinity/lakewood/edgewater-south/6279774/?sp=1&searchrank=7&fl=

http://www.rent.com/rentals/ohio/cleveland-and-vicinity/lakewood/viktoria-apartments/6279773/?sp=1&searchrank=9&fl=

http://www.rent.com/rentals/ohio/cleveland-and-vicinity/lakewood/georgian-manor/6281770/?sp=1&searchrank=10&fl=

http://www.rent.com/rentals/ohio/cleveland-and-vicinity/cleveland/clifton-park-clifton-house-apartments/470228/?sp=1&searchrank=2&fl=

http://www.rent.com/rentals/ohio/cleveland-and-vicinity/cleveland/edgewater/the-breakers-apartments/466910/?sp=1&searchrank=5&fl=

http://www.rent.com/rentals/ohio/cleveland-and-vicinity/cleveland/hampton-house/5191776/?sp=1&searchrank=7&fl=

http://www.rent.com/rentals/ohio/cleveland-and-vicinity/cleveland/lakewest-apartments/5191778/?sp=1&searchrank=4&fl=

 

Some of these are on the Cleveland side in the Edgewater neighborhood. It's still a decent area -- just stay north of Detroit Avenue and especially stay north of Clifton on the Cleveland side. That's the safest areas.

 

One rule of thumb I used when I went apartment hunting -- check the condition of the bathroom. It's the most difficult room in apartment to maintain so if it's not in good condition, I'd keep looking.

 

BTW, when you visit a neighborhood... park the car and get out and walk. That's the only way to get a feel for an area.

E.79th & Union.  :laugh:

E.79th & Union. :laugh:

 

He's joking, by the way.  Welcome!  As a 26 yo female who lives downtown, I can say I am exceedingly comfortable in Lakewood, Tremont, Cleveland Heights, and downtown.  Are you accustomed to living in an urban area?

Welcome, oakhe!  I agree with the crowd that any of Lakewood, downtown, Tremont or Cleveland Heights would work well for you.  Shaker Square would work fine too.  For many reasons, you might hear from some Clevelanders that [tremont][Cleveland Hts][Lakewood] is too dangerous.  There certainly are dangerous neighborhoods in Cleveland, but these aren't them.  In particular, the parts of Lakewood and Cleveland Hts you'd look at are very safe by any reasonable standard.  As KJP recommended, when you visit apartments, take a walk around the neighborhood to check it out.  Maybe visit during non-work hours to get a sense who's walking on the street to make sure you feel comfortable.

 

If you live downtown you'd be able to walk/bike or take a very frequent, very efficient bus each way to school, but downtown rents are generally higher and you have to pay for parking, so maybe no real cost benefit.  It's still a nice option to have though, particularly when the weather's bad.

 

Good luck with your choice and your move!

I would not rule out Downtown.  Safest neighborhood in the City proper if you ask me.  There is a building right across from the law school, 1900 Euclid I believe, which has decent units.  There is also a new studio building a little more east on Euclid, but I can't remember the name (anyone?).  We have a thread on it.  Reserve Square, Statler Arms, the Bingham, Critterdon Court, Residences at 668, Pointe at Gateway, are just a few buildings downtown that you may want to consider.

Downtown is the safest in the city proper besides Little Italy.  I have lived here for the past two years.  I'm a guy but I know tons of female students living in the neighborhood that love it and always feel safe.  It is a one block walk from the Health Line that takes you right to the law school and there are a lot of young people in the area since Case Western is very close.  Rent is cheap and while you might have to search a bit to find a nicer place there are a range of options to choose from.  I'm going to CSU Law next year too and I am living here so it will definitely work.

Downtown is the safest in the city proper besides Little Italy. I have lived here for the past two years. I'm a guy but I know tons of female students living in the neighborhood that love it and always feel safe. It is a one block walk from the Health Line that takes you right to the law school and there are a lot of young people in the area since Case Western is very close. Rent is cheap and while you might have to search a bit to find a nicer place there are a range of options to choose from. I'm going to CSU Law next year too and I am living here so it will definitely work.

 

Unless things have dramatically changed in the past 10 years, Little Italy is not the safest area for EVERYONE... if you know what I mean.

Yes i am aware that african-americans do not feel comfortable in Little Italy and i can understand that but I don't think its anywhere as bad as it used to be and I don't think it is a "safety issue".  A lot of the old timers are gone and I would bet that the neighborhood is 75% students anyway.  I have heard some stories of "the ways things used to be"  but there are always people of different races and ethnicities eating at the restaurants and living in the neighborhood these days so I don't think that it is a huge concern.  I guess if this still concerns somebody Murray hill away from Mayfield has all the same benefits of the neighborhood without the reputation of Mayfield and its side streets.

Then it has changed.  About 15 years ago a HS friend of mine was jumped by his LI neighbors the day after having a party and inviting, as they put it, "the wrong kind"

 

To be clear, I personally love LI.  And I don't know of any 'hate crimes'.... other than the one described above.  I have just heard the stories.  Since we do not know the OP's race, the information may be useful.  Would you "recommend" LI to a young black law student?  I probably would not as it relates to picking a place to live. 

 

To the OP - I go to LI only about 3 times a year, even though I drive through it all the time, so don't put too much stock in my opinion without confirming it from more informed sources.

Then it has changed. About 15 years ago a HS friend of mine was jumped by his LI neighbors the day after having a party and inviting, as they put it, "the wrong kind"

 

To be clear, I personally love LI. And I don't know of any 'hate crimes'.... other than the one described above. I have just heard the stories. Since we do not know the OP's race, the information may be useful. Would you "recommend" LI to a young black law student? I probably would not as it relates to picking a place to live.

 

To the OP - I go to LI only about 3 times a year, even though I drive through it all the time, so don't put too much stock in my opinion without confirming it from more informed sources.

 

I don't know if I'd recommend LI to a young black law student, but the crowd is definitely slightly more diverse and seemingly accepting than it was when I lived on Murray Hill Rd. almost 12 years ago.

thanks so much for all the help! i walked around little italy in the fall after touring case western and i really liked it (i'm not black, but i have heard about those incidences dealing with race).  but yeah i'm not used to living in an urban environment so i like the idea of how cleveland heights feels "neighborhoody".  And awesome advice about checking out the bathroom, I will need to do that!

 

I plan on walking around the areas on Wednesday, so I'm definitely going to look at Lakewood, Tremont, Cleveland Heights, and Downtown.  I do want to be around a young crowd.  Is Coventry more of a place to hang out and go to, but not to live?

Coventry is great to live in, but it's pricier and harder to get at than Lakewood is.  Definitely more upscale than Lakewood.

Yeah Coventry is great to both live and hang out in but 327 is right about harder to get to.  A lot of the Heights neighborhoods would probably require you to drive to school which you may or may not prefer.

my $.02:

lakewood or tremont is more fun if you are into indie music stuff

cooler nearby venues: now that's class, happy dog

my $.02:

lakewood or tremont is more fun if you are into indie music stuff

cooler nearby venues: now that's class, happy dog

 

Lakewood also has the Winchester and the Phantasy.  Coventry has the Grog Shop, which gets indie stuff plus some bigger acts.  The west side doesn't have any venues like that.  But Now That's Class is a great place.  My brother's band just played there earlier in the week.

Be sure to check out Shaker Square

 

In regard to LI, I don't travel on Mayfield.

 

I have family that lives on Wade Park and in between the Coventry and Cedar -Fairmont areas.  They take Cedar.

 

Even though things are not "as bad" as they used to be I wouldn't recommend the area.

Yeah I drove on Cedar also and really like the apartments in the cedar-fairmont area.  I also like downtown, on Euclid.  It seemed safe but it was hard to judge since obviously I didn't see it at night. 

I'd take Cedar-Fairmount over Lakewood hands down. Both areas are safe, but I'd say that Cedar-Fairmount is safer. It also is very dense and provides a lot more amenities in a very close walking distance.

I'd take Cedar-Fairmount over Lakewood hands down. Both areas are safe, but I'd say that Cedar-Fairmount is safer. It also is very dense and provides a lot more amenities in a very close walking distance.

and is a quick bike ride to shaker square, cedar-Lee, Univ. Circle and Coventry.

 

I'd take Cedar-Fairmount over Lakewood hands down. Both areas are safe, but I'd say that Cedar-Fairmount is safer. It also is very dense and provides a lot more amenities in a very close walking distance.

 

I probably would too.

There are some great streets in the Cedar-Fairmount neighborhood like Grandview, Bellfield, Surrey and Derbyshire that have a mixture of apartments and rental homes.

 

 

I would recommend exploring the CSU campus - there are plenty of new apartment complexes adjacent to CSU on Euclid, E. 30th, Prospect, and just a block north on Superior. Plenty of choices - lofts, studio's, 1-, 2-, and 3-bed apartments, condo's etc.

 

Also check out Statler Arms on Euclid and E. 12th, a classy place. For outside downtown, nothing beats Cedar-Fairmount! Where in Tremont, Lakewood, or anywhere else is there a coffee shop open till 11pm on Sunday nights? Well, ok, a few blocks over at Phoenix on Coventry - and oops, they're sometimes open till midnight! (Fact: coffee shops open late is a huge thing for college students). ;) The commute time from Cedar-Fairmount to CSU is 10 minutes and you are close to the RTA, the Rapid, restaurants, bars, libraries, parks, college students, and a super densely packed upscale neighborhood!

Where in Tremont, Lakewood, or anywhere else is there a coffee shop open till 11pm on Sunday nights?

 

 

In the Gold Coast/Edgewater area, there are two coffee shops open until 11 p.m. -- Starbucks on Clifton and Arabica on Detroit.

 

Plus there are two 24-hour restaurants -- Diana's on West 117th and Friends on Detroit. There are two 24-hour drug stores -- CVS at Clifton/W117th and Walgreen's at Detroit/W117th. And if you have a car or a bicycle, the Giant Eagle on West 117th by I-90 is open 24 hours as is the Giant Eagle on Bunts at Detroit.

is Lennox Road in Cleveland Heights a good street?

is Lennox Road in Cleveland Heights a good street?

 

I'm going to say yes.  The area just south is uber expensive.

 

However, what is your definition of "safe"?

i just want to make sure it is a road where a single white female in her early 20s can comfortably walk around alone and not feel uncomfortable.  I know Cedar-Fairmount is nice, but I don't know if Lennox Road is just as nice

I knew a couple single white females who lived on Lennox about five years ago and never had any problems that I'm aware of.  They'd walk to the then-Giant Eagle (not sure if it's a Daves or Marcs now) at the corner.  They had parking in the surface lot to the west and didn't have any issues.  Again, this was five years ago, but I'd hope not much has changed in that time.

Isn't Lennox pretty much the residential heart of Cedar Fairmount?  I'd think it's completely fine.  I'd guess it's filled mostly with single 20-somethings, male and female.  A great location for someone new to town, IMHO.

Yeah its between Euclid Hts and Cedar.  Should be a great area (if the buildings are ok), even better if you were going to CWRU, but easy enough to get around from there.  Great area to run in as well. 

i just want to make sure it is a road where a single white female in her early 20s can comfortably walk around alone and not feel uncomfortable.  I know Cedar-Fairmount is nice, but I don't know if Lennox Road is just as nice

 

I lived on Lennox for 6 years and only moved out last fall because I got a house.  Lennox was a great street to live on.  There is a nice mix of college students and other young people and even some young families.  No problem walking around, even late at night.  The apartments are nice and most have heat included.

I lived on Lennox for 3 years (2095 - The Wilson) and found it perfectly safe at all hours.  Hopefully your building comes with parking, or a pass for the city lot at the north end.  The only hassle I remember was that, on a couple occasions, non-permit holders parked in the city lot and filled up the available spaces for permit holders, in which case I had to park on the street and move at 3 am to avoid the ever present parking ticket police.  Any overnight visitors have to feed the 24 hour metered spaces in the city lots at either end of the block.

ok thanks for all the help everyone! i think i finally decided on renting an apartment in Hampton House which is on Lake Road right near Lakewood.  It seems to be a safe area with lots of pretty homes and parks nearby.  If anyone has heard differently, please let me know!