I have looked at many threads regarding relocation to Cleveland but haven't found a similar situation to mine. Cleveland is on my list of places to which I would like to relocate but I have major issue: I don't drive.

 

I visited friends in Cleveland last week and was taken through the East side: Cleveland Heights and Lakewood. They were nice but there were not too many rentals close to supermarkets which is my main concern. There were some that were near public transportation so that was helpful.

 

We traveled through the West side, Ohio City and although I am not a young person (it seemed that was the majority of the population I saw) I liked the area and it seemed to be very convenient in terms of everything I would need being walking distance.

 

My friend however told me this was not a safe area. From what I saw, I think I have lived in more unsafe neighborhoods in both Chicago and Portland so I don't know if that is totally true.

 

Can anyone give me their thoughts on the neighborhood? Also if this is not a good idea, what neighborhoods would you suggest for someone in my situation?  Thanks!

 

 

welcome back.

 

where exactly in Cleveland Hts. where you as there are many apartment buildings withing close proximity to grocery stores and other amenities.

 

Also, did you look at Shaker Square?  It has all you say you wanted.  Where will you be working?

 

There are several people from Ohio City and Tremont that are on the forum and it's nice area.  As with in Urban city, you need to use common sense.  Being from Chicago, I'm sure you'll be fine.  I wonder where that "friend" lives?  That could be a reason why they state the neighborhood is "unsafe".

 

 

Where in Chicago did you live?  Many of our users are familiar with the neighborhoods there and can offer some comparisons. Also, are you M or F?  I'm F and I personally think it makes a big difference as to what you perceive as safe when you're a woman vs. a man.

welcome back.

 

where exactly in Cleveland Hts. where you as there are many apartment buildings withing close proximity to grocery stores and other amenities.

 

Also, did you look at Shaker Square?  It has all you say you wanted.  Where will you be working?

 

There are several people from Ohio City and Tremont that are on the forum and it's nice area.  As with in Urban city, you need to use common sense.  Being from Chicago, I'm sure you'll be fine.  I wonder where that "friend" lives?  That could be a reason why they state the neighborhood is "unsafe".

 

 

 

Hi, my friend lives in Cleveland Heights. She lives near Penfield and Woodridge. We drove around a lot but I couldn't say exactly where. I asked her to look for supermarkets so we could sort of "radiate" away from them to determine just where the nearest housing was but she could only find a few. I saw many apartment buildings in Cleveland Heights but didn't see supermartkets nearby. Often when people are used to driving they are unaware of what is walking distance and what isn't.

 

We briefly went through a part of Shaker Heights. Again my friend didn't feel all parts were safe. I am beginning to think she is a bit overcautious. We didn't get to Tremont although I have heard about it. One thing I found I could do is Google an area or look on Craig's List for rentals and then check out the mapquest feature that tells you how close another address is to one you are looking at.

 

I will be semi-retired when I move. I will be living on Social Security and a small pension but I want to work part time to supplement them. I have a lot of experience in health insurance as a claims adjuster and will be taking a course in medical coding. I have an eye on the Cleveland Clinic for work or University Hospital. It looks like they have clinics throughout the city and good bus routes to get to them. I check on their websites from time to time to see what they have available. I also will be checking out insurance companies.

 

Ideally I would have a job waiting for me but I know it is difficult to obtain one long distance. Meantime I could survive on the SS, savings and pension until I am able to get work. I probably won't be relocating for another year and I am checking out other places. I actually got the idea to put Cleveland on my list several years ago thinking about retirement. Now I am close so it won't be long before I make it happen.

welcome back.

 

where exactly in Cleveland Hts. where you as there are many apartment buildings withing close proximity to grocery stores and other amenities.

 

Also, did you look at Shaker Square?  It has all you say you wanted.  Where will you be working?

 

There are several people from Ohio City and Tremont that are on the forum and it's nice area.  As with in Urban city, you need to use common sense.  Being from Chicago, I'm sure you'll be fine.  I wonder where that "friend" lives?  That could be a reason why they state the neighborhood is "unsafe".

 

 

 

Hi, my friend lives in Cleveland Heights. She lives near Penfield and Woodridge. We drove around a lot but I couldn't say exactly where. I asked her to look for supermarkets so we could sort of "radiate" away from them to determine just where the nearest housing was but she could only find a few. I saw many apartment buildings in Cleveland Heights but didn't see supermartkets nearby. Often when people are used to driving they are unaware of what is walking distance and what isn't.

 

We briefly went through a part of Shaker Heights. Again my friend didn't feel all parts were safe. I am beginning to think she is a bit overcautious. We didn't get to Tremont although I have heard about it. One thing I found I could do is Google an area or look on Craig's List for rentals and then check out the mapquest feature that tells you how close another address is to one you are looking at.

 

I will be semi-retired when I move. I will be living on Social Security and a small pension but I want to work part time to supplement them. I have a lot of experience in health insurance as a claims adjuster and will be taking a course in medical coding. I have an eye on the Cleveland Clinic for work or University Hospital. It looks like they have clinics throughout the city and good bus routes to get to them. I check on their websites from time to time to see what they have available. I also will be checking out insurance companies.

 

Ideally I would have a job waiting for me but I know it is difficult to obtain one long distance. Meantime I could survive on the SS, savings and pension until I am able to get work. I probably won't be relocating for another year and I am checking out other places. I actually got the idea to put Cleveland on my list several years ago thinking about retirement. Now I am close so it won't be long before I make it happen.

 

Your friend lives in a Single Family residential area.  Most shoppers go to Severance for needs.

 

I would suggest checking out Coventry, Cedar-Lee and Cedar-Fairmount.  Shaker Height and Shaker Square are two different things. Shaker Square is a neighborhood in Cleveland.  It borders Western Cleve. Hts. and Shaker Hts.  Cleveland Hts. and Shaker Hts. are far from unsafe.

 

Check out Coventry, Cedar-Fairmont or Shaker Square and you will be no more than a 10 minute bus ride to the Clinic, University Circle or University Hospital.  Those areas have tons of the amenities you seek.

 

Shaker Square:  http://www.shakersquare.net/

Coventry:  http://www.coventryvillage.org/

Cedar-Fairmount:  http://www.cedarfairmount.com/home.html

Where in Chicago did you live? Many of our users are familiar with the neighborhoods there and can offer some comparisons. Also, are you M or F? I'm F and I personally think it makes a big difference as to what you perceive as safe when you're a woman vs. a man.

 

Wow, thanks everyone. I am really getting some quick answers. I am female and 64 years old. My first neighborhood growing up in Chicago was Garfield Park then Ravenswood and then border between the more "seemy" side of Rogers Park; Clark and Devon. I never had any crime problems until I moved briefly to Evanston where I was attacked by a rapist (I fought him off and escaped) so to me a "bad" neighborhood isn't necessarily always unsafe any more than a "good" one is always safe.

 

I agree that a woman's view of safety is different than a man's for different reasons.

 

 

Your friend lives in a Single Family residential area.  Most shoppers go to Severance for needs.

 

I would suggest checking out Coventry, Cedar-Lee and Cedar-Fairmount.  Shaker Height and Shaker Square are two different things. Shaker Square is a neighborhood in Cleveland.  It borders Western Cleve. Hts. and Shaker Hts.  Cleveland Hts. and Shaker Hts. are far from unsafe.

 

Check out Coventry, Cedar-Fairmont or Shaker Square and you will be no more than a 10 minute bus ride to the Clinic, University Circle or University Hospital.  Those areas have tons of the amenities you seek.

 

 

We did go to Cedar-Fairmont and found Dave's which was walking distance. My friend knew about this one. Thanks for clearing up the Shaker-Hieghts Shaker-Square thing. I thought they were the same. I think we went through Coventry but we drove around so much I started getting confused as to where we were.

 

I think my friend is being over-cautious. She told me to stay away from the West part of town although we did drive through Ohio City. She would be afraid to live in places neither I nor most people would fear. I am getting a better perspective on Cleveland neighborhoods on this forum as well as the Cleveland forum on City Data.

About 10 years I co-wrote a guidebook "Car-Free in Cleveland." I also went car-free for one month in 2008 and wrote about my experiences when I was staff writer for Sun Newspapers. The short answer is: Yes, it is possible especially if you don't travel often into the suburbs.

 

The key, as you have noted, is what is within 1,000 to 2,000 feet of your home, and how walkable and bikeable it is. I discovered that most of my trips were of the errand variety, and could be accomplished by walking and biking. My work trips were by transit.

 

The best locations are those having 24-hour stores, restaurants and transit. I happen to live in such an area: the Gold Coast section at the Lakewood-Cleveland line. There are apartments around here, one supermarket (a Bi-Rite) close by plus two 24-hour Giant Eagle grocery stores within a bike or bus ride away, two 24-hour drug stores (CVS and Walgreen's) and two 24-hour restaurants (Diana's and Friends'). There are also coffee shops, banks, bars, other restaurants, shops, and a Target store that's a bike or bus ride away.

 

This is just one great neighborhood. There are other great neighborhoods like this, but I know this one real well because I've lived here for 14 years. :)

Hi Minerva,

 

As a car-free Clevelander, I understand where you're coming from!  With respect to safety in Ohio City, I will say this:  everyone has a different comfort level, so visit a neighborhood at different times of the day and night, and trust your gut.  Crime does happen in Ohio City, but it's far from the city's worst neighborhood, and most incidents tend to happen along the main drags of W. 25 and Lorain.  From what I understand, the more residential interior of the neighborhood has less crime (especially violent crime,) but again, only you know what you're comfortable with.

 

If you want to expand your search, you could also look downtown, in Shaker Square, in Asia Town, in Tremont, in the Coventry and Cedar-Fairmount areas of neighboring Cleveland Heights, or certain sections of neighboring Lakewood.  The first two are especially convenient if you live without a car.

 

Good luck with your search, and please feel free to send me a PM if you'd like to hear more about my experience living car-free in Cleveland (which I've done for several years now.)

I work out of my home so it is very possible as I have also done it. I admit, there are times, however, that I got the feeling that "I just need to get the hell out of here, by myself...far away" for a while...and being spontaneous that I am, the lack of a long distance traveling vehicle denied those impulses. But, overall, it is very possible. These days, I actually do involve myself in some traveling sales that public transport would not be suitable.

 

Where KJP says he lives... That is an easy area to go car free, however, I wish another Grocery store would occupy the old Giant Eagle space on Clifton which was very convenient...far better than the suburban style monster plaza built at W./117th and I-90 area. I wrote to Dave's encouraging them to explore the possibility of using that empty space. Never heard anything about it.

 

 

Also, you may want to consider doing an online search for services such as grocery delivery. There were a handful of people offering this service in Cleveland a while back---there may be others who will do this.

 

As for Ohio City, it has good, bad and ugly...  There are far worse places and you just have to learn some basic smarts. Overall, I never have a problem. Depends where in the neighborhood you go...AND, I would strongly advise introducing yourself to the local Block Clubs and getting to know your neighbors. There is a strong/friendly and welcoming community bond. I would suggest Franklin/Clinton area and that block club as it is one of the most active. And yes, Asiatown as indicated above is an underrated place that has some great things happening...

I think if you're already used to what comes with living car free, then there are certainly many neighborhoods you can live car-free in Cleveland.  They key question is where would your office be?  That will help drive what the best spot will be for you to live.

I agree with shs96- there are a few neighborhoods that would work for car-free living; the one best for you will likely depend on where you will be working.

Hi minerva:

 

Lakewood is actually on the west side of town, so I am not sure that was the area your friend took you through.  Anyways, the area your friend lives in is not exactly the most walkable part of CH.  In fact, it might be one of the least walkable parts of the city.  Very large residential neighborhood with really nothing but single family homes... maybe a couple duplexes.  Not a bad neighborhood, but probably not what you are looking for.  The other areas mentioned above (Coventry, Cedar-Lee, and Cedar-Fairmount are much more walkable and much more renter friendly.

Hi minerva:

 

Lakewood is actually on the west side of town, so I am not sure that was the area your friend took you through.  Anyways, the area your friend lives in is not exactly the most walkable part of CH.  In fact, it might be one of the least walkable parts of the city.  Very large residential neighborhood with really nothing but single family homes... maybe a couple duplexes.  Not a bad neighborhood, but probably not what you are looking for.  The other areas mentioned above (Coventry, Cedar-Lee, and Cedar-Fairmount are much more walkable and much more renter friendly.

 

That's good to know. She said that there once was a grocery store withing walking distance from her house but it closed. You describe her neighborhood well. I don't think it's my kind of place actually. But I did like the three you mentioned. We went through them briefly but I could see they had more to offer.

Hi Minerva, welcome to the forum. I'm another car-free Clevelander, and I live in the Asiatown neighborhood. I've also lived in Shaker Square and Cedar-Fairmount briefly. Just my personal opinion, but I think the easiest car-free neighborhoods are downtown (for grocery proximity, I would look at the Warehouse District), Shaker Square and Ohio City.

 

Downtown is getting a little pricier (although still incredibly reasonable compared to downtowns in other cities) but has great bus connectivity to the Cleveland Clinic.

 

Shaker Square is a really lovely, charming neighborhood with grocery proximity and excellent train connectivity downtown, to the West Side and through Shaker Heights. There are also semi-frequent buses to University Circle and Cleveland Clinic, but getting to Coventry or Cedar-Lee neighborhoods is a little trickier. I would also look at the Larchmere neighborhood, just north of Shaker Square. You're still in walking distance for groceries, plenty of retail on Larchmere and the rents (from what I recall) can be slightly lower than right on Shaker Square. On the northwest side of the Larchmere neighborhood, there is also the Fairhill Center, which is a co-location of dozens of nonprofits that work with senior citizens ... Everything from social service provision to providing volunteer opportunities to extracurricular activities ... Really a great campus and pretty beautiful.

 

Ohio City is also well-served by trains further West and to downtown and University Circle and has bus lines that run in most directions. There's also a lot of retail, a centrally located grocery store and a range of rental rates. Ohio City does have moderately high crime rates, but it also has a strong sense of community that I think counters some of this.

 

Cleveland's Edgewater neighborhood and Lakewood's Gold Coast neighborhoods are other decent options. I've had some difficulties with weekend bus routes in these areas, and I haven't found the grocery stores in the area to be very pedestrian-friendly. Cedar Fairmount is a great neighborhood in terms of walking proximity to a grocery store. There is some retail in the neighborhood, and there are semi-frequent buses that would take you to Coventry, University Circle and downtown, but traveling from Cedar-Fairmount can be trickier in non-peak hours (i.e. during the day or after 7 p.m. or so), unless you're willing to do the 15-minute walk down Cedar Hill to the train station and bus circle.

 

As a fellow car-free person, I would caution you to think about walking distances in the height of February. Right now, when it's beautiful out, moderate works can seem like they wouldn't be bad at all, but in winter, walking becomes much more of a pain. That's one of the reasons that, like you, I'm always looking for a grocery store within a couple blocks. For that reason, there are some really nice Cleveland neighborhoods that I would not recommend, including Tremont. Sadly, Tremont lacks a grocery store, and with only two bus routes usually running only once an hour, a trip to get groceries from Dave's in Ohio City or from Steelyard Commons down the hill could be challenging.

 

Again, just my opinions. Best of luck with your search, and let us know if we can help with anything else!

As a fellow car-free person, I would caution you to think about walking distances in the height of February. Right now, when it's beautiful out, moderate works can seem like they wouldn't be bad at all, but in winter, walking becomes much more of a pain. That's one of the reasons that, like you, I'm always looking for a grocery store within a couple blocks. For that reason, there are some really nice Cleveland neighborhoods that I would not recommend, including Tremont. Sadly, Tremont lacks a grocery store, and with only two bus routes usually running only once an hour, a trip to get groceries from Dave's in Ohio City or from Steelyard Commons down the hill could be challenging.

 

Just one minor correction- there's now only one bus line, but it runs every 35 minutes (and every 45 nights and weekends.)  It's only hourly very late at night, so it's not a problem unless you do your shopping between midnight and 4:30 am ;-)

Hi minerva:

 

Lakewood is actually on the west side of town, so I am not sure that was the area your friend took you through. Anyways, the area your friend lives in is not exactly the most walkable part of CH. In fact, it might be one of the least walkable parts of the city. Very large residential neighborhood with really nothing but single family homes... maybe a couple duplexes. Not a bad neighborhood, but probably not what you are looking for. The other areas mentioned above (Coventry, Cedar-Lee, and Cedar-Fairmount are much more walkable and much more renter friendly.

 

That's good to know. She said that there once was a grocery store withing walking distance from her house but it closed. You describe her neighborhood well. I don't think it's my kind of place actually. But I did like the three you mentioned. We went through them briefly but I could see they had more to offer.

 

There did used to be a smaller grocery store on Noble just north of Monticello.  It was nothing to write home about though and was likely put out of business by the modern day super markets.  And while I always endorse Coventry as one of the more unique and walkable neighborhoods in the area, keep in mind that the grocery in that neighborhood is a Marc's discount store.  Now, my wife shops at Marc's every week for cereal, juice, chips... the basics, if you know what I mean.  The prices are outstanding.  However, she goes to Trader Joe's, the West Side Market, or some other 'non-discount' store for meat and produce.  I am not sure how the Dave's Supermarket in Cedar-Fairmount stacks up.  The Zagara's on Lee Rd. is probably pretty good for all your needs though.  There is a 24 hour CVS pharmacy right on the corner of Cedar-Lee if that makes a difference for you.

 

Also, keep in mind that there is a Whole Foods within a few miles of all these neighborhoods (in University Heights - Cedar Rd and Warrensville Center Rd to be exact).  Another mile east and there is a Heinen's.  Not quite as expensive as Whole Foods, but still has a good selection of 'fresh' groceries.

 

As far as Cleveland Heights on a whole, I would describe it as one of the most diverse cities you will find anywhere - racially, economically, religiously, etc.  The racial diversity is evident just by driving around.  Not much of a latino population, but I have noticed a recent growth in the south asian population (especially Indian) in the north part of town, right around where your friend lives. 

 

Then, you have the filthy rich (and I do mean 'filthy') all the way down to people on public assistance.  You have large sects of Jews and Orthodox Jews, as well as Christians, Muslims and I'm sure many atheists and agnostics. 

 

It is a VERY socially liberal area.  It was the first city in Ohio, and I think one of the first in the country, to have a gay partner registry.  It can be a tad on the eccentric side with really 'loud' paint on some houses and artsy displays in the front yards.  It has virtually zero industry, so taxes on the residents tend to be higher but, at the same time, it doesn't have those ugly zones some of its neighbors do.  It has a great recreation center with ice skating and any form of exercise and/or activity you could imagine. 

 

Crime does happen of course, as it does in any urban area, but I would say that random violence is relatively low.  Most crime I hear about consists of drug activity, domestic disputes, property crimes and fights among youths.  Most crimes I actually witness (and I am ALL OVER that city on my bike 3-4 times per week) is drug trafficking.  I also see some fights (usually alchohol related and occuring around closing time for the bars).  It sounds like you have some good street-smarts and experience living in similar neighborhoods (love the point about Evanston!) so you should be fine.  Rest assured that police presence is HEAVY.  CH has one of the highest police per population ratios in the State, if not the country.

 

Good luck with your search.  If you do decide on Cleveland and you get to a point where you have narrowed your choices, come back and we can provide more specifics.

Whoops. I just realized I posted the same first post twice. Sorry folks. As I tell my very young whippersnapper co-workers I don't always get this computer stuff right. I wasn't born with a mouse in my hand like they were.  :wink:

 

Anyway, I want to thank everyone for the great information. It may be a year before I actually move. I began saving and planning to relocate a few years ago and now I feel I am making progress. I picked Cleveland to check out because way back in 2005 I read that Cleveland was one of the most livable cities in the US.

 

Of course things have changed everywhere since then but it's all relative. The friends I connected with in Cleveland were people I hadn't seen in about 20 years. We used to meet at a convention in Chicago. The minute I emailed and told them I was coming to Cleveland to look around I was invited to stay with one of them. We met up with a couple of others. So that made it a nice visit.

 

I liked the neighborhoods we went through. I think I could be happy in Cleveland but I want to be sure so I will continue to check out other places on my list. Cleveland ranks high though. And from the great responses I have gotten here, I think Cleveland people are very helpful and friendly.

 

 

 

As I tell my very young whippersnapper co-workers

 

 

Sorry Minerva.... inside joke ;)

Whoops. I just realized I posted the same first post twice. Sorry folks. As I tell my very young whippersnapper co-workers I don't always get this computer stuff right. I wasn't born with a mouse in my hand like they were. :wink:

 

 

Minerva, the first post is duplicated because I combined your two identical threads into one in the appropriate board, "City Life".  The moderators on this and most web boards do this to keep the forum neat and to keep conversations about a given topic in one place.  I will go ahead and delete one of the "lead in" posts to tidy up the thread.

As I tell my very young whippersnapper co-workers

 

 

Sorry Minerva.... inside joke ;)

 

LOL! I think it's a funny picture. Actually I get along really well with my "whippersnappers." They listen to my stories and I get invaluable information on how to work these dang computers from them.

 

  :wink:

Whoops. I just realized I posted the same first post twice. Sorry folks. As I tell my very young whippersnapper co-workers I don't always get this computer stuff right. I wasn't born with a mouse in my hand like they were.  :wink:

 

 

Minerva, the first post is duplicated because I combined your two identical threads into one in the appropriate board, "City Life".  The moderators on this and most web boards do this to keep the forum neat and to keep conversations about a given topic in one place.  I will go ahead and delete one of the "lead in" posts to tidy up the thread.

 

Makes sense. I am all for being tidy. Now I have all my answers in one place. By the way I think I am making progress. Thanks to this forum I now know that Shaker Heights and Shaker Square are not the same place.