I posted this over on city-data and some people referred me here:  I'm 22, just graduated from Miami this past May and have been out of town this summer working an internship on the East Coast, returning to Mom and Dad's house in Mayfield broke and unemployed in three weeks.

 

Don't know if I'll stay in Cleveland, it depends a lot on where I find a job. I love it, but also I like Cincinnati and Columbus a lot and have a lot of friends there, and then a part of me wants to go to NY or Chicago for a few years... and the warm weather of the South attracts me as well.

 

But wherever I live, I know I want that urban feel. Old houses/apartment buildings with creaky floors and character. Walk-ability - to the corner store and to nightlife. Maybe some public transit.

 

I grew up in Mayfield and a lot of friends will probably get apartments in the high rise complexes around 91 and Mayfield Rd or on Cedar by Beachwood Place, but that just isn't for me.

 

Where should I live in Cleveland? I am from here, so I am familiar with geography and locations, but not so much with the feel of those locations. Especially the West Side - like a true Clevelander, I haven't crossed the Cuyahoga much.

 

Take Cedar-Fairmount, Coventry (current favorite), other CH neighborhoods, Tremont, Downtown, Lakewood, Edgewood, downtown Willoughby, Ohio City, Shaker Sq, West Park, University Circle, Little Italy/Murray Hill, University Circle, and wherever else you can think of and judge them on these five criteria -

 

1) Old Houses or Apartment Buildings with creaky floors and character

 

2) Quick Rapid Access - I'd still have a car but it would be cool for the commute - most jobs I will be going for will be downtown (public accounting). Not a dealbreaker as areas I really like (ie Coventry) don't have it, but it would be cool. The HealthLine is interesting too, I don't know much about it, but it says it provides 24 hour service on Wikipedia... makes Little Italy stand out.

 

3) Walking distance to nightlife - probably more important than walking distance to the store.

3a) Good nightlife with a young crowd. Being away for all of my 21+ years, I don't know where that really is in Northeast Ohio. Been to downtown Willoughby a few times and to Coventry and I liked Coventry a little better. But I don't really know. To stereotype, I'm somewhere in between a polo shirt guy and an indie rock guy (I went to Miami...), not an ed hardy, guido guy though, although a bunch of my friends from mayfield are.

 

4) Walking distance to the stores/restaurants. Ethnic stores/restaurants would be cool too... I'm Italian and I'd love an Alescis or something to be able to get some good bread. As for restaurants, I like local joints more than chains. But like I said, walking to nightlife beats this. Maybe a not too far driving distance to some of these places if walking isn't in the cards.

 

5) A young crowd lives there- very important, probably the most important.

 

Obviously safety too - don't want to get stabbed, but I am fine with a little grittiness.

 

This won't be for a few months, and I'll be able to go places myself and check them out, but I'm starting to think about it and wanted to know what you all thought.

Sounds like Little Italy is right up your alley.  Lots of young people.  Lots of activity.  Access to the type of markets you are looking for.  A little grit, but still safe.  Access to both the Rapid and the Healthline.  I would imagine that now would be a good time to look for units in that area before the students get back in town for the fall.

 

As for old apartments with creaky floors and character, Coventry has those in spades.... right down to the ivy encroaching onto your patio.  Shaker Square as well.  There are also some buildings just east of SS, near the intersection of Van Aiken, Chagrin and Warrensville which have the type of appeal you are looking for.

 

My suggestion - if you have family and friends here, give it a shot.  You can always relocate if you think the "grass is greener".  Living here on your own after college is a lot different than living here with your folks while you are in HS.  You will find a lot to like in other places (I surely did) but you might also find that "home" has all you need.  That said, I never discourage those folks who have that itch to spend a year or two in NYC or Chicago, so long as you can afford to actually live IN the City.

Hi Mu2010,

 

Most of the neighborhoods you're interested in fit at least several of those criteria.  West Park is fairly family-oriented, and much of Edgewater's nightlife is oriented towards gay men (except for Brothers Lounge.)  University Circle proper is also fairly light on nightlife (but what's there is very oriented towards people of college age.)

 

Depending on the crowd you're looking for, Coventry, Ohio City, Tremont, Downtown, Lakewood, Little Italy (and maybe Shaker Square) would provide the best nightlife.  You might also check out Detroit-Shoreway.

 

If you're looking for people around the age you are now (with a college mentality,) Coventry, Little Italy, and Lakewood fit the bill nicely.  If you're comfortable with a more late-twenties and early thirties crowd, Tremont, OC, Detroit-Shoreway, and Downtown fit in.  You can find older housing stock in any of those places, and they're all easily walkable.  Lakewood has a few different nightlife districts that are each walkable in themselves, but you'd probably have to drive to get from one to another.

 

As far as stores go, there's a full-service grocer (Dave's) in Ohio City, a Marc's on Coventry, and several options scattered throughout Lakewood.  The OC Dave's is a quick drive from Tremont, as is the Super Walmart and Target in Steelyard commons.  Downtown has several options.  Tremont, Lakewood, and Ohio City each have several corner stores scattered throughout, and Little Italy has one, too.  All of the places you're looking at have a variety of restaurants.

 

I hope that helps you get an idea of what these places are all like.  Definitely go visit, with a "local," if possible, to get the lay of the land.  If you have any questions about Tremont, or would like someone to show you the ropes, feel free to shoot me a PM.  I've been living here car-free for several years now, and I'm close to your age, so I think I probably understand your perspective.  In any case, welcome to the forum, and good luck on your search!

[*]Shaker Square has those!

[*]Shaker Square has three train stations.  Can have better access to that or the buses that run on Buckeye or Larchmere/woodland and we have a citywheels location

[*]There are plenty of non chain restaurants on Shaker Square & Larchmere and quick access to Coventry and Little Italy

[*]Shaker Square is full of everyday stores right out of your door.  Again, UC, Little Italy and Coventry are less than 10 minutes away

[*]Shaker Square is pretty diverse.  Old, young, black, white, straight, gay, married and singles.

Come on "the square"! :wink2:

Coventry is probably your best bet. Investigate the duplexes to the west of Coventry Rd. The location is ideal and landlords are willing to negotiate quite to your favor, so don't be discouraged by prices. Best to find a roommate and live in a house, but there are singles available.

 

I can make it from my house to the Rapid in about 20 minutes, though the Healthline is the real asset in this area (runs late). Though some claim that the bar scene is declining in Coventry, you still have a few other hotspots within close distance, like Cedar-Lee, Cedar-Fairmount, and my favorite, the campus bar at Case. :)

 

The tract west of Coventry including Little Italy has to be the highest concentration of twenty-somethings in the whole city. I've found that almost all of the other neighborhoods in the city cater toward crowds in their late 20s/early 30s (who tend to act like people in their mid-late 30s from NYC/CHI), which is probably why so many people in those areas complain about how "bad" Coventry is (they're jealous of youthful energy). But don't worry about the bar scene quality, the better benefit is meeting people around the neighborhood of similar age and educational background.

 

There are still too many NIMBYs and "get off my lawn" passive-aggressives who illogically complain about college student antics after moving there with wide-open eyes, but you'll probably find that anywhere except in a downtown highrise. But nevertheless, the street in front of my house is active with pedestrians at pretty much any (reasonable, sometimes unreasonable) hour of the day.

 

You will probably pay $500-600 for a single in Coventry, less in Little Italy but parking is typically more difficult (sometimes street only). Your price can drop drastically if you find a roommate. Watch out for the heat bill, though.

 

'Nother thought is Waterloo if you want to be a little daring. The area is still gritty and rundown but there's a really cool group of artist types living down there trying to generate some excitement  and rebuild the area. It's where the Beachland Ballroom is. Some of my Coventry-expat friends have told me it's a cooler place to be.

 

And God, whatever you do, don't live in Mayfield Heights. I have always been puzzled as to why home prices are so high there. I guess people still believe their real estate agent when they claim that the Costco is an "amenity" that "increases value."

 

PM me if you want to get a beer and some advice. I had no clue what I was doing when I moved into town either.

Little Italy for all the aforementioned reasons and then some: cheap as hell, absolutely phenomenal location (you can visit your parents in 20 minutes on the East or hit up Lakewood in 20 minutes on the West), outstanding restaurants, nothing but young people and cool old school Italians, extremely low crime rates (lowest in all Cleveland neighborhoods perhaps?), Healthline, rapid, University Circle attractions, 5 minutes from Coventry, 15 from downtown, pretty cementary nearby, and once again Cheap Cheap Cheap.

coventry/little italy is standing out i think... Little Italy seems better for transit, walk down to the HealthLine station near the Triangle, and a 20 minute walk to coventry isn't bad...  But coventry seems maybe a little cooler to actually live in.

 

anybody know the status on the new mayfield road and 120th rapid station? RTA's website says 2010 but it's dated 2007, and the Euclid 120th stop seems like its not in the best of places... or is that a misconception?

 

Maybe I should just give up on the idea of transit here... it wouldn't be worth it to me if I couldn't get downtown for work in the time I could drive.

If you can find a nice apartment in an old duplex or small apartment building north of Mayfield (such as on East 120th or Coltman) then it's an easy walk to the rapid station at Euclid or to the future Mayfield rapid station. You will be in between them. I haven't heard the latest on the Mayfield rapid station construction though. It's also an easy walk to the food co-op, plus a few nightspots in the area. A bicycle will come in real handy in that area. But like someone else suggested, if you really are interested in that area, start looking now as available housing will be snapped up by CWRU students. You may already be a little late in the game.

 

And if you want to feel like you've moved away from home, move to the west side of the river. One place that often gets overlooked is grabbing an apartment in an old duplex on a sidestreet off Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, from Bunts west to about Webb. There is a lot of streetlife and amenities in this area, including 24-hour bus service on Detroit that connects to the Rapid at West Boulevard, a movie theater, grocery store (including a 24-hour Giant Eagle), a shit-load of bars, coffee shops and restaurants, a new YMCA, a large library, a couple of city parks, Beck Center for the Arts and lots of shops of all kinds. If you can't find something to do here, then you must be comatose!

 

Plus you can bike or put your bike on the bus to the Metroparks less than a mile or two west. The bike path winds its way down the deep Rocky River valley with lots of tall bridge soaring overhead. And you won't get as much snow as on the east side, nor does it get so hot in the summer being right next to the lake.

 

If you want more details, just ask. I lived on the east side for 26 years before making the conversion, so it can be done! My move felt like going out of town without being too far from family. Consider it.

The Mayfield Rapid stop, thanks to extravagant overplanning, is going to take years and years to build. I could rant and rave about it here, but this really isn't the proper place. Think 2013-2014.

 

As for the rental cycle, usually it begins in May. Most everything on the market now is what didn't get rented then. There's a lot more on craigslist than there was when I was first looking a few years ago in September, might have something to do with the economy as a lot of people I knew around here were blowing $1000/month to live by themselves in a double.

 

To be completely and frankly honest, and at the risk of being crucified, taking the Red Line downtown really isn't worth the time and cost unless your employer reimburses you. At $2.25 each way, I found I was spending an extra half-hour and 50 cents more than it costs to park at the garage on Prospect and E4th in the morning. Depending on your field, too, you might end up driving out to Beachwood to work, so keep that in mind.

 

At any rate, I'd choose LI over Coventry for rapid access, but barring that, Coventry is the superior choice as your only choices for reasonably-priced entertainment in LI are Lou's Tavern, Lounge Leo, the Case campus bar and the Barking Spider, which are not exactly riveting places (and I think this is important, because it's the easiest way to meet fun people of similar attitudes, though minds can differ). Either way, though, if you get used to walking 20 minutes at a time, you can hit both places. You'll find that the housing stock is more high quality in Coventry than in LI, and parking is less of a hassle, though your mileage may vary. I always used to love hitting Presti's for a coffee and snack in the morning on the way to school or work.

To be completely and frankly honest, and at the risk of being crucified, taking the Red Line downtown really isn't worth the time and cost unless your employer reimburses you. At $2.25 each way, I found I was spending an extra half-hour and 50 cents more than it costs to park at the garage on Prospect and E4th in the morning.

 

Ditto.  I drive now after several years of taking the rapid, and the bus before that for many more years, but no more.  It's a wash financially since I found a parking lot for less than it cost to take the rapid, and much quicker, as well as no annoying voice over announcements repeating the same "cutesy" announcement over and over, or hearing "pedestrians, bus is turning, bus is turning" over and over.

Hmm forget the rapid... I've been spending too much time riding the New York city subway this summer fantasizing about it in Cleveland but RTA just ain't the same thing.  Healthline 24/7 seems clutch for a night out downtown though. 

 

20 minute walking distance between everywhere is great.  I am already used to walking 25 minutes to class in college.  I just didn't want 20 minutes to a train stop and then 20 more before i'm at work.

 

Coventry is in the lead.  As for missing this year, that's not a big deal... next summer would probably be a more realistic date for me anyways.  Maybe, maybe, after the new year. 

 

I will have to check out some of the West Side neighborhoods (Lakewood, Tremont, and Ohio City) although Coventry seems to have younger people than all of them.

Don't let other people affect your opinion of the Rapid. I find it very useful for many of my trips, especially for crosstown journeys. You know -- crossing the River Cuyahoga? ;)

Don't let other people affect your opinion of the Rapid. I find it very useful for many of my trips, especially for crosstown journeys. You know -- crossing the River Cuyahoga? ;)

 

Exactly.  I take the train all the time.  I dont even drive in Cleveland.

To be completely and frankly honest, and at the risk of being crucified, taking the Red Line downtown really isn't worth the time and cost unless your employer reimburses you. At $2.25 each way, I found I was spending an extra half-hour and 50 cents more than it costs to park at the garage on Prospect and E4th in the morning.

 

Ditto. I drive now after several years of taking the rapid, and the bus before that for many more years, but no more. It's a wash financially since I found a parking lot for less than it cost to take the rapid, and much quicker, as well as no annoying voice over announcements repeating the same "cutesy" announcement over and over, or hearing "pedestrians, bus is turning, bus is turning" over and over.

 

Wash Financially - Maybe, depends on how far work is from your parking garage.  An advantage i have is that from TC I can hop on the E-line trolly or the HealthLine and be dropped off almost right at the front door.  Very convenient during those lovely weather events we have.

 

Announcements - The announcements on the Rapid have been toned down. A lot.  Still the cutesy announcement, but no longer blaring so much more reasonable.  The bus announcements are not as bad as everyone makes it out to be.  Is that basically what is being said, yeah.  Can you hear it in Public Square, not really over all the other automobile noises.  Basically you only hear it if the bus is turning right next to you (not sure how it sounds if you are on the bus though).

<broken record>

 

if you lean indie then i suggest lakewood because you can easily ride a bike to now that's class or happy dog.

 

</broken record>

 

coventry is ok if you lean more toward the polo shirt (although lakewood accommodates that too with bars like mccarthy's ale house (which i live right by, but have not set foot in))

 

I think its pretty much narrowed to Lakewood or Coventry.  At this point I have to spend some time in both of them. 

 

Shaker Square could be a dark horse because I think its the best neighborhood in the city for the transit access but I'm not sure about the age of the crowd or the walkable nightlife. (Don't want to worry about driving or rides every time I go out)

If you want nightlife consisting of people roughly your age, forget about Shaker Square or Little Italy.  Nice restaurants, but they close at midnight or earlier and you're looking at an older crowd there.  Have you considered downtown?  Doesn't really meet your first criteria, but scores pretty high in every other category.