Hello everyone. I've been living in Ohio for about 7 months now on a 9 month lease. I like living downtown, but i work in Mentor and my girlfriend works in Solon. The commute is adding up with my low mpg so I'm thinking of moving closer to Mentor, the extra time will be nice as well. I've gone to a happy hour or two at Ballantine's in Willoughby, and when coming out one night i noticed what appeared to be apartments above the buildings on downtown (Willoughby). Im not sure what the place is called, does anyone know anything about these apts?

 

Also considering other places between Solon and Mentor. Beachwood etc... Im not sure if i'm ready to rent a house just yet. Mowing, maintenance and higher utilities to get extra room that i just don't need; howeverI have yet to see many cool looking apartments out that way. Anyone have some suggestions??

 

Thanks!

They definitely are apartments. My aunt used to live in one of the buildings. One of the buildings on the 3rd floor has an old abandoned ballroom last when I was there a few years ago. I thought I heard there was plans to renovate it, its a cool place. If you work in mentor and dont want to commute as far I think this would be a good location.

Have you considered Chagrin Falls? If you live in/near downtown Chagrin Falls, you will have a pedestrian-friendly area that's closer to Solon than Mentor. But you will have three different routes to Mentor -- Old 422 (Chagrin Blvd to I-271 to I-90), Chagrin River Road (a beautiful drive if you have the time to unwind), and Russell or Hemlock/SR87 to SR306 to Mentor.

 

I grew up just south of Chagrin Falls, and love that town for its distinctive New England atmosphere. If you can find an apartment or house for rent near downtown, you may find a nice mix between metropolitan, suburban and small-town.

 

Here are some pictures of Chagrin Falls....

 

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=chagrin+falls&cp=4&bav=on.1,or.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1024&bih=677

 

When looking at rentals, please note there is a 1920s-era housing development south of Chagrin Falls that failed during the Great Depression and has been a rough area ever since. It's called Chagrin Falls Park and is located on the Geauga County side of South Franklin Street. It includes street names like Akron, Canton, Dayton, Bedford, Elyria, Huron and other Ohio city names, plus some inner-city Cleveland street names like Woodland and Broadway. Unfortunately, most rental homes I see are in the Chagrin Falls Park area. But I would look in the area between Chagrin Falls Park and downtown Chagrin Falls. Tell me if you fall in love with that neighborhood.

 

Check out the Carriage Hill Apartments on Carriage Drive off Bell Street (listing:  http://commerceparksquare.com/carriagehill.shtml);

Or there's the Citadel Apartments, 315 Solon Road (a listing: http://cleveland.craigslist.org/apa/2163582458.html);

Or Nob Hill Drive, off Solon Road by the Citadel, has lots of apartment buildings hidden up there. (a listing: http://cleveland.craigslist.org/apa/2227845276.html).

 

Happy hunting!

What kind of area are you looking for?  Old city with a "downtown", newer suburban development, lakefront?

 

Check out Mayfield

Thanks for all the replies everyone. KJP that's a great review, the pictures are really nice! There are at least 2 people I work with that line in Chagrin Falls and I think i've driven through when out exploring a time or two.

 

"Punch", i'd love to get something near the lake, but that's probably going to be far from Solon. I looked at some cool condo's in Willowick that are new and right on the lake, but they were pretty pricey. I guess i'd say i want something newer, or at least renovated. I dont want to be able to hear my neighbors brushing their teeth each morning and it seems older buildings can be pretty drafty with the winter winds around here.

 

I'd like to be close to some type of shopping center, Giant eagle, restaurants etc... Im right next to E. 4th street now and it's nice being able to just walk around the corner and have so many dining options, but getting to a walmart or Giant eagle is a bit of a pain

I second the Chagrin Falls suggestion.

Indeed.  If you like living somewhere walkable, it's you're best bet.  Maybe Willoughby, too, but that's not close to Solon.

 

edit- I was just looking at a map, and you may consider Shaker Heights, too.  You'd have good access to 271, which would take you 422 and 90, and on to Mentor or Solon fairly easily.  There's a lot of rentals along Van Aken, close to the Green Line, which could take you into Downtown.

Chagrin Falls has a Giant Eagle downtown, plus a community theater (Chagrin Valley Little Theater), lots of little mom-and-pop restaurants and taverns, and a Starbucks to make you think you're in an urban neighborhood.

 

Shaker Heights is a good suggestion. The area at the end of the Blue Line on Van Aken is going to look very different in the coming years as the strip shopping centers and parking lots are replaced with a street grid and new-urbanist developments. The area at Lee/Van Aken was starting to see some transit-oriented development until the credit crunch hit. There are some apartments and condos there, plus lots of shops and the library. The RTA Blue Line stations at Lee and Warrensville will be replaced with new stations relocated a bit east. At Lee, it will move from the west side of Lee to the east side. And at Warrensville, the station will be moved from the NW side of Warrensville/Chagrin to the SE side.

Willoughby may be further from Solon, but for getting to Mentor you could save gas and take the bus. It seems more trouble than it's worth to take a bus from anywhere else we've mentioned to Mentor (and I'm feeling way too lazy today to look at RTA's website for busses going to Solon.)

If you live at the end of the Blue Line at Warrensville, you can take the 41 to Solon every 25-40 minutes 21 hours a day but the route tends to wander....

http://www.riderta.com/pdf/41.pdf

 

Laketran buses between Willoughby and Mentor operate hourly on two routes (I guess that makes them half hourly).....

http://www.laketran.com/maps/fixed/RT-2.aspx

http://www.laketran.com/maps/fixed/RT-6.aspx

Thanks again all, i'll have to check these places out this weekend. I think Mentor is closer to Solon than downtown Cleveland is, so even if we end up closer to Mentor my girlfriend will still end up with a shorter commute. Plus her car gets great gas mileage so she'll be fine. Downtown Willoughby is only like 5 miles from my work, so that'd be ideal :)  But i definitely plan to check on Chagrin Falls this weekend

Chagrin Falls is more isolated making your combined commute, between the two of you, longer.

downtown willoughby was my immediate reaction and your familiarity with the area makes the suggestion even better

If you have any questions about Shaker, specifically the east end, shoot me a message.  I just moved to some of the apartments along Van Aken in August and am very happy here so far.  I'd be happy to try to give some advice.

I drove though Willoughby last weekend, it looks like there are 2 separate buildings with apartments upstairs, but i only saw one name. "Bond Building Apartments" but i didnt see a phone #. I may have to stop by during lunch one day and check it out.

 

JEJ, I just looked up that area on google, looks like a nice area and is pretty close to 271. Im going to look further into Willoughby since its so close to work but if that doesnt work out i'll shoot ya a message.