Hi everyone, I posted this thread on the City Data forums but I thought I might get some useful information here.

 

Now before you say anything, no I'm not crazy. I was born in Ohio and grew up living in the Eastern suburbs of Cleveland. Moved to Sydney with my family at 16 and have finished college and started my career there. My wife and I (she's Australian but has visited CLE with me before) love Sydney but have decided to move back to CLE as I will be taking a job with one of the local sports teams.

 

Other than the job (which is a dream job), what attracts us to Cleveland is the low cost of living compared to Sydney (which may just be the most expensive city in the world), as well as all the great development that is happening which I believe will make Cleveland itself one of the best places to live in the country.

 

I want to get some input on living recommendations. Although it's just the two of us, we would like to have a 2 bedroom apartment or townhouse so that family can come stay with us and still be comfortable. I'd like to be in a neighborhood close to the urban redevelopment, such as the University Circle area or East 4th etc. I also like Lakewood for the balance it provides in a great neighborhood. The issue is we're probably going to be looking to spend under $1,000 per month on rent. We will also be looking at starting a family in the next 1-2 years so that should be taken into consideration.

 

I should probably add that we love the outdoors and are really into history and culture. We also appreciate good food and enjoy live events like sports, live music and theatre. My wife is a photographer and a bit of a socialite!

 

Any advice would be much appreciated. I've been reading these forums for awhile and I know there are a lot of great and helpful posters here.

 

Thanks

 

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/forum/cleveland/1529555-moving-cleveland-sydney-australia.html#ixzz1pcp6JIjo

Welcome back!  :wave:

 

I think you would be very happy either University Circle/Little Italy, Downtown, or Lakewood.

 

The eastside has more "culture and history."  The westside has better parks, beaches, and outdoors type items.  You'll be pleasantly surprised with the food scene here...many neighborhoods have great food options.

 

When will you be moving here?

Thanks for your reply - those suggestions are right in line with what we're thinking. We're moving in about a month. I think the outdoor stuff would be better for my wife on the west side. The great thing if course is that everything is so close!

 

Any idea where to start looking for rental properties in Lakewood? My budget is under $1000 per month.

I would also recommend Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. It is next to Edgewater lakefront park, there ate lots of new, quality restaurants in the area.  Battery Park is a large development in D.S.

 

The neighborhood centers around about W. 65th, so you are still close to downtown and the W. 25th street, home to Market Square.

I think you should check out the Gold Coast section of Lakewood.

 

KJP can really help you out, he lives in the neighborhood.

 

Definitely check out Detroit Shoreway.  There are some really neat spaces north of Detroit.  Also check out St. Stephens Court and Waverly Station.  Brand new townhomes would probably fall into your proce range.  Dont be afarid to buy in the city.  Its the biggest fear of everyone.  Once you get over the hump its the best decision you will make.  I just made that decision and its the best i have ever made.  There are scores of great people having children in the near west neighborhoods.

Hi everyone, I posted this thread on the City Data forums but I thought I might get some useful information here.

 

Now before you say anything, no I'm not crazy. I was born in Ohio and grew up living in the Eastern suburbs of Cleveland. Moved to Sydney with my family at 16 and have finished college and started my career there. My wife and I (she's Australian but has visited CLE with me before) love Sydney but have decided to move back to CLE as I will be taking a job with one of the local sports teams.

 

Other than the job (which is a dream job), what attracts us to Cleveland is the low cost of living compared to Sydney (which may just be the most expensive city in the world), as well as all the great development that is happening which I believe will make Cleveland itself one of the best places to live in the country.

 

I want to get some input on living recommendations. Although it's just the two of us, we would like to have a 2 bedroom apartment or townhouse so that family can come stay with us and still be comfortable. I'd like to be in a neighborhood close to the urban redevelopment, such as the University Circle area or East 4th etc. I also like Lakewood for the balance it provides in a great neighborhood. The issue is we're probably going to be looking to spend under $1,000 per month on rent. We will also be looking at starting a family in the next 1-2 years so that should be taken into consideration.

 

I should probably add that we love the outdoors and are really into history and culture. We also appreciate good food and enjoy live events like sports, live music and theatre. My wife is a photographer and a bit of a socialite!

 

Any advice would be much appreciated. I've been reading these forums for awhile and I know there are a lot of great and helpful posters here.

 

Thanks

 

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/forum/cleveland/1529555-moving-cleveland-sydney-australia.html#ixzz1pcp6JIjo

 

Welcome!

 

First off, not one person on this forum would say you're crazy for wanting to move to Cleveland! (well maybe a loco forumer from CowLumBus or CincaTucky! he he he  :D 8) >:D :angel: )  We're very proud of our city and region, so remove that train of thought right now!  :) ;) 

 

You've come to the BEST place for accurate information on urban living by those who live an urban lifestyle! 

 

Have you considered Shaker Square/Larchmere, Tremont, Ohio City, Detroit-Shoreway, Detroit-Sterling/Asian Village or University Circle/Murray Hill?  Or Urban suburban areas like Coventry, Cedar-Fairmont, Cedar-Lee?

 

Where on the Eastside did you grow up and where in Sydney do you live so we can have an idea of what type of neighborhoods you're coming from and currently live.

Circle East Townhomes in UNiversity Circle

 

2b/2b townhome w/garage for $960

Welcome home :)

 

If you've been gone for awhile, there is a lot to catch up on.  Several neighborhoods have changed.... some for the worse, but many more for the better.  I would definitely check out Little Italy and the areas surrouding it in UC and Cleveland Heights.  You probably won't get as much bang for your buck, but the neighborhood amenities and culture can't be beat IMO.  It would be a really good area to introduce your wife to Cleveland.  The other suggestions are all good too, of course.

There may be a few options in Downtown or University Circle at the price you want, but not too many.  I'd recommend Ohio City, to be close to the Westside Market and one of Cleveland's fastest growing commercial strips with lots of independent businesses; Tremont, which is a little quieter and full of great restaurants and neighborhood pubs; or Detroit Shoreway, which like Ohio City has an interesting, emerging commercial strip, plus great access to the lake.  Of course, there is always Lakewood and the adjacent Edgewater neighborhood of Cleveland.

I also think you are a perfect person to take advantage of the services of Global Cleveland, www.globalclevelandinitiative.com

They are set up to attract new people to Cleveland from all over the world

Welcome back to Cleveland. My sister works for one of the sports teams in town and loves her job. I hope you will love yours as much, and find a great neighborhood for you and your wife. Remember, you don't have to find the perfect neighborhood right away. My advice is to find a temporary home, possibly on a month-to-month lease (could be difficult considering it is a sellers market here with apartments in high demand), and keep looking for that perfect neighborhood-apartment combo you and your wife will love.

 

If you wish to consider Lakewood, then my suggestions are the Gold Coast (great views, good biking/jogging streets, 24-hours stores and restaurants nearby, proximity to downtown Cleveland) or downtown Lakewood (incredible number of restaurants and cafes, shops, library, YMCA, Lakewood Park etc within an easy walk).

 

Here are some examples of Gold Coast apartments.....

 

http://www.forrent.com/apartment-community-profile/1000055514.php

http://www.forrent.com/apartment-community-profile/1001534.php

http://www.forrent.com/apartment-community-profile/1030198.php

http://www.howardhanna.com/property/property.asp?PRM_MLSNumber=3298292&PRM_MlsName=NorthernOH&VAR_AgentCode=53107&VAR_OfficeCode=226 (if the link doesn't work, go to howardhanna.com and use the MLS Number: 3298292)

http://www.howardhanna.com/property/property.asp?PRM_MLSNumber=3294455&PRM_MlsName=NorthernOH&VAR_AgentCode=&VAR_OfficeCode= (MLS Number: 3294455)

http://www.howardhanna.com/property/property.asp?PRM_MLSNumber=3279254&PRM_MlsName=NorthernOH&VAR_AgentCode=&VAR_OfficeCode= (MLS Number: 3279254)

http://www.howardhanna.com/property/property.asp?PRM_MLSNumber=3298188&PRM_MlsName=NorthernOH&VAR_AgentCode=53459&VAR_OfficeCode=22 (MLS Number: 3298188)

http://www.howardhanna.com/property/property.asp?PRM_MLSNumber=3283589&PRM_MlsName=NorthernOH&VAR_AgentCode=&VAR_OfficeCode= (MLS Number: 3283589)

 

Note that two-bedroom (or more) apartments on the Gold Coast cost more than $1,000 per month. Unfortunately I didn't find any rentals in downtown Lakewood where rents will be cheaper, but I'll be honest in saying that I didn't look very hard! There was nothing at howardhanna.com and I didn't see anything at forrent.com. But there are other sites including craigslist, pluggedincleveland.com and rent.com.

 

If you are willing to consider renting a house, or one-half of a duplex, here are some of my suggestions:

 

> second floor is better (less noise)

> prefer rentals where the owner lives in the other half (better maintained, access to owner to get repairs)

> ask residents in area about problem neighbors (they can ruin a great apartment)

> check condition of bathroom and kitchen (they are the hardest to maintain and neglect shows up their first/most)

 

As for specific locations, look for addresses on north-south streets that are 1350 or higher or 1250 or lower. That will keep you about 10 houses or more from the railroad tracks where trains must blow their horn for every crossing (there are 27 crossings in six miles!). If you are looking east of Cove/Ridgewood avenues, try looking north of Detroit Avenue. You will find better homes, apartments and conditions.

 

Good luck in your search! Please feel free to ask any and all questions. We are happy to help!

^ my gosh, some of those Howard Hanna pics are not doing the place any justice!

 

Can't they get MayDay or someone to take some decent building shots lol.

JMO but I have never been in love with the Gold Coast properties. I think they are very overpriced for what you get. Lakewood would be my recommendation for you as well, but not there. That being said, Lakewood is a tough nut to crack remotely because many, many of the available properties are only posted via a sign in the yard/window, and you only know about them from driving around and writing numbers down and calling to make appointments. The biggest drawback to Lakewood apartment living is getting one that does not have a parking lot. Street parking is a nightmare unless you are a very dedicated clock watcher and keep very regular hours. One morning you are 5 minutes late in moving your car, and there's a ticket. There are a number of options that include parking though - there are a lot of duplexes in lakewood and street parking on those streets is less difficult as it's not as bound by the hours restrictions on the E-W streets, and usually you'll have at least 1 spot in a driveway. And there ARE small apartments that have parking. I lived in a great apartment on Elmwood at Madison that had a small lot, and I lived at the Riverside on Madison (at Riverside, of course) that had it's own parking lot. The one benefit of the aforementioned Gold Coast properties is they have their own parking garages, but I think those are extra, and with the $1000 cap at rent and your desire for at least a 2 bedroom, that's going to be a tough row to hoe down there I think.

 

Would it be possible for you to move into a temporary space while you get here and do some scouting? Like Reserve Square? I think they have monthly or short term contracts there.

^ my gosh, some of those Howard Hanna pics are not doing the place any justice!

 

Can't they get MayDay or someone to take some decent building shots lol.

Off topic alert - that's nothing.  They have misleading pictures of units in my complex.  They always show an exterior of Building 1, granted the units for sale are in Buildings 2, 5, 8 10 & 11.  How hard is it to get accurate pictures from the board?!  There are a ton of historical pictures on MC!

^ my gosh, some of those Howard Hanna pics are not doing the place any justice!

 

Can't they get MayDay or someone to take some decent building shots lol.

Off topic alert - that's nothing.  They have misleading pictures of units in my complex.  They always show an exterior of Building 1, granted the units for sale are in Buildings 2, 5, 8 10 & 11.  How hard is it to get accurate pictures from the board?!  There are a ton of historical pictures on MC!

 

Wow, that's just unacceptable...yet educational.

 

d.robuck check these places out in person!

 

 

Best part about living on the Gold Coast is it keeps you away from living near the riff-raff inland -- like in Shaker Square.

 

Ready for incoming!

 

Best part about living on the Gold Coast is it keeps you away from living near the riff-raff inland -- like in Shaker Square.

 

Ready for incoming!

 

Back on topic, please and thank you! Let's keep focused on helping this new person.

Back on topic, please and thank you! Let's keep focused on helping this new person.

 

 

 

He...he...he..  RNR is right...let help our returning citizen and his spouse!

Trying to find a 2 bedroom for $1000 in a nice urban neighborhood might be tough. As has already been suggested, you might be best off looking at renting part of a house. The only places you're likely to find that online would be craigslist or padmapper; you'll find a lot more by driving around neighborhoods looking at signs.

 

The eastside has more "culture and history." 

The Eastside has more "culture and history" but it's mostly clustered around University Circle. If you don't end up near there, you won't see an appreciable amount more culture on the East side than the West. I suppose it depends on one's definition of "culture and history".

 

The westside has better parks, beaches, and outdoors type items.

I disagree with that. There are beautiful parks to the East, (as nice if not nicer) but the problem is that they're further out from the city.

 

 

The 'culture and history' pretty much ends around Taylor Road, I would say.

All I can say is WOW, thanks so much to all of you for your amazing insight and suggestions. I'll be going through and replying individually but I wanted to make sure I acknowledged everyone for their contributions first.

 

Lots of food for thought!

 

 

Welcome!

 

First off, not one person on this forum would say you're crazy for wanting to move to Cleveland! (well maybe a loco forumer from CowLumBus or CincaTucky! he he he  :D 8) >:D :angel: )  We're very proud of our city and region, so remove that train of thought right now!  :) ;) 

 

You've come to the BEST place for accurate information on urban living by those who live an urban lifestyle! 

 

Have you considered Shaker Square/Larchmere, Tremont, Ohio City, Detroit-Shoreway, Detroit-Sterling/Asian Village or University Circle/Murray Hill?  Or Urban suburban areas like Coventry, Cedar-Fairmont, Cedar-Lee?

 

Where on the Eastside did you grow up and where in Sydney do you live so we can have an idea of what type of neighborhoods you're coming from and currently live.

 

I grew up in Beachwood and South Euclid. In Sydney we lived near the harbor in an urban area with a lot of great shops and amenities, stunning views and a LOT of traffic. I'm intrigued by downtown, the inner west side as well as lakewood and university circle, but I would be open to areas like coventry etc on the east as you mentioned.

 

My wife is probably more interested in more of a suburban feel rather than living in the "city", but I think we would still consider inner city living if the right opportunity cam along.

Circle East Townhomes in UNiversity Circle

 

2b/2b townhome w/garage for $960

 

I had a look at these. Not bad but my concern is the proximity to East Cleveland. Has anyone checked these out? I'd be interested in comments on this kind of location.

^I'm assuming your location question deals with safety rather than noise (it being right by the tracks).  Personally I wouldn't have a problem.  The townhomes are practically part of the CWRU campus,  only a few hundred yards from relatively new dorms with hundreds of students.  They are also right across the street from the Coltman townhouse development which sold out in a flash and just yards from the new Uptown development which will have lots of activity all day long due to combination of residential and commercial.  I have always thought there is safety in numbers not to mention all the institutional presence which also can contribute to safety.  Of course you have to always be aware of your environment in the city, but I would live there in a heartbeat (and there is lots of greenery near by which would appeal to your girlfriend who wants more of a suburban vibe.

I know im tryin to sell it, but battery park has a suburb feel and its right in the middle of the city. No tax 15 years, no PMI, you can find a unit around your price range.

Circle East Townhomes in UNiversity Circle

 

2b/2b townhome w/garage for $960

 

I had a look at these. Not bad but my concern is the proximity to East Cleveland. Has anyone checked these out? I'd be interested in comments on this kind of location.

 

Are you aware of what is taking place in the University Circle adjacent area of East Cleveland?  I would reserve judgment.  As this area of EC is very close to Cleveland, CWRU, the hospitals, the development taking place in UC is moving East.  I'm not painting some utopia, but I wouldn't rule out looking at a unit just because it's close EC.  The EC mayor is trying really hard to change the city and its perception.

 

Are you aware of what is taking place in the University Circle adjacent area of East Cleveland?  I would reserve judgment.  As this area of EC is very close to Cleveland, CWRU, the hospitals, the development taking place in UC is moving East.  I'm not painting some utopia, but I wouldn't rule out looking at a unit just because it's close EC.  The EC mayor is trying really hard to change the city and its perception.

 

I concur. I wouldn't dismiss this area out of hand because of its proximity to East Cleveland. This area of University Circle is one of the fastest growing areas of Northeast Ohio. That doesn't mean your wife should go out walking around alone at 2 a.m. on a hot Friday night in summer. But it also doesn't mean you should reject it without seeing this area first.

I know im tryin to sell it, but battery park has a suburb feel and its right in the middle of the city. No tax 15 years, no PMI, you can find a unit around your price range.

 

That right there is no the way to sell this, nor was it planned to be a "suburban-esq" development.  I'm not trying to be combative, but I dont think it's an accurate description of BP.

 

Are you aware of what is taking place in the University Circle adjacent area of East Cleveland?  I would reserve judgment.  As this area of EC is very close to Cleveland, CWRU, the hospitals, the development taking place in UC is moving East.  I'm not painting some utopia, but I wouldn't rule out looking at a unit just because it's close EC.  The EC mayor is trying really hard to change the city and its perception.

 

I concur. I wouldn't dismiss this area out of hand because of its proximity to East Cleveland. This area of University Circle is one of the fastest growing areas of Northeast Ohio. That doesn't mean your wife should go out walking around alone at 2 a.m. on a hot Friday night in summer. But it also doesn't mean you should reject it without seeing this area first.

 

It's not just safety that causes me to hesitate - judging by Google maps it seems that the immediate area is pretty barren (hopefully this will change soon with all the new developments). I guess I really need to see it for myself when I arrive in April. I am aware of what the EC mayor is doing, which is great.

 

Battery park is intriguing - this is an area I will certainly check out as well.

^Barren is the last word I would use to describe the immediate area.

I have a 2BR/2BA downtown for less than $1,000 per month at The Pointe at Gateway. I'm not sure if we still have any available, as they fill as quickly as they come online, but it's a nice place to check out if you're interested in downtown!

I would be a big advocate of you looking at the UC area.  But I'm not so sure Circle East is the best place for people new to the City.  It has good proximity, but is and will continue to be a bit disconnected from the action.  It's on the frontier.... that might be the best way to describe it..... and it probably will remain that way for, at a bare minimum, one lease.  And, I could be wrong, but I believe there will be a major power station built just to the west which will prohibit the connectivity you would like to see out of a development like this.

^I drove by today...it is about 150-200 yards from the new uptown apartments and retail (to the west).  It is across the street about 100 yards from the CWRU stadium and dorms that surround the stadium.  To the south are the Coltman townhouses (if would take you 3-4 minutes to walk to them).  Right across the street the CIA addition is to start this spring or summer.  I am ignoring a few restaurants already on Euclid (same side of the street) as well as many other planned developments (like the MOCA which you could walk to in 5 minutes).  I think that is great connectivity.  The only direction which is a problem is to the east (where indeed some sort of power station is going but that direction is blocked by the tracks as well as the free clinic.  In addition the for sale housing in the development are selling better than I thought they would given they are right on Euclid and near the tracks.

^Just to be sure we're all on the same page, we're talking about the new townhouses going up at Lakeview and Euclid Ave...which are more like 500  yards from the rail overpass, let alone the new Uptown stuff.  I don't think people would be crazy for living there, but personally I'm with Hts121; that location is not very appealing to me at the current time.  That walk to the underpass is incredibly desolate because of the cemetery, power plant site, vacant land and free clinic.

^You know...my bad...you are right....I mis- read way back when and thought he was referring to Circle 118 which are going to be building some rental townhouses.  I actually agree that Circle East could be a problem for somebody not familar with Cleveland and it is indeed barren around there.  Sorry for the confusion.