Hi all, I'm a college student considering doing a semester on exchange at CSU. Was wondering if there were any nearby housing options that were cheaper than CSU's official dormitory facilities.

 

Also very interested in local perceptions of the area around Euclid, as I understand there is a lot of redevelopment along that corridor. At the same time, I understand that a very rough area (Central) is fairly nearby CSU, so curious about that as well.

 

Right now I have a cute little garage loft near my campus in Stillwater, OK that I pay $400/mo for, and I can bike anywhere in the area. I know public transit in Cleveland makes Oklahoma look pathetic, but I'm curious how the city is for bicyclists.

 

Also feel free to suggest any particular apartments, or offer any detailed information. This would be for either this fall semester or next spring. Thanks for your help!

I'm curious what is drawing you to CSU as a planning student.

Well I understand the urban studies program at CSU is pretty good, and undergraduate urban planning is rare to find. I am attracted by the chance to live what I fathom would be a genuine urban lifestyle, rather than the mock urban lifestyle we can pay extra for in the Sunbelt, and also the course offering is pretty good and still has considerable availability. I understand the facilities are new (other school I'm considering has horrible facilities) as well.

 

Being more of an urban studies program also means CSU has more of a theoretical approach, rather than other schools where it's more of a design-engineering approach. Most of my options require a bizarre design core that includes a hands-on design studio that is apparently offered everywhere except OSU (Oklahoma State, probably deserves clarification on this board lol), so I wouldn't even be able to take upper division theory courses without going through the design core first, which is highly incongruent with my graduation timeline.

 

To be honest, I'd never heard of Cleveland State until recently, so this shows what an open-minded person I am I guess lol. What I've encountered in the course of researching the place is that its urban studies school is legit and its facilities are excellent, which is enough to overcome my initial skepticism of unheard of state university that I initially presumed to be a major step down from being at a state flagship school. And also this guy is pretty repulsive:

Ah, you're an undergrad. I am not familiar with undergrad programs, so maybe CSU is better known for that. I thought maybe your school had an exchange program with them or something. I know Ohio State and Cincinnati are ranked for their grad programs, though.

 

Haha, nice mascot. Maybe you will stick around and try out for the mascot position. ;-P

Welcome urbnplngstudent!

 

I'll let some of the many CSU students here field the question about affordable housing options near campus, but to answer your other question, Cleveland has made great strides in recent years to improve bike-friendliness.  Euclid Avenue itself is very bikeable, with fairly light traffic and bike lanes for much of its length. From campus, you'll be in very easy biking distance to the rest of downtown and some of the best nearby neighborhoods, including Ohio City and Tremont.  You're also in easy biking distance to University Circle (straight east on Euclid) though two of the four miles of that trek are pretty bleak. Still easily bikable, but maybe less great at night in that direction.

 

And what the heck, I have no direct experience with it, but this residential building near campus received a thorough rehab a few years ago and might be a good, cheaper fit: http://www.forrent.com/apartment-community-profile/1000060131.php

 

Keep in mind, though, that because of the bike-ability and transit, you might expand your search outside of the immediate campus area to also include places like Ohio City and Tremont, where rent might be a little cheaper than downtown, and where things are a little more happening than the area immediately surrounding CSU.

 

Good luck with the search.

As far as safety, I'm not aware of the issues in Central spilling over into CSU. Central has seen a fair amount of redevelopment lately -- see my photo thread on it. Cleveland is a little like Philadelphia in that you can go from good to bad areas in a matter of a few blocks. But Euclid, even though it goes through an urban prairie in the Midtown area (between East 50th and about East 60th), is a pretty safe area to bike except perhaps late at night. There are also three police departments which have full arrest powers around CSU -- the Cleveland Police (everywhere), RTA (along Euclid and other RTA facilities) and CSU's police (campus only). All communicate with each other and can coordinate with each other (one of the benefits of the after-affects of 9-11).

 

Consider Strap's suggestion above about nearby Cleveland neighborhoods, where you may find rooms, or the second floors of houses and other options which may be cheaper and more readily available than downtown Cleveland. It is VERY difficult to find an apartment in downtown Cleveland right now, and dorms are one of the few places you can probably get in the heart of the city at this time. Even if you move into a dorm at the outset, there's no rule requiring you to stay for more than semester, correct? So if all else fails, you know you'll have some place downtown to live while you look for something better with the benefit of being able to experience neighborhoods in person. As I've often said, people buy neighborhoods, then they find a home in the neighborhood they love.

 

And if I could add anything to what Strap said, you might also want to consider the nearby Asiatown neighborhood. It's an easy bike ride down side streets to CSU, and there's two full-service general grocery stores there (with an emphasis on Asian goods), plus a couple of small Asian grocery stores.

Im not sure about the quality here, but these might fit your price range and are located right by CSU. And the area around CSU is probably the safest area downtown, and I would say getting better as well. Yes its right next to Central, so high crime, BUT, the crime seems to not spill over for some reason. Possibly because of the borders(highway).

 

http://www.miltonmanor.net/miltonmanorpage.html

Ah, you're an undergrad. I am not familiar with undergrad programs, so maybe CSU is better known for that. I thought maybe your school had an exchange program with them or something. I know Ohio State and Cincinnati are ranked for their grad programs, though.

 

Haha, nice mascot. Maybe you will stick around and try out for the mascot position. ;-P

 

Well I would actually be very interested if anyone might know anything about the Maxine Levin School of Urban Studies at CSU, but it seems very legit..USNWR (puke) ranks it 2nd in its field, I think behind Portland State (which I am much more familiar with). I believe Cincy's arch school is ranked in the Top 20 nationally, along with ours at Oklahoma State, but that's precisely what I'm trying to get away from if that makes any sense (an arch school mentality). I tend to hold schools in disdain if they make the core requirements for urban planning and architecture the same, because those are totally different fields, attract totally different people, rely on a totally different type of creativity, and so on.

 

Euclid Avenue itself is very bikeable, with fairly light traffic and bike lanes for much of its length. From campus, you'll be in very easy biking distance to the rest of downtown and some of the best nearby neighborhoods, including Ohio City and Tremont.  You're also in easy biking distance to University Circle (straight east on Euclid) though two of the four miles of that trek are pretty bleak. Still easily bikable, but maybe less great at night in that direction.

 

And what the heck, I have no direct experience with it, but this residential building near campus received a thorough rehab a few years ago and might be a good, cheaper fit: http://www.forrent.com/apartment-community-profile/1000060131.php

 

Keep in mind, though, that because of the bike-ability and transit, you might expand your search outside of the immediate campus area to also include places like Ohio City and Tremont, where rent might be a little cheaper than downtown, and where things are a little more happening than the area immediately surrounding CSU.

 

Will look into Ohio City and Tremont. I was perusing through the east side on google streetview and while the first and last miles of Euclid look great, you're right about bleak, and I think that was an understatement. It looks like the area is seeping with potential though. Is Euclid a major thoroughfare for Cleveland's east side?

 

That apartment would be perfect actually. I can't believe that for $600/mo you get a downtown location, those amenities (including parking), a rapid transit line, a hop and a skip from campus, and a brand-new flat. That is truly stunning - even in OKC all of our new downtown apartments generally start at $800/mo and the transplants make us all aware that is very cheap, apparently. I'm frankly having trouble understanding how Cleveland real estate could be so cheap, as I don't think the Cleveland stigma explains it fully (which I really hate to rub anyone's nose in, as I view it as pretty undeserved).

 

As far as safety, I'm not aware of the issues in Central spilling over into CSU. Central has seen a fair amount of redevelopment lately -- see my photo thread on it. Cleveland is a little like Philadelphia in that you can go from good to bad areas in a matter of a few blocks. But Euclid, even though it goes through an urban prairie in the Midtown area (between East 50th and about East 60th), is a pretty safe area to bike except perhaps late at night. There are also three police departments which have full arrest powers around CSU -- the Cleveland Police (everywhere), RTA (along Euclid and other RTA facilities) and CSU's police (campus only). All communicate with each other and can coordinate with each other (one of the benefits of the after-affects of 9-11).

 

Consider Strap's suggestion above about nearby Cleveland neighborhoods, where you may find rooms, or the second floors of houses and other options which may be cheaper and more readily available than downtown Cleveland. It is VERY difficult to find an apartment in downtown Cleveland right now, and dorms are one of the few places you can probably get in the heart of the city at this time. Even if you move into a dorm at the outset, there's no rule requiring you to stay for more than semester, correct? So if all else fails, you know you'll have some place downtown to live while you look for something better with the benefit of being able to experience neighborhoods in person. As I've often said, people buy neighborhoods, then they find a home in the neighborhood they love.

 

And if I could add anything to what Strap said, you might also want to consider the nearby Asiatown neighborhood. It's an easy bike ride down side streets to CSU, and there's two full-service general grocery stores there (with an emphasis on Asian goods), plus a couple of small Asian grocery stores.

 

I studied in Eastern Europe for a year, so I really don't want anyone to get the impression that I'm easily scared by a little grit. Love my cities with grits. I understand that inner cities often come with higher crime that shouldn't be a concern if you're not a moron, but this says Central is the 2nd most dangerous neighborhood in the country, so that's a bit different. Good to hear that Central doesn't spill into the CSU area though.

 

Difficulty getting an apartment could be a good or bad thing actually, because without high turnover I am sure my chances of getting a 6-month lease (or more ideally just a 5-month lease) would be near impossible. And you're right, the dorms at CSU aren't a bad fall-back even though I'd consider them a bit steeply priced, in stark contrast to the housing market. It actually appears that all of their dorms are immaculate and successful replicate an urban loft vibe, which I'm sure is a great selling point for students there.

I studied in Eastern Europe for a year, so I really don't want anyone to get the impression that I'm easily scared by a little grit. Love my cities with grits. I understand that inner cities often come with higher crime that shouldn't be a concern if you're not a moron, but this says Central is the 2nd most dangerous neighborhood in the country, so that's a bit different. Good to hear that Central doesn't spill into the CSU area though.

 

Difficulty getting an apartment could be a good or bad thing actually, because without high turnover I am sure my chances of getting a 6-month lease (or more ideally just a 5-month lease) would be near impossible. And you're right, the dorms at CSU aren't a bad fall-back even though I'd consider them a bit steeply priced, in stark contrast to the housing market. It actually appears that all of their dorms are immaculate and successful replicate an urban loft vibe, which I'm sure is a great selling point for students there.

 

I've not wanted to say anything but that link you posted is an advertorial which no longer exist because it was made up by people sitting in an office with no facts or methodology.  It sponsored by a company trying to sell security data and crime stats. 

 

If you want to know the real deal about Cleveland, cuyahoga county, and NE Ohio ask here.  You'll get real answers from those of us that live, work, play in the NE Ohio.  There are a lot of people that will tell you not to live in X neghborhood, yet they have not been to it and are giving "suggestions" based on perception.

 

Welcome to Cleveland. 

 

Thats all!

Well I would actually be very interested if anyone might know anything about the Maxine Levin School of Urban Studies at CSU, but it seems very legit..USNWR (puke) ranks it 2nd in its field, I think behind Portland State (which I am much more familiar with). I believe Cincy's arch school is ranked in the Top 20 nationally, along with ours at Oklahoma State, but that's precisely what I'm trying to get away from if that makes any sense (an arch school mentality). I tend to hold schools in disdain if they make the core requirements for urban planning and architecture the same, because those are totally different fields, attract totally different people, rely on a totally different type of creativity, and so on.

 

Cincy is also ranked in top 20 for planning, but I get you on wanting to get away from the design stuff. Rutgers is one of the best planning schools and has an undergrad program. It's in the public policy school, so it's far from being design-oriented. Maybe New Brunswick isn't big city enough for you, though it's an easy train ride to NYC or Philly. (Actually, you could commute from either of those cities to New Brunswick. A long commute, but doable.)

 

Anywho, sounds like you know what you're doing so I will leave you alone. ;-) I don't know anything about the CSU program and can't help w/ housing options. I was just curious what your reasons were, which I'm now clear on. Enjoy Cleveland! :)

Thanks for the Rutgers tip, that's exactly what I'm looking for. My school has Rutgers as a national exchange option also, but I don't think they were going to let me just pay OSU tuition (which is nice because we get free in-state tuition bc my family is under $80k). Obviously my grad school search will take Rutgers into account though. Honestly, I love college towns..that's literally why I picked OSU over OU (that and looking better in orange), I just feel it's important to add urban experiences to make one well-rounded.

 

I think living in Moscow did more for my personal growth and maturation than anything I've ever done, and likewise I think someone whose always stuck to big cities needs to live in a small town for a while.

 

Im not sure about the quality here, but these might fit your price range and are located right by CSU. And the area around CSU is probably the safest area downtown, and I would say getting better as well. Yes its right next to Central, so high crime, BUT, the crime seems to not spill over for some reason. Possibly because of the borders(highway).

 

http://www.miltonmanor.net/miltonmanorpage.html

 

Sorry mate, didn't see this..I think you posted it while I was posting or something. Very interesting link, I like it. This and the last link both look like good options.

 

So the freeway is the border between downtown and Central? So is the area just east along Euclid considered "Central?"

 

Two cents - thanks for clarifying that. Let me just say that I can empathize with communities that unfairly get a bad rap. Maybe that's something in a city that I'm attracted to, who knows. I appreciate you guys' (we say "yall's") advice and help.

 

---

 

On a side note, I'm loving Ohio City the more I look into it -- how long of a bike ride to CSU would you guys estimate it is, and how long of a public transit trip for when weather is iffy? Thanks!

Im not sure about the quality here, but these might fit your price range and are located right by CSU. And the area around CSU is probably the safest area downtown, and I would say getting better as well. Yes its right next to Central, so high crime, BUT, the crime seems to not spill over for some reason. Possibly because of the borders(highway).

 

http://www.miltonmanor.net/miltonmanorpage.html

I am not aware of any students living at this building and as a parent of college aged kids there is little chance that I would let my kids live there.

 

And what the heck, I have no direct experience with it, but this residential building near campus received a thorough rehab a few years ago and might be a good, cheaper fit: http://www.forrent.com/apartment-community-profile/1000060131.php

 

 

I do know of some students that lived in this building.  Reviews have been mixed.

 

I know a student that lives in Ohio City too. He regularly rides his bike to school. I'll get some sense of how long it takes him and get back to you.

http://universityloftsapartments.com/

 

http://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Ohio/Cleveland/1900-Euclid-Lofts/26955/

I would recommend living in Little Italy/University Circle, and taking the Healthline BRT to and from school along Euclid Ave.  It's a complete straight shot and you'd see a lot of new construction along your route every day.

 

EDIT: btw, students ride RTA free!

So the freeway is the border between downtown and Central? So is the area just east along Euclid considered "Central?"

 

Officially, Central's northern boundary is Euclid and its western boundary is East 18th Street. Admittedly, that's not the heart of Central. What most people think of Central is actually farther east, perhaps centered on the area around East 55th and the Quincy Avenue area. This is a troubled neighborhood. It has been since before World War II. Before there was Hough, there was Central (which is where many of Central's residents came from when their homes were demolished for freeways). Some areas of Central (especially around East 55th) are urban prairies, ala Detroit. But to me the most dangerous areas of a city are where there are people still around to commit crimes. And those areas are farther east -- in some cases many miles farther east.

 

Here's my photo spread on Central using Google Streetviews:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,26327.0.html

 

Here is a map to help you identify specific neighborhoods of Cleveland as they are shown for planning purposes: http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/gis/cpc/basemap.jsp

 

On a side note, I'm loving Ohio City the more I look into it -- how long of a bike ride to CSU would you guys estimate it is, and how long of a public transit trip for when weather is iffy? Thanks!

 

You will probably find that there are only about a half-dozen days per year when the snow covers the main streets here (or none if we have more non-winters like the last one!), and you can't ride a bike. My girlfriend is Ukrainian, so I've seen how they don't bother salting the roads in Eastern Europe, but that also means making sure your bike has a splash/spray guard over the wheels! A bike ride from Ohio City to CSU over the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge to CSU is about 10 minutes, especially getting through the busy intersections with Ontario and East 9th. A transit trip is longer, about 15 minutes on the bus and then walking two blocks from Payne/East 17th to the Urban Studies buildings: http://www.riderta.com/pdf/22.pdf Although sometimes you might want to take the Red Line to the HealthLine and vice-versa if you have to do some shopping at Tower City Center, get a bite to eat or see a movie.

I would recommend living in Little Italy/University Circle, and taking the Healthline BRT to and from school along Euclid Ave.  It's a complete straight shot and you'd see a lot of new construction along your route every day.

 

EDIT: btw, students ride RTA free!

 

Depending on the time of day, the Healthline trip can take quite a bit of time, upwards of half an hour.  Just something to consider.

 

Depending on the time of day, the Healthline trip can take quite a bit of time, upwards of half an hour.  Just something to consider.

 

Is that because of the bunching up of buses?

 

My office is at East 9th and Euclid, so when I'm heading over to Tower City, I usually walk unless its pouring down rain. Then I'll take either the HealthLine or the free downtown Trolley which also link CSU to Tower City so you do have a couple of options.

You guys are awesomely helpful, I'll do a longer reply here soon though...

But to me the most dangerous areas of a city are where there are people still around to commit crimes. And those areas are farther east -- in some cases many miles farther east.

 

Here's my photo spread on Central using Google Streetviews:

 

 

Wow, to me that's just hard to imagine that people could be the root of the problem - in OKC we have our share of urban prairies that separate downtown from the south and east sides, and those are extremely dangerous parts of town. But generally the busier a low-income area is, the less crime you can expect. My grandparents live in a very high-crime part of S OKC but their townhome is on a busy artery and nothing has ever happened to them in 40 years living there as the neighborhood has slowly gone downhill. I would generally expect the abandonment and dereliction to be a bigger problem than people, but that's interesting.

 

Anyway, I've been doing a ton of apartment hunting online lately. I think I've got a somewhat good feel for where what I'm looking for exists, and I mapped it out (in the green areas). In essence it appears as two separate bubbles (CSU being on the edge of the west bubble) that are separated by a sea of dereliction and sketchiness:

 

My thoughts on these neighborhoods (and please correct me if I'm wrong)

 

Downtown looks awesome, but more expensive, obviously. This is generally a higher-quality housing stock and the demand is quite high for these units.

 

Tremont may just be the most promising option, as it's a very cool neighborhood where $600/mo can still get you something decent. Close proximity and great connections to Ohio City, downtown connections look more questionable though. I would be curious if there is a bike/ped trail that leads to downtown from Tremont.

 

Ohio City is the west side's star district. Leasing demand is very high in here, and the housing stock is generally pretty high quality. Very few nice options around $600/mo because the location is valuable. Some questions about towering HUD-looking complexes along 25th, as I came across a cute flat that was affordable where Bridge ends just across 25th, but that looks like an avoidable pocket of Ohio City. How far west in this neighborhood can you go and it still be nice and vibrant?

 

The neighborhoods lining the lake to the west seem pretty cool. These seem to have the city's nicest green spaces by far, and the housing stock is decent and affordable. My question is that this area seems so far isolated from CSU and the east side, and also I'm curious what kind of vibe this area has. It seems much quieter than Ohio City, for example. That said I love the green spaces and apartments available in this area..

 

University Circle appears to be Cleveland's dual downtown, and while its location is amazing for proximity to the east half of Cleveland, this seems like a very high rent area, perhaps the highest rent area of Cleveland. It does seem like proactive urban planning is really working its magic in this area though.

 

Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights look doable cost-wise because several 2nd/3rd floor flats are affordable, but it still looks like a part of the city for the very rich. I wonder if the amenities, shopping, and dining in this area of the city area also for the very rich, and what it's like to be a young student amidst a sea of exclusivity. This area has the appearance of being the antithesis to Tremont, for example.

 

I think when it's said and done, I'm looking for the youthfulness of Tremont, the greenspace of Detroit Shoreway/Cudell/Lakewood (Would love to know more about these areas), and the refined elegance of the University Circle/Heights area to the east. Somewhere that I could get a flat for around $500-700/mo preferably lightly furnished, within safe walking distance to everything I would need, and preferably in an area with a younger, but classy vibe. That seems to be the difficulty...but a lot of these options seem like you can't go wrong with them.

 

Cleveland is definitely a much nicer city than it gets credit.

Have you looked at Shaker Sq.  I live there.  Can't get more classy than me!

Wow -- excellent analysis!  You're gonna fit right in quite fine here on UrbanOhio and in Cleveland.

Lakewood is a quick car ride to CSU. Maybe 15 minutes tops. RTA is also convenient. I like living there for the most part. It's a socioeconomically diverse place as you'll find every type of person imaginable. Good bar/food/music/arts scene too. Among your choices I'll propose it could be the safest place. 

Where Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights meet, there are some very upscale neighborhoods.  But the majority of that area is not high rent.  Coventry, Cedar-Lee, Cedar-Fairmount, and Shaker Square will all have affordable units and amenities.

True, You might love Shaker Square. I know I do despite MTS living there! :) Seriously though, he'll be happy to tell you more about that area. Shaker Square, Coventry, Cedar-Lee, and Cedar-Fairmount are the top hot spots once you get atop the hill above University Circle.

 

I can help you with the west side as I live at the east end of Lakewood, where that city's Gold Coast meets Cleveland's Edgewater neighborhood. East of West 117th, I would stay north of Detroit until about West 110th and then stay north of Baltic to Lake, then stay north of Lake and Detroit to West 65th, and then stay north of Franklin until the West 30s, and then stay north of Lorain. In Tremont, the best areas are north of I-490 and east of I-90. The Towpath Trail has most of its funding to extend north, along the eastern edge of Tremont, into downtown. Construction may start in a year or two (see http://www.ohiocanal.org/TowpathTrail.htm). But most streets in Tremont are not that busy so it's pretty safe biking in that area. And the Lorain-Carnegie bridge is a pretty good bike route across the Cuyahoga valley into downtown since it's not that busy either, but traffic does move fast (up to 50 mph) across it. From Tremont south, you can ride a bike all the way to Akron and even farther south then take the train back (http://www.cvsr.com/bikeaboard.aspx).

 

As for Lakewood's Gold Coast/Cleveland's Edgewater, there are numerous apartments in multi-unit (some high-rise) buildings (most date from the 1920s but some on the Gold Coast are as new as the 1970s yet all are kept pretty up to date) or in houses divided into doubles, triples or even quadruples. But many of these were built as doubles, triples, etc. dating to the early 1900s. Some can be large living spaces for the money, but their condition can be a mixed bag.

 

Your budget of $600 is about right for a one-bedroom apartment near to the lake and the two lakefront parks in the area -- Edgewater Park (big) and Lakewood Park (medium size). The farther south you get, the cheaper the housing gets, and the sketchier the neighborhoods get. Some bad neighborhoods get very close to the lake, such as the areas south of the tracks near the intersection of Clifton and Lake at the end of the West Shoreway. The bad areas get farther away from the lake both east and west of there.

 

Many CSU students living in Lakewood and Edgewater use the #55 bus service along Clifton Boulevard (http://www.riderta.com/pdf/55.pdf) with a few buses making side-trips via the Gold Coast. It is very frequent during the rush hours, it takes the West Shoreway into downtown so it avoids slow running on city streets, and it goes all the way through downtown right in to CSU. The downside is the #55 bus runs only hourly off-peak, it ends at 10 p.m., and doesn't run at all on weekends anymore. The next closest bus service is the #26 on Detroit Avenue (http://www.riderta.com/pdf/26.pdf) which runs 24 hours, seven days a week from downtown to the west end of Lakewood.

 

One other thing, downtown Lakewood (along Detroit between Lakeland and Bunts, centered at Warren) has lots of amenities that make it an attractive place for young people to live. There are numerous coffee shops, restaurants, taverns, library, YMCA, two full-service grocery stores (Giant Eagle is open 24 hours), drug stores, and more. Kaufmann Park is to the west, Lakewood Park to the north, and Madison Park to the south. And Madison Avenue has lots of taverns and cool little shops along it. There are many doubles for rent in this area.

 

Some tips on looking for doubles:

-- try to get the top-floor unit (they're usually quieter since no one is walking over your head, but they can also be warmer in summer);

-- if the owner lives in the other unit, that can be a good thing so you can find him/her to get maintenance issues addressed quickly;

-- check the condition of the unit's bathroom and kitchen since those rooms are the most difficult to maintain and any neglect will show up there first;

-- ask neighbors about the neighborhood, since everyone lives so close together in Lakewood, one bad neighbor can ruin an otherwise great neighborhood;

-- if there are no neighbors around, go to the corner bar or tavern and ask a bartender about the neighborhood.

 

Happy hunting!!

Personally, I think you should take a hard look at Little Italy.  You'll find places in that price range, and you don't need a car to get to CSU ( I personally know a couple CSU students who live car free).

 

You'll have lok around for "for rent" signs, because the neighborhood hardly ever puts listings online.

Have you looked at Shaker Sq.  I live there.  Can't get more classy than me!

Coventry, Cedar-Lee, Cedar-Fairmount, and Shaker Square will all have affordable units and amenities.

I can help you with the west side as I live at the east end of Lakewood, where that city's Gold Coast meets Cleveland's Edgewater neighborhood.

Personally, I think you should take a hard look at Little Italy. 

 

You know.... We should be getting commissions for pimping our 'hoods like we do!

My top suggestions would be

 

Little Italy

Cedar Fairmount

Shaker Square (The closer to the square, the better)

Coventry

I would be curious if there is a bike/ped trail that leads to downtown from Tremont.

Kindof... You can take Abbey ave to Lorain and then there's a pedestrian/bike path on the side of the Lorain/Carnegie bridge that I've ridden across but I'd never recommend to anyone. I guess both Abbey and Carnegie are getting new bike lanes this year, but I haven't been keeping up with the status on that.

My top suggestions would be

 

Little Italy

Cedar Fairmount

Shaker Square (The closer to the square, the better)

Coventry

 

As a loooooooong time resident, this is not necessarily true.

an area with a younger, but classy vibe.

 

Have you looked at Shaker Sq.  I live there.  Can't get more classy than me!

 

Young and Classy =/= Old and Tired!

Hi all, I'm a college student considering doing a semester on exchange at CSU. Was wondering if there were any nearby housing options that were cheaper than CSU's official dormitory facilities.

 

Also very interested in local perceptions of the area around Euclid, as I understand there is a lot of redevelopment along that corridor. At the same time, I understand that a very rough area (Central) is fairly nearby CSU, so curious about that as well.

 

Right now I have a cute little garage loft near my campus in Stillwater, OK that I pay $400/mo for, and I can bike anywhere in the area. I know public transit in Cleveland makes Oklahoma look pathetic, but I'm curious how the city is for bicyclists.

 

Also feel free to suggest any particular apartments, or offer any detailed information. This would be for either this fall semester or next spring. Thanks for your help!

 

Reading through your posts, you sound a lot like myself.  I did a year as an urban studies major at CSU.  I loved it.  When I read your opinion on urban studies and architecture sharing the same core requirements, I couldn't agree more and immediately had to post on here.  Anyway, I left Cleveland for the south after my freshmen year for the University of Florida in Gainesville.  I hated the south, the cities had no character, and their idea of a great new restaurant opening up in downtown Jacksonville or Orlando was an Outback, I couldn't believe it all.  So I decided to head back north where I am now a cultural/urban geography major.  The best thing about Cleveland is it offers world class amenities at a fraction of the cost of New York and Chicago.  You are literally within a days drive of 60% of the nation's population.  Cleveland has awesome neighborhoods, the best food, people from all over, and the friendliest people in a major city.  Every time I go to Cleveland I can easily put on 5 lbs.  I was in downtown on Friday without calling up all my friends from CSU just to explore the city by myself (I am a huge urban geek).  I walked Little Italy, University Circle, downtown, Edgewater, and Ohio City.  There is a great vibe in Cleveland.  It's being in a major city with friendly people, walking in Little Italy and smelling the food, walking down the steps at Wade Lagoon and seeing the art museum on the other side... looking up at Severance Hall where one of the world's best orchestras play.  The lights of Playhouse Square.  The tree-lined streets with outdoor eating in the Warehouse District.  Or walking past the crowds of people on East Fourth.  It is so hard to explain all of what Cleveland brings to the table in one post.  I destroyed my brand new pair of Aldos I paid a ridiculous price for at Beachwood walking around Cleveland on Friday.  But I wouldn't take it back.  Cleveland has history, amazing architecture, awesome parks and neighborhoods, the best people around, extensive public transit, food from every corner of the globe, you name it.  Coming from a small town on the Ohio/Pennsylvania border, going to Asia Town and seeing the frogs jump around in their tanks at the Asian grocery stores was an interesting sight.  Cleveland is the reason I fell in love with cities.

 

On that note, you will like Cleveland State University.  Not only is Cleveland booming right now, CSU's campus is changing drastically.  I can't believe how much has changed in the two years I have been gone.  So many corners of campus looks completely different.

 

Living options:

 

Downtown is extremely hard to get into right now because there are waiting lists.

 

Lots of great apartment options by CSU's campus.  A lot of rehabs over that way.

 

Check out surrounding neighborhoods by downtown.  There are a lot of options in these areas, you have to look though.  I wish you the best of luck.  Your story sounds very similar to mine.  Come to Ohio, you will love it here.  We have a plethora of cities, each with its own unique character, and we are within in few hours drive of some of America's great cities and you can live in a very good price range in Ohio.  Like I stated before, Cleveland offers the larger city amenities i.e. Chicago, New York at a much cheaper cost of living.  I plan on finishing up my last year as undergraduate and looking to move to Cincinnati to go to University of Cincinnati (my dream school).  Cincinnati is another amazing city completely different from Cleveland, but that's another post.  Cleveland won't let you down, I promise.

Dude, you just pimped Cleveland all up and down to the point of gushing. And then you closed by saying you're moving to Cincy? Wazzup!! :)

He's ushering in an era of post partisan hope and change to Urban Ohio. ;-)

He's ushering in an era of post partisan hope and change to Urban Ohio. ;-)

 

Except for "I destroyed my brand new pair of Aldos I paid a ridiculous price for at Beachwood" comment.  HA!

I don't have much to add because the others have really encompassed all your answers, but welcome to the board and I hope you choose CSU! Cleveland really does rock.

Just got confirmed for CSU earlier today, which I expected would happen since it eventually rose to being my top choice (just not on the merit of the institution lol) considering issues I had with other programs and this program seemingly being a good fit for me, personally.

 

And with it looking like I will be a more regular Cleveland poster on here, I should warn you guys I bitch a lot about substandard urban design. I'm an enigma on OKC Talk, which I first joined back in 2001 (when I was 13 ha), and since then I've just become a good for nothing complainer that developers say is never happy. Actually, quality development makes me really happy though.. as rare as that is in this country. Just wanted to warn you guys what you are getting..  :shoot: lol

 

 

 

True, You might love Shaker Square. I know I do despite MTS living there! :) Seriously though, he'll be happy to tell you more about that area. Shaker Square, Coventry, Cedar-Lee, and Cedar-Fairmount are the top hot spots once you get atop the hill above University Circle.

 

I can help you with the west side as I live at the east end of Lakewood, where that city's Gold Coast meets Cleveland's Edgewater neighborhood. East of West 117th, I would stay north of Detroit until about West 110th and then stay north of Baltic to Lake, then stay north of Lake and Detroit to West 65th, and then stay north of Franklin until the West 30s, and then stay north of Lorain. In Tremont, the best areas are north of I-490 and east of I-90. The Towpath Trail has most of its funding to extend north, along the eastern edge of Tremont, into downtown. Construction may start in a year or two (see http://www.ohiocanal.org/TowpathTrail.htm). But most streets in Tremont are not that busy so it's pretty safe biking in that area. And the Lorain-Carnegie bridge is a pretty good bike route across the Cuyahoga valley into downtown since it's not that busy either, but traffic does move fast (up to 50 mph) across it. From Tremont south, you can ride a bike all the way to Akron and even farther south then take the train back (http://www.cvsr.com/bikeaboard.aspx).

 

As for Lakewood's Gold Coast/Cleveland's Edgewater, there are numerous apartments in multi-unit (some high-rise) buildings (most date from the 1920s but some on the Gold Coast are as new as the 1970s yet all are kept pretty up to date) or in houses divided into doubles, triples or even quadruples. But many of these were built as doubles, triples, etc. dating to the early 1900s. Some can be large living spaces for the money, but their condition can be a mixed bag.

 

Your budget of $600 is about right for a one-bedroom apartment near to the lake and the two lakefront parks in the area -- Edgewater Park (big) and Lakewood Park (medium size). The farther south you get, the cheaper the housing gets, and the sketchier the neighborhoods get. Some bad neighborhoods get very close to the lake, such as the areas south of the tracks near the intersection of Clifton and Lake at the end of the West Shoreway. The bad areas get farther away from the lake both east and west of there.

 

Many CSU students living in Lakewood and Edgewater use the #55 bus service along Clifton Boulevard (http://www.riderta.com/pdf/55.pdf) with a few buses making side-trips via the Gold Coast. It is very frequent during the rush hours, it takes the West Shoreway into downtown so it avoids slow running on city streets, and it goes all the way through downtown right in to CSU. The downside is the #55 bus runs only hourly off-peak, it ends at 10 p.m., and doesn't run at all on weekends anymore. The next closest bus service is the #26 on Detroit Avenue (http://www.riderta.com/pdf/26.pdf) which runs 24 hours, seven days a week from downtown to the west end of Lakewood.

 

One other thing, downtown Lakewood (along Detroit between Lakeland and Bunts, centered at Warren) has lots of amenities that make it an attractive place for young people to live. There are numerous coffee shops, restaurants, taverns, library, YMCA, two full-service grocery stores (Giant Eagle is open 24 hours), drug stores, and more. Kaufmann Park is to the west, Lakewood Park to the north, and Madison Park to the south. And Madison Avenue has lots of taverns and cool little shops along it. There are many doubles for rent in this area.

 

Some tips on looking for doubles:

-- try to get the top-floor unit (they're usually quieter since no one is walking over your head, but they can also be warmer in summer);

-- if the owner lives in the other unit, that can be a good thing so you can find him/her to get maintenance issues addressed quickly;

-- check the condition of the unit's bathroom and kitchen since those rooms are the most difficult to maintain and any neglect will show up there first;

-- ask neighbors about the neighborhood, since everyone lives so close together in Lakewood, one bad neighbor can ruin an otherwise great neighborhood;

-- if there are no neighbors around, go to the corner bar or tavern and ask a bartender about the neighborhood.

 

Happy hunting!!

 

My concern with Tremont is that while it seems to be absolutely perfect as a neighborhood, it really looks like it exists in a vacuum not well connected to either downtown, and surprisingly even Ohio City nearby. I would probably make Tremont a priority if I could feel more comfortable about getting from there to CSU regularly without a car - while I will bring my suv up, my goal is to touch it as rarely as possible. I have decided that I will come visit in advance in July to do some in-person apartment hunting, and that'll just have to be a judgment call that I make myself I think, although I appreciate any accounts of people who have done it themselves (Tremont -> downtown on bike).

 

I think the area of Cleveland that I most prefer right now is either Murray Hill or the westside Edgewater/Shoreway/Lakewood et al. Kind of torn, both areas appear to have great transit connections to CSU, not to mention palpable bicycle lane routes connecting the two (Murray Hill looks like it would be a dream to bike through every morning) although the westside would involve biking through the Flats, which looks less than bicycle-friendly upon streetview inspection.

 

I have some interesting opinions, I think, on Lakewood. Frankly it conjures to mind images of a miniature Madison, WI right next to Cleveland, or at least that's the vibe I've been graced with and told about from friends of mine. I've also heard that Lakewood is predominantly a gay area, which is really cool, but I personally thrive on a regular supply of b%$ches and I don't mind guys hitting on me, I just don't know if I'd go to a gay-friendly bar (if that's the predominant form of neighborhood entertainment) without a guarantee of getting tail (the female variety), if that makes any sense. One of my buddies who's also a college student in the area is convinced that a Lakewood address would be awful for my sex life for that reason. That just sounds preposterous to me, and while I feel almost ashamed to even bring this up as a concern, but I am curious about the social vibe of Lakewood. Is it that same further east along Detroit Ave.? (hopefully nobody thinks less of me for being less than glowing about a gay neighborhood, and I esp don't want to offend anyone since you've all been pretty helpful)

 

So the area around the west tip of Edgewater Park (like around Lake/West) is rough? That is a huge shame because I liked that area specifically. Or are the bad areas just confined to across the tracks from there? What about Gordon Square?

 

Thanks for the specifics on Lakewood amenities and tips on the doubles. Even if I don't end up settling in Lakewood, those tips on doubles will definitely save me a lot of trouble. My preference right now is definitely west over east, but Cleveland makes it so hard with so many awesome neighborhoods that I could easily see myself enjoying immensely.

 

Personally, I think you should take a hard look at Little Italy.  You'll find places in that price range, and you don't need a car to get to CSU ( I personally know a couple CSU students who live car free).

 

You'll have lok around for "for rent" signs, because the neighborhood hardly ever puts listings online.

 

Will do. There's actually at least as much (proportionally) for Little Italy as other areas on craigslist, but I think I should eyeball these units anyway. Would be a good excuse for some of the best Italian food I'll ever heard, or so I heard (everyone says that about their Little Italy lol. we'll see).

 

I would be curious if there is a bike/ped trail that leads to downtown from Tremont.

Kindof... You can take Abbey ave to Lorain and then there's a pedestrian/bike path on the side of the Lorain/Carnegie bridge that I've ridden across but I'd never recommend to anyone. I guess both Abbey and Carnegie are getting new bike lanes this year, but I haven't been keeping up with the status on that.

 

May I ask why you wouldn't recommend the bridge? Carnegie looks like it would be a fairly direct path, I'll look into those bike lanes..

 

 

Do yourself a favor and spend time in some gay bars. You'll probably find they are not a terrible place to meet...erm...b%$ches.

 

Lord knows the vast majority of us have spent enough time in straight bars. Only extraordinarily rarely with the prospect of leaving with any "tail".

 

A gay address sounds intriguing. I've never considered the concept. I am skeptical that even an address in the Castro would affect a straight man's game, assuming he has any.

Fair enough. That paragraph seemed pretty juvenile and does make me seem a little green... I have been to gay bars, they always have the cheapest strongest drinks, which seems pretty fabulous to me. You'd almost think I wrote the last post in a gay bar from some of the typos I was plagued by..mea culpa

so let me get this STRAIGHT.... cheap beers at the gay bar.... i am so there LOL

Lakewood isn't nearly that gay that you should be worrying about a lack of "straight life", and the stereotype is probably a bit outdated anyway, with more of Cleveland's gentrifying neighborhoods vying for Cleveland's gay population.  I don't think that there is a really concentrated "gayborhood" anymore, and I doubt that Lakewood is really any more gay than Ohio City, Tremont, or Gordon Square.

^^^I'm not the best source on things westside, but I'm pretty sure the gay rep for Lakewood is quite overblown and maybe even stronger outside of the Clevo area than inside.  "Predominantly" gay is definitely an exaggeration by an order of magnitude. Among other groups, Lakewood seems to be a pretty standard address for straight 20 somethin's.  Depending on your interests you may or may not prefer being in/near Little Italy (Marray Hill) due to its proximity to University Circle, which after downtown, is the second pole of Cleveland's civic life.

 

As for your predilection for complaining about subpar urban design...well you'll find plenty of like minds here. After local news, I'd guess b!tching about skywalks and street edges sucks up the second highest number of key strokes on UO.  And I mean that in a good way.

Good luck in Cleveland and at CSU.

 

I would be curious if there is a bike/ped trail that leads to downtown from Tremont.

Kindof... You can take Abbey ave to Lorain and then there's a pedestrian/bike path on the side of the Lorain/Carnegie bridge that I've ridden across but I'd never recommend to anyone. I guess both Abbey and Carnegie are getting new bike lanes this year, but I haven't been keeping up with the status on that.

 

May I ask why you wouldn't recommend the bridge? Carnegie looks like it would be a fairly direct path, I'll look into those bike lanes..

Traffic seems to ignore the speed limit and treats Carnegie like a freeway so riding on the road is a little too dangerous for me plus the curb is about 8 inches high (high enough you're in danger of catching pedals if you're close to it). The sidewalk is too narrow to pass pedestrians or oncoming cyclists without getting close to that high curb. It's certainly doable (I'm sure someone on here does regularly ride it), but there's a reason it's scheduled to be redone.

Frankly, gay bars are more enjoyable than non gay bars, even/especially for straight guys. There are fewer d-bags, everyone is more laid back, no one is staring at your (female) date/glaring at you, better drink and food service, more in shape people, fewer chances for violent altercarions, etc.

I would say your assessment of Tremont is pretty accurate. This is just my assessment, but Tremont has struck me as a great urban place to live if you work out in the suburbs, owing to Tremont's freeway access. I do know people who live in Tremont and work downtown too, but I don't think it's the best place to live if you work/school downtown especially if you don't have a car or if you do and want to keep it parked at home.

 

Lakewood isn't any one thing. The people, the houses, the restaurants, the shops -- they are like snowflakes. No two are identical. Dozens of languages are spoken in the school system, many from Eastern European, Middle Eastern and Latin American origins. Lakewood's reputation as a gayborhood is overblown as many have said. There are many here, including in my building. But from what I know of my neighbors (I've lived in this building for 15 years) and based on the dates they bring home, family members living with them, partners, etc., I would guess that perhaps 10 percent of them are gay. Lakewood is a very diverse place. Even if you see two white people standing next to each other, one person may be Albanian-born and the other from Belarus.

 

So the area around the west tip of Edgewater Park (like around Lake/West) is rough? That is a huge shame because I liked that area specifically. Or are the bad areas just confined to across the tracks from there? What about Gordon Square?

 

At the intersection of Clifton/Lake, the area south of the tracks gets rough. The area along and north of Baltic is fine. Where Baltic ends at the intersection of Clifton/Lake, if you follow Lake east of there, the areas north of Lake and then north of Detroit are better -- and getting better all the time. Think of the line of demarcation as an upside-down V. Even then I hate to use a "line" because neighborhoods don't start to suddenly get better at a line. But the railroad tracks (both sets of tracks) south of Baltic are about as close as you can get to a line. The Gordon Square area is fine, and is getting better too. It used to be a pretty rough area as recently as 5-10 years ago. The farther east from here you go, the areas get a little better the farther south from Detroit. A little bit south of Lorain is as far south as I would go in Ohio City proper, that's an improvement over 5-10 years ago too.

 

EDIT: By the way, you may notice a cultural difference between East Side and West Side. The University Circle, Murray Hill, Cleveland Heights area will make you think more of an East Coast city. It is faster-paced, more "in your face", the architecture is more East Coast, and there are more African Americans, Italians, Jews, Asians and Indians. Even the food is different -- not to mention the Coca Cola. Yes, you can Kosher Cokes with real sugar in Cleveland! The West Side of Cleveland, Lakewood and Rocky River are more like Chicago. It is slower paced, more laid back, flatter, the architecture makes me think more of Chicago, and there are more new-immigrant Eastern Europeans, Latinos and Middle-Easterners. Of course, you will find mixes of all attributes on both sides of town, but this cultural difference between east and west is decades, if not centuries old. There was even a book written about 20 years ago titled "Cleveland - Where the East Coast meets the Midwest."

Odly enough, looking at some data I had, it shows the Edgewater neighborhood have a higher percentage of same sex couples than any census tract in Lakewood.

Odly enough, looking at some data I had, it shows the Edgewater neighborhood have a higher percentage of same sex couples than any census tract in Lakewood.

 

I was going to add to my message that Edgewater is probably more of a gayborhood than Lakewood, but I didn't have any direct experience or data to back it up. Thanks for the data!

It's certainly doable (I'm sure someone on here does regularly ride it), but there's a reason it's scheduled to be redone.

 

That would be me.  :wave:  Well, it's not part of a regular commute for me, but when I'm crossing the river there I always ride the roadway on Hope Memorial.  I personally don't feel any unreasonable level of danger, but I do make sure to not take Carnegie past E18th.  To me that is where Carnegie turns into the default University Circle-Innerbelt expressway.

If you're talking about all of Lakewood overall, I honestly think there are more Middle Easterners there than gays. The Edgewater neighborhood does have a high concentration, but I think moreso just over the Cleveland border due to lower rents/tax than on the lakewood side.

 

There are a TON of single, straight, young people in Lakewood. There are like a bazillion bars and miles of tail to be had. I should know, I had 5 apartments in Lakewood and was one of those hot young ladies back in the day, bar hopping all through Lakewood and hooking up. Particularly the trio of Around the Corner, the West End and the Riverwood, all clustered together at the very west end of Detroit, that can be a good hang, but there are literally hundreds of restaurants with good bars and just regular bars that serve food, to little divey type places dotting Lakewood on Madison and Detroit from the East to West ends of Lakewood.

 

P.S. Being very gay-friendly -  having gay friends - real friends, being open to going to gay bars without hangups, being completely accepting of gay people and liking being close neighbors with gay people gets you MORE female tail, not less. It also makes you much more likely to have FRIENDLY and HELPFUL neighbors as opposed to the aforementioned douchebags, who wouldn't spit on you if you were on fire.

TRAMP!

:wave: