Hi,

 

I will probably be making a move to Cleveland sometime in 2014.  I am planning a trip to Cleveland sometime next spring or summer and would like advice on what neighborhoods/areas to check out within the city.  I am looking to buy, not rent.  Here are some of my criteria: 

 

Neat looking older homes (to buy)

Good schools

Good family atmosphere

Safe area

Allows backyard chickens (this is important!)

 

Things I'd like that are less important:

Walkability

Access to public transit

Easy access to grocery stores, pharmacies, etc

Close to things like museums, music, etc

 

Right now I am looking at the University Circle area.  I have searched the forum here but I haven't found anything about the family friendliness of this area (maybe I am using the wrong search terms).  Is University Circle a good area for the things I am looking for?  The houses (according to Trulia.com) are within my price range and some of them seem to be the neat older homes.

 

So is it a good area?  Or where should I look?  I am not rich (by any means) but should be able to purchase an okay home in a reasonable area.

 

I realize this has probably been asked a million times so I appreciate your patience in answering it again.

Hi,

 

I will probably be making a move to Cleveland sometime in 2014.  I am planning a trip to Cleveland sometime next spring or summer and would like advice on what neighborhoods/areas to check out within the city.  I am looking to buy, not rent.  Here are some of my criteria: 

 

Neat looking older homes (to buy)

Good schools

Good family atmosphere

Safe area

Allows backyard chickens (this is important!)

 

Things I'd like that are less important:

Walkability

Access to public transit

Easy access to grocery stores, pharmacies, etc

Close to things like museums, music, etc

 

Right now I am looking at the University Circle area.  I have searched the forum here but I haven't found anything about the family friendliness of this area (maybe I am using the wrong search terms).  Is University Circle a good area for the things I am looking for?  The houses (according to Trulia.com) are within my price range and some of them seem to be the neat older homes.

 

So is it a good area?  Or where should I look?  I am not rich (by any means) but should be able to purchase an okay home in a reasonable area.

 

I realize this has probably been asked a million times so I appreciate your patience in answering it again.

 

Welcome.

 

Why don't you tell us where you currently leave (city, neighborhood) so we can recommend similar areas in Cleveland.

 

What is your budget?

What area of the city will you be working in?

What extra curricular activities do you enjoy

Car? (it seems like the answer is no, but you never know)

 

 

The more information you provide, we'll be able to give you more accurate information.

I hate where I live now, so I would like something different. Haha.  (I moved here to take care of my dad.)

 

I don't know yet what area I will be working in (no job yet).  It doesn't really matter to me though, commuting is not an issue at all.  I will be working in the education field.

I like music, going to libraries, museums, zoos, I like nature, the beach and good restaurants.  I also like gardening and owning chickens (though I haven't had any recently, another reason I don't like it here).

I have a car, though I will probably be buying a different car before i move because I don't think mine will do well in very snowy/icy weather.

 

I'm looking for a neighborhood where i can raise a family and also do some sustainability urban farming (Cleveland allows chickens but some of the little cities/areas around it do not).  I would like to be able to walk or bike some places (as I enjoy that now).  I'd like somewhere a little more liberal minded (it's SUPER conservative here).  Friendly people, community feel. I want an older home, something 1900s-1930s would be idea, I prefer 2 story homes.

 

Does that help?  Can I answer anything else?  I am not really sure what else you need to know.  I am glad to answer anything.  All of the moves I have made before were for specific reasons (school, to take care of my dad, etc) this will be a move to somewhere where I plan on living for the rest of my life.

There aren't too many single family houses in University Circle.  What streets are you looking on?  Have you checked out Cleveland Heights?  It sounds pretty close to what you're looking for, not sure about the chickens, though.

Well, right now I am just looking online (as I live several states away, haha) so keep that in mind.  I have found two houses within University Circle which fit my price range and also "neat old house" criteria.  One is on Ashbury Ave and one is on Cedar Road.  As long as it is in Cleveland and not in a different city I would assume that Cleveland ordinances would apply.  I am having a hard time telling what is a separate city though.  Shaker Heights appears to be a different city (it is listed as such on realtor and trulia, etc) however there are some houses on the fringes that are listed as "Cleveland".  Is Cleveland Heights its own city/has its own ordinances or is it part of Cleveland?

 

Maybe it will be clearer to me once I actually go up and visit.

Cleveland Heights is a separate city, but does allow chickens if you receive a permit from the city (see below). To ID which streets are in Cleveland, use this map and zoom in to the area of the city you are interested in (http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/gis/cpc/basemap.jsp?command=smaller). This will also help you get detailed information about various properties if you zoom in close enough, select "identify" and then click on a property.

 

It sounds like University Circle and up into the heights is what your looking for, except maybe for the chickens part. As long as you don't mind having to go to the urban gardens to tend to the chickens. Most of the larger urban gardens tend to be in areas where there has been a lot of abandonment, and sometimes safety, family atmosphere and quality schools are an issue. So if you want those things plus good, older housing stock in a more liberally minded area, AND you want a larger urban farm with chickens nearby (but not on your property), then University Circle and some parts of Cleveland Heights as well as Shaker Heights (especially the eastern portions) might interest you. So might Ohio City and Tremont. Ohio City is one of the few stable urban neighborhoods with a large community garden (see http://www.kentuckygardens.com/) but I do not believe it allows live animals because there is no full-time staff or overnight security to guard against theft. In fact, that may be an issue at many urban gardens, but that's really not my area of expertise. I just happened to write a news article about Cleveland passing an ordinance a few years ago that allowed residents to keep chickens, bees and other critters on certain sized land with a specific zoning code. In fact it's all starting to come back to me as I write and research this.......

 

Check these and other sites for more information: 

http://www.localfoodcleveland.org/group/chickenkeepers

http://www.ecowatch.org/pubs/mar09/clevelandabuzz.htm

http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/zoning/pdf/34702FarmAnimalsandBees.pdf

http://www.freshwatercleveland.com/features/countingchickens050312.aspx

http://www.clevelandheights.com/index.aspx?page=1281

 

If you're interested in sustainability issues (I suspect that's why you're interested in keeping chickens?), there area three electrified rail transit lines that converge in the area near University Circle and Shaker Square (located in Cleveland).  See: http://www.riderta.com/pdf/maps/System_Map_Rapid_Connect.pdf.

 

There are many farmers markets in Greater Cleveland, with the North Union market on Saturdays on the greens at Shaker Square being one of the largest on the East Side (http://www.northunionfarmersmarket.org/markets/shaker.html). Of course, one of the largest fresh food markets in the nation is the West Side Market (http://www.westsidemarket.org/about.html). The neighborhood surrounding the market is a great place to visit, especially on very busy Saturdays. I suggest taking the train there to avoid traffic and parking hassles, as the Ohio City station is right across the street from the market.

 

The zoo is just south of downtown, Ohio City and Tremont, off West 25th Street. Many homes where chickens are kept are on the southwest side which is a heavily Latino area, generally in the area of West 25th and Clark but extends for many blocks in all directions. There is also a small aquarium on the Flats West Bank, between downtown and Ohio City (http://greaterclevelandaquarium.com/).

 

The city's best beach is Edgewater Park (http://edgewaterpark.net/ and http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/clevelkf/tabid/721/Default.aspx) and its best lakefront park (IMHO) is Wendy Park (http://wendypark.org/). Both are on the near west side. Gordon Park at East 55th is a small park but is best known for its wildlife preserve of many bird species, especially waterbirds.

 

But most of the city's museums and institutions, especially its largest and most renowned, are in University Circle (http://www.universitycircle.org/). BTW, north of UC to the lake along MLK Boulevard and Rockefeller Park are the collection of cultural gardens. Some of the gardens are spectacular, but they all celebrate what makes Cleveland and America the melting pot they are (http://www.culturalgardens.org/). The ornate and proximate Italian, Greek and Lithuanian gardens make those the collective highlight of all the gardens, IMHO.

 

Those are just a few things off the top of my head. I hope this helps.

You can raise chickens in Cleveland Heights with a permit: http://www.clevelandheights.com/index.aspx?page=1281

Cleveland Heights is directly east of University Circle, and north of Shaker Heights. The Red Line goes near Cleveland Heights, at the Cedar and Euclid-East 120th stops, the latter will be relocated a few blocks away to Little Italy by the time you move to Cleveland. Cleveland Heights is safe, family-oriented, walkable, and has decent public transit. Personally, I think University Circle meets all of your requirements, but I'm not familiar with the chicken laws there.

Thank you all very much for your helpful comments!

 

To KJP:  University Circle is not its own city, correct?  I am interested in sustainability issues.  Thank you for the recomendations.  I want to keep my own chickens and have my own garden, not go to a community garden (I did that in Hawaii and there were a lot of issues with theft and damage by the other gardeners... it was a neat garden though, it was cooled with deep sea water in little pipes under the beds but I digress...)

 

Are Ohio City and Tremont cities or neighborhoods?  I am looking at Cleveland Heights, however they do not allow as many chickens (Cleveland allows 1/800sq Cleveland Heights limits the number to 4 regardless of lot size).  I intend to keep bees as well.  I would love to keep a goat but finding a half acre of land seems pretty nearly impossible.

 

I have seen some nice houses (online) in Edgewater... is that also a good place to live?  (With the same criteria as before.  It seems like the schools around University Circle are better but maybe my info is wrong?)

 

To RTM:

Thanks for the transportation advice and heads up.  I supose a few things may change by the time I actually move.  I am a planner in the extreme, sometimes that is good and sometimes not.  I suppose I suppose once I get areas narrowed down then I can look up proposed changes to transit lines and such.

Bright Dream,

 

It sounds like Cleveland Heights is your pick if schools are important.  HOwever, Ohio City has tons of young families too and people are actually working hard to come up with solutions to stay put in Ohio City/Tremont with kids (ie charter schools, etc). Chickens in those neighborhoods are welcome.  One more thing, i dont know what happened in Hawaii, but community gardens are extremely important here and we take them seriously.  I am part of one, and have experienced nothing but great things as a member.  Ours is even located near a house with a bad crowd and there still hasnt been any issues.

 

Check into Ohio City/Tremont and Cleveland Heights.  The schools topic will be the most important on that decision.  Lakewood is outstanding too but its own city.

I agree Cleveland Heights seems to be closest to what you want in almost every way, but with the amount of farming you want to do, with a goat, bees and more than 4 chickens, I think you are going to have to go into an adjacent county to do that, and then you're not going to get a lot of the lifestyle options you want like walkability, access to public transit ,etc. I think you're going to have to decide which things are MOST important to you. If having your own land and animals is of the highest importance to you, then a place like Medina may be good for you, or it's east side equivalent (not sure what that would be, I will let the others weigh in - Twinsburg maybe?). You can get the type of house you want at an affordable price and will have the safety, but you'll be minus the close access to museums and art and public transit. But you can drive to museums. And you said "commuting is not an issue" so maybe you should look further out. Many of those exurban communities have very good schools as well.

there are definitely spaces that can house a goat.  My grandfather came from sicily and use to have just about everything in his richmond road backyard in Lyndhurst.  The west side is definitely a little more spacious and chill though than the east side if you want some space.  You can probably find something on Clinton/Franklin/Bridge that would have enough back yard space for a goat and some chickens.  We are going to put bees and chickens in our community garden....so thats an option too.

I wasn't talking in terms of space. I was thinking in terms of what is permitted. I would suggest some serious research be done if you want to keep more than 5 chickens, a goat and bees. This seems like it would be disallowed a lot of places.

Lakewood is outstanding too but its own city.

 

I'd love to pitch Lakewood but we're still waiting for hen guidelines to work out.

 

http://lakewoodobserver.com/read/2011/08/09/hens-in-lakewood-you-bet

To rockandroller:

I've had chickens, goats, and sheep (among other animals).  Though not in a city before.  Cleveland laws allow bees on normal size lots and allow 1 chicken per 800sqft of lot.  If I had slightly over half an acre in the city I could have a goat.  However, finding over half an acre means I probably wouldn't be in the area I would like to be in so I am going to shelve that idea and just go with a garden, chickens, and bees.  I think that's about self-sufficient enough for very urban areas, haha.  Although commuting isn't an issue I'd prefer not to (gas = expensive).

 

To surfohio:

Yeah, I like Lakewood but I don't want to count on them passing pro-chicken laws (you never know).

 

Another question for everyone out there:

I see a lot of very very cheap houses, like in the realm of $10K-$20K, in what appear to be "okay" areas.  Is there something terribly wrong with these houses?  Is that normal for the market?  I mean, I live in the southwest and there IS something wrong with houses that cheap (like they need $50K in work or are in terrible areas).  Is this the case in Cleveland as well?

^Most likely. Can you name some the areas/streets you are looking at?

Not to get off topic, but I would be happy to talk to you about whatever you want to know here about food and farming as it relates to what you can buy. We are very fortunate in this area to have access to a lot of small, family-owned local farms who are doing things the right way, from pastured meat to ("uncertified") organic farming. Several of our local farmers markets carry products from these farms, and many farms offer CSAs. I belong to Fresh Fork's "CSA," which is really an aggregator of products from many area farms so you get a wide variety every week in your bag. We also have great local honey producers and I would be happy to connect you to some local apiarists if you like.

To answer your other question, houses within Cleveland city are usually less expensive than in the suburbs, because of (real or perceived) crime and poor public schools, primarily. But many neighborhoods with multiple houses at that rate means it's gutted and blighted and the properties there would both need an incredibly expensive amount of work to be brought back to a livable state and also would not be located in a very safe neighborhood. In other words, no, that is not typical, even of houses in the city. They are foreclosed, abandoned and stripped.

Sure... keep in mind these are not places I am thinking of living in (I have owned and do own rentals and am considering these as rentals if they are somehow a monster in disguise... like need to be 100% gutted and redone or are in an area where the windows need to be replaced weekly because they are shot out or something).

 

3861 Kirkwood Road, Cleveland OH

1245 E 114th St, Cleveland OH

10214 Yale ave, Cleveland OH

2531 E 84th st, Cleveland OH

 

And so on.  There are TONS all over the place.  Some of them obviously need a little work (like they say they need a new boiler or something) but for that price I could have that done and lots more without batting an eye.

 

(The houses I am looking at to live in are:

 

12764 Cedar Rd, Cleveland Heights OH

1466 East 108th Street, Cleveland OH 44106 (this is my favorite so far)

10806 Hull Avenue, Cleveland OH 44106

10621 Ashbury Avenue, Cleveland OH 44106

 

Obviously I am not buying them yet, just window shopping so to speak.)

 

 

1466 East 108th Street, Cleveland OH 44106 (this is my favorite so far)

 

 

Wow. This place is certainly something.

Just throwing this out there...... but have you looked into Chagrin Falls at all?  It is much more isolated but I would think it meets your list of priorities with great schools (some of the best in Ohio), a great family atmosphere, safety, and I'm sure that it is chicken-friendly.  It is extremely 'walkable'.... even moreso than many of our more urban centered neighborhoods, but it is one of the more inaccessible areas in the County.  It is worthy of consideration - http://www.chagrin-falls.org/ 

Sure... keep in mind these are not places I am thinking of living in (I have owned and do own rentals and am considering these as rentals if they are somehow a monster in disguise... like need to be 100% gutted and redone or are in an area where the windows need to be replaced weekly because they are shot out or something).

 

3861 Kirkwood Road, Cleveland OH

1245 E 114th St, Cleveland OH

10214 Yale ave, Cleveland OH

2531 E 84th st, Cleveland OH

 

And so on.  There are TONS all over the place.  Some of them obviously need a little work (like they say they need a new boiler or something) but for that price I could have that done and lots more without batting an eye.

 

(The houses I am looking at to live in are:

 

12764 Cedar Rd, Cleveland Heights OH

1466 East 108th Street, Cleveland OH 44106 (this is my favorite so far)

10806 Hull Avenue, Cleveland OH 44106

10621 Ashbury Avenue, Cleveland OH 44106

 

Obviously I am not buying them yet, just window shopping so to speak.)

 

 

I would probably avoid the Hull Avenue one.

 

I think the Ashbury one could be interesting. Its very close to University Circle and all the museums. Being so close, the crime there is less than one would expect, and I think that area will improve overtime as well. You would be a short bike ride away from many great attractions and restaurants, and a short drive from downtown. Or you could always take the train or healthline, which would require a decent walk or bike ride to the station.

To rockandroller:

 

That'd be great!  (It's "my" thread and I don't care about off topic stuff, hehe.)  I have NOT owned bees before so I need all the help I can get!  I am looking forward to making/getting my own honey though.  My great grandfather (deceased) used to keep bees and sell honey.  Actually, due to his farm and farming ability my grandmother and her siblings suffered very little during the great depression.  (And they lived in Ohio!  haha, sort of returning to my roots.)

 

What does a CSA subscription run?  I did one when I lived in CA that was through the local college and really liked it.  I've been spoiled here in the vegetable area as there are lots of farms/commercial ag businesses and they sell off their odd shaped or un-commercial shaped fruit and veggies for very very cheap.  (Watermelons run around $1-$3 and pumpkins about the same, squash are 6/$1 tomatoes are 4-5/$1, and so on.)

I pay up front for the season but I think it works out to about $25 a week for a small share, and the small is HUGE. They also do a winter CSA which is very helpful - heavier on meats, cheese, eggs and milk with some winter veg and greenhouse stuff.

To ClevelandOhio:

 

Do the trains/etc have a parking lot near them (similar to the trams in San Diego or SF)?  Could I, for instance, drive to somewhere near the train stop, park, and then ride the train the rest of the way?

 

To Hts121:

Chagrin Falls... hmmm... I will look into it!  I am really in the very beginning stages of looking, comparing schools, etc.  I know sort of what I want but am still figuring out all of the other piece.. areas that are good, where I might work, etc etc.

For schools you're probably looking outside of Cleveland, which crosses off districts like University Circle, Ohio City, Tremont, and several other cool areas. The main nice inner-ring suburbs are Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights, Lakewood, and Rocky River. I also think the Westpark/Kamm's Corners area of Cleveland proper (near where I live) has decent schools, since I see lots of cute little kids with parents when I drive through those school zones LOL, but I'm unsure on the high school.

 

There's generally two areas you should look at, one that includes most stuff in a 4-mile radius of Cleveland Heights, the other being most everything in a 4-mile radius of Lakewood. That is if good schools are a must. Of course, if you can compromise on the housing stock, there are some very upscale newer suburbs as already mentioned.

 

 

 

3861 Kirkwood Road, Cleveland OH-

1245 E 114th St, Cleveland OH

10214 Yale ave, Cleveland OH

2531 E 84th st, Cleveland OH

 

And so on.  There are TONS all over the place.  Some of them obviously need a little work (like they say they need a new boiler or something) but for that price I could have that done and lots more without batting an eye.

 

(The houses I am looking at to live in are:

 

12764 Cedar Rd, Cleveland Heights OH

1466 East 108th Street, Cleveland OH 44106 (this is my favorite so far)

10806 Hull Avenue, Cleveland OH 44106

10621 Ashbury Avenue, Cleveland OH 44106

 

Obviously I am not buying them yet, just window shopping so to speak.)

 

 

It is evident to me why many of these are so cheap, they are in pretty bad areas.  However, as stated above, Ashbury, East 108th and Cedar are all areas that have serious growth potential.  Cedar road home is in already an established nice area.  Check into the west side though, alot of nice homes in safer areas and I would say is the more "green" part of town.  Alot of bikers, urban gardens and we have more access to water.

To ClevelandOhio:

 

Do the trains/etc have a parking lot near them (similar to the trams in San Diego or SF)?  Could I, for instance, drive to somewhere near the train stop, park, and then ride the train the rest of the way?

 

 

Many of our train stations do have free parking lots located next to them, but the ones near University Circle do not. You might be able to get away with parking on the street near the Cedar Road - University Circle Station though.

To BelievelandD1:

Where would you recommend on the west side? Is there an issue with getting water in Ohio??? Like droughts?  I deal with that often where I live now (New Mexico)... I realize it probably wouldn't be on the same scale but do they do limit water usage in the summer or anything like that?

NO water issues, in fact the Great Lakes are anticipated to be a destination in the next 30-50 years due to water shortages. 

 

Ohio City, Detroit-Shoreway and Tremont are three of the premier neighborhoods in the city and Detroit-Shoreway is a very green neighborhood.  Tons of activities like the ones you mention above.  Price is right too. 

I work at the VA hospital and am considering moving closer to work in a few years if I can convince the wife. I've actually walked past each of the houses you have listed as possibilities, though have only seen the inside of the one on E108th. (not quite as pretty or well maintained as the realtor's pictures let on, but that's to be expected) Note that the picture listed online for the house on Ashbury is a picture of a completely different house (I'm too lazy to email the realtor, even though it annoys me.)

 

That said, I'll warn you that the further north you travel from University Circle the neighborhood quickly goes downhill. It's got a little bit of positive momentum, a lot of potential and 10-20 years from now this might be a great neighborhood, but if your top priorities are "Good schools", "Good family atmosphere" and "Safe area" anything north of Ashbury might not be what you're looking for.

To Keith:

Yeah, they generally try to take the most flattering pictures possible (though not always, I saw a house locally where they took pictures with piles of clothes on the floor and then strange angles of closet doors and ceiling corners).  What's the inside of the 108th one?  That's my favorite.  I won't be buying it most likely (since I doubt it will last till 2014) but I love talking about houses, hehe.  And I figured the one Ashbury was wrong.  I looked at a street view and there wasn't anything really matching the picture, haha.

 

Thanks for the warning!  I will keep that in mind.  Is that area around the park to the west any good?  I saw some houses listed a tiny bit north and west on that park that looked okay (from the pictures).  Are schools a concern for you or no?  Do you know what schools in that area are the best?

 

To BelievelandD1:

Really?  That's interesting.  I know they are predicting that my area will fall into another dust bowl era in the next little bit, which is part of the reason I'd like to get the heck out (it's already 110% too hot and dry for me).  I will look at the Detroit-Shoreway.  Are the schools there good?

 

If I could stay at or under $85K that would be phenomenal.  I should have that amount "cash" so I could have the house totally paid off right from the get-go.

Wow.  85K cash can get you a long way around here.  D/S schools are still cleveland public, but as I stated in an earlier post alot of people are working hard ont he near west side so they can stay and raise their families here.  There are charter schools being formed and in general as the neighborhoods gentrify, the public schools should improve as well. 

 

There are also k-8 schools such as Mt Carmel, etc.  Not sure if you have a religious affiliation, but the schools exist...same with Little Italy.

 

I can tell you now, D/S has several young families that want to stay.  Specifically check out north of Detroit between 58th-76th.

To BelievelandD1:

Hehe. That is what I am hoping =)  I love, love, love all the old houses.  And they are HUGE!

I'm not religious in the slightest.  Can you pick what public school you want to send your child to or do you have to use the one in your area?  Charter schools can be good or bad depending on the ideology and teachers.  That does sound neat though.  I do want an area with lots of families so that there are kids for my kids to play with and just for that general family feel.  I did notice a lot of private catholic schools, while I am not against that I don't know how well it would work for me to be 100% non-religious and not interested in that sort of thing and then send my kids to a school like that.

I will look some on the west side too.  Any schools in particular that I should see about moving near?  It would be neat if I could live close enough to bike or walk the kids to school part of the time.  (I realize that may be asking for too much, but it's a thought.)

To ClevelandOhio:

 

Do the trains/etc have a parking lot near them (similar to the trams in San Diego or SF)?  Could I, for instance, drive to somewhere near the train stop, park, and then ride the train the rest of the way?

 

 

Many of our train stations do have free parking lots located next to them, but the ones near University Circle do not. You might be able to get away with parking on the street near the Cedar Road - University Circle Station though.

 

The map I posted above.....

http://www.riderta.com/pdf/maps/System_Map_Rapid_Connect.pdf

....shows which stations have parking. They are marked with a "P" in a circle.

 

Where would you recommend on the west side?

 

 

My friends got a tour of some small, backyard farms taking off in the Detroit-Shoreway/Gordon Square area.  As mentioned, it's a cool area that is up and coming.  Close to Edgewater Park.  Schools... this area doesn't feature very good public schools however.  Checking up on the progress of the charters is good advice.

 

In fact, I really think quality schools is going to be your most limiting factor.

 

http://www.freshwatercleveland.com/devnews/spicekitchenandbar061412.aspx?utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=chef+adds+gardens%2C+hoop+house+to+his+detroit+shoreway+farm-to-table+restaurant&utm_content={Email_Address}&utm_campaign=Retrofitting+the+%27Burbs

On Clinton/Franklin in Detroit Shoreway there are many people with chickens, bees and small farms.  There are beautiful old houses and I know a few residents who used the special rehab loans to make them beautiful.  The elementary school around W105 is pretty good from what I hear, but you would definitely want to do your research.  There are plenty of good schools in Cleveland, just not the school district overall.

And speaking of education in Cleveland:

 

http://freshwatercleveland.com/features/schoolreform091312.aspx

 

 

 

3861 Kirkwood Road, Cleveland OH-

1245 E 114th St, Cleveland OH

10214 Yale ave, Cleveland OH

2531 E 84th st, Cleveland OH

 

And so on.  There are TONS all over the place.  Some of them obviously need a little work (like they say they need a new boiler or something) but for that price I could have that done and lots more without batting an eye.

 

(The houses I am looking at to live in are:

 

12764 Cedar Rd, Cleveland Heights OH

1466 East 108th Street, Cleveland OH 44106 (this is my favorite so far)

10806 Hull Avenue, Cleveland OH 44106

10621 Ashbury Avenue, Cleveland OH 44106

 

Obviously I am not buying them yet, just window shopping so to speak.)

 

 

It is evident to me why many of these are so cheap, they are in pretty bad areas.  However, as stated above, Ashbury, East 108th and Cedar are all areas that have serious growth potential.  Cedar road home is in already an established nice area.  Check into the west side though, alot of nice homes in safer areas and I would say is the more "green" part of town.  Alot of bikers, urban gardens and we have more access to water.

 

I would hardly call Ashbury at "bad area". 

Good luck with your move Brightdreams!

 

To echo others, I would focus on some of the west side city nabes people have been mentioning, which seem to attract a lot of at-home urban gardeners and will likely have some good charter school options, or look to Cleveland Heights or Shaker Heights, which also have excellent older homes, better public schools than the city of Cleveland (esp Shaker Heights) and are probably a little bit safer too.  Even though suburban, Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights have great transit access (especially Shaker Heights) and are very close to a lot amenities, so are very walkable (especially Cleveland Heights).

Good luck with your move Brightdreams!

 

To echo others, I would focus on some of the west side city nabes people have been mentioning, which seem to attract a lot of at-home urban gardeners and will likely have some good charter school options, or look to Cleveland Heights or Shaker Heights, which also have excellent older homes, better public schools than the city of Cleveland (esp Shaker Heights) and are probably a little bit safer too.  Even though suburban, Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights have great transit access (especially Shaker Heights) and are very close to a lot amenities, so are very walkable (especially Cleveland Heights).

 

Not to mention there are a ton of great homes in SHAKER SQUARE (a neighborhood in Cleveland that borders Shaker Hts. & Cleve. Hts.)! 

To BelievelandD1:

Hehe. That is what I am hoping =)  I love, love, love all the old houses.  And they are HUGE!

I'm not religious in the slightest.  Can you pick what public school you want to send your child to or do you have to use the one in your area?  Charter schools can be good or bad depending on the ideology and teachers.  That does sound neat though.  I do want an area with lots of families so that there are kids for my kids to play with and just for that general family feel.  I did notice a lot of private catholic schools, while I am not against that I don't know how well it would work for me to be 100% non-religious and not interested in that sort of thing and then send my kids to a school like that.

I will look some on the west side too.  Any schools in particular that I should see about moving near?  It would be neat if I could live close enough to bike or walk the kids to school part of the time.  (I realize that may be asking for too much, but it's a thought.)

 

Brightdreams- there are several good-quality public schools that you may be able to send your children to, even if you're not in the immediate area.  Typically, slots at a school are filled by children from the "catchment area" so to speak, and any remaining slots are filled by lottery.  Tremont Montessori (in Tremont) and Louisa May Alcott (in Edgewater, near Detroit-Shoreway) are a couple elementaries worth checking out.

I'm not religious in the slightest.

 

I wouldn't worry about that so much, many non-religious families send their kids to Catholic schools in NE Ohio because a lot of times it's the only (more affordable) private school choice around.  It's different up here than in the south.  They tend to be college prep more than religion heavy IMO.  There were lots of kids at my Catholic High School that were not religion affilliated.  I don't think they even had to take Theology class (which was taught more like stories than facts when I took it in the 80's).  They don't even have nuns and priests at them really because there aren't enough to go around...maybe a few token ones.  Being college prep, they are not going to send the students off to college thinking the world is only 4000 years old, or that Adam and Eve really started the human race.  They teach evolution and scientific facts about how the world evolved, at least they did when I was there.

 

I have friends that live in the West Park neighborhood that are not religious at all and send their kids to a Catholic grade school.

I will respectfully disagree with metrocity. While my kid is only 3, we looked at religious preschools and non-religious and the religious presence is palpable, pushy, and not something we want. What many religious people think is "subtle" or "harmless," those of us who are not religious think of as brainwashing. Requiring prayer before meals, eating in a room with a big last supper mural, giving the kids Bible coloring books and having Bible quotes on the walls in big letters is not subtle to me. We plan to educate our child about many forms of religion by taking him to a universalist church for holidays, but I don't want him getting it at school.

 

 

Hi Brightdreams.

 

I agree with a number of posters above.  Detroit/Shoreway, Ohio City & Tremont are all very cool areas that meet many of your wishes, but are neighborhoods in the city of Cleveland, and the Cleveland Metropolitan School System stinks.  (yeah, they're trying to improve, but they've been trying for YEARS and it just gets worse)  There are a few charter schools that are doing ok, but it's not the rule.  If you move to these areas, count on sending your kids to private schools.  I think it might be worth it, cuz these areas are just that awesome. 

 

Lakewood is a city on the west side.  Pretty nice, decent schools, right on the lake, meets just about all your requirements, I think.  For some reason, though, it just doesn't appeal much to me, personally - can't explain it cuz I'm not sure why.  Maybe too many up/down duplexes for me?

 

University Circle is a neighborhood in the city of Cleveland (same CMPS school issues already mentioned), it is walking distance to many excellent museums, great restaurants, and 2 of the best hospital systems/health care facilities in Ohio.  The neighborhood shifts quickly in the area, though, so you gotta be careful if buying property/choosing a home.  Seems like areas much north of Ashbury (close to Superior Rd/Rte 6), west of MLK Jr. Drive, or east of the train tracks, gets dicey pretty quick.  There's a lot of blight & foreclosed homes just beyond the region "IN" University Circle. 

Avoid East Cleveland (separate city) like your life depends on it.

 

Maybe check out the Collinwood neighborhood, in Cleveland city (Cleveland Metropolitan Schools), NE of University Circle.  Collinwood has old houses (that are pretty cheap), close to museums/shopping, public transit, some really neat arts & music communities popping up.  This area wasn't too great a few (>10) years back, but it is improving - might be well on it's way to gentrification in a couple years.  But - still private schools for the kids. 

 

The city of Euclid might be worth considering.  It gets overlooked a lot.  There's old homes, it's east of Cleveland, on the lake, very walkable, public transit, etc., and pretty close to University Circle & museums, music.  Euclid was originally a very ethnic working-class area (Polish, eastern European)  Not sure about the schools, though.  (probably a little better than CMPS)

 

Little Italy neighborhood is just SE of University Circle - it's nice, old, but yards are TINY, and Cleve Metro School System. 

Just past Little Italy is Cleveland Hts., which is a separate city & is getting a number of mentions above.  Houses are cheap because there's LOTS of foreclosures there.  Some sections of Cleveland Hts. are awesome, some are almost blighted.  I think they're working on improving some of the not-so-good areas, so might be better in a couple years. 

The school system is better than Cleve Public, but still pretty bad.  Slid into academic watch a few years ago, missed (well, denied existence of) my son's pretty obvious learning disability.  We lived there 6-7 years, moved away 3 years ago because of the schools & our neighborhood were going downhill - abandoned houses & my teen stepson was mugged and beaten for the $3 in his pocket while walking home, on our street.  I miss our cool old house, walk-ability, proximity to lots of cool stuff to do, but we now have a yard, feel safe & kids go to a great school.  (more on that in a bit)

University HTS is a separate city, east of Cleveland Hts - they share a school system, but more consistent neighborhoods.

 

Now, Shaker Hts (separate city) is similar to Cleveland Hts, but with better schools.  There's also some very good private schools nearby.  I'd recommend eastern side of Shaker Hts, or the area right by Shaker Square (which is on the edges of Cleveland city & Cleveland Hts).  The RTA rides right through.

 

I don't know much about these areas' regulations about chickens & bees, but you could likely find out more online pretty easily.  There's not much south of these areas that have old homes and walkability.

 

Chagrin Falls is much farther east - it has a LOT of what you're looking for (Excellent schools, very safe, cool old houses, walkable, quaint downtown area with good restaurants and shopping, public events, very strong community-vibe here) but there's no public transit (unless you drive 15 minutes to a park-n-ride), and music venues & museums are about a 20-30 minute drive.  It is surrounded by lots of beautiful parks.  Just outside of Chagrin Falls, there's South Russell (quite rural, farms and large yards), Bentleyville, Solon (newer suburb, good schools, houses mostly 1950+), Aurora (Great schools, a few older homes).  Not much public transit in any of these areas.

 

We moved to Chesterland/South Russell area in Geauga County about 3 years ago.  It's beautiful out here, some cool old farm houses, many folks have chickens, animals, farms (big & small), the schools are great, and it's very safe out here.  But, it's just that - OUT here.  I miss walking to restaurants & shopping.  But - museums & the more concentrated areas of Urban life (in Cleveland) are only about 10-15 miles away.

 

Hope this helps.  Good luck!

Good luck with your move Brightdreams!

 

To echo others, I would focus on some of the west side city nabes people have been mentioning, which seem to attract a lot of at-home urban gardeners and will likely have some good charter school options, or look to Cleveland Heights or Shaker Heights, which also have excellent older homes, better public schools than the city of Cleveland (esp Shaker Heights) and are probably a little bit safer too.  Even though suburban, Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights have great transit access (especially Shaker Heights) and are very close to a lot amenities, so are very walkable (especially Cleveland Heights).

 

Not to mention there are a ton of great homes in SHAKER SQUARE (a neighborhood in Cleveland that borders Shaker Hts. & Cleve. Hts.)! 

 

This is actually a great suggestion.

 

Over there you can find an older home, in the City of Cleveland. You will be right in walking distance from Shaker Square which provides restaurants, grocery store, movie theater, coffee shop, CVS as well as other amenities. And  although the square is completely in the City of Cleveland, a decent portion of it is in the Shaker Heights school district, so that is nice.

 

You have access to rail, so you will be about a 15 minute train ride into downtown.

 

University Circle is just minutes away.

 

Its nearby the Shaker Lakes and the great nature over there.

 

So overall I think it could work quite nicely for you.

Is there any particular reason you are choosing to settle in Cleveland? 

I have to agree with rockandroller regarding religious schools.  I have gone to several (my grandparents are quite religious and paid for private school for me for several years).  I have nothing against religious persons or people who choose to utilize those schools but I don't want there to be pressure, subtle or otherwise, on my children to conform to religious beliefs.  I live in the southwest, the skirt of the bible belt so to speak, and one of the things I don't like about it is the lack of community outside of church/church functions.

 

 

To Rlucky:

I have read that Euclid does not have good schools... perhaps I am misinformed though?  The problem with all these different Heights is a) they appear to all be their own cities and b) they appear to all disallow bees/chickens.  That is sort of a sticking point for me.  Good schools and chickens.  (Yes you can start calling me the crazy chicken lady now, haha.)

 

Chagrin falls doesn't seem to specifically allow or disallow chickens... they have an ordinance about getting some sort of special permit for building a coop but it's in with references to building a stable and other animal pens so may only apply to very large lots or special purpose lots.  If someone knows about chickens in Chargin please chime in...

 

I will check out Chesterland/South Russell.  If it's really only 10-15mins into the city that's not too bad.  I have to drive 20mins right now to do any shopping/get what little culture we have so it'd be about the same.  (I live less than 5mins from work right now, which is wonderful but also something I am willing to give up.)

 

To Whipjacka:

Well... Cleveland allows chickens, it has reasonable housing prices (and cool older homes), it has cultural events and things like museums.  It is also "on the lake".  I hate living in a land locked state without water but buying near a big city on the either coast is pretty cost prohibitive.  I've been to Milwaukee (not the same I know) and liked it and because of the size of the lake it give me the same feeling as an ocean but houses are more expensive there.  I much prefer cold and overcast to hot and dry (hate it here) so the weather is "good" in my opinion.  Also I have some extended family in the area (they live outside of Mansfield but according to them Mansfield has terrible schools and it's also tiny and far away from everything, which isn't ideal for finding a job or for culture, etc).

 

 

UPDATE:

Okay, so Shaker Square looks like it might work.  How far around Shaker Square counts as safe/good?  For instance, there's a house on Keswick Road that looks good but I don't know if that's too far away from Shake Square and considered a "bad area".  From just looking at maps it is hard to tell where one area ends and another beings and which streets are sketchy or not.  I also noticed that some of the houses listed as "Cleveland" near Shaker Square say they are in the Shaker Heights school district... does that sound right?  Isn't Shaker Heights another city?  Or do they let kids from other cities go if they are on the border?  The school district system there is somewhat hard for me to grasp.

ill let someone else answer the Shaker Hts question, as I am a westsider.  I would continue to encourage you to check out the west side.  Bridge, Franklin, Clinton between west 25th and west 65th.  Also North of Detroit from 58th-76th.  While Cleveland schools are not an example of pristine settings for education, many kids have made it through there and have done just fine. I have friends that teach in the system and the teachers are quite passionate.  The hang up is with peer students, so if you are confident your child will never get caught in the wrong crowd, I am sure he/she would do fine.  Plus they will exposed to significant diversity at a young age, which is something you may not get in other school systems.  Im sure certain folks will jump all over me for saying that, but its the honest truth.  Alot of people are afraid of the school systems, but if you stay close with your child there is no reason they cant succeed.

 

The reason I honk the west side so much (despite me living there) is that you will find many people like yourself that share many of your interests.  You wont be looked at funny for having a backyard full of chickens.

FWIW, I am from Mansfield and they are right.

I have to agree with rockandroller regarding religious schools.  I have gone to several (my grandparents are quite religious and paid for private school for me for several years).  I have nothing against religious persons or people who choose to utilize those schools but I don't want there to be pressure, subtle or otherwise, on my children to conform to religious beliefs.  I live in the southwest, the skirt of the bible belt so to speak, and one of the things I don't like about it is the lack of community outside of church/church functions.

 

 

To Rlucky:

I have read that Euclid does not have good schools... perhaps I am misinformed though?  The problem with all these different Heights is a) they appear to all be their own cities and b) they appear to all disallow bees/chickens.  That is sort of a sticking point for me.  Good schools and chickens.  (Yes you can start calling me the crazy chicken lady now, haha.)

 

Chagrin falls doesn't seem to specifically allow or disallow chickens... they have an ordinance about getting some sort of special permit for building a coop but it's in with references to building a stable and other animal pens so may only apply to very large lots or special purpose lots.  If someone knows about chickens in Chargin please chime in...

 

I will check out Chesterland/South Russell.  If it's really only 10-15mins into the city that's not too bad.  I have to drive 20mins right now to do any shopping/get what little culture we have so it'd be about the same.  (I live less than 5mins from work right now, which is wonderful but also something I am willing to give up.)

 

To Whipjacka:

Well... Cleveland allows chickens, it has reasonable housing prices (and cool older homes), it has cultural events and things like museums.  It is also "on the lake".  I hate living in a land locked state without water but buying near a big city on the either coast is pretty cost prohibitive.  I've been to Milwaukee (not the same I know) and liked it and because of the size of the lake it give me the same feeling as an ocean but houses are more expensive there.  I much prefer cold and overcast to hot and dry (hate it here) so the weather is "good" in my opinion.  Also I have some extended family in the area (they live outside of Mansfield but according to them Mansfield has terrible schools and it's also tiny and far away from everything, which isn't ideal for finding a job or for culture, etc).

 

 

UPDATE:

Okay, so Shaker Square looks like it might work.  How far around Shaker Square counts as safe/good?  For instance, there's a house on Keswick Road that looks good but I don't know if that's too far away from Shake Square and considered a "bad area".  From just looking at maps it is hard to tell where one area ends and another beings and which streets are sketchy or not.  I also noticed that some of the houses listed as "Cleveland" near Shaker Square say they are in the Shaker Heights school district... does that sound right?  Isn't Shaker Heights another city?  Or do they let kids from other cities go if they are on the border?  The school district system there is somewhat hard for me to grasp.

I was born in Cleveland Heights and since the age of four, raised in Shaker Heights.  I've lived in Shaker Square for what seems like a century.  It's the best neighborhood in Cleveland.  It has a mix of people, incomes, housing stock, recreation facilities, every day needs and restaurants.  As I said earlier, it borders Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights.  It one time the Square and street leading to it were apart of Shaker Heights, but due to an election situation(long story) it was sold to Cleveland.  However, the area of the Square that was affected remained in the Shaker Heights School district.  If you have children and want them to attend SH city schools, you have to pay the school taxes.

 

I've live here and love it.  I would not live anywhere else in Cleveland.  I'm confident in saying, that I've the member who has lived in his neighborhood/home longer than anyone else on the board, outside of maybe Rob or KJP.  Shaker Square has three train stations (into downtown Cleveland and Eastern Shaker) an excellent bus access (going west and north [university circle area]).  So even if you want to get out of the neighborhood, you can pop over to Cedar-Fairmont, Cedar-Lee, Coventry or University Circle in less than 10 min by car.  On a bus maybe 20 min.

 

Keswick Rd. is fine.  that entire area is fine. It's on the border of Shaker Heights.

 

I would suggest you look at UrbanOhio picture threads.  MayDay and KJP have taken lots of pictures.

Here is one to start you off:  http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,18829.msg381613.html#msg381613