My family and I are planning to love to Cleveland next sprint/summer. We've been doing quite a bit of research about the city and the different neighborhoods, but I wanted to get some insight from those who are living in the city. Personally, I love the forum and all the information it offers since I was a frequent contributor to a similar forum when I lived in the Twin Cities.

 

The neighborhoods we've been looking at are Ohio City, Detroit Shoreway and Edgewater, but we've also considered University Circle, Little Italy and Ambler Heights in Cleveland Heights. We love living in cities and enjoy having a walkable community. Being close shots, local restaurants would be ideal, but we're not sure what spots in the city would be best. We've noticed small clusters of walkable neighborhoods in the areas I've listed, but Ohio City seems to offer more than the rest.

 

I've read comments regarding higher taxes in Cleveland Heights and tax abatements on redevelopment/remodel projects in Cleveland. Can anyone give me a high-level overview of the important details I need to be aware of? We'd like to buy something that's in decent shape, but we're also not opposed to buying a property that needs to be fixed up.

 

As for schooling for our girls, are there any issues with the schools in the different neighborhoods? 

 

Any additional insights would be appreciated.

 

My family and I are planning to love to Cleveland next sprint/summer. We've been doing quite a bit of research about the city and the different neighborhoods, but I wanted to get some insight from those who are living in the city. Personally, I love the forum and all the information it offers since I was a frequent contributor to a similar forum when I lived in the Twin Cities.

 

The neighborhoods we've been looking at are Ohio City, Detroit Shoreway and Edgewater, but we've also considered University Circle, Little Italy and Ambler Heights in Cleveland Heights. We love living in cities and enjoy having a walkable community. Being close shots, local restaurants would be ideal, but we're not sure what spots in the city would be best. We've noticed small clusters of walkable neighborhoods in the areas I've listed, but Ohio City seems to offer more than the rest.

 

I've read comments regarding higher taxes in Cleveland Heights and tax abatements on redevelopment/remodel projects in Cleveland. Can anyone give me a high-level overview of the important details I need to be aware of? We'd like to buy something that's in decent shape, but we're also not opposed to buying a property that needs to be fixed up.

 

As for schooling for our girls, are there any issues with the schools in the different neighborhoods? 

 

Any additional insights would be appreciated.

 

 

You will struggle finding above-average (or even average) schools in Cleveland proper, unless you'd like them to have a private education. The Campus International school is a good school, but from my understanding, is selective on who is admitted in ways that other public schools are not. That would be a great way to expose your kids to a variety of cultures as well.

 

I am in the process of renovating a house in Ohio City with my fiance. We bought a house that was given up on in the middle of a renovation because of insufficient funds, so we got lucky. Everything else we looked out was ready, but out of our price range, or in our price range, but needed an additional $150k of work.

 

You can apply for tax credits in Cleveland if the renovation is substantial enough (I can't speak to that in any sophisticated manner though). Additionally, just know that you will have some zoning restrictions on exterior renovations as 90+% of Ohio City is in a historic district.

 

My advice, out of the neighborhoods you listed, Ohio City is the best bet - though they're all good in their own regard. But if you're truly interested in walkability and access to the city, Ohio City or bust. There are restaurants, book stores, churches, grocery stores, markets, office space, night life, ice cream shops, and public transport all within walking distance from just about anywhere in the neighborhood. I feel safer in Ohio City, especially near Bridge, than I do in some suburbs.

 

WELCOME TO CLEVELAND. If you need any help you can PM me for my number and I'll gladly tell you what I know.

Does your commute matter to you? Because that could sway the east side vs. west side neighborhoods.

 

I would say Ohio City is the most “complete” neighborhood regarding walking to shops, restaurants, etc. on the west side. The Gordon Square and Battery Park areas of Detroit Shoreway would be close behind.

 

Edgewater is a beautiful neighborhood but I would say is more residential.

 

I don’t know if you’ve considered Lakewood, but it would probably tick all of your boxes, and with better schools than Cleveland.

 

 

Much luck to you, I just bought a home in OC recently and the competition is fierce in the market,

Welcome to the CLE! I was just in Minneapolis this past summer for the first time. It was a wonderful trip, and I was very impressed with the city. The neighborhoods you listed, you can't go wrong with. They all have pluses and minuses, but I think in terms of quality of life, it will depend on where you work and how you get around. Personally, I love Ohio City and University Circle, but I think Edgewater takes the cake for me in terms of someone who wants to be in the city but is raising a family. Very safe and walkable neighborhood. Not the huge cluster of bars within walking distance; however, you are very walkable to all the "essentials" such as grocery stores, drug stores, coffee shops, gyms, Edgewater Park, etc. And if you are planning a night out, you are smack in the middle of Lakewood and the Downtown/Ohio City entertainment districts. about a 10 minute drive in both cases. The neighborhood public elementary school is one of the better in the CLE public school systems as well. The best part of the neighborhood with the most well-kept housing and proximity to amenities is between Detroit Ave to the South all the way to the Lake and between West 117th (Cleveland/Lakewood border) to the West and the Railroad tracks to the East.

 

If you are planning on working downtown, the Clifton Blvd Rapid Bus Line is one of the best public transit lines in the city. It is mostly reliable and very quick into downtown from that neighborhood. You could live a fairly car-lite lifestyle here without making tons of sacrifices. All the neighborhoods you listed were great. I think this one, in my opinion will offer you everything you need.

Thanks for the quick replies. For those asking about my commute, the wife and I will actually be working from home. We've lived in Europe and don't mind taking public transit, but we'll likely have at least one car to get around town with.

 

While I enjoy working from home, I'd also like the option of popping into a local coffee shop a few days a week to get some work done in a different environment.

 

Is there a resource you can point me to that has more details regarding the schools in Cleveland? What sort of issues should we be on the lookout for? We'll definitely look into the Campus International school to see what they have to offer.

You wouldn't happen to be relocating because of Sherwin Williams' acquisition of Valspar, would you? Regardless, welcome to C-town, The Land, or whatever cute nickname is in vogue now.

 

I live in Lakewood, just off the lake in area called the Gold Coast. Lots of large apartment/condo buildings and large houses that get smaller the farther away from the lake you go. I've lived here for 22 years and love it. My 5-year-old son goes to Lakewood schools and we've been very happy with the district that recently underwent a major reconstruction program so our taxes are higher than usual. But you get what you pay for in good services.

 

A suggestion -- rent before you buy in a strange, new city. You're coming into a city you don't know and it's very hard to know where to live and then find the right home in it. You will also have the added difficulty of beating others to buy the best houses in the best neighborhoods. That's what my wife and I are trying to do in finding a larger condo or house, and it's hard enough to do it while living in the same neighborhood. Some of the best houses in the best neighborhoods in Lakewood, Rocky River, Ohio City, Tremont, Little Italy, etc. sell the same day they go on the market and their sale prices can sometimes be bid upwards by people offering all-cash. It's a crazy market we're in right now, and they can't build houses fast enough. So consider an apartment and then start shopping for your favorite neighborhood/house from an easier striking distance. Because you may have to move FAST if you find something you like.

 

Is there a resource you can point me to that has more details regarding the schools in Cleveland? What sort of issues should we be on the lookout for? We'll definitely look into the Campus International school to see what they have to offer.

 

If you use the Howard Hanna website https://www.howardhanna.com/property  to search for homes to buy/rent, among the local attributes it will show you are the nearby schools and how they are rated on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best. Most Cleveland public schools don't rate above a 2 or 3.

^^ You can filter from here nickmgray[/member]  https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-public-elementary-schools/m/cleveland-metro-area/

 

I'll say this, though. Cleveland Public Schools are very substandard, on the whole, and that has been an issue in keeping families in Ohio City, Tremont, and Downtown once kids reach 5+ in age.

 

I obviously don't want to force any views on you or assume you want to pay for education, but even if you're a secular family, I would consider Catholic grade schools. The religion classes they'll receive won't be indoctrination inasmuch as it will be "Jesus loves you and wants to be nice to people" (I had 12 years of Catholic schooling in Cleveland, no substantive theology begins until 7-8th grade and even then its not much).

 

I have cousins who are not religious, but who raise their family in Edgewater and have their kids attend a Catholic grade school at Lakewood Catholic Academy, about a 10 min ride from Ohio City and 6-7 minute ride from Edgewater. Its a nationally recognized blue ribbon school and the kids have loved it. Good cross section of families send their kids there, some inner city, some from Lakewood and Rocky River. 

If you choose Ohio City/Detroit Shoreway, here's a pretty good k-8 school that often gets over looked:  https://www.facebook.com/NearWestIntergenerationalSchool/

 

Another excellent school:

https://www.urbancommunityschool.org/

 

This school was completely torn down and is almost ready to be opened.  Once opened, it'll be one of the nicest Cleveland public middle schools in the city.  A lot of my friends who are parents are planning on sending their kids here.

http://www.clevelandmetroschools.org/waverly

The Cleveland school district’s own website has a lot of data to search options. You are allowed to attend any school in the district if you live in Cleveland.

 

https://mycleschool.org

 

The Plain Dealer has a pretty nice searchable database from the just released school report cards. You can search by district or individual school buildings within districts.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2018/09/2018_ohio_school_report_cards.html

^^ You can filter from here nickmgray[/member]  https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-public-elementary-schools/m/cleveland-metro-area/

 

I'll say this, though. Cleveland Public Schools are very substandard, on the whole, and that has been an issue in keeping families in Ohio City, Tremont, and Downtown once kids reach 5+ in age.

 

I obviously don't want to force any views on you or assume you want to pay for education, but even if you're a secular family, I would consider Catholic grade schools. The religion classes they'll receive won't be indoctrination inasmuch as it will be "Jesus loves you and wants to be nice to people" (I had 12 years of Catholic schooling in Cleveland, no substantive theology begins until 7-8th grade and even then its not much).

 

I have cousins who are not religious, but who raise their family in Edgewater and have their kids attend a Catholic grade school at Lakewood Catholic Academy, about a 10 min ride from Ohio City and 6-7 minute ride from Edgewater. Its a nationally recognized blue ribbon school and the kids have loved it. Good cross section of families send their kids there, some inner city, some from Lakewood and Rocky River. 

 

There are many more school options in present day Cleveland that didn't exist even 5yrs ago.  Not coincidentally, I've noticed an uptick in families moving into or staying in Cleveland.  I actually just met a family who moved to w52nd from Rocky River!

I'm certainly no expert on Cleveland, but I was there for a few days recently, and Tremont was a neighborhood that really impressed me and is not on your list. The only thing it really lacks, if you're planning to own a car for grocery shopping and odd errands, is a rail connection.

We're not opposed to going the private school route, but we'd honestly prefer neighborhood schools for our girls so that we can be better integrated into the community. Thank you for sharing all the links. The wife and I will dig into them to see how things look.

 

As for the question about my job... no, I'm not being relocated for work with Valspar/Sherwin Williams. I'm a freelance tech writer and I also own a small online business. The reason we have Cleveland in our sites is that we're looking for a place to settle down after we finish up 18 months of full-time travel. After moving back from Europe to the US, we decided to take 18 months to travel in a renovated travel trailer. We considered going back to MN, but we've been away for nearly 3 years already and don't have family there. The reason we started exploring Cleveland was because of the very low home prices, good city life and the lake.

 

We have discussed renting something short-term in Cleveland to get a feel for the city before committing to a neighborhood. My wife doesn't like the idea of moving multiple times, but renting first is the best option. We purchased our first house in the Twin Cities right out of college and regretted our choice of neighborhood after the first year. We definitely don't want to do that again.

 

I also wanted to ask about crime. I've looked at the crime maps and the stats and it seems that the neighborhoods we are considering are pretty safe. Naturally, there's more crime centered around areas where there's heavier street traffic, but that's to be expected. The one stat that jumped out at me was the number of assaults reported. Cleveland's population is about 25% higher than Saint Paul MN, but the number of assaults is 400% higher in Cleveland.

 

Is it really as big of an issue as the stats show it is or is there an element to the data that I'm missing? The neighborhood we used to live in wasn't the safest in Saint Paul, but I never felt like I needed to watch my back when walking down the street at night.

My wife is European (Ukraine) so I asked what she considered to be the most European areas of Cleveland. The first answer out of her mouth was Ohio City (the area bounded by West 25th, Detroit, the West 40s and Lorain). Then she added Little Italy/Uptown/University Circle, Shaker Square, parts of Tremont and The Edge, which is where Cleveland and Lakewood meet in the Clifton/Lake area.

 

She doesn't like downtown as she said it's not very people friendly except for the Flats East Bank along the river and the East 4th district. My wife says the building facades along the sidewalks are cold and hard because they have no sidewalk-facing shops, no sidewalk cafes, no trees/landscaping, no on-street parking, no bike paths and are just not very welcoming. It's also not family friendly. There are no playgrounds or anything for a kid to do except maybe go to the Great Lakes Science Center. In fact, she doesn't find many American cities or suburbs to be family friendly at all because they have so few parks.

 

EDIT: regarding assaults, the data may be skewed by the very high crime rate on the east side. The east side of Cleveland is like Detroit, Gary IN, East/North St. Louis, etc. It is a very troubled area with high concentrations of poverty, unemployment, drugs, gangs, and abandonment. Try to find neighborhood-by-neighborhood data. Or consider a diverse, stable streetcar suburb like Lakewood, Cleveland Heights, Shaker, etc.

My family and I are planning to love to Cleveland next sprint/summer. We've been doing quite a bit of research about the city and the different neighborhoods, but I wanted to get some insight from those who are living in the city. Personally, I love the forum and all the information it offers since I was a frequent contributor to a similar forum when I lived in the Twin Cities.

 

The neighborhoods we've been looking at are Ohio City, Detroit Shoreway and Edgewater, but we've also considered University Circle, Little Italy and Ambler Heights in Cleveland Heights. We love living in cities and enjoy having a walkable community. Being close shots, local restaurants would be ideal, but we're not sure what spots in the city would be best. We've noticed small clusters of walkable neighborhoods in the areas I've listed, but Ohio City seems to offer more than the rest.

 

I've read comments regarding higher taxes in Cleveland Heights and tax abatements on redevelopment/remodel projects in Cleveland. Can anyone give me a high-level overview of the important details I need to be aware of? We'd like to buy something that's in decent shape, but we're also not opposed to buying a property that needs to be fixed up.

 

As for schooling for our girls, are there any issues with the schools in the different neighborhoods? 

 

Any additional insights would be appreciated.

 

 

You will struggle finding above-average (or even average) schools in Cleveland proper, unless you'd like them to have a private education. The Campus International school is a good school, but from my understanding, is selective on who is admitted in ways that other public schools are not. That would be a great way to expose your kids to a variety of cultures as well.

 

I am in the process of renovating a house in Ohio City with my fiance. We bought a house that was given up on in the middle of a renovation because of insufficient funds, so we got lucky. Everything else we looked out was ready, but out of our price range, or in our price range, but needed an additional $150k of work.

 

You can apply for tax credits in Cleveland if the renovation is substantial enough (I can't speak to that in any sophisticated manner though). Additionally, just know that you will have some zoning restrictions on exterior renovations as 90+% of Ohio City is in a historic district.

 

My advice, out of the neighborhoods you listed, Ohio City is the best bet - though they're all good in their own regard. But if you're truly interested in walkability and access to the city, Ohio City or bust. There are restaurants, book stores, churches, grocery stores, markets, office space, night life, ice cream shops, and public transport all within walking distance from just about anywhere in the neighborhood. I feel safer in Ohio City, especially near Bridge, than I do in some suburbs.

 

WELCOME TO CLEVELAND. If you need any help you can PM me for my number and I'll gladly tell you what I know.

 

Let me clarify Yabo’s post a bit about Campus International since my daughter is enrolled there since the first grade and she’s currently in the 4th. Cleveland schools are open enrollment meaning anyone from anywhere can enroll their children in the school district. There are a few elementary schools that have more applications than spots. Campus Internationsl is one of them. They treat enrollment like a lottery system with siblings of already enrolled students (roughly 40%) granted automatic enrollment. They reserve 10% for out of the district students and the remaining 50% for in district. Near West Intergenerational in Ohio City is also rated as a top 5 elementary school in Cleveland as well. My wife and I live downtown with our 9 year old. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

The neighborhood schools in shaker are very special.  Each of the 9 neighborhoods (save 2-3 that have been consolidated)has a distinct elementary school so kids can walk to school without having to cross a major street.

 

The housing stock in shaker is quite impressive.  Century homes that are very unique in architecture. Took a hit in the 2008 crash and are slowly creeping back up. You can get a lot of house in shaker for a good price.  New Van Aken district provides an unique hub for shopping, coffee, food, beer.  (Google van aken district).  You also have the most served area of public transportation in all of the area with the green and blue line.  It’s worth putting on your list.  I’ve lived in Lakewood (great), Detroit Shoreway (amazing as Dinks, but now I have two kids it’s not as appropriate for our family), and shaker, which I knew nothing about but have really fallen in love with.

 

Good luck and welcome to town

If you have the money for it, you could even consider new construction. A newly built house in Cleveland gets a 15 year tax abatement. My property taxes are $500 a MONTH so the savings over time can be huge.

Thanks for the quick replies. For those asking about my commute, the wife and I will actually be working from home. We've lived in Europe and don't mind taking public transit, but we'll likely have at least one car to get around town with.

 

While I enjoy working from home, I'd also like the option of popping into a local coffee shop a few days a week to get some work done in a different environment.

 

Is there a resource you can point me to that has more details regarding the schools in Cleveland? What sort of issues should we be on the lookout for? We'll definitely look into the Campus International school to see what they have to offer.

 

Campus International is Downtown and is an IB school.  Near West Intergerational School is supposed to be excellent and its in Ohio City on 38 St.  Both are free, but its harder to get into Campus Int'l because of greater demand. If you live in Ohio City, you can walk to Near West. Near West is a charter school; Campus is a City school with affiliations to Cleveland State University on whose campus it is located.

Again, thanks for the input.

 

Several of you have mentioned that properties in the Ohio City area go really fast. Even though we will not be moving to Cleveland for at least another 6-9 months, we've been keeping an eye on properties that seem interesting within our price range. One that's been available for a few months now is 2-unit house along Franklin that's been renovated. It looks like the owners tried renting it out before putting it up for sale.

 

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3014-Franklin-Blvd-Cleveland-OH-44113/33329863_zpid/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=emo-propalert-hdp&rtoken=a89aa507-fefc-437d-9001-d1125001e704~X1-ZUzcedlosaxrt5_70ucp

 

I'd be interested in some insight from you guys on this property, the price, neighborhood and any issues you might have with it. We are not planning to buy this property, but we'd be interested in something similar when so do decide to buy.

My wife and I looked at this house. Note that this house sold for just $205,000 in April. The new owners did some renovations, tried renting it and apparently got no takers (it's a duplex) then listed it for sale for $329,000 before reducing the price. It's a nice big house in good but not great condition in a great location, but the owner's history (quick turnaround) involving this house makes me a bit nervous.

Again, thanks for the input.

 

Several of you have mentioned that properties in the Ohio City area go really fast. Even though we will not be moving to Cleveland for at least another 6-9 months, we've been keeping an eye on properties that seem interesting within our price range. One that's been available for a few months now is 2-unit house along Franklin that's been renovated. It looks like the owners tried renting it out before putting it up for sale.

 

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3014-Franklin-Blvd-Cleveland-OH-44113/33329863_zpid/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=emo-propalert-hdp&rtoken=a89aa507-fefc-437d-9001-d1125001e704~X1-ZUzcedlosaxrt5_70ucp

 

I'd be interested in some insight from you guys on this property, the price, neighborhood and any issues you might have with it. We are not planning to buy this property, but we'd be interested in something similar when so do decide to buy.

 

It seems like a lot for that house, but the location is pretty great. You’re not going to be getting any deals in Ohio City at the moment. I would expect a property like that to backslide a bit in value when things settle down. Of course that’s just an opinion, based only on limited experience.

 

Ohio City is definitely the best area in Cleveland at the moment imho. However I think Detroit Shoreway has a chance to catch up eventually. And while you also won’t find any “deals” per se in Detroit Shoreway, I think a lot of the properties in that neighborhood are more likely to retain their increased value, since they have been undervalued for so long.

Again, thanks for the input.

 

Several of you have mentioned that properties in the Ohio City area go really fast. Even though we will not be moving to Cleveland for at least another 6-9 months, we've been keeping an eye on properties that seem interesting within our price range. One that's been available for a few months now is 2-unit house along Franklin that's been renovated. It looks like the owners tried renting it out before putting it up for sale.

 

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3014-Franklin-Blvd-Cleveland-OH-44113/33329863_zpid/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=emo-propalert-hdp&rtoken=a89aa507-fefc-437d-9001-d1125001e704~X1-ZUzcedlosaxrt5_70ucp

 

I'd be interested in some insight from you guys on this property, the price, neighborhood and any issues you might have with it. We are not planning to buy this property, but we'd be interested in something similar when so do decide to buy.

 

It seems like a lot for that house, but the location is pretty great. You’re not going to be getting any deals in Ohio City at the moment. I would expect a property like that to backslide a bit in value when things settle down. Of course that’s just an opinion, based only on limited experience.

 

Ohio City is definitely the best area in Cleveland at the moment imho. However, I think Detroit Shoreway has a chance to catch up eventually. And while you also won’t find any “deals” per se in Detroit Shoreway, I think a lot of the properties in that neighborhood are more likely to retain their increased value, since they have been undervalued for so long.

 

I was thinking along the same line. It seems as though they wanted the house as an investment property and quickly changed their mind. That being said, they honestly didn't keep in on the rental market for very long, listing it a few weeks after purchasing the property and then switching over to selling it about a month later.

 

This leads me to another question: how's the rental market in the area? As I mentioned, I'd be interested in something similar to this which would allow us to occupy one unit and rent out the other as a standard rental or AirBNB. We've looked at rental units in the area and it doesn't look like there are many that are available. I'm assuming that most units go pretty quickly.

Again, thanks for the input.

 

Several of you have mentioned that properties in the Ohio City area go really fast. Even though we will not be moving to Cleveland for at least another 6-9 months, we've been keeping an eye on properties that seem interesting within our price range. One that's been available for a few months now is 2-unit house along Franklin that's been renovated. It looks like the owners tried renting it out before putting it up for sale.

 

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3014-Franklin-Blvd-Cleveland-OH-44113/33329863_zpid/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=emo-propalert-hdp&rtoken=a89aa507-fefc-437d-9001-d1125001e704~X1-ZUzcedlosaxrt5_70ucp

 

I'd be interested in some insight from you guys on this property, the price, neighborhood and any issues you might have with it. We are not planning to buy this property, but we'd be interested in something similar when so do decide to buy.

 

It seems like a lot for that house, but the location is pretty great. You’re not going to be getting any deals in Ohio City at the moment. I would expect a property like that to backslide a bit in value when things settle down. Of course that’s just an opinion, based only on limited experience.

 

Ohio City is definitely the best area in Cleveland at the moment imho. However, I think Detroit Shoreway has a chance to catch up eventually. And while you also won’t find any “deals” per se in Detroit Shoreway, I think a lot of the properties in that neighborhood are more likely to retain their increased value, since they have been undervalued for so long.

 

I was thinking along the same line. It seems as though they wanted the house as an investment property and quickly changed their mind. That being said, they honestly didn't keep in on the rental market for very long, listing it a few weeks after purchasing the property and then switching over to selling it about a month later.

 

This leads me to another question: how's the rental market in the area? As I mentioned, I'd be interested in something similar to this which would allow us to occupy one unit and rent out the other as a standard rental or AirBNB. We've looked at rental units in the area and it doesn't look like there are many that are available. I'm assuming that most units go pretty quickly.

 

I own a rental in Detroit Shoreway. It’s a recently renovated 2,000 sf 3-bedroom with a garage. It’s located just south of Bridge and just west of 65th. It rents for $1,700 and Zillow (FWIW) lists it at $210k. That location is in Gordon Square but on the southern fringe of what would be considered the “hot” area. Like I said though, it’s recently renovated with high end appliances, etc.

Welcome! I am also a writer and a parent, and I echo a lot of what's been said before about the schools, and what KJP relayed about his wife's feelings. Not that all women are the same but perspectives are honestly different about what feels comfortable and safe for a man vs. a woman. Without getting political, recent conversation online should illustrate how unsafe most women feel just on a day to day basis and the things we do as a normal part of routine so that we can ensure our safety.

 

That being said, of the choices you listed, I'd pick CleHts bc of the schools. I have many friends with kids in and who teach in the CL-UH schools and they seem very pleased. Outside of that, I would seriously go look in Lakewood. It isn't JUST schools when you have kids. It's access to nearby safe and fun stuff for them to do, for you all to do as a family, and frankly I think many of the places you listed are lacking that in spades. Lakewood has it in abundance, as well as very good walkability, indie coffee shops, restaurants, stores, etc.

 

I love visiting Ohio City but am verbally harassed there at night whenever I am alone, and have been followed (i.e., I cross the street, someone else crosses behind me, I cross back, they cross again). I have friends who tried to stay near the Tremont/OC border area once they had kids but their homes were subject to numerous break-ins and car break-ins and they ended up leaving (for CleHts, incidentally). I have been in Cleveland since 1992 and have always been a "visit downtown, live in the suburbs" gal, much to the consternation of my UO pals on here, but they let me be a moderator too because I give a different perspective, as both a woman and a suburbanite, and because I love and am passionate about all of Cleveland and its success.

My recommendation would either be Shaker Heights number one and Lakewood number two.

Suggesting Cleveland hts because of their schools is downright disingenuous.  They're ranked as one of the worst school districts in Ohio..

 

#556 out 608 with an overall D report card. 

 

https://www.cleveland.com/expo/news/erry-2018/09/3946c3c5f21431/every-ohio-school-district-ran.html

 

MY wife has lived in Ohio City for over 6yrs and has never had any issues with being harassed when alone...She's a runner, and frequently walks to the hangout spots on w25th too.

 

As far as crime, Cleveland Hts deals with many of the same crimes issues (car/house break-ins) as people living on the near westside. 

Lakewood or Shaker seem like the easiest solutions based on your criteria - dense enough to be walkable (though it varies depending on exact location), but without the hassles of having to stress over picking the right school.  If you're set on buying, just make sure you're accounting for HIGH property taxes in several areas (Shaker and Cleveland Heights especially.) 

Sorry Clefan I didn't know that. I have heard so many people say great things about them, I thought they were good. I do actually know people teaching there too.

 

As to the other stuff, I'm glad for your wife. I seem to attract a lot of harassment in general, which I have said on this site before. I am also a runner. I don't think I've ever been on a run in cleveland where I wasn't verbally harassed, but I have never run in OC except during races. But I do get it walking in OC. Admittedly, I haven't been going out very much in the past year since I lost my job, so maybe it's gotten better.

Lakewood and Shaker, though, still wouldn't be preferable to Ohio City. CMSD may rank poorly, but Ohio City has some good schools. Plus its far more walkable and with more interesting places than Lakewood or Shaker.  the only think shaker may have is the rapid service as Ohio city has only one station and it can be hike from it to where you may want to go in Ohio City.

Sorry Clefan I didn't know that. I have heard so many people say great things about them, I thought they were good. I do actually know people teaching there too.

 

As to the other stuff, I'm glad for your wife. I seem to attract a lot of harassment in general, which I have said on this site before. I am also a runner. I don't think I've ever been on a run in cleveland where I wasn't verbally harassed, but I have never run in OC except during races. But I do get it walking in OC. Admittedly, I haven't been going out very much in the past year since I lost my job, so maybe it's gotten better.

 

This must be common.  My wife is a runner and gets harassed rather frequently too. I never realized how common this stuff is.

Lakewood and Shaker, though, still wouldn't be preferable to Ohio City. CMSD may rank poorly, but Ohio City has some good schools. Plus its far more walkable and with more interesting places than Lakewood or Shaker.  the only think shaker may have is the rapid service as Ohio city has only one station and it can be hike from it to where you may want to go in Ohio City.

 

This is subjective.  “Interesting places” changes a bit when you have two daughters.  Gonna go out on a limb and say the original poster isn’t hitting up the transformer station and black pig three times per week.  This coming from a huge OC fan and former Gordon square resident...with two daughters, if they r gonna run around the neighborhood and play for hours on end, you want to know they are safe while you aren’t watching them.  Lakewood, shaker, CH check that box more than OC

 

Plenty of “interesting places” for families in these communities

Really? Lakewood is mostly full of bars and restaurants, and Shaker/Cleveland Hts aren’t really all that interesting of places for families.  I can’t ever think of time where I was like “honey, let’s take the kids to Shaker”! 

 

Being close to the lake and activities Edgewater has to offer beats the heck out of anything in the heights.  It’s also a better area for future real estate values.

.

 

Really? Lakewood is mostly full of bars and restaurants, and Shaker/Cleveland Hts aren’t really all that interesting of places for families.  I can’t ever think of time where I was like “honey, let’s take the kids to Shaker”! 

 

Being close to the lake and activities Edgewater has to offer beats the heck out of anything in the heights.  It’s also a better area for future real estate values.

 

 

 

Yes. I capitalized immensely off my Gordon square purchase from 2011. Aware of the supply/demand in the area

 

Do you have kids? Honest question. I take my kids to shaker square, shaker lakes, university circle, little Italy often. Very accessible from the heights.  Then when it’s just a basic day, they can run around the neighborhood with friends without having to worry about an abnormally high number of registered sex offenders within a 2 mile radius (and this is not my words, this is from the registered sex offenders website http://www.icrimewatch.net/index.php?AgencyID=55149)

Yes I have a daughter.  Yeah, because everyone knows that no criminals live in Shaker lol. 

 

There’s a way to prop up your beloved suburb w/out tearing down the city.  This is URBANohio after all.

 

Honest question: how’s Cleveland ever supposed to be a better place to live when those (even on here!) tell good people their kids will get raped if they play outside?  I think you’re smart enough to know that thousands of kids live in Tremont, OC and Gordon sq w/out issues.

^stated above. I love the near west side, some of the best years of my life were there. We did great grassroots work and had a ton of fun

 

And pot calling the kettle black, you can prop up your neighborhood without tearing down neighboring suburbs.  Saying there is nothing “interesting” there is very subjective. That’s your opinion.

 

I’ve lived in both. I stay very busy here and my kids love it. Always a lot going on for all ages.  Have you lived over here and it wasn’t interesting or does it just not sound interesting to you?

 

 

Fair enough.  Sometimes this page doesn’t feel very urbany and that’s a shame.

 

As far as your question.  I would encourage people considering to move their families to urban neighborhoods to have balance in their assessment and let them decide.  Only saying we have the best food, parks, museums isn’t a balanced description.  The pros and cons are appropriate for the person trying to find their home.. just because you and I want our urban neighborhoods filled with families doesn’t mean that’s the right fit for the poster.  We should give the person all appropriate information good and bad.  We can’t let our agendas drive where someone selects where they sleep.

 

KJP had the best advice, just rent first. .

 

Totally agree with renting first.  Very good advice, especially for those not familiar with NEO.

Really? Lakewood is mostly full of bars and restaurants, and Shaker/Cleveland Hts aren’t really all that interesting of places for families.  I can’t ever think of time where I was like “honey, let’s take the kids to Shaker”! 

 

Being close to the lake and activities Edgewater has to offer beats the heck out of anything in the heights.  It’s also a better area for future real estate values.

 

Guess you’ve never heard of the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. Or all the various arts and educational programs in the Heights and it’s surrounding areas. Not to mention all the parks, playgrounds and the bevy of private schools parents can choose from. And University Circle. Really, the list goes on. To say there’s nothing of interest for kids in the Heights is a very bizarre statement. Almost everything I do with my child is in the Heights area. We are hardly bored and unhappy.

Parks, playgrounds and private schools are found everyone in the Cleveland metro, so I'm not sure your point. The Ohio City area will be tough to beat when the towpath trail, lakefront trail, and Redline greenways projects are completed. 

Parks, playgrounds and private schools are found everyone in the Cleveland metro, so I'm not sure your point. The Ohio City area will be tough to beat when the towpath trail, lakefront trail, and Redline greenways projects are completed. 

 

I'm pretty sure that depends on age. Babies and toddlers aren't impressed by bike and running trails. They need places to play. They need enrichment. I really don't know what OC offers when it comes to that but I do know that the Heights area doesn't lack in those areas at all. You tried to imply that it does.

Suggesting Cleveland hts because of their schools is downright disingenuous.  They're ranked as one of the worst school districts in Ohio..

 

#556 out 608 with an overall D report card. 

 

https://www.cleveland.com/expo/news/erry-2018/09/3946c3c5f21431/every-ohio-school-district-ran.html

 

MY wife has lived in Ohio City for over 6yrs and has never had any issues with being harassed when alone...She's a runner, and frequently walks to the hangout spots on w25th too.

 

As far as crime, Cleveland Hts deals with many of the same crimes issues (car/house break-ins) as people living on the near westside. 

 

I have several nieces and nephews in the CH-UH school system and all are doing well.  If you have active, involved parents, there is no reason kids won't thrive in the school system. 

 

As far as crime - it happens everywhere. I lived in Hudson when I was in high school and kids would go into cars and garages and steal stuff. 

 

Edit.  I’m not gonna comment. Sorry that happened tonight, OC folks

 I really appreciate the discussion about the different cities and neighborhoods. As stated in my original post, we love cities and everything they have to offer. While Cleveland Heights is on our list, the areas that we are looking at are along Ceder and Coventry which appear to offer a variety of shops, restaurant and walkable neighborhoods. 

 

As far as schooling goes, we're not really that picky. We have been homeschooling for nearly two years now and could actually continue with that since our jobs allow us to travel at any time. We're also of the firm conviction that a school's score isn't representative of how individual students perform. We have experienced schools with failing grades first hand, but that had little effect on our daughters and their education. 

 

As mentioned, some of these cities have higher property taxes and some have better connections to public transit. Are there any other pros/cons that we should consider when looking at these various places?

The Cedar-Lee area has wider selection of restaurants but I consider Coventry to have a wider selection of shops in general. And it has a good selection of restaurants. Plus, Coventry has better transit access. It has the #7 and #9 buses, plus free CircleLink buses to University Circle. The #7 runs through Coventry only 17 hours a day, every 40 minutes peak and every 45-60 minutes off peak. The #9 Mayfield runs on the north side of the Coventry district 21 hours a day but only half-hourly peak and 43-60 minutes off-peak, yet that's better than the #32 bus on Cedar. And then you've got the CircleLink's Blue Link that runs daily between Coventry, Little Italy and the northern half of University Circle (see: https://www.universitycircle.org/files/assets/ucicirclelinkbrochurefall2017.pdf). The weekday service hours are from 6:30 am to 6 pm with weekend service hours from 12 noon to 6 pm. In a few years, the Top Of The Hill development at Cedar-Euclid Hts (a 20-minute walk or 5-minute bike ride from Coventry) should be completed and will add more restaurant/retail destinations. There are already some nice restaurants and shops in the Cedar-Euclid Hts-Fairmount area.

There are many families in Ohio City and Detroit-Shoreway! The Near West Family Network is a great resource that can connect you to people who actually live in the neighborhoods and have direct experience with schools, safety etc. The website is http://nearwestfamilynetwork.org/  

Here's a cool story shared by my Ukrainian wife:  She frequents a Facebook page for Cleveland Russians and Ukrainians. She says they are getting increasing numbers of inquiries from people in Ukraine about coming to Cleveland to live. They're asked why interests them in Cleveland vs other cities, and their two biggest reasons are they are looking for a certain type of job or they like its low cost of living. A funny tidbit is the east-west divide in long-time Clevelanders also has found its way into the rivalry for Ukrainian transplants. The East Side (usually Hillcrest area) transplants who are already here are trying to get them to move to the East Side. The West Siders (usually Parma, Seven Hills, Parma Heights) are trying to get them to come to the West Side.

 

Surprisingly, few if any mention the many Ukrainians already here or the availability of Ukrainian stores and churches as a reason for choosing Cleveland. America is just different to them that the Ukrainian stores and churches merely takes the edge off those differences. But the advice that we often give here to Americans relocating to Cleveland -- get an apartment here first  then start looking for a long-term place to live -- is a common message on that Facebook page.

 

Lastly, my wife says that Ukrainians are coming here on a wide variety of visas including green card lottery, work visa, student visa and refugee visa. Since Ukraine is at war, but they have to get the refugee visa from somewhere other than the American embassy in Ukraine. And since Ukraine is now part of the European Union Schengen agreement, you can travel from Ukraine to any one of 26 EU countries without any difficultly. Then, you can apply for a refugee visa to come to America. Others get a USA tourist visa, come to the USA, and then apply for refugee status but it's actually pretty difficult to get a USA tourist via from Ukraine unless you've traveled abroad before.

3 minutes ago, KJP said:

Here's a cool story shared by my Ukrainian wife:  She frequents a Facebook page for Cleveland Russians and Ukrainians. She says they are getting increasing numbers of inquiries from people in Ukraine about coming to Cleveland to live. They're asked why interests them in Cleveland vs other cities, and their two biggest reasons are they are looking for a certain type of job or they like its low cost of living. A funny tidbit is the east-west divide in long-time Clevelanders also has found its way into the rivalry for Ukrainian transplants. The East Side (usually Hillcrest area) transplants who are already here are trying to get them to move to the East Side. The West Siders (usually Parma, Seven Hills, Parma Heights) are trying to get them to come to the West Side.

 

Surprisingly, few if any mention the many Ukrainians already here or the availability of Ukrainian stores and churches as a reason for choosing Cleveland. America is just different to them that the Ukrainian stores and churches merely takes the edge off those differences. But the advice that we often give here to Americans relocating to Cleveland -- get an apartment here first  then start looking for a long-term place to live -- is a common message on that Facebook page.

 

Lastly, my wife says that Ukrainians are coming here on a wide variety of visas including green card lottery, work visa, student visa and refugee visa. Since Ukraine is at war, but they have to get the refugee visa from somewhere other than the American embassy in Ukraine. And since Ukraine is now part of the European Union Schengen agreement, you can travel from Ukraine to any one of 26 EU countries without any difficultly. Then, you can apply for a refugee visa to come to America. Others get a USA tourist visa, come to the USA, and then apply for refugee status but it's actually pretty difficult to get a USA tourist via from Ukraine unless you've traveled abroad before.

I always assumed that there was a religious split between East Side and West Side Ukranians. I think every Ukranian I've met in the Hillcrest is Jewish and the west side seems to be Russian Orthodox. Perhaps just anecdotal.  

^ Don't tell a Ukrainian they're "Russian Orthodox" - it's Ukranian Orthodox and there are also plenty of Ukranian Catholics of the Eastern Rite in the Parma/Broadview/Seven Hills area as well.

St. Vladimir at 5913 State Rd. is the Ukranian Orthodox Cathedral in Parma - https://www.stvladimirs.org/history.html

There are other Ukranian Orthodox parishes in Lorain and Lakewood as well as Youngstown...

St. Josaphat at 5720 State Rd. is the cathedral of the Ukranian Catholic Eparchy (diocese) of Parma - http://stjosaphatcathedral.com

There are other Ukranian Catholic parishes in Lakewood, Tremont, Lorain, and Solon - http://stjosaphateparchy.com/

 

Edited February 23, 20196 yr by buckeye1

Wasn't sure if I should start a new thread for this, but since it's related to our move to the area, I thought I'd throw it in here. 

 

We did find a great house in Cleveland Heights and will hopefully be closing this week. One of the first things we will need to set up at our new house is a fast internet connection for work. I've done quite a bit of research already on this topic, but I was hoping to get personal insights. I've read that AT&T Fiber is fast and should be available at my address, but I was hoping someone could share any persona experiences they have had with AT&T and their home internet services here in the area. 

 

If there is an alternative to AT&T's fast fiber speeds, please let me know. I'm looking for a balance between great speeds and a good price.