I found a few old, outdated threads about living in Downtown Cleveland, but nothing up-to-date nor fully comprehensive of what it's truly like both in terms of new residential options and general daily life, amenities, restaurants/shopping, etc. This thread is geared toward those anticipating a future move into downtown, who are currently living there, or have lived there in the past and can chime in with helpful insight and experiences.

 

While not a development thread (there are plenty of those already for the various exciting projects popping up around town), this is a place to discuss what living Downtown is really like - all the pros, cons, advice, suggestions, observations and other thoughts regarding this rapidly growing and booming city center. From apartment advice to recommendations on the best happy hours, barbershops or late night bites, everything that contributes to living in downtown Cleveland can belong here. It's a place that fellow downtowners can join together to share about their own experiences and help each other out while also giving useful insight for those of us who do not live here and can learn from.

 

My initial motive for this thread was reaching out to the UrbanOhio community for insight into my own downtown apartment search, but I figured it could become something much more valuable to these forums and its users. Instead of another short-lived, quickly outdated thread, I hope this one can be entertaining, engaging and informative to many people interested in downtown life.

 

To start, though, I would like to briefly see if anyone could give any insight into my personal downtown hunt for an apartment. I am familiar with downtown having grown up in the region and frequently visiting downtown, recently moving back after graduating from college, and currently working nearby. Therefore, I have a pretty strong idea about where / what I am looking for in my first "real" adult apartment post college but would love some additional insight on things I currently just do not know, simply because visiting downtown can be a totally different experience from living there.

 

Being in my early/mid 20s, living around other relatively younger people is important to me, especially in terms of being able to try and meet other residents wherever I end up and building new friendships with similar young downtown transplants. I'm under the impression that many of the Warehouse District properties tend to house a younger demographic than some other downtown properties, but I'm curious if anyone else can vouch for this or if it is really much more spread out across downtown. For example, are there just as many people in the 20s and 30s that live in some of the Euclid Ave residences (Halle, Statler, etc) as there are, at least from my observations, who live in Warehouse Districts complexes such as the Bingham and Archer?

 

My two areas of choice would be the Warehouse District and anywhere either right along or within a block or two of Euclid from Public Square up through Playhouse Square. However, I'm also curious to hear other opinions / experiences on the Standard and Leader. For my budget, it's desirable to stay as low as possible but given location and amenities, t I understand the cost of downtown currently and cannot go any higher than $1,200 / $1,300 per month max. One bedroom is ideal, and some type of outdoor / terrace / deck space would be amazing to have in whatever building I end up in.

 

I'd really appreciate any and all insight / suggestions into personal experiences with various properties downtown, as well as any recommendations or places to absolutely avoid. I'm generally pretty flexible and open, and would love to get more actual personal opinions to help add to what I already know and like/dislike.

 

Thank you in advance for your help, and I'll be looking forward to helping continue this into a vibrant and active thread on all-things Downtown Cleveland related. ? 

I moved into downtown Cleveland in February of this year.  I'm much older than you, but I did look at most of the available spaces, including the Warehouse District.  I'm in the Halle building, and I was surprised at the mix of ages in this building.  It goes from 20 somethings to 70 year olds.  Warehouse district definitely leans towards a "younger" crowd.  But also the rents are going to be more in your price range.  My cousin just moved into the Archer, and he LOVES it.  him and roomate, huge 2 bedroom, 2 bath that would be in your budget (if you got a roomate).  

^Thanks for your insight! The Halle building does seem beautiful (I love the tall ceilings and massive windows), but definitely a little pricey for what I'm looking for.

 

The Archer's consistently been toward the top of my list. That's great to hear that your cousin loves it - I'll be sure to tour sometime soon and really get a feel for it.

8 minutes ago, troeros said:

 

Right, because cars don't exist and cleveland has a massive border wall...I've been to cleveland countless times. Lakewood is a really fun area, and where I would live if I lived in Cleveland. 

Even though due to work / personal preference I'd rather live in downtown proper, I'd love to hear if you have any recommendations in terms of the fun stuff to do in Lakewood. I know there are lots but currently I'm not super familiar with them (coming form an East-sider haha), so definitely appreciate anywhere you'd suggest checking out for food / shopping / nightlife.

Edited October 23, 20195 yr by urbanetics_

You might also want to look at some of the buildings on 4th.  They're getting a bit dated, but the rents arent bad.  The Ivory on Euclid is also not bad rent wise.  Lastly, Lakewood is great..but its not downtown.  Its a totally different experience. (I've lived in both)  If you have any questions, ask away.  I know there are lots of other forum members who live downtown

I lived downtown for 6+ years (bought a house on the west side last year). Enjoyed it overall, and it got way better once Heinen's went in.

 

Living in 1010 Euclid (operated by The 9/Geis) was great. The rent was a bit high for the size ($1100-1200 for 630 sq ft), but I didn't need more space at the time. It was brand new when I moved in, and the finishes were overall very good. The best parts were being able to go to Heinen's without stepping outside, and being able to use all of the 9's amenities. You could use their gym, the fancy movie theater, etc for free. Every month there was (maybe still is) a residents-only party with fancy free food and booze. Plus you would get random invites to events at the Vault or Azure or whatever. And I would sneak into Azure through the staircase when I wanted (it's actually on the roof of 1010). Not many nearby parking options, if that matters to you. Residents were mostly young professionals, and a few retirees.

7 minutes ago, Cavalier Attitude said:

I lived downtown for 6+ years (bought a house on the west side last year). Enjoyed it overall, and it got way better once Heinen's went in.

 

Living in 1010 Euclid (operated by The 9/Geis) was great. The rent was a bit high for the size ($1100-1200 for 630 sq ft), but I didn't need more space at the time. It was brand new when I moved in, and the finishes were overall very good. The best parts were being able to go to Heinen's without stepping outside, and being able to use all of the 9's amenities. You could use their gym, the fancy movie theater, etc for free. Every month there was (maybe still is) a residents-only party with fancy free food and booze. Plus you would get random invites to events at the Vault or Azure or whatever. And I would sneak into Azure through the staircase when I wanted (it's actually on the roof of 1010). Not many nearby parking options, if that matters to you. Residents were mostly young professionals, and a few retirees.

That sounds like a great experience and perfect location! I honestly had never looked into that building before but definitely will now. In terms of renting, is it technically considered to be part of the 9 complex because of the ownership? When I try searching for it, nothing for 1010 comes up.

1 hour ago, urbanetics_ said:

That sounds like a great experience and perfect location! I honestly had never looked into that building before but definitely will now. In terms of renting, is it technically considered to be part of the 9 complex because of the ownership? When I try searching for it, nothing for 1010 comes up.

Yes, I think you would have to go through The 9. Most (all?) of the 1br floor plans here are in 1010. http://www.iconiclivingatthe9.com/#floorplans

 

The 1010 building is much more quiet than the 9 and you don't have to deal with the hotel guests coming and going.

I’ve lived in Playhouse Square for the last 5+ years. For me, it’s the perfect balance of being close to everything, but also quiet. Folks in my building also range from early 20s single females right through to couple in their 50s and 60s. There’s even a couple of families with kids. I could not and would not ever live in the Warehouse District because it’s just too lively for me, but I’m 50 and too old for that sh!t!

The only real potential downside is the fairly constant panhandling. It doesn’t bother me one bit, having grown up and lived in cities pretty much my whole life. As long as you are someone who is emotionally mature enough to recognize that poverty and mental health are real issues and that sheltering yourself from these things is putting your head in the sand, you’ll be just fine. 99.9% of people are just people and if you haven’t learnt by adulthood how to ID the real potential trouble-makers the city isn’t for you.

I’d go against the above advice and not ask this on reddit as you’ll just attract the trolls. 

+1 to what @roman totale XVII said. I lived in the Statler building for ~3 years before renovations and loved it. The proximity to Heinens is a major plus, and although it sounds like you will be working downtown...getting in and out of the city is much easier by PHS (mainly when events are happening).

 

I know the Sphere, or whatever it’s called now and Reserve Square are on the lower end of pricing (and also quality) but I’ve had quite a few friends live there with no complaints.

 

The tenants were an interesting mix of CSU students, young professionals, immigrants and retirees.

I moved to Lakewood 23 years ago when I was 29 years old. I moved here (Gold Coast area) for many of the reasons that 20-something-year-olds move into a densely populated urban area…lots of stuff to walk to, diversity, options including cars to get around. As much as I love my neighborhood and my condo, if I could do it again (without renting or paying the recently higher prices of single-family houses), I would probably locate in downtown Lakewood or just west of it near the Detroit Avenue corridor. There are apartments above stores along Detroit or in houses near Detroit....although I don't see many available right now. But the amount of shops and cafes and bars and restaurants in this area is terrific. And it's going to get even better with One Lakewood Place plus the Solove development at the Barry Buick site. FWIW...

Does anyone have any insight into the Standard and / or Residences at Leader?

 

In terms of location, they're not ideally where I'd prefer to be but are only a couple blocks away from Euclid Ave / Public Square - so not a deal breaker, although I wonder how significant the lack of pedestrian traffic would be compared to other more heavily populated / visited areas of downtown. Any individual experiences or opinions would b be helpful and appreciated, since I often hear less about these two buildings than many others. According to online reviews I've read, Leader sounds like it offers some fun community programming / events which peaked my interest.

 

Which brings me to my second question: for those of you currently living downtown, does your building offer any resident socials / events / gatherings / etc?

I looked at both during my search...I have several friends in the Leader building (K&D property)  They love it and its priced very competitvely.  Parking is not great, but building is very good location.  Standard has great apartments and if youre 8th floor and above, the view is fantastic.  And both have great features.  Standards parking is not great either.  (warehouse district 2 blocks away)  Plus their bottom floor has been empty since it opened.  

 

And My building is also a K&D building and they do have resident socials and events.  So does the DCA (Downtown Cleveland Association)

How is selection / pricing at Constantino's? If I end up in the WHD, it would be convenient to be able to do most shopping there but wonder how much people would recommend still going elsewhere (ex. Heinen's, Dave's). In particular, how's the fresh produce and general options when it comes to being able to get most of the groceries I'd need? I've heard it's a little more limited than other larger stores.

Edited November 5, 20195 yr by urbanetics_

On 10/23/2019 at 11:48 PM, roman totale XVII said:

I’ve lived in Playhouse Square for the last 5+ years. For me, it’s the perfect balance of being close to everything, but also quiet. Folks in my building also range from early 20s single females right through to couple in their 50s and 60s. There’s even a couple of families with kids. I could not and would not ever live in the Warehouse District because it’s just too lively for me, but I’m 50 and too old for that sh!t!

The only real potential downside is the fairly constant panhandling. It doesn’t bother me one bit, having grown up and lived in cities pretty much my whole life. As long as you are someone who is emotionally mature enough to recognize that poverty and mental health are real issues and that sheltering yourself from these things is putting your head in the sand, you’ll be just fine. 99.9% of people are just people and if you haven’t learnt by adulthood how to ID the real potential trouble-makers the city isn’t for you.

I’d go against the above advice and not ask this on reddit as you’ll just attract the trolls. 

 

I’ve been living downtown for close to 14 years in the Warehouse district. I’m also close to the same age as you. I have a ten year old. I think the noise complaint is a bit overrated. I do live ten floors up so that may make a difference as I rarely hear anything. Motorcycles in the summer are the worst part. I also work downtown and never felt like the panhandling is that bad. 

1 hour ago, urbanetics_ said:

How is selection / pricing at Constantino's? If I end up in the WHD, it would be convenient to be able to do most shopping there but wonder how much people would recommend still going elsewhere (ex. Heinen's, Dave's). In particular, how's the fresh produce and general options when it comes to being able to get most of the groceries I'd need? I've heard it's a little more limited than other larger stores.

 

Also, check out Worthington Yards. The place is amazing and in your price range. I have a friend in the building with a one bedroom at 1,000 square feet and I think he pays 1300 a month. They have a rooftop deck, two courtyards, a dog park and some other amazing amenities. 

 

To answer your question on Constantino's, their prices are anywhere to same price at a normal grocery store to 30% higher. All the staples are normal pricing (eggs, milk, bread, beer, wine). The 30% higher things are ice cream, pickles, juice. I don’t feel like there’s a huge difference in pricing between Heinens & Dave’s in OC. I buy 60-70% of my groceries from Constantinos, 10% from Heinens (things Constantinos doesn’t carry) and the rest at Target. Target for bulk items mostly.

7 hours ago, urbanetics_ said:

How is selection / pricing at Constantino's? If I end up in the WHD, it would be convenient to be able to do most shopping there but wonder how much people would recommend still going elsewhere (ex. Heinen's, Dave's). In particular, how's the fresh produce and general options when it comes to being able to get most of the groceries I'd need? I've heard it's a little more limited than other larger stores.

 

Constantino's is amazing, I used to live in that building and I miss that store dearly. I'd shop one meal at a time and throw nothing out. Forgot an ingredient? No problem, you can run back to the store and be back in less than 10 minutes. Prices aren't bad at all considering the convenience (and the amount of stuff you won't end up putting in the trash).

Edited November 5, 20195 yr by mu2010

Awesome to hear all the positives about Constantino's! It definitely seems like one of the major perks of living around that area.

 

@mu2010 so I take it you lived in the Bingham? Any recommendations / personal experiences / insight you could elaborate on? I'm really interested in that building.

2 hours ago, urbanetics_ said:

Awesome to hear all the positives about Constantino's! It definitely seems like one of the major perks of living around that area.

 

@mu2010 so I take it you lived in the Bingham? Any recommendations / personal experiences / insight you could elaborate on? I'm really interested in that building.

 

Yep, I was in the Bingham and would also recommend it. It's such a large building that they can support above-average community amenities: the gym is far above a normal apartment complex gym, for example.

 

The apartment was nice and I don't recall issues with noise at all. I only lived there for a year (unfortunately) so I can't speak too much to the management or repairs or anything - very little happened. Any questions in particular?

Edited November 5, 20195 yr by mu2010

That’s awesome to hear! Having a nice gym in the building is a huge perk for me and is something I’m really looking for - that’s great news.

 

I guess did you have any complaints you can think of, whether with your unit/the building overall? Also, as far as your short experience went, did the community there seem pretty friendly/social or people mostly stuck to themselves without much interaction?

 

Lastly, what were your favorite and least favorite parts of living there? Thanks so much!

12 hours ago, urbanetics_ said:

That’s awesome to hear! Having a nice gym in the building is a huge perk for me and is something I’m really looking for - that’s great news.

 

I guess did you have any complaints you can think of, whether with your unit/the building overall? Also, as far as your short experience went, did the community there seem pretty friendly/social or people mostly stuck to themselves without much interaction?

 

Lastly, what were your favorite and least favorite parts of living there? Thanks so much!

 

 

I'll start with my least favorite part (and really only bad part) - easily the walk to Public Square/Euclid Ave through those inhospitable parking lots. The warehouse district is a little disconnected from the rest of downtown, and it'd take 25-30 minutes to walk to where I worked near playhouse square. The green trolleys serve the area well, however, so I'd take the E-Line a lot.

 

Favorite part was Constantino's, and the actual building being very interesting and cool.

 

I probably wasn't there long enough to meet a ton of people, but my roommate and I did mostly keep to ourselves. It is a very large building and that can hurt the community aspect, however, like I said, my stay was short.

 

Hope this helps!

For those of you living downtown, there’s a downtown resident event next Wednesday the 20th at 6. Came across it on Twitter and figured I’d share it here in case any of you downtown dwellers didn’t know about it and want to go.

 

 

On 10/28/2019 at 2:14 PM, urbanetics_ said:

Does anyone have any insight into the Standard and / or Residences at Leader?

 

In terms of location, they're not ideally where I'd prefer to be but are only a couple blocks away from Euclid Ave / Public Square - so not a deal breaker, although I wonder how significant the lack of pedestrian traffic would be compared to other more heavily populated / visited areas of downtown. Any individual experiences or opinions would b be helpful and appreciated, since I often hear less about these two buildings than many others. According to online reviews I've read, Leader sounds like it offers some fun community programming / events which peaked my interest.

 

Which brings me to my second question: for those of you currently living downtown, does your building offer any resident socials / events / gatherings / etc?

The 9 (including the 1010 building) has/had a monthly social event with (good) free food and booze, usually at Azure or one of the 9 places (Vault, Ledger, Alex Theatre, Adega...). The attendance was a bit low which was surprising considering the quality of the event. I think it was the same day of the month as the DCA event which hurt attendance. Note, I haven't lived there in a year+ so idk if they still do that.

A couple friends and I are interning downtown this summer and are looking for short-term living. Does anyone have any recommendations for finding subleases/short-term leases etc for 3-4 people from approximately mid-May to late July? Within walking distance of Key Tower/Jones Day building would be ideal.

 

Long-time lurker. Thanks for any help, can't wait to move back to CLE!

What's your budget? Space requirements?

1 hour ago, KJP said:

What's your budget? Space requirements?

Probably $1000-1500/month if that’s realistic downtown; no real space requirements besides 3-4 bedrooms. Thanks!

Good luck! 4 bedrooms, to my knowledge, simply don’t exist. 3 bedrooms are rare and typically range $2- $7k viz Reserve Sq, Statler, Scofield in that price order. 

You could check out The Edge on Euclid. It is geared toward student housing but I think it's open to all. Has 4 bdr. New building.

1 hour ago, freethink said:

You could check out The Edge on Euclid. It is geared toward student housing but I think it's open to all. Has 4 bdr. New building.

 

If you're deadset on 4 BR, that's about the only option downtown, but the minimum leases are 5 months and you're going to have to increase your budget. Maybe they could work something out considering that's the Edge's slow time of the year. Never hurts to ask. Otherwise, someone better be prepared to sleep on the sofa/cot/floor...

 

https://www.theedgeoneuclid.com/floorplans.asp

Edited December 27, 20195 yr by KJP

^and even if they won't let you, you may be able to find a sublet at CSU from people who are away from CLE for the summer. Maybe CSU has a housing office or bulletin board of some sort?

Thanks for the help everyone! I’ll look into those options. I figured subleasing might be the best choice but wanted to see if there were any other options. 

 

Also just to specify, our budget is 1000-1500 per person, not total. 

Does the Langston, on Chester north of CSU, also have four bedroom units?

 

On 12/28/2019 at 10:09 AM, bjk said:

Does the Langston, on Chester north of CSU, also have four bedroom units?

 

You don't mention this, but have you visited the website www.thelangston.com or called the property?  ??‍♂️

I was curious and threw out a fun Twitter poll to see which of 4 (it was hard to pick just 4!) under construction/future downtown residences people would rather live in if they could choose any they wanted, all other factors aside.

 

The results are pretty interesting!

 

The Apartments at Terminal Tower are actually ones I'm considering and have been looking into myself. They're also surprisingly affordable (relatively speaking) to other apartments hitting the market now downtown. BUT if it wouldn't be another couple years before being built, I'd love a balcony unit at City Club - plus its location is central to everything.

 

If I ever move out of the Halle, the Lumen was always going to be my new address.  But that City Club location is so great.  I'm glad we have so many options now!!!

1 hour ago, urbanetics_ said:

I was curious and threw out a fun Twitter poll to see which of 4 (it was hard to pick just 4!) under construction/future downtown residences people would rather live in if they could choose any they wanted, all other factors aside.

 

The results are pretty interesting!

 

The Apartments at Terminal Tower are actually ones I'm considering and have been looking into myself. They're also surprisingly affordable (relatively speaking) to other apartments hitting the market now downtown. BUT if it wouldn't be another couple years before being built, I'd love a balcony unit at City Club - plus its location is central to everything.

 

I was also surprised by the pricing for the Terminal Tower apartments.

As a quick update - after many apartment tours pre-COVID, I ended up choosing the Residences at Leader for my new home! I just got my keys today and will be moving in soon, and I couldn’t be more excited to join the downtown community and call this place my home.

Hope you enjoy it!  I loved living Downtown!

Congrats. Leader is a beautiful building, glad I get to continue to visit to see Dr. Rosenblitt! K&D has really stepped up their game and is hopefully starting to shed their “questionable” reputation from the past. They have done a really great job w/the Halle. 

@urbanetics_ Please post updates as you get settled. A friend of mine is moving in there in the next couple months. 

^I’ll definitely be sure to!

 

So far I have nothing but positive things to say. The K&D leasing staff have been incredibly friendly, genuine and helpful, plus the building itself is gorgeous. It definitely have some of the best bang for your buck in all of downtown. And I looked at a LOT of places.

 

So excited for a new chapter of downtown living here!

Welcome Ian!  I've got a few friends in the Leader Building and they love it!!  I'll look for you walking around downtown!!

7 hours ago, X said:

Hope you enjoy it!  I loved living Downtown!

 

I still miss downtown living, and that was just in Akron 2009-2013.

14 hours ago, urbanetics_ said:

^I’ll definitely be sure to!

 

So far I have nothing but positive things to say. The K&D leasing staff have been incredibly friendly, genuine and helpful, plus the building itself is gorgeous. It definitely have some of the best bang for your buck in all of downtown. And I looked at a LOT of places.

 

So excited for a new chapter of downtown living here!

 

Actually I would welcome anyone who is moving into the newer buildings/recent redevelopments to share their experiences. I love our place in Tremont but in a few years, downsizing might be on the horizon so curious to see what's out there. And as mrclifton88 mentioned, if you need an amazing dentist (and staff), it doesn't get better than Dr. Rosenblitt on the first floor of your building (just don't bump me out of an appointment! ? )

Dr Rosenblitt is the best!!!  And as mrclifton88 can attest, if you make a move, the Halle Building is fantastic!  

On 6/6/2020 at 12:37 AM, mrclifton88 said:

Congrats. Leader is a beautiful building, glad I get to continue to visit to see Dr. Rosenblitt! K&D has really stepped up their game and is hopefully starting to shed their “questionable” reputation from the past. They have done a really great job w/the Halle. 

 

K&D's next downtown building will certainly be a challenge! ? 

 

BTW my grandfather had his office in the Leader Building. He was an executive in the Hanna Mining Co. Hanna moved to Erieview Tower after it opened.

Edited June 7, 20205 yr by KJP

Rockefeller please 

2 minutes ago, WindyBuckeye said:

Rockefeller please 

That was my guess.

1 minute ago, Htsguy said:

That was my guess.

There’s not many rehabs left 

Isn’t 55 Public Square Next for K&D?