I also live in Lakewood, though I live in the exact opposite corner from KJP...southwest.  Traffic in Lakewood is never an issue.  I mean, besides I-90, no street is Lakewood is over 35mph, so you won't speed through the city, but in my 5 years here, I don't think I've ever seen any kind of "traffic jam" in the city.  Even when they shut down most of Detroit Rd for the Lakewood Arts Fest, the roads don't get conjested. 

 

Lakewood really is a great town.  It is called the City of Homes, and most of Lakewood is just street after street of houses...many of which are doubles.  Lakewood reminds me more of a small college town than a dense urban suburb.  Lots of people describe it as a college town without a college.  There are a lot of bars and a lot of twentysomthings.  But there are also a lot of families. 

 

As far as crime in Lakewood, I would say its pretty low.  I've never felt unsafe, and I've done a fair share of walking around in the middle of the night (home from the bars).

Sorry I haven't been on the forum much lately, and I want to respond but didn't thoroughly read through all the posts on this thread. I may be repeating a lot of what has already been said.

 

As an undergrad college student myself from the Cleveland area who is returning soon for grad school, my first choice would be Ohio City. Even though downtown would be great to live, Ohio City is a nice urban "neighborhood" alternative to downtown. It has a lot of houses and some parks, but isn't as dense and highly trafficed as downtown. The bars and cafes in Ohio City along W.25th are a little cheaper, much more friendly, and pretty cool. And your neighborhood grocery store - the West Side Market - is one of the last city-owned markets in the US, very European/old-world, and one of the coolest things about Cleveland. The combination of the historic houses, W.25th commercial district, and West Side Market create an atmosphere that probably make it one of the most unique urban neighborhoods in the country. Ohio City also has a rapid station that will get you to downtown in a minute, and then places like the Airport and University Circle in decent time.

 

Tremont is very cool as well, although maybe not as serviced by RTA? (others can verrify this). Tremont's strongest points in my opinion are Lincoln Park, art galleries, and very trendy dining, although it might be lacking neighborhood amenities that Ohio City has, and the hotspots aren't nearly as concentrated as they are Ohio City. In my opinion Tremont is really good for artists, but most people would probably prefer living in Ohio City. 

 

Lakewood has traditionally been the place for young professionals or CSU students to live. By car you can be downtown in five-ten minutes, you can find parking easily in Lakewood, it has a number of bars and restuarants, it is right on the lake, and you can find many nice for-rent units in safe areas that don't cost very much. Lakewood is fairly diverse with a large middle-class family population as well as young adults. For someone like your girlfriend who may be unsure about the city, Lakewood is a good option to test it out I think. It is a nice compromise, and from there you could decide to go closer into the city or farther from it.

 

I wouldn't recommend the Heights area if you are going to CSU, only because traffic to and from downtown can be very bad. Otherwise it is perfect for young professionals to live with great inexpensive housing units, safe neighborhoods, walkable, beautiful, and excellent commercial districts like Coventry Village and Cedar-Fairmont. If you were going to school or working in University Circle I would strongly recommend the heights. Cleveland Heights is to University Circle like Lakewood is to downtown. Cleveland heights is very 'East Coast' in terms of the type of people and architecture. Californians especially gawk at Cleveland Heights, because nothing like that exists out there.  Shaker Square in the Heights area, however, might be a good consideration because it is conveniently serviced by excellent neighborhood amenities, shops, cinema, restaurants, and a rapid station that will take you downtown in minutes. Shaker Square is a beautiful setting and really cool. There are lots of apartments within walking distance to the square.

 

Your girlfriend's transition from S. Floridia may be difficult, but the way I see it Northern cities have a lot more culture and history. You sacrifice nice weather, but it is a reasonable trade-off. The neighborhoods I mentioned and places especially like University Circle you just won't find in the South or on the West Coast.

 

Visiting is the probably the best way to find an apartment. A lot of apartments in buildings or duplexes (which are somewhat unique to Cleveland and a typical Cleveland for-rent housing arrangement) simply put "For Rent" signs outside, so driving around and writing down addresses and phone numbers is really the best way. Even though is for-sale housing, this realty group has somewhat of a monoply on urban housing. You might be interested in checking it out, because it gives profiles on neighborhoods like Ohio City and Tremont: www.progressiveurban.com. On the internet cleveland craiglist is a good way to find apartments, and clv lofts has a lot of affordable apartments in good areas.

KJP-Yes, I hate traffic. Considering the density, I figured that traffic was a given but, now there are many reasons as to why traffic isn't too bad that I never thought of (grid pattern, walkable town etc.)

 

Mayday-Thank you for your offer. I will follow up on that if I decide to live in Lakewood. I will get a great view of the place. We are staying at the Travellodge in Lakewood and I hear it is within walking distance to the clubs/bars/restaurants.

 

Also, the snow description boggles my mind. My girlfriend HATES snow. So, westside, closer to the lake means less snow? When you say "the further east you go" gets more snow, do you mean that east of the river has more snowfall than west of the river? What areas have the least amount of snowfall, or is the difference too minimal to have a clear cut winner?

I am getting the feeling that lakewood (maybe along  Lake or Clifton) could be a safe bet for you now. While I am a huge Ohio City/w. Flats fan-heck I live here, it may be an area, that in some cases people feel more comfortable about once they have been in the area and can decide for themselves. Tremont and OC are a little "grittier " than much of lakewood -but come with tons of benefits in return.  But do look at at both b/c OC and Tremont as they are often voted Cleveland's "best neighborhoods" by residents.

 

Lakewood, has an urban feel, but is not crowded -especially closer to the lake, and like I said is close to the suburbs of Rocky River (things like Best Buy, Target and such) and Westlake (semi upscale mall, Crocker Park that will make a Floridian feel right at home) for weaning purposes. I think the 55x bus runs express to CSU, if you chose not to drive. And you are in OC in a 10 or so minute drive (if along lake or clifton) I know someone who goes to CSU, and someone who works there that lives in that area near the lake(one in Cleveland part, the other in lakewood) and they love it. I do agree you could walk late at night in most areas of Lakewood, whereas OC and Tremont, you would be wise to be more selective as to where or how far you walk.  Most parts are just fine, but you need to be aware as you would with any city.  I am sure Mayday has some ideas for areas in Lakewood off Clifton or Lake.  I once looked at apartments with someone- we saw some really nice units off Clifton in lakewood on the southside of the road. Very affordable, with lots of charm-plenty of med and law students living there, but the landlord emphasized how quiet they like it for studying.  Right off Detroit or Madison is generally even cheaper, but a little more crime than toward the lake. Still nothing compared to FL!

"So, westside, closer to the lake means less snow? When you say "the further east you go" gets more snow, do you mean that east of the river has more snowfall than west of the river?"

 

Pretty much on both counts. I'm not saying that where I live is immune to snow but there have been many times where my neighborhood has a dusting, and places just a few miles south or east get dumped on. The one good thing about Lakewood - they clear the streets of snow pretty well.

 

Here is how lake effect snow works. The moisture gets picked up from the lake - it travels inland just a bit and then the "Lake Erie Snow Machine" kicks in:

 

With that in mind, take into account that most of the winds travel from west to east, and that the shoreline near Lakewood/Cleveland's west side runs east to west. Where the blue arrows go, so goes the snow - see why the east side (and inland, but especially east) gets more snow?:

 

 

I wouldn't recommend the Heights area if you are going to CSU, only because traffic to and from downtown can be very bad. Otherwise it is perfect for young professionals to live with great inexpensive housing units, safe neighborhoods, walkable, beautiful, and excellent commercial districts like Coventry Village and Cedar-Fairmont. If you were going to school or working in University Circle I would strongly recommend the heights. Cleveland Heights is to University Circle like Lakewood is to downtown. Cleveland heights is very 'East Coast' in terms of the type of people and architecture. Californians especially gawk at Cleveland Heights, because nothing like that exists out there.  Shaker Square in the Heights area, however, might be a good consideration because it is conveniently serviced by excellent neighborhood amenities, shops, cinema, restaurants, and a rapid station that will take you downtown in minutes. Shaker Square is a beautiful setting and really cool. There are lots of apartments within walking distance to the square.

 

I've never found the traffic to downtown/CSU too gawdy. I live on the eastern edge of the heights and by car its about a 20-25 mintue commitment. Or when I was car free in the coventry neighborhood, I could be downtown in about 30 minutes.

^True. Commuting downtown from the heights isn't bad, but considering the relatively short distance from downtown it shouldn't even take that long. It takes only five minutes to get downtown from W.117th, and heck- it only takes me 25 minutes to get to Public Square from my house all the way out in Avon Lake.  Getting downtown from the west side is much easier, and i think if you are commuting downtown regularly the west side makes a little a more sense.

I can't tell you guys how much better I feel about visiting now that I know what's going on up there. Thank you all very much. Oh, and if you have more to say, please don't look at this like the end of the discussion. I just wanted to write a quick thanks because there have been lots of great responses recently and my girlfriend is much more at ease (which helps me out immensely. This has been very stressful on her), although she is now saying, "See? Everyone thinks we should live in Lakewood." I might set up a mugging when we visit Lakewood. Any takers?

^no thanks. Lakewood cops are like flies to honey. 

LOL...I'll do it....anything for a free beer!

well I still pick Ohio City, but we try and be objective towards out of towners and Lakewood was sounding like a compromise to the dreaded strongsville!

I also live in Lakewood, though I live in the exact opposite corner from KJP...southwest.  Traffic in Lakewood is never an issue.  I mean, besides I-90, no street is Lakewood is over 35mph, so you won't speed through the city, but in my 5 years here, I don't think I've ever seen any kind of "traffic jam" in the city.  Even when they shut down most of Detroit Rd for the Lakewood Arts Fest, the roads don't get conjested. 

 

Lakewood really is a great town.  It is called the City of Homes, and most of Lakewood is just street after street of houses...many of which are doubles.  Lakewood reminds me more of a small college town than a dense urban suburb.  Lots of people describe it as a college town without a college.  There are a lot of bars and a lot of twentysomthings.  But there are also a lot of families. 

 

As far as crime in Lakewood, I would say its pretty low.  I've never felt unsafe, and I've done a fair share of walking around in the middle of the night (home from the bars).

 

one caveat, lakewood most certainly is a college town! ha. but, seriously, they have the nice and well respected 'lil art school --- virginia marti. i remembered this this because besides driving by it a lot they were a good client of my spouse's when she worked in publishing.

 

 

link:

http://www.virginiamarticollege.com/

 

 

it sounds to me like the letsgorams should focus their visit on lakewood and cleveland heights.

both are certainly interesting and easy places to get started on a new life in ne ohio.

 

fwiw, until recently we went to wpb every summer for years for my spouse's annual work meeting in pb and i got to do nothing but run around and goof around with a free car and hotel for a week, so i have spent significant time in wpb and se florida recently. look at like this, even with the weather differences, letsgorams will still get florida-ish weather for one quarter of the year. but now they will also get to ski and tobaggan another quarter. and then there is spring and fall, which have their own charms.  as far as food: since its not hard, make your cuban food at home and learn to get with the pierogi program - ha.

 

yeah, so all in all if i had to pick between just the two, its no comparison to me i'd much prefer the clev area --- you'll like it and will prob be very surprised exploring all it has to offer.

 

 

 

 

LGR,

 

While I do live in Lakewood, and I do love it, if I could do it over again, I probably would have bought a townhouse in Ohio City instead of a house in Lakewood.  Nothing against Lakewood, but Ohio City is my favorite part of Cleveland. 

 

You can't go wrong either way, but just let your gf know that even some Lakewood people like OC too!

one caveat, lakewood most certainly is a college town! ha. but, seriously, they have the nice and well respected 'lil art school --- virginia marti. i remembered this this because besides driving by it a lot they were a good client of my spouse's when she worked in publishing.

 

 

Doh!  I even have a friend who goes to Virginia Marti! 

as a former Floridian (for 14 yrs), I need to say that the bar and pub scene is much better in Cleveland and inner ring burbs than most in FL (although I have a fav on cabbage key) . for every good  bar in FL there are probably 20  here. loads of character and quality product and service. While I am not a night club person, and thus cannot comment, the neighborhood scene is great.  we just returned from Prosperity Social Club in Tremont, grt happy hour food and drink menu, wood burning stove and fab juke box and service. you just cannot beat it. Bartenders will care enough to get your name and try and remember it for next time. Plus with the few exceptions we noted, the ethnic food scene is great in Cleveland.

I'll plug Ohio City here with a sampling of recent photos that have been posted elsewhere on this site (and some that have not).  I'll leave Shaker Square, Tremont, Edgewater, Lakewood to the other experts and threads on here.  You may have already done an extensive search of the site to find what you're looking for, but it's not like I haven't enjoyed digging these up!

 

My block:

Parker's, a nice date spot that buys local and organic (I believe):

One of Ohio City's most beautiful and historic homes:

Clifford House, one of the three Ohio City B&Bs your in-laws can stay at when they come to visit!

Stone Gables, another B&B:

City Expressionz, part of the summer's Open Air in Market Square festivities:

The booths spread along West 25th some weekends during the summer:

 

A couple views from a rear apartment balcony in the Fries & Schuele building:

Looking NW over Ohio City towards the West Virginia Builing (yellow) and beyond:

Some of the newer and more expensive townhomes in the neighborhood:

Another look at W. 25th, during one of the chillier months:

Looking across Market Square towards the historic West Side Market:

Inside the Market:

 

 

The Red Line, which will take you to the airport, Downtown and University Circle (to name a few):

Great Lakes Brewing Co's cellar, which features Monday night Irish folk music:

The view from the Superior Viaduct, just down W.25th, and home to the new Stonebridge apartments:

Very cool photos...almost makes me want to move!

Off-topic, but this home happens to be the home of clevelandskyscrapers.com :-)

 

thanks for the great pics. I wish I had found this site before I moved to the area, I would have saved myself a lot of grief and money. When I asked our our heights based agent before moving here, about this "Ohio City " place, she looked down her nose, sneered her mouth and said "I DO NOT WORK IN THAT AREA , you need to stick with the eastside, all the professors (referring to spouse) live on the eastside..." gag.  That is why I like Progressive Urban, they focus on inner ring, east and westside.

 

When I was last at Great lAkes the basement is closed, and they hope to have patio open soon. I sure hope they reopen the cellar later, I loved it down there when upstairs got too crowded.

^That's a violation of realtor ethics.  They're not allowed to steer you to or from neighborhoods.  If you have any documentation, you should definitely report her to the local board of realtors.  Obviously, it depends on what exactly she said, but no realtor should leave a person with the impression that they ought to avoid somewhere...

 

Any realtors here who can speak more authoritatively about this?  All I know is what I've heard second-hand from realtor friends...

^That's a violation of realtor ethics.  They're not allowed to steer you to or from neighborhoods.  If you have any documentation, you should definitely report her to the local board of realtors.  Obviously, it depends on what exactly she said, but no realtor should leave a person with the impression that they ought to avoid somewhere...

 

Any realtors here who can speak more authoritatively about this?  All I know is what I've heard second-hand from realtor friends...

I know you are right, but that was 4 years ago...in the end we learned our lesson, when moving to a new city always rent first. we bought b/c we didn't want to have to deal with moving again...dumb mistake. The heights IS a fine community, it just didn't work for us on a number of levels. Even the universities seem to "steer" people east. Case I get, but CSU? I actually heard someone recommended Westlake to a prof. eeeeks

Peabody,

 

The beer cellar is open.

well thats good news. I was there about a week and a half ago, and a sign said it was closing. Maybe with the unseasonably cool weather, they will keep it open longer.

^Closing?  I was there on Saturday and it was open.  With all the outdoor seating that will soon be coming on line, I can see how they would need less indoor space.

Nice pics. Thanks. I've spent hours on this site looking for pics of Ohio City. Nice to see them all in one thread instead of scattered around.

What's up everybody. I have another question. Anyone lived in a downstairs apartment of a house? You know, how they are split into one upper and one lower level and there is a "shared washer/dryer in basement"? Are these places loud? Can you hear your upstairs neghbors easily? What cons can you think of? It seems most rentals are this way in Cleveland.

It depends on the level of insulation, but generally I'd say yes -- you can hear your upstairs neighbor. It's not anything that would drive you nuts, though, unless you're used to dead quiet. People don't really walk around their apartments as much as you might think they would. If you're worried about loud music, parties, etc. -- talk about that with the upstairs person before you move in. Get a feel for what they're like.

I live in a duplex unit in Ohio City, and there are a fair number of these around. That means the house is split length-wise down the middle, so I have one side and the neighbors have the other. I hardly ever hear them. So a duplex (or "side-by-side") unit might be a good option for you.

I'm surprised you're finding that duplexes (which also can mean an up-and-down double) are so dominant. I would have thought the rental listings would be evenly divided among duplexes (or tri-plexes and even quadplexes, which are a number of in Lakewood) and units within a large apartment building.

 

I live in an apartment-style condo, with concrete walls (covered with plaster/wallpaper or wood/brick paneling) and floors (covered with tile or carpeting). I can't hear much of anything of my neighbors. It's incredibly quiet. Wood floors would be a different story, but there's something charming about wood floors.

I'm surprised you're finding that duplexes (which also can mean an up-and-down double) are so dominant. I would have thought the rental listings would be evenly divided among duplexes (or tri-plexes and even quadplexes, which are a number of in Lakewood) and units within a large apartment building.

 

I live in an apartment-style condo, with concrete walls (covered with plaster/wallpaper or wood/brick paneling) and floors (covered with tile or carpeting). I can't hear much of anything of my neighbors. It's incredibly quiet. Wood floors would be a different story, but there's something charming about wood floors.

I'm looking at Craigslist. It seems wood floors are very popular as well. I would rather have carpet due to the possible noise. And i would rather live in a side by side duplex rather than an upstairs/downstairs, unless I'm on the top floor.

^ If you're willing to consider an apartment building, and don't want wood floors, look at buildings built from the 1950s and later. You may sacrifice exterior beauty of the building for quieter concrete floors. The building I live in has a less-than-mediocre appearance from the street (the building was built in 1967), but the insides are nice. And how often do I look at the exterior anyway? Something to consider in order to widen your options.

^ If you're willing to consider an apartment building, and don't want wood floors, look at buildings built from the 1950s and later. You may sacrifice exterior beauty of the building for quieter concrete floors. The building I live in has a less-than-mediocre appearance from the street (the building was built in 1967), but the insides are nice. And how often do I look at the exterior anyway? Something to consider in order to widen your options.

Yeah, this is exactly what I'm telling my g/f. I don't care what it looks like on the outside. Or the inside, for that matter. I like hardwood floors as much as the next person but I put more weight on my rational and practical views than on my materialistic views. Besides, I have enough materialism to fight dealing with my girlfriend.

Okay, your g/f needs to understand that here is how things work (at least in my world): when people arrive to your home/apartment for that fabulous dinner party, they're going to spend more time "oohing and ahhing" FAR more about the interior of your place than the exterior.

 

When you're renting, you can always dismiss the exterior as "well, it's historically interesting" or "it's a tad utilitarian for my tastes, but the concrete helps with soundproofing" but then you can spend the rest of the evening regaling them about the choices you've made about the dining room table, the roumaki, or how that period non-functioning fireplace makes for a perfect spot for the TV. It sounds like she needs one of "my people" to translate for you  :wink:

Okay, your g/f needs to understand that here is how things work (at least in my world): when people arrive to your home/apartment for that fabulous dinner party, they're going to spend more time "oohing and ahhing" FAR more about the interior of your place than the exterior.

 

When you're renting, you can always dismiss the exterior as "well, it's historically interesting" or "it's a tad utilitarian for my tastes, but the concrete helps with soundproofing" but then you can spend the rest of the evening regaling them about the choices you've made about the dining room table, the roumaki, or how that period non-functioning fireplace makes for a perfect spot for the TV. It sounds like she needs one of "my people" to translate for you  :wink:

I don't think I've ever had a dinner party. I have never owned, nor do I plan to until I start a family, a dining room table. I eat on the coffee table or the kitchen bar or I eat out. I spend money on things that I need, she spends money on things that she wants. I have exactly 5 work shirts, one for each day of the week. She has the whole walk-in closet filled with her shit whereas, I converted the air conditioning/heater room into my closet. i don't care what other poeple think of my place/clothes/car etc.. because i always have a logical/practical/financial explanation for doing what I do or having what I have, this is not the case in her life and, of course, it shows in the disparity of our bank accounts even though she makes more money than me and I have more bills to pay.  She aims to look good in the eyes of others, like most women.

 

Our views on standards of living are polar opposites and this has caused problems in our relationship and I am quite certain we will be at each other's wits ends when trying to "agree" on where to live/how much to spend. I am very apprehensive about this trip.

 

What is a roumaki? And, I am excited about having a fireplace. I've never had one of my own. God forbid if i turn it into an entertainment center.

 

Oh, and I'm not sure what you mean by "your people" (gay,metrosexual,woman?) but, I will take any help in convincing her to save her money. Also, you said earlier you can point me in the right direction towards decent rental companies in Lakewood. I am ready to call some up and get some tours set up so, if you wouldn't mind throwing out a few names, numbers or websites, I would appreciate it. Duplexes/apartments/houses, whatever. Thanks a lot, Mayday.

"Oh, and I'm not sure what you mean by "your people" (gay,metrosexual,woman?)"

 

Sorry I didn't clarify - gay.

 

"Our views on standards of living are polar opposites and this has caused problems in our relationship and I am quite certain we will be at each other's wits ends when trying to "agree" on where to live/how much to spend."

 

:lol: Yep, that sounds like true love to me! Actually it's good that the two of you complement each other - sort of like "The Odd Couple".

 

"What is a roumaki?

It's an appetizer made by wrapping bacon around a water chestnut (some people include marinated chicken livers).

 

"And, I am excited about having a fireplace. I've never had one of my own. God forbid if i turn it into an entertainment center."

 

Just a heads up about that - a lot of places will have non-functioning fireplaces. They're non-functioning for safety reasons but they do add a lot of architectural interest. What I'll do is get a short list of companies and send them via private message.

A lot of the rentals in Lakewood are going to be doubles (houses split into up/down apartments).  I lived in the top half of a double before I bought my house.  I never heard the downstairs lady, but she was older and lived alone.  If you lived above/below a couple of just-out-of-college kids, you might have different experience.  So, you'll just have to judge each situation individually.  I would say that alot of the doubles in Lakewood are not owned by a rental company.  Most are owned by a landlord that only owns 1 or 2 doubles and lots of times they live in the other half. 

 

You really have to go see them and check out the situation.

roumaki?-how retro! Re: cheap places to live. I would rather have modest digs, than get in over my head in debt. You won't need all that stress with school. the good news is with Lakewood, I think it is a renters market, so you should have lots of choices. 

 

I don't think I've ever had a dinner party. I have never owned, nor do I plan to until I start a family, a dining room table. I eat on the coffee table or the kitchen bar or I eat out. I spend money on things that I need, she spends money on things that she wants. I have exactly 5 work shirts, one for each day of the week. She has the whole walk-in closet filled with her shit whereas, I converted the air conditioning/heater room into my closet. i don't care what other poeple think of my place/clothes/car etc.. because i always have a logical/practical/financial explanation for doing what I do or having what I have, this is not the case in her life and, of course, it shows in the disparity of our bank accounts even though she makes more money than me and I have more bills to pay.  She aims to look good in the eyes of others, like most women.

 

Our views on standards of living are polar opposites and this has caused problems in our relationship and I am quite certain we will be at each other's wits ends when trying to "agree" on where to live/how much to spend. I am very apprehensive about this trip.

 

What is a roumaki? And, I am excited about having a fireplace. I've never had one of my own. God forbid if i turn it into an entertainment center.

 

Oh, and I'm not sure what you mean by "your people" (gay,metrosexual,woman?) but, I will take any help in convincing her to save her money. Also, you said earlier you can point me in the right direction towards decent rental companies in Lakewood. I am ready to call some up and get some tours set up so, if you wouldn't mind throwing out a few names, numbers or websites, I would appreciate it. Duplexes/apartments/houses, whatever. Thanks a lot, Mayday.

 

Sounds like we've got a "queer eye" candidate!!!!!  Get Bravo on the line...NOW!  Oh hell...I sense this might be an emergency, we'll have to do it Cleveland style and get to this man with five (gasping) work shirts who has never hosted a dinner party and doesn't know what roumaki is. 8-)  :-o  :|

 

Make sure to bring the girlfriend along....I like the "YF&B" gals who buys what they want - even if they are living over their means.  But we can call Suze Orman for an intervention!!

 

I don't think I've ever had a dinner party. I have never owned, nor do I plan to until I start a family, a dining room table. I eat on the coffee table or the kitchen bar or I eat out. I spend money on things that I need, she spends money on things that she wants. I have exactly 5 work shirts, one for each day of the week. She has the whole walk-in closet filled with her shit whereas, I converted the air conditioning/heater room into my closet. i don't care what other poeple think of my place/clothes/car etc.. because i always have a logical/practical/financial explanation for doing what I do or having what I have, this is not the case in her life and, of course, it shows in the disparity of our bank accounts even though she makes more money than me and I have more bills to pay.  She aims to look good in the eyes of others, like most women.

 

Our views on standards of living are polar opposites and this has caused problems in our relationship and I am quite certain we will be at each other's wits ends when trying to "agree" on where to live/how much to spend. I am very apprehensive about this trip.

 

What is a roumaki? And, I am excited about having a fireplace. I've never had one of my own. God forbid if i turn it into an entertainment center.

 

Oh, and I'm not sure what you mean by "your people" (gay,metrosexual,woman?) but, I will take any help in convincing her to save her money. Also, you said earlier you can point me in the right direction towards decent rental companies in Lakewood. I am ready to call some up and get some tours set up so, if you wouldn't mind throwing out a few names, numbers or websites, I would appreciate it. Duplexes/apartments/houses, whatever. Thanks a lot, Mayday.

 

Sounds like we've got a "queer eye" candidate!!!!!  Get Bravo on the line...NOW!  Oh hell...I sense this might be an emergency, we'll have to do it Cleveland style and get to this man with five (gasping) work shirts who has never hosted a dinner party and doesn't know what roumaki is. 8-)  :-o  :|

 

Make sure to bring the girlfriend along....I like the "YF&B" gals who buys what they want - even if they are living over their means.  But we can call Suze Orman for an intervention!!

HAHAHAHAHA. YF & B?

HAHAHAHAHA. YF & B?

 

Y, F & B = Young, Fabulous & Broke!!!    :cool2:

HAHAHAHAHA. YF & B?

 

Y, F & B = Young, Fabulous & Broke!!!    :cool2:

 

can us "normies" use that term too?

HAHAHAHAHA. YF & B?

 

Y, F & B = Young, Fabulous & Broke!!!    :cool2:

 

can us "normies" use that term too?

Hey.what is "normie"  anyway?  :wtf:  I'm abmormie and strait

Well, it's over. Ohio City it is. I got a great place right by Dave's off 25th st. I got such a deal. Still having a hard time convincing the g/f about how great a location Ohio City is but Friday and Saturday at Great Lakes, Bier Markt and the Garage bar definitely helped me win her over. She's still wishing we would be living in the Heights areas but, it takes WAY too long to head west coming from there. Anyway, my new place is badass and I can't wait to move in. Right by 25th st. No more tempting drunken drives. Unless i go to the Warehouse district. Thanks everyone for your help!

woohoo! very cool. you all are going to love it.  glad you got to see the hood in all its glory. Are far as driving from the warehouse district...Crap I would not bother driving. the parking costs nearly as much as a cab ride there and back (only about a mile and 1/2 each way).  You can even take the rapid by w.side market to tower city and walk over to the hub of activity, and then cab back. Or you can even take the 22 bus right into town..(and then I would cab back). you can spend your whole weekend (and more if your job does not require a car) not even touching the car. The weird thing is when we moved to the west flats/Ohio City hood, we thought we would spend equal time in Ohio city, Tremont, Flats and Warehouse neighborhoods. As it turns out nearly all time is spent in Ohio City, and to some degree w. flats due to being able to walk. Welcome to the hood and post further if you need help getting acclimated.

Welcome to C-town and Ohio City, letsgorams! I was strolling in that neighborhood just last night with a friend from Columbus. He was picking up brochures from some of the rental places and checking house ads in the PeeDee today.

 

Peabody beat me to saying that driving from Warehouse District to Ohio City is not financially koshier thing to do. Driving such a short distance is also a very suburban thing to do in a very urban environment. I've ridden the 22 bus many times, even late at night (runs 24 hours, see http://www.riderta.com/pdf/22.pdf ). Red Line also works. No biggie. But if you're with the girlfriend, she might wish to take a cab home instead.

 

You have a number of Ohio City residents on this board, in addition to Peabody (Mister Good Day, wimwar and others). And all are here to help.

Welcome to the neighborhood, letsgorams! You made a great choice; Ohio City is perfect for newcomers to Cleveland because there's lots to do and it's adjacent to Downtown.

Exactly which building are you in?

LetsGoRams,

 

Congrats!  I just moved into Ohio City yesterday (big thanks to mr.good day, YSOH and Blinker12) and am very excited as well.  Concerning your commute to law school--CSU will provide you with a free bus/rapid pass as part of your tuition.   

You guys are starting to form a little psuedo-ethnic 'hood over there.  Let's call it "Little UrbanOhiotown Village".  Or "City Geek Corners".

why not Geek Town? Chicago has its Greek Town, don't we deserve at least this?

why not Geek Town? Chicago has its Greek Town, don't we deserve at least this?

 

Call it what you will.  I will call it the UrbanOhio Ghetto. :wink:

Thanks for the welcoming. I can't wait to move up here. I need to spend a night in the warehouse district. Looks like a lot of fun. Are all the bars there pretty expensive? And i got to check out the Westside market today. I love that place. It has everything you need. I'm eating some of the best beef jerky I have ever had right now.

 

I'm not in a building. I am living in the downstairs of a house between w. 27th and w. 28th. I just drove around the neighborhood all day friday and saturday looking for "FOR RENT" signs and had appts to see the places all day sunday. The houses around 40th-45th street were huge and much cheaper but I would rather live as close to 25th as possible. It seemed like the middle of nowhere back there.

 

We also checked out Tremont and Detroit-Shoreway but Ohio City was definitely the clear cut choice. We didn't even make it over to the eastside of Cleveland. We actually met a couple that was moving from the east to the west and they cited their reason for moving as the time it takes to get from the Heights areas to downtown.

 

For the poster who said he had a friend looking for a place, we saw the coolest townhouse at 4710 Franklin St (Ave???). It was 795/mo and it had two floors.Top floor was all open space, huge kitchen and downstairs room as well. He should definitely check that place out.

 

Anyway, my girlfriend wants to know where the best gym would be in terms of location and amount of equipment. Anyone know?