^^ Where? I think I'm getting charged "Gold Coast" prices for my place. The girl across the hall is paying more than $700 for her 1BR.

 

My apartment is actually pretty big. I don't know what's up with the kitchen or if the building wasn't meant to have individual kitchens. My dad thinks it was a hotel. Maybe a Lakewood historian can illuminate me :)

The building to the immediate west of the Waterford used to be a hotel.

"wow...how many sq. ft is your crib?  Kitchen the size of a closet?  LOL"

 

It all depends - my soon-to-be former apartment (a small one-bedroom) was a little over 500 sq. feet, but the kitchen was about 10x10 - enough room to put a two-top table and decent counter space. On the other hand, I knew someone in a similar building who had a larger one bedroom but the kitchen was maybe 3x6 - they literally had to set their microwave on their stove if they wanted to use it, and you couldn't open the refrigerator door completely.

 

Btw, my place was going for $490 a month - heat and hot water paid, electric bills were about $10.00 a month ($15.00 in the summer with a window unit for A/C).

 

Well we know you have the best rent in Cleveland!  I've been to apartments in NYC, Northern Jersey or DC the size of shoe boxes, with kitchens or bathrooms like the one mayday describes, but never Cleveland.

 

I've had friends from the eastcoast to my apartment and they are like always amazed at the size of apartments in Cleveland and the price or rent.  The biggest suprises is the amount of closet space we get!

 

Question, it appears that the Lakewood/Cleveland west border, or perhaps the westside has considerably lower rent than its eastside counterparts in coventry or shaker square.  Any theories as to why this exist?

greater supply of apartment units? I have no idea if it's even true that there are more rental units on the westside or not; I just always hear the "Lakewood is the most densely populated city between NYC and Chicago" and assume that implies a larger than average number of housing units.

^^ Proximity to the Clinic, Case, retail, cultural institutions, and transit would be my guess.

^ also for the most part apartments are probably larger in the coventry area & shaker square.

^ I think this might be it, in addition to the over abundance of apartments in Lakewood, which I think is hurting real estate values.

 

I called on an apartment near Little Italy that cost the same as mine, and there wasn't even any available on-street parking.

^ I think this might be it, in addition to the over abundance of apartments in Lakewood, which I think is hurting real estate values.

 

I called on an apartment near Little Italy that cost the same as mine, and there wasn't even any available on-street parking.

 

Because Little Italy has no on-street parking. Its up to you to get a "Residential Permit" from the city of cleveland, costs like 15 bucks a year, and gives you free reign in little italy.

I guess I'm just expecting too much when it comes to kitchens.  The one in my old apartment was decently sized (maybe 8 x 11?), yet my pots were constantly spilling out of the cupboards and eventually I started keeping small appliances (toaster, coffeemaker, etc) in the under-staircase coat closet that also doubles as a pantry.  What I really want is a Martha Stewart-inspired kitchen, but I know that ain't happening any time soon...

 

I'm not really looking any further west than OC/Tremont because I don't want to deal with driving through downtown every morning on my way to school. 

 

re: the murray hill condos, several of them are available for rent although I think if you wanted to buy one outright, they wouldn't argue with you.  There are 9 for-rents listed on the website, and the lady I talked to today indicated that there were a few more unlisted apartments that they are also renting out. 

Can't go wrong with Little Italy. Also, there will be a lot of cool things happening in University Circle over the next four years.

What about subletting at Grove Court condos (west end of the Lorain Carnegie bridge) or Riverbend (West 10th in the Flats).  Both are convenient to the Rapid lines (Red and Waterfront respectively), groceries (WSM and Constantino's), etc, without being smack in the middle of the bar/nightlife activity (W 25th and W 6th/9th).  If you were interested in a little farther west, I would also vote for checking out West Tech Lofts (www.westtechlofts.com). 

 

From the west side, I think 90 to 490 to East 55th to Carnegie is often less hassle than going through the Inner Belt to get to UH/CCF/Case at peak "rush hour".  Not necessarily faster, but less rage-inducing.