At this point I'm going to look into newer condos in the w 9- e 6th range and compare to Battery Park and hopefully get the ball rolling soon

 

I'm with My Two Sense. Rent first. Plus, there's more affordable for-sale units under construction in/near the center city that will come on the market in the next year or two. You will have any more choices soon.

 

You don't expect to find a wife whenever you go on a first date, do ya? Sample, learn, move on to the next sample. Repeat as needed.

 

...or Husband/Significant Other.

Major -- sorry I didn't see your message.  BP is sort of like the Rockport Square development in Lakewood, just with longer tax abatement and some single family houses as opposed to all attached condos.  Lakewood/Rockport Square also does not have the beach at Edgewater Park but you can easily get to Lakwood park or Edgewater via bicycle.  I don't know anything about Cleveland Heights except that it isn't easy to get to but it is close to the Clinic as would Shaker Square be very easy to get there.  In my opinion I would break it down this way -- Downtown in the Warehouse District or Flats (eventually) is a lot of nightlife.  So if that is the atmospher you want, that is where you will find it.  Tremont and Ohio City are urban and lots of good eating and walkable neighborhood.  Battery Park/Detroit Shoreway is up and coming and I personally think it will be GREAT in about 5 years.  Lakewood is good mixed young professionals, lots of diversity, and a lot of older homes with good value that have been well maintained.  Hight taxes thought.  Cleveland Hts./Shaker Heights is what I would consider to be very artistic and educationally based communities as well as health care.  From there, Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Severance Hall, museums, Case Western Universty, and Cleveland State are all pretty close as well as the Theater District.  If I worked at the Clinic or any of those places I mentioned I would DEFINITELY make taking public transportation to work a number one course of action and go from there.

 

Best of luck to you!

Major -- one thing you probably need to take into consideration is the condo fees.  When we looked at some places compared to others Battery Park won out because of the condo fees being less and access to the beach.

Major, Cleveland is like any major city and crime can happen anywhere, just like Manhattan (which you indicated you are very familiar with) you can be on one block which is fine then walk to another which is questionable.

 

Not if you're below 96th Street. I lived in New York for years and never felt unsafe below 96th Street in Manhattan. That's because there are always other people on the streets, and this is a deterrent to crime. In Cleveland, the streets are often deserted because almost everyone who can afford a car drives everywhere. It makes a big difference in perceived -- an even actual -- safety.

 

That said, I think downtown Cleveland is a great place to live, and will only get better as more housing and retail options are added.

 

Major, I'll join the chorus and say rent before you buy. After a year, you'll have a better idea of where you want to end up.

^Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking (re. NY crime).  I don't think there's anything wrong with asking about a neighborhood's crime issues- to say that crime can happen anywhere is sort of a non-response.  Major, you'll get better answers here than you will from hysterical suburbanites or biased real estate agents, so feel free to keep firing away.  But to add to the chorus, think about renting first.

 

I like these threads- they provide a super unscientific indication of where there might be unmet real estate demand out there.  I'm thinking that the units at the Triangle are going to get gobbled up without much trouble.

 

I like these threads- they provide a super unscientific indication of where there might be unmet real estate demand out there.  I'm thinking that the units at the Triangle are going to get gobbled up without much trouble.

 

I was thinking about the same thing this weekend. Once University Circle has a good supply of modern and stylish condo options in the proximity of retail/entertainment/arts and the Hospitals, these residents won't be looking all over Cleveland for housing. The Uptown development will sell very well, imho.

 

 

^Good point, Strap and 3231.

 

Here's my take on downtown safety, Major:

 

*Muggings happen, but they are rare, especially if you stick to main arteries. For example, I heard about a guy who got mugged walking down an alley on the east side of downtown.

 

*You can expect to be panhandled frequently. That's more of an annoyance than a danger, so it depends on your level of tolerance how much an issue that is. Almost all panhandlers leave you alone right away if you utter a firm "Sorry, no."

 

*Generally, if you're male (I think you said you are), you'll get less harassment than if you were female. (Sad.)

 

*The "safest-feeling" area to me is the Warehouse District, because that's where most of the people and retail are. E. 4th Street also has a decent number of "eyes on the street." The areas farther east of Public Square -- including Playhouse Square and the Reserve Square area -- feel a bit more like islands unto themselves. Stonebridge in the Flats also feels a bit marooned, but there are fewer panhandlers etc. there because it's not as accessible by public transit.

thanks for the great info-

 

And yeah- I do expect the typical "city safety" issues, but I agree with you blinker that the perceived safety of a given area makes a big difference- and that's why the WHD and surrounding areas are more my thing

 

regardless, it seems like there are certainly a lot of options in the downtown area

 

another bonus is the potential appreciation of some of these properties (at least I perceive it that way)- I know there won't be a huge boom, but there's more potential than the "inner-suburb rings"

 

I'm going to check out the Warehouse District and surrounding areas this weekend and see how they stack up with Battery Park and hopefully have a decision by early next week