Hello,

I will be moving to Cleveland later in the summer and am interested in living downtown. I am looking for a safe environment where there is a younger crowd and walkable restaurants/nightlife. I must emphasize again that as a single, female, later 20's, safety or 'impressions' of safety are important to me. Are there apartments that you would recommend?

Also, are there other areas outside of the downtown that you would recommend for a young professional who enjoys being nearby good restaurants/ bars/ and younger crowds.

I will be working in Solon, so a less than 45 minute commute is desired.

 

Thank you very much.

R.K.

You really can't go wrong with either the Warehouse District, East 4th, and the Gateway areas.  I live in the Warehouse District, so I tend to be a bit biased.  Warehouse District is more of an established neighborhood while East 4th is emerging.  Since you're going to reverse commute you may want to consider an area that is not totally blocked off due to construction.

^ "Downtown - The Heart of the Cleveland & Northeast Ohio" perfect slogan for NEO.

 

You're a single female in her late-20s? Why, I do believe there's a vacancy in my building here in Lakewood! ;) Then again, you did say you were looking for a safe area to live in...

 

Actually, downtown is a decent place to live for commuting to the suburbs, especially by car. You're commuting opposite of the flow of traffic, though you will get into some traffic on I-480 near I-271 and on 422 approaching Solon.

 

Little Italy, Shaker Square and Cleveland Heights are also nice, but driving from there to Solon isn't as easy, IMHO. Shaker Square is probably the best of the three, since it's a straight shot down Van Aken to Chagrin/I-271 or to Harvard/I-271. And, of course, Shaker Heights is a decent option for the same reason.

 

Just a friendly note: your original query should have been posted in the Travel/Restaurants/Relocation thread. A moderator will probably end up moving it there, so keep an eye out for it.

Downtown in the Warehouse District would be great for you if you are into the nightlife.  It is a very safe area.  The struggle will be if you can take the commute -- 45 minutes one way each day.  You could also try the Chagrin/Cedar area near Beachwood Place or Legacy Village.  There are some nice apartments there, safe area, lots of shopping and things to do but traffic in and around that area can sometimes be annoying and it would be a commute to some good nightlife in downtown.  Best of luck and welcome to Cleveland!

Thanks FloridaGuy!

Warehouse district probably fits best with what you're describing, so definitely check it out. If you think it's too much of a good thing (it's a little too busy for my taste) I'd also recommend the Statler Arms on E12th and Euclid. It's a nice, safe building with 24 hour staffed garage and security desk. It's a quick 3 minute walk to E4th which is burgeoning. Pricing is pretty reasonable as well.

I live in Cleveland (southside) and work Solon, the commute time is tricky. on average its 35min's. but sometimes it take 1hr on a bad day to 20-25 min on a good day.

Welcome FT and to Cleveland.   :wave: :wave:  My, we certainly have a lot of new blood moving into the city!  :clap:  I guess "flee to the Cleve" is working! :mrgreen:

 

First thing.  Coventry is a section of the suburb of Cleveland Hts.  Shaker Hts and Cleveland Hts are very similar beautiful suburbs.  Shaker Heights (and Cleveland hts for that matter) are diverse, family oriented burbs, but have pockets of youngsters.   

 

Cleveland Hts, has three hip areas (Coventry, cedar-Fairmont & Cedar Lee) that singles tend to live in, along with beautiful parks and recreation centers.  Both have wider array of residents, from different backgrounds, religions, ethnic backgrounds and financial status and very open an accepting.  Shaker Hts. doesn't have any “hip” neighborhoods.  Shaker Square is where most of the younger residents are.

 

Are you sure people aren’t' saying Shaker Square  not Shaker Heights*.  Shaker Square is in Cleveland but adjacent to Shaker Heights and has restaurants, excellent bus and rail access, amentities and great housing stock.  I and a few forumers live in the Shaker Square area. 

 

I grew up in Shaker Hts. and as young single person I wouldn't move there. Cleveland Hts., has Shaker Hts. beat when it comes to things to do for fun and young people.  Although along Van Aken Blvd (the blue line rail line runs along van aken) there are nice older and well kept apartments and soon lots of new for sale condos, so the demographic of that area might change.  A lot of those Apartments/Condos along Van Aken have older couples or families in them, yet are well maintained.

 

Please take a peek around Urban Ohio and let us know what city and neighborhood you’re coming from so we can better understand what you're looking for.  Where will you be working?  What do you do in your down time?  What are some of you interest and activities?  What type of budget are you working with?

 

* For MayDay – I’m not making a recommendation but getting clarity as you know some folks confuse SS with SH  :-P

^^agree w/ the Cleve Hts over Shaker Hts for a young professional looking things to do close by.  I lived in Coventry as a single professional and loved it and now am married and live in Shaker.  Shaker is great for young families, but a single looking for other singles and hip spots to eat/drink will not find much.  Depending where you work, Lakewood is also great for multiple going out spots and lots of young professionals.  I would say Cleve Hts, Lakewood, Downtown and Shaker Square are tops in the area for this.   

At the risk of starting another posting war, the suburbs are generally considered safer than most of the inner city areas.

 

If by "hip" spots you mean a trendy place to show off your Salvatore Ferragamo's, you'll probably want to live downtown. If so you'll want to minimize the length of your walks between your apartment and the various entertainment venues. That would put you in the Warehouse District or East 4th area. Some of the apartments have additional security and some don't. Statler Arms was one of the more security-minded locations when I was shopping for a place a few months ago, but I don't live there and can't tell you much more about them than that.

 

Another place to consider is Tower Press, which backs up directly next to the Third District Police Department, the biggest PD in town. That means the cops are around 24/7. However, it's a bit of a distance to the Warehouse District clubs and most twenty-something single women wouldn't feel comfortable walking that far at night. It'd be an easy & quick drive as long as there's a Designated Driver in your group and you wouldn't mind paying for a parking spot by the clubs. I've come across some articles mentioning the PD building might close or transfer, but the local business owners and assorted community groups are interested in keeping it open, for obvious reasons, and it doesn't appear to be happening anytime soon.

 

There are some great places in Lakewood, Ohio City, and Tremont which would also be considered "hip", but they're less flashy and have more of a neighborhood feel.

If by "hip" spots you mean a trendy place to show off your Salvatore Ferragamo's, you'll probably want to live downtown.

 

There are so many things wrong with this statement, I don't know where to begin.  "hip" and "Ferragamo" don't even belong in the same sentence!

 

I'm curious why you would suggest someone downtown drive from east 19 to the WHD?  Instead of suggesting a cab.

 

PD close or transfer?  What does that mean?

At the risk of starting another posting war, the suburbs are generally considered safer than most of the inner city areas.

 

But isn't that true of all American cities?

MyTwoSense, he means the Third District Police Station.  There has been talk of consolidating the Police Districts, resulting in the elimination of the 3rd.

ok gotcha.  They way it was written, it appeared he meant the PD as in the Plain Dealer was moving.  I didn't equate PD with Police Department.  :roll:

Here we go again, the provincial, narrow-minded social caste of Cleveland is on display, immediately attacking those they don't agree with, even if the person they are attacking is only trying to help someone, on a subject as important to a young woman as personal safety. As far as this board goes, everything is great as long as you only mention good things about the various parts of town, or candy-coat what you don't like about it and keep it brief. But mention a heartfelt negative aspect of Cleveland directly and unfiltered by hometown bias, and, God forbid, back it up with some facts, and you'll be attacked and your posts marginalized. Offline society in Cleveland is a little better, but just IMHO, it ranks at the bottom of any of the cities I've lived in...like in the very bottom. Dead last.

 

rkvam, perhaps you should be more concerned about the society you're moving into, rather than just crime itself.

 

The good news is, Cleveland is no longer ranked in the top 10 of Morgan Quinto's Most Dangerous Cities report. Last year it was number 7.

 

http://www.morganquitno.com/cit07pop.htm#25

 

Another real question you should be asking yourself is, which is more important to you, partying or safety, because one will have to give to the other, to a certain extent. A lot of people live in the suburbs with safety and schools being their two main justifications, and those same people routinely drive into Tremont, Lakewood, OC, and downtown on the weekends. The term "white flight" didn't originate in Cleveland, but it continues here to this day. I'll let you Google that yourself for more information, if I provided you with any factual data they'll just attack and dismiss it as they've done here in the past.

 

Your feelings of safety will also partially depend on your previous exposure to city life. If downtown is too much for you, the city neighborhood areas like Lakewood or Tremont might be a good compromise. They both have good restaurants and neighborhood bars. However, if you grew up in the prim and proper world of an upperclass suburban subdivision, those places might seem a little run down to you.

 

I live downtown (technically, the Gateway and/or Avenue District) and have made the walk from Tower Press to the Warehouse District many times, and I've never been hassled. Then again, I'm a bigger guy (my Dad and Uncle were pro athletes...I'm sure the regulars here will be shocked to discover my Uncle played for the Cleveland Indians. Now, before they attempt to repudiate that statement by saying something like "Oh, so thats why the Indians used to suck" they should know he was World Series MVP for another team). Anyway, I'm less likely to be accosted on the street than a young single female, and most people think I'm an undercover cop or government agent, but even with all that in my favor, I still don't feel 100% safe downtown, and I'm used to downtown living. It would probably be worse for you.

 

One thing you can do is listen to Cleveland's online police scanner and pinpoint the locations reported on an online map site. That would give you an idea of what crimes are happening and where, which isn't going to show you anything to like, but at least will show you where to avoid:

 

http://www.cleveland.com/policescanner/

 

Good luck on your search rkvam!

Well, you have to realize that MTS has extremely high standards when it comes to fashion. He might need to include a link to the post where he submitted his "most-favored brands" list. In fact, maybe we need to create a thread where every character on this board's personality is explained.

 

I don't know about growing up in prim and proper suburbs. I grew up in Cuyahoga Falls and then moved with my family to Hudson after high school. These places were pretty prim and proper, yet I love the neighborhoods of Cleveland and the inner-ring suburbs. Of course, I didn't grow up in a subdivision, so it might be a bit different. Personally, I think this sort of thing has more do with exposure than where you grew up, although they could be related. For example, on vacations, we always went to the East Coast and we always went through urban areas. Other people I know never did this sort of thing, so they find many of the negatives that all cities have as disturbing and unwelcome. From panhandlers to window A/C units!

 

I also think just scoping out the crime and "vibe" of the neighborhoods you're interested in is a very good idea. They say to do this in New York, too. Go during the day then go again at night to see what it's like. I've been in the Gold Coast cluster of Lakewood for a year, and it seems pretty similar to what I've grown up with.

 

I do miss having a dishwasher, though, because I'm lazy.

OH shit!  No he didn't!  I go away for two weeks and DaninDC is reincarnated in subclavius!  ha ha ha :evil: :evil: :-D

 

Sub, sweetie.  Since it appears you've only been in the world of UrbanOhio for a short while, I think you need to bring it down a notch.  We all have our own opinions and very strong personalities.  You need to realize that most (the majority) of people here are SARCASTIC CARD CARRYING SMART ASSES.  Most people here are funny as hell and are not attacking anyone.

 

So instead of making grandiose assumptions, try to get to know the "personalities" of UrbanOhio.  Why don't you attend the UrbanOhio - Cleveland meeting today?!

Well, you have to realize that MTS has extremely high standards when it comes to fashion. He might need to include a link to the post where he submitted his "most-favored brands" list. In fact, maybe we need to create a thread where every character on this board's personality is explained.

 

Thank you.  The personality thread would be interesting.

Manny Ramirez is too young to be yer Dad.. I'm gonna go with Orel Hershiser.

Why don't you attend the UrbanOhio - Cleveland meeting today?!

 

Thanks for the invitation, but honestly, you guys haven't really presented yourselves as somebody I'd like to meet.

 

Having moved several times myself, I'm more than happy to take a few punches if it means I can give someone a more complete view of Cleveland and help them make a well informed decision before they get stuck in a one year lease. So maybe its bringing up the fact that a Londoner isn't going to be as happy with our mass transit system as a native Clevelander would be, or discussing aspects of crime with a single female who is going to be more sensitive to that sort of thing, rather than just glossing over the unique, positive characteristics that many of the neighborhoods have.

 

That being said, my time on this board is pretty much done. After a couple of weeks of lawyer-limbo (they were probably just playing golf) my client is going to keep me very busy for the next six months and after that my requested transfer to anyplace-but-Cleveland should kick in. I just hope that in future relocation posts you guys pay more attention to the needs of the person making the request and portray the neighborhoods in the most accurate light relative to their circumstances, rather than just the most positive one for the city.

What a very discreet way of letting the world know that your dad was a baseball player, and you are a lawyer.  I think it's safe to say that nobody here could give a single damn about any of that.  If anyone sees an overweight, uninformed, late 20's lawyer roaming around E4th talking about his washed up ballplaying dad, give him another reason to move out of Cleveland with a swift kick in the ass.  Good ridance.

 

Anyways, back to rkvam.  I think Tremont may be a good fit for you if you in your late 20's.  The bar scene there is a little more sophisticated than the Warehouse Distrct, and the restaurants in the neighborhood are the best in the city in my opinion.  And ignore any future posts from subclavius.  Occasionally uninformed people find their way into the forum and generally move on after they are discredited.

As if anyone on this forum would suggest that a Londoner could find an exact match of their lifestyle in the 216 area code. For the most part, the members of this forum try to steer people toward an area that would at least be favorable. Any time someone says "oh, Cleveland's just as good at ____ as ____" - they get shot down and corrected in about two minutes. We point out the warts of the city as well as the positive aspects. No one here will say that Cleveland's transit/shopping/nightlife/whatever is equal to London's (or DC, or NYC, you get the point), but they will say that an open-minded individual can relocate from such an area and (gasp) possibly live a fulfilling life. You're the one drawing absurd conclusions - no one else.

 

And by the way, I had the privilege of spending an afternoon with some absolutely terrific people from all walks of life who attended the meet. You're the one missing out by not attending - and that's a reflection on you, not the forum.

 

I'm a little sorry that this thread has taken a turn for the juvenile, rkvam.

 

Safety is of course an issue you should consider if living downtown.  I live downtown and feel safe most places, though I am a larger male so take it with a grain of salt.  But I also know several younger, single women who live throughout downtown, and they seem to like it.  I haven't heard them complain about safety, though I suppose I've never asked (I think I'll make a point of it though)  That said it would be reasonable to have a buddy go with you if you decide to walk around at night outside of well lit and busy nightlife areas like the Warehouse District and East 4th St.  If you don't have a buddy to walk with you, you can call up and borrow a buddy from Downtown Cleveland Alliance, who hires Safety Ambassadors that patrol downtown well into the later evening and walk people to their cars, apt, etc.

 

The other areas mentioned are all pretty safe, though you should be certain with Ohio City or Tremont that you are moving into the central, more gentrified areas, not the peripheral areas, as they get a little more hairy.

welcome to Cleveland rkvam. my vote is warehouse district, specifically the buildings on 9th that go down towards the flats.  W. 9th seems to be much quieter than W.6th.  W. 6th is where a lot of the hip nightlife is.  It looks like the Flats may also see some sparks of life here soon, so if you were on W. 9th, you would be right in the middle.

 

(I am guessing Joe Carter, he hit nearly as well as he complained)

I am not really sure what the significance of  a single female is. These days many "attached" women are off their leashes long enough to roam around on their own. :) Anyway the truth is males are often victimized more than females in robberies and such. There may be some confounders with regard to more males being on the street,  but I do not think this accounts completely for the higher numbers of male victims. I am on the mailing list of the Ohio city reported crimes and the victims are overwhelmingly male. I see plenty of females walking on their own in the city (Downtown, Ohio City and Tremont)-myself included. While I may be a little longer in the tooth than rkvam, I do not think I am more or less likely to be victimized. I assume when people point out the concerns of being female in the city they are really talking about concerns of a sexual assult by a stranger's it most women's minds this is the grand daddy of fears. Truthfully(meaning statistically) a young female is more likely to be assaulted by a date/boyfriend than a stranger. Do I want to walk down a dark alley alone after a night clubbing-hell no. But I think a person, aware of his her surroundings, can live quite safely downtown. I will say that if I were living alone (this is what original poster may have felt was the important point) I would probably feel somewhat more safe in an apartment building with some presence of security-even good lighting and a camera. I have no idea if any crime stats back that up though! I do not think the e12th area mentioned is unsafe, just kind of boring and there are some dark,desolate areas between there and the action. Tremont is also highly recommended for what you may be looking for

rkvam, you never mentioned where you were coming from, did you? That would give us a little more insight into what kind of neighborhood or scene you might like. Some of my single lady friends from college lived/live in Tremont, Lakewood, downtown (warehouse district) Cleveland Hts, and Rocky River. I'm a guy, so I've never really given much thought to safety when picking a place to live. If I had a sister, I wouldn't hesitate to reccommend any of the above places to live for her. Downtown would be the most expensive, Cleveland Hts would be the longest commute (believe me on that one) there's no quick way to get to the highway from there. Tremont is a great neighborhood and has easy access to the highway while being close to downtown. Lakewood is great for a single college grad (my town) and isn't a bad drive from solon. Probably the widest variety of housing and prices as well. Good luck with the search!

....Cleveland Hts would be the longest commute (believe me on that one) there's no quick way to get to the highway from there.

 

Lakewood is great for a single college grad (my town) and isn't a bad drive from solon. Probably the widest variety of housing and prices as well. Good luck with the search!

 

How can justify that first statement or that Cleveland Hts. is the longest drive.  In the Heights, you do have to drive surface streets to get to 271, but coming from Lakewood would be longer via 90/271 or via 480/271.

 

When choosing a location, think about the price of gas or utilities.

I lived in Cleveland Hts (Cedar-Lee) after college, and I had to commute to Richfield and then N. Olmsted. Dude, the trip down Lee to 480 took as long as it did to get from 480 to Richfield. The stoplights are endless. Fairmount to 271 would be shorter for her, but it's still a lot of stop and go until you hit the highway. Let me also add that I enjoyed living there and that's not the reason I moved, though it was a small inconvenience.

Lakewood is right on I-90. I would bet you can make it to Solon from the 'wood almost as fast as you could from the heights. It's pretty much all highway. The heights are great (commute-wise) if you work in the UC area or downtown, but for all the things that the heights has going for it, easy highway access ain't it. I know, I did it.

If the price of gas is your biggest factor (and it should be right up there) then she's better off (I'm cringing as I type this) finding a place near her place of employment in the solon/271/422 area, ughh; OR finding a sweet city pad and getting a little 4-banger or hybrid for the commute.

MTS, as much as we all love the city and our urban enclaves, not EVERY 'hood has EVERYthing going for it. That's just reality, dude.

I would bet you can make it to Solon from the 'wood almost as fast as you could from the heights.

MTS, as much as we all love the city and our urban enclaves, not EVERY 'hood has EVERYthing going for it. That's just reality, dude.

 

I'm not debating there are lots of lights, I'm challenging the accuracy of your previous statement.  Nothing more.  I still disagree.

 

MTS, as much as we all love the city and our urban enclaves, not EVERY 'hood has EVERYthing going for it. That's just reality, dude.

 

OK, and why are you telling me this?  Where do you see me or anyone else state that any 'hood does?  :?

I'm sure you haven't; I just get the sense in your posts that anyone who comes on here and infers that the heights or shaker square area might be lacking in any department, say access to the highway, is immediately put on the defensive. I know you don't mean any harm, you just seem kind of hyper-sensitive and really biased when it comes to this topic.

We all live where we live for a reason. Usually a bunch of reasons. And we like to talk up where we've chosen to live to others. We all do it. Look, I spent 4 years at JCU and another year in the heights after that. I know the east side really well. I've lived in Tremont/Lakewood for the past 4 years and I've gotten to know the west side really well. Like a lot of the forumers on here, I take pride in my knowledge of the city and area and took a little offense when you challenged me on it. I've lived on both sides of town and feel I can offer an unbiased view. I'm offering "my 2 cents" from my experience. I'm just trying to be honest with the lady. That's all.

 

We all want the same thing, more bodies in the Cleve. :-D

I'm sure you haven't; I just get the sense in your posts that anyone who comes on here and infers that the heights or shaker square area might be lacking in any department, say access to the highway, is immediately put on the defensive. I know you don't mean any harm, you just seem kind of hyper-sensitive and really biased when it comes to this topic.

We all live where we live for a reason. Usually a bunch of reasons. And we like to talk up where we've chosen to live to others. We all do it. Look, I spent 4 years at JCU and another year in the heights after that. I know the east side really well. I've lived in Tremont/Lakewood for the past 4 years and I've gotten to know the west side really well. Like a lot of the forumers on here, I take pride in my knowledge of the city and area and took a little offense when you challenged me on it. I've lived on both sides of town and feel I can offer an unbiased view. I'm offering "my 2 cents" from my experience. I'm just trying to be honest with the lady. That's all.

 

We all want the same thing, more bodies in the Cleve. :-D

 

That is completely untrue.  So please let go of your assumptions about me.

 

 

and please stop this whining.