Hullo. we're two professionals in our late 30s (no children) looking at a 3-year sojourn to Cleveland. We'd like something urban and were considering renting/buying a condo in one of the downtown areas - Warehouse Dist, Tremont, Ohio City. I've read a lot of interesting threads on this forum, a few questions for those of you who know the city better -

 

1. How is the communte from downtown to Richfield?

2. I will have to travel out of town frequently and would like to take the metro to the airport...how feasible and safe is that?

3. If we do buy we are concerned about the resale/rental value of the condo when we leave...any thoughts?

 

Thanks in advance.

1.  Pretty good, because you are going against traffic.  The only real snag tends to be around I-480/I-77's junction.  But if you're coming from pretty much any other comparably sized city Cleveland's traffic will be a breeze.

 

2.  Very feasible, and safer than driving.  If you are Downtown or Ohio City, you will be in walking distance of a Rapid station, which will take you into the airport terminal in about 20 minutes.  Tremont may require a circulator to get you to the Rapid, I don't know their exact transit setup.

 

3.  I don't know specifics on appreciation, but I would guess you would need to hang around for more than 3 years to get enough appreciation to cover the closing costs, etc, of buying.  You should talk to a qualified real estate agent though.  You might try www.progressiveurban.com  They specialize in urban real estate.

1. agree with above . reverse commutes are very quick. Mapquest could actually be accurate time wise

2. agree.  safe, cheap and quick. lots of great living option near the red line. edit- I would est the ride time to be in the 30 min range

3. a "qualified" agent will tell you what ever they need to in order to sell a place. The DT market is full of great options, but the downside is more and more inventory will make turning a profit (or even selling at all) in 3 years a slim chance. If all the projects planned come to fruition, buyers may choose the newest project b/c they will have the best financing options (rather than buy your resale). I imagine if you rent a condo you purchased rather than try and sell, for a price near a similar apartment, you will do fine.

 

Welcome!

My only commentary is about #3 and I'd suggest it for anyone moving anywhere - rent first. That's something I'd suggest no matter what - but especially given the current economy (local or otherwise). It'll give you a chance to get the lay of the land without the worries of ownership. And welcome! :-)

I agree, I should have added that the neighborhoods have very distinct characters, and you may find yourself falling for one after you have bought . And there you will stay. Thus rent for that reason alone

Here are schedules/maps for the two transit routes through Tremont, which operate on almost the same route within Tremont. Both also serve the Ohio City station on the Red Line (the metro-type rail line that goes to the airport)...

 

The #81 bus route also serves downtown, with the last bus leaving downtown for Tremont at 2:10 a.m., seven days a week:

http://www.riderta.com/pdf/81.pdf

 

The Tremont Community Circulator bus also serves Steelyard Commons (link at bottom):

http://www.riderta.com/pdf/807.pdf

 

Here is the map/timetable for the RTA Red Line (we call the rail system "The Rapid"):

http://www.riderta.com/pdf/66X.pdf

 

Steelyard Commons:

http://www.steelyardcommons.com/main.asp

Also, I'm not sure how familiar with the areas you listed you are, but Ohio City and Tremont aren't really Downtown neighborhoods, they are seperate residential areas- think woodframe houses instead of midrise lofts above retail (though both have a little of that as well as apartment buildings).  Check out the galleries section of this webpage for alot of good pictures.

I agree with those that said to definitely rent before buying.  You really can't get a feel for Cleveland or what areas you like or don't like unless you rent first. 

 

The RTA red line train runs to/from the airport so you could live anywhere that line goes and get to and from there very easily (www.gcrta.org), but from Richfield, not so much. 

Just an fyi, Richfield is about 15 miles south of downtown Cleveland via I-77. As others have said, you'll be reverse commuting which will help but there could be some heavy traffic near the I-480/I-77 junction - that's the Independence/Rockside Road area which has a lot of office parks (and thus exit ramps get backed up during rush hour). If you're coming from an area like NYC, Chicago, DC, etc., you'll chuckle at what constitutes rush hour in Cleveland. Another note - the area near Broadview Heights/Brecksville which is north of Richfield tends to be heavily patrolled so don't get crazy with the gas pedal. My guess is that your commute would be about 20 to 25 minutes each way. The only exception is of course, inclement weather - in that case, I'd recommend taking extra time and using Rt. 21 (a prime north-south route) since it tends to be better plowed than the highways. Honestly though - the days where driving isn't an option due to snow aren't as frequent as you'd think.

 

As far as taking the Rapid to/from the airport - your most convenient location would be downtown, followed by Ohio City. It's do-able from Tremont (I live in Tremont and have done it) but if you're returning in the off-hours, transit service is less frequent. On our last trip, my partner and I took the Rapid from the airport to downtown, grabbed a taxi from a hotel at Tower City (main Rapid station downtown) and the ride from there to Tremont was $10.

If you are going to purchase, then I suggest you at least spent a good solid weekend here walking the different neighborhoods. They each have their different vibe.

Re: the commute to Richfield.  I've actually had to head to Akron (past Richfield down I-77) a few times lately during rush hour periods and the traffic isn't as bad around I-480/I-77 as one might think.  If you're staying on I-77 (which you would be if you were going from downtown to Richfield), you're fine.  It's the people trying to switch from either 77 to 480 (and vice versa) that have problems.  Mayday, I think you're correct in your estimate of it being a 20-25 minute commute.

Thanx v. much to all of you who took time to reply.  The info on the commute was fabulous (and encouraging).  We certainly don't want to buy anything sight unseen and plan to take a good look at the areas mentioned before plunging in.  When I looked at all the development plans in the City, it does look like inventory will be on the high side in a few years; however, if you consider that some rents run up to $2000 for 2BR/2BA + parking w/o utilities, buying looks comparable.  I will try & post a follow-up in a couple weeks.  Thanx again.

Please do follow-up - we've had a few people sign up and ask questions but we don't always hear back. We won't know if our advice is helpful without feedback. Good luck in your search! :-)

Good luck in your search. Please don't hesitate to ask any other questions.

psdc, Where do you presently live? In DC?

Don't forget to look into Detroit Shoreway/Gordon Square area.  it is just west of Ohio City and in my opinion, it is about to blow up

A quick update -

 

We did check out the areas, drove around a lot, talked to a bunch of locals (just nabbed off the streets), walked as much as we could with one bum ankle between us.  Here's my opinion for whatever it is worth -

 

You folks were right, they're all quite different in character.

 

Tremont:  Maybe it was the drizzle, maybe the weekday afternoon, but the area looked a bit empty and run down.  True there were a few nice places here and there, but it wasn't our kind of area and the lack of metro access was a nixer.

 

Ohio City:  Very charming, access to groceries and entertainment looked good, metro access got points.  But then I didn't like any of the condos there and I am leery of buying a house for the 2-3 year term.

 

Downtown:  We ended up focusing on this area because of its general liveliness and city feel, and the proximity to metro & entertainment.  Some really nice condos in the area.  I don't know if we necessarily want to live right on top of the bars and restaurants in the Warehouse Dist (and even on a Friday evening, it was nowhere as crowded as any Baltimore, DC, NYC downtown dists. - kind of wondered about that).  But somewhere closeby would be nice - flats, public square, etc.  Working on that now.   

"Tremont:  Maybe it was the drizzle, maybe the weekday afternoon, but the area looked a bit empty and run down."

 

I guess the run-down part is subjective - I'm not disagreeing, but it's like many gentrifying neigborhoods with new luxury townhomes next to homes that need some polish. There's not usually a lot of foot traffic on weekday afternoons - Tremont is mostly a residential/entertainment area rather than any kind of business/commercial hub. Visit on an artwalk night and Tremont can get pretty hopping. Fortunately it sounds like you found a few other places that will work for you :-)

I don't know if we necessarily want to live right on top of the bars and restaurants in the Warehouse Dist (and even on a Friday evening, it was nowhere as crowded as any Baltimore, DC, NYC downtown dists. - kind of wondered about that).

 

There is a second entertainment district downtown on E 4th St near Gateway.

Were you able to check out Shaker Square?

Were you able to check out Shaker Square?

 

I didn't say a word, nor did I ask 3231 to endorse this neighborhood!  giggity!

http://www.realtyone.com/scott.phillips/MyListingsDetails.asp?mls=2405618&prop=7680718&ID=11651

^^ In my opinion, this is a fairly good example of a good place for what to seem to be looking for.  You'll be 1 min from the rapid station to the airport, far enough away from a majority of the noise (subjective), yet still in the heart of it all.  Although in this example the square footage is marginal, the ceilings are high and spacious (actually kind of reminds me of the apartments on 1900 Euclid --decently small, but it doesn't feel small).   

 

Not to mention:  http://www.progressiveurban.com/new_construction/park/

My final update:

 

We're moved in.  Living downtown - renting for now, plan to buy a condo around here.  The commute has worked out esp. since my husband has a couple other people to carpool with. 

 

I loved Westside Market, beats any of the grocery stores around here.  Plan to check out the public library, have already tried out the Rapid to the airport :)  Still looking for professional/business/interest groups to meet people since I work on my own. 

 

Thanks to everyone for helping me out here.  Hope to contribute to other posts.

I think you deserve a medal for reporting back! I always wonder what happens to the relocators. Welcome and keep us posted on your adjustment

Good luck, psdc...  For info & news about what’s going on downtown, you may want to check the Downtown Cleveland Alliance website:

 

http://www.downtownclevelandalliance.com/

 

I would also GOOGLE whatever interest/professional group you have in mind and add downtown and Cleveland and see what links come up… I'm curious, what downtown district did you & H move to? 

 

Also, since you’re becoming more transit-knowledgeable, you might want to hop a Blue or Green line Rapid train to Shaker Square (13 mins) esp on a Friday or Saturday evening.  Nice quaint square with a number of restaurants, movie theaters, a Dave's Supermarket and some minor nick-knack shopping-- all in a compact 4 quadrant walk-able square.  In nice weather all the restaurants -- which run the gamut from inexpensive (including Dewey’s, a Starbucks-esque coffeehouse) to very expensive -- a have patio dining in warm weather ...  The architecture of the Square and apartments around is old and quaint and the area is very diverse and quite safe in the immediate area of the Square.  There's a private security force the supplements the CPD in Shaker Square.  The Square is just inside the City of Cleveland but right on the border of Shaker Heights which, generally, is an old money, inner ring East Side suburb -- kind of like Chevy Chase in the D.C. area, although Shaker's housing is even larger, generally, and there are more natural amenities in Shaker Heights than Chevy Chase —the Shaker Lakes are a 10-15 min stroll from Shaker Square on a warm summer morning/afternoon...

 

Check it out.