Hi everyone, first time poster

 

My girlfriend and I have been doing some preliminary house hunting in Cleveland and came across this neighborhood last weekend.  Does anyone live there or know much about the area?  We've mainly been looking in Ohio City and Tremont (the advantages of those neighborhoods being obvious) but decided on a whim to look at a house for sale in this area and really like it.  It seems to be a bit far out of the city but it has great lake access and the neighbors that we met were all really friendly and loved the neighborhood.  Nobody that we know in Cleveland seems to know much about the area though.

 

Are there any restaurants or shops to walk to in the neighborhood?  Are there currently any plans for redevelopment there or in nearby Euclid?  Is the neighborhood on the rise, on the decline, or pretty stable?  We didn't have much time to go south of Lakeshore but did make it as far east as 185th on Lakeshore, including a stop at the beach.  That was a pretty depressing drive (even the Pizza Hut was boarded up) but the beach was nice.   

 

Welcome to the forum Motorist. If I recall correctly forumer JeTDoG lives there. I would pm him as I don't think he reads this section of the forum too often.

 

Here is a little info:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,14236.0.html

I grew up in Euclid, and I know the area.  For the most part, it is a great area, but there are patches that are a bit sketchy.  Generally on the east side, the closer you are to the lake "North of the Boulevard" you will be OK.  Grovewood is also for the most part a good area.

There are a lot of restaurants/bars/retail on East 185th St., which is a long but walkable strip of retail.  There are also some restaurants/bars/retail on Waterloo, which is a charming little neighborhood center anchored by the Beachland Ballroom, one of Cleveland's best concert clubs.  I've also noticed alot of places tucked back into some of the neighborhood streets. 

 

I don't know too much about what direction the neighborhood is going overall, though Waterloo seems to be an up-and-coming artsy area, owing to the Beachland Ballroom.

Hey Motorist, welcome to UO.

 

I recommend contacting Heather Lazar, Real Estate Development Director at Northeast Shores Development Corporation.  They're the CDC that works in that area.  Her phone number is 216-481-7660.  She's really cool, and I'm sure that she'll do whatever she can to help you out.

 

Here's Northeast Shores' website: http://www.northeastshores.org/.  It's pretty phenomenal, and there's a business directory on it.

Thats for all the info, this has been very helpful.  We're not hearing any bad things about the neighborhood.

 

When you say "North of the Boulevard", what Boulevard are you talking about?  Sorry for my ignorance, my Cleveland geography isn't very good yet.

But Ohio City is an awfully nice place :)  You'd have some nice neighbors :)

Thats for all the info, this has been very helpful.  We're not hearing any bad things about the neighborhood.

 

When you say "North of the Boulevard", what Boulevard are you talking about?  Sorry for my ignorance, my Cleveland geography isn't very good yet.

 

I'm thinking he means "North of LAKESHORE Boulevard."

But Ohio City is an awfully nice place :)  You'd have some nice neighbors :)

 

And Shaker Square is even better.  :wink: You'd have some ultra fabulous neighbors!  8-)

 

By the way welcome Motorist  :wave:

Ohio City and Shaker Square are both in the running but we're pretty familiar with both of those areas.  I've spent a lot of time at the bars in Ohio City on W 25th and did the home tour this past spring.  My girlfriend currently lives in Shaker and my best friend lives a few blocks from the square.  We spent some time in the square last weekend seeing a movie and having drinks at the restaurant next to the theater (can't remember the name). 

Ohio City and Shaker Square are both in the running but we're pretty familiar with both of those areas. I've spent a lot of time at the bars in Ohio City on W 25th and did the home tour this past spring. My girlfriend currently lives in Shaker and my best friend lives a few blocks from the square. We spent some time in the square last weekend seeing a movie and having drinks at the restaurant next to the theater (can't remember the name).

 

Did you eat at SASA?  It's Asian restaurant.

Ohio City and Shaker Square are both in the running but we're pretty familiar with both of those areas. I've spent a lot of time at the bars in Ohio City on W 25th and did the home tour this past spring. My girlfriend currently lives in Shaker and my best friend lives a few blocks from the square. We spent some time in the square last weekend seeing a movie and having drinks at the restaurant next to the theater (can't remember the name).

 

 

Did you eat at SASA? It's Asian restaurant.

 

I think thats what it is called.  Right next to the theater (in Luchitas old space?).  I only had the pot stickers and a few beers but the friends I met there ate a few waves after they did happy hour at Sarava. 

yeah.  So just move to the neighborhood since you familiar with it.  :wink:

^how.....predictable?

In 2006, my husband and I bought a house in North Collinwood (North of I-90, between Lake Shore Blvd and Villaview) that I loved when I was a kid (grew up in South Collinwood).  I love the area - I walk to the lakefront state park every day.  There are many great little restaurants - Grovewood Tavern, Bistro 185, Muldoon's, Scotti's, Gus's Diner.  There are lots of nice older houses as well as some new construction available right near the state park.  I'm always sort of surprised that more people don't really *want* to live in this area - I love being close to the lake.  And, compared to when I was young, it's actually even clean!

Welcome dustup,

 

I've only spent scare time in North Collinwood, but was impressed with the area. Kinda seems like a hidden gem in Cleveland.

In 2006, my husband and I bought a house in North Collinwood (North of I-90, between Lake Shore Blvd and Villaview) that I loved when I was a kid (grew up in South Collinwood).  I love the area - I walk to the lakefront state park every day.  There are many great little restaurants - Grovewood Tavern, Bistro 185, Muldoon's, Scotti's, Gus's Diner.  There are lots of nice older houses as well as some new construction available right near the state park.  I'm always sort of surprised that more people don't really *want* to live in this area - I love being close to the lake.  And, compared to when I was young, it's actually even clean!

 

Welcome!!  :wave:

Hi Motorist...I live in Euclid (just north of I-90 but SOUTH of the Boulevard, god forbid, even :) ) and the little neighborhood I live in is nice, pretty quiet and mostly older neighbors that have been there forever.  I've been in my house for about 8 years.  I have had friends who moved away and later said that they wish they didn't because Euclid's really got everything nearby (within city limits as well as proximity to Cleveland proper and quick access to downtown and west side, especially where I am).  I LOVE Beach Club Bistro on Lakeshore near E. 222, as well as Grovewood Tavern and of course Beachland Ballroom. 

 

I love the Nottingham area (which you can pass through on your way from E. 185 before you get to Grovewood.  Villaview at E. 185, then a right onto Nottingham) and if I hadn't found the house I have now, often thought I'd like to live there.  I also looked off Lakeshore Blvd. just west of E. 185 and east into Euclid since all or most of those streets have private beach access on the north side of Lakeshore.

 

 

I am familiar with the neighborhood as plenty of my friends have lived there and one of my best friends right now lives off of E 152 just north of the highway.  I have also spent significant time between E 185 and E 200.  It is a better area than most people think, but not "great" by any stretch.  OC and Tremont are probably better investments since N Collinwood is not going to rebound anytime soon IMHO.... which is too bad considering it is the ONLY part of the east side of Cleveland proper that has any beach access near heavy residential.

 

Here are some warnings:

 

1. The E 152 area is rough.  You can expect some gunshots every now and again.  Last year, a kid was found dead in the bushes just around the corner from my buddy's house and had been laying there for a day or so.  My biggest beef with that area is just too many pit bulls.... it seems like every other house has one.  It is such a shame that people buy those dogs as a fashion statement and have no idea how to properly train them.

 

2.  E 185 and E 200 are both definitely walkable.  Lots of little shops, restaraunts, bars, etc.  Very blue collar (which I consider to be a good thing).  However, you better be ready for the bikers to come ripping up and down the street at 2 am (and later) with their choppers.

 

You will probably get the best bang for the buck ($/sq ft) in North Collinwood but OC and Treemont are better options IMHO.  Out of those two, I would vote for Treemont.  You could potentially lose your a*& by buying a house in NC no matter how much of a deal you get.  Right now, it is impossible to tell where that neighborhood is headed.  I still think it is solid, but I have heard some horror stories from Fire Fighters who have moved out of that area which I will not repeat here but if want full disclosure you can PM me.

 

Have you checked out the UC area yet?  If you are looking to make a good investment, I would go that route.  I just have this feeling that housing prices around there are going to boom (at least x2) in 5-10 years.

Thanks for all the great responses.

 

My girlfriend was taking some friends through the area last weekend and talked to a neighborhood resident.  He said that there was a street gang that called themselves the Lakeshore Mafia or some such shit and that they even have a myspace page to document their activities.  Anyone know anything about this?  I tried finding them on myspace but didn't come up with anything.

I really wouldn't recomend Collinwood (sorry Jet).  If you want an urban environment, move somewhere downtown.  If you want a young professional environment, then downtown, Tremont, Ohio City, Lakewood, or maybe Cleveland Heights are better.  Waterloo Rd is neat and always improving but I just can't see any other reason to move out there.  Plus South Collinwood has been hit harder by the foreclosure crisis than most communities, and you gotta worry how that's going to affect North 

Thanks for all the great responses.

 

My girlfriend was taking some friends through the area last weekend and talked to a neighborhood resident. He said that there was a street gang that called themselves the Lakeshore Mafia or some such sh!t and that they even have a myspace page to document their activities. Anyone know anything about this? I tried finding them on myspace but didn't come up with anything.

 

I have heard about them as well (not sure of the exact name). I have heard that the Euclid Garden Center (on e. 185) is closing because this gang has robbed them numerous times in the past year or so. I grew up right off of e185 st and go back every so often. The restaurants listed above (Scotti's, Bistro 185 etc) are great, but I think the area is still a little too rocky. If you do buy in this area def stay north of the boulevard.

Hi Motorist, I have been considering Collinwood as well.  I live in Philadelphia, so while I don't like crime, I am not terrified of it.  The idea of living on the lake is soooo tempting, but transit isn't as good (I'm a train snob; can't stand busses!) as say, Ohio City.  If I could afford a house close to the lake with train access, I'd be in heaven (: 

 

e

 

Hi everyone, first time poster

 

My girlfriend and I have been doing some preliminary house hunting in Cleveland and came across this neighborhood last weekend. Does anyone live there or know much about the area? We've mainly been looking in Ohio City and Tremont (the advantages of those neighborhoods being obvious) but decided on a whim to look at a house for sale in this area and really like it. It seems to be a bit far out of the city but it has great lake access and the neighbors that we met were all really friendly and loved the neighborhood. Nobody that we know in Cleveland seems to know much about the area though.

 

Are there any restaurants or shops to walk to in the neighborhood? Are there currently any plans for redevelopment there or in nearby Euclid? Is the neighborhood on the rise, on the decline, or pretty stable? We didn't have much time to go south of Lakeshore but did make it as far east as 185th on Lakeshore, including a stop at the beach. That was a pretty depressing drive (even the Pizza Hut was boarded up) but the beach was nice.

 

Welcome ebyrnes. If you want a house "near" the lake and a train line, consider Cleveland's Edgewater neighborhood near Baltic and West Boulevard. It's an easy walk to Edgewater Park and in between the Red Line's West Boulevard station and the #55 bus route. There also is the 24-hour #26 bus on Detroit Avenue. There also are the Chicle townhouses and apartments, plus some of the apartments and homes along Detroit Avenue farther west of the West Boulevard station.

 

A second option, although about a mile from the lake, is the "Birdtown" section of Lakewood. It's along and south of Madison Avenue between West 117th and Madison Park. There also is a residential area of for-sale and rental homes on the Cleveland side of West 117th between Madison and Franklin, that includes the streets of West 116th, 114th and West 112th (although Birdtown is a bit safer).

Hi Motorist, I have been considering Collinwood as well.  I live in Philadelphia, so while I don't like crime, I am not terrified of it.  The idea of living on the lake is soooo tempting, but transit isn't as good (I'm a train snob; can't stand busses!) as say, Ohio City.  If I could afford a house close to the lake with train access, I'd be in heaven (: 

 

e

 

Hi everyone, first time poster

 

My girlfriend and I have been doing some preliminary house hunting in Cleveland and came across this neighborhood last weekend.  Does anyone live there or know much about the area?  We've mainly been looking in Ohio City and Tremont (the advantages of those neighborhoods being obvious) but decided on a whim to look at a house for sale in this area and really like it.  It seems to be a bit far out of the city but it has great lake access and the neighbors that we met were all really friendly and loved the neighborhood.  Nobody that we know in Cleveland seems to know much about the area though.

 

Are there any restaurants or shops to walk to in the neighborhood?  Are there currently any plans for redevelopment there or in nearby Euclid?  Is the neighborhood on the rise, on the decline, or pretty stable?  We didn't have much time to go south of Lakeshore but did make it as far east as 185th on Lakeshore, including a stop at the beach.  That was a pretty depressing drive (even the Pizza Hut was boarded up) but the beach was nice.   

 

 

Honey if you like trains there is only one neighborhod in Clevleand to live in.  It has three train stops.  :wink:

Um, he said close to the lake, and that doesn't mean the Shaker Lakes. :) See my previous post...

^Yeah, but eyebyrnes wants to be near the lake...and not Shaker lakes.

Um, he said close to the lake, and that doesn't mean the Shaker Lakes. :) See my previous post...

HAHA gotribe, beat ya by 57 seconds!

Thanks for the info, all!  I'm coming to CLE this weekend to visit and check out some houses and neighborhoods.  One in Ohio City (train!) and two in Collinwood (by the lake).  I'll see if I can afford anything in Edgewood or Birdtown.  Another question that has probably been answered elsewhere, but I gotta leave for work soon and can't look it up:  how safe is the Red Line at night?  I'm a nurse and hope to be able to take transit, and have a 7am -11 pm shift.  I do love Philadelphia, but would not consider taking our subway home at night; the regional rail isn't too bad, but...

 

TIA,  e

Thanks for the info, all!  I'm coming to CLE this weekend to visit and check out some houses and neighborhoods.  One in Ohio City (train!) and two in Collinwood (by the lake).  I'll see if I can afford anything in Edgewood or Birdtown.  Another question that has probably been answered elsewhere, but I gotta leave for work soon and can't look it up:  how safe is the Red Line at night?  I'm a nurse and hope to be able to take transit, and have a 7am -11 pm shift.  I do love Philadelphia, but would not consider taking our subway home at night; the regional rail isn't too bad, but...

 

TIA,  e

 

In my experience, the Red Line customers & experience is similar to riding the Philly Regional Rail.

Unless you're on the East Side of town, then it's like riding the Frankford Line!

 

Are you a nurse at the Cleveland Clinic? If so, and depending where at the CC you will be working, you may be a long walk from the Red Line (or you could be a block or two). I suspect you've seen how big the CC is.

 

If you're working far from the Red Line, consider the Euclid Corridor/Silver Line/HealthLine. It's a "train-like" bus line that will open in November and take you Public Square where you can transfer to the Red Line or other bus lines. Nearly all downtown-bound bus lines and all rail lines converge at Public Square/Tower City.

 

Here's what the HealthLine looks like downtown:

 

And in the area of the Cleveland Clinic:

 

ebyrnes, I went through the area of Baltic and West Boulevard, and there are probably a dozen homes (doubles) that are for sale or have one of the two units for rent. You will have no trouble finding a place to live if you like the Edgewater area. And you can't beat this area for lake access.

 

However if you want easy access to shopping (grocers, Target, Home Depot, Staples, drug stores, restaurants, etc. etc.), then Birdtown along Madison is for you. There are quite a few rentals and some homes for sale here too.

 

Both are within walking distance of a train station.

Here's some of them, but most places aren't listed on the web, unfortunately.......

 

Lakewood:

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/apartments_for_rent/lakewood_ohio/

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=6166

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=2144

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=3734

 

Cleveland:

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/apartments_for_rent/cleveland_west_ohio/

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=6649

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=6624

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=6623

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=6539

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=6538

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=6073 (closest to lake & Rapid)

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=5284 (closest to lake & Rapid)

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=5584

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=5570

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=4843

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=4842

Good heavens, you people are wonderful!  I feel like I am back at home in Pittsburgh again.  While there are plenty of nice folks here in Philly, there are quite a few very cretins as well.  I definately don't want to rent, and while I know that I should do so for a while until I am certain where I want to live, I just can't make myself pay rent again.  I don't have a job yet, but hope that it won't be too difficult to find one close to home, wherever that may be.  Thanks so much for the assistance; I've added Birdland to the drive thru list (:

 

e

If you can go to Lakewood, you can definitely checkout Shaker Square.  :wink:

You're welcome. One small correction: it's Birdtown.