Hi folks  :-D,

 

I'm moving to Cleveland in June to start work.

 

Can anyone suggest good places to rent reasonably priced accomodation, and some reliable agents etc ?

 

I have 2 kids as well, so schooling is improtant too. However kids and wife will be joining me next May/June, so I can afford to compromise on a good school district for the first year!

 

I won't have a car straight away and am thinking of hiring for a few weeks until I purchase a car.

 

Thanks folks

 

Hi folks  :-D,

 

I'm moving to Cleveland in June to start work.

 

Can anyone suggest good places to rent reasonably priced accomodation, and some reliable agents etc ?

 

I have 2 kids as well, so schooling is improtant too. However kids and wife will be joining me next May/June, so I can afford to compromise on a good school district for the first year!

 

I won't have a car straight away and am thinking of hiring for a few weeks until I purchase a car.

 

Thanks folks

 

 

Welcome a few questions

[*]Where exactly in the UK are you moving from?

[*]Where in Cleveland will you be working?

[*]Are you looking to rent or own right away? (I suggest renting)

[*]What is "reasonable" price to you? (coming from the UK you'll probably experience reverse sticker shock)

[*]How old are the kids?

[*]What do you do for fun?  Activities?  Interests? Lifestyle?

 

 

 

Hi there,

 

1. I'm moving from Scotland.

2. I'll be working in metrohealth hospital

3.I am looking to rent, maybe buy later after I build up a decent credit rating!

4. Price: say 500-800 dollars

5. Kids are 6 and 2

6. I like going to the gym, swimming seeing nice places like parks etc.

 

I hope thats helpful!

Hi there,

 

1. I'm moving from Scotland.

2. I'll be working in metrohealth hospital

3.I am looking to rent, maybe buy later after I build up a decent credit rating!

4. Price: say 500-800 dollars

5. Kids are 6 and 2

6. I like going to the gym, swimming seeing nice places like parks etc.

 

I hope thats helpful!

 

Well if you're going to be working at Metro Health, I would suggest looking at the following neighborhoods, in the following order.

• Tremont
  
• Ohio City
  
• Detroit-Shoreway
  
• Downtown Cleveland
  

 

There are several forumers that live in the above mentioned areas that can offer information and assistance.

 

Those areas are close to MH, the Zoo, Steelyard commons (outdoor mall), parks and various restaurants.  There is good public transportation to/from those areas as well.

 

Good luck.

Although I'm a bit biased as I live in the neighborhood, I'd suggest Tremont.  You'd be very close to Metro, there are good deals to be found on rentals, and it's a very pleasant area to live in.  It's fairly quiet, with lots of restaurants and art galleries, but very close to downtown and the amenities there.  It's quite central to the region, too, so it would be a good "home base" for checking out other places to live if you're planning on moving when your family comes to join you.  Feel free to message me if you have specific questions about the neighborhood.

 

Old Brooklyn might also be worthwhile to check out, if you want to see a more family-oriented neighborhood.  I know much less about it, though.

 

There are certainly other places to investigate, and I'm sure other forumers will be offering their opinions, too.

 

Wherever you end up, let me say welcome to the forum and to Cleveland!  :clap: :wave:

 

OH, and I forgot to add that there's a UK import store in Old Brooklyn, too, in case you get a craving for aero bars or meat pies:

http://www.gaelicimports.com/

I'd recommend looking in Lakewood, which is just west of downtown.  You have a lot of rental choices, it's low crime, has a couple of parks that you can walk to (can be in walking distance to the Metroparks system if you live on the West end of Lakewood) and has good schools.  The one park, I think it's Lakewood park, in the summer evenings has things like movies playing or outdoor music programs for families.  They just redid the YMCA there (gym) and it's great. 

THANKS FOR THE REPLIES FOLKS.

 

I am really looking forward to working in Cleveland, and was impressed by the warmness of the people I met.

 

Hopefully I can contribute to this on line community in due course,

cheers

So far, I'd say everyone has good suggestions - as MetroHealth is centrally located, it has good transit access. As rockandroller said, Lakewood is a good option if you want to be somewhere with good public schools. It's not as convenient as an inner-city neighborhood but as an older suburb, Lakewood has well established and frequent transit to downtown - and most of the bus lines that have stops directly in front of MetroHealth hospital  originate from downtown. So if you're not opposed to a "two seat" transit commute (in other words, take one bus from Lakewood to downtown, and another bus to MetroHealth), Lakewood's a great option - and would still be good for when your spouse and kids arrive. If you choose to own a car, MetroHealth is an easy 15-20 minute commute from Lakewood. There are also routes that connect to the Red Line (heavy rail line) which has a stop at West 25th Street and that station is adjacent to a bus stop where multiple buslines pass by MetroHealth.

 

The other neighborhoods within the city itself are great but of course there are tradeoffs - Cleveland city schools could be better, but your commute would be much shorter. I live in Tremont, and if I worked at MetroHealth, my commute would be under 5 minutes via car, and probably 10-15 minutes by bus. Then again, I don't have children so while I'd love to have better schools for the sake of property values, I don't have to worry about sending my own.

 

Please feel free to let us know if you have any other questions - and welcome to Cleveland! :-)

The other neighborhoods within the city itself are great but of course there are tradeoffs - Cleveland city schools could be better, but your commute would be much shorter. I live in Tremont, and if I worked at MetroHealth, my commute would be under 5 minutes via car, and probably 10-15 minutes by bus. Then again, I don't have children so while I'd love to have better schools for the sake of property values, I don't have to worry about sending my own.

 

There are options for schooling in Cleveland that may be better than the mainline system, though.  If you end up in Cleveland proper and would like to stay there, you can use that year before your family comes to research some of the various charter and alternative public schools.

medici786, welcome to Cleveland! I've been to the UK a couple of times and am going back in May, though I've never been north of York. I hope to rectify that soon and see Edinburgh and Glasgow.

 

Let me ask: will you work at the main campus of MetroHealth or at the South Campus/Senior Health & Wellness Center?

 

Do you want to be around nightlife or a more quiet residential neighborhood? Do you want to be able to walk to lots of little restaurants, cafes, church, school and shops? Do you want to be close to bus routes or do you not mind the idea of driving to lots of things?

 

As a newspaper reporter who covered the MetroHealth area of the city and its surrounding neighborhoods since 2005, here's my views on some neighborhoods:

 

Immediate area around MetroHealth main campus:

Neighborhood is called Clark-Metro. Not recommended. Low income and high crime. Vacant buildings and empty lots are too prevalent. Some MetroHealth employees, especially women, are uncomfortable waiting for buses on West 25th Street especially when there shifts end after dark (it is dark after 5 p.m. from November to January). Bus services on West 25th are very frequent and operate 24 hours a day. Few, if any, restaurants, amenities, or services within walking distance. Steelyard Commons retail area is nearby, but difficult to reach by foot because an interstate highway is in the way. The infrequent #807 circulator bus links MetroHealth area with Steelyard Commons and Tremont, but in a very indirect way. A bicycle will be very handy, and our buses have bike racks mounted on the front of them. See www.riderta.com for maps, schedules and rules for putting bikes on buses and on trains (which have restrictions).

 

Immediate area around MetroHealth south campus/Senior Health & Wellness Center:

Much safer area -- called Old Brooklyn. Working class and middle class. It is still smart being vigilant of people and surroundings after dark (true of all Cleveland neighborhoods, even the best ones). Some restaurants, amenities, and services within walking distance.

 

Old Brooklyn:

Primarily a residential area with commercial strips, schools and libraries along major streets like Pearl, Broadview and State. Mostly "mom-and-pop" retail and cafes along major streets. Best areas of Old Brooklyn are east of Broadview, where many Cleveland police live. Homes are in the best condition here, too. Homes were built mostly in the 1920s and into the 1940s. Cleveland schools aren't very good, but Catholic schools in Old Brooklyn have a good reputation. Having a car will be necessary here.

 

Tremont:

One of Cleveland oldest neighborhoods (mid-1800s, sorry that's the best we in America can do!) that still has most of its original buildings intact. There are two parts of Tremont to be aware of. One is the area north of Interstate 490, which has more middle class, more cafes and shops, has few abandoned homes, and is safer. The area can be loud on weekend nights due to the many restaurants, pubs and clubs in the area. South of I-490 is not as safe. It has some abandoned homes and buildings. Tremont has some Catholic schools (you don't need to be Catholic to send your kids there) as well as independent, charter schools -- some are good, some are bad. There is a direct bus route, the #81, which links Tremont to MetroHealth main campus. Lincoln Park is one of the biggest parks on the West Side where fresh food markets are held on the weekends in summer. Tremont is an easy biking distance of MetroHealth. Tremont lacks a grocery store, but you can take the bus (via the 807) or bike to Steelyard Commons.

 

Ohio City:

Another one of Cleveland's oldest neighborhoods (again, mid-1800s) with some newer buildings. It is very similar to Tremont with an equally troubled area south of Lorain Avenue. Ohio City has fewer nightclubs than Tremont, except for the district along West 25th Street. Ohio City also has a full-service grocery store (Dave's) as well as the West Side Market, which was built in 1912 to resemble fresh food marketplaces common in Eastern European cities (where many Clevelanders came from). Ohio City is served by frequent buses along West 25th (routes #20, 35 and 79) that travel past both MetroHealth campuses. Ohio City also has a station on the Red Line rail rapid transit between the airport, Lakewood, downtown, University Circle and the east side.

 

Lakewood:

A separate city, but in many ways more urban than Cleveland. It has good city schools, is very walkable, has lots of great restaurants, cafes and little pubs, plus several grocery stores and many shops. It has its own downtown area. Its housing stock was built mostly between 1900 and 1930. The area is very densely developed, with high-rises along the lakefront. There is a large park on the lake called Lakewood Park, plus another large lakefront park just east of Lakewood into Cleveland, called Edgewater Park. There is frequent bus services along the major east-west streets of Clifton, Detroit and Madison. Detroit has 24-hour bus service. There is a rail line along the southern edge of Lakewood with stations at West 117th/Madison and at Triskett. The rail line (called the Red Line, or #66X) travels from the east side, through University Circle, downtown and the airport. One of the station, Ohio City, is a short walk from West 25th and the frequent buses to both MetroHealth campuses. Trains run every 7-15 minutes from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. I am a resident of Lakewood and live near the Gold Coast area where most of the high-rise apartments are located near the lake. I've lived here for 12 years and I like it very much. But if I had kids I'd probably want to live a little closer to Lakewood Park or maybe downtown Lakewood so my kids could walk to both places.

 

But there's no law that says you have to find the perfect place right away. Get a rental. Explore the city -- especially get out and walk to see what the neighborhoods are really like and which ones best suit you and your children.

Welcome to Cleveland!

I am a Cleveland ex-pat, living in New Orleans.  I am the son of two Irish Immigrants.  Most of my extended family still lives in Ireland or scattered throughout the UK.  The Irish community in Cleveland is strong, mostly one generation removed, like myself.  Unfortunately, I am not sure how strong the Scottish community is.  Maybe you can report back to us on that.

 

 

So the important things.  You will be able to get decent tea in the area.  The West Side Market has a great mix of ethnic foods and it should be a place you visit early in your trip here.  There are a lot of Irish stores in the area as well. 

 

Schools are something you will definitely need to research, and the more recent the information the better.  Public schools are transitioning from a one provider model, the local city, to city schools and independent publically funded "charter" schools.  I am a product of Cleveland Catholic education, which is readily availiable all throughout the city, but is considered private, so it is expensive.  The local schools are very accepting of faiths outside of Catholic if that is a worry.  (My high school, St. Joe's was less than 50% Catholic when I went there.)

 

I am interested in seeing what the forumers feel if I suggested Little Italy or up Cedar Hill.  Logistically, I am not sure how easy the commute would be.  The reason I am suggesting it is because the Cleveland Clinic and Univerisy Hospitals are nearby.  There are a lot of families moving to Cleveland from all over the world to work at these hospitals, just like yourself.  My feeling is that a lot of them are clustered there.  Since there will be a lot of fishes out of water, it may be a good place to make friends and make the transition easier.

 

Here are some of the clinic's relocation guides, which may be helpful

http://www.clevelandclinic.org/education/gme/pdffiles/relocation.pdf

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/Documents/nursing/SurvivalGuide2003.pdf

 

Best of luck!

 

Hi there,

 

1. I'm moving from Scotland.

 

What part of Scotland? My wife graduated from the University of Aberdeen and is now also in the medical field here in Cleveland.

:clap:

 

Hey guys,,,thank you SO much for your replies, I really appreciate the info.

 

KJP: Excellent info, thank you. Please come to Scotland, the people are friendly, and there are lots to see in Edinburgh and Glasgow both. The Commonwealth games are coming to Scotland in the next few years, so there is a lot of development going on.

 

I think I would prefer a quiet residential area. although I don't mind if there are cafe or other amenities nearby. Being near a bus stop may be helpful, as I may not get a car straight away.

 

I will be working in the main Metrohealth campus.

 

punch: do you know what the average fees are for private schools?

 

3231: I am a graduate from the medical school in Glasgow.

 

Cheers everyone!!

I don't know the fees for schools, any forumers with offspring want to take that one?

 

 

 

I am a graduate from the medical school in Glasgow.

 

 

Welcome to Cleveland!!

 

I was just in Scotland for 3 and a half weeks in december and january and stayed with cousins who live in Balloch. It was my third time visiting and hadnt been in 8 years before that and absolutely loved it! Ill be graduating from college this summer and am thinking of moving over there for a few years. 

My small fry isn't here yet so I can't advise about school fees.  You could contact St. Edward's high school in Lakewood, that's pretty popular, they might give you fee info: http://www.sehs.net/numbers.html

High Schools are anywhere from $9,000 to $13,000 for the typical Private HS.  Grade Schools on average are $1,800 to $3,000.  These are per year prices.

I say send them to public school.  If public school was good enough for me, then it's good enough for others!  :P

It definitely depends on where you live.  Public school quality in the US varies widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, school to school, even within Cleveland Municipal School District.

I say send them to public school. If public school was good enough for me, then it's good enough for others! :P

 

Yeah, and look how you turned out :)  Or for that matter, how I turned out! :)  Seriously, I think it really does depend on where you live. There are public schools that are still pretty good but mine was a complete waste. I wonder what I might have been driven to do if I'd had a better school experience.  Wasting your kid's time by having them do stuff like depict the labors of Hercules in frosting on a cake (because the teacher likes food gifts) or by joining the track team so they can get a good grade in "Coach J's" social studies class because he always gives them higher grades is just not a good education.

exactly. private and parochial schools are always an option, but don't count out the public schools.

 

first visit the home zone schools wherever it is you move to.

 

then, not sure what they are, but you could also check out the "new & innovative school" options:

 

http://www.cmsdnet.net/en/Schools/Types.aspx

 

after that you might visit and consider the charter schools:

 

http://www.greatschools.net/ohio/cleveland/charter/schools/

http://www.cleveland.com/charter/

 

there are lots of options, you'll be fine -- welcome & good luck!

 

Sorry, I did not mean to scare you about schools, but it is something that you will have to research.

I say send them to public school.  If public school was good enough for me, then it's good enough for others!  :P

 

Yeah, and look how you turned out :)  Or for that matter, how I turned out! :)  Seriously, I think it really does depend on where you live. There are public schools that are still pretty good but mine was a complete waste. I wonder what I might have been driven to do if I'd had a better school experience.  Wasting your kid's time by having them do stuff like depict the labors of Hercules in frosting on a cake (because the teacher likes food gifts) or by joining the track team so they can get a good grade in "Coach J's" social studies class because he always gives them higher grades is just not a good education.

 

I was a straight "A" student, from Seventh Grade to my Junior year in College!  :P  Trust me, I've been a fashion forward nerd a long time.  It's how you apply yourself!

 

RnR...that is too funny.  Does that teacher now work on this show?  http://www.foodnetwork.com/food-network-challenge/index.html

 

LOL

 

exactly. private and parochial schools are always an option, but don't count out the public schools.

 

first visit the home zone schools wherever it is you move to.

 

then, not sure what they are, but you could also check out the "new & innovative school" options:

 

http://www.cmsdnet.net/en/Schools/Types.aspx

 

after that you might visit and consider the charter schools:

 

http://www.greatschools.net/ohio/cleveland/charter/schools/

http://www.cleveland.com/charter/

 

there are lots of options, you'll be fine -- welcome & good luck!

 

 

Bingo, Like the Cleveland School of teh Arts, the schools at John Hay were you have to have IIRC a 3.5 (or is it a 3.0) GPA to get in and your must maintain a 3.0 to stay in.

 

 

Hi folks

 

Does anybody know anything about Beachcliff Place apartments in rocky river?

 

Are they any good?

 

By the way thanks for the school info, although I didn't expect to disturb a hornets nest :-o!

Hi folks

 

Does anybody know anything about Beachcliff Place apartments in rocky river?

 

Are they any good?

 

By the way thanks for the school info, although I didn't expect to disturb a hornets nest :o !

 

There is only one Queen Bee here.  ;D  ;D

 

It's par for the course. We disagree but respect each others opinions.  Often times when we disagree, it brings a point of view to light someone wouldn't have thought of.

 

Do you really want to live in Rocky River?  Is your family suburban or urban hip?

Hi twosense:

 

No.. it was nice to see a lively debate..certainly you are right you can learn from seeing and hearing others view points!

 

I would say we are probably more suburbanites, but do like to get out and about to break the monotony!!

Welcome to Cleveland!  My boss is from Glasgow (I am a grad student at Case).  I was there a couple of years ago for a conference.  I think you will like Cleveland.  I live downtown, which seems is out as a choice for you, but good luck with your search!

Hi twosense:

 

No.. it was nice to see a lively debate..certainly you are right you can learn from seeing and hearing others view points!

 

I would say we are probably more suburbanites, but do like to get out and about to break the monotony!!

 

Oh Lawd.  I thought you might be a city dweller!  Maybe we can convert you?!  ;)

Hey..I'm open minded..you might still convert me!

 

doctabroccoli:I think I will enjoy the Cleveland experience. Nice to see a Glasgow person at Case. :-)

Hi folks

 

Does anybody know anything about Beachcliff Place apartments in rocky river?

 

Are they any good?

 

By the way thanks for the school info, although I didn't expect to disturb a hornets nest :-o!

 

I have a friend who lives there and she is very pleased.  She takes the bus to work every day and works downtown.  It's right across the street from a little convenience store and a cute little pier that you can walk right out and look at Lake Erie.  It's kind of a busy street though, and not a lot of places right around the building for a kid to play as it's the only apartment building right around where it's placed.  It's short driving distance to good stores and things and I think Rocky River is very nice.  But walking much of anywhere from there or you taking public transit to/from work would probably not work.  The bus primarily goes E-W to and from RR and downtown from there.  You'd have to take the bus downtown and then transfer to another bus to get to Metro and it would be a huge PITA.  But it wouldn't be a bad drive.  Very good schools there and very low crime, a very nice community.

Queen B here ;-)

 

As far as Beachcliff Place apartments, I suppose their location is alright (across the street from a small park with a pier on Lake Erie called Bradstreets Landing) and they're in easy driving distance to some places worth mentioning. However, there's very very little in easy walking distance other than a convenience store. They're a bit of an anomaly - Rocky River is a rather upscale inner-ring suburb but these are basically "commie block" style apartments. There's nothing aesthetically redeeming about them - at least on the exterior.

 

I can NOT recommend them if you're planning to be car-free (I've been car-free since 2002 so I'm familiar with the areas that will and won't work), and especially for a commute to MetroHealth. You can figure that it will take 35-45 minutes *minimum* to board a bus downtown-bound, and then add at least another 15-20 minutes minimum for your downtown connecting route to MetroHealth. Now, if you're driving - it might be about 30 minutes which isn't too bad.

 

Portions of Rocky River are a little more densely built than others (north of Westway/Hilliard and east of Wagar) but as much as I love that area, I don't think I'd choose to be car-free and live there if I worked at MetroHealth. That said, I've heard rather mixed reviews about the Kensington Club apartments which are east of Beachcliff Place - I can't speak for the actual building, but the location is much more walkable, with a small grocery store, wine store, and pizza joint adjacent, and other amenities (including a full-service grocery) in an easy 10 minute walk, as well as an adorable lakefront "pocket park" nestled in a very upscale neighborhood. Your commute via the busline will still be lengthy but at least you'll have a nice walkable environment in your off-hours.

 

If you decide you HAVE to reside in Rocky River while being car-free, definitely aim for the areas north of Westway/Hilliard and east of Wagar. Once you get away from that, it becomes rather drab 1960s-era strip mall that's not at all conducive to walking. But I have to admit, if I had to choose a suburb to live in, Rocky River (specifically the areas mentioned above) would be in my top 3 choices.

 

Agree with Mayday, but you might also consider moving to an apartment that's on Lake just before the Lakewood/Rocky River border.  The Lake Road market is right there (small grocery), Danny Boy's pizza, there's a gas station.  Or you could look on Hilliard, there is a big full service grocery store there (Heinen's), quite a few restaurants and shops within walking distance, including the beachcliff "mall" which has a lot of stores.  I would probably live on/near Hilliard in that area (just west of the Lakewood border) if I were looking for a walkable community in rocky river.

The school funding/quality debate has been a touchy political issue here for decades.  It's one of the touchiest, really.  If you prefer a more suburban setting, it's hard to beat the downtown area of Rocky River.  I very much agree that you'll have a tougher time going car-free there.  We're currently working on getting a rail line extended out that way, but that's also a touchy political issue.  Welcome to the States! 

Agree with Mayday, but you might also consider moving to an apartment that's on Lake just before the Lakewood/Rocky River border.  The Lake Road market is right there (small grocery), Danny Boy's pizza, there's a gas station.  Or you could look on Hilliard, there is a big full service grocery store there (Heinen's), quite a few restaurants and shops within walking distance, including the beachcliff "mall" which has a lot of stores.  I would probably live on/near Hilliard in that area (just west of the Lakewood border) if I were looking for a walkable community in rocky river.

 

I *think* you might mean Detroit Road - Hilliard is further south and mostly 50's style suburbia (aka not much in walking distance). The Kensington Club apartments are south of Lake, literally a one minute walk from Lake Road Market.

You're right, I do indeed mean Detroit. There's those hormones again.

Hi folks

 

Does anybody know anything about Beachcliff Place apartments in rocky river?

 

Are they any good?

 

 

I can't tell you about the interiors or the management of Beachcliff Place, but I can tell a lot about the neighborhood as I've frequented it for about 20 years since I befriended someone who lives about 300 meters away from Beachcliff. I believe he knew someone who lived at Beachcliff. I will ask him. I wrote an article maybe five years ago about a guy who burned down one of the apartment buildings at Beachcliff because he was mad at this girlfriend. Fortunately no one died and he was sent to prison. Maybe you'll be lucky and get that new building! The whole complex looks like it was originally built in the 1960s or 70s.

 

The good: the apartments are in eight buildings across the street from Lake Erie and a park. If you are lucky enough to get one of the northernmost apartments that are on the top floor, you may have wonderful lake views. Rocky River schools are excellent and the suburb is very well run. Beachcliff Place is on a fairly regular bus route to downtown (the #55) and a short walk from Bradstreet's Landing, a park with a great fishing pier. The park is named after a British colonel whose boats were wrecked during a storm in 1764. A co-worker of mine wrote this article about it 12 years ago:

http://ohioindianwars.proboards18.com/index.cgi?board=frenchandindianwar&action=display&thread=122

 

The bad part: when the winds are from the east, they will come from the direction of a wastewater sewage plant right next door to the apartment complex. So, if you have an apartment on the east side of the complex, you may have a view of the sewage plant, if the apartment is up high enough. You will need a car to live here. Nothing except the park, a small convenience store and my friend's house is within walking distance. That's better than many U.S. suburban areas where you can't even reach the bathroom without a car.

 

If you'd like to see what the area looks like from a satellite, click on this link, select "satellite" and zoom in on the map marker (you can also select a street view of the area by dragging the little man icon to a road with a yellow line on it):

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=beachcliff+place+apartments+rocky+river+oh&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&cid=10454518369139071435&li=lmd&z=14&t=m

Medici,

 

Welcome to Cleveland.  I think you will find the variety the area has to offer very appealing.  Regarding your idea of Rocky River, I think that is a great choice.  You are right on the lake and your drive to Metro would not be too unbearable (morning rush hour usually 7,30-9,00).  The bus, however, would not be much of an option

 

Also, and probably most importantly, River's schools are superior to anything in Cleveland proper, and better than Lakewood.  When I find it, I will post a link that details Cleveland-area schools and their ratings. 

^those are the public schools, non charter schools right?