Thanks everyone for your suggestions.  I am leaning heavily towards to the Crittenden Court apartments, and, although some argue not to own a car if living downtown, I think it may be the best option in having a car -- trusting the transit may not be sensible (bad weather, traffic, etc.).

You can try both ways before you actually buy anything, so you're in great shape.  Welcome to Cleveland!   

Going with the car would be your best option.  The bus could take forever and while there may not be horror stories, it certainly goes through the worst parts of Cleveland.  What will suck about the car is parking.  I would check around for parking rates and buy a club. 

You can try both ways before you actually buy anything, so you're in great shape. Welcome to Cleveland!

 

Yes indeed!  And we can certainly answer any questions you have once you get here!

I agree, the cost of parking at a downtown apartment will be a lot on top of the cost of owning and operating the car, maybe you should try it for a few weeks while the weather is still good to see if you can do without before going ahead and getting a car.

So most would agree that living in downtown is a much better deal than living in the suburbs, taking into account that I am young professional?  Either way, it almost seems necessary to purchase a car.

So most would agree that living in downtown is a much better deal than living in the suburbs, taking into account that I am young professional? Either way, it almost seems necessary to purchase a car.

 

If you're set on getting a car, which the need is debatable if you're going to live downtown, personally, I'd go without for a few months to save up $$ for a downpayment since you don't really have much currently.  Living downtown, you'd probably mostly only use your car to go to work - you can walk most everywhere else.  If you lived in the suburbs, you'd be using your car to go everywhere.

Once you get to your job...see if anyone lives in your direction and ask to carpool, pick up gas every other week and thats another option.

I would definitely say you should try to carpool or ride the bus at first at least to see if it's feasible.  For the few days or so, you could rent a car until you're comfortable with the new job/are/finding transportation.  Then make the decision.  You will save A LOT of money if you can do without a car (think insurance, gas, maintenance on top of the cost of buying or leasing the car).  If it's not possible (or worth it) then get one, but it'd definitely be worth investigating all of your options first.

Thanks everyone.  I will attempt to commute to work (again, I'm not worried about the train/bus system but more or less, what happens on the bus).  If the buses aren't as bad as they seem to be, then commuting may not be such a bad idea.  But a one hour commute will suck.

If the buses aren't as bad as they seem to be, then commuting may not be such a bad idea.  But a one hour commute will suck.

 

It is a long commute, but you may find others that work with (or near) you and live near you and work out a carpool agreement.  It may not happen right away or even work every day, but it's a good alternative to taking the bus every day.

My commute to the suburbs took nearly an hour, but it was a one-seat ride and as long as I had a book to read and some music on my headphones to block out the noise/nuisance, it was actually a pleasant, relaxing experience. And the books/music made the one-hour commute go much more quickly, although the first few commutes seemed to take forever until I got used to it.

 

You are fortunate to have several transit options to reach work from downtown:

 

> Bus Route #1

> HealthLine, transfer at Windermere, Bus Route #28

> Red Line, transfer at Windermere, Bus Route #28

 

And you can always get a bicycle. I have one I almost never use and would be willing to sell it for $100. The tires are deflated and probably needs new innertubes, but otherwise the bike is in great condition. It's a 1980s Schwinn frame rebuilt last year by Ohio City Bike Coop.

I really think you need to come to Cleveland and take a look around before deciding (if that is possible).  Ride the proposed RTA routes.  Take a look at the neighborhoods around Downtown, Little Italy, University Circle, Euclid, Collinwood, Richmond Hts, Wickliffe and Willougby.  Pretty hard to make an informed decision without doing that.  Cleveland and Boston have some similarities, but many, many differences.

 

If you can't do so, I strongly recommend the University Circle / Little Italy area (at least to start out).  Seems like a safer bet for several reasons.  Shorter commute to your job.  The "scene" is more laid back, especially the nightlife.  Downtown is not for everyone and could be lonely if you don't know anybody.  If you do find that you like downtown's nightlife though, access to it from University Circle (via the Healthline or Redline) is very easy.  You also would be very close (maybe even walking distance) to the Coventry area where a lot of younger people hang out.

 

Here's are some questions that might help people give you some advice - what type of bars/clubs/etc. do you like?  What do you like to do for leisure (biking, museams, fishing, reading in the park, etc.)?  And maybe most important, what type of girls/guys do you like (clubers/preppy/grungy-goth/sorority-fraternity/etc.)?

 

A one hour commute in the Cleveland area is not that unusual.  Most people here are car dependent and don't work where they live so everyone has a long commute.  Well, not everyone, but most people. 

^Actually, most people have pretty short commutes in the area.  As of the 2000 census, I think the median commute time in the Cleveland metro was only 25 minutes.

 

Welcome, the Analyst!  I hope employers are reading this thread so they see that suburban locations give potential employees fewer and often longer commuting options.

^^25 minutes is the min. for most of the people I know and work with.  I mean, it's just a representative sample but of the 20 or so people in and around my department, the average commute time is probably more like 45 minutes.  We work downtown and people live in Brunswick, Canton, Solon, Hudson, Rocky River, Avon, one lives downtown proper, one lives in Cleveland near Puritas, etc.  Pretty spread out.

^^25 minutes is the min. for most of the people I know and work with. I mean, it's just a representative sample but of the 20 or so people in and around my department, the average commute time is probably more like 45 minutes. We work downtown and people live in Brunswick, Canton, Solon, Hudson, Rocky River, Avon, one lives downtown proper, one lives in Cleveland near Puritas, etc. Pretty spread out.

 

No, I have definitely seen stats that put our average commute under 30 min.  (I believe I saw 27, not 25, but I could be wrong.)  Cleveland commutes are definitely shorter than many due to factors such as less traffic and better public transit than many other cities.  For a counter-example to your example, I have a 12 minute commute to work by bike (5 min by car).

A one hour commute in the Cleveland area is not that unusual. Most people here are car dependent and don't work where they live so everyone has a long commute. Well, not everyone, but most people.

 

What do you mean by "not that unusual"? What percentage of commuters do you think have a 1 hour commute in this area?

I also seem to recall that the average commute length was about 8 or 9 miles for the Cleveland MSA. That's probably as big a reason why our traffic is less than other similarly sized metros. And a big reason is that we Clevelanders are still very territorial -- we don't venture across the Cuyahoga much, although we certainly do so more now than we did in the past. But I've encountered people in their 50s who had just ventured to the other side of the river for the FIRST TIME in their lives.

 

Anyway, we're drifting off subject and I just aided and abetted it. Sorry!

Thanks again, everyone.  This site, and more importantly its members, have been a tremendous help.

 

Now that I've decided to live in downtown, which apartment is the better choice, based on both price and safety: Crittenden or Heritage Suites?

 

Location-

Heritage Suites:2200 Prospect Avenue

http://www.move.com/apartments/listing/C154967

 

Crittenden: 955 W St Clair Ave

http://www.forrent.com/apartment-community-profile/1001590.php

I think that you'd feel safer at the Crittenden. I'd bet that the crime stats are pretty equal for both and are quite low. There are a lot more people out on the street near the Crittenden--this makes it feel safer late at  night. The Crittenden is very close to a lot of amenities (small grocer, bars, restaurants, etc). The Heritage Suites is located on the edge of downtown next to the highway. You might have some pretty awesome views from the Crittenden as well.

 

 

The Crittenden is a much better location.  It's in the middle of the Warehouse District, close to Tower City, and at least closer to the main office district than Heritage Suites.  That said, I lived at Heritage Suites for a year, and I liked it.  But it's not a very active part of Downtown when CSU is out for the day (it's a 95%-ish commuter school), and there is nothing much of interest in most directions- a highway to the south, projects to the SW, and a business/industrial zone to the east and to the north past CSU.  It's sort of a Downtown cul-de-sac.  The units are nice, but tiny- kind of like having your own private dorm room.  The Y being downstairs is an awesome amenity.

Thanks 3231 and X, your comments are very helpful.  Taking everything into consideration, the Crittenden sounds like the better option.  By the way, is 450 square feet large?

Not really, but it isn't tiny either.  It would be pretty standard for an efficiency, or a very small one bedroom.  You could visualize 450' square as a roughly 20'x22' square, though of course it could be laid out in a number of ways.  That number will include your bathroom/kitchen/closets.

Here's lot of information, including floor plans (click link and scroll down), pictures and some old promo videos (probably 10 years old! There's been other apartments built since) on Crittenden Court:

 

http://www.forrent.com/apartment-community-profile/1001590.php?origref=http%3A//www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3Dcrittenden+court+apartments%252C+floor+plan%26aq%3Df%26oq%3D%26aqi%3D&alias=http%3A//www.forrent.com/apartment-community-profile/1001590.php

That's the site I've been researching heavily from.  I mean, it looks nice.

I see that the 450 sf unit is a studio...

 

 

You can get an idea of the size of a 450 sf unit by using the bathroom as a scale. You can probably fit a bed or a sofa (or a sofa-bed!) in there, plus a computer table and probably a shelving unit.

 

Yes, it's tiny but if you don't have a lot of stuff, who cares? It works great for a young man getting his start in life. And there are plenty of cafes and restaurants in the neighborhood, or at Tower City Center, to spend time. I love the little sitting area inside (and outside) Constantino's grocery store just up West 9th from the Crittenden.

 

You're getting the neighborhood with a place like this. That's the big attraction with Crittenden Court. I think it's a good choice.

I had a friend that lived in Crittenden, he had a larger room and a roommate, but therooms and apt. building were pretty nice.  And like KJP said, it is really the area that you are getting.  Map Room on 9th is a pretty good bar to hang out at. 

I also had a friend live in Crittendon in pretty much that exact floorplan KJP shows.  He liked it and had enough room for a small love seat, tv stand, bed, and shelving unit.

Thanks so much everyone.  This community has been great, to say the least.

 

I went ahead and decided to go with the Crittenden.  Its cheap, affordable, but large enough to store all my things (which isn't much anyways).

 

Now that is covered, the next step is to figure out transportation: commuting via transit system or purchasing/leasing a car.  This is still a large concern, since I received mixed opinions on this.  I spoke with one of my colleagues, and they advise that I purchase/lease a car.  But then others on here comment that the RTA isn't that bad.  This is quite the dilemma...

Thanks so much everyone. This community has been great, to say the least.

 

I went ahead and decided to go with the Crittenden. Its cheap, affordable, but large enough to store all my things (which isn't much anyways).

 

Now that is covered, the next step is to figure out transportation: commuting via transit system or purchasing/leasing a car. This is still a large concern, since I received mixed opinions on this. I spoke with one of my colleagues, and they advise that I purchase/lease a car. But then others on here comment that the RTA isn't that bad. This is quite the dilemma...

 

There's this unfortunate attitude in Cleveland which you'll soon experience...  Many people who were born and raised in the suburbs of Cleveland like to hate on the city of Cleveland itself.....  My recommendation of first taking the bus to try it out still stands.  That way, even if you hate it, you can take some time to save up downpayment $$.

Thanks so much everyone. This community has been great, to say the least.

 

I went ahead and decided to go with the Crittenden. Its cheap, affordable, but large enough to store all my things (which isn't much anyways).

 

Now that is covered, the next step is to figure out transportation: commuting via transit system or purchasing/leasing a car. This is still a large concern, since I received mixed opinions on this. I spoke with one of my colleagues, and they advise that I purchase/lease a car. But then others on here comment that the RTA isn't that bad. This is quite the dilemma...

 

There's this unfortunate attitude in Cleveland which you'll soon experience... Many people who were born and raised in the suburbs of Cleveland like to hate on the city of Cleveland itself..... My recommendation of first taking the bus to try it out still stands. That way, even if you hate it, you can take some time to save up downpayment $$.

 

I agree with doc broc, and I am a suburbanite.  You should give it a try without a car, you can always get one later.  If you are living downtown, it should be do-able and will save you a LOT of money by not having one.  Yes, it is more of a hassle than having one; so it's up to you - if you want to shell out the $ for the car payment, insurance, gas, maintenance AND parking downtown at the Crittenden, which won't be cheap, you'll have more convenience.  If you can wait a little longer to get to and from a store via the bus, or  have a bike, or don't mind walking, even in bad weather, you can make it work without a car. 

I think what makes it tricky is not using the RTA or Public Transportation...its the location of where you work.  RTA would be a no brainer if you worked at CSU, University Circle, Cleveland Clinic, etc....since they're all on heavy transportation lines. 

 

A Euclid side road is what makes it tough.  With the distance, upcoming weather,  variable schedules...its gonna take you being commited.

I agree with docbroc and rockn'roller... give it a try.  If it is a PIA, you can walk to one of the car rental places downtown, take the car for the day and go hunt down a used car.  Are you going to be in town before you start work?  You can always give it a trial run.

I will be in Downtown Cleveland sometime around July 10th, so that will give me some time before work to test the transit system.

murray hill is right; you have to be committed to doing it.  I work downtown but live in a suburban neighborhood that is "close" to RTA but not right on a flier bus line.  When we went down to one car for over a year, I had to walk to and from the closest stop to a flier bus (fliers go from downtown to the suburbs via the highway; non-fliers go through the city and make many, many more stops).  I only had to walk about half a mile, which you would think is no big deal.  It was fine when the weather was decent.  In the rain, it was ok but not great.  In a driving thunderstorm, I had to cover myself head to toe with a large plastic poncho over my trench coat and sometimes wear a pair of pants over my work pants to avoid them getting soaked on the walk, changing out of them at work. In the winter, it was almost unbearable (to me).  Slogging through sometimes mid-thigh high snow (suburbs don't plow their walks and many don't even HAVE sidewalks), the snow sometimes slowing me down unexpectedly and making me miss a bus and then having to wait in blizzard like conditions for 20 minutes for another one.  As a female, this was pretty problematic as my face would get all wet and my makeup would run, my hair would get ruined from hats/scarves and wearing anything other than pants all winter was not much of an option. I was miserable.  But I chose to live in the suburbs and the price I pay is that I need to have a car or be miserable, so I got a 2nd job so I could afford to have a car again.  But every route is different and every person is different.  It's at least worth giving it a try since having a car is so expensive.

If you haven't already found these maps at RTA's website, they will be very indespensible to you:

 

http://www.riderta.com/pdf/maps/System_Map_Main.pdf

 

On the system map, your workplace appears to be on the upper-right corner of the map, but just to the lower-left corner of the box which reads "Euclid Transit Center and Park-N-Ride Lot." Unfortunately Tungsten Road isn't shown there to help clarify the location.

 

On this map:

 

http://www.riderta.com/pdf/maps/System_Map_Downtown.pdf

 

....your building is on the far left side of it, just above the wording "Western Reserve Building" and to the right of "West 10th". You have a two-block walk to the #1 bus route, or two blocks to the Tower City Center Rapid Transit where all the train routes come into. There is a station "Settlers Landing" right behind Crittenden Court, but the service on that portion of the line (called the Waterfront Line, between Tower City and South Harbor) isn't very frequent. It runs only during rush hours and special events (such as Browns games and Lakefront festivities). See:

http://www.riderta.com/pdf/67-67A.pdf

 

Anyway, back to maps.... The PDF versions of route timetables have maps in them which can be useful, although they are not to scale.

 

The schedule for the #1 bus route on St. Clair, just in case you haven't already found it online, is at:

http://www.riderta.com/pdf/1.pdf

 

Please note that every other bus goes beyond East 152nd Street to the Euclid Park & Ride. Your workplace is a few minutes before the bus gets to the park-n-ride. During rush hours, that means that the buses you will need depart downtown every 20 minutes. But the ride doesn't take an hour. According to the schedule, it looks to be about 45 minutes. With some good books and good music on the headphones, the time will pass quickly (and it will seem to get quicker with each ride).

 

And, like I said earlier, seriously consider getting a bicycle. Your 11-minute walk to/from the bus to your workplace can be cut to about 1 minute with a bicycle. And you'll have a lot more freedom of mobility downtown, to nearby neighborhoods like Ohio City, Tremont or for shopping at Steelyard Commons (there is direct bus service to Steelyard Commons from downtown). Other than Steelyard Commons, Tower City is your nearest shopping center:

 

http://www.towercitycenter.com/

http://www.steelyardcommons.com/

 

EDIT: The bus route schedule shown on Steelyard Commons website is out of date. Use this schedule instead:

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

Thanks KJP.  I've had a chance to review all of RiderTA's website -- but it's still confusing, as should be, since I'm not familiar with the area.  If I'm correct, the bus ride itself is about 45 minutes, but, coupled with an 11 minute walk thereafter, the entire trip equates to about an hour.

Thanks KJP. I've had a chance to review all of RiderTA's website -- but it's still confusing, as should be, since I'm not familiar with the area. If I'm correct, the bus ride itself is about 45 minutes, but, coupled with an 11 minute walk thereafter, the entire trip equates to about an hour.

 

Yes, but on your bike it's a 2 minute ride (KJP must ride 40 mph to make it in 1 min! :) ).

I can if I hold on to the bumper of the passing car, ala Michael J Fox did on a skateboard in "Back To The Future"....

Hi everyone,

 

Again, thanks so much for all the help. Greatly appreciated it.

 

I have finally arrived in Cleveland, and I decided to settle in with the Crittenden Court Apartments.  It isn't too bad -- room is a good size but the gym, for lack of a better term, sucks.  Anyways, the next step is determining a bus route to work.

 

I know that several individuals have suggested that I take the Red (or Health) line, then transfer to the 28 Bus.  For clarification, does the 28 bus take me right into Tungsten Road?  And is this bus safe?  Safer than taking the 1 bus all the way through to Tungsten Rd.?

Didn't you say you were working near the intersection of Tungsten and Chardon?  If that's the case, I think I'd just stick with the #1, personally.

Sorry for taking this post slightly off topic, but lately, especially in the relocation threads, I keep seeing the question "is this bus safe".  Has there all of a sudden been a mad outbreak of murders, robberies and and rapes on RTA buses and gangs boarding the buses when they go through sketching neighborhoods, of which I am unaware or which is not being reported in the media.  I no longer ride RTA but did so for years, both the rapid and buses, and went through some of Clevelands worst neighborhoods, and I never felt unsafe or had a concern.

No, I think it's just a matter of perception (or lack of awareness) - although I do suppose the question is legitimate and sincere. Occasionally a crime will occur and it's reported in the news as "near a bus stop on _____", and some people assume that the entire transit system isn't safe.

 

That said, the buses and trains in Cleveland are generally safe - as always and as you should in any major city, keep your wits about you. If you're not comfortable, sit toward the front of the bus (closer to the driver); don't flash cash or expensive merchandise, etc. The worst problem I ever had on a bus was someone with B.O., or a group of kids being loud and rowdy - annoying but hardly threatening.

I work in the middle of Tungsten Road.

Sorry for taking this post slightly off topic, but lately, especially in the relocation threads, I keep seeing the question "is this bus safe".  Has there all of a sudden been a mad outbreak of murders, robberies and and rapes on RTA buses and gangs boarding the buses when they go through sketching neighborhoods, of which I am unaware or which is not being reported in the media.  I no longer ride RTA but did so for years, both the rapid and buses, and went through some of Clevelands worst neighborhoods, and I never felt unsafe or had a concern.

 

These inquiries are from people who do not live here, they have no idea what the transit system is like. And unfortunately, most of the time when they ask people at their future place of employment, they are told to avoid the public transit system at all costs.  I think the inquiries are perfectly reasonable and am glad they've found our board where calmer heads prevail, and where there are people who ACTUALLY USE RTA who can report on it's positives and negatives, as opposed to the people who have never been on it.

 

And yes, it's safe.  Unsavory at times, but not "unsafe."

I work in the middle of Tungsten Road.

 

I agree with docbroc. Stick with the #1 bus route on St. Clair. I was doing a Google streetview of your walking route and it's not bad (winter may be a different story). The area around the intersection of Tungsten-Chardon roads is a little isolated (there's a cemetery and some businesses set way back from the street) but the rest has homes and businesses right near the street that might provide a comfort level. But it's a hike from where you work (may I assume GE, or perhaps HC Starck?). Either way, the distance is about 2,000 feet to the intersection of St. Clair and Chardon roads, which appears to be a more hospitable place to wait for a #1 bus that at the intersection of St. Clair and East 200th. Unfortunately there are no bus shelters along this section of St. Clair nor any restaurants to hang out at in case it's raining/snowing and you just miss a bus.

 

If you take a bicycle with you, that 2,000 feet will take no time at all. You could even consider taking the #28 on Euclid if you had a bike. But the #1 route doesn't involve a transfer and appears to be the better choice. You will be riding through some of the roughest areas in Cleveland, but like the others say, the buses are pretty safe. Most punks don't try anything on the bus, and they don't usually mess with strangers. Almost all crimes are between people who know each other.

Thanks everyone.

 

I had a chance today to walk around and see the sights but something immediately came to mind: Where do I go to purchase furnishings in the downtown area?  For example, computer desks, lamps, shower curtains, etc...

You're going to have to venture a little outside of downtown to get those things. There is a furniture store in Tower City but I think it's geared more towards large pieces of furniture instead of small stuff like shower curtains. Steelyard Commons is a few miles south of downtown and has Target, Walmart and Best Buy. As for getting there, I'll defer to someone who knows more about RTA.

 

Also there's Surroundings on St. Clair between W. 6th and W. 9th but it's also mostly geared towards big ticket items.

Steelyard Commons: #81 from Ontario/Euclid - Walmart Supercenter, Target, Home Depot, Old Navy, Best Buy, Staples

 

West 117th St: Red Line train westbound to 117th, then walk south to Home Depot, Staples, Target

 

Severance Town Center: #9 from Public Square - Walmart, Home Depot

 

Westgate Mall: #55 from Public Square - Kohls, Target

 

RTA trip planner: http://tripplanner.gcrta.org/hiwire - select trip plan in left toolbar, then under destinations you can pick shopping and it will give you transit directions to many area shopping centers.