I just got a job at the Cleveland Clinic and will be driving down from Michigan next week to find a place to live. I'm in my early 20's and female. I will be working 2nd shift and getting home late. I would really like to live downtown, but I want to be in a relatively safe area. Should I be concerned about coming home late at night by myself? I get the impression that Cleveland isn't as unsafe as some people make it out to be, but I don't really know anything about the area.

Downtown is fairly safe, especially if you stay to the areas with larger residential populations- I'd look into The Warehouse District and East 4th.  I've also known single women your age who have lived alone on E. 12th and near CSU, though I wouldn't say they are as busy and well lit as the first two I mentioned.

Hi! Welcome to Cleveland

Try downtown...any of the areas (Gateway, Warehouse District, CSU, E.12th) are suitable and you have access to either the Red Line Rapid (station is at Tower City) or the Euclid Ave. "Healthline" which is a bus system that will drop you off right at CCF--- if you don't always want to drive or can't drive. In the winter it's definitely a great option to getting to work. I work at CWRU and live downtown...I know.

 

Otherwise, I'd try Little Italy (in the University Circle area), Shaker Square, or Cleve Hts.

Downtown can also be more costly than living elsewhere, particularly if you have a car, but you should definitely check out downtown first.  As has been mentioned, Warehouse District and E 4th are good places to star but you'll get lots of good and specific suggestions on here outside of those 2, and you can take the aforementioned healthline to work.  Alternately, I'd look at Cleveland Heights, there are a lot of single 20somethings living there and it's very close. 

There is also an "escort service" -- no, not that kind! They're downtown safety ambassadors you can call to be escorted from work or restaurants to your home downtown if you don't feel safe, for whatever reason. For more information, see:

http://www.downtownclevelandalliance.com/page/safety-ambassadors.aspx?parent=11 or call the Downtown Cleveland Alliance at 216-736-7799 for more information.

 

Sometimes having a can of pepper spray handy is better! You will probably get approached occasionally by some guy, but most will walk away if you tell them no-thanks. If they get aggressive, pull the pepper spray out and show it to them. To avoid having it used against you, take a self-defense class.

 

OK, now that you're probably totally freaked out, let me reassure you. Most crimes are committed between people who know each other. If you stick to the main streets and well-lighted areas of downtown, the Cleveland Clinic campus and RTA stations (the Clinic and the RTA have their own police forces -- keep their information handy), you should have few if any problems. You may find co-workers are heading to the parking garage or transit stops the same time as you. Walk together -- especially if you think you can trust them! If you're riding the HealthLine back to downtown (or taking transit anywhere late at night), sit near the bus driver. The HealthLine and the Rapid rail lines sometimes have RTA cops riding along to check if you've paid your fare and to look out for loonies. They are fully accredited police officers with arrest powers and are armed.

 

Where in Michigan do you live? If you can give us a specific neighborhood you like in Michigan, we can give you a comparable neighborhood(s) in Cleveland.

 

Do you want access to wine bars or billiards clubs? Bike paths or indoor bike parks? Cliffs and rivers or exercise clubs? Beaches or art galleries? Art film theaters or bowling alleys? You will find there are a wide variety of areas of Cleveland that suit a wide variety of personal tastes and preferred activities.

 

 

My wife and I have lived downtown for almost 6 years and we have never experienced any crime.  There are some panhandlers, but actually the problem of aggressive panhandling has been greatly reduced in recent years.  It is much worse in other cities.

 

Regarding crime, we have not experienced it possibly because we do not try to by drugs from strangers in abandoned parks late at night or roam through crime filled inner-city neighborhoods looking for trouble.  We do not belong to a gang, so we do not need to protect our turf or prove how tough we are.  And one more thing, we do not get drunk in bars and start fights.  If you like to do any of the things listed above, then you may experience crime in downtown Cleveland.

 

All joking aside, downtown is a great neighborhood with very friendly people.  We love it and feel right at home here.

My wife and I have lived downtown for almost 6 years and we have never experienced any crime. There are some panhandlers, but actually the problem of aggressive panhandling has been greatly reduced in recent years. It is much worse in other cities.

 

Regarding crime, we have not experienced it possibly because we do not try to by drugs from strangers in abandoned parks late at night or roam through crime filled inner-city neighborhoods looking for trouble. We do not belong to a gang, so we do not need to protect our turf or prove how tough we are. And one more thing, we do not get drunk in bars and start fights. If you like to do any of the things listed above, then you may experience crime in downtown Cleveland.

 

All joking aside, downtown is a great neighborhood with very friendly people. We love it and feel right at home here.

 

25 year-old female downtown resident here!  Granted I do live with my boyfriend, but I'm a grad student at Case, and I take the bus to and from every day.  Yes you're gonna get the occasional panhandler, and yes, you'll probably get hooted and hollered at every once in a while, but TMH pretty much summed it up well, lol.

Thanks for the feedback/ suggestions, I really appreciate it! It sounds like I will have to stop getting drunk/looking for fights and trying to buy drugs if I want to live downtown. They may be hard habits to break lol. On a more serious note,  because I have a car and will have to pay for parking, I think living downtown may be a bit too expensive for me. I'm def not ruling it out, but I'm looking elsewhere as well. Cleveland Hts seems to be recommended a lot. Just based on my online research, the apts seem to be older and a little run-down. Is this area is mostly students? Or are there young professionals there as well?

Many young professionals in Cleveland Heights, although a lot of students also (but primarily grad students so they tend to be older).  You will find a variety of housing in the Hts.  Much of it is old but well maintained.  Of course the better maintained the more costly.  Same with new housing (although more limited...tends to be more expensive condos and townhouses...if they are being rented by their owners they tend to be a bit pricy.  My next door neighbor rented his for $1600).

 

By the way, I agree with what was said about downtown above.  Lived downtown for 2 years and never had a problem with crime.  In fact worked downtown for 23 years and was there at all hours and I personally had no problems and can recall very few problems experienced by friends (although it of course happens like it does EVERYWHERE).

You'll probably find that the West Side is more affordable but it's also farther away from the Cleveland Clinic. The West Side is also more "midwestern" in terms of its demographics, culture, architecture, attitudes and is even flatter than the East Side which tends be more "Northeastern" in terms of those descriptions.

 

You may like Lakewood -- the Gold Coast has many lower-cost apartments and condos in lakefront high-rises (I've lived in a mid-rise condo building two streets off the lake for 13 years and love it). On the Cleveland side of West 117th there are more apartments, and they're more affordable but not as many or as new. Most date from the 1920s while the buildings on the Lakewood side date from the 1930s to the 1970s. If you want something built post-1970s you have to go to Rocky River (tho' much of what they have was built 1950s-70s), Fairview Park or Westlake.

 

If you want new apartments (or completely rebuilt very recently), you either have to go pretty far out or stay close-in -- such as downtown, Ohio City, Tremont or University Circle (which is where the Clinic is). One of the newest apartment complexes in University Circle is the Triangle (built 1988), but this is proposed to be remodeled in the coming years with a major reconstruction project called Uptown. I don't remember the current status of this project (there is a thread on it somewhere around here!). See http://www.thetriangleapts.com/

 

Can anyone else remember if there are other new apartment complexes (or newly rebuilt) near University Circle? Oops, one that opened recently was Park Lane Villa, but it's a bit pricey.... http://www.parklanevilla.com/

Thank you everyone for the help! I'm most likely going to rent a place on W. 9th St.  It's a little further from the Clinic than I was hoping to be, but I really liked the area.

I lived in Cleveland Hts for a while and I really don't think there are many young professionals. I found that it was dominated by grad students. The young professionals tend to live downtown or in the near west side (Ohio City, Tremont and Detroit-Shoreway neighborhoods).

I know where there are a lot of old professionals....and young un-professionals.  :-D

I lived in Cleveland Hts for a while and I really don't think there are many young professionals. I found that it was dominated by grad students. The young professionals tend to live downtown or in the near west side (Ohio City, Tremont and Detroit-Shoreway neighborhoods).

 

Granted, the OP has found an apartment, where in CH did you live?

Thank you everyone for the help! I'm most likely going to rent a place on W. 9th St. It's a little further from the Clinic than I was hoping to be, but I really liked the area.

 

Congrats on finding a home in an area you like. If you have any more questions, need suggestions or anything else, just give us a shout! Welcome to Cleveland.

^^ My guess would be that 3231 lived either around Coventry or Cedar-Fairmount.  Lots of grad students in those areas, but some yuppies mixed in.  You are more likely to find yuppies in Hts off Lee Rd (Scarborough, Fairfax, etc.) and the streets off Fairmount to the east of Lee... or the Forrest Hills neighborhood... or the area between Cleveland Hts Blvd. and Taylor.

 

I get the point though.  The yuppies I am referring to are usually married with small children living in single family homes.  As far as apartment dwellers, Hts is much more attractive to and popular with grad students.