I am a young professional relocating to Cleveland for a new job and have been trying to figure what area to start looking for apartments in.  I would like to live in an area that has good walkability.  I want to be able to walk to restaurants, coffee shops, the grocery store, etc.  And I would like to be close to mass transit.

 

From what I have been reading one of these areas is shaker heights.  Is this a good area for young professionals??

 

Any recommendations on what apartment buildings to look into? 

 

 

Welcome to the forum, and welcome to Cleveland! I'm not as familiar with the area as some forumers are, but you'll want to know that there is Shaker Heights, an eastern inner-ring suburb and Shaker Square which is a eastern neighborhood within Cleveland city limits. Both are desirable areas - with Shaker Square having a lot of the amenities you've mentioned (including access to transit), but it will all depend on your interests/preferences. Also, if you could let us know the approximate area where you'll be working (no need for specifics), that will help everyone give more appropriate recommendations.

Thank you for the welcome!  I appreciate the information about the shaker heights/shaker square difference.  I would really like to know more about shaker square and what restaurants and stores, etc are along it.  I will be working in the I-480/Broadway Ave area and I hope to be no further than thirty minutes or so from this part of town.

Just to confirm - Broadway crosses I-480 in two areas - near Garfield Heights, and near Oakwood near the intersection of Broadway/Forbes. Neither is very far from Shaker Heights or Shaker Square, but are you planning to take transit to work or will you have access to a car?

Congratulations on your new job, Ljenni. If you want to live in Shaker Square, then that means taking the #48 bus south along South Moreland, East 130th/131st. If you'll be working in Garfield Heights, then the commute time is just over 20 minutes and you won't need to transfer although you may need to bring your bicycle on the bus's racks in case your workplace isn't within an easy walk of a bus stop. If your workplace is in Oakwood, then you will need to transfer from the 48 to the 90F. Commute time with transfer is about 50 minutes -- but the connecting time is pretty tight so if you miss it means waiting about 30 minutes.

 

Note that the 48 goes north from Shaker Square up to the University Circle/Little Italy area, so you might consider that area as well. I think you would like any of these areas, although the UC/Little Italy lacks in immediately accessible grocery stores, but it is not lacking in food options! There is also a full-service grocery store at Shaker Square.

 

Here are the bus timetables for the area(s) you will be working in:

http://www.riderta.com/pdf/48-48A.pdf

http://www.riderta.com/pdf/90F.pdf

http://www.riderta.com/pdf/88.pdf (proposed to be discontinued in April)

 

Note that the 90F runs on the freeways out of downtown and takes just 30 minutes to travel between downtown and Garfield Heights, or 45-50 minutes between downtown and Oakwood. So if you want to widen your search area and include downtown, you will have a direct one-seat transit ride available between work and home.

 

If you would like to see what these areas look like, check out my photo threads at:

Little Italy/Murray Hill -- http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,16259.0.html

Shaker Square/Shaker Heights -- http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,16260.0.html

Downtown -- http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,16261.0.html

 

See also......

http://www.shakersquare.net/

http://www.littleitalycleveland.com/

http://www.downtownclevelandalliance.com/

I will be working in the Garfield heights area around where 1-480 and Broadway intersect.  I have a car and could drive to work but I would rather take mass transit.  The reason being, I am from Houston, which is a huge commuter city and I am tired of have to drive everywhere.  I would prefer the convienance of hoping on a bus.  I think the #48 bus looks good at least if I find a place in Shaker Square or UC/Little Italy.  I do have a bike so that would be no problem if the bus stop is not close enough to work to walk.  How does it work with the bus bike rack?  I am concerned that I would need a spot for my bike but it would be full.  Is this a problem?

 

So KJP, I looked through the website you gave me and I really like the area of Shaker Square.  It seems like it has a urban feel but is still quaint. I may be wrong since I have yet to make it there and see it for myself but those are my impressions.  I like that the pictures you showed had lots of people outside and walking about.  I think this would be a good area to check out for sure.  But before I get too far ahead of myself I would like to know the range of apartment prices in the area. 

 

I am looking for a one bedroom/one bathroom around $500-600 a month.  This may be a steal for this area and if that is the case then I would be open to suggestions for other areas that are within thirty minutes of Garfield heights but that are more within my price range.

 

Any thoughts and suggestions would be much appreciated regarding mass transit, apartment buildings and areas of town that have the amenities I am looking for.

Here are some samples of apartments in the Shaker Square area. But without knowing what amenities, styles or eras of apartments you prefer these are meant only to give you an idea what the rents are like (I like the apartments.com site because it has photos and floorplans; pluggedincleveland.com also has information about restaurants and nightlife citywide)....

 

http://www.apartments.com/summary.aspx?property=102375.2&srank=2&subarea1=y&area3=y&state=oh&rgn1=36&helicon=1&rent_minimum=0&rent_maximum=750&page=summary&prvpg=7&srt1=0.84&srt2=0.43&srt3=0.77

 

http://www.apartments.com/summary.aspx?property=157748.1&srank=10&subarea1=y&area3=y&state=oh&rgn1=36&helicon=1&rent_minimum=0&rent_maximum=1000&page=summary&prvpg=7&srt1=0.84&srt2=0.43&srt3=0.77

 

More.....

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=112390

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=160200

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=168162

 

Here's a couple of tips:  do not venture too far south/west of Drexmore and Ludlow, especially at night. Do not venture too far west of East 128th Street on Shaker Boulevard. In short, the farther west and south you go from Shaker Square, the rougher the neighborhoods tend to be. Riding the #48 bus south from Shaker Square might be OK, but I've never ridden that section. I'm hopeful others here have and can tell her what to expect.

 

Be aware that the area between Shaker Square and where you will work is one of the roughest neighborhoods in the city.

 

That is why living downtown might offer the better commute by bus since most of it is via freeway. But it is more than a half-mile (a long walk or a short bike ride) from the #90A stop at Broadway & Libby north to the I-480 area. You may find that downtown offers some nice, yet relatively affordable housing options too.

 

 

 

Thank you so much for the links.  I have some good leads on apartments now from these sites and some other ones that I have searched.  I am really hoping to find something within the next two weeks.

 

Thank you also for the concern, in terms of safety.  Knowing how the neighborhood is now, I probably will just drive to work.  In terms of convience and safety that sounds like the better option anyways.  Although I am looking at an apartment downtown so, who knows maybe I will end up commuting by bus from downtown.

 

You mentioned some of the surrounding areas of Shaker Square as being unsafe, how is the Shaker Square area specifically?

 

As far as apartment buildings go...I like old (vintage) buildings, with woodfloors, laundry room, one bed/one bath, utilities included, and in a very walkable neighborhood.  I am hoping that something in Shaker Square with come through.  Any leads...let me know!

 

 

 

 

 

^ You will find plenty of apartments that fit that description in the SS area.  You may also want to broaden your search.  About 5 minutes north of SS is the Coventry area of Cleveland Hts.  Very walkable and you'll be hard pressed to find a building without wood floors.  But it would put you further away from work.

 

I also would recommend driving to work, depending on how far the bus stops are from your (eventual) home and job and how many transfers you would have to make.  You will find the commuter traffic here in Cleveland much lighter than Houston.

In addition to find lots of historic apartment buildings with wood floors in Shaker Square, you will find that the square itself, plus the areas to the north and east of it are quite safe. As in any big city you do want to keep your eyes open, especially at night. But most violent crime are typically between people who know each other. Property damage, petty theft and nuisance crimes are a sad reality in any city of size. The best solution is to make your property less of an easy target.

If you need a tour of the SS area send me a PM, be happy to do so.  As HTS pointed out Coventry is another great option though it would lengthen your commute, but if you are considering UC then that isn't an issue.

Here are some samples of apartments in the Shaker Square area. But without knowing what amenities, styles or eras of apartments you prefer these are meant only to give you an idea what the rents are like (I like the apartments.com site because it has photos and floorplans; pluggedincleveland.com also has information about restaurants and nightlife citywide)....

 

http://www.apartments.com/summary.aspx?property=102375.2&srank=2&subarea1=y&area3=y&state=oh&rgn1=36&helicon=1&rent_minimum=0&rent_maximum=750&page=summary&prvpg=7&srt1=0.84&srt2=0.43&srt3=0.77

 

http://www.apartments.com/summary.aspx?property=157748.1&srank=10&subarea1=y&area3=y&state=oh&rgn1=36&helicon=1&rent_minimum=0&rent_maximum=1000&page=summary&prvpg=7&srt1=0.84&srt2=0.43&srt3=0.77

 

More.....

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=112390

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=160200

 

http://www.pluggedincleveland.com/rentals/view.cgi?num=168162

 

Here's a couple of tips:  do not venture too far south/west of Drexmore and Ludlow, especially at night. Do not venture too far west of East 128th Street on Shaker Boulevard. In short, the farther west and south you go from Shaker Square, the rougher the neighborhoods tend to be. Riding the #48 bus south from Shaker Square might be OK, but I've never ridden that section. I'm hopeful others here have and can tell her what to expect.

 

Be aware that the area between Shaker Square and where you will work is one of the roughest neighborhoods in the city.

 

That is why living downtown might offer the better commute by bus since most of it is via freeway. But it is more than a half-mile (a long walk or a short bike ride) from the #90A stop at Broadway & Libby north to the I-480 area. You may find that downtown offers some nice, yet relatively affordable housing options too.

 

 

 

 

I'm going to disagree.  As Williams to buckeye down to 125 is safe.    There are also many nice blocks west of S. Moreland.  Even that strange lot with just a mailbox.  :?

Disagreeing to a nearly three-month-old post about what commuting route to take is like telling Lady Di not to take the Paris tunnel after the fact.

 

Ljenni already decided she was going to drive to work...

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,22223.msg463125.html#msg463125

 

This is what happens when you get locked up in some human rights-violating country and don't have access to the Internet for six months, MTS!

Disagreeing to a nearly three-month-old post about what commuting route to take is like telling Lady Di not to take the Paris tunnel after the fact.

 

Ljenni already decided she was going to drive to work...

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,22223.msg463125.html#msg463125

 

This is what happens when you get locked up in some human rights-violating country and don't have access to the Internet for six months, MTS!

 

HUSH!