Neighborhood selection help please! (Cleveland, Lakewood: foreclosure, renting, houses)

[CaseDocWife]

We moved to Cleveland 2 months ago and are renting a house in Cleveland heights. We loveeeee the location! So close to everything. Commute to Case western hospital where husband works is a dream. There are tree lined roads around our houses, I have a 2.5 yr old and we walk to Cain park. So, in short love location. But the neighborhood, while very friendly, is not what we are looking for.

We are planning to buy a house and need help with selecting right neighborhood.

Our criteria:
1. Our budget is 200-350K. 350 would have us under stress though. ( but if this means we are excluded from decent homes, we may reluctantly wait another year and save and will be better positioned)
2. Schools are important. Son is 2.5 yr old and we want best schools.
3. Looking for a place where young families, well educated people reside. Very important for us to be in a diverse, accepting neighborhood. We have no friends in the new city ( we are asian Indians, if anyone has suggestions for that community)
4. Commute to Case must be max 30 mins.

Open to all suggestions. Thanks in advance

[SmittyXCWRU]

I would suggest Shaker Heights. It is about the same distance from Case and has better schools and a lot more young families. Shaker Heights and the southern part of Cleveland Heights (the northern part including around Cain Park is more working class) have a lot of well educated folk and are certainly described as diverse and accepting. You may want to consider Lakewood, Beachwood, South Euclid, University Heights, and another part of Cleveland Heights as well, but I think based on what you posted Shaker Heights would be your best fit.

[OhAcid]

Shaker Heights as mentioned by SmittyXCWRU. Your budget fits, the schools are excellent, full of families, professionals, dense, and very diverse. The commute to Case is a short one, and trips downtown can be taken on the RTA Blue and Green line trains in under 25 minutes. It's great if you want to avoid finding and paying for parking. Shaker is rather walkable and gorgeously maintained. If you like Cleveland Heights as much as you do, I think Shaker Heights will really hit it home for you and your family.

[L2DB]

I'd nix South Euclid, but other than that it seems spot on. Lakewood is probably a bit further than you'd want and doesn't offer much over and above what's available in SH (i.e. it's pretty similar, but on the westside). I think it's also a bit less diverse, but I'm not 100% on that.

My wife and I are also in Cleveland Heights (have been for 10 years) and have a 3 year old. We're in sort of the same situation as you with deciding where we want to be longterm.

Here's sort of how I see things atm. We're essentially down to Shaker Heights and Beachwood, having ruled out Cleveland Heights because of schools - if you're willing to go with a private school, then staying in CH (though a different part) is perhaps the best option. Beachwood schools are better than Shaker schools (though some would disagree), but Shaker has better houses (older, more unique) with a better sense of community and feel. Diversity is probably closer than most think. From greatschools.com, one of the Shaker elementary schools (Mercer - chosen at random from K-4 schools) is 52% black, 43% white, and 3% Asian. The Beachwood K-2 school (Bryden) is 59% white, 22% black, and 17% Asian. So it depends on how you define diversity.

Anyways, hope this helps.

Edit: Also, forgot to mention. Shaker Heights taxes are pretty brutal. Even though houses are more expensive in Beachwood, they're better value IMO. (Same monthly payment, but more of it goes to building equity in your house as opposed to SH property taxes.)

[ehfp]

I think Shaker Heights sounds like a good fit too. My family moved to the Fernway neighborhood a few years ago and we found that the short streets and smaller lots made it easier to meet people than in other areas we'd lived, and we were amazed at the number of kids on the block.

My perception of Shaker vs. Beachwood, particularly at your price point, is that Shaker might be a little more liberal. (I noticed from your other post that you'd been in Madison. Shaker reminds me a lot of the Vilas neighborhood.)

[CaseDocWife]

Thank you everyone! So thankful to this forum.

Shaker heights( which parts in particular would you recommend?) is on top of Our list for sure. BeachWood is next.

Some others ( outside this forum) mentioned Solon and mayfield heights. Thoughts on those?

[L2DB]

MH schools are good. Solon schools are better. Neither is going to have the diversity you want (I don't know for sure offhand, but I'd guess neither school system has more than 10-15% minority population). Both are going to be significantly more cookie cutter housing and neighborhoods with more chain restaurants, big box stores, etc. (outside of a few areas, perhaps).

They're both also going to be a further commute and pushing the 30 minutes limit if not exceeding it.

Overall, it couldn't hurt to look, but based on what you told us, I doubt you'll end up there.

[CaseDocWife]

Got it. We will do some open houses and get a feel.

[blabber]

As an FYI, there is a house on Lansmere, in the Fernway neighborhood of Shaker that went to foreclosure (couple lived there for 50+years). A developer bought it and is renovating the home. Will have A/C, Four Seasons room, new garage (detached), movie room in basement, master bath in master bed, etc...Essentially a new, old home. Probably in your price range. After talking with him, I think it will be listed in the $275-$300 range. Great street, 60 kids or so. We moved here from North Carolina in 09 and love it here. The only downside is that there is vacant lot adjacent to it that kids love to play football on and the parents (and kids) like to have fire pits on, so if you don't like occasion noise (sometimes late into the night), it might not work.

It's not on MLS so if you have interest drive by and call the number on the sign in front. (not me)

[ehfp]

I can't talk up Fernway enough, honestly. Definitely do some open houses and stroll around. It's very much a front yard neighborhood. (I'm sure there are Shaker Heights neighborhood maps online somewhere, but just to make it easier, Fernway is bordered by Van Aken to the south, Parkland to the north, Lee to the west, and Parkland to the east.)