DownTown no good?? (Cleveland, Akron, Lakewood: for sale, 2014, apartment)

[Kieran_James84]

Hello All,

I am relocating to Cleveland next month from Europe. I have read a lot of posts about the different areas of Cleveland to live in, but none seem to mention DownTown. Am I missing something, or just not looking hard enough?

I am a single 30 yr old man, so I would like to be very central to nightlife, bars, restaurants etc, but if possible I would like an area that I can walk around in during the day and visit shops/coffee shops, go to the gym etc

I have visited cleveland a couple of times and stayed in the DownTown area and enjoyed my time there. Are there any strong reasons for not staying downtown? Or other areas that people would obviously say are more suited to my list above?

I am pretty open on my budget for renting (or potentially buying an apartment/condo) and my work place will be in the Medina/Akron area, but I do not mind the drive down.

For me I am interested in location, location, location.

Appreciate any help

Kieran

[L2DB]

Sounds like downtown would be good for you based on what you said.

Or Tremont/Ohio City.

[theurbanfiles]

Downtown is good, we probably just have had people in different positions doing the asking. The one reason many don't locate in Cleveland proper, and instead live in suburbs like Shaker Heights/Beachwood/Lakewood/Chagrin, is because the Cleveland schools don't have the greatest ratings.

But yeah, downtown is fine, and undergoing a spectacular renaissance, it's becoming more and more livable and enjoyable each day. Since Cleveland is an older city, it has many areas around town that display the type of "urban lifestyle" you are looking for. I guess as far as being central to bars/nightlife/young professional crowd, Downtown, Tremont and Ohio City as the previous poster mentioned, but also DT Lakewood, Coventry, Little Italy, and Uptown UC, among others are worth checking out too, to see the little quirks and advantages of each place. Since you will be on the west side though, L2DB is probably correct in that Downtown, Tremont, and Ohio City are your best bets.

Don't rule out Downtown Akron either, if it's much closer to what you are doing, and it also seems to possess a somewhat vibrant nightlife.

[costello_musicman]

Downtown units are very hard to get -- 97% full. Developers are building and converting as fast as they can.

Page 6 has a good overview of current options, plus upcoming residential projects:

http://www.downtowncleveland.com/med...ket-update.pdf

[costello_musicman]

If you can afford this -- here is the perfect location you'd want to be:

407 Prospect Ave E #5E, Cleveland, OH 44115 is For Sale - Zillow

- dozens of top restaurants and bars http://www.east4thstreet.com/dining
- 24-Hour gym next door http://www.titansgym.com/index.php?o...land&Itemid=22
- good coffee shops, including "Pour Cleveland" http://hold-the-coffee.blogspot.com/...eland.html?m=1

[WRnative]

Downtown has more convenient mass transit access to University Circle, one of the nation's cultural centers, if that is an interest. Ohio City is next best. Tremont isn't as convenient in this regard.

Cleveland is somewhat unique in that all three major pro sports venues are downtown within easy walking distance. Ditto for PlayhouseSquare, one of the nation's top theater complexes.

Downtown is walkable, but also is served by the Waterfront rail rapid line, the Healthline bus rapid, and very convenient free bus trolleys. There are more entertainment options downtown.

Ohio City is connected to downtown by the Red Line rail rapid. It's most famous for its bars, breweries and restaurants, and for the excellent West Side Market, one of the nation's very best public food markets.

[theurbanfiles]

I think WR Native summed it up pretty well. You are going to be able to have some world class experiences in this city , at incredibly affordable prices.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Kieran_James84

I am pretty open on my budget for renting (or potentially buying an apartment/condo) and my work place will be in the Medina/Akron area, but I do not mind the drive down.

I'd think twice about that if I were you. In good weather you might not mind the drive, but during a snowstorm the commute can get horrendous.

[SquareBetterThanAll]

Originally Posted by andrew61

I'd think twice about that if I were you. In good weather you might not mind the drive, but during a snowstorm the commute can get horrendous.

A true snow storm during commutes is a nominal issue, you're talking about two or three times a year.

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by SquareBetterThanAll

A true snow storm during commutes is a nominal issue, you're talking about two or three times a year.

Exactly. People in large metro areas commute to places as far away as Akron is from Cleveland and have to deal with major traffic and the occasional snowstorm.