Relocating to Ohio-Beachwood? (Cleveland: rent , job, house)

[complexsimplicity]

Originally Posted by chartbury

Shaker Heights is the most family oriented suburb -- you can meet other young professionals at the Shaker Family Center in the Sussex neighborhood. The Shaker Family Center also houses two great preschools, has playgrounds, a baseball diamond and tennis courts. Even though Shaker taxes are higher than some other places, there are some great housing values in the Sussex and Fernway neighborhoods. Lots of sidewalks and block parties. A good way to get a feel of the area is to visit open houses on weekends. Good luck!

Yes the block parties, they had few of them on my street and surrounding streets last summer. There were children all over the place, this is definitely a family oriented community. Ditto to TheProf, comment.

[airics]

beachwood is nice.. not so nice south euclid, getting worse and the schools are not that great.. mayfield heights is decent.. lower priced than beachwood and schools are good

[miller2752]

difference b/w Beachwood and Solon.... Solon is a lot bigger than Beachwood. If you want your kids at a big high school than Solon or mayfield is your best shot. Smaller schools around the area would be beachwood, orange, and chagrin falls

[airics]

shaker taxes will kill you,,,, that will also happen if the mayfield school levy passes... ughh...

[newmommy7890]

So, is the consensus to go for Solon? The real estate agent is pushing that area. From what I've seen the homes seem to be "Cookie Cutter" style in developments, which I don't mind, but want to make sure we are in a safe town with low crime, things to do and within a short distance (20-30 dirve time tops), very good schools, and young families. I don't want to live in a town filled with senior citizens. We are in our mid-late 30s and have a 2 year old. We plan to have another child soon.

Thanks everyone. I welcome all input!

[sped]

Gosh, reading through the replies, I'm thinking the consensus is to just stick with Beachwood. It has everything that you want and a very short commute. Yes, there are plenty of seniors in Beachwood, but there are plenty of young families too. The only reason I can think of for not choosing Beachwood is the cost of housing. Your real estate agent may be steering you to Solon because the same house in Beachwood will cost less in Solon and the schools there are indeed very good.

[Traveler87]

I honestly would stick with Beachwood. I was just wondering if you looked into the western suburbs. Beachwood is great though.

[nlschr0]

I don't think that you can go wrong with Beachwood or Solon for what you're describing. Beachwood would put you closer to upscale shopping like the mall and Legacy Village. It's also a little older, more established, and a little closer to the city if that's an interest. Solon is a newer suburb, more big-box stores and typical neighborhoods, but still strong schools, mid-to-upper class homes, and low-crime. If I were you, I would look at houses in both and see which one appeals more to you - I think that either could work well for your family's needs.

I would also stick to the east side (vs the west side suburbs). There are some nice west-side suburbs that would fit your needs, but you would have a long commute. There isn't a good, direct interstate that can take you to Beachwood from the west side. You either have to follow the interstates all around the city and double-back, or take the streets through the city. In my opinion, there isn't an advantage to anything on the west side that would make it worth the drive, unless you just really wanted to live near the lake.

[newmommy7890]

Thanks all!!

What si the drive time from Solon to Beachwood or Shaker? I've heard Solon is kind-of "out there". I don't want to be in the boonies or live far from where most friends live. I currently live in a small town and most of my friends live in the next town over. It's not that far, but don't want to make the same mistake twice.

Thanks!

[nlschr0]

Solon doesn't feel like a little place out-in-the-boonies. It is a good-sized bustling suburb with several large shopping centers, quite a few choices of chain restaurants, etc - it doesn't really feel like a small, quiet town at all.

However, you are farther out from some of the most interesting parts of the city (museums, unique restaurants, etc) if that is something you want to consider. Beachwood would be closer to those things, but still a little drive.

From Solon to Beachwood, you would probably be looking at about 15-30 minutes, depending on where you were going in each city. The closer to the highways, the better the commute obviously. If you're driving at the peak of rush hour, there are days it could be longer (snow, accidents, etc).