Asian moving to Broadview Heights (Cleveland, Youngstown: real estate, 2015, rent)

[missyFIONA]

Hi guys!
Thanks in advance for taking time to read my thread.

Here are some facts about me you may need to take into consideration

I'm Asian- Chinese in particular, and am from Singapore. I will be relocating to the US within 12 months, and am looking at Broadview Heights, OH. I will be opening a restaurant/food truck selling authentic Singaporean/Taiwanese cuisines.

1. I'd previously considered CA and Oregon. Ohio seems a lot safer in terms of crime and natural disasters. What I can't figure out is why the property prices in Ohio are so much lower than CA and OR. Is there something deep and dark I'm missing out on?

2. That being said, are there any natural disasters I should be prepared for? Like if I'm relocating to OK, I'll probably need a basement to hide from all the tornadoes.

3. Is 80,000 really enough for a 2 bed, 2 bath townhome with a basement?

4. Like I've stated earlier in the thread, I'm looking to open an Asian restaurant. Will Broadview Heights be a good location? Or are there better areas within a 40 minutes drive?

5. Because I'm unable to access loopnet.com from where I am, do you have any idea how much a cozy restaurant that can seat ~20 people cost to purchase/rent?

6. I am yet to experience real racism during the time I studied in the States- but I've heard stories. Be frank, how bad is racism in that part of the country? Disregard how you think I will feel with the truth, I will appreciate you being blunt.
(Yes, even, "f*** off bad to your own country, you little yellow ratty immigrant".)
Moderator cut: Take note though, moderation might not be so kind - we have rules against language like this Yac.
Thank you again for taking time to read my post. Thank you in advance for any advice (no matter how outright you had been/or want to be)!!!

[Cleverfield]

1. Supply and demand. This area of the country saw a boom in industrial growth in the early and mid 20th century. Then as manufacturing slowly died, the region shrank. Now the region's economy is healthier, but the population is still smaller, and there's an oversupply of houses for the area's population.

2. No real natural disasters to worry about here. We do get a lot of snow though. Tornadoes are extremely rare, floods happen occasionally, no major earthquakes, no major droughts, no volcanoes, no wildfires, no mudslides, etc. This is probably the safest area of the country from a natural disasters perspective.

3. Yes, but be sure to check how much the HOA fees are, those can be a killer.

4. I think Broadview Heights would be a good location for a restaurant. There are lots of well-off suburbanites there.

5. No idea.

6. Most racism here is from old white people from the suburbs, and it's mostly directed at black people. I don't think you'll see much discrimination as an Asian American.

[maxmodder]

Many of the folks in the areas that you are looking to open your business are probably use to the american-Chinese food. I'm talking the Crab Wontons, General Tso's Chicken, Chop Suey Pu Pu Platter, Sweet 'n' Sour Pork, Sweet 'n' Sour Chicken, Egg Rolls, Beef and broccoli, fortune cookies... and as you know, NO one in Singapore eats ANY these "bastardized" versions of Chinese food. If you were to open up an actual authentic restaurant in Broadview heights, I think that it could be very successful because it would light a firecracker under the folks that live there and give them a chance to actually eat some actual REAL Chinese food that actually tastes good.

I mean chop suey... are you kidding me? It is said that some Chinese cook working during the Gold Rush served it as a personal "F you" to some drunk American miners.

It's the same thing with these mexican restaurants in the states. I was just in Mexico City last month on business and every time I go eat the food there, I just shake my head at the thought of the bastardized american versions that are on every other suburban block. There's a place in OTR near me that actually serves real authentic Mexican taco's that taste exactly like the ones I get in Mexico. There's a reason why that place is a 2 hour wait and every other "mexican" restaurant is immediate seating.

The people in the states that frequent these "mexican" restaurants have never even heard of mole, pozole, blue-corn tortillas, elote, esquite, chiles en nogada, chicharrón en chile verde, tacos al pastor, alambre, gringa, atole, champurrado.... the list goes on. They actually believe that the food they eat here is actually served in Asia and in Mexico LOL! What a joke.

[averysgore]

- Natural disasters aren't an issue. Tornadoes are very rare. There will be very cold winters with lots of snow, so be prepared for that.

- Cleverfield explained why housing prices are so low. There's a housing surplus due to many jobs leaving over the past decades, though things are getting better now.

- Broadview Heights is very suburban. (Frankly I can't picture it...I guess it must look a lot like N. Royalton and Strongsville.) You might have better luck with your restaurant closer to downtown or on the near west side, but there will be more issues with crime there. Maybe Lakewood? I'd imagine (assuming your restaurant is good) that you could do pretty well in Cleveland, at least closer to downtown. Probably you'll get a writeup in the newspaper.

- Racism was very bad in Cleveland, particularly against black people. It's gotten a lot better recently. I'm guessing in Broadview you won't encounter hate, just lots of misunderstanding, people not having a clue about Asian culture. Compared to CA or OR (and my new home of NJ) there's a much lower Asian population.

[warren zee]

I'd love to see more true ethnic restaurants in NE Ohio.

The areas around Universities are also good places for such a business. Case Western Reserve, Kent, Youngstown, etc.

College students love cheap, cutting edge ethnic food.

Yes - Ohio is safe from hurricanes, wild fires, tornadoes and other destructive "acts of God".

[Urban Peasant]

Back to the O.P.'s original post, check this out:


New Café Adds Authentic Taiwanese Fare to Asiatown Offerings | Scene and Heard: Scene's News Blog | Cleveland Scene

If this article is true, then there is a market for Taiwanese and other types of Chinese/Asian food in the Cleveland area. Granted I am not from the area and so I personally don't know much about Broadview Heights, I am not sure if it is better to open an authentic Asian restaurant there or in the more established Chinatown/Asiatown Goodrich-Kirkland neighborhood closer to Downtown Cleveland. Wikipedia's statistics seem to show the Asian population growing in Broadview Heights but I am not sure if it can sustain an authentic restaurant. Someone more familiar with the community can tell this.

Northeast Ohio has been losing population over the decades but has an abundance of land which explains why real estate prices are so cheap compared to the coastal states such as California, Oregon, or Massachusetts. Either way, the return on investment is based on how well the restaurant does. With less expensive real estate, there is less risk of a major loss unless of course the restaurant tanks right away. There is a small but sizeable and growing Asian community in NE Ohio and so you won't be culturally lonely.

[Enrico_Fermi]

Hey, I sent you a private message with some more information. I think it might be better that way to not get it overlooked by the people engaging in a battle of the wits here.

[missyFIONA]

Hi Enrico, thank you for sending me a PM! Looking forward to converse with you on skype.

[missyFIONA]

Thank you everyone who had given advises so earnestly! I'm not just looking at Broadview Heights, if you guys have any suggestions on other cities that may be suitable for an Asian to open an Asian restaurant, please do feel free to suggest! Thank you again

[maxmodder]

Once the business is open be sure to post back so that everyone can check it out. And just a reminder that wherever you decide, it's OK to not have it in the most "hip" part of town that all the young professionals are flocking to like sheep no matter how fiscally irresponsible they are. Rent will be cheaper in a non "hip" area and the patrons will most likely be better, repeat customers and less full of themselves as opposed to patrons in a "hip" area that are only concerned with whatever the next best thing is. You need to be careful about opening up an establishment in a "hip" area. These individuals think spending double in rent in a "hip location" is a smart thing to do when they can instead commute there in less than 15 minutes and pay half that rent amount. (all while being in a safer place that is policed much better) They won't have any money left to be eating out! These young professionals on their small starting college salary think they are on top of the world, and they jump right into a state of fiscal irresponsibility because last time I checked, there isn't a class in college called Credit Card 101.