Is Cleveland a nice livable city? (Lakewood, Rocky River: crime, house, neighborhoods)

[ropper111]

I mean if you have a decent standard, can you find a good life in Cleveland? Or is it all bad? Are there nice cute neighborhoods, and maybe things to do? Are there some good places to hang out and go experience? Is the lake nice-any running trails and such? I am worried that it's going to be a rough place...and that everyone is unhappy...thank you!

[teacherdad]

Wow! You have not spent any time in CLE.

Friendly, yes.

Trails? Metro Parks!!!!

All bad? It's not even close. All?

Let me guess.... your friends and family are "concerned" about CLE and you moving there?

It's awesome!

Playhouse Sq. (theatre district) is #2 in the country
Museums up the wazoo
Parks
Sports teams and tix are affordable!
Clubs/Restaurants some of the best in the country

There's more, just want to give locals a chance to pounce on this thread.

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by ropper111

I mean if you have a decent standard, can you find a good life in Cleveland? Or is it all bad? Are there nice cute neighborhoods, and maybe things to do? Are there some good places to hang out and go experience? Is the lake nice-any running trails and such? I am worried that it's going to be a rough place...and that everyone is unhappy...thank you!

Click on Teacherdad and read all of his investigatory threads on Cleveland. Imagine Sherlock Holmes trying to decide whether to relocate to Cleveland.

Read through this forum. Here are just a couple good threads.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/cleve...cleveland.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/cleve...daughters.html

See post 26 here.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/cleve...borhood-3.html

If you don't enjoy four seasons of weather, or if cloudy winters would bother you, consider those aspects of life in Cleveland carefully, especially as a perusal of your posts suggests that you live in Tampa Bay.

Personally, I enjoy Cleveland winters and its other seasons.

See posts 14 and 16 here:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/gener...l#post43618667

[bjimmy24]

There are some very nice areas in Cleveland and the surrounding suburbs, especially inner ring ones. Don't worry!

[kpl1228]

For "livability" as well as overall quality of life, it's hard to top Greater Cleveland. So many things are in the running for "best in the nation", or at least top 5 or top 10. It's worth living there just for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, or the Metroparks. Absolute treasures.

Not to mention there's probably no town in the US that offers what Cleveland has for "bang for the buck" value. Especially if you want to buy a reasonably priced house someday.

And for all the gripers about three months of crap winter, find stuff to do indoors if you're not a winter sports person. And it isn't bad EVERY day of the winter, btw. The "tough Cleveland winter" is more like a few days or weeks of horribleness and the rest is just so-so. But yeah, those rough days make you lust for Miami Beach, or at least spring training in Arizona. I used to laugh at snowbirds, but they got it figured out, I think. Stay in Ohio for the best part and take some time in the sun for the rest.

It took me moving out of state to go out west to realize all of the NE Ohio stuff I had been taking for granted. After three rewarding but overall unsatisfying years teaching out West, I'm plotting my return. Tuning up the resume as I speak.

In short, I've never shown off Cleveland to out-of-towners and had them not leave impressed, or even blown away. People just don't know......

[Nathan777]

Are you for sure moving here then?

Where are you coming from? Often, it seems that when people have to come here from a place such as Florida they feel the weather here would make everyone unhappy

[WRnative]

Perhaps the biggest concern for enjoyable living in Cleveland for many is the lack of sunny days from November through April.

https://www.currentresults.com/Weath...e-november.php

[TBideon]

By and large the metro area is extremely livable and a solid investment, provided you and your significant other have stable employment. Rocky River, Lakewood and Chagrin Falls in particular capture the best of all worlds.

In terms of living in the city proper, that's another beast and depends on your tolerance for crime and expensive housing. I would say West Park, University Circle/Little Italy, and Larchmere would be the best bang for your buck investments for the long-term.

[usernameunavailable]

Originally Posted by TBideon

By and large the metro area is extremely livable and a solid investment, provided you and your significant other have stable employment. Rocky River, Lakewood and Chagrin Falls in particular capture the best of all worlds.

In terms of living in the city proper, that's another beast and depends on your tolerance for crime and expensive housing. I would say West Park, University Circle/Little Italy, and Larchmere would be the best bang for your buck investments for the long-term.

I just visited West Park for the first time last week. I was blown away by how nice it is. Seems very safe and upscale, just not really trendy per say since it is mostly families and older folks in general. Really every stop on the Red Line starting w/ W.117-Madison is like this (going out towards the airport)

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Perhaps the biggest concern for enjoyable living in Cleveland for many is the lack of sunny days from November through April.

https://www.currentresults.com/Weath...e-november.php

Tell me about it! I'd forgotten how gloomy Cleveland winters are. Even though we had a mild winter this year, there were still far too many overcast days and far too little sunshine! I was really feeling it!

And it wasn't like I'd spent the previous twenty years in, say, sunny California... I was in freakin' Chicago!

You wouldn't think there would be that much difference, but Chicago winters have much more sunshine than here... even on bitter cold days. It does help a person's mood.