Planning to move to Cleveland

[yellowboy06]

How is shaker heights? Does the east Cleveland crime really affect living in shaker heights? is shaker heights a communist neighborhood where your wealth is taxed away even though the cheap housing?

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by yellowboy06

How is shaker heights? Does the east Cleveland crime really affect living in shaker heights? is shaker heights a communist neighborhood where your wealth is taxed away even though the cheap housing?

Housing isn't necessarily cheap in Shaker Heights, and, yes the relatively rich communists who live there tax everyone's wealth away to support such services as backyard trash pick-up and very high per student public school expenditures.

Consider Texas instead.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by yellowboy06

How is shaker heights? Does the east Cleveland crime really affect living in shaker heights? is shaker heights a communist neighborhood where your wealth is taxed away even though the cheap housing?

Well, comparatively the housing isn't all that cheap. Taxes are definitely higher than most. Personally I think it would be pretty easy to live without government trash pick up (not exactly rocket science, I'm sure someone would create an app for on demand trash pick up if they were allowed to), but that's just me.

Shaker Heights is a good place though. I love walking around Shaker Lakes, the district by Van Aken is actually getting pretty cool too. 5 years ago, I don't remember ever having a reason to go there, but now it seems pretty nice. Communities in Shaker tend to be pretty close from what I've noticed too, so consider that. Really close to urban life, but also parts are quite suburban, so you can kind of have it both ways.

[dr_j_planning]

Originally Posted by yellowboy06

How is shaker heights? Does the east Cleveland crime really affect living in shaker heights? is shaker heights a communist neighborhood where your wealth is taxed away even though the cheap housing?

I've been a homeowner in Shaker Heights for nearly three years. I live in the Thornton Park neighborhood near the new Van Aken District (Van Aken District demo to start in Shaker Heights, as Harry's Pizzeria, other tenants sign on | cleveland.com). I realize I pay higher property and income tax rates than folks in other locations because I live in Shaker and work in Cleveland, but I embrace my higher taxes because I value what my location provides me: walking distance to a new downtown and rapid transit station, recreational amenities, commercial retail and church. Please keep in mind that those who choose to live in more exurban locales really don't save on taxes because of the increase in required driving from those locations to jobs, shopping and recreation. The increased driving has its own costs, which are not typically deductible from your federal income tax. Exurban locations also afford less transportation choice: you have to drive everywhere for everything. From my home in Shaker, I choose to drive, bike, walk or rapid to my destinations and I'm not stuck if something happens to my vehicle or the weather changes or I enjoy a few drinks or I don't feel like dealing with senseless, distracted drivers.

Although I do not have children, I also value living in a diverse, educated community whose schools embrace a wide spectrum of individuals from Cleveland's Mt. Pleasant neighborhood to the mansions along Shaker's canopied boulevards. Shaker schools annually produce a remarkable number of high-achieving, academically-talented future leaders. Over the past eight years, only Solon and St. Ignatius schools have produced more National Merit Semi-Finalists than Shaker throughout all of Northeast Ohio and I am proud to support such high levels of achievement with my tax dollars.

Every community offers potential residents a value proposition; choosing a residence means choosing a community and understanding how the amenities of both home and community meet your values. If you review the true cost (housing AND transportation) for a location, and you know what both that home and that community will provide you, then you can make the most informed decision about whether your choice is worth the cost to live there. I did my homework on many communities and decided my Shaker Heights home and community met my values and are worth what I have to pay to live there. I'm happy with my decision.

Anyone who would like more information about my experience living in Shaker Heights may private message me.

[akviv]

Thank you!
I find out in December wether I get the job or not!
Will probably pester all of you again if I get in!

[JakeinChina]

dr J Planning..........Thanks so much for your sharing on SH. I'm going to message you asking about more info. WRnative already provided me with a ton of info on the eastern suburbs, which was awesome. I'm eventually moving to the Solon area, and I'm really interested in Shaker.

[OHdanIO]

Ohio City is up and coming and you should definitely be able to find a 1 bedroom or studio in that price range. Tremont is also on the rise and there are a ton of great restaurants within walking distance, and you're still minutes from downtown as well. Good luck with the job offer!

[patekcartier]

You should also consider Lakewood, Rocky River, Bay Village and Westlake - in that order. They are on the "westside" vs the east of downtown and are a VERY quick commute to downtown via the Shoreway and or I90. Lakewood is likely the cheapest and certainly the closest of the above and is also the most urban (TONS of great restaurants and fun commercial). Rocky River also has some "fancier" commercial areas though the rent is higher and it is less young and diverse. Bay Village and Westlake are scenic and beautiful places to live although further from the city and again far less urban, edgy and hip for the most park (outside of Crocker Park in Westlake but that is a hike). Lakewood remains the hippest area of the metroplex according to most. Tremont is trendy near its core but gets very dicey very quickly (although the rents ignore this fact). Ohio City has some great spots but again - it's quite "edgy" in a lot of areas and recently pricey as well. Lakewood would be my first stop for a recent transplant - it is safe, convenient and you really can't go wrong. You can always move to another area the next year if you choose. $650/700 will land you a great 1 bedroom apartment. Ideally, look to be west of Bunts Road if you can and north of Madison Ave. The swankier areas are close to the lake (Lake Road, Edgewater Dr.) and the trendy commercial is on Detroit Ave and also some on Madison Ave. Any apartments inside those borders would be a very safe, pedestrian, enjoyable spot to live and a fast commute into town. There is also a great busline if you live close to Clifton Blvd.

[Minervah]

There's a great bus line on Detroit AV in Lakewood as well. Madison, not so much. Detroit runs every 15 minutes, Madison every hour.

But if the OP is going to be working at the CC, Lakewood would be a bit too far for busing every day. It takes an hour and a bus transfer from downtown on the Healthline.

[RaisedRustbelt]

Originally Posted by Minervah

There's a great bus line on Detroit AV in Lakewood as well. Madison, not so much. Detroit runs every 15 minutes, Madison every hour.

But if the OP is going to be working at the CC, Lakewood would be a bit too far for busing every day. It takes an hour and a bus transfer from downtown on the Healthline.

True about the bus, but if he lived close to West 117th he could take the rapid to University Circle. Though personally if I was working on CC's main campus, I'd definitely look at UC, Little Italy, or Cedar Fairmount first.