Cleveland Heights - Good spot for married couple in early 30s? (Ohio City: sales, city hall)

[Clevelander17]

I would add the Fairmount Boulevard/Roxboro/Cedar Hill neighborhood to your list of places to look at in western Cleveland Heights.

[treat]

You should check out University Hts as well near Cedar and Fairmount. But I agree, Shaker Hts and Cleveland Hts are both great areas. If you're planning on doing private school, there's quite a few schools there and it's best to stay on the east side.

[yeahsure]

Cleveland Heights was wonderful while it lasted...I grew up with mainly whites, jews, and russians, it was cool. I'm glad I got the opportunity be a part of a diverse community than most people. Cleveland Heights has gone down, Shaker Heights is going down, Beachwood is a good choice... majority Jewish. Richmond Heights is hanging on. Highland Heights is excellent for a young family plus the taxes are good. Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights are known to be two of the cities with the highest property taxes in Cuyahoga County, Chesteland is nice, Willoughby Hills is nice, Personally, I like Highland Heights. University Heights is great but they are part of Cleveland Heights. I lived in University Heights for 6 years and I loved it.

[yeahsure]

this is orange village

[Clevelander17]

Originally Posted by yeahsure

Cleveland Heights was wonderful while it lasted...I grew up with mainly whites, jews, and russians, it was cool. I'm glad I got the opportunity be a part of a diverse community than most people. Cleveland Heights has gone down, Shaker Heights is going down, Beachwood is a good choice... majority Jewish. Richmond Heights is hanging on. Highland Heights is excellent for a young family plus the taxes are good. Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights are known to be two of the cities with the highest property taxes in Cuyahoga County, Chesteland is nice, Willoughby Hills is nice, Personally, I like Highland Heights. University Heights is great but they are part of Cleveland Heights. I lived in University Heights for 6 years and I loved it.

Cleveland Heights is fine suburb, with good parts and bad parts. Shaker Heights, the same, but even more nice areas. To me they have more character than most of the outer-ring suburbs. I'd say both, especially Shaker Heights, are better off than Richmond Heights. Shaker Heights still has a substantial Jewish influence, if that even matters. You're right about University Heights, though, its worst attribute by a longshot is that it's part of the Cleveland Heights schools. Although over 60% of children in the city go to private schools.

[orion1778]

Originally Posted by yeahsure

Cleveland Heights was wonderful while it lasted...I grew up with mainly whites, jews, and russians, it was cool. I'm glad I got the opportunity be a part of a diverse community than most people. Cleveland Heights has gone down, Shaker Heights is going down, Beachwood is a good choice... majority Jewish. Richmond Heights is hanging on. Highland Heights is excellent for a young family plus the taxes are good. Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights are known to be two of the cities with the highest property taxes in Cuyahoga County, Chesteland is nice, Willoughby Hills is nice, Personally, I like Highland Heights. University Heights is great but they are part of Cleveland Heights. I lived in University Heights for 6 years and I loved it.

OK - the OP noted the appeal of Cleveland Heights because of its proximity to nightlife/action/vibe... Richmond Heights, Chesterland, Willoughby Hills, Highland Heights, Orange... sorry, but these cities can be real snooz-fests, especially if you're used to a place like NYC (as the OP also noted). The closest you get to nightlife or action in these cities is eating at Applebees or seeing a movie at the Regal multi-plex.

The best places for nightlight and action are downtown, Tremont, or Cleveland Heights. Based on some of the OP's other considerations, Cleveland Heights seems to be the best fit. Just because you might not be looking for some of these attributes doesn't mean it is a bad fit for this particular person.

[nlschr0]

Personally, I know several Cleveland Clinic families who have purchased in the Cleveland Heights area (homes at $500,000 and up) that are wanting to move into Beachwood, etc and are currently struggling to sell their properties. There are still nice neighborhoods in cleve heights, but it isn't as favorable as it was even a few years ago...and the sketchier areas are definitely growing. University Heights is holding its own better, but still that leaves you with private schools being almost mandatory.

However, there are still some very community-minded families and groups in the area that are fighting to keep hold of a community that they've loved, and are doing everything from volunteering in the schools to neighborhood crime and drug/gang alert watches, so there are still the progressive minds in the area.

Personally, I would consider Shaker over Cleveland Heights, although that area is facing its own similar problems. The other suburbs mentioned are nice, but don't match the walkable areas and "vibe" of Cleveland or Shaker Heights.

[Clevelander17]

Originally Posted by nlschr0

Personally, I know several Cleveland Clinic families who have purchased in the Cleveland Heights area (homes at $500,000 and up) that are wanting to move into Beachwood, etc and are currently struggling to sell their properties. There are still nice neighborhoods in cleve heights, but it isn't as favorable as it was even a few years ago...and the sketchier areas are definitely growing. University Heights is holding its own better, but still that leaves you with private schools being almost mandatory.

I'd argue that the nice areas of Cleveland Heights are like a bubble. Not much has changed in those areas. If one can afford a home there, it's a great place to live, especially if working in Cleveland. I'd say that the upper end housing stock in Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights is amongst the best in the area. The huge, beautiful, old homes are unmatched on the east side and probably don't have an equal on the west side, either. Just my opinion, but modern-day McMansions can't come close to comparing.

[CH resident]

Honestly I have been a victim of very serious felony crimes in Cleveland Hts. One perpetrator got 99 years for a shocking felony that lasted 5 hours after he broke into my apartment. Two of my girlfriends were also victims of that same shocking felony. I foiled an attempt of that same crime from another man, but he perpetrated it onto another woman and got convicted. Besides that felony, our family home was broken into, ransacked and we were horribly burgled, including family heirlooms and car titles. Recently my neighbors and I both had our lawn mowers stolen out of our garages and another neighbor's house was broken into and ransacked and burgled while he was away. I honestly think Cleveland Hts is way, way too dangerous to be a good place to live anymore. Most people try to get along, but I have encountered confrontational attitudes from some women, instead of neighborly attitudes, which is scary to me.
You really need to check into the crime stats before you move here.
There was a murder of a policeman here last year and a murder of a young man near here last year too. Recently there was a knifing after the high school basketball game too.
Buyer beware.

[Clevelander17]

Originally Posted by CH resident

Honestly I have been a victim of very serious felony crimes in Cleveland Hts. One perpetrator got 99 years for a shocking felony that lasted 5 hours after he broke into my apartment. Two of my girlfriends were also victims of that same shocking felony. I foiled an attempt of that same crime from another man, but he perpetrated it onto another woman and got convicted. Besides that felony, our family home was broken into, ransacked and we were horribly burgled, including family heirlooms and car titles. Recently my neighbors and I both had our lawn mowers stolen out of our garages and another neighbor's house was broken into and ransacked and burgled while he was away. I honestly think Cleveland Hts is way, way too dangerous to be a good place to live anymore. Most people try to get along, but I have encountered confrontational attitudes from some women, instead of neighborly attitudes, which is scary to me.
You really need to check into the crime stats before you move here.
There was a murder of a policeman here last year and a murder of a young man near here last year too. Recently there was a knifing after the high school basketball game too.
Buyer beware.

Yes, do indeed check the crime stats--they show that Cleveland Heights is not only one of the safest inner-ring suburbs, but one of the safest suburbs in the Cleveland. The above anecdotal stories, supported by no evidence, are the exception, not the rule. The two murders were the first in six years in the city and it was the first time a CH officer lost his life in the line of duty in about 60 years. These things are not a regular occurrence. The CHPD is one of the largest and most aggressive forces in the area and they do a good job in the face of difficult circumstances.

Cleveland Heights is larger than most other municipalities in the county. Like any city, there are good parts and there are bad parts. As long as you remain aware of your surroundings and only visit the bad parts during the daylight hours, you should be fine. If not, you may become a victim. It can and does happen anywhere.

I hate to say it, but I'm a bit suspicious of someone who comes on here, names themselves something like "CH resident," and makes one post bashing the city.