Charming “Main Street” Places in or near Cleveland (Lorain: sales, real estate)

[WRnative]

Downtown Rocky River:


https://www.downtownriver.com/


Downtown Willoughby:


Downtown Willoughby Ohio | Shopping, Restaurants & Outdoor Events

Cleveland's Playhouse Square is magnificent and very popular among retirees (at least before the COVID-19 epidemic, but it likely will undergo a resurrection one more time). Using rail rapid from CH, you also easily can visit Ohio City's Market District.


https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...usesquare.html


https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...de.Market.html


If you want to experience fall colors, perhaps plan a visit to Holmes County.


https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and...-autumn-leaves



https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...h.Country.html

Check municipality recreation sites for local parks.


For Lakewood and Rocky River, check out the Rocky River Reservation, Edgewater and Wendy Parks of the Cleveland Metroparks system. Perhaps also check out the Huntington Reservation and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (great for walks if a member).


For northern Cleveland Heights/University Circle, check out Cain Park, Wade Oval, the Cultural Gardens, the Cleveland Museum of Art Fine Arts Garden and Wade Lagoon, and the new Nord Family Greenway. The Cleveland Botanical Garden is on Wade Oval and its membership also includes Holden, and vice versa.


https://www.cainpark.com/31/About



https://www.cainpark.com/


https://www.clevelandculturalgardens.org/



https://case.edu/nordgreenway/


From University Circle using Martin Luther King Blvd., it's easy to reach both the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve and Gordon Park and the East 72nd St. fishing area.



http://www.portofcleveland.com/envir...ature-preserve


https://www.google.com/search?client...Park+Cleveland

[ClevelandBrown]

I would check out Medina. It has pretty easy access to the westside via I-71 and actually not bad access to the eastside via I-271 which links with I-71 in Medina. Medina has also has a great historical downtown, with a public square that is basically a smaller version of Cleveland's (there is always activities going on there). There are several restaurants and little shops surrounding the square. Plus, Medina is becoming pretty racially diverse and from driving around there, looks to politically becoming more welcoming (Biden signs seem to outnumber Trump ones 5 to 1, though Medina County is still way more Trump country overall).

Another one in Medina County could be Wadsworth. Me and my wife moved there after originally looking at Medina just because Wadsworth was/still is more affordable. Wadsworth is more blue-collar and conservative, though it does have a nice downtown that is getting better and better by the year (a wine bar, a craft brewery, an Italian gelato/bocce place and a couple little restaurants with small outdoor patios have all opened or expanded in the past four to five years). It doesn't have the square like Medina does, but probably the better overall downtown now. Low key convenient also is that (in downtown) there is a DMV/title office that never has more than a 10 minute wait (don't think you can find that anywhere in a metro area in Ohio, lol). It's still on the less diverse side at least racially, but it's still night and day from when we moved in, especially the past couple of years. As an interracial family, we view that as a positive. It's even further from Cleveland than Medina is, but since it's between I-71 and I-77, you can get to pretty much to any corner of Cuyahoga County in less than an hour (probably 45 to downtown from either highway). On the other hand, you can get to both downtown Akron and Montrose (Akron's main shopping area) in 15 to 20 minutes.

I'd also add Berea to you areas to look at. It's like Oberlin at heart ... It has a nice Main Street area on Front Street and is a college town (Baldwin-Wallace). Plus, it's got a great location by 71/480 and the airport. It's also pretty racially diverse (though taxes are going to be higher there or anywhere in Cuyahoga County).

[SlideRules99]

Thanks ClevelandBrown! Medina has come up a few times, we will definitely check out the area. Sounds interesting. Berea will be easy enough to peek at as well.

I’ve learned quite a bit from these responses. Very much appreciated!

[TheProf]

Originally Posted by SlideRules99

Thanks ClevelandBrown! Medina has come up a few times, we will definitely check out the area. Sounds interesting. Berea will be easy enough to peek at as well.

I’ve learned quite a bit from these responses. Very much appreciated!

I'm not a Medina fan... Too far away from the City, literally, figuratively and politically. Medina is too white bread/conservative for my tastes. It's a haven for folks running away from Cleveland while technically remaining in the metro area.

[WRnative]

https://www.city-data.com/forum/ohio...n-squares.html

When you visit Little Italy, I heartily would recommend lunch or dinner at Mia Bella. Lunch is better because you likely will find street parking; Little Italy is typically parking challenged, especially in evenings. Presti's is a favorite for dessert after dining in Little Italy; be certain to get a number when you first arrive.

https://www.yelp.com/search?find_des...veland%2C%20OH

Trattoria has its own parking lot.

Definitely visit the Cleveland Museum of Art, which has free general admission. Metered street parking often is available on weekdays. Download the ArtLens App before your visit. Proximity to the CMA would be a personal priority if relocating from outside Cleveland with retirement in mind. Ditto, Severance Hall if you enjoy classical music and the Cleveland Cinematheque for film enthusiasts (the CMA also has superb film and live performance schedules when not in pandemic mode).

https://www.clevelandart.org/artlens-gallery

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...ed_States.html

https://www.cia.edu/cinematheque/

Lake View Cemetery (Wade Memorial Chapel, Garfield Monument, and more) likely is a necessary visit when evaluating Cleveland Heights. It's a walking mecca, such as in the spring to see Daffodil Hill's couple 100,000 bulbs (100,000 new bulbs were added in 2019) in bloom. Lake View also is an arboretum. One Lake View entrance is up the steep Mayfield Road hill just above Little Italy, if you like walking.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...land_Ohio.html

https://www.cleveland19.com/2020/04/...metery-photos/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...Cleveland.html

Melt Bar & Grilled is a Cleveland-based restaurant chain with a location in Cleveland Heights.

https://meltbarandgrilled.com/locati...eland-heights/

If you enjoy Hungarian food, definitely visit the Balaton on Shaker Square. Park behind the CVS entering the lot off North Moreland Blvd.; there's a pedestrian tunnel near the CVS entrance off the parking lot, walk to Shaker Square and turn right to reach the Balaton. It has the best Wiener Schnitzel in Greater Cleveland IMO; the small portion is sufficient if you don't want leftovers. I also enjoy the beet salad.

Balaton Restaurant, Cleveland-Ohio

Other threads perhaps relevant to your exploration. See post 29 here:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/clev...ll-town-3.html

One advantage of CF is its proximity to Beachwood Place Mall and Legacy Village, northern Ohio's premier upscale shopping district and a good place to visit when exploring Greater Cleveland (treat yourself at Mitchell's Ice Cream). CF also is adjacent to the excellent South Chagrin Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks and has easy access to Lake County beaches and parks, as well as the Geauga County Park District. CF is convenient to many shopping centers and big box stores along I-271, many near Mayfield Road, and also Mentor's sprawling retail offerings.

https://www.beachwoodplace.com/en.html

https://legacy-village.com/

https://www.city-data.com/forum/clev...rip-ideas.html

https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/o...in-reservation

https://www.city-data.com/forum/clev...ithin-day.html

This is an informative thread, but many of the links are messed up by monitor deletions of posts, but the links are corrected in later posts. E.g., perhaps start with post 15 when reading the thread.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/clev...ivities-2.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/clev...xperience.html

The weather in northeast Ohio likely will not be as your remember it, as climate change increasingly takes hold. Did you know that Cleveland is at the same latitude as Barcelona, Spain?

https://www.city-data.com/forum/clev...east-ohio.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/clev...s-weather.html

Enjoy your visit to the Western Reserve!

[TheProf]

^...as always, WRnative is a literal encyclopedia of Greater Cleveland information...

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by TheProf

^...as always, WRnative is a literal encyclopedia of Greater Cleveland information...

Thanks. I'm also lazy. Having put all of this material together, I can now just link it when encountering future inquiries. It also enables me to quickly find threads that I've found of particular interest over the years. So I love compilation threads.

Not surprisingly, your many contributions to the linked threads greatly enhanced their value!

[SlideRules99]

Wow, all I can say is thanks, WRnative! Really looking forward to checking out these gems. Appreciate the compilation very much

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by SlideRules99

Wow, all I can say is thanks, WRnative! Really looking forward to checking out these gems. Appreciate the compilation very much

Given COVID-19 seating capacity limitations, making reservations in advance ASAP likely is a good idea. Trattoria is much larger than Mia Bella. My favorite entree at Trattoria is the eggplant parmagiano.


If you prefer outdoor dining, and the weather accommodates (ask if infrared lamps are used), Guarino's in Little Italy and L'Albatros in University Circle would be my top choices in the UC area.


https://www.cleveland.com/life-and-c...er-photos.html



https://www.yelp.com/biz/guarinos-restaurant-cleveland


L'Albatros is one of the highest rated restaurants in Cleveland, but with reasonable prices. I normally get the trout.


https://www.cleveland.com/entertainm...hallenges.html


https://www.yelp.com/search?find_des...leveland%2C+OH


Pier W in Lakewood has great views of Lake Erie and of the Cleveland skyline (ask for a table with a view). It also generally is considered to have the best Sunday brunch in Cleveland, if still available during the pandemic as the brunch is a buffet.


https://www.yelp.com/biz/pier-w-lakewood?osq=Pier+W


Sokolowski's University Inn in Tremont (across the Cuyahoga River Valley from downtown Cleveland and south of Ohio City) is the only James Beard America's Classic restaurant in Greater Cleveland. It's a Polish-American cafeteria which often has yellow perch on Fridays. However, it apparently is closed for the epidemic.


https://www.sokolowskis.com/



https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/thro...university-inn


If you visit the West Side Market, the Prof is extremely fond of TownHall, a short walk north on West 25th St. The Mitchell's Ice Cream factory is just a little further north. Great Lakes Brewery also is a short walk from the West Side Market.


Great Lakes not only is Cleveland's iconic craft brewery, but it's also a Cleveland.com "A-list" restaurant. It also has several dining areas to perhaps well accommodate weekday customers during the COVID-19 epidemic.

https://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/brewpub

https://www.cleveland.com/life-and-c...ing-guide.html

[WRnative]

Zillow finally has updated home values through August. It's surprising, given the introduction of the federal government's SALT limitation, that home values rose at a higher percentage (8.5%) in the past year in Shaker Heights than most suburbs, including Chagrin Falls (3.4%), Cleveland Heights (5.9%) Rocky River (7.1 %) and Lakewood (7.9%). Oberlin home values were up 9.5 % over the past year.

https://www.zillow.com/shaker-heights-oh/home-values/

My memory is that Zillow used to provide price/sq. foot statistics, but it does not currently.

These can be found at realtor.com, which shows houses in SH sell for less than $100/square foot, less than $80/sq. foot in Cleveland Heights, over $120/sq. foot in Lakewood, less than $130/sq. foot in Chagrin Falls, over $150/sq. foot in Rocky River, and less than $100/sq. foot in Oberlin (adjusted for sales prices vs. listing prices).

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...ts_OH/overview

Consider that new house construction costs between $100 to $150/square foot, depending upon the degree of customization.

The National Association of Homebuilders says that it costs $115/sq. foot to build a house in 2020, NOT including the cost of the lot and needed infrastructure, typically included in the price of an existing home.

NAHB: Cost of Constructing a Home

And few modern American homes have the same quality of materials or craftsmanship as is found in many houses in Shaker Heights and a few of the other cities listed above.