Moving to Cleveland...which is better, east or west side? (Lorain: fit in, apartment)

[Jim Bell]

I may be moving to Cleveland in the near future... I am a single male, middle age, middle class apartment dweller, not looking to live IN the city, but rather somewhere on the outskirts.
I'm just wondering---what is a better place for me to settle--- just EAST of Cleveland or WEST (or south??) Is one side a lot nicer? Are there advantages/disadvantages to each?
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP

[mountains]

The east side is older & tends to be more expensive. But very nice. I love the Conventry area! The westside is more suburban. Lakewood has some nice places & is close enough to the city & nightlife. It really depends on what area of the city you are going to be working in. I grew up on the west side & never ran out of things to do. As an adult I prefer to be closer to downtown.

[bakkam]

I suppose its more windy in neighborhood along the Lake Erie shore in Cuyahoga County. How far inside the lake boundary does one feel the effect of the lake winds in Cuyahoga County?

There have been reports of foreclosures recently. Which Cuyahoga county communities are having more foreclousures than others?

Which Cuyahoga communities provide the best access via car to BOTH east and west sides?

[Subway]

Less traffic, less snow, more laid back. I've personally always viewed Cleveland as where the Midwest meets the Northeast - the west side is more Midwestern and the east side is more Northeastern. IMHO, the best part of the area in which to live is the Rocky River-Westlake-Bay Village-Avon Lake area.

[paintballer1708]

The east side if very Northeastern. Westlake, Avon Lake, Bay Village, North Olmsted, Olmsted Falls, and Brook Park are all worth checking out on the west side. The east side check out Solon, Mentor, Mayfield Heights, Brecksville, Independence, Sagamore Hills, and Shaker Heights.

[MABCle]

What type of suburb are you looking for? A more rural one, or one thats semi urban? The west side gets less Lake Weather like subway said, but the East side is closer to the cultural scene.

[bakkam]

Originally Posted by paintballer1708

The east side if very Northeastern. Westlake, Avon Lake, Bay Village, North Olmsted, Olmsted Falls, and Brook Park are all worth checking out on the west side. The east side check out Solon, Mentor, Mayfield Heights, Brecksville, Independence, Sagamore Hills, and Shaker Heights.

Isn't Brook Park the mecca of strip clubs and adult stores? Dood, I have to your suggestion regarding Brook Park with a grain, no, strike that, bag of salt. So should other folks

[Jim Bell]

Wow, I hadn't really thought about the snow/wind/lake-effect issue, but that actually IS a big factor. From the sounds of these posts, the communities on the west side of Cleveland don't get hit as hard with the harsh winter weather and wind, as the east side. That, to me, would be a big advantage.
I was born and raised in Erie, a very friendly place. I am currently living in Pittsburgh because there are no job opportunities in Erie. Pittsburgh is a very old, traditional, sort of "clicky" community that thinks about nothing other than sports. I never really fit in here. I guess I'm just looking for something a little different...maybe a slightly different "culture." I'm hoping that maybe Cleveland people will be a little more like Erie people. ---Any views on this?---

[MABCle]

From my experience and based on what others have said the people here are pretty friendly. Clevelander's love their sports, but there is also a good cultural scene here as well as a large arts scene and other "scenes" other than just sports. The city is more diverse than Pittsburgh and that is also an advantage. Either side of town you choose the weather will probably not be as bad as Erie in terms of Lake Effect snow/rain.

[Subway]

Originally Posted by MABCle

Either side of town you choose the weather will probably not be as bad as Erie in terms of Lake Effect snow/rain.

Believe it or not, the average snowfall in Erie proper is actually pretty similar to what it is in much the eastern suburban area of Cleveland. The average at the Erie airport is 89", and the average in the eastern suburban areas of Cleveland ranges from 70-110" (Chardon and Burton in Geauga County are the "Ohio snow capitals" that average 110" according to Fox 8's Dick Goddard). Of course, the higher elevations just south of Erie average significantly more: 120-160".

As for Cuyahoga County itself, the average annual snowfall ranges from 50" in the far western part of the county to 80+" in the far eastern part of the county. The average is below 50" in much of Lorain County as well as southwestern Medina county. Here is a link with a map that depicts Ohio's average annual snowfall: http://www.birminghamproject.org/maps/map_14.htm. Also, here is a map with the county names filled in for those who aren't familiar with them: http://county-map.digital-topo-maps.com/ohio.shtml