Seeking Home in Safe, Diverse Cleveland Neighborhood (Cleveland Heights: movers, condo)

[aklingman86]

If you're going to work in Mentor, anywhere is going to be diverse around the area. I would try out Willoughby (great historical area), Concord, Chardon (if you like a little country). Cities to avoid on the East side, Painseville, Eastlake, and Euclid. Try to also avoid anything on the east side up north, like North Willoughby, Painseville Township (around the park). Let me know if you have questions, I've lived in the area for 20 some odd years.

Living anywhere else is kinda far if you're working in Mentor unless you like a long commute.

[WHISPERGIRL]

I just got a great job in Mentor, Ohio and must relocate to the Cleveland area within the next few weeks.

• Step 1: Find temporary furnished corporate housing. Any suggestions?
• Step 2: Purchase a home. Where should I live?

Background => I am single 30-year-old woman. I am pretty much a city girl, so I would be comfortable living in Cleveland or another highly-populated area and commuting to Mentor. (I travel for a living, so I won't have to commute to the office much anyway.) I want to purchase in a community that is ethnically diverse. I want my family to visit and see successful people who look like them. Although, it is not important that the community be mostly or significantly African-American (I'm black), I would hope that it be diverse. If there is a safe artsy neighborhood where many languages are spoken on the streets, all-the-better. Does this exist near Cleveland?

I know nothing of Cleveland. Can you help me?



****You may consider the Solon area very diversified and Shaker Heights

[OhioNative]

Originally Posted by aklingman86

If you're going to work in Mentor, anywhere is going to be diverse around the area. I would try out Willoughby (great historical area), Concord, Chardon (if you like a little country). Cities to avoid on the East side, Painseville, Eastlake, and Euclid. Try to also avoid anything on the east side up north, like North Willoughby, Painseville Township (around the park). Let me know if you have questions, I've lived in the area for 20 some odd years.

Living anywhere else is kinda far if you're working in Mentor unless you like a long commute.

Willoughby, Concord and Chardon are diverse? Granted, I don't live there anymore, but the last I knew they were close to 100% white, just like Mentor.

[WHISPERGIRL]

100% white?????? ^^^^^^huh?????

[OhioNative]

Originally Posted by WHISPERGIRL

100% white?????? ^^^^^^huh?????

According to city-data.com, here are the most recent census data on the percentage of Caucasians in the aforementioned cities:

Willoughby - 96.47%

Concord - 95.3%

Chardon - 97.5%

As I said before, these numbers are not what I would call diverse.

[et in concord]

Mayfield Village. Diverse. Taxes good ( progressive insurance pays most of the taxes )...great schools. 15-20 min from Mentor. Not far from great shopping and within 15 min of downtown!

[airics]

umm mayfield village very expensive

[BenFlesh]

If you are looking for a more "urban" town than Mentor (my hometown by the way), and don't wish to commute the 20 miles or so to the Cuyahoga County like Cleveland Heights, I would recommend either Willoughby or Painesville (my mom's hometown). Willoughby has a nice, if a bit contrived, downtown with some good restaurants and clubs, and lots of charming old homes.

Painesville is definitely more blue collar and rougher around the edges, but also has interesting homes. It has a high population of migrant workers from Mexico who work in the nurseries in the eastern part of the County and keep the town lively. Not too many good restaurants, although there is at least one decent authentic Mexican shop, appropriately. Some excellent bars (Nemeth's especially, I highly recommend). If you have kids, the school system is problematic.

Most of Lake County is composed of 60s-70s subdivisions with ranch houses or McMansions on quarter acre lots, not really the kind of place that's appropriate for a single girl!

You might also try North Collinwood (it's the first part of Cleveland you enter on I-90). Lots of bars, the Grovewood, live music at the Beachland, fun people. Maybe a 15 minute drive from Mentor.

[Butterfly Works]

If you dont mind traveling 25 or 30 miles look into Ashtabula County, lower taxes and rural setting but with suburban atmosphere

[ottomobeale]

Dont do the west side thing... simply because your commute will be longer and tougher. Remember you have big snow going toward Mentor in winter.

Shaker is well known for diversity. Cle Heights. Rich Heights. Watch the areas right near the city of Cleveland as they are rather sketchy. DONT buy a house in the section of (?Shaker Heights?) that borders Cleveland as they use Cleveland Schools and your house will be much harder to resell if you buy.

Dont live in the City of Cleveland. Lousy schools. Unbelievably lazy cops. Every third mayoral administration seems to be incredibly incompetent... etc etc etc.

I lived in the city 15 years.