Seeking Home in Safe, Diverse Cleveland Neighborhood (Akron, Euclid: apartments, condos)

[Arlinda]

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?

[paintballer1708]

Clevelands eastern suburbs are very diverse. Cleveland itself is one of the most diverse cities in the nation.

Mentor itself is not very diverse, but many suburbs around the area are. Just farther south in Shaker Heights it is more diverse. East Cleveland is over 94%African-American. I would lean more towards Shaker Heights or Mentor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaker_Heights

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentor%2C_Ohio

[MABCle]

Try the West side Detroit Shoreway hood. There are new condos, lots of apartments, and nice huge old homes. Shaker is served by light rail that goes right to downtown and its nightclubs. Downtown is a highway ride away from mentor and is at the center of the clubs and entertainment and has a mall. Cleveland Heights is safe and has a large Black Population so does Shaker.Hope this helps

[paintballer1708]

The Flats District and The Warehouse District are booming right now with so much development and new condos being built. The mall MABCle was talking about is called Tower City. It is a 3 story mall under Terminal Tower, Cleveland's 3rd tallest skyscrapper.

[kgold97]

Please take my word and dont even consider moving/living in East Cleveland.... My grandparents live in East Cleveland ( on top of a hill in senior citizen apartments ) because they have no choice..... It is probably the scariest place that I have ever seen..... Unspeakable poverty...... Huge percentage of high school dropouts.... The average household income is 26,000 which is terrible.... I live in Mayfield Heights which is considered lower middle class and depending on which website you go to our annual income is 51,000....

YOu should consider Richmond Heights... It is pretty diverse, has affordable housing, and is safe.... I live in Mayfield Heights which is right next to Richmond Heights and commute to Lakeland CC ( which is in Mentor/Kirtland)... Richmond Heights is about a 10-15 minute drive from Mentor....

[Arlinda]

Thank you all! I feel like I have some direction now. If anyone else out there in cyberspace has any additional suggestions, I'm open!

[Val8Fan]

Personally, I think Richmond Hts. has become over-run with Russian immigrants...yes, it is ethnically diverse, but it has become run down over the years...it's really not a thriving community. I think you should consider Cleveland Hts, Shaker Hts., or South Euclid for what you're looking for. Feel free to PM me if I can help you further.

[SMOKEY3]

TRY RICHFIELD. OUTSIDE OF CLEVELAND. MY RICH AUNT LIVES THERE!

[kgold97]

SMOKEY3, seriously how old are you?.... This individual is not going to relocate to a city because your " rich aunt " lives there... Richland is pretty close to Akron... Although it is a nice city it will be a really far drive to Mentor ( about 1 hour)

Richmond heights is a good area... It has a far greater african american population that the surrounding area... That comment about it " being over run with russian immigrants" is ridiculous.... People like him dont understand the difference between a russian, ukrainian, latvian, hungarian, or other russian speaking european countries ... They just group them into ( Russians)...

[paintballer1708]

The eastern suburbs of Cleveland have rich and diverse populations. From Asians, African-Americans, Whites, and Hispanics, the eastern suburbs are very diverse. With huge corporations like The Cleveland Clinic, Case Western University, Progessive HQs, the eastern suburbs offer a very diverse job market as well.