Cleveland Suburbs Which one to choose HELP ME PLEASE!!! (Mentor: house, to live in)

[Clevelander17]

Originally Posted by WeSoHood

Lakewood is NOT all white. AS an indication of the younger generations and the high school.. it's HS diversity is:

83% White (but this includes Romanians, Albanians, etc.. MANY implants from Eastern Europe), 8% Black, 3% Hispanic, 4% Multiracial, 2% asian.

You may not experience until you live there, but I'd actually say Lakewood is far more diverse than Cleveland Heights. Cleve Hts is essentially white and black. Lakewood may be around 83% white, but A VERY LARGE percentage are foreign born and bring a totally different types of cultures.. which is very noticeable.

I guess it's hard to explain cultural diversity in a racial debate!

Just like I'd agree that it's unfair to argue that Lakewood is only white, I think your assessment of Cleveland Heights being only "black and white" is off-base. In terms of white people, Cleveland Heights has a diversity of religion, including Catholics, Protestants, and Jews. There are a lot of Irish and Italians living in the Heights area. Due to the proximity of Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic, there are also a lot of Asians in the Heights area. And while there aren't as many gay people in Cleveland Heights as there are in Lakewood, there is probably no other area in Cleveland with a larger homosexual population than Cleveland Heights. The Heights area also has great economic diversity that ranges from very wealthy families, to middle class families, to working class families.

I think it's best to say that Lakewood, Cleveland Heights, and Shaker Heights are more diverse than their outer-ring counterparts, regardless of which side of the city we're talking about.

[LewLew]

Try looking at Mayfield Heights, Lyndhurst, University Heights and Shaker. They all have great apartments that don't cost an arm and a leg. They also all have duplex homes that can be a good bargain. The public transportation is good, but not to the Solon area.

[OhioUberAlles]

You're probably best off living somewhere in Lake County, I'd recommend Mentor. Consider this, the monthly mortgage payment on my 3 bedroom house is about $750 dollars. Mentor is a fine place to live, but new home prices are riduclously expensive, not to mention few people need 4-5 bedrooms with a next-to-nothing yard/lot. Mentor is becoming too much of a hassle for me, so in a few years (hopefully sooner), I'll be striking out for what will ideally be Appalachian Ohio. For those who aspire to get into farming, there simply isn't enough available land, at a reasonable price, to allow for agriculture in Lake County.

At any rate, one of the first things you should do in Ohio that you couldn't do in New Jersey, is get a Concealed Carry Permit, not that you're likely to be the victim of a criminal attack, but because you can get one, it is part of your Constitutional rights to get one, and Ohio won't stop you from getting one unless you're a felon or fall into some other disqualified category.

I'd especially make sure to have one if I was working in Cuyahoga county, just a little FYI.

Feel free to message me if you need more information on the application process and requirements.

By the way, welcome to Ohio!

[LewLew]

Originally Posted by OhioUberAlles

You're probably best off living somewhere in Lake County, I'd recommend Mentor. At any rate, one of the first things you should do in Ohio that you couldn't do in New Jersey, is get a Concealed Carry Permit, not that you're likely to be the victim of a criminal attack, but because you can get one, it is part of your Constitutional rights to get one, and Ohio won't stop you from getting one unless you're a felon or fall into some other disqualified category.

I'd especially make sure to have one if I was working in Cuyahoga county, just a little FYI.

Feel free to message me if you need more information on the application process and requirements.

By the way, welcome to Ohio!

I have to say that I don't think it's necessary to carry a gun if you work in Cuyahoga County!! I'm not sure, but I've never felt nervous in Pepper Pike, Moreland Hills, Orange, Beachwood, Chagrin Falls, Solon, most of Shaker Heights, Bay Village, Rocky River, Westlake etc. There are some areas in Cuyahoga that can be deemed a little scarey, but the county as a whole is not. Someone just needs to use common sense. Put one in your home if you feel the need, but the need to carry a gun because you work in Cuyahoga County is not true. IMO

[OhioUberAlles]

Originally Posted by LewLew

I have to say that I don't think it's necessary to carry a gun if you work in Cuyahoga County!! I'm not sure, but I've never felt nervous in Pepper Pike, Moreland Hills, Orange, Beachwood, Chagrin Falls, Solon, most of Shaker Heights, Bay Village, Rocky River, Westlake etc. There are some areas in Cuyahoga that can be deemed a little scarey, but the county as a whole is not. Someone just needs to use common sense. Put one in your home if you feel the need, but the need to carry a gun because you work in Cuyahoga County is not true. IMO

My dad used to work in the city of East Cleveland, and he, along with a number of his co-workers, carried guns on a daily basis.

At any rate, it's up to the OP whether or not getting a CCW permit is right for him or not. He'll make up his mind based on his perceptions and his values. The important thing is that in Ohio he has the CHOICE to get a permit if he wants one, a choice he didn't have in New Jersey.

[LewLew]

Originally Posted by OhioUberAlles

My dad used to work in the city of East Cleveland, and he, along with a number of his co-workers, carried guns on a daily basis.

Ok, then say East Cleveland and not Cuyahoga County. This OP works in Solon. East Cleveland does have the highest concentration of crime. It's got it's "inner city" thing going on like all other large metro areas.
Cuyahoga County is huge, and for the most part extremely nice, upscale and friendly.

[OhioUberAlles]

Originally Posted by LewLew

Ok, then say East Cleveland and not Cuyahoga County. This OP works in Solon. East Cleveland does have the highest concentration of crime. It's got it's "inner city" thing going on like all other large metro areas.
Cuyahoga County is huge, and for the most part extremely nice, upscale and friendly.

You don't have to live in a bad area to have a problem with crime. Criminals can get into their car and take a 10-20 minute drive down the road, to commit a crime in an area where A- there is less of a chance that they are known or will be recognized B- there are complacent people who believe "it can't happen here" and C- there are fresh targets to rob and new things to steal.

If you're within easy driving distance of a high-crime area, you're potentially at risk.

Crime can occur anytime, anywhere. One of the things they taught me in boyscouts was "always be prepared" and that has stuck with me to this very day. A gun in my house doesn't do me a lick of good if I'm attacked in a parking lot or while walking down the street. The guy threatening to stick a knife into my chest isn't going to wait ten minutes while I run home and get my pistol. Again, as I said before, it's up to the OP to decide what is right for him given his circumstances, situation, and values/beliefs. However, it pays to be prepared and he deserves to have access to the knowledge that Cleveland is not a safe place, and it is possible/plausible that the crime from Cleveland can and will periodically spill into nearby areas.

[exit18b]

I know Union very well. My roommate from college was from the Vaux Hall section of Union and went to Union High School. I am from Teaneck, NJ but I now live in Cleveland. You need to get closer to Cleveland to get more of a "Jersey" (Union County) feel. Cleveland Heights is a fun, hip, diverse town with lots to do. Beachwood is also a nice place. You will not feel like you are in BFE in either one of those places. The west side is an option but that would give you a 40 minute++++ drive to work. No tolls (screw Garden State Parkway/NJ Turnpike). LOL

[LewLew]

Originally Posted by OhioUberAlles

You don't have to live in a bad area to have a problem with crime. Criminals can get into their car and take a 10-20 minute drive down the road, to commit a crime in an area where A- there is less of a chance that they are known or will be recognized B- there are complacent people who believe "it can't happen here" and C- there are fresh targets to rob and new things to steal.

If you're within easy driving distance of a high-crime area, you're potentially at risk.

Crime can occur anytime, anywhere. One of the things they taught me in boyscouts was "always be prepared" and that has stuck with me to this very day. A gun in my house doesn't do me a lick of good if I'm attacked in a parking lot or while walking down the street. The guy threatening to stick a knife into my chest isn't going to wait ten minutes while I run home and get my pistol. Again, as I said before, it's up to the OP to decide what is right for him given his circumstances, situation, and values/beliefs. However, it pays to be prepared and he deserves to have access to the knowledge that Cleveland is not a safe place, and it is possible/plausible that the crime from Cleveland can and will periodically spill into nearby areas.

I agree with allowing the OP to decide about getting a permit. I just don't agree with the blanket Cleveland is not a safe place. Cuyahoga is a place you should carry a concealed weapon. It's an urban area, and street smarts go a long way. No one is so naive (anywhere in the US) that crime can't happen.

[CleveNative]

I have lived in Cleveland all of my 30+ years. I really like Cleveland Heights. The Cedar-Fairmount area is close to Downtown Cleveland and University Circle (hospitals, museums, university). The C-F area has nice local restaurants and stores. The only downside is that the city is not close to the highway.