Nice suburban areas near Oberlin? (Cleveland, Lorain: section 8, apartment complex, rental)

[evergreene]

My wife is taking a position at Oberlin College in the coming months and my family and I will be relocating. We're not too terribly keen on living in the town of Oberlin itself. (It's a bit small, to be honest) We'd be interested in finding a good rental property (preferably apartment complex that is family friendly---we have two small girls) in the Western Cleveland suburbs that are a reasonable drive from the college. Any suggestions?

[jlawrence01]

What are you looking for?

Wellington is a nice area BUT it like Oberlin is a small town.

Elyria has the largest number of apartment units BUT the schools are no better than average. I worked in Elyria for five years and got a lukewarm response when I asked about the schools.

Amherst is a pretty good area with very good schools and is not far from Oberlin.

Avon and Avon Lake are really nice areas in Lorain Co. and have very good schools BUT you are talking about a 30-40 minute drive to get there.

Personally, I wanted to live in Oberlin as I think that town is pretty pleasant. However, the rental units in the town look like they are geared toward the Section 8 crowd. The schools in the town are pretty good BUT have a bad rap in Lorain Co. I attribute that more to the racial climate in the county than to reality.

Personally, I lived close to Cleveland in Lakewood and Rocky River which are phenomenal areas BUT a good 45 minute drive to Oberlin. I used to head over to the campus for the various cultural opportunities.

[evergreene]

Thanks for the info. We probably wouldn't be too interested in Amherst or Elyria. While they are closer to Oberlin than other westside 'burbs, those both seem a bit removed from the greater Cleveland area (I grew up in the WestPark neighborhood, so I know a bit about Cleveland) I've been away for awhile, so I'm trying to relearn about the area. Are there any good apartment complexes in North Ridgeville or North Olmsted? Both have easy access off of 480/20 to Oberlin. I know there are a ton of nice ones in Westlake, but they're mostly accessible from I-90.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by evergreene

I've been away for awhile, so I'm trying to relearn about the area. Are there any good apartment complexes in North Ridgeville or North Olmsted? Both have easy access off of 480/20 to Oberlin. I know there are a ton of nice ones in Westlake, but they're mostly accessible from I-90.

Sure there are. The only issue that you will run into is that can be a rough and long drive during inclement weather.

I cannot give you specific apartment complexes as I never rented in that area. We decided early on that we liked the city life and that we preferred Rocky River or Lakewood over Elyria, North Olmsted and the like. There are a lot of duplexes in Lakewood which is a family friendly area.

[NewToCA]

I would suggest you consider North Ridgeville, which is a decent suburban area on the western side of Cleveland. Generally, this will put you within 15 minutes of Oberlin, and give you a suburban area of a big city.

Concerning apartments, you can check out Forest Ridge, Ridge Plaza or Colonial Manor to start your search. From my reading on the 'net, the rents for a two bedroom seem to be about $600, though this may be a bit small for you.

[BelieveInCleve]

Look into:

North Ridgeville- Not really far and has a lot of great, new suburban areas in the city. Mostly residential, and its close to both Elyria/Lorain and Cleveland. It sounds exactly like what your looking for.
Avon- Similar to North Ridgeville but slightly farther away from Oberlin. Also sounds like what your looking for.
Strongsville/Brunswick- Similar to the last two but more connected to Cleveland.
Amherst- Decent small city. Great schools. More of an old Elyria/Lorain suburb. Mostly older but has some new areas. Very close to Oberlin, its a straight shot down Leavitt Road.
Elyria- Larger city, only look into East of the River. The Northside and the Southeast side sound like what your looking for, and are similar to a suburb. Its the closest to Oberlin on the list and 90/80/480 all go through Elyria and are a straight shot to the westside suburbs or Cleveland itself. Oberlin is right down 20.

[evergreene]

Thank you all for your great info! It's a tremendous help.

We've done some online research on apartment complexes around North Ridgeville and Elyria, and (please don't take offense to this...) but they seem a bit run-down. Certainly not a place I'd feel safe at with my young family.

We live in a large city in Texas at the moment and we have tons of nice, new apartment complexes that attract families and executives (much like the ones in Westlake and closer in suburbs). Lorain County seems to be lacking these

We did see one apartment complex close to Elyria (in Sheffield, OH) that looks really nice. It is called Waterford Place or something like that. Anyone familiar with that? Would that be a reasonable commute to Oberlin? It is near the intersection at Detroit and Abbe Roads.

[WeSoHood]

^^ There should be some newer, nicer developments in North Ridgeville as the city is growing. Also, North Ridgeville is not dangerous at all and is very safe. Now about Elyria - I strongly agree with you. As for Sheffield.. it should be around 20-30 minute drive to Oberlin.

[BelieveInCleve]

The Northside, Southeast, and most the Eastside of Elyria are very nice, and almost suburban. Of course not as nice as say Avon, or North Ridgeville, but still nice. I would consider it an option except for the schools and the city services, which arent that good. You can pretty much cross Lorain off also except the SW side.

North Ridgeville is a new city that is growing very fast. The crime is very low and the schools are above average and improving. The main problem with the schools is overcrowding because of the large amount of people moving in at a fast rate. You should have no problem finding a nice house or nice apartment complex in North Ridgeville.

[buckeye1]

Three recommendations to check out:1. Oakwood Apts in Olmsted Twp - south of 480 on Stearns Road - 2 br runs in the 700's per month.2. Madison at Butternut Ridge - south of 480 at Great Northern Blvd - 2 br will set you back about a grand per month. You may have some pro athletes as neighbors, as it is convenient to the airport for those away games. Very nice community.3. Now that the Crocker Stearns connection is open, there are several apartment complexes in Westlake that are pretty convenient to 480. I lived at Crossings Village on Detroit Rd across from the Promenade and can recommend it. Again, a 2 br is going to cost around $1000 a month with garage included. Crossings Village