Lorain areas and buildings in Downtown (Cleveland, Dayton: for sale, real estate, 2010)

[ocean2026]

Lorain always seems to have some nice buildings at what seems to be decent prices for sale.

There's quite a few on Broadway that might have a view of the river.

Two churches were for sale Bethel Baptist - looked good on the outside but not sure it ever sold 9th and Reid, another interesting church on 6th.

What is this area .. and these buildings like? Is it more rundown and/or dangerous than Cleveland? or just a rust belt town showing some rust?

[BelieveInCleve]

Downtown/Broadway is pretty dead in Lorain. The price was cheap because just about everything's cheap in this city. You can get a house for $30,000. Those buildings that you speak of are probably very old though. If they look decent from the outside, the inside is probably still in very bad shape. Or it could be that they are nice, but there is just no demand for them. There is a lot of empty/abandoned buildings in and around downtown.

Lorain is part of the Cleveland metro. Its not a suburb though, its a medium sized city outside of a major city. Its an industrial city that has lost about 30,000 people since 1950 (Unofficially there was around 100k at one time). Just about all crime stats that you can find for it are very flawed. Crimereports is the most accurate I could find. For the city-data index, Lorain should be around 780 (over twice the national average). The area that you speak of isnt all that bad. The high crime areas are central lorain, south lorain, and part of the westside and eastside. Lorain isnt more rundown or dangerous than Cleveland, but those areas I named are about the Cleveland average which is very bad.

[ocean2026]

Cle thanks - so you're saying the downtown must be one of the better parts of Lorain.

Were you ever inside the Bethel Baptist Church on 9th and Reid? Wonder if it sold.

[BelieveInCleve]

As far as crime I would say its an average area for Lorain. Theres a lot of abandonment and homeless, but compared to the bad areas of Lorain, the crime isnt too bad. Its safe when its light outside, at night you just have to be careful.

I dont believe Ive been inside the church at 9th and Reid. I know they built some new houses over there not too long ago, but thats about it. I couldnt tell you what shape the building is in.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

Lorain always seems to have some nice buildings at what seems to be decent prices for sale.

There's quite a few on Broadway that might have a view of the river.

Two churches were for sale Bethel Baptist - looked good on the outside but not sure it ever sold 9th and Reid, another interesting church on 6th.

What is this area .. and these buildings like? Is it more rundown and/or dangerous than Cleveland? or just a rust belt town showing some rust?

There are a lot of churches in midwestern cities that are up for sale. And most of them are 80-120 years old and have some architectural value. And people are lining up to buy them - that is, until you find out what it will take to bring them up to code and to heat them and the like.

[buckeye1]

Bethel Baptist was originally the Jewish synagogue in Lorain (there's a star of David on one of the facades), then became Bethel Primitive Baptist in the 1960's after a new synagogue was built. Now the black congregation has also built a new church on Dayton Ave and are selling the old building. It doesn't appear to have an active MLS listing, though.

There are two Methodist churches in town for sale - one is on the corner of 6th and Reid (Emmanuel) which is a fantastic old building with great stained glass and woodwork. The other is Delaware Ave Methodist on the east side. Each is listed for only 199k.

[BelieveInCleve]

Catholic church reorganization: Lakewood cluster undecided about which churches to close - Religion and Church news in Cleveland, OH - cleveland.com

"Although parishes were asked to plan for closings or mergers by 2010, one group of seven parishes in the city of Lorain is recommending quick action. The Lorain cluster, which was told to cut back to three parishes, is recommending that St. Stanislaus, St. Ladislaus, Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph merge with Holy Trinity to create a parish with a new pastor at Holy Trinity six months after Lennon makes his decision. St. Mary and St. Peter churches would remain open.

Elsewhere in the area, another cluster committee is recommending merging St. Vitus and SS. Cyril and Methodius, two smaller Lorain parishes, with St. John the Baptist to create a parish at St. John. Sacred Heart Chapel in Lorain and St. Vincent de Paul in Elyria would remain open.

A cluster of five Elyria parishes is recommending closing Holy Cross and Sacred Heart of Jesus, two smaller parishes, and keeping open St. Agnes, St. Jude and St. Mary."

Some interesting information.

[ocean2026]

Buckeye have you been inside these churches? Is the one at 6th and Reid nicer than Bethel? ALl I can see is the outside- and Bethel looks great.
Lawreence I am aware of the heating etc issues. Just looking right now.

[buckeye1]

Yes - I've been in there but it's been a few years - here's a link to the listing with some photos of the interiors:
Emmanuel: Lorain Real Estate - 400 Sixth St, Lorain, OH, 44052
Delaware: Lorain Real Estate - 658 East Erie Ave, Lorain, OH, 44052

[ocean2026]

Thanks the pics are small. The one on East Erie looks like it could have a view of either or both the lake and the river from the top. Its 600 ft from the lake - some houses and trees block it a bit and 1700 ft from the river. I wrote the realtor but do you have any impressions of the inside of the 3 churches? East Erie is much newer and may not have the architectural appeal of the others, but it could have more residential use. I really don't know.