Lakewood, Rocky River or Cleveland Heights (Westlake, Shaker Heights: affordable apartments, to rent, condo)

[jbmore]

Which is the better place to live? We have two kids entering school age so schools is big. While we have heard Rocky River has the better schools, but a little yuppie. Lakewood schools is supposedly better diversity. and I do not know about cleveland Heights schools.
Things to consider...
schools
weather
restaurants
parks
housing

thanks for your comments

[Peregrine]

Schools best to worst:
Rocky River
Lakewood
The Heights

Weather:
All the same, except for a bit more snowfall on the eastside (The Heights).

Restaraunts:
I would rank Lakewood best, followed by Cleveland Heights then River.

Parks; Some great parks in the Heights but the Metroparks are close to both River and Lakewood so that's a slight edge to the westside cities.

Housing:
River would be the most expensiv. The other cities have an excellent and eclectic variety of both expensive and not-so expensive homes. Hard to find a not-so-expensive home in River.
Also, Lakewood has a reputation of being one of the top 5 or so for highest property taxs, though niether River nor CH are cheap by any means.

Good luck!

[costello_musicman]

Also, you were correct about Lakewood schools being diverse. I believe the high school alone has 30+ languages spoken as the first language.

Homes in Cleveland Hts are the most unique with the most character if you enjoy that sort of thing.

Either way, Welcome to Cleveland!

[Daytonnatian]

Cleveland Heights, IMO, is superior, especially considering its close proximity to University Heights and Little Italy. It also contains great shopping with the Severance Mall re-do, which is quite a success!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(wish the same thing could happen at the former Salem Mall in Trotwood)

[jbmore]

thanks! this is exactly the type of info I was looking for. cheers

[5Lakes]

I like Lakewood the best. It is on the lake, has the best parks and restaurants, and is pedestrian friendly. The schools there are good, but not great. I don't know for sure, but I imagine the schools are not all that diverse when it comes to race. Lakewood is mostly white.

Cleveland Hts is also a fun place to live that is pedestrian friendly, but the schools there suck. I think many of the wealthier residents who live closer to Fairmont Blvd send their kids to private schools these days.

Rocky River is very nice, but not so exciting compared to the other options. The schools are excellent. No diversity there though. The town is over 95% White and middle to upper class.

[Beavercreek33]

Three great choices to choose from. Either one you choose though, you will not be dissapointed.

I went with Lakewood. I love the density, and the views of the lake and Cleveland.

[TheProf]

Cleveland Hts: very diverse. There are 10 separate shopping acc'ding to C.Hts' website, and several are exciting walking districts led by Coventry (which is surrounded by old brownstone (New York-like) brownstone buildings with mansions nearby -- including not being far from the gorgeous/historic Fairmount Ave mansion district. Has advantages of location up the hill from Univ Circle/Li'l Italy, near Shaker Heights/Shaker Square. And even though RTA's rapid transit doesn't go within Cleve Hts. borders, Cleve Hts is surrounded by the Red and Green lines on its western and southern borders, respectively -- many Heights-ers near these edges walk to Rapid stations. The exclusive Chestnut Hills area as well as nearby Overlook road have stunning views from the hillside to downtown and the Lake and are always in demand.

Lakewood, is often compared to Cleveland Heights -- in age (both were 1st developed in the late 1800s along suburban trolley lines) and both have solid old residential areas and lots of mixed-use walking districts, esp along Detroit Road in (very dense) downtown Lakewood; some areas are along Madison Av to the south. Lakewood's big advantage: the Lake, esp the Gold Coast apt/condo district in the NE corner of the suburb. A couple RTA Red Line Rapid stations serve the western border of Lakewood, and the suburb is criss-crossed by several busy bus lines.

Both Cleve Hts and Lakewood are very diverse and pretty liberal leaning (although Lakewood has a tad more conservativism given its West Side location). Generally, I thing both School Dists are about the same.

If you want big, newer houses over-looking the Lake and Rocky River, Rocky River's for you. It's school district is rated higher than the other 2, but it's more homogenous: a very high % area white/non-Jewish and, of the 3, RR is by far the most conservative politically.

RR is upper-middle class to wealthy. And while the other 2 have significant housing/pops that are wealthy/upper middle class, both have blue-collar districts, too, with some higher degrees of crime.

... hope that helps.

[WeSoHood]

Originally Posted by jbmore

Which is the better place to live? We have two kids entering school age so schools is big. While we have heard Rocky River has the better schools, but a little yuppie. Lakewood schools is supposedly better diversity. and I do not know about cleveland Heights schools.
Things to consider...
schools
weather
restaurants
parks
housing

thanks for your comments

And don't fall into the trap of thinking RR is upper class. It certainly has some upper class neighborhoods by the lake, but it's definitely middle class. People have some odd misconceptions of RR just like people have negativity towards Cleveland, it's unsubstantiated.

Like the person above for example, he mentions newer big houses on the lake.. Well most of Tangle Town (area on the lake) consists of old homes, not new. Rocky River, like Lakewood mainly consists of older homes and apartment complexes. There are a fair share of newer homes, but no where near the amount TheProf is saying. It's not as homogeneous as people like to think either. Drive through Rocky River and you will understand it isn't some upper class area. It's a mix of upper (on the lake), with middle and working class spread throughout. The vast amounts of apartments and duplexes should be an indication of this. By TheProfs description, you'd think Rocky River is Bay Village, Westlake, Avon Lake, Beachwood, Pepper Pike, Seven Hills, Brecksville, etc... which it is not.

Basically, Rocky River has MANY cheap homes and affordable apartments. I find it funny people don't realize that. http://www.homes.com/Content/Listing...erBy=PRICE%3AA

You can do a search for apartments too. My cousin stays at Linden House for $450 a month. If you can't find something as affordable to rent in RR as Lakewood, then you aren't looking correctly or aren't informed about the area. The westside in general is cheaper than the east. The median income for RR according to City Data is $58k vs Cleveland Hts $52. So if RR is upper class, Cleve Hts certainly is too.

[tribecavsbrowns]

Originally Posted by TheProf

There are 10 separate shopping acc'ding to C.Hts' website, and several are exciting walking districts led by Coventry (which is surrounded by old brownstone (New York-like) brownstone buildings with mansions nearby -- including not being far from the gorgeous/historic Fairmount Ave mansion district.

I know you exaggerate a lot and usually I just let it go, but this is just preposterous. Where are there any brownstones in Cleveland Heights, let alone a cluster of them "surrounding" Coventry? Lots of beautiful brick apartment buildings and, as you said, mansions, but brownstones? Where? What streets?