Shaker Heights question (Cleveland, Avon Lake, Avon: 2010, selling a house, neighborhoods)

[saileeney]

I have fallen in love with a few houses in Shaker Heights but I live out of state. I would love some opinions from the locals on the neighborhoods and schools.

The first house is on Hunnington Rd between Onaway and Southington.

The other two are in the Fernway school neighborhood. One on Stockholm Rd and one on Fermway Rd right near the school.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on these areas. FYI we are a family of 5 (kids ages 12,9,&5) possibly relocating from Maine for my husbands job (in Cleveland)

Thanks!

[Clevelander17]

Both of the neighborhoods you mentioned are safe. The schools in Shaker Heights are above average in general, but excellent if you have kids in the honors programs. Shaker Heights is one of the more unique suburbs of Cleveland, with an outstanding variety of housing options and some great values. That said, one downside would be the property taxes, which are the highest in the state.

[AndyF667]

I agree with Cleveland17, both are great neighborhoods.
Huntington will put you closer to 3 of the four school groups for your family. (Onaway--K thru 4th, Woodbury 5th&6th, and the High School; the middle school is for 7 & 8th grade, which is a short bus ride away). Fernway is has shorter side streets than Huntington/Chadborne/Warrington/Southington). Both have similar sized homes (4 bedroom, 2.5 baths, etc.). Fernway elementary is the smallest elementary in Shaker, but it is a great school. Fernway Road is the main road and see's a bit more volume of traffic than the side streets, and given its length I dont think it gets the immediate neighborhood benefits of the side streets.
Really you cant go wrong (especially with school age kids).
Taxes are high, but you get to see what your taxes do (good schools, good services).
Good luck>>

[saileeney]

Thank you Clevelander and Andy!

It's hard to chooses a favorite. They are all beautiful homes. The property taxes don't scare me, they are pretty close to where we are living now. The only difference is we don't have city taxes in Maine.

Thanks again!

[hertz]

Shaker Heights property tax rate 3.20%
$100,000 x 3.20% = 3200 per yr
Cuyahoga County Auditor

[AndyF667]

Originally Posted by hertz

Shaker Heights property tax rate 3.20%
$100,000 x 3.20% = 3200 per yr
Cuyahoga County Auditor

Yep. I live in Fernway neighborhood. I pay a little over $500/month in taxes(the county doesnt charge quite dollar for dollar of house value). For that I get top notch public schools, they pick up my garbage in the backyard, the homes are kept up (some might say under duress via the inspectors), beautiful Shaker Lakes, lack of box stores and the like (this, I consider a benefit), beautiful architecture, public transportation as well as proximity to downtown (I went out last night with my wife to a nice dinner downtown followed by a show that ended at 11pm, in bed by 1120.), like-minded citizens, etc. etc..
It is quite wonderful.

[kerensa]

I also have fallen in love with the Shaker Heights houses, but I would never, never live there and if I had kids I would definitely not buy a house there.

Taxes are too high and I just never feel safe. I feel that the area is in decline. I know a few people who have moved out, lost a ton on money on their house price, but are much happier for leaving! Their kids are happier too, in a school with like-minded and more well behaved children.

Shaker is pretty and on paper looks fine. It always feels like a scam to me to push Shaker on unsuspecting outsiders who don't know better. It's by no means the most dangerous neighborhood, but there are plenty of places that feel safer. Look at the ratings in the most recent edition of Cleveland Magazine: So-so schools (28/76 in the latest rating in Cleveland magazine) "safety" (55/76) and roads filled with potholes? Don't forget about the center of town with the once wonderful Shaker Square now filled with empty store fronts and a Goodwill store (it's a nice goodwill, but still...)

Shaker is NOT the upscale and wonderful neighborhood it once was. Don't be fooled.

[Peregrine]

I never heard a bad thing about Shaker Heights until I came to this forum.

[Clevelander17]

Originally Posted by kerensa

I also have fallen in love with the Shaker Heights houses, but I would never, never live there and if I had kids I would definitely not buy a house there.

Taxes are too high and I just never feel safe. I feel that the area is in decline. I know a few people who have moved out, lost a ton on money on their house price, but are much happier for leaving! Their kids are happier too, in a school with like-minded and more well behaved children.

Shaker is pretty and on paper looks fine. It always feels like a scam to me to push Shaker on unsuspecting outsiders who don't know better. It's by no means the most dangerous neighborhood, but there are plenty of places that feel safer. Look at the ratings in the most recent edition of Cleveland Magazine: So-so schools (28/76 in the latest rating in Cleveland magazine) "safety" (55/76) and roads filled with potholes? Don't forget about the center of town with the once wonderful Shaker Square now filled with empty store fronts and a Goodwill store (it's a nice goodwill, but still...)

Shaker is NOT the upscale and wonderful neighborhood it once was. Don't be fooled.

I'd be wary of anyone who thinks they know so much about Shaker Heights but doesn't even know that Shaker Square is actually in the City of Cleveland.

Take a drive down South Park Boulevard or west to east down South Woodland or through the areas near University School and Laurel and tell me that Shaker Heights feels "dangerous" or is in serious "decline." Sure the city has changed in the past few decades, but it's still doing very well.

Hear's the truth: The taxes are high. The city is liberal-leaning, and many neighborhoods and schools are more diverse than some other upper-middle class suburbs. If any of that is an issue for you, than yes, it's probably better to look elsewhere, perhaps to other more homogenous, cookie-cutter suburbs.

[AndyF667]

Originally Posted by kerensa

Taxes are too high

Well it is all relative I suppose. Say you live in Avon Lake, for example, enjoy the Reliant Energy power plant and the arsenic lased exhaust. In Shaker there is no danger of industrial base or big box takeover. So, in exchange, high taxes

Originally Posted by kerensa

and I just never feel safe. I feel that the area is in decline. I know a few people who have moved out, lost a ton on money on their house price, but are much happier for leaving! Their kids are happier too, in a school with like-minded and more well behaved children.

Now what street did you live on? My kids seem pretty happy in the SH schools. Maybe they are lying? Maybe I should call 696KIDS on myself for abuse?
Also, who selling a house for the last couple of years has not lost money?

Originally Posted by kerensa

Shaker is pretty and on paper looks fine. It always feels like a scam to me to push Shaker on unsuspecting outsiders who don't know better. It's by no means the most dangerous neighborhood, but there are plenty of places that feel safer. Look at the ratings in the most recent edition of Cleveland Magazine: So-so schools (28/76 in the latest rating in Cleveland magazine) "safety" (55/76) and roads filled with potholes?

What street did you live on? How long did you live here? You are exactly the type of person who shouldnt live here.
Once again: Forty members of the Shaker Heights High School Class of 2010 have been named Semifinalists or Commended Students in the National Merit and National Achievement Scholarship programs.

Originally Posted by kerensa

Don't forget about the center of town with the once wonderful Shaker Square now filled with empty store fronts and a Goodwill store (it's a nice goodwill, but still...)

Stoopid. Goodwill is not ON Shaker Square. Around the corner, yes. Plus, SHSQ is not in Shaker(as CLE17 points out), but I'd be happy if it was. First-run movie theater, FIRE, Sarava, SASA, farmers market, etc..
Enjoy fake towns like Legacy or Crocker. Its safe!

Originally Posted by kerensa

Shaker is NOT the upscale and wonderful neighborhood it once was. Don't be fooled.

What street did you live on?
The type of post you respond with is born of ignorance (and veiled racism).