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Hey! I grew up in Tallmadge. I hate Tallmadge with a bit of a passion. I never really lived there full-time after high school. I'm 32 now. My husband and I have lived in Cincinnati for the past 6 years. 5 years ago, we bought a house right before a boom and could probably turn around and sell for a healthy profit. We don't make a lot. He's a teacher and I'm currently in a weird unemployed/self employed thing.
We currently live in the neighborhood of Northside, Cincinnati. It's super liberal and crazy diverse. It's definitely an urban neighborhood with tons of petty crime and occasionally serious crime. We own a bungalow with a small yard. 10 minute drive or 30 minute bus connection to downtown. We have our own main drag we can walk to with bars and restaurants, our hair dresser, a family owned hardware store, LIBRARY. We can drive to anything in 20 minutes. We don't want kids so we don't care about schools (though my husband will need a job somewhere). We are quite happy owning only one car because of walkability and bus connections.
But I'm an only child and my entire family is in the Akron area. My husband is already here from MA and we both want more northern snowy areas and a real winter. So after all that time, I'm a bit homesick but we also LOVE our general lifestyle.
Is there anyway to sort of replicate this? A little? I know Highland Square looks promising. We also wouldn't hate Cleveland but I'm not sure it's ever really clicked with either of us though we aren't super informed. I kind of think a second car may be an inevitability.
To complicate things, we probably aren't good candidates for renting as we have 3 cats. And we are fiercely in love with them. Our budget for a house would, at tops, be 120k.
In an ideal world, I could walk to the local grocery store + farmer's market. There would be one solid hangout bar within walking distance (though I want a barcade complete with multiple pinballs). There would be 1-3 solid restaurants within walking distance. And that, should I get a job (most likely in a library) that there might be a way to use public transit to avoid a second car. We could probably afford the second car but meh.
Hey! I grew up in Tallmadge. I hate Tallmadge with a bit of a passion. I never really lived there full-time after high school. I'm 32 now. My husband and I have lived in Cincinnati for the past 6 years. 5 years ago, we bought a house right before a boom and could probably turn around and sell for a healthy profit. We don't make a lot. He's a teacher and I'm currently in a weird unemployed/self employed thing.
We currently live in the neighborhood of Northside, Cincinnati. It's super liberal and crazy diverse. It's definitely an urban neighborhood with tons of petty crime and occasionally serious crime. We own a bungalow with a small yard. 10 minute drive or 30 minute bus connection to downtown. We have our own main drag we can walk to with bars and restaurants, our hair dresser, a family owned hardware store, LIBRARY. We can drive to anything in 20 minutes. We don't want kids so we don't care about schools (though my husband will need a job somewhere). We are quite happy owning only one car because of walkability and bus connections.
But I'm an only child and my entire family is in the Akron area. My husband is already here from MA and we both want more northern snowy areas and a real winter. So after all that time, I'm a bit homesick but we also LOVE our general lifestyle.
Is there anyway to sort of replicate this? A little? I know Highland Square looks promising. We also wouldn't hate Cleveland but I'm not sure it's ever really clicked with either of us though we aren't super informed. I kind of think a second car may be an inevitability.
To complicate things, we probably aren't good candidates for renting as we have 3 cats. And we are fiercely in love with them. Our budget for a house would, at tops, be 120k.
In an ideal world, I could walk to the local grocery store + farmer's market. There would be one solid hangout bar within walking distance (though I want a barcade complete with multiple pinballs). There would be 1-3 solid restaurants within walking distance. And that, should I get a job (most likely in a library) that there might be a way to use public transit to avoid a second car. We could probably afford the second car but meh.
I don't get the real winter thing. Just move to Cleveland, Detroit, or Chicago and you'll get more snow than you can handle.
There are places in Akron that fit the bill. The thing is, you never liked Tallmadge. Akron is not that much different. And things there have not changed that much. Now if you just want to be closer to family then Akron is the way to go. The thing you have to figure out is if family is worth everything else you hate about the metro to put up with it.
Highland Square is like a microcosm of some neighborhood you would find in Cleveland. Personally I would just move to Cleveland and be done with it but a decent neighborhood up there might run more than something similar in Akron. You might also prefer some of Cleveland's suburbs to Akron's; more urban, and more variety.
I moved to the Highland Square neighborhood of Akron in 2012 from Nashville. For context, other places I have lived include Chicago and Portland, OR. We absolutely love Highland Square and Akron in general. I can walk to the grocery, drug store, movie theater, great restaurants and bars, a public library and a couple of parks. Meanwhile, if you walk down my street, you are surrounded by big trees and wildlife and you would never guess a vibrant commercial district is a 10 minute walk away.
The quality of the housing stock in this neighborhood is unbelievable given the cost of housing. Even many modest homes have wonderful hardwoods, fireplaces, and built ins. For your price range, you may have a bit of a fixer upper on your hands, but I have seen people score homes in pretty good condition in that range in the past year. There are rentals that are pet friendly, but they are sometimes difficult to find online. With the end of the school year occurring recently, I've seen a large number of rental signs in yards.
With respect, I strongly disagree with the statement: "Highland Square is like a microcosm of some neighborhood you would find in Cleveland." One HUGE difference between Cleveland and Akron is traffic. We have friends that live there and it takes SO LONG to get around in Cleveland. Akron is extremely easy to navigate quickly.
We also have one car and I typically ride the bus to work (sometimes we carpool--we both work downtown). It takes 15 minutes at most to get downtown via bus. It is an 8 to 12 minute drive. My husband is an Assistant Dean of the Libraries at U of Akron. He started as an entry level faculty librarian in 2012 and retirements and vacancies that went unfilled catapulted him upward quickly. I work for the city in the police department as a planner, writing grants and assisting with program development and policy.
I worked as a community organizer for more than a decade of my life and saw communities before and after gentrification. Akron, and Highland Square in particular, is in the wonderful honeymoon years of eclectic, diverse, artsy, weirdness that precedes gentrification. We probably still have a decade before the housing market gets unaffordable, but I am confident it will happen here, for better and for worse.
I moved to the Highland Square neighborhood of Akron in 2012 from Nashville. For context, other places I have lived include Chicago and Portland, OR. We absolutely love Highland Square and Akron in general. I can walk to the grocery, drug store, movie theater, great restaurants and bars, a public library and a couple of parks. Meanwhile, if you walk down my street, you are surrounded by big trees and wildlife and you would never guess a vibrant commercial district is a 10 minute walk away.
The quality of the housing stock in this neighborhood is unbelievable given the cost of housing. Even many modest homes have wonderful hardwoods, fireplaces, and built ins. For your price range, you may have a bit of a fixer upper on your hands, but I have seen people score homes in pretty good condition in that range in the past year. There are rentals that are pet friendly, but they are sometimes difficult to find online. With the end of the school year occurring recently, I've seen a large number of rental signs in yards.
With respect, I strongly disagree with the statement: "Highland Square is like a microcosm of some neighborhood you would find in Cleveland." One HUGE difference between Cleveland and Akron is traffic. We have friends that live there and it takes SO LONG to get around in Cleveland. Akron is extremely easy to navigate quickly.
We also have one car and I typically ride the bus to work (sometimes we carpool--we both work downtown). It takes 15 minutes at most to get downtown via bus. It is an 8 to 12 minute drive. My husband is an Assistant Dean of the Libraries at U of Akron. He started as an entry level faculty librarian in 2012 and retirements and vacancies that went unfilled catapulted him upward quickly. I work for the city in the police department as a planner, writing grants and assisting with program development and policy.
I worked as a community organizer for more than a decade of my life and saw communities before and after gentrification. Akron, and Highland Square in particular, is in the wonderful honeymoon years of eclectic, diverse, artsy, weirdness that precedes gentrification. We probably still have a decade before the housing market gets unaffordable, but I am confident it will happen here, for better and for worse.
Is traffic your only umbrage to the statement? I was looking for something more specific. Where I was going with it is that one might find larger neighborhoods in Cleveland with the flair that exists in Highland Square.
I have family that lives in Highland Square, always enjoy visiting them there. I think you would probably like it there. But if you want to be closeby to family but not feel like you're going back too close to your Tallmadge life, Cleveland will feel a lot further away than it actually is and will be different. Somewhere in Cleveland Heights might fit the bill.
I don't get the real winter thing. Just move to Cleveland, Detroit, or Chicago and you'll get more snow than you can handle.
There are places in Akron that fit the bill. The thing is, you never liked Tallmadge. Akron is not that much different. And things there have not changed that much. Now if you just want to be closer to family then Akron is the way to go. The thing you have to figure out is if family is worth everything else you hate about the metro to put up with it.
Highland Square is like a microcosm of some neighborhood you would find in Cleveland. Personally I would just move to Cleveland and be done with it but a decent neighborhood up there might run more than something similar in Akron. You might also prefer some of Cleveland's suburbs to Akron's; more urban, and more variety.
I know I was asking for a lot. I mean, that would be the IDEAL situation for each of us in Akron or Cleveland. We don't do suburbs. And Tallmadge's community is very snobby and elitist based around the "old families" and some weird notion of tradition that kills independent business (oh don't get me started). It's not our lifestyle at all. As for traffic, it's not really great anywhere. But we are currently spoiled in that we never have to get on a highway to commute. We also don't mind living somewhere that seems a bit sketchy to suburban dwellers and prefer older quirky homes. We love our 1100 square foot 1930s bungalow.
I feel confident about the art scene that continues to grow in the Akron area. Cleveland is a bit more fractured, it seems, when it comes to indie craft. I travel to all these cities for shows at least once a year.
When I say "real winter," Cincinnati has had two years of basically NO snow at all. It's just rainy and gloomy and often warm. We just want snow days that involve actual snow!
As for Cleveland, I've looked at real estate listings and wow...lots of NEW condo builds with insane prices which we don't want and certainly can't afford anyway! I also have to consider what may likely be my husband working for Cleveland versus Akron schools. But that's a factor that needs a lot more research.
Thanks for the perspective! Highland Square is definitely where I imagine being first. Or Coventry Village in Cleveland. Being able to walk for groceries or for a few drinks is really what I want available.
Some people mentioned the neighborhoods in Cleveland being bigger. I have to say, our Northside neighborhood in Cincinnati only has a population of 10,000 or so, so a very similar size to Highland Square. And many people are very active in community decisions.
I know I was asking for a lot. I mean, that would be the IDEAL situation for each of us in Akron or Cleveland. We don't do suburbs. And Tallmadge's community is very snobby and elitist based around the "old families" and some weird notion of tradition that kills independent business (oh don't get me started). It's not our lifestyle at all. As for traffic, it's not really great anywhere. But we are currently spoiled in that we never have to get on a highway to commute. We also don't mind living somewhere that seems a bit sketchy to suburban dwellers and prefer older quirky homes. We love our 1100 square foot 1930s bungalow.
I feel confident about the art scene that continues to grow in the Akron area. Cleveland is a bit more fractured, it seems, when it comes to indie craft. I travel to all these cities for shows at least once a year.
When I say "real winter," Cincinnati has had two years of basically NO snow at all. It's just rainy and gloomy and often warm. We just want snow days that involve actual snow!
As for Cleveland, I've looked at real estate listings and wow...lots of NEW condo builds with insane prices which we don't want and certainly can't afford anyway! I also have to consider what may likely be my husband working for Cleveland versus Akron schools. But that's a factor that needs a lot more research.
Cleveland is fractured. But it is a much larger metro, so it would be. Reminds me a lot of the scene down here. Larger cities like that you'll have several pockets here and there. A neighborhood like Highland Square might not be your only option up there.
But I don't think you're asking for a lot. I get what you're saying about winter. It's like that where I live in Virginia. I'm just saying that I don't get missing it. Winter is fun but it can also be a pain in the. It also takes a lot of of me psychologically, and adds to the dreariness of a place. But to each their own. I remember in Akron it would start on Halloween and snow until Easter. That was back in the eighties. I don't mind getting a week here or a few days there. But that's personal preference of mine. Virginia is very elitist and very bourgeois, and that's what I hate about the place. Northern Virginia is the same way, but just liberal. Midwest was more practical, and less pretentious. The culture isn't as fake up there, and you don't have to smile and act like everything is okay and pleasantries when it isn't. People leave you alone up there.
Cleveland fits your needs better besides maybe the family angle. How often do you think you'll be visiting family? Are you hoping for like a drop in unannounced every day or two sort of thing? Or just being able to visit them a few times a month without a road trip being involved?
Are you open to a condo? You could get something walkable and in your price range along the Blue/Green lines in Shaker Heights/Cleveland, or maybe a house in a few of the Shaker Heights neighborhoods. The condo fees can be very high though, so definitely work with a realtor to find out what your real budget would be. Several neighborhoods in Cleveland Heights would probably suit, you as well. Lakewood would fit you, but is probably outside your price range, but I'm not that familiar with the market over there. Within Cleveland, Larchmere or Waterloo might suit you as well. The typical hot neighborhoods in Cleveland are outside of your price range.
Please explain how Cleveland fits her needs better
Quote:
Originally Posted by goofy328
Is traffic your only umbrage to the statement? I was looking for something more specific. Where I was going with it is that one might find larger neighborhoods in Cleveland with the flair that exists in Highland Square.
Well, perhaps I was taking things a bit personal, as your initial response sounded a bit dismissive:
"Personally I would just move to Cleveland and be done with it..." I'm sorry if I was too defensive.
Since you asked, here are some more specifics:
I didn't think that your response really responded to much of what she asked about aside from the "real winter" issue.
Can one easily find a neighborhood in Cleveland where you can easily walk to grocery store, library, etc.? Can one rely on public transit in Cleveland and forgo buying the second car? I don't know the answer, but my impression is that Akron probably better meets those needs than Cleveland.
On the subject of real winter and snow, Akron gets plenty of snow, but Cleveland experiences the lake effect that Akron does not. My adventures in Cleveland during the winter suggest that Akron is better able to keep up with street clearing than Cleveland.
She mentioned avoiding getting on a highway, which to me suggests she would prefer to avoid sitting in traffic. Having lived in Chicago with a job that took me to various suburbs, I developed a deep hatred of sitting in traffic. EVERY time I go to Cleveland, I spend more time in transit than seems appropriate (either sitting in traffic or at a host of traffic signals). EVERY time. So, I guess I consider it a pretty important component of life quality.
I love going to Cleveland for a show or to visit a museum. Cleveland definitely has the leg up on those types of cultural experiences. For me, I don't mind driving a bit to do those special occasion type things. But I like that the things I need to do on a regular basis are all close to me without much hassle and that I live in an artsy, diverse urban setting with reasonable cost of living/housing without a lot of the drawbacks of most urban environments.
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Please explain how Cleveland fits her needs better
