1 semester at CSU, need an apartment in a good inner city area (Cleveland: sublet)

[eurokie]

Hi all. I will be moving to Cleveland for August-December for the school semester at CSU and I'm looking for a place to live. I will be making a pre-visit in July to sign a lease, but I'm basically looking for a 1 br (preferably furnished) between $500-700 in a safe, decent neighborhood in Cleveland.

I don't want to live anywhere near ranch houses OR abandoned houses, and I would prefer a good bicycling and public transit connection to downtown/CSU. I have an SUV but I really want to live somewhere that my car isn't the only option getting around, those places just generally have a higher quality of life, and I think I would have a higher quality of life in a more urban area.

The areas of Cleveland that I like the best, in order of how much I like them (and this is just based on weeks of relentless online research, google streetview touring, etc): Downtown, Detroit Shoreway, Murray Hill, Gordon Square, Cedar-Lee, Shaker Square, Lakewood, Coventry, Ohio City, Tremont, Edgewater, Cedar-Fairmount, Flats, Larchmere, Midtown/fmr "Red Light District" along Euclid/Prospect, Rocky River, and lastly Kamm's Corner... I'd include University Circle/Uptown but I'd imagine that's probably the only area I'm truly priced out of.

My best lead for a nice furnished apartment around $600/mo is actually in Midtown, around E32nd and Prospect. This area seems to have a lot of upside and is improving, but has it improved enough to date that crime is not a problem? I've read apartment reviews about cars getting broken in and homeless wandering the hallways, but these reviews are all 3 years old and that is a long time that a lot of change can occur in gentrifying areas. Obviously I won't sign a lease until I tour the area for myself, but I'm especially curious what you guys think of the areas along Euclid and Prospect immediately east of CSU across the Innerbelt.

I'm also curious what you guys think of finding leases. I've been scouring CL for the last month and it's about 50/50 for people willing to lease for just 5-6 months. I was initially told that 6 months would keep me out of the best buildings and best areas but this only seems partially true. I'm also curious about Murray Hill - why is nothing in Little Italy/Murray Hill ever posted online? Does internet exist in Little Italy? lol. How does one go about getting a flat there? That area seems/looks awesome, exactly what I'm looking for..

[mystery79]

I don't know how the routes have changed but the 55 bus that runs down Clifton in Lakewood / west side of CLE used to stop directly at Cleveland State - pretty frequently in the morning hours. After the rush, it's like once an hour. There is the Euclid ave line now, so that probably opens up the east side more, but Lakewood definitely has 1 bedrooms in your price range. Not sure about any furnished places though - I think those are a quite pricey and not a lot of them out there (only time I've ever looked I found some in Westlake, over 1k a month). Maybe you could get that if you sublet from someone who's going to be out of town for a while.

There's a lot of rental stock out there, I'm guessing a lot of places would be wiling to offer a shorter lease term. In general 6 month and month to month rent is always gonna run you more. At least $50 - 100 more than a rental.

Good luck w/ your search.

[eurokie]

Yeah, I think my best lead so far is the Plaza Suites which have stylish furnished units at $630/mo, I'm just worried about the area around E32 and Prospect. I've always been attracted to urban pioneering and cool urban districts, so if that's the vibe, sign me up. Not so much into homeless everywhere, crime problem in the streets.. the line between cool-urban and homeless-crime is so fine..

[TheProf]

I think Shaker Square is awesome. It's got the best of both worlds: a densely populated, exciting, diverse urban area of Cleveland while bordering one of the nation's beautiful, wealthy and noteworthy suburbs in Shaker Heights. Shaker Sq., which is Cleveland's major apartment district outside of downtown, has lots of shops, restaurants, a 6-screen movie theatre, drugstore (CVS) and supermarket. Also, the Larchmere cultural and antiques district is a block to the north which has a very artsy-fartsy crowd; there are lots of college students in Shaker Square .... And mass transit? The best. 2 light rail rapid transit lines directly serve the square with trains speeding to downtown in 13 mins (there is also frequent bus service down the hill to University Circle, Cleveland's powerhouse museum/educational/medical/cultural district. Clifton/Lakewood is nice, but the #55 bus no longer runs on weekends. (you can walk over to Detroit and take the much slower 26 (either all the way into town or to the Red Line rapid at West Blvd).

[QuirkyCarter]

"Urban" and "homelessness/crime" usually go hand in hand. I would not recommend the Cleveland city limits to anyone who isn't cool with gunshots and the very real possibility of being a victim of crime. I made the mistake of falling for the widespread myth that bad neighborhoods are only considered bad because white people are racist/afraid. After a year in a neighborhood where people are raped, cars are stolen, drug deals and prostitutes are the norm, and no one even notices when shots are fired, I moved and didn't look back. My friends (a very diverse group of people) agreed that it was extremely unsafe. No one - regardless of income or race - is safe in an area with an extremely high crime rate, and Cleveland fits that bill.

Based on your comments, I think you will love Lakewood. It is VERY bike-friendly, fairly diverse, pretty urban, and has a lot of character in general. I don't think you'll have a hard time finding a safe apartment that meets your needs.

[Cleverfield]

Originally Posted by QuirkyCarter

"Urban" and "homelessness/crime" usually go hand in hand. I would not recommend the Cleveland city limits to anyone who isn't cool with gunshots and the very real possibility of being a victim of crime. I made the mistake of falling for the widespread myth that bad neighborhoods are only considered bad because white people are racist/afraid. After a year in a neighborhood where people are raped, cars are stolen, drug deals and prostitutes are the norm, and no one even notices when shots are fired, I moved and didn't look back. My friends (a very diverse group of people) agreed that it was extremely unsafe. No one - regardless of income or race - is safe in an area with an extremely high crime rate, and Cleveland fits that bill.

Based on your comments, I think you will love Lakewood. It is VERY bike-friendly, fairly diverse, pretty urban, and has a lot of character in general. I don't think you'll have a hard time finding a safe apartment that meets your needs.

While there is some truth to what you're saying, it's wrong to say that this is true of every neighborhood in the Cleveland city limits. There are certainly some nice areas in Cleveland that, while they aren't crime-free (what urban area is?), are relatively safe, and comfortable to live in. These include many areas on the West side, such as Kamms Corners, West Park, and parts of Tremont and Ohio City. Also, East Side neighborhoods such as Shaker Square, Larchmont, and Little Italy are safe, nice places to live. I agree that much of the inner city is plagued with crime, drugs, and property neglect, but there are sections that remain very nice and desirable for someone who's looking for a city vibe.

[Peregrine]

Yea, that really offends me QuirkyCarter.

I like how you don't mention specifically where you lived. I live in Cleveland proper. Have for 7 years. Never heard a gunshot or been a victim of crime...
I never heard the 'myth' that BAD neighborhoods are bad because of the reason you stated. That's ridiculous...

As to the OP: The Little Italy question. Not sure why they don't post online. Probably some hold over to the "old days" when landlords want to SEE the tenants they might be renting to. If you walk around the neighborhood (being sure to dodge gunfire) you will see quite a few "For Rent" signs.

[billmesh]

Originally Posted by QuirkyCarter

"Urban" and "homelessness/crime" usually go hand in hand. I would not recommend the Cleveland city limits to anyone who isn't cool with gunshots and the very real possibility of being a victim of crime. I made the mistake of falling for the widespread myth that bad neighborhoods are only considered bad because white people are racist/afraid. After a year in a neighborhood where people are raped, cars are stolen, drug deals and prostitutes are the norm, and no one even notices when shots are fired, I moved and didn't look back. My friends (a very diverse group of people) agreed that it was extremely unsafe. No one - regardless of income or race - is safe in an area with an extremely high crime rate, and Cleveland fits that bill.

Based on your comments, I think you will love Lakewood. It is VERY bike-friendly, fairly diverse, pretty urban, and has a lot of character in general. I don't think you'll have a hard time finding a safe apartment that meets your needs.

In which neighborhood did you live?

[LuvOrlando]

Lakewood!!!