Where in Lakewood do you recommend living? (Cleveland, Parma: apartments, rent)

[valerie127]

I have heard that Lakewood is a good place for couples in their mid-twenties, like my husband and I, but is there any particular place that you recommend in Lakewood? Something that is safe and walkable? We will likely only be staying for a year.
Thanks!

[shakeababy]

the farther north and the farther west you go in lakewood the more "posh," otherwise youll find nice pockets all over the city. lakewood is so unique, and every block of every street has a different vibe. you might want to decide if you want an apartment or duplex, townhome or rent a condo or single family home. then decide if you wanna be:

more on the west end, near detroit ave. and sloane ave.

or downtown around warren rd. and detroit ave.

or the east end, or the edge, near clifton and west 117th st.

[shakeababy]

also, if you're looking at living on a side street, consider remarking if many of the properties (rowhouses, duplexes, homes) are renter-occupied or owner-occupied on that block that you're interested in renting on.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by valerie127

I have heard that Lakewood is a good place for couples in their mid-twenties, like my husband and I, but is there any particular place that you recommend in Lakewood? Something that is safe and walkable? We will likely only be staying for a year.
Thanks!

We used to live off of Clifton Ave. in the 130's. It was close enough to downtown Lakewood as well as close to the restaurants along 117th. In general, we could walk pretty much anywhere. Also, we could take a bus to Rocky River (or walk) and downtown.

What struck me was the pedestrian traffic along Clifton well into the night.

We used to walk 5+ miles a day eight months a year for exercise. The ONLY area where we encountered any problems was that we were egged while walking on Madison near 117th.

The BIGGEST DANGER in Lakewood are the @#$%^ drivers who do NOT yield to pedestrians. I only encountered it twice in five years. (The worst case came when a driver darned near hit me and then flipped me off. Her mistake was that it was all done in front of a Lakewood police officer!)

[costello_musicman]

I personally enjoy the being on the Lake and the Gold Coast -- very high population density there.

[valerie127]

Thanks for all of your answers! We were looking into the Shoreham apartments but couldn't tell if they were close enough to anything to walk. The north side is also a bit far for my drive (to Parma) - I know it's not too far, but I've been commuting 50 minutes to work from Medina and would like a break from that for a little while!

[costello_musicman]

Originally Posted by valerie127

Thanks for all of your answers! We were looking into the Shoreham apartments but couldn't tell if they were close enough to anything to walk. The north side is also a bit far for my drive (to Parma) - I know it's not too far, but I've been commuting 50 minutes to work from Medina and would like a break from that for a little while!

I'd say go for it at those apartments. Right near the lake and the best seafood in Cleveland, Pier W!

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by valerie127

Thanks for all of your answers! We were looking into the Shoreham apartments but couldn't tell if they were close enough to anything to walk. The north side is also a bit far for my drive (to Parma) - I know it's not too far, but I've been commuting 50 minutes to work from Medina and would like a break from that for a little while!

I don't know exactly where in Parma you work, but back when I lived on the Gold Coast, it took me 30 minutes to drive to Parmatown Mall from there (I typically didn't do it during rush hour, however).

The biggest drawback to that commute is that there are no expressways to take. It's all city streets with lots and lots of traffic lights.

I think there is still one supermarket within walking distance of the Shoreham, as well as several drug stores and a number of shops and restaurants. Most everything available in the area is around W. 117/Clifton but there is some stuff on Detroit too.

[Peregrine]

Originally Posted by costello_musicman

I'd say go for it at those apartments. Right near the lake and the best seafood in Cleveland, Pier W!

If by BEST you mean MOST EXPENSIVE, then I would agree.
There are much better places that aren't as expensive.
There's a reason most people only go to Pier W for "Special Occasions".

[WRosado]

I'm an eastsider, but Lakewood has plenty of good times to be had. My personal preference would be around downtown Lakewood or in the Gold Coast just for the views.