Where do Single 30-Somethings Live in Cleveland (East Side)? (condominiums, crime)

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

The area JUST north of Shaker Square around Fairhill seems like a potential option as well.....does anyone know much about this area?

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by Min-Chi-Cbus

I also had an opinion of the place, and I live very close to it and go through there at least 2X a day on weekdays to/from work. I'm personally not a fan of Shaker Square, but I can definitely see its potential! I think it could be better than it is now though.

I think I may live there depending on the variables and the situation, but if it involves my wife's opinion and whether or not I'll be able to have my daughter(s) over for days at a time because she thinks it's dangerous -- hyper-critical or no -- I have to at least take her viewpoint seriously......it's just not worth the risk (of not being able to see my kids as much as I'd like).

I love having the rapid, Dewey's, the Balaton, the movie theater, close to nature, etc. But I feel you on the custody thing.

Don't get married, folks!

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by Min-Chi-Cbus

I tend to agree....it's a bit anxietal to be worrying about the type of infill/redevelopment that everybody wants but still has yet to materialize on a city-wide level. Let's start with a full-scale "renaissance" first and THEN worry about whether or not it's destroying the character of some of these places. There are SO MANY neighborhoods in Cleveland that need ANY kind of care/investment that even if they did gentrify it'd be a step in the right direction, since the current "character" can best be described as "sad".

Now that I'm probably going to be in Cleveland for the foreseeable future, I want to see the city make huge strides in reinventing itself by starting to take care of its nooks and crannies, and not just 4 or 5 main neighborhoods (downtown, OC, Tremont, University Circle, and Coventry).

The complaining about the high-end nature of the Galleria and Tower City being for the rich suburbanite folks in the late '80s-early '90s reminds me of this as well. Now, Galleria is gone and Tower City has Payless Shoes and Dollar Stores...this thinking is a major issue in Cleveland and always has been.

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

Respectfully disagree, Kamms. Keep the hipsters on the west side

OK. What type of population do you think is going to in-fill Cleveland generally and the east side in particular?

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by Min-Chi-Cbus

The area JUST north of Shaker Square around Fairhill seems like a potential option as well.....does anyone know much about this area?

This is the same area as Shaker Square/Larchmere. If you don't like those two parts, you won't like Fairhill either.

Maybe Little Italy?

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

This is the same area as Shaker Square/Larchmere. If you don't like those two parts, you won't like Fairhill either.

Maybe Little Italy?

LOVE Little Italy, and keep looking on Craigs List for openings. So far I've contacted 3 or 4 people and have not heard back from ONE of them! Makes me wonder if I'm doing something incorrectly. I'd use Apartments.com or Rent.com, but they tend to work work only the major renting agencies and what I really want/need is something on the smaller side.

[Kamms]

Hmm...Little Italy stays so safe despite being located near the ''high-crime'' areas; what could be the reason for this?

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by Min-Chi-Cbus

LOVE Little Italy, and keep looking on Craigs List for openings. So far I've contacted 3 or 4 people and have not heard back from ONE of them! Makes me wonder if I'm doing something incorrectly. I'd use Apartments.com or Rent.com, but they tend to work work only the major renting agencies and what I really want/need is something on the smaller side.

Don't give up- this is just the nature of the beast. 4 isn't a whole lot of attempts. I usually send out at least 10 when I'm looking for apartments. I do think Little Italy is an ideal area, though it might be a bit difficult to get to and from SHHS, I guess. Possible, but you're looking at probably 45 minutes, via public transportation.

[averysgore]

Originally Posted by Kamms

Cleveland needs as many Ohio City neighborhoods as it can get, each with its own unique character (as much as that is possible with gentrification). With its continuing population decline, Cleveland can't be negative about gentrification.

I'm with Kamms here. Seriously, would you rather have a sort-of-nice Shaker Square with a couple interesting blocks, or a full-blown great neighborhood that will attract people all over Ohio? (As Ohio City pretty much is now.) Cleveland has a LONG time before it has to worry about pricing out "normal people," as bjimmy puts it. I can't imagine that being an issue somewhere just a couple blocks from Buckeye.

Also, deriding everyone who enjoys living in vibrant urban areas as "hipsters" is simply stupid. If that were true, practically everyone in Western Europe would be a hipster.

[averysgore]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

Perception is not always reality. Especially in the Shaker Square/Larchmere area. I think it's a fine place to have kids. They even can go to Shaker Heights High School, not Cleveland city schools, which is a definite advantage. It's probably the best place for public transportation too. Also walking distance to Shaker Nature Center and the Shaker Lakes. I don't really know what more you could want! Statistically, adult males are by far the most likely people to be victims of crime, so if that is your concern (which I don't really think it should be anyway), then you should be more worried about yourself!

That's the stupidest bit of advice I've heard for a long time. Everybody knows that you're safer walking alone at night as an adult male than a female or child. Not the best advice for someone concerned about living in Cleveland city limits with his young child.

Sorry, I realize I've been snarky a lot to you lately, but I couldn't let that go. Where are you in Boston? Don't the inexpensive food options here kinda suck?