Young professional, moving to Cleveland and need apartment ideas please? (Lakewood: apartment complexes, rentals)

[bubblgum]

I'm a 22yo female and will be moving to Cleveland in October and I have been having difficulties figuring out the best places to live. I think I have a good idea of the areas but not which parts of them are best/specific apartment complexes. Maybe I am just terrible at searching but I have only really found good apartments for the downtown area.

These are the areas I'm considering (I am open to others):
Downtown (E 4th St., Warehouse District)
Ohio City
Tremont
Lakewood
Cleveland Heights (Coventry)

These are the criteria that are important to me:
Safety (a must)
Good parking
Active area (other YPs and places in the area to hang out)
Exercise (esp. biking, running, yoga, kickboxing if those are options)
Inexpensive (at least under $1,000/mo although I would prefer around $600)

I have spent a TON of time looking into apartments but I am coming up with nothing and not knowing anyone certainly makes it difficult. I don't need a luxury apartment but I do really value safety (and a safe place for my car) and cleanliness (I don't want a place that is moldy or falling down). If anyone has specific apartment buildings (big or small) they would recommend I would really appreciate it! I know just hitting the pavement is probably the most useful option but I'll be abroad until October so that's not as much of an option.Sorry for such the long post, I just wanted to make it specific and I'm definitely in need of some help.

Thanks so much for any help you may have!

[costello_musicman]

Welcome to Cleveland!

I'd definitely say you're looking at the right parts of town. Will you be working Downtown? There's a pretty wide geographic range of Lakewood to Coventry.

[bubblgum]

I am actually working in Aurora so I am expecting a 30-50 minute commute regardless so that's the reason for such a large range. I just want to be living in an area I can get involved in the community of.

[SquareBetterThanAll]

Originally Posted by bubblgum

I just want to be living in an area I can get involved in the community of.

Might I suggest reaching out to one of the young professional organizations as well. Not only are they good for professional and social networking opportunities, they also are generally good resources for community service opportunities. There are multiple around but you might try starting with Engage Cleveland ENGAGE! CLEVELAND | A Catalyst for Cleveland . They are an excellent group and have great events.

[RomaniGypsy]

Originally Posted by bubblgum

I'm a 22yo female and will be moving to Cleveland in October and I have been having difficulties figuring out the best places to live. I think I have a good idea of the areas but not which parts of them are best/specific apartment complexes. Maybe I am just terrible at searching but I have only really found good apartments for the downtown area.

Consider that the worst parts of Cleveland are east and southeast. If you are going to live right there in the city, the best thing I could tell you is to go to that area yourself and figure out its "vibe" for yourself. It ain't hard to determine. I've been to Cleveland enough to tell you that you can practically see the safety level of an area just by looking around.

[mbowes80]

Another area to add to your list: Edgewater (esp along Lake avenue.) I like it here because it's in Cleveland proper with easy access to both the rest of the west side (OC, Tremont, etc. in 5-10 mins) but also to Lakewood and Fairview Park, for when you need those suburban amenities. Dozens of apt buildings along Lake, and also lots of rentals on Clifton. Just another thing to consider...

Also, look into Detroit-Shoreway/Gordon Square area a bit. Definitely up-and-coming, but a bit cheaper than Ohio City and Tremont because it's not quite as far along the road to hipness yet.

[Cleverfield]

Another place worth looking into might be North Collinwood, near Waterloo Rd, or East 185th, or the streets North of Lakeshore. It's another up-and coming with a lot of arts and entertainment oriented businesses and restaurants. It's also on the East Side of town and has easy access to I-90 so the commute time will be a little easier. Fair warning, the area is still in the process of transitioning, and is still rough around the edges in parts, but the streets close to the lake are lovely, and both Waterloo and E 185th are up and coming streets with lots of restaurants and businesses. It is also more affordable than a lot of the hip areas on the West Side or Downtown.

[reretarff]

Anywhere downtown

[fughazzi]

Originally Posted by bubblgum

I'm a 22yo female and will be moving to Cleveland in October and I have been having difficulties figuring out the best places to live. I think I have a good idea of the areas but not which parts of them are best/specific apartment complexes. Maybe I am just terrible at searching but I have only really found good apartments for the downtown area.

These are the areas I'm considering (I am open to others):
Downtown (E 4th St., Warehouse District)
Ohio City
Tremont
Lakewood
Cleveland Heights (Coventry)

These are the criteria that are important to me:
Safety (a must)
Good parking
Active area (other YPs and places in the area to hang out)
Exercise (esp. biking, running, yoga, kickboxing if those are options)
Inexpensive (at least under $1,000/mo although I would prefer around $600)

I have spent a TON of time looking into apartments but I am coming up with nothing and not knowing anyone certainly makes it difficult. I don't need a luxury apartment but I do really value safety (and a safe place for my car) and cleanliness (I don't want a place that is moldy or falling down). If anyone has specific apartment buildings (big or small) they would recommend I would really appreciate it! I know just hitting the pavement is probably the most useful option but I'll be abroad until October so that's not as much of an option.Sorry for such the long post, I just wanted to make it specific and I'm definitely in need of some help.

Thanks so much for any help you may have!

From what I gather about you, I would definitely say that your first apartment should be in Tremont. It is my favorite area, and I think it would be best for you for the following reasons.


Location - It is what I like to call, 'a suburb within a city'. It is practically downtown, and it still has the small community feel. Anything you need downtown is accessible by a cheap cab or public transportation.

Community - The people there are very nice, progressive area with that tight knit community feel. There are very neat local shops, restaurants, coffee houses and events that will make you feel apart of a big city. They are building a grocery store there and there are a few yoga studios in Tremont, with accessibility to a few nice ones downtown. The night life is not as 'club' and is a little more 'hipster', and I use that term loosely. This puts you next to an up and coming night life area in Ohio City (5min cab) and downtown is right there too. East 4th downtown is neat, but prob a little out of your price range but an easy cab ride.

Housing - Price wise you should be fine right in your range of $600-$1000, closer to the middle. Craigslist will give you a good idea of the housing and is a good way to check out places. There's only a few apartment buildings, mostly houses. You should be able to find a 1 bedroom/studio in that range. Parking is 50/50. Meaning driveway/garage or the street, but there is hardly ever a problem finding parking. **This is a high commodity area - housing goes quick and is hard to find so beware.


Safety - Tremont is good, for you I'd say stay North of Starkweather Ave. Downtown has it's usual problems and you'll have a good chance of having your car broken into (typical for any city). Outside of that the areas you listed are pretty safe. I would only say that Ohio City, at the moment, may not be an option for you till you get acclimated with the area. It is a great area, but for you, it could be scary if you take a wrong turn.


Having said all of this, the freeway dawned on me. They are rerouting freeways right around Tremont, so I would take a serious look into what is open. If you have to travel in a direction that is closed, it may become a nuisance.


I hope I described the area a little better... I'm looking to move out of Cleveland so I am akin right now to people moving. Outside of that I don't think you can go wrong in any other areas (I would include Shaker Heights too). Ohio City is very cool and progressive, and growing, but just be weary there is a fine line for your living requirements.

I definitely rambled on without thinking so if I was confusing or If you have any other questions I'd be happy to help. Happy hunting!

[ctownballr27]

Tremont, Ohio City, and Detroit Shoreway/Gordon Square areas would be the way to go. It's getting better and better each year.