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Old 07-24-2014, 05:38 PM
 
134 posts, read 175,774 times
Reputation: 189

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I am currently an ESL and reading teacher in the VERY EXPENSIVE suburbs of NYC. It's insanely expensive here, and since my daughter goes to Ohio State and my son is contemplating moving to Columbus, so Mom wants to get the hell out of Dodge. I'm contemplating Cleveland because I am thinking of buying a two family house...living in one side, renting the other. I like cities and I want to start easing my way out of education and back into the arts (art school grad). I like funky places, artsy fartsy folks, and I can tolerate having to do a big fix up, as long as I can walk to a coffee shop or a book store to get away from the mess. I need to be near some large body of water (currently live a block from a harbor...water is kind of addicting). I don't need to worry about schools since both kids are out of or in college. I like houses with a bit of history, a good community, diversity is good, but to be honest, I've done living in 'the hood' and don't want to do that again. So...is this list too insane? I'll have a bit of money from selling this cardboard box in the NYC burbs (if you knew the price I paid for a four room house you'd laugh yourself silly). If I'm nuts, I can take it. Thanks in advance!
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Old 07-24-2014, 05:59 PM
 
1,046 posts, read 1,531,253 times
Reputation: 488
My honest suggestion is to have your daughter put you in contact with some people that actually live in the state. Have some real conversations with those that have lived in Cleveland. You can take whatever advice is given on this message board into consideration but ultimately I would go with advice given by those that are not biased. So many people live in an area and have ventured to one other state if that and have never been anywhere else so they will defend their current place of residence it with their last breath no matter how ridiculous it sounds.

That being said, I don't think that your list is insane and you should be able to meet all the requirements listed by living in Cleveland, just be cautious on exactly where to live at in Cleveland. Once you've narrowed it down, travel to that area and talk to people that live there before deciding to move there.

If you do move to Cleveland and encounter anything negative, be wary about posting it on here LOL! Sometimes the truth hurts and when the regular biased posters get their feelings hurt, factual posts with actual data backing them up get labeled as "trolling" and are deleted if they have a negative connotation to them.
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Old 07-24-2014, 08:17 PM
 
372 posts, read 591,574 times
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Most of Cleveland's biggest supporters and cheerleaders that I've encountered have transplanted from other states or have returned home here. We move here twice by choice. First from the SF Bay Area and the second time back from Nashville. Both of those cities have a considerably better reputation than Cleveland, and yes, people always think we are nuts, but it is a such a great bang-for-your buck city. You are not nuts. Come scope out different neighborhoods. You'll find the artsy, funky scene you are looking for, definitely!
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Old 07-24-2014, 09:44 PM
 
4,823 posts, read 4,925,066 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by citymama View Post
Most of Cleveland's biggest supporters and cheerleaders that I've encountered have transplanted from other states or have returned home here. We move here twice by choice. First from the SF Bay Area and the second time back from Nashville. Both of those cities have a considerably better reputation than Cleveland, and yes, people always think we are nuts, but it is a such a great bang-for-your buck city. You are not nuts. Come scope out different neighborhoods. You'll find the artsy, funky scene you are looking for, definitely!
I would consider a move back to the CLE myself; there is momentum going on there in its latest comeback. This time, however, people are moving into downtown, Ohio City, Detroit-Shoreway, UC etc. Bleak areas remain, for sure, but it does appear as if the seeds of regrowth are sprouting. As opposed to the '80s-'90s comeback of downtown office buildings and stadiums. Not only the cost, but the ease, of living is very appealing. I know a few native Clevelanders considering a move back there.
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Old 07-24-2014, 10:58 PM
 
212 posts, read 228,522 times
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I moved from Cleveland in 2004 to Phoenix,Arizona.
Cleveland was where I was born and raised and Yes I miss it.
even toy with the idea of moving back someday.
It sounds like you might like the area around Coventry, I remember it was kinda funky and had a cool vibe. It's in Cleveland Heights.
coffee shops, old record stores and such.
There was even a Revolution books there, kind of marxist anarchist place.
So yeah that was a funky neighborhood.
you also have Ohio City, Tremont, detroit shoreway and other little pockets of cool funkiness. Check out this cool little street fair that goes on in the university circle area.
Hessler Street Fair
who would have known cleveland was this cool
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Old 07-24-2014, 11:37 PM
 
Location: Cleveland
493 posts, read 638,018 times
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Duplex houses? There are a lot of them within the city of Cleveland, but a lot of areas within the city limits are pretty rough.

Try somewhere like Waterloo or Tremont/Ohio City or somewhere around Rockefeller Park.

Tremont and Ohio City are neighborhoods on the west side that are right next to downtown. Ohio City has lots of restaurants and bars and even The West Side Market. Tremont has lots of great houses and some new developments that are selling for half a million dollars. Tremont also has a lot of historic big houses that are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Waterloo is a neighborhood northeast of downtown and is right on the lake. Waterloo is one of the newest developed neighborhoods in Cleveland, but has old houses and buildings. Waterloo is the new art district in Cleveland, and is attracting lots of young artists and musicians.
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Old 07-25-2014, 01:01 AM
 
Location: Cleveland
3,412 posts, read 5,104,955 times
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I think your best bets are going to be the following:

1. Tremont. Established, trendy, gentrified community. Very artsy, lots of art galleries, trendy restaurants and shops, close to downtown, 10 minute drive to the nearest lakefront park.
2. Gordon Square. Up and coming area, still rough around the edges, but quickly becoming a very hot neighborhood. Abuts Edgewater Park. 5 minute drive from Downtown.
3. Lakewood. Cool, funky, quirky, hip, liberal suburb on the West Side. Also, as the name suggests, it abuts the lake, and has ample lake access.
4. Ohio City. Trendy area that is quickly gentrifying. Tends to attract more the young hipster crowd, but there are still a lot of middle aged and older people who call it home. Lots of cool restaurants and bars along W 25th, along with the incredible West Side Market. >5 minutes to Downtown, 5-10 minutes to the lakefront
5. Cleveland Heights. Like a somewhat grittier version of Lakewood on the East Side. It's a funky, liberal, diverse suburb. The Cedar-Lee district has lots of great restaurants, along with the best artsy movie theater in the area. Coventry is a fun place too, but tends to skew towards the high school and college crowd. Close to the cultural hub of University Circle. Not so close to Downtown or Lake Erie (15-20 minutes from both). Poor freeway access, but good public transportation.
6. University Circle. This puts you in the cultural epicenter of Cleveland. Our fantastic art museum, orchestra, museum of modern art, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Institute of Arts, Cleveland Institute of Music, Cultural Gardens, Natural History Museum, and several major hospitals are all located there. For housing, you're probably going to be looking at either expensive condo's, giant rehabbed houses, or cute older houses in Little Italy. The neighborhood is surrounded by some very rough areas, but there are 3 police forces in UC itself, so that area itself is very safe. Great public transportation, with a heavy rail line, BRT, and busses. 10-15 minutes from Downtown and Lake Erie.
7. Larchmere. I almost forgot this one, and I would have been remiss if I had. This is one of the coolest little neighborhoods on the East Side. It's close to Shaker Square and University Circle, and has lots of little boutique shops, art galleries, and restaurants. Every year the neighborhood puts on an event called Larchmere Porch Fest, where bands from all over are invited to play on people's front porches, and people come to watch them play from their front lawns. It's a very friendly, interesting, "hidden gem" of a neighborhood. >5 minutes to University Circle, 10-15 minutes to Downtown.


Other areas worth mentioning:

-Waterloo in North Collinwood: a quirky, hip area that is still mostly working class, but is attracting a lot of artists and musicians as well. Very close to Lake Erie, 10 minutes from Downtown.
-Slavic Village: A neighborhood that has taken a lot of hits in recent years, but has a great ethnic flavor, and is just begging for a comeback. Many parts are rough, but there are some decent areas. One of Ohio's senators lives there, so it can't be all bad.
-Old Brooklyn: An older, less hip, more family-oriented area on the Near West Side. It's a very friendly place, and I do know some cool, funky people who live there.
-Shaker Heights: A wealthier, more family oriented East Side suburb. It's very charming, has lots of character, and has two light rail lines that run to Downtown, but in general has a little less going on than Cleveland Heights.
-Euclid, North of Lakeshore. You can find some great deals on houses right near the lake in Euclid. It's a cute suburb, that's seen some decline, but has some nice restaurants, and a cute little downtown. Lake access, affordability, public transportation, and freeway access are the biggest positives.
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Old 07-25-2014, 06:11 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
3,298 posts, read 3,874,486 times
Reputation: 3141
Not crazy. I've spent the last 24 hours soaking up info on Cleveland.
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Old 07-25-2014, 07:38 AM
 
Location: Youngstown, Oh.
5,502 posts, read 9,464,588 times
Reputation: 5606
If you're looking for a two family house, you might consider buying one of the ubiquitous Cleveland doubles. They don't seem to be that popular around here, and so may be less expensive, even in the more desirable neighborhoods.

Here are some in Tremont:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.4763...-UJyOUGM7Q!2e0

Several years ago, I was looking at houses for sale online, in the Ohio City and Tremont areas, just for fun. I happened to run across one of these doubles that still had all the original details in the second floor unit. It even had the original kitchen! (original, unpainted wood cabinets, porcelain enamel farmer's sink, etc.)
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Old 07-25-2014, 08:14 AM
 
185 posts, read 247,361 times
Reputation: 58
Look into these three areas:

Tremont: Tremont West Development Corporation - Tremont West Development Corporation

Hingetown: Hingetown - part of the Ohio City neighborhood

Detroit-Shoreway (My personal fav): Detroit Shoreway - Detroit Shoreway Homepage

Not only are these great areas for the arts but in 5-10years these neighborhoods will be some of the most prime residential and commercial real estate in Ohio and maybe the entire midwest.
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