Neighborhood Check - Not sure what neighborhood this address is in, can anyone help? :) (Cleveland: apartment, rentals)

[sapling]

Hi all,

I'm moving to Cleveland and will only have a very short time to find an apartment before I start work, so I'm trying to get some strong leads to look at before I drive up. I'll be working in Beachwood, so I'm looking for something on the eastside - from my research Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights, and University Heights all seem like safe but affordable areas for a young, single professional (please correct me on this if I'm wrong! )

One apartment I'm looking at is within a ~3 block radius of the Googlemaps link below:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...wloc=addr&om=1

Edit-it keeps putting a space in "larchmere" but just click the Google "Did you mean Larchmere and Kemper?" after clicking the link and it should go to the right area.

It seems to be a bit west of Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights... but very close to Shaker Square. Is this a safe area? I've heard terrible things about East Cleveland, but I think that's a bit north.

[BelieveInCleve]

That neighborhood isnt that bad but it is within 1 mile of some real bad areas in Cleveland and East Cleveland so just be careful not to go too far away from that address. That location is in Shaker heights but its right next to the Cleveladn border. If I were you I would choose a location farther to the east and away from Cleveland but that area isnt that bad.

[orion1778]

Originally Posted by sapling

Is this a safe area? I've heard terrible things about East Cleveland, but I think that's a bit north.

Ask yourself this question: do you understand the risks and rewards that come with living in an urban neighborhood?

If the answer is yes then that address is in a perfectly fine neighborhood. Its only about a block away from shaker square, which is a great place for restaurants, shopping and entertainment.

If the answer is no then you're better off checking out some of the suburbs, because the neighborhood you posted will feel much more urban than suburban.

[sapling]

Hey all,

I appreciate the replies!

To answer your question, I am somewhat familiar with living in a city (lived in Pittsburgh for grad school), but I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of the feel. I prefer living somewhere less urban and mostly residential, and then driving to wherever I need to go. So I may give this location a pass and try something a bit farther out. Thanks for the advice!

[ottomobeale]

The East Side is notable for areas that can go from safe to marginal to ghetto in the span of several blocks.

Little Italy does the same thing.

[sapling]

Im not planning to buy a house, so I'm not concerned with longterm property values, but I would prefer a location where I feel safe after dark, walking alone as a young 20's female.

I'm a bit confused about where to look now though - the areas that I feel are very safe (South Euclid, Lyndhurst, Beachwood) seem to have very few rentals. The ones that exist, are full 3br+ homes that are out of my pricerange. I'd actually really love to rent a house, but could probably only afford a 1 or 2BR in a duplex or multi-family house. Does anyone know of a website that has places that might fit the bill? I've been camping Craigslist for a week and also browsed the Plain Dealer somewhat, though it doesnt seem to have many listings for those areas. I *could* afford a $1200-$1400 house like I see on Craigslist, but would like to keep rental costs to $900/mo or less so I can make a sizable dent in my student loans over the next few years.

[orion1778]

Have you considered University Heights? It might have the type of rentals that you are looking for, since the area caters to the college crowd but is also a bedroom neighborhood. It is very suburban like the other three suburbs you listed.

You might consider looking at University Circle. It isn't the suburbs and people on this board will probably tell you its totally ghetto and unsafe - its not - and I would check it out yourself before believing the fear mongers. There are plenty of young females like yourself who live in that area.

[sapling]

Thanks Orion, I will definitely look into it! I'm not in Cleveland yet, so all I can really do at this point is check prices and get feedback online, but I will definitely check out the neighborhoods myself.

Actually, what I did in Pittsburgh was stand outside the apt complex I was interested in and ask people going in and out how they liked living there. Sure, I may seem slightly creepy, but you 1) get an idea of who the current tenants are and 2) find out if they're disgruntled. The best recommendation I got was "I've lived here 50 years and never felt unsafe". I loved that apartment, and it was a mile from a pretty crime-ridden area.

So I will definitely check out University Heights/University Circle. Are those the same areas, just slightly different names?

[orion1778]

Similar names, very different areas.

University Heights is named after John Carroll University - small, liberal-arts, suburban campus. Fairly wealthy, a lot of homes, my guess is that there are houses and duplexes available for rent to cater to the college crowd. However I haven't done much research into it so I'm not entirely sure.

University Circle is named for Case Western Reserve University - small, engineering/technical, urban campus. The area is pretty huge given the size of the school. Most people there will tell you the south side of campus (ie. south of Euclid Avenue) is a much better place to live than the north side of campus. A lot of students and University Hospital employees live in and around the area.

If I had to pick I would definitely take University Circle but its really a matter of taste. So I would personally visit both before making any decision.

[andrew61]

Sapling, just my 2 cents... If you've decided to take a pass on Larchmere and Kemper because you'd "prefer something less urban", then you might not care for University Circle. It's a great location as far as being right by all the museums, culture, and stuff, but it is in Cleveland proper and is literally a couple blocks from the ghetto. Keep that in mind if that is a concern.