Tell me about east side lakefront life (Cleveland, Euclid: for sale, rentals)

[ExMathMajor]

I'm a Cleveland Heights native who moved back recently after living in the Chicago area for many years. Single woman, mid-50s, no kids and (currently) no pets.

I realize that it's silly to compare lakefronts but I honestly thought Cleveland would have gotten farther along with its lakefront development by now, particularly on the east side. That said, I realize there may be things I don't know, which is why I'm posting this.

I'm considering buying a place in the next year ($200K max). As usual, it's easy to come up with a list of practicalities but I call myself trying to dream a little and one thing I would LOVE to have is a lake view.

I have been to the west side and there do seem to be several townhouse and condo developments there. However, I REALLY don't want to live on the west side, mainly because my job is in Mayfield Heights and I'm done doing long commutes (see above re Chicago). Also, TBH, I'm biased towards the east side, particularly the Heights and University Circle, which is where I do much of my socializing and volunteering.

I have a feeling downtown might be my best bet (esp. now that there's a Heinen's) but again, the commute could be an issue for me. That's as far west as I'm willing to go.

Bratenahl Place seems to always have a few condos available, but Bratenahl itself, while beautiful, is to me the very definition of a sleepy bedroom community. Walkability (to stores) has always been a priority for me and I'm not sure I'm ready to give that up yet.

Going further northeast, it seems many of the high-rises along Lake Shore Boulevard are rentals. Past that, I'm seeing some houses on streets that end at the lake, but not much in the way of condos. Then I'm in Lake County and that just feels very far...although my coworkers who live in Mentor say the commute's not that bad.

So given all this, I'd appreciate any advice. If I'm being completely unrealistic about getting a lake view on the east side, let me know. Thanks.

[ferraris]

To be clear, you are more concerned about a lake view than lake access right? If it's lake access that you want, you could buy a house within a block or two of the lake in one of the developments with private beach club access.

[Cleverfield]

It's true, there's not much in the way of lakefront condos on the East Side outside of Bratenahl and Lake County. There are a few nice ones along Wildwood Lane (see link below).

https://www.redfin.com/OH/Cleveland/.../home/70708623

[WRnative]

Euclid has some very cheap condos, some with excellent lake views (Bonneville Tower).

See post 12 here:

//www.city-data.com/forum/cleve...ood-bad-2.html

Bonneville Tower has high condo fees, but they include heat, cooling and water. It also has a long waiting list for covered parking. Both factors depress unit prices to far below replacement cost. Living there may provide you with a fix on "lake views," which get old after a while, but very fascinating for a few years.

A waterfront project planned for Euclid's lakefront may boost property values north of Lakeshore Blvd.

City of Euclid: Euclid Waterfront Improvements Plan

See post 2879 and subsequent posts.

//www.city-data.com/forum/cleve...sions-288.html

See also post 18 in this thread regarding municipal income tax concerns.

//www.city-data.com/forum/cleve...schools-2.html

This thread also has much on condos.

//www.city-data.com/forum/cleve...ossible-5.html

If I were you, I would at least look at the condos in downtown Willoughby. From that location, you're not far from great Lake Erie locations such as the Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve, Mentor Headlands Beach and the Fairport Harbor Beach. Also, you're relatively close to Holden Arboretum and several very good Lake and Cleveland Metroparks.

[Clevelander17]

The trek from western Lake County to Mayfield Heights wouldn't be bad at all. Not sure about condos there, but maybe look in the suburbs of Willowick, Eastlake, and Willoughby. I'd probably steer clear of Euclid in general, but others may disagree.

[ExMathMajor]

Thank you all for the great advice.

Originally Posted by ferraris

To be clear, you are more concerned about a lake view than lake access right?

I'm more interested in the view. Of course I'd love being close enough to walk to the lake as well but I want to see the lake from where I live.

Originally Posted by Cleverfield

It's true, there's not much in the way of lakefront condos on the East Side outside of Bratenahl and Lake County. There are a few nice ones along Wildwood Lane (see link below).

https://www.redfin.com/OH/Cleveland/.../home/70708623

Thank you for that link. I was not aware of that area.

Originally Posted by WRnative

Euclid has some very cheap condos, some with excellent lake views (Bonneville Tower).

A waterfront project planned for Euclid's lakefront may boost property values north of Lakeshore Blvd.

If I were you, I would at least look at the condos in downtown Willoughby. From that location, you're not far from great Lake Erie locations such as the Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve, Mentor Headlands Beach and the Fairport Harbor Beach. Also, you're relatively close to Holden Arboretum and several very good Lake and Cleveland Metroparks.

Thank you so much for your detailed response. From reading other threads I see you're a long-timer on this forum. I appreciate your posts.

I've actually been by Bonneville Tower several times without knowing it. There are a few nice condos for sale there now, some of which have lake views. However, the HOA fees and the wait for covered parking make me nervous. If I'm paying that much I want a covered space.

As it happens, one of my coworkers who lives in Willowick told me about both the Euclid development and downtown Willoughby (which I've been to; quite charming). He also mentioned a 55-and-over building that's scheduled to go up in the next couple of years. There was a time when the idea of living in such a place would have filled me with dread...

Originally Posted by Clevelander17

The trek from western Lake County to Mayfield Heights wouldn't be bad at all. Not sure about condos there, but maybe look in the suburbs of Willowick, Eastlake, and Willoughby. I'd probably steer clear of Euclid in general, but others may disagree.

The same co-worker agrees that the commute isn't really that bad.

[WRnative]

One practical aspect of living in Willoughby is that just across the Chagrin River is Mentor, Ohio's sixth largest commercial center -- most big box stores, Great Lakes Mall, etc.

Using Route 2 accessed by Lloyd Road and getting off at the Vine St. exit, the Great Lakes Mall is only 15 minutes from Euclid, which explains the demise of the smaller Euclid Square Mall (now demolished to make way for an Amazon distribution center).