where are the liberal, family friendly suburbs? (Cleveland, Akron: homes, neighborhoods)

[floss_k]

We're moving to Cleveland with 2 children who will be in elementary school. We're looking for family friendly suburbs that are liberal/left leaning. We've been researching Beachwood, Moreland hills, Solon, Rocky river. We don't want too long of a commute to downtown.
Although Shaker heights looks interesting we are put off by the property taxes and average public school system.
Any suggestions?

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by floss_k

We're moving to Cleveland with 2 children who will be in elementary school. We're looking for family friendly suburbs that are liberal/left leaning. We've been researching Beachwood, Moreland hills, Solon, Rocky river. We don't want too long of a commute to downtown.
Although Shaker heights looks interesting we are put off by the property taxes and average public school system.
Any suggestions?

You can check the 2016 (Presidential election) and 2018 (gubernatorial) precinct election results to make your own analysis.

https://boe.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_bo...inctTotals.HTM

https://boe.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_bo...inctTotals.HTM

Very few, if any, Cuyahoga County cities are overwhelmingly conservative, but scrolling through the Presidential and Gubernatorial elections, you can see some cities are more conservative than others. E.g., you should at least consider Lakewood, which has a wide range of housing options.

Solon votes more heavily Democratic than Rocky River, but it offers a longer commute with not very good mass transit service to downtown.

Personally, I'm not certain that I would let political concerns among Cuyahoga County communities influence my relocation decision given the generally liberal-leaning, but pragmatic, nature of Cuyahoga County politics. Pepper Pike is the wealthiest of Cuyahoga County's larger suburbs, but it votes more heavily Democratic than Rocky River. It is in the Orange School District, one of the best in Greater Cleveland, as is Moreland Hills.

Check commute times on Google maps and Google transit, the latter if mass transit options are a concern.

Shaker Hts. schools are very good, but they have a much more disparate student base. E.g., it is one of the only school systems in Ohio to offer an International Baccalaureate program. The risk throughout Cuyahoga County is the willingness of individual cities to support higher tax levies in the wake of the Republican tax reform bill that limited state and local tax deductions, the COVID-19 epidemic's wealth destruction, and the anti-public school stance of the Ohio Republican Party, which has implemented an unfair voucher system that has penalized even top-performing elementary schools in cities such as Shaker Hts.

https://www.noodle.com/schools/oh_lo...haracteristics

If you haven't read through this compendium thread, certainly it would provide a wealth of information. E.g., posts 71, 74 and 75 should be of great interest to you. Post 75 explains how you might evaluate a community's support for public schools and also evaluate home value appreciation trends. Post 71 indicates that Westlake also offers an IB program.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/clev...cleveland.html

Personally, "family friendly" for me would comprehend the quality of the local library, although this will be problematic given the likelihood of massive cuts in Ohio library funding by Republicans given the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic. For libraries, the consideration will be what library district serves the community, and how likely will that district be to support increased local taxes in lieu of Ohio state funding.

"Family friendly" would consider proximity to Greater Cleveland's excellent Metroparks, to Lake Erie beaches, and the vastly different quality of local parks and recreational systems. Definitely visit city parks, such as the highly regarded Lakewood Park and check out each city's local recreation programs and facilities (most cities open participation to non-residents for a higher fee, assuming sufficient program capacity).

E.g., consider your family's recreational interests -- swimming, ice skating, hockey, etc. Are you interested in Lake Erie boating? The Cleveland Metroparks offer sailing instruction classes in Cleveland. Some Greater Cleveland high schools have rowing programs, all focused on the very good rowing facilities on the Cuyahoga River, and this is lifetime sport in Cleveland. Some high schools offer lacrosse and ice hockey, many do not.

Cleveland's University Circle is one of the nation's very best cultural districts. It offers through its various institutions a multitude of superb learning and enrichment programs for children. For music-oriented families, proximity to the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Cleveland Music Settlement should be considerations. Consider that Case Western University and even the Cleveland Clinic offer programs for both middle school and high school students. Check out the Cleveland Museum of Art's performance and film series, both unique among art museums. Check out the Cleveland Cinematheque at the Cleveland Institute of Art, which, along with the CMA, offers youth artist instruction programs.

Check out the Beck Center in Lakewood for performance-minded youth.

I'm not certain that I place much weight on these lists, but they exist and perhaps offers some insights.

https://www.niche.com/places-to-live...nd-metro-area/

https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst...in-ohio/18727/

Certainly, search for threads for individual cities in this forum.

Good luck!

[dr_j_planning]

Originally Posted by floss_k

We're moving to Cleveland with 2 children who will be in elementary school. We're looking for family friendly suburbs that are liberal/left leaning. We've been researching Beachwood, Moreland hills, Solon, Rocky river. We don't want too long of a commute to downtown.
Although Shaker heights looks interesting we are put off by the property taxes and average public school system.
Any suggestions?

Dear OP,

I wish you all the best in your relocation decision. I encourage you to explore the quality of a school district not merely based on State Report Cards and Great Schools Ratings. Consider, for example, the variation in State Report Card grades for the top ten school districts in metropolitan Cleveland-Akron based on the total number of National Merit Semifinalists each district has produced over the past decade:

SCHOOL NAME 10-YEAR TOTAL 2018-2019
NMSF REPORT CARD
Solon 214 A
Shaker Heights 98 C
Hudson 77 A
Westlake 68 B
Revere (Richfield) 57 A
Brecksville-Broadview Heights 53 B
Rocky River 41 A
Orange (Pepper Pike) 41 B
Copley 32 B
Mentor 32 B

Take the time to dive more deeply into course offerings, extracurricular and athletic programs, community commitment, funding, teacher and administrator interviews and parental feedback.

Welcome!

DR J

[LongTrail23]

So we went through some of the same things you are going through, but were more worried about being in a liberal-leaning suburb than encouraged by it.

Either way, we ended up deciding the brutal and unnecessarily punitive taxes of Shaker Heights were something we would deal with given the other positives of the community. I will also say specifically the Fernway neighborhood in SH was the only one we wanted after doing our research. While money is always a factor, it was not why we chose the more humble Fernway neighborhood over places with larger homes like Malvern, Boulevard, Onaway, etc. More home = more taxes as well...

I'm obviously biased here, but not sure I have ever been in a more welcoming, friendly place like Fernway. There will be a brand new (re-done) elementary school which is opening up in the fall, which kids all can walk to. There are an unbelievable number of young families here and it's a joy to see everyone out and about. For us, we saw the density of housing as a feature, not a bug. Plus we love the "charm" of older homes. Access to RTA is a very nice to have, the new Van Aken District really does change things, and you can not beat the overall beauty of the SH/CH area. Seriously....just get in your car and drive around Fernway. It really has unparalleled charm.

As the other posters have said, I would be cautious of school rankings. SH is a unique place and deserves a closer look, given the features you say you are looking for.

If you want to go private after elementary school, many of "the best" privates are located nearby as well.

Best of luck!

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by floss_k

We're moving to Cleveland with 2 children who will be in elementary school. We're looking for family friendly suburbs that are liberal/left leaning. We've been researching Beachwood, Moreland hills, Solon, Rocky river. We don't want too long of a commute to downtown.
Although Shaker heights looks interesting we are put off by the property taxes and average public school system.
Any suggestions?

Shaker Heights has a nationally renowned public school system. It has a very socioeconomically diverse student body that can make it appear less effective compared to other suburban districts using standardized metrics.

If you are looking for quality public schools with a progressive and politically-engaged citizenry, you can do no better than Shaker Heights. Lakewood and Cleveland Heights have similar profiles, but the school systems don't enjoy the reputation that Shaker does.

[wrightflyer]

Originally Posted by Hiruko

Shaker Heights has a nationally renowned public school system. It has a very socioeconomically diverse student body that can make it appear less effective compared to other suburban districts using standardized metrics.

If you are looking for quality public schools with a progressive and politically-engaged citizenry, you can do no better than Shaker Heights. Lakewood and Cleveland Heights have similar profiles, but the school systems don't enjoy the reputation that Shaker does.

OP, this and all of the above. Especially consider the Merit Finalists.

Taxes may be high in relativity to home value, but the offerings at SH Schools and city services are some of the best in the state. If schools report cards are an overriding factor, then you will likely sacrifice commuting time and go with Solon.

[teacherdad]

We ONCE chose an area based on those "report cards." What a bad mistake that was!!! I am in education, but was not familiar with the area. I ended up working at a few schools in the District. The "low" school was by FAR superior because of the teachers and the relationships they fostered. The "test taker" school, had rude and shaming tactics with the kids. It was so bad.

I hate those school report cards. People make the school, not test scores. Go tour a few if you have time. Shaker has a GREAT rep going way back. It gets respect from colleges far from CLE, in fact. You can't beat the architecture.

No offense to my cousin in Solon, but I'd never live there. I prefer "neighborhoods" and older homes.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by teacherdad

No offense to my cousin in Solon, but I'd never live there. I prefer "neighborhoods" and older homes.

I can't imagine living in places like Solon or Strongsville. Shaker is much more human scaled and part of logical and organic development.

[on3]

As a result of this pandemic, I wonder if people will be moving out of the city where the chance to get any future virus is lower? It's not hard for people to look at what has happened in New York city and draw some simple conclusions. I wouldn't be surprised to see an increase in suburb sprawl in the future.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by on3

As a result of this pandemic, I wonder if people will be moving out of the city where the chance to get any future virus is lower? It's not hard for people to look at what has happened in New York city and draw some simple conclusions. I wouldn't be surprised to see an increase in suburb sprawl in the future.

no

man , talk about getting soft. "omg there was a pandemic, time to run away to the suburbs forever". though I guess that is what you've already done.