Looking for a halfway point. (Cleveland, Akron: apartments, renting, houses)

[misstattoo]

Hello all! We currently live in Pittsburgh and my fiance was offered a job in Cleveland. Honestly, we don't want to move, but the programmer/web/graphic design market here hasn't been too kind to him.
The job in Cleveland has offered to pay for moving expenses, but we are trying to see if they will allow him to work at home and then come into the office sometimes. After all, no one really needs to have a designer in the office at all times.

Anyway, if it comes down to it, what is a good halfway point between Cleveland and Pittsburgh? All the places we have looked at don't seem too nice. I would want to keep my job in Pittsburgh so we are trying to look for a place that would be about a 90 minute drive for the both of us.

Can you tell me more about Warren, Youngstown, Salem, Akron, and any other surrounding areas?

Thank you!

[jodipper]

The Warren area, not Warren city, would be a good halfway point. Howland would be the best choice. Most of the area shopping is in Howland or adjacent. Great services for about the lowest tax millage in the county. Most of Howland would be about 1 mile or less to interstate or state highways. 5/82 to 422 or turnpike for Cleveland and 11 to 80 to 60(i think it is 60) or 79 to Pittsburgh. 5/82 also goes to 11. I don't know what part of Cleveland or Pittsburgh you will be going to, so I gave general routes. There are others. Howland surrounds the eastern and north eastern part of Warren. I think it would be less than 90 minutes for both of you.

If you are buying there are great custom built homes at great prices. I would stay away from old Ryan Homes developments. They don't age so well and custom built will go for about the same amount. If you are renting your choices in nice areas would be very limited for apartments, but ok for houses.

There are other areas of Trumbull County, but you would have to drive farther to highways and for your regular non work driving. It sounds like you will be spending enough time in the car not to have things close and convenient.

[Cleveland_Collector]

Seeing that Cleveland to Pittsburgh (Downtown to Downtown) is a little bit over a 2 1/4 hour drive, meeting a 90 minute or less timeframe shouldn't be too difficult. But, I hope you like the sticks because that's where you'll likely land.

Why wouldn't you look for a job here also? I would think that the drive time and expense would get old rather quickly.

[CortlandGirl79]

I guess it depends on what you're looking for. Are you looking to buy or rent? What's the budget? What type of town or neighborhood? Do you need good schools? etc.

Howland is a good suggestion, they have a diversified housing stock, but it's a township so therefore it's not very walkable (ie to stores, schools etc). I would also look into Bazetta Township, Cortland, Champion, maybe Liberty/Vienna. Cortland has great access to Rt82, 5 and 11. Howland has good access to 82, 5 and 11. All are w/in about the same distance to the highways when you figure it all out. I commute from downtown Cortland to Poland, OH just south of Boardman on Western Reserve Rd. and it takes me between 30 and 35 minutes, Howland would maybe be five minutes closer, but there is a lot more traffic in Howland and it would depend on what part of the township you were commuting from. Maybe if hubby only has to work a few days a week in Cleveland you should look south of Ytown to make your commute shorter.

BTW, where exactly is his job, downtown? What about yours? If he's in an eastern suburb that could make a big difference. Another factor to think about it snow as points north of rt 80 are in the secondary snowbelt and once you get into Geauga County you're in the part of the snowbelt that gets pounded.

As a side note, many people in Cortland/Howland/Champion, etc. commute to Cleveland or its suburbs so he definitely won't be alone..........

[CortlandGirl79]

Originally Posted by Cleveland_Collector

Seeing that Cleveland to Pittsburgh (Downtown to Downtown) is a little bit over a 2 1/4 hour drive, meeting a 90 minute or less timeframe shouldn't be too difficult. But, I hope you like the sticks because that's where you'll likely land.

Why wouldn't you look for a job here also? I would think that the drive time and expense would get old rather quickly.

Warren/Youngstown is not "the sticks", CC.

[South Range Family]

Stay close to a turnpike exit. North Lima, North Jackson, Lordstown, Newton Falls, Geauga. Actually, I wouldn't go any farther than Newton Falls.

[CortlandGirl79]

It's almost exactly 1hr from Cortland to Independence just south of Cleveland, it's just going the other direction to the Burgh would take well over 1.5 if you're heading downtown.

[misstattoo]

Thanks everyone. It turns out that they are letting him work from home and asking him to come into the office once a month.

The reason I wanted to keep my job is because I have a really good job and I didn't want to just up and quit to start looking in a city I've never been to. We were toying with the idea of him just moving there and me staying here until I actually had a job lined up so I could quit and then start another job instead of quitting and having bad luck and being out of work for a year or more.

Thanks again!

[000000]

unfortunately, neither youngstown nor warren are nice areas, but they are in the equidistant sweet spot. boosters of the areas on this board do not recognize that neither place is a real city; especially compared to either cleveland or pittsburgh.

Originally Posted by South Range Family

Stay close to a turnpike exit. North Lima, North Jackson, Lordstown, Newton Falls, Geauga. Actually, I wouldn't go any farther than Newton Falls.

this is a good idea as you not only have to go in different directions, but also because there is nothing to do in those areas.