Cleveland, OH

[mathgrad13]

With respect to the last post, I'm still curious about the lifestyle in Cleveland. I was accepted to CWRU(Cleveland), Tulane (NOLA), and Virginia Tech(Blacksburg), and I have never visited Cleveland. I'm definitely a big city kind of person, with a work hard party hard mentality. Is Cleveland a good place for that or not? Are there many bars and dance clubs open late (past 2am)? How open and active is the attitude there in general? Any advice or anecdotes about the actual lifestyle of a CWRU grad would be helpful!

P.S.: I come from Omaha, NE, which is a growing city. I despise the ridiculous winters we get here, but the summer weather is really beautiful. Honestly, between that and the city lifestyle, it's a big factor in pushing me to Tulane. 

[somethinbruin]

With respect to the last post, I'm still curious about the lifestyle in Cleveland. I was accepted to CWRU(Cleveland), Tulane (NOLA), and Virginia Tech(Blacksburg), and I have never visited Cleveland. I'm definitely a big city kind of person, with a work hard party hard mentality. Is Cleveland a good place for that or not? Are there many bars and dance clubs open late (past 2am)? How open and active is the attitude there in general? Any advice or anecdotes about the actual lifestyle of a CWRU grad would be helpful!

P.S.: I come from Omaha, NE, which is a growing city. I despise the ridiculous winters we get here, but the summer weather is really beautiful. Honestly, between that and the city lifestyle, it's a big factor in pushing me to Tulane. 

 

Native Clevelander who came back to get her MA, so I'll help you as best I can. Disclosure: I LOVE Cleveland, but I'm more of a sports/arts/culture person than an all-night partier, so I'll do the best I can in that department.

 

Night life: Cleveland has a night life with activities/bars if that's your thing (East Fourth St, West 6th Street, Warehouse District). The new casino on public square, bowling at the Corner Alley, plus three sports teams make downtown a more active place than it has been in years past. I believe most bars/clubs close up shop around 2-3 a.m. I doubt the nightlife in CLE would would compare to New Orleans (also, the campus culture at CWRU is pretty internally competitive, and most of my Case friends don't have time to be out all night, so be prepared for that. CWRU has a reputation for working grad students hard).  

 

Other great things in Cleveland: Cleveland Zoo (world class/free on Mondays), Natural History Museum, Great Lakes Science Center, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Playhouse Square Theater Complex (2nd largest theater complex in the country), pro football, baseball, basketball, semi-pro arena football and hockey, a few minor league baseball teams, Wade Oval Wednesdays, Cleveland Orchestra, Cedar Lee Theater, Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival, House of Blues concerts, a few solid comedy clubs. Most of these lie outside the realm of nightlife, so I don't know how much interest they are to you.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by open. (The city is very LGBT friendly, if that's what you're asking.) As far as active, there are TONS of sports/recreation opportunities if you're looking to get involved.  There are dozens of races from 5ks to marathons, triathlons, bike trails, rec leagues, kayak tours. Heck, people even surf on Lake Erie when the wind kicks up. If you're interested in it, there's a group that does it in Cleveland. 

 

CWRU is a few miles from downtown Cleveland, on the city's east side. CWRU is within walking distance of the Cleveland Museum of Art (world class and free!), Little Italy and Coventry (great restaurants), Severance Hall (Cleveland Orchestra), Wade Park Oval, and Hot Sauce Williams (best BBQ in the city).

 

Cleveland has a lot of positive attributes, but there are a few things it is not: It is not pedestrian/public transit friendly. You cannot walk from CWRU to downtown (the neighborhoods are not good), and the bus system is shoddy/unreliable. Also, housing immediately around CWRU is expensive compared with other suburbs. If you move a little further out, you can live somewhat cheaper ($700/month for one bedroom in Cleveland Heights/Shaker Heights), but then you have the issue of parking on campus (don't know how this works at CWRU). 

 

Housing in/around CWRU operates very much on a good block/bad block basis--the shift between a good neighborhood and a bad one happens that quickly. It can be hard to tell on the map where you'll be fine and where you won't be. Despite this, in the nice areas (coventry, Cedar Lee, Little Italy, Shaker Square), you can find some nice, walkable urban neighborhoods with unique storefronts, great cafes/restaurants, local bars, and independent theaters. If you wanted to live a little farther from CWRU, I would recommend Tremont, or Ohio City and the W25th neighborhood. There are great bars/clubs there, some of the best nightlife in the city (also, the West Side Market...the best indoor/outdoor farmer's market in the country, imho.)

 

If you don't like the winters in Omaha, you're going to hate them in Cleveland. Colder, windier, and double the snow. I would definitely make sure you ask potential landlords about whether they provide snow removal or not, particularly if you're not keen on doing your own shoveling. This would also be an issue if your apartment has on-street parking, as many cities have snow bans on parking when snowfall exceeds three inches.

 

As I said before, I love Cleveland. It has a lot to offer besides clubs. But if night life is your priority, then Tulane might be a better bet. If you have specific questions about Cleveland, feel free to PM me. I'm more than happy to answer them as best I can.

[mtarek]

Hi peeps.

 

I'll probably be moving to cleveland this fall. I'm not sure if I'll be able to physically visit the apartments before renting, so I'm trying to gather as much info online as I can. I'll be studying for a phd at CSU and the Cleveland Clinic, So I'm looking for apartments that are close to both. So far, the potential ones are (In order of preference):

- Lake Park tower

- University Studios

- Heritage Suites

 

What's the general opinion on those three? I'm open of course to any kinds of suggestions. I have never been to the US before, so yes, whatever you have to say will definitely be helpful, Thank You. :-)

 

My other question is related to the $$. I will be receiving a monthly stipend around 1750. But that's before tax. I'm single and have no dependents. First, what can I expect to net after tax deduction, approximately? Also, is that kind of stipend enough to live somewhat comfortably? How do grad student generally find Cleveland to be like?

[somethinbruin]

Hi peeps.

 

I'll probably be moving to cleveland this fall. I'm not sure if I'll be able to physically visit the apartments before renting, so I'm trying to gather as much info online as I can. I'll be studying for a phd at CSU and the Cleveland Clinic, So I'm looking for apartments that are close to both. So far, the potential ones are (In order of preference):

- Lake Park tower

- University Studios

- Heritage Suites

 

What's the general opinion on those three? I'm open of course to any kinds of suggestions. I have never been to the US before, so yes, whatever you have to say will definitely be helpful, Thank You. :-)

 

My other question is related to the $$. I will be receiving a monthly stipend around 1750. But that's before tax. I'm single and have no dependents. First, what can I expect to net after tax deduction, approximately? Also, is that kind of stipend enough to live somewhat comfortably? How do grad student generally find Cleveland to be like?

 

Congrats on picking CSU (I think I responded to one of your other posts). Cleveland is a great city. You're going to love it. I'll start with the housing options you listed, then move on to your other lifestyle questions. Out of curiosity, where are you coming from? 

 

Lake Park Tower: I would caution against this place. It looks appealing online (and cheap) but there is a reason why it is so much cheaper than market rate in the area. It's a big tower with one (poorly maintained) elevator. The surrounding neighborhood is sketchy. I looked at this place when I moved to Cleveland's east side, and knew immediately that it wasn't a viable living option.

 

University Studios: I have driven past these. They look nice, but I have not been inside. From what I can tell on their website, they do not have full kitchens, only kitchenettes, so that would be a big negative since you can't really cook. They are small (~400 sq ft) but expensive. You can get more bang for your buck if you rent somewhere like Cleveland Heights or Shaker Heights.

 

Heritage Suites: This place, like University Studios, is very close to CSU's campus I think it's part of campus housing...if it is campus housing, you'll be paying much higher than market rate, and it will be furnished with typical dorm room furniture. 

 

You're in a tough spot looking to live between CSU and the Clinic, because that area is economically depressed and generally not very nice (high foreclosure rates, high crime, drug activity, not a place to walk around at night). Will you have a car or be relying on public transportation? Either way, you might consider looking out toward Little Italy, Coventry, Cleveland Heights or Shaker Heights. There you can find 1-2 bedroom apartments or duplexes for about $700/month If you'll have a car, there is plenty of parking at the Clinic and CSU (check with your department to see if parking passes are included in your stipend) Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights are near the Rapid, which will get your downtown relatively efficiently. The other two places have lots of bus access, and anything that connects to the Healthline bus route will get you to the Clinic and CSU, I think. 

 

The cities and neighborhoods I've listed are where most of the staff at CSU and the Clinic live. Very few people live in downtown Cleveland, or in the "midtown" area between CSU and the Clinic. But outside of the city you can find a lot of duplexes and some decent apartment complexes. 

 

Neighborhoods you should avoid: Hough, Buckeye-Shaker, East Cleveland, Kinsman, most things that say they're in "midtown," which is not nice.

Neighborhoods/Cities that are mostly OK on the east side: Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights (East of MLK drive), South Euclid, Coventry, Little Italy

Neighborhoods on the west side: Lakewood, the areas around W25th and Tremont are pretty trendy right now. Rocky River and Westlake are a bit farther out, but have good apartment living. If you have a car, they would be viable options. Public transit from these last two is a little more complicated (multiple bus transfers).

 

I found my last two rentals in Cleveland on padmapper.com and craigslist (which now has a mapping feature). 

 

Regarding your paycheck. If you're making around 21,000/year, you can expect your monthly take home to be around $1,300 month, I think. That factors in Social Security, Medicaid and Federal/State taxes. You'll also have to pay Regional Income Taxes (RITA), but to be honest the RITA system is so screwed up I never really know how much I'll have to pay every year. Last year I made $12,000 and RITA was around $300 for the year. RITA doesn't get taken out of your paycheck, though, you pay quarterly or at the end of the year in a lump sum.

 

Your stipend should be enough to live decently in Cleveland. If you got a roommate and rented a house, you could actually live pretty well. That's what I do. I rent a house in Cleveland Heights with two roommates, and it's really great. We've got 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, about 1,500 square feet not counting a finished basement. Two bedroom duplexes in Cle/Shaker Heights rent for around $1,100/month, so if you got one roommate, you both could live really nicely for about $650 including utilities. There are also some townhomes directly north of the Clinic on Chester Ave. They are gorgeous, rent for around $1,350/month and are affordable if you have a roommate.

 

I can't speak to how outsiders who come to Cleveland like it, because I grew up here. But I left after high school, lived all over the world, and have come back to Cleveland. I will be sad to move away in a few months. Cleveland has a lot of positives (see my post above yours). There are also negatives (poor public transportation is my biggest gripe). I generally find that people who come here and get involved find that there are always things to do, whether that is sports/recreation, or the arts. Winters are snowy, tough and long, so if you're from a warm country be prepared for that.

 

I am so sorry this was so long. Good luck in your housing search. Let me know if I can answer any more questions or help in any way. 

[mtarek]

Congrats on picking CSU (I think I responded to one of your other posts).

 

You did. :-)

 

Out of curiosity, where are you coming from? 

 

Oops, forgot to mention that. I'm from Cairo, Egypt.

 

Heritage Suites: This place, like University Studios, is very close to CSU's campus I think it's part of campus housing...if it is campus housing, you'll be paying much higher than market rate, and it will be furnished with typical dorm room furniture. 

Actually a studio at Heritage rents for less than $500. I've never lived in dorms, so I don't know what "dorm room furniture" really means. :-)

 

You're in a tough spot looking to live between CSU and the Clinic, because that area is economically depressed and generally not very nice (high foreclosure rates, high crime, drug activity, not a place to walk around at night). Will you have a car or be relying on public transportation?

 

I was thinking of not getting a car, to save time/effort and money (maintenance, gas and whatnot), but it's starting to sound like a bad idea. (?)

 

I am so sorry this was so long. Good luck in your housing search. Let me know if I can answer any more questions or help in any way. 

 

Sorry for the incredibly useful reply? ... I honestly can't thank you enough.

 

Oh by the way, what do you think about renting site-unseen? If it's a horrendous idea, what do people generally do? (My only friend near Cleveland is moving out before I come, so staying at his place temporarily is now not an option for me)

[somethinbruin]

Cairo! Wow. I tried to get into Cairo when I was living in the Middle East, but there was a border crossing situation that week and I headed to Jordan instead.

 

I looked into Heritage Suites, and it is campus housing for CSU students only. Not really a problem, except you never know what you're going to get with undergraduates regarding parties/noise/obnoxiousness. You're lucky you've never lived with dorm furniture :-) It's usually pretty crappy.

 

I think being car-free can be done in Cleveland, so don't lose hope about that. My friend is an exchange student from Turkey, and she's making it work without a car here. It is just trickier. You just have to do a little homework before you move to make sure you have access to bus lines that get you where you need to go. Also, CSU has ZipCar on campus (http://www.zipcar.com/csuohio/find-cars), so you can rent a car hourly/daily if you sometimes need to. 

 

Living along the HealthLine might be a very good idea for you. Here is a map of the route: http://www.riderta.com/routes/healthline. The HealthLine runs 24/7 through CSU and the Clinic, is very regular/reliable, and makes it so that you can live in the University Circle/Mayfield Road area (bigger apartments for a cheaper price, full kitchens and bedrooms, easier access to groceries, etc.).

 

Have you looked at Montlack Realty? I know they work with a lot of graduate students and Clinic staff. http://montlackrealty.com/apartment/mayfield-hampshire-apartments/ I don't know why I didn't think of them before. Rents for 1 bd apartments seem to start at about $600, which is good for the area. I gave a quick look around their website, and I think a few might work for you:

 

Under the Cleveland Apartments Tab, Fairhill Tower and Liberty Fairchild might work. Both are located right on University Circle, near lots of bus lines and the HealthLine.

Under the Cleveland Heights Apartments: Pretty much any of those listed will work for your location. Cleveland Heights is a great city with lots of character. Apartments on/near Mayfield Road mean you will have easy access to the HealthLine. You would also have the option of biking to the Clinic if you lived here. I probably wouldn't bike from here to CSU because the neighborhood west of the Clinic is not good.

Shaker Heights apartments might work as well, since the Rapid Train runs along Shaker Blvd. to the heart of downtown. Don't be confused by the name, though, the Rapid is not quick. It will take about 40 minutes to get downtown from Shaker on the Rapid. But it's worth considering Shaker Heights and checking to see whether the Rapid or the bus lines might get you where you need to go. 

 

Anyway, those are just some options to consider. I've only rented an apartment sight unseen once, and it was when I was relocating to the Middle East. It was a leap of faith, to say the least. I would, if possible, make sure the place you're renting from has a good website with lots of pictures/floorplans/contact info. I see Montlack all around town, so I know they're a legitimate rental company. The University Studios place is legit, also. If you're worried about renting a place sight unseen, consider contacting a realtor (Howard Hanna Real Estate is the biggest in NE Ohio) to help with your search. It won't cost you anything since realtors will get their commission from the landlord, not from you. The realtor can take into account what you want/need, and really target your search.

 

Hope this is helpful. Let me know what else you have questions about.

[mtarek]

Cairo! Wow. I tried to get into Cairo when I was living in the Middle East, but there was a border crossing situation that week and I headed to Jordan instead.

 

Sorry to know that. I think you would have liked it. Despite the pollution. :-)

 

I looked into Heritage Suites, and it is campus housing for CSU students only. Not really a problem, except you never know what you're going to get with undergraduates regarding parties/noise/obnoxiousness. You're lucky you've never lived with dorm furniture :-) It's usually pretty crappy.

 

Aha, good to know.

 

Have you looked at Montlack Realty? I know they work with a lot of graduate students and Clinic staff. http://montlackrealty.com/apartment/mayfield-hampshire-apartments/ I don't know why I didn't think of them before. Rents for 1 bd apartments seem to start at about $600, which is good for the area. I gave a quick look around their website, and I think a few might work for you:

 

I think I might go with them actually. They have been recommended to me more than once. 

 

Under the Cleveland Apartments Tab, Fairhill Tower and Liberty Fairchild might work. Both are located right on University Circle, near lots of bus lines and the HealthLine.

Under the Cleveland Heights Apartments: Pretty much any of those listed will work for your location. Cleveland Heights is a great city with lots of character. Apartments on/near Mayfield Road mean you will have easy access to the HealthLine. You would also have the option of biking to the Clinic if you lived here. I probably wouldn't bike from here to CSU because the neighborhood west of the Clinic is not good.

Shaker Heights apartments might work as well, since the Rapid Train runs along Shaker Blvd. to the heart of downtown. Don't be confused by the name, though, the Rapid is not quick. It will take about 40 minutes to get downtown from Shaker on the Rapid. But it's worth considering Shaker Heights and checking to see whether the Rapid or the bus lines might get you where you need to go. 

 

This above deserves its own Thank You!

 

Anyway, those are just some options to consider. I've only rented an apartment sight unseen once, and it was when I was relocating to the Middle East. It was a leap of faith, to say the least. I would, if possible, make sure the place you're renting from has a good website with lots of pictures/floorplans/contact info. I see Montlack all around town, so I know they're a legitimate rental company. The University Studios place is legit, also. If you're worried about renting a place sight unseen, consider contacting a realtor (Howard Hanna Real Estate is the biggest in NE Ohio) to help with your search. It won't cost you anything since realtors will get their commission from the landlord, not from you. The realtor can take into account what you want/need, and really target your search.

 

The realtor idea sounds great, will check that.

 

Hope this is helpful. Let me know what else you have questions about.

 

Definitely helpful! Thank you very much.

[Panama Slim]

With respect to the last post, I'm still curious about the lifestyle in Cleveland. I was accepted to CWRU(Cleveland), Tulane (NOLA), and Virginia Tech(Blacksburg), and I have never visited Cleveland. I'm definitely a big city kind of person, with a work hard party hard mentality. Is Cleveland a good place for that or not? Are there many bars and dance clubs open late (past 2am)? How open and active is the attitude there in general? Any advice or anecdotes about the actual lifestyle of a CWRU grad would be helpful!

P.S.: I come from Omaha, NE, which is a growing city. I despise the ridiculous winters we get here, but the summer weather is really beautiful. Honestly, between that and the city lifestyle, it's a big factor in pushing me to Tulane. 

 

So where did you decide to attend?  I am going to Tulane this fall.  However, I also attended Case back in the late 90s for an MBA.  Loved the school, hated the winters.

 

Good luck to all the future Spartans!

[mtarek]

So I found out about those 2:

Case Overlook Villa:

http://students.case.edu/living/services/aloha/Search/details.aspx?ListingID=9000

 

and, Case Overlook Mansion:

http://students.case.edu/living/services/aloha/Search/details.aspx?ListingID=9006

 

Anybody knows about those two? They are ~1mi to the clinic and walking distance to the healthline which I could then ride to CSU. 

They're in one of the recommended neighborhoods too. What do you people think?

[somethinbruin]

Don't know these buildings specifically, but Overlook Drive is a nice street in a nice neighborhood. I looked at a few places on Overlook during my last housing search. I would have no problem living in this neighborhood.

 

Overlook is also walking distance to Little Italy--so be prepared to gain 15 pounds if you like Italian food!

[mtarek]

Overlook is also walking distance to Little Italy--so be prepared to gain 15 pounds if you like Italian food!

 

Who doesn't!

 

Anyway, it appears I'll go with them especially because they offer furnished apts. I don't want to have "furnishing a new apartment" on my to-do the first few months.

[mtarek]

I have another question regarding living on Overlook Road; I'll probably buy a car but definitely not during the first few months, more specifically I'm not sure if I'll have a car by the time it starts getting cold. It's about a 15-20 minute walk from where I would be on Overlook to the bus station from which I could take the healthline to CSU. Will that be doable in Cleveland's winters or not?

[somethinbruin]

I have another question regarding living on Overlook Road; I'll probably buy a car but definitely not during the first few months, more specifically I'm not sure if I'll have a car by the time it starts getting cold. It's about a 15-20 minute walk from where I would be on Overlook to the bus station from which I could take the healthline to CSU. Will that be doable in Cleveland's winters or not?

 

With a good pair of boots (I like Columbia brand) and a winter coat, I think it's totally doable. It might just take a few minutes longer. Cleveland gets a lot of snow, but we also deal with it pretty well, most people have their sidewalks cleared in a pretty timely fashion. 

[phd_prospie]

On 6/11/2013 at 6:07 AM, mtarek said:

I have another question regarding living on Overlook Road; I'll probably buy a car but definitely not during the first few months, more specifically I'm not sure if I'll have a car by the time it starts getting cold. It's about a 15-20 minute walk from where I would be on Overlook to the bus station from which I could take the healthline to CSU. Will that be doable in Cleveland's winters or not?

This is an old thread but a lot of the advice is dated so I'd like to contribute for future prospectives.

Healthline is good public transportation (compared to the rest of what CLE offers), but I would advise not living in Cleveland Heights or the University Circle area where you'd have to commute all the way downtown every day without a car. It is FAR, maybe 130 blocks, and the infamous east-west divide in Cleveland makes it difficult to get from point A to point B with ease. Overlook is really more of a CWRU area... and really no Case students that I've ever known have lived there. They tend to live in Little Italy up the road, which is more affordable and less family-residential. Keep in mind that while Uni Circle is generally an oasis of affluence in an otherwise seedy area, its light rail station is one of the more dangerous ones. Since it gets dark around 5:30pm in the winters, it may be unwise for a solo student to rely on it daily.

Downtown itself has *really* exploded since this thread was first started and the occupancy rate is at something like 97%, so chances are you won't be able to find off-campus housing within walking distance of CSU without advance planning, but there are neighborhoods close by that are trendy, interesting, and very affordable (Tremont, Ohio City, and the Detroit Shoreway). Try one of those.

[perfectamity]

There hasn't been much love to this post in a while. Can anyone speak to whether the public transportation has improved in the last few years or is it still subpar?

[RebeccaPsych]

Hi, all! 

Boosting this. 

Where do the grad students tend to live these days? 

[KeepItWeird]

On 1/12/2022 at 5:34 PM, RebeccaPsych said:

Hi, all! 

Boosting this. 

Where do the grad students tend to live these days? 

There are two FB groups that advertise a lot of housing and roommates so that's a great place to start, I believe one of them is 'Case Housing'. 

Most grad students at CWRU live on the 'east side' in or near University Circle, there are some new modern high rises that have kind of pricey rents, but generally if you want to rent an apartment in Little Italy, Cleveland Heights, Larchmere, or Glenville (not as common but I like it), you will find extremely reasonable rates. I found housing on Craigslist a few times in the city and didn't have any issues. I would visit if at all possible as you might find that the west side is more your vibe and a lot of people like Ohio City, depending on location you won't be too far from the university as long as you're open to the red line.  Hope that helps.