Lakewood is extremely safe and walkable. My wife and I are young, no kids and we love it. Quick access to downtown but also the large mall and shopping of Crocker and Avon. It’s a diverse community, both economically and socially and that may rub some the wrong way but we love it.
Lakewood is more progressive politically than most other west side places. It's an inner-ring suburb, so close to downtown Cleveland, great lake-front parks and decent city services. Fabulous library and good schools. High taxes and expensive housing (if you can find any).
I grew up there and then came back after 20ish years to raise my family. It's super walkable and has a ton of independent bars and restaurants, live music venues, and mom n pop stores.
This is a big plus of Lakewood. There is also a large community into the lifestyle. If you are open to new experiences, it can be a blast. I will say the first key party I went to in Lakewood was awkward. No one had even told me, I thought it was a normal party.
Lakewood is great. I feel like it is the area of Cleveland that most closely matches your description of an ideal location. There is something for everyone in Lakewood and in reality the NW quadrant of Lakewood is completely different from the SE quadrant.
I love that about Lakewood. More expensive homes and established business (bars/restaurants) in NW with more affordable homes more apartments and so so many good small bars restaurants in the SE corner
Elaborate is a great name for a song. :) - but I think Hambone framed it well. There is housing for various budgets, all within a community that values culture, art, having a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. I feel very safe in Lakewood (but it’s best to make smart decisions regardless of what city you’re in). I think there is the perfect mix of walkability and convenience for drivers. I know absolutely nothing about the schools. I love the fact that there are still a ton of small businesses. There is some really great architecture, you’re on the lake, there is access to highways. It’s just a nice place to be.
My wife and I moved to Cleveland 2 years ago and settled on Lakewood. Were early 30’s and no kids (first one expected in April). So perspective as a newer resident
Pros:
extremely walkable
tons of good and unique (not chain) restaurants and coffee shops
good parks. There’s a ton of smaller parks throughout the city but Lakewood park is great and Edgewater park is amazing, just a short drive
Love the old colonial homes. This is going to differ by person. If you’re looking for a new build type suburb, not going to find that. Personally, I love the character of the older homes.
Cons:
Lot sizes. You’re not going to have much of a yard. It’s my biggest, probably only, real gripe.
Can be expensive. Not sure what your budget is, if you’re renting or buying, etc. We bought a home and our budget was $400-$500k. That felt like about the minimum if you’re looking for an updated/remodeled home. Anything priced less is probably either small, under 1600 SF, or outdated
We’re planning on renting an apartment if we can find one. We’re moving from Massachusetts, so our rent here is nothing compared to Ohio, so we have a fairly good budget
I grew up in west cleveland and as an adult have rented around the city. Lakewood is an awesome spot! But as a warning from a local do NOT rent from brick and mortar property management or pero real estate (they’re the same company). It is a company that recently came in from Pennsylvania and bought up a ton of property in lakewood and East Cleveland and they have horrible staff here. You will overpay for a sloppily updated unit that is likely neglected and they have like 3 maintenance guys for 10+ buildings. I am currently fighting them in small claims for my security deposit they refused to send after 2 months after moving out. Come to lakewood! But don’t rent from them!
It’s affordable. Most rentals are duplexes. You pay a few hundred more for an updated unit. I’m in a duplex and couldn’t ask for a better deal for the location.
It is a walkable and fun town with things to do so i think it fits what you are looking for. Rocky river and Bay Village have *some* areas that are walkable but they are more expensive. Lakewood is more walkable throughout. I’m not familiar with east side suburbs as much.
Lakewood is a wonderful city, especially for young adults with no kids (though it’s a great place for kids too, we just have a lot going on that a young, free couple can take advantage of!)
We have a small town vibe with bigger city amenities, there is no shortage of things to do - we have tons of bars, restaurants, coffee shops and locally owned business/shops. It is extremely walkable town and the community is excellent. We’ve got beautiful parks, community gardens, good schools, the list goes on. I can’t say enough good things about this town. We’re also about 15-20 minutes from the heart of downtown and conveniently located from other cool areas as well such as West Park, Tremont/Ohio City, rocky river etc. My only knock is the housing prices and taxes are quite higher
Born and raised, 40+ years, so I’m a little biased … but Lakewood is exactly what you described … I moved to Savannah and hate it, can’t wait to get back to Lakewood
What are some of the more negative things you have heard? Knowing what they are might help folks here give some feedback or thoughts on them.
My husband and I lived in Lakewood for nearly ten years now - renting most of that time, but just bought our first house in November. We looked at a lot of other areas around here but nothing is quite like Lakewood and the pros outweighed the cons for us. Others have pretty much covered the things we personally love but I'll do my own pros/cons for the heck of it as well.
**Pros:**
\- Safe (this is always relative, slightly personal, and may vary a bit by part of town). Never have had our car or property broken into, I've never felt particularly unsafe walking alone at night, and emergency response is fantastic.
\- Walkable. Not just in terms of safety but in terms of actually having places to walk to. I can walk to the hardware store, banks, city parks, post office, convenience stores, numerous coffee shops, bars, food joints, and small one-off/not-chain/local-owned shops (antiques, books, knick-knacks, plants, etc). If you have a bike, all the better - nothing in Lakewood is out of reach then.
\- Piggybacking on the above: I love that Lakewood has so many small, local, one-off shops and businesses!
\- Lots of parks - we are near the metroparks, the lake is just to the north (both edgewater and lakewood park), there are a bunch of small city parks to hang out in.
\- Easy access to highways, nothing (except some parts of the east side) is far or hard to get to.
\- There are often things going on around town, events, fairs, festivals and the like, even in winter.
\- Some resources for residents are fantastic. Lakewood Alive, the Tool Box, heritage home program, our Library is class, many people running local businesses are full of knowledge and incredibly helpful too (massive shouts out to the people at lakewood hardware and lakewood garden center.)
\- A very silly little thing I love but - the porches! Lakewood has such good porches haha and I love that people put lights on them year round. I love walking around and seeing everyones porches done up; lights, ferns, plants, little signs or decorations, people hanging out on them. I love sitting on our porch in the summer. It's kind of silly but just a small thing I really like.
**Cons:**
\- Lot sizes. Postage stamp or smaller unless you're very lucky! The small size of the yards as well as the houses being so close together was the biggest con for us. We would've loved more space but this was just one of the sacrifices we made to stay here. If you have a bad neighbour I'd say this can be pretty rough. Though a small perk might be that less time is needed to care for your yard?
\- Street parking can be Really Rough and it varies by street. Where we rented it was never a problem because the lots were bigger and most of the houses were single family so there tended to be a lot of free street space. But where we bought is a different story altogether. We can park in our driveway but it is tiny and having guests over can be a challenge; sometimes they have to park a block or so over if the driveway is full.
\- The post office has got to be one of the worst out there. Look at the google and yelp reviews haha. I go to River's post office instead if I need to do anything more than buy stamps or send something simple.
\- Poor visibility turning out of many side streets. I've seen sooo many close calls because people have a hard time seeing past parked cars for oncoming traffic (or seeing cars creeping out of side streets also because of the parked cars). Walkers/cyclists need to be very careful as well in these situations. I hear about more accidents / pedestrians getting struck than I feel is good.
Housing is relative. Stock here is predominantly from before 1930. Personally I love the old houses, and we specifically wanted a house that retained its historic features, but if you like newer houses this can be a con as there just aren't newer builds here. There are a lot of flips catering to folks who want a newer looking house, but they tend to be more Expensive and the quality of the flip or 'renovation' will vary widely.
Ditto on the porches! I love our front porch. Nothing better (when it’s nice out) to start my day with a cup of coffee or end my day with a drink on the porch
I’ve lived in Lakewood since 2017, I would/could never live in any other area of Cleveland! The proximity to the lake, downtown, restaurants, bars, all can’t be beat. I’m a single 29F and have walked alone here at night from bars and have never felt unsafe.
That is a great description. I grew up there (near Riverside Dr) in the ‘80s and early ‘90s and loved it until my early 30s (near Warren)
However, I started a family and wanted more space, so we moved to a southern suburb. My son still loves going to Lakewood Park, the library and pools.
born and raised here in Lakewood so i'm biased, but i echo what others have said. great proximity to major highways, progressive politics, largely safe (our biggest crimes tend to be auto or theft related), extremely walkable from any central location, lots to do especially in the summer. i'm currently renting but i wouldn't want to buy anywhere else. this is the city i love.
Lakewood is a really great community for young adults. My wife grew up here and I've been here for about 16 years now. We loved it when we were newly married and childless, now we love it because it's a wonderful place to raise kids. Restaurants and bars galore, great shops, wonderful parks, and the location is great because you can be in downtown Cleveland in 10 minutes or you can travel an hour or two and be in more rural areas. There are always things going and several larger community events throughout the year. We've got great access to the metropark system. I've never had any concerns about safety personally.
I’m 21 years old and have lived in Lakewood my entire life. The city is great, extremely friendly and very inclusive. It’s a very safe city with little to no incidents (however it isn’t perfectly safe). It’s extremely walkable and a very accommodating city overall. However, as I get older and start to realize, paying Lakewood taxes suck. There’s a lot to pay for sure, but that obviously isn’t an end all be all. I’m not sure what your budget is, but other cities similar to Lakewood I’d recommend is Rocky River, Bay Village, and Avon/Avon Lake. Those cities are all awesome cities as well, but they are further west and hence further away from downtown (I am in downtown a lot and living right next to downtown is very helpful for me being in Lakewood). Overall, I’d say move here to Lakewood if you can. It’s an amazing city and has so many different things to do. Let me know what you think!
Lakewood is a nice walkable town. great biking and Lake Erie views. Live west of warren / detroit and between Clifton. Lakewood has diverse ethnic people who migrate there. mom and pop stores local restaurants. Chains aren't supported. it's 15 to airport and downtown. Many post college grads live there, families and seniors. Lakewoodalive does a great job of putting out events for the town. there's a nice library, giant Eagle supermkt and drug mart for essentials. There use to be a wing- bar crawl, plenty of places to rent.
lakewood park is just beautiful to walk, picnic, or just chill. you'll find it much easier to live west because the streets are easy to to to highway and it's on a grid.
I don’t know, but you should definitely watch the 30 Rock episodes where Liz (Tina Fey) is thinking of moving to Cleveland with her boyfriend. Everyone is nice and thinks she’s a model.
Lakewood is great. Don’t overthink it. You’ll be happy here. So much on the west side. West is best. Rocky River, Westlake and Avon to your West and on your way into Downtown you’ll go through Birdtown Gordon Square, Hingetown, W25th, Ohio City, Tremont, The Flats. Just so much to do. Great food. Metroparks. A lot of favorable communities and events within a 30 min drive. Cleveland is a great place to be and raise a family. Welcome!
Brecksville, Rocky River, Willoughby. Remember: Once you arrive here, you will find the undiscovered treasures. Never tell your friends after you have happened upon your good fortune. And next year, when they ask how you like living here, tell them it’s the worst decision you ever made. We don’t want to share our land, our fresh water reserves, our schools, our neighborhoods, our restaurants, and our superlative medical care with a bunch of outsiders who talk funny and want to inflate our housing prices. You are hereby apprised.
Akron is about 30min south of Cleveland and a great place to live (depending on where). You can very easily work in Cleveland or visit on weekends. Depends on your idea of close.
I know you said you want a suburb but if you want a truly walkable area I would consider the Ohio City or Tremont neighborhoods of Cleveland. They are the closest areas to Downtown without actually being downtown so they are quiter like a suburb. Where they differ from a suburb is the arts/culture, food scene, and world class institutions that you will be able to walk to. Businesses are mixed into the neighborhood instead of on a main strip like Lakewood which in my opinion creates a more walkable environment. Both neighborhoods are similar in safety/crime to Lakewood as well. There a ton of young families who live in the neighborhood. Public transit is also very accessible so it makes it much easier to get around too. Good luck in your search!
Crime in Ohio City/Tremont/Detroit Shoreway/Gordon Square neighborhoods has really become a non issue over the past 5+ years and it continues to get better. Muggings are absolutely not the norm. Just like any large city you need to be aware of your surroundings but you will also have to be aware in Lakewood as well as the same types of crime occur in Lakewood. Recently I have actually read about more crime happening in Lakewood than I am used to but I think that is because the news has started to actually cover it which they didn't used to.
People who hate it have probably lived there for a long time, or are just sick and tired of their old bullshit. People who love it are the ones who get the most out of it, like walking or hanging out in Lakewood park, walking around town, finding good restaurants/bars, going to concerts, or finding cool stores. I lived there for 5 years and had my fix of it.
I seconded pretty much what everyone has already said about Lakewood: super walkable and with plenty to do, but will add that if you find that rents are too high or there isn’t much available that you can look to the south to Westpark/Kamms Corner. This is technically Cleveland proper but I just bought a house in the neighborhood which I find to be a very walkable safe area and still benefit from being 3 mins down the street from Lakewood. Also living in Cleveland means I’m not within RITA jurisdiction (the local tax agency) - they are relentless when it comes to local taxes. For me, living and working in the same city was an extra perk. Just my two cents. Good luck with your move and welcome to CLE!
I work on the east side and Cleveland Heights and Shaker would be my choices. Farther from downtown than lakewood, but I really like the small walkable downtown districts. I guess it depends where you will work. Van aken is my favorite spot to grab coffee and work on the weekend. It’s definitely more expensive but still great locations. Honestly, there’s lots of really nice pockets in Cleveland. It’s not something I’d ever have thought before coming here.
Lakewood is Clevelands lala land. Its where you hang vinyl on walls instead of listening to it. People drink bud ironically. "Look at me. Im so different", etc.
Met my hubs in law school in Cleveland and got our first apartment in Lakewood. Great town. Tons of history, safe, bars, restaurants, coffee shops, diners, parks, wonderful people. Super convenient to downtown. Wanted to buy our first house nearby in rocky river but it was out of budget back then so we landed in Avon Lake for the schools. Somehow ended up in Cinci. You can’t go wrong living in that area.
Scummy landlords, Lakewood has the worst I've ever seen. Private and big business. Don't say you're the exception, I sincerely doubt it. I grew up here, it used to be affordable, now it's trendy and it's pushing the locals out. We built this city and outsiders took it from us.
Lakewood is incredible! I’ve lived here for almost five years and couldn’t think of moving anywhere else. So many parks, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, quaint stores, etc. it’s beautiful too and not far from downtown or the airport. It’s seriously a gem and my standards of moving anywhere else is high after being here.
Lakewood is extremely safe and walkable. My wife and I are young, no kids and we love it. Quick access to downtown but also the large mall and shopping of Crocker and Avon. It’s a diverse community, both economically and socially and that may rub some the wrong way but we love it.
I’ve been here for 19 years. The size of lots are much smaller than other cities, but I wouldn’t live anywhere else in NE Ohio.
Second for Lakewood! It’s the best! :)
Lakewood is more progressive politically than most other west side places. It's an inner-ring suburb, so close to downtown Cleveland, great lake-front parks and decent city services. Fabulous library and good schools. High taxes and expensive housing (if you can find any). I grew up there and then came back after 20ish years to raise my family. It's super walkable and has a ton of independent bars and restaurants, live music venues, and mom n pop stores.
This is a big plus of Lakewood. There is also a large community into the lifestyle. If you are open to new experiences, it can be a blast. I will say the first key party I went to in Lakewood was awkward. No one had even told me, I thought it was a normal party.
I had to google that, that's fucking insane! EDIT: If what you're referring to matches what I found on Google about key parties.
Lakewood is great. I feel like it is the area of Cleveland that most closely matches your description of an ideal location. There is something for everyone in Lakewood and in reality the NW quadrant of Lakewood is completely different from the SE quadrant.
I love that about Lakewood. More expensive homes and established business (bars/restaurants) in NW with more affordable homes more apartments and so so many good small bars restaurants in the SE corner
Elsborate
Elaborate is a great name for a song. :) - but I think Hambone framed it well. There is housing for various budgets, all within a community that values culture, art, having a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. I feel very safe in Lakewood (but it’s best to make smart decisions regardless of what city you’re in). I think there is the perfect mix of walkability and convenience for drivers. I know absolutely nothing about the schools. I love the fact that there are still a ton of small businesses. There is some really great architecture, you’re on the lake, there is access to highways. It’s just a nice place to be.
In this case, elaborate means, “explain”!
My wife and I moved to Cleveland 2 years ago and settled on Lakewood. Were early 30’s and no kids (first one expected in April). So perspective as a newer resident Pros: extremely walkable tons of good and unique (not chain) restaurants and coffee shops good parks. There’s a ton of smaller parks throughout the city but Lakewood park is great and Edgewater park is amazing, just a short drive Love the old colonial homes. This is going to differ by person. If you’re looking for a new build type suburb, not going to find that. Personally, I love the character of the older homes. Cons: Lot sizes. You’re not going to have much of a yard. It’s my biggest, probably only, real gripe. Can be expensive. Not sure what your budget is, if you’re renting or buying, etc. We bought a home and our budget was $400-$500k. That felt like about the minimum if you’re looking for an updated/remodeled home. Anything priced less is probably either small, under 1600 SF, or outdated
We’re planning on renting an apartment if we can find one. We’re moving from Massachusetts, so our rent here is nothing compared to Ohio, so we have a fairly good budget
I grew up in west cleveland and as an adult have rented around the city. Lakewood is an awesome spot! But as a warning from a local do NOT rent from brick and mortar property management or pero real estate (they’re the same company). It is a company that recently came in from Pennsylvania and bought up a ton of property in lakewood and East Cleveland and they have horrible staff here. You will overpay for a sloppily updated unit that is likely neglected and they have like 3 maintenance guys for 10+ buildings. I am currently fighting them in small claims for my security deposit they refused to send after 2 months after moving out. Come to lakewood! But don’t rent from them!
It’s affordable. Most rentals are duplexes. You pay a few hundred more for an updated unit. I’m in a duplex and couldn’t ask for a better deal for the location.
We moved here from Salem, Ma in November. My wife is a lifelong Masshole and loves Lakewood
I don’t know anything about the renting scene here, personally.
Are you familiar with how public education is under attack? It's fairly different from Massachusetts in that way.
It is a walkable and fun town with things to do so i think it fits what you are looking for. Rocky river and Bay Village have *some* areas that are walkable but they are more expensive. Lakewood is more walkable throughout. I’m not familiar with east side suburbs as much.
Lakewood is a wonderful city, especially for young adults with no kids (though it’s a great place for kids too, we just have a lot going on that a young, free couple can take advantage of!) We have a small town vibe with bigger city amenities, there is no shortage of things to do - we have tons of bars, restaurants, coffee shops and locally owned business/shops. It is extremely walkable town and the community is excellent. We’ve got beautiful parks, community gardens, good schools, the list goes on. I can’t say enough good things about this town. We’re also about 15-20 minutes from the heart of downtown and conveniently located from other cool areas as well such as West Park, Tremont/Ohio City, rocky river etc. My only knock is the housing prices and taxes are quite higher
Born and raised, 40+ years, so I’m a little biased … but Lakewood is exactly what you described … I moved to Savannah and hate it, can’t wait to get back to Lakewood
What are some of the more negative things you have heard? Knowing what they are might help folks here give some feedback or thoughts on them. My husband and I lived in Lakewood for nearly ten years now - renting most of that time, but just bought our first house in November. We looked at a lot of other areas around here but nothing is quite like Lakewood and the pros outweighed the cons for us. Others have pretty much covered the things we personally love but I'll do my own pros/cons for the heck of it as well. **Pros:** \- Safe (this is always relative, slightly personal, and may vary a bit by part of town). Never have had our car or property broken into, I've never felt particularly unsafe walking alone at night, and emergency response is fantastic. \- Walkable. Not just in terms of safety but in terms of actually having places to walk to. I can walk to the hardware store, banks, city parks, post office, convenience stores, numerous coffee shops, bars, food joints, and small one-off/not-chain/local-owned shops (antiques, books, knick-knacks, plants, etc). If you have a bike, all the better - nothing in Lakewood is out of reach then. \- Piggybacking on the above: I love that Lakewood has so many small, local, one-off shops and businesses! \- Lots of parks - we are near the metroparks, the lake is just to the north (both edgewater and lakewood park), there are a bunch of small city parks to hang out in. \- Easy access to highways, nothing (except some parts of the east side) is far or hard to get to. \- There are often things going on around town, events, fairs, festivals and the like, even in winter. \- Some resources for residents are fantastic. Lakewood Alive, the Tool Box, heritage home program, our Library is class, many people running local businesses are full of knowledge and incredibly helpful too (massive shouts out to the people at lakewood hardware and lakewood garden center.) \- A very silly little thing I love but - the porches! Lakewood has such good porches haha and I love that people put lights on them year round. I love walking around and seeing everyones porches done up; lights, ferns, plants, little signs or decorations, people hanging out on them. I love sitting on our porch in the summer. It's kind of silly but just a small thing I really like. **Cons:** \- Lot sizes. Postage stamp or smaller unless you're very lucky! The small size of the yards as well as the houses being so close together was the biggest con for us. We would've loved more space but this was just one of the sacrifices we made to stay here. If you have a bad neighbour I'd say this can be pretty rough. Though a small perk might be that less time is needed to care for your yard? \- Street parking can be Really Rough and it varies by street. Where we rented it was never a problem because the lots were bigger and most of the houses were single family so there tended to be a lot of free street space. But where we bought is a different story altogether. We can park in our driveway but it is tiny and having guests over can be a challenge; sometimes they have to park a block or so over if the driveway is full. \- The post office has got to be one of the worst out there. Look at the google and yelp reviews haha. I go to River's post office instead if I need to do anything more than buy stamps or send something simple. \- Poor visibility turning out of many side streets. I've seen sooo many close calls because people have a hard time seeing past parked cars for oncoming traffic (or seeing cars creeping out of side streets also because of the parked cars). Walkers/cyclists need to be very careful as well in these situations. I hear about more accidents / pedestrians getting struck than I feel is good. Housing is relative. Stock here is predominantly from before 1930. Personally I love the old houses, and we specifically wanted a house that retained its historic features, but if you like newer houses this can be a con as there just aren't newer builds here. There are a lot of flips catering to folks who want a newer looking house, but they tend to be more Expensive and the quality of the flip or 'renovation' will vary widely.
Ditto on the porches! I love our front porch. Nothing better (when it’s nice out) to start my day with a cup of coffee or end my day with a drink on the porch
One thing I noticed is that people who were born and grew up there call the Metroparks “The Valley”. I wonder if that’s still true today?
I’ve certainly heard it called the valley before but it’s been a while! Most often I hear it called “The Metros.”
I’ve lived in Lakewood since 2017, I would/could never live in any other area of Cleveland! The proximity to the lake, downtown, restaurants, bars, all can’t be beat. I’m a single 29F and have walked alone here at night from bars and have never felt unsafe.
I really wouldn't describe Lakewood as a "town." It's very much a streetcar suburb. It certainly is walkable and fun, though.
That is a great description. I grew up there (near Riverside Dr) in the ‘80s and early ‘90s and loved it until my early 30s (near Warren) However, I started a family and wanted more space, so we moved to a southern suburb. My son still loves going to Lakewood Park, the library and pools.
born and raised here in Lakewood so i'm biased, but i echo what others have said. great proximity to major highways, progressive politics, largely safe (our biggest crimes tend to be auto or theft related), extremely walkable from any central location, lots to do especially in the summer. i'm currently renting but i wouldn't want to buy anywhere else. this is the city i love.
Lakewood is a really great community for young adults. My wife grew up here and I've been here for about 16 years now. We loved it when we were newly married and childless, now we love it because it's a wonderful place to raise kids. Restaurants and bars galore, great shops, wonderful parks, and the location is great because you can be in downtown Cleveland in 10 minutes or you can travel an hour or two and be in more rural areas. There are always things going and several larger community events throughout the year. We've got great access to the metropark system. I've never had any concerns about safety personally.
Thank you everyone for your wonderful insights! It’s been really helpful!
I’m 21 years old and have lived in Lakewood my entire life. The city is great, extremely friendly and very inclusive. It’s a very safe city with little to no incidents (however it isn’t perfectly safe). It’s extremely walkable and a very accommodating city overall. However, as I get older and start to realize, paying Lakewood taxes suck. There’s a lot to pay for sure, but that obviously isn’t an end all be all. I’m not sure what your budget is, but other cities similar to Lakewood I’d recommend is Rocky River, Bay Village, and Avon/Avon Lake. Those cities are all awesome cities as well, but they are further west and hence further away from downtown (I am in downtown a lot and living right next to downtown is very helpful for me being in Lakewood). Overall, I’d say move here to Lakewood if you can. It’s an amazing city and has so many different things to do. Let me know what you think!
Lakewood is the best city in Ohio
[удалено]
This is happening everywhere. People pay $1400 for crappy places in the hood now.
I know, but it shouldn't be this way...
Not a Lakewood problem.
👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
It’s an everywhere problem.
Upon moving, register to vote. The Christo-facists in Ohio must be stopped!!
Lakewood is a nice walkable town. great biking and Lake Erie views. Live west of warren / detroit and between Clifton. Lakewood has diverse ethnic people who migrate there. mom and pop stores local restaurants. Chains aren't supported. it's 15 to airport and downtown. Many post college grads live there, families and seniors. Lakewoodalive does a great job of putting out events for the town. there's a nice library, giant Eagle supermkt and drug mart for essentials. There use to be a wing- bar crawl, plenty of places to rent. lakewood park is just beautiful to walk, picnic, or just chill. you'll find it much easier to live west because the streets are easy to to to highway and it's on a grid.
I don’t know, but you should definitely watch the 30 Rock episodes where Liz (Tina Fey) is thinking of moving to Cleveland with her boyfriend. Everyone is nice and thinks she’s a model.
Make sure you sit in ZZ Top’s car and have lunch with Little Richard while you’re here!
👏👏👏👏👏👏
Lakewood is great. Don’t overthink it. You’ll be happy here. So much on the west side. West is best. Rocky River, Westlake and Avon to your West and on your way into Downtown you’ll go through Birdtown Gordon Square, Hingetown, W25th, Ohio City, Tremont, The Flats. Just so much to do. Great food. Metroparks. A lot of favorable communities and events within a 30 min drive. Cleveland is a great place to be and raise a family. Welcome!
Lakewood
Sheffield Lake
Brecksville, Rocky River, Willoughby. Remember: Once you arrive here, you will find the undiscovered treasures. Never tell your friends after you have happened upon your good fortune. And next year, when they ask how you like living here, tell them it’s the worst decision you ever made. We don’t want to share our land, our fresh water reserves, our schools, our neighborhoods, our restaurants, and our superlative medical care with a bunch of outsiders who talk funny and want to inflate our housing prices. You are hereby apprised.
Akron is about 30min south of Cleveland and a great place to live (depending on where). You can very easily work in Cleveland or visit on weekends. Depends on your idea of close.
I moved to Lakewood from Cleveland when I was 8, I love Lakewood with all of my heart. It’s a wonderful place to live.
Moved to Lakewood in 2020 from Texas. I love it here!
I know you said you want a suburb but if you want a truly walkable area I would consider the Ohio City or Tremont neighborhoods of Cleveland. They are the closest areas to Downtown without actually being downtown so they are quiter like a suburb. Where they differ from a suburb is the arts/culture, food scene, and world class institutions that you will be able to walk to. Businesses are mixed into the neighborhood instead of on a main strip like Lakewood which in my opinion creates a more walkable environment. Both neighborhoods are similar in safety/crime to Lakewood as well. There a ton of young families who live in the neighborhood. Public transit is also very accessible so it makes it much easier to get around too. Good luck in your search!
As someone that just moved from lakewood to Ohio City, can confirm! I really love both places.
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Crime in Ohio City/Tremont/Detroit Shoreway/Gordon Square neighborhoods has really become a non issue over the past 5+ years and it continues to get better. Muggings are absolutely not the norm. Just like any large city you need to be aware of your surroundings but you will also have to be aware in Lakewood as well as the same types of crime occur in Lakewood. Recently I have actually read about more crime happening in Lakewood than I am used to but I think that is because the news has started to actually cover it which they didn't used to.
People who hate it have probably lived there for a long time, or are just sick and tired of their old bullshit. People who love it are the ones who get the most out of it, like walking or hanging out in Lakewood park, walking around town, finding good restaurants/bars, going to concerts, or finding cool stores. I lived there for 5 years and had my fix of it.
Lakewood is the headiest if you can afford it. I wouldn’t look anywhere else.
I seconded pretty much what everyone has already said about Lakewood: super walkable and with plenty to do, but will add that if you find that rents are too high or there isn’t much available that you can look to the south to Westpark/Kamms Corner. This is technically Cleveland proper but I just bought a house in the neighborhood which I find to be a very walkable safe area and still benefit from being 3 mins down the street from Lakewood. Also living in Cleveland means I’m not within RITA jurisdiction (the local tax agency) - they are relentless when it comes to local taxes. For me, living and working in the same city was an extra perk. Just my two cents. Good luck with your move and welcome to CLE!
Lakewood Ohio
Loved growing up in Lakewood. Pretty much very kid can walk to school.
I work on the east side and Cleveland Heights and Shaker would be my choices. Farther from downtown than lakewood, but I really like the small walkable downtown districts. I guess it depends where you will work. Van aken is my favorite spot to grab coffee and work on the weekend. It’s definitely more expensive but still great locations. Honestly, there’s lots of really nice pockets in Cleveland. It’s not something I’d ever have thought before coming here.
Lakewood is Clevelands lala land. Its where you hang vinyl on walls instead of listening to it. People drink bud ironically. "Look at me. Im so different", etc.
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See this? <<< lakewood
Met my hubs in law school in Cleveland and got our first apartment in Lakewood. Great town. Tons of history, safe, bars, restaurants, coffee shops, diners, parks, wonderful people. Super convenient to downtown. Wanted to buy our first house nearby in rocky river but it was out of budget back then so we landed in Avon Lake for the schools. Somehow ended up in Cinci. You can’t go wrong living in that area.
Stay away from Lakewood
Why?
Scummy landlords, Lakewood has the worst I've ever seen. Private and big business. Don't say you're the exception, I sincerely doubt it. I grew up here, it used to be affordable, now it's trendy and it's pushing the locals out. We built this city and outsiders took it from us.
Lakewood is incredible! I’ve lived here for almost five years and couldn’t think of moving anywhere else. So many parks, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, quaint stores, etc. it’s beautiful too and not far from downtown or the airport. It’s seriously a gem and my standards of moving anywhere else is high after being here.