thinking about a move to the westside of cleveland.......westlake, avon lake (Parma: new house, neighborhoods)

[121804]

Recommend staying away from North Olmsted. While housing prices there may be lower than Bay, Westlake or Avon, there is a reason for it; very "mall-ish" w/ its primary source of income the mall & stores around it & the problems a huge mall brings to the area right off of a major highway. The best thing to do is to really scope out the area & get a feel. Rocky River is nice in nice parts but like Westlake & Bay, the nice houses are the ones with the high price tags.

Westlake has boomed in the past 10-15 years & Crocker Park has only helped. Wide variety of stores & restaurants in the area. A nice place.

I would look into private schooling if that is something you would consider. I am a teacher & have taught in both the private & public sector on the westside of Cleveland. There are some EXCELLENT private schools that are affordable.

Westside & Eastside are just two totally different worlds that are 30 mins apart.

[bakkam]

Originally Posted by 121804

Recommend staying away from North Olmsted. While housing prices there may be lower than Bay, Westlake or Avon, there is a reason for it; very "mall-ish" w/ its primary source of income the mall & stores around it & the problems a huge mall brings to the area right off of a major highway.

Businesses in any area pay taxes that funds the public agencies in providing civic services; otherwise the tax burden would get skewed towards the residents, no?

[clevelandcane]

what do you guys and gals feel about the following Catholic grade schools in terms of education and quality of character of students and parents...

1) St. Raphael
2) St. Bernadette
3) St. Christopher

Thank you.

[still looking 62]

I lived in Rocky River for 10 years and my child went to St. Christopher School. It is a very good school with alot of community activities and is one of the biggest churches in the area. Lots of opportunities in getting involved. Here is their site for you to view:

<http://www.stchrisonline.com

St. Bernadette's is also a good community church in Westlake Ohio. Not as large as St. Chris's and may be more appealing to a smaller feel. Their site is: <http://www.stbernadetteparish.com/>

I haven't been to St. Raphael's so can't comment on their Parish/School.

Rocky River and Westlake are wonderful communities and, in my opinion, the best suburbs of the westside. Not only are the Catholic Schools excellent, but both the Rocky River and Westlake Schools Public Schools are ranked the best in the State.
The reason why I chose to send my child to a Catholic School is because although the Public School System in Rocky River is one of the best, a child would have to go to 4 schools in Rocky River to complete their High School Education. So for example: The Primary School goes from K - 2. Then they are off to Kensington from 3-5. Then to the Middle School from 6-8 and finally Rocky River High from 9 -12. I am exhausted just saying that! lol So I chose a Catholic School to keep from going to so many schools. St. Christopher's goes from K thru 8. Alot easier as far as less moving around. It is expensive though.
Good luck.

[clevelandcane]

thanks for the reply. That's pretty close to what I thought but it's good to hear from those who know.

one more question... what do you think about moving from a Catholic grade school to a public HS? How tough could that be? I know it depends on the child's personality but...

[traveller]

Westlake and Avon lake have a lower real estate tax. Much cheaper then NY
I think Avon lake even lower.i can't help with the school sytem, but those 2 areas are really good.
i have a friend who lives in West lake.for about 2400 sf, she paid around 140k and the property tax is about 2400

[Sail guy]

I;m curious. Did you make the move to Cleveland. There certainly is a lot of misinformation here. You can't go wrong with Rocky River, Westlake, Bay Village, Avon, or Avon Lake. Property taxes would be highest in Bay Village and Rocky River. Lowest taxes in Avon Lake. Schools in all these towns are pretty comparable. If you plan to live in a community for 10 years you need to look at looming infrastructure costs. Bay and Rocky River are landlocked and have potential for ever increasing costs to support older infrastructure (roads, bridges etc). Additionally, areas served by the Cleveland water department and metropolitan sewer district have huge water and sewer costs. Avon Lake has its own water and sewer which cost 2/3rds less than neighboring Bay Village. Couple that with available housing land and lack of serious traffic congestion, Avon Lake is probably the best bet for long term costs. Avon is up and coming but will require massive infrastructure upgrades as retail and residential development continues to explode. Also if you look at crime data in city data the crime index of 55 is off the charts low. Check the city you are living in now for a comparison.

[achtungpv]

My friends just built a house in Avon Lake. They are just in Lorrain Co and they said the taxes are a lot lower there.

I would personally look up foreclosures on Yahoo's property search. My friends paid $290K for their house and I found a foreclosure on their street and the next largest available floor plan for $190K. Still debating whether or not to tell them that!

[twange]

Originally Posted by achtungpv

My friends just built a house in Avon Lake. They are just in Lorrain Co and they said the taxes are a lot lower there.

I would personally look up foreclosures on Yahoo's property search. My friends paid $290K for their house and I found a foreclosure on their street and the next largest available floor plan for $190K. Still debating whether or not to tell them that!

Hmm, I wouldn't. That would personally make me vomit.

[achtungpv]

Originally Posted by twange

Hmm, I wouldn't. That would personally make me vomit.

We're flying up there tomorrow, so I'll keep an eye out for that house.