Apartments to Stay Away from

[oti136]

Hey,

I just decided to attend Case (yay!) but I need help with the apartment search. I've been looking online, and will probably only have about a week in cleveland to find a place. So it would be a big help if you guys could help narrow down my list.

Any info would be helpful.

[wayne]

oti136 said:

Hey,

I just decided to attend Case (yay!) but I need help with the apartment search. I've been looking online, and will probably only have about a week in cleveland to find a place. So it would be a big help if you guys could help narrow down my list.

Any info would be helpful.

Hi!

My name is Wayne, and I am the CSR Tech Rep. In the coming weeks, the Office of Admissions and current upperclassmen (including the graduating class) will be posting classifieds here on the forum. So definitely keep your eyes open!

If you have any specific questions, feel free to email me (hwl3-at-case-dot-edu). I got housing help and found my roommates on this forum last year!

Wayne

[mvelez1]

Hey there oti136,
My name is Mari and I'm a first year. I would stay away from the Waldorf towers. It's a big apartment complex near school, but from what I saw of it and hear from classmates who live there, the rooms are pretty overpriced for the space that they give. And no matter what anyone tells you when they pitch their sale, the "shortcut" is actually just a little deer path through a patch of woods on a hill at a 50-60 degree angle (which is quite...difficult to traverse when it's snowy, muddy, or frozen over 4 months out of the year) . happy house hunting!

[pvoraoh]

Hi!
This is Parag, I'm a 3rd year, soon to be 4th year, but I've lived in the area for just under 6 years. For places to stay away from, I know the Roosevelt has a terrible reputation as far as management goes, with repairs and security deposits, etc. I lived near campus for 5 years, and I can tell you that you can't overestimate the convenience of living extremely close to the school/hospital. If you live in The Triangle or University East (which is a bit cheaper, but with less amenities), you can walk to school through the hospital parking garage, and your walk is 95% indoors. The management at University East was excellent in terms of response. The management at the Triangle was OK (pretty good with repairs, but it always seemed like they were doing some kind of maintenance, and they took a good chunk of my security for minimal damage).

Email at pvv if you have any additional questions.

[pvoraoh]

The Triangle and University East are also two of the shortest walks to campus.

[cattang]

Contrary to what Mari wrote, I am a current first year who actually lives at the Waldorf and I think its a really great place to live your first year. The apartment is pretty roomy, though like all apartments, the size increases and the prices decrease as the distance from school increases. The management is really nice and you have your heat, water, and parking (and AC!!! which is ESSENTIAL during your first few months here!) covered in the rent. They have a really good mailing/package delivery service too. This year, there are about 25 of us current first years living there so it's also a really great place to meet classmates and hang out (some people nickname it the Med School Dorm). There are also 2 shortcuts to school down the hill. One is basically a deer trail but the other is a set of stairs that brings you straight to the bottom of the hill, which saves you about 5 minutes of walking time (great for late start mornings).

If you have any more questions about the Waldorf, feel free to shoot me an e-mail: [e-mail]

Cathy

[ejo]

Hi I'm Erin, another 1st year. I actually live at the Waldorf, and I feel that it doesn't deserve to be uder the 'do not live' list. I understand that the Waldorf has a bit of a varied reputation and might not be the most 'homey' place you can get around here. However, I and my roomate have been extremely happy living there. We live on a corner 2 bed, 2 bath apartment on the sixth floor, where we have one of the best views of downtown and the lake around. The apartments are a bit more expensive than most around, but they are also newer, well maintained and you don't have to pay for heat. One of the problems with some of the older buildings is that they tend to be drafty in the winter or lacking in AC during the muggy summer. Even if you don't choose to take the elephant stair path (it is actually stairs not just a clearing in the woods) it's only about a 10-15 minute walk to campus depending on how quickly you amble. This makes it very convenient. The other great thing about it is that the super lives in the building so it is easy to contact them and get any maintenance done on your apartment very quickly, and that a lot of medical students tend to live there so it's a nice community to carpool with (especially in the beginning of the year). They're worth consideration, especially if you don't have to time to come to the area and house hunt yourself.

[wayne]

To add on to the "Waldorf" thread:

I also live in the Waldorf. I went to Case for undergrad, so I was more familiar with the area than most before I chose this location. I live in a corner apt on the 5th floor (out of 8) with 2 roommates, and so far it's worked out really well. We all pay ~$450 each (A/C, water, heat included) + electricity + dsl. You get a complimentary parking spot in a outdoor lot, or you can opt to park in the "heated" (aka not as cold as outside) basement garage for a monthly charge. They've got someone at the front counter to hold your packages, and the mgmt is fairly response to issues. Coin laundry and some workout equipment in the basement. While there have been a few hang ups over this past year (the water main outside broke for two days this summer, shutting down the AC; and the basement storage areas flooded once), overall it's a great, low-hassle place to live, which is especially great for the first year if you don't know the area and don't want to have to be bothered with stuff in your studies.

~10-15 min walk from campus, 5 min bike ride.

For current Case kids: the "elephant stairs" that Erin mentioned are not the covered and lit "Elephant Stairs" connecting the top and bottom of the hill dorms. It's the stairs that sorta go through the woods behind the "Nottingham-Spirk Innovation Center" (former Church of Christ, Scientists) on Overlook Rd. Both these stairs and the "deer path" can be somewhat treacherous in the winter time, but it saves you 5 mins vs. walking around the normal way (on the sidewalk).

Personally, although I've enjoyed living here, I will probably be moving out after my lease is up, simply because I feel like I can find a better deal (and I'm too lazy to climb the hill). But the Waldorf is highly recommended in my book.

wayne

[kumar]

Judging by some of the posts on this forum and on the internet (www.apartmentratings.com), the Waldorf Towers seem to be an average apartment complex. However, one of the most frequently made comments is that it is more expensive compared to other places in the area (that have nicer amenities). I was hoping that someone could post the names of these apartment complexes (with a short review) and the cost of rent. Advantages/disadvantages vs. Waldorf?

[sxk292]

I recommend staying away from Fayne which is run by Montlack properties (it's the building right next to Wolstein - the newly built white building on cornell). I had reserved a spot there but couldn't get to Cleveland until the day before school started. The apartment ended up being in horrible condition and the property manager actually encouraged me NOT to live there because of all the problems it would have. I had to spend the first week of school finding a place which is very doable but very stressful. Now, I live in Cleveland Heights at a place I found on craigslist and I have no complaints. If you need more help, let me know. my email is [e-mail]

[anduvall]

Could anyone recommend an apartment within walking distance of campus that is under 500 a month per person, has washer/dryer, and around a bath per bedroom? I know it's probably a lot to ask but it has to be out there somewhere.'

Thanks
Adam

[wayne]

Adam,
What you're asking for isn't too hard to find, esp if you are willing to room with others. I live in the waldorf in a triple, and it fits your description ($1399 for 3 bd/2ba). There are many great deals to be had in Cleveland. I'd say if you have the chance, just fly out here for a few days, drive around, and check places out. You probably don't want to sign a lease on a place you haven't seen. If you can't do that, or don't want to spend too much time worrying about housing, just call up the Waldorf and have everything done by fax, and you can't go wrong.

Wayne

[jalana]

Adam, unfortunately, cleveland is just not a big city for 2bath/2bedroom type apartments. The buildings I know that have setups like that aren't walking distance or are more expensive (like the waldorf). There are plenty of places in your budget that are walking distance that don't have a bath per bedroom, though, if you decide that's less important. Additionally, I'm not sure what you mean by having a washer/dryer...most places I know of have a washer/dryer in the building somewhere, but it'll be coin operated. I don't personally know of anyone renting a place that comes with a free washer/dryer to use. There is a ton of housing available in the area, especially in may/june, so you never know. Best of luck!

[vxp43]

For Adam (and others looking for places near campus):
The Case off-campus housing website is a good place to start:
studentaffairs.case.edu/living/services/aloha/search/

Search in Cleveland Heights.... your classes are located at the intersection of Cornell Rd. and Circle Dr. (to help you gauge - via mapquest - how far you will have to walk)
Don't forget about the Case shuttle to help you get around:
shuttle.case.edu/

I just finished 2nd year, and now I'm moving to 2253 Grandview Rd, about a 20-25 min walk to school, down the street from Giant Eagle (grocery store), Starbucks, a gelatto shop, a locally-owned bookstore...
I'm paying $580 for a small 2 bedroom with a porch and garage (no utilities included, but they have central A/C)

[wayne]

I just wanted to add a comment on the Waldorf.

I have lived here 1 year and am moving out tomorrow. I've enjoyed my stay here, and have liked the staff. Overall, it's been a great place to live for my first year. However, two blemishes on my stay:

1. A/C malfunction. The water line in front of the building broke twice in the first month I moved in. Since the free central A/C you get at Waldorf is cooled by water, we were without A/C for 2-3 unbearable days.

2. Ceiling problems. The water pipes above our living room ceiling developed a leak in my last month here, which resulted in dripping and eventually a part of the ceiling rotting and falling onto the floor. Yes, there is an ugly hole there now, and it's still going.

One other incident that didn't affect me personally was the flooding in the basement over winter break. The basement is where your "lockers" are, if you request one (basically, large rooms in the basement sectioned off by chicken wire for you to store stuff). None of my stuff was ruined, but some people's stuff were.

The Waldorf is a pretty good place to live. Responsive staff, good security, convenience, included heat & A/C, etc. However, keep in mind that it is an older building -- it's been here for decades -- and so will have problems associated with older buildings, like the ones I mentioned above. A nice thing is that Paul (the building manager) as well as the building handyman both live here with their families, so problems that affect the entire building get fixed as quickly as possible, since they themselves don't like suffering through them (e.g. the A/C issue). However, the reality is if something happens and your stuff is damaged/destroyed, management's response, like everywhere else, is, "I hope you have renter's insurance".

Wayne