Does Shaker Heights deserve NUMBER ONE city in Ohio 2023?

[@OriginalCaliKitty]

I lived the first 12 years of my life in Shaker and loved it - including winter. One thing current residents don't have to deal with like we did in the 50s is soot. Everywhere. My Mom used to say she could dust in the morning and by afternoon there was another pile of soot on the window sills. In winter there was a hard black crust on the snow almost as soon as it fell. We undoubtedly ingested a lot of it playing outside and walking from school. But I'm still around. Not in Ohio, but around.

[@spencerkalsbeek]

How does the city look now compared to when you were there, pretty much the same? I dont think I've seen in a house in Shaker without a fireplace, so I can see that being a thing back then for sure lol

[@OriginalCaliKitty]

@@spencerkalsbeek Our house (on Scottsdale) was built in the 20s - my parents bought it from the original owner. It had a fireplace, but we never used it. The garage still looked like it was the 20s and the driveway wasn't paved. (My parents modernized both.) I'm sure Shaker looks much different than when we lived there. The last time I was there was in the mid-60s when we made a quick visit back to see friends. I have lots of happy memories of living in Shaker (maybe not so much from Catholic school - I went to St. Dom's). There were even a few empty lots at the end of our block that we used to play in. Btw, we did have a couple of tornados come through, but they didn't do much damage, at least on our street (a few damaged roofs, a power outage). However, the oak tree on our tree lawn was hit by lightning and split, with half of it landing in the driveway, just missing the house. The other half of it was still standing when we moved away a few years later.

[@josephbaker9673]

I live in the heights area and love it. Some of the best food you will ever have, close to lots of events and cool places, lots of shopping and amenities, and its very affordable to live out here.

[@spencerkalsbeek]

There so much so close, but you get right off the main roads and it feels like a quiet neighborhood, so unique. What are your favorite places to eat I’m always looking for good food

[@isaacrhodes3645]

Van aken is such a good place to hang out

[@snotrod7]

Do you have any food recs?

[@jeffreyswan8582]

For the record, Shaker Square is NOT part of Shaker Heights. It is part of the city of Cleveland. While the naming is confusing, you are dealing with completely different government officials, law enforcement and regulations. I was surprised to see you include it in this video as if it were a part of Shaker Heights, it is not. It’s simply in close proximity to it (like University Heights or Beachwood).

[@spencerkalsbeek]

It is, yes, but it’s so close and because of the name I had to include it. I thought I mentioned it wasn’t technically part of Shaker >< thanks for clarifying!

[@CJGraham440]

I grew up here in the 80’s…I have a lot of pride having been raised there. Went to lomond all the way through the school system. We lived by the Sussex district close to Beacwood

[@spencerkalsbeek]

Pretty cool place! Did it look exactly the same then? I wasn’t in Ohio before 2000 but shaker seems like a place that would hold its charm for decades

[@user-pz2ty1vo6f]

I enjoyed lving in Shaker on the corner of Warrington and Southington.

[@spencerkalsbeek]

that's a cool neighborhood! Could you hear the school band and games from there?

[@gailflora1835]

I lived on 128th and Woodland in the 70’s and learned how to drive in Shaker. My dad would take me to Shaker Lake back in the 60’s. I’m in Columbus now, but will always remember the beauty of driving through there on a sunny afternoon. ❤️

[@spencerkalsbeek]

It’s a beautiful city! I wish they would fill in the lower shaker lake again lol. How does Columbus compare to Cleveland, is it really that much better?

[@gailflora1835]

@@spencerkalsbeek It depends what you’re looking for. We have hundreds of restaurants all within a half hour of downtown and tons of stores ..everything you could want. I miss the hilly winding roads on the east side of Cleve, also driving to Lake Erie to see a sunset. I’m happy because I’m only two hours away so I visit in the summertime. Also big difference in servers here. They actually do a great job in restaurants.

[@djschultz222]

They are the Onaway and Lomond districts. I grew up in the Onaway district and my dad in the Lomond district. Also like the video going down Chadbourne in front of the house I grew up in back in the 60’s and 70’s

[@spencerkalsbeek]

Those are really cool houses over there it seems like they have more tree lined streets than anywhere else in Shaker

[@djschultz222]

Yes, all of Shaker is great. I guess I meant to subtly mention the mispronounced and spellings of Onaway and Lomond. Very good video and I was able to go back to Shaker for 2 reunions this summer and enjoyed every minute of it. Oh, in one of your videoes you drove by my house.

[@user-xk3bk5oz7k]

I grew up in the Fernway district of Shaker and worked in Shaker Square for a few years. Shaker Square is in CLEVELAND. You said a few times it's in Shaker even though that is shown clearly in Cleveland in a map you presented. You could have mentioned that Shaker Square went bankrupt a couple years ago. Next, it's Lomond, Not Lemond. Also, it's Onaway, not Onway. Then, tiny University Heights teamed up with the much larger Cleveland Heights to make a combined school system. They should have teamed up with Beachwood.

[@le_th_]

Interesting, through my speakers, it sounds like he *does* say Lomond.

[@edzaslow]

Good overview.

[@spencerkalsbeek]

Thanks Ed! Ever consider leaving beautiful sunny low tax Florida for cloudy cold high tax Ohio let me know haha

[@123Rockchild]

Looks like a ton of “detached” garages with these homes. That’s gonna sting in the winter!

[@spencerkalsbeek]

Ohh yeah haha, but since the city POS is really into making people replace driveways when they sell, they aren’t too bad if you have a snowblower. Remote car start is a LIFE SAVER lol

[@Bailark]

It's not "Lemond". It is Lomond. It is spelled LO-mond...and pronounced that way as well. I grew up there in the 60s and 70s. It was a fantastic place to grow up. Those battleship steel, slate gray clouds in Winter are great for building character. And as for snow belt, that is an understatement. That snow belt is most active when Lake Erie is still cooling from Summer, and the air passes over the land. That gives air that is heavy with moisture, and it cools into GIANT snowflakes when it passes over the land. If you look at how the lake is situated with respect to Canada and Ohio (SW in the West to NE in the East), the southerly winds cross the lake and head for the SE suburbs. BAM! Shaker Heights. It is considerably more snow than the SW 'burbs that do not have this arrangement. The city has mostly kept the character of the schools, which are architectural centerpieces of the neighborhoods.

[@spencerkalsbeek]

Thanks haha you can tell I didn't grow up in shaker! I'm pretty impressed with how much character the city has maintained there. And winter really isn't that bad, makes you a better driver for sure lol. Its crazy how much more snow you can get in one area vs 5 miles away here

[@marybarnes8423]

PAUL NEWMAN LIVE THERE

[@ZaneTrain92]

Doesn't look like a lot of the backyard areas have fences. Are these open areas? If so, what do people with dogs do?

[@spencerkalsbeek]

Seems like there's more fences in university heights but I could be wrong. You can put up a fence in shaker and I know people who have, Its about 10-15k for a privacy fence now though :/ I have a few dogs so would definitely want one myself haha

[@davidfleming1012]

never heard someone pronounce it lo-MOND.. always hear it as LO-mond.. Anyway, solid breakdown. We like living in Shaker, some things I would like to see done better, but is what it is.

[@user-dg4cf3or6m]

Shaker was the first school system to integrate in the nation . All Down hill from there . Nice home's, lovely suburb which back in the day one of the Greatest places in the country .

[@le_th_]

I love it when the narcissists announce themselves loudly by proclaiming their racism overtly online. Do you often go around showing how irreparably your parents damaged you?

[@SputnickSpooner-jg5gi]

Even Ward Cleaver was from Shaker Heights.

[@robertwalker2052]

And Paul Newman graduated from Shaker Heights High School.

[@joankaren632]

LOMOND and ONAWAY!

[@spencerkalsbeek]

Which one if you had to pick?

[@paladin0654]

As we used to say when I went to JCU: "Heights bites!"

[@spencerkalsbeek]

Lol! In reference to what? Their taxes definitely do

[@JB-pe2yn]

Houses are nice but not worth the scum that surrounds it

[@dyates6380]

Unfortunately, that's true, and it applies to just about EVERY nice area around Cleveland.

[@fragout9575]

I grew up on the border of Shaker Htgs and Cleveland. Just on the other side of Van Aken near Shaker Square. It was a nice area growing up there in the 70s/80s and most of the families there were generational and kept the homes and yards nice! Cleveland as a whole as had rough areas and for the most part, we avoided them as much as possible. But don't make assumptions about those people in general because a lot of people can't just up and move and they still keep nice homes beyond what the main avenues look like!! Using blanket terms for people who are black as scum is nothing more than racial bigotry and shows that you're weak and insecure.

[@user-bj3jv1jn6s]

I thought houses were cheap in Cleveland.

[@spencerkalsbeek]

You win comment of the year! Lol. Ohio is ranked as an affordable state to buy homes, but once you add taxes, repairs, insurance, etc, you gotta make like 75k a year just to buy a decent small house now. They’re comparing it to places like Arizona where a 3bed house is 600k, and some cities in Cleveland you can get that for 200. So comparatively affordable, but still really tough to afford a lot of areas especially for first time buyers and millennials. We’re probably not going back down to 2019 prices but hopefully something will change soon

[@moehio]

Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights, Beachwood, Little Italy, Mayfield, Coventry, etc - once safe, thriving and beautiful areas that has all but been ruined by the scum that now lives in and surrounds the areas. Get car jacked on your lunch break. Shot at while shopping. Treated poorly everywhere you patron. Cars stolen. Houses broken into. etc. And it's only getting worse. What a shame.

[@cumulus1234]

This is no different than what is happening in all suburban areas in all areas of the country

[@moehio]

@@cumulus1234 It's not happening in all suburban areas of the country. Not even close. And few if any are/were as beautiful as the areas mentioned.

[@cumulus1234]

@@moehio Just check out the large crime in suburbs of Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Atlanta and these are just a few cases.

[@moehio]

@@cumulus1234 Not denying it's happening all over the country. Just stating that it is not EVERYWHERE, and that the areas mentioned were at one time where wealthy millionaires lived. Not to many places can say that. Democratic run cities are the crux of the issue.

[@cumulus1234]

Yes, And virtually all major cities are democrat run and many smaller cities also@@moehio

[@Cornus]

Someone is not a good realtor if they can't take the time to learn the spelling of the neighborhoods they are trying to sell you on.

[@le_th_]

I'm an excellent speller, but I'd never be so foolish as to confuse and conflate being a good realtor with being a good speller. That's absolutely laughable. One of the *least* important things about a realtor is whether or not they can spell perfectly. It's like you've never purchased property before? smh

[@jeffmac429]

Big mf CAP

[@lucaskowcz8437]

Oh no. You need to go to summit county at least. Cleveland is too expensive. Plus shaker is too liberal and close to the city. Too much bottom of the barrel around you in Shaker.

[@americanegale697]

Rocky River so far. Way ahead..