A lot of squeaky sounds.

Old Apartment

Very old Apartments, with squeaky floors and very thin walls.

You can literally hear everyone in the building. Appliances are not that great either.

This was the appropriate apartment for my first two years of medical school. It was very convenient for me to get to class, had the right amenities, and generally responsive staff. The biggest advantage of this apartment is the location to both the school and to Coventry, an area of shops and dining. It was a quick drive and actually walk-able (about 1.3 miles) from Case Western. The issues that I had included that it was an old apartment which meant that it had radiator heat which was somewhat erratic and one flying squirrel that got into the apartment twice. The management is very nice and with some prodding is generally fairly responsive. These were not issues that were grave enough for me to move between first and second year. The main reason I moved third year was to have A/C during the summer (though there was the option to install a window A/C unit) and to have in-unit washer/dryer.

Pros: The Heights rooms are very large and and our appliances are all in great condition. Management is usually very fast to respond to our concerns, and the cost is very reasonable. It is next to Coventry which is a great area with lots of local bars, restaurants, and little shops. The nearest grocery store Marc's is right around the corner; it's a small, affordable store, but it only takes cash or Discover card.

Cons: 1.5 miles from campus = have to catch the shuttle in the AM and PM; shared laundromat in basement but you have to travel to Lewis Manor to put $ on your card; limited # of parking spots; no elevator = not wheelchair accessible; shared gas bill for the building in the winter is very $$$; wood flooring could use refinishing.

The best feature of this apartment is it's location. The driving commute time to Case Western SOM is less than 5 minutes without traffic and about 8 minutes without traffic to get to the Cleveland Clinic. Add about 5 to 10 minutes for morning rush hour traffic. Having a spot right at the corner of Euclid Heights and Coventry also means that you don't need to compete for parking to patron any of the stores or restaurants on Coventry. Two gas stations are at the end of the street at Coventry in addition to being right between the grocery stores Dave's Market and Zagara's Marketplace. You are about a 10 minute drive away from University Heights, where there is a larger mall as well as a Whole Foods. You are about a 20-25 minute drive to downtown Cleveland. The neighborhood feels fairly safe. There are often tour buses and lots of youngsters waiting to hear bands at the Grog Shop, but it is overall a fairly quiet area. I go running from my apartment down through University Circle and have never had any incidents.
The worst feature of this apartment is that it is an older building, so expect some maintenance issues to come up. Ones that we've experienced include: a constantly draining toilet, some heating ups and downs, a flying squirrel on two occasions, and water-damaged ceiling. However disappointing it was to have such issues come up, management has always responded to it. The issues were not bad enough for us to consider moving between our first and second year in Cleveland. As well, you need to pay for laundry in the basement of the building at a relatively steep price (nearly $4 to wash and dry a load). There is a bike rack in the laundry room (free) and each apartment has one parking spot directly behind the building and an additional parking spot in the lot directly adjacent to the building (for a monthly fee).