The city that gets to call a mansion, which was finished in 1913 and named after the area's first mayor, their city hall.
Looking at Wickliffe from a narrow scope often gives people the wrong idea of it
The city that gets to call a mansion, which was finished in 1913 and named after the area's first mayor, their city hall.
Looking at Wickliffe from a narrow scope often gives people the wrong idea of it. The city has had a consistent population drop since the 1970's. Admittedly, this is the sign of an area in trouble; but this simply isn't the case in Wickliffe. The city still has a population density of nearly 3,000 residents per square mile. In reality, the population decrease likely has more to do with the seeming overpopulation that occurred between the 1950's and the 1970's, when the number of residents in the city quadrupled.
Moving to Wickliffe
The first thing people think when seeing a population drop in the city that they're considering moving to is that the crime in the area must be insane. Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the violent crime rate in the city is nearly seven times lower than Ohio's average, and Ohio's average is actually lower than America's overall. So now that you know that it's super safe to move here, you've got a little planning to do.
When to Start Looking
If you're going to start looking for places to live in Wickliffe, now would probably be a good time. Though population reduction has been consistent, it has actually slowed from over 20% per decade to less than 6%. Additionally, renters make up about 20% of all residents in the area, and this means that, between homeowners and tenants, there isn't a never-ending supply of residences. Of course, if you start looking about two months in advance, you should be able to find your favorite neighborhood and a nice house rental or apartment in the area.
When to Make the Move
Average rainfall in the city is around four inches every month, so you've always got an equally good shot of getting wet when moving into your new home. It's the winter months though, that may need to be avoided. Low temperatures are freezing and below between November and March, and when this is added to the amount of rain the city sees, it can be a bad combination. Slip and slides are for the summer sun, not for your vehicle on Interstate 90.
What to Bring Along
With one of the lowest crime rates in America, you'd probably do well to bring along a background check just to prove you're not John Dillinger. This, of course, isn't required, but the landlord is liable to ask anyway. What you should definitely bring along, though, is proof of income and references from former landlords. Knowing that you'll pay rent and not destroy your rental apt can go a long way. Who would've thought?
Wickliffe Neighborhoods
Just about every area of Wickliffe is packed to the gills with rental homes and other residences. That's not all that the city offers, though. If you'd get off the couch and stop watching Jerry Springer, you'd know that! Or Maury, whatever it is you kids are watching these days. Point being, you'll find great features in every single neighborhood around here.
Northern Wickliffe: The area north of Lakeland Freeway is highly residential and very populated. You'll have awesome neighborhoods like Homewood, Lakeland-Worden, and Schwartz and Zaremsky. Hey, we didn't name them. The bus route runs along Worden Road as well, so that's a perk.
Eastern Wickliffe: The eastern area of the city is loaded with parks and places to play golf, such as The Fairways. There are also several subdivisions here, and you might want to check out Monarch Homes or Meadowview Estates. They're pretty for crying out loud!
Southside: Though not really referred to as Southside, the southern area of Wickliffe offers both Green Ridge Golf Course and Coulby Park. You're also adjacent to Interstate 90, so if you ever need to get out of town quick, there's your ticket.
Living in Wickliffe
The neighborhoods around Wickliffe are great, and the subdivisions are immaculate. It's not just these neighborhoods, though, that give Wickliffe its aura of greatness. In fact, once you see all of the great aspects of just living in the city, you'll likely feel happy that so many people have left the area over the past few years. That just leaves more for you!
Parks Everywhere
Wickliffe is known for the variety of parks it has in the area. There are plenty to check out, but you'll definitely want to frequent Coulby Park at first. It's got a pond, several baseball fields and an aquatic center that has actually won awards. Seriously?
Fun at Any Age
You don't have to be a kid to make a fool of yourself in a skating rink, so go check out United Skates of America. Not only can you play around on roller skates, but the laser tag course and arcade will appeal to your competitive side as well.
Fun Without the Skates
Okay, maybe a skating rink isn't your cup of tea. Head over to Wickliffe Lanes then. Don't see why you're making such a big deal about it though. It's basically the same thing, except it's got rolling balls instead of wheels.
A Ghost of a Good Time
If you're into historic ruins, you can always head over to the North Chagrin Reservation and visit Squire's Castle free of charge. Be careful, though; it's said that the wife of the man who built it haunts the small castle after dying in it. Seriously? You believe in ghost stories? The lady of the castle actually died in Wycliffe after selling the castle, so you're in the clear.
