Rooms with a Vue

The Vue in suburban Beachwood joins its counterparts in downtown Cleveland in offering modern, stylish amenities

Story by Kristen Mott
Photography by Michael C. Butz

When Alan and Valerie Levy were searching for a new place to call home in January 2015, they knew they wanted to be in an apartment. The two, now 29, were starting to plan a family and felt they weren’t yet ready for the responsibilities of homeownership. They also were born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, and when they moved to the U.S. three years ago, they lived in North Carolina – meaning they had little interest in shoveling snow.

The Levys scouted several Northeast Ohio locations without finding their perfect fit. But when they stumbled upon The Vue in Beachwood while searching online, their search ended.

“We actually looked everywhere else except here,” jokes Alan, a management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

“We felt it had more of a young vibe, especially the places inside the building, like the lounges and the pool,” Valerie says about what caught their eye.

They decided to move in last June, before the building was even fully completed.

The Vue, on the southeast corner of Chagrin Boulevard and Green Road, is in an ideal location for the Levys, the parents of Maya, their 3-month-old daughter. Valerie walks down Chagrin to grocery shop, and it’s only a short drive to both the Mandel Jewish Community Center and Beachwood City Park. Alan appreciates that the building is in the heart of Cleveland’s Jewish community.

“We looked in the downtown area and saw a few buildings there,” Valerie says of their home hunting. “I knew I wanted to have a baby, but there were no supermarkets around or places for us to go to, like a park, so we thought maybe we should look in the suburbs.

“This location here, everything is like 10 minutes away.”

Downtown Cleveland has become a hot spot for young professionals to live in, but as The Vue’s stylish and modern luxury apartments suggest, some suburbs are ready to join the party – and people are starting to notice.

Luxury living

The first group of residents moved into The Vue, a $40 million project developed by The NRP Group, in February 2015. The entire building was completed and opened in August of that year.

The Vue houses 348 units across four floors. One-, two-, and three-bedroom options are available, as well as 16 penthouses. The units, which range in size from 729 square feet to 1,934 square feet, start at $1,555 per month and go up to $4,250 per month.

The building is currently at 98 percent occupancy, says Brittney Perez, community manager at The Vue.

“We have everybody from young business professionals and a ton of Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals employees, and then we kind of jump up to empty nesters, retired couples and divorcees,” Perez says.

Chic and sophisticated, each unit features granite countertops, vinyl plank flooring and white trim. Tall windows and ceilings 9 to 13 feet in height create the appearance of spacious, welcoming rooms.

The open-concept kitchen features a long island with a built-in sink and dishwasher. Three different finishes are available for each unit, allowing residents to choose the colors of their cabinets, walls and appliances.

The master suite feels cozy, with taupe carpet and white trim, while the bathroom is sleek, with granite countertops, double sinks, and white subway tile around a standalone shower and separate bathtub.

Each unit also comes with a full-size washer and dryer and roomy walk-in closets. About 30 percent of the units include a balcony.

Parking options include 140 outdoor first-come, first-served spaces, 511 underground open parking spaces and 61 underground private garages.

“These are luxury apartment homes,” Perez says. “We really want you to come and make yourself at home. We want you to be comfortable and really settle down here and stay as long as you can.”

Design options are plentiful at The Vue, giving residents the chance to pick a layout that fits their specific needs and lifestyle demands.

“We have almost 50 different floor plans in this building because it’s such a uniquely shaped building. It makes almost every unit a little different, depending on where it’s located,” Perez says.

Layout was key for Alan and Valerie as they were apartment hunting. Valerie, who loves to cook, knew she wanted a large kitchen. They also were both opposed to carpet, a prominent feature in their North Carolina apartment.

“They have so many different apartments that you can rent here, so we were very cautious about where the sun came in. We wanted the living room close to the dining room. We wanted two bedrooms,” Valerie says.

The unit they settled on meets all of their expectations. A large kitchen featuring a long island opens up into their dining space. The living room and a guest bedroom, now used as their daughter’s nursery, are off to the left. Their light-colored walls are decorated with paintings and art, several of which showcase the sights of Venezuela.

Amenities abound

The Vue’s amenities are a big draw.

“Our pool courtyard is the largest courtyard we offer on-site and it’s the one that gets the most use,” Perez says.

The pool area exudes a resort vibe, complete with bright orange lounge seating, string lights and several fountains. The 3-and-a-half-foot-deep heated wading pool is open to residents during the warm months. The courtyard is rounded out with two fire pits, two gas grills, a fireplace and a flat screen TV.

“(From the street), you don’t even know all of this is in here. It’s very exclusive to our residents, which they love,” Perez says.

Two additional courtyards – the garden courtyard, meant as a quiet space, and the oasis courtyard, serving as a place to entertain guests – complete the outdoor space.

But the amenities aren’t limited to the outdoors.

Fitness enthusiasts enjoy the indoor yoga studio, which features an on-demand fitness television and three stationary bikes and is home to free yoga classes offered by two residents who are certified yoga instructors. In addition, there’s a two-story fitness studio, complete with cardio machines, treadmills, TRX equipment and weight machines.

Art lovers can stroll through the fourth-floor art gallery, where canvas prints and photographs by local artists are displayed on floating walls. Rich cherry wood floors give the open space a luxurious feel.

The Vue also serves as a prime location to host social gatherings. The terrace, a sleek, contemporary space, features indoor and outdoor seating, two TVs, a built-in wall fireplace, a bar area and a long table with ample seating.

The lounge, which opens up to the pool courtyard and features exposed wood beams and walls painted in rich colors, houses a pool table, three TVs, lounge seating, high-top tables and a small kitchen.

The amenities at The Vue served as a selling point for the Levys.

“The common areas are awesome – the fitness center, the lounges. We did Pesach with all of my family in the terrace. It has a lot of things that you can use just because you live here,” Valerie says.

Family time

Like the Levys, many Vue residents are parents of young children. About 30 kids live on-site, and almost all are under the age of 8, Perez says.

Luckily for parents, The Vue offers a kids’ play place. The room features yellow and gray walls and brightly colored furniture and carpet. The space is split up into different activity areas, so whether a child wants to play dress-up or create a drawing, he or she has ample space to do so.

Some of the parents have even organized playgroups within the building.

“From what I’ve seen, there are a lot of young moms around,” Valerie says. “We’ve seen a lot of young people starting families. The people are nice, and when you walk around, everybody says ‘hi.’”

The Vue is also in close proximity to several day cares – a selling point for many young families. On top of that, The Vue offers grocery delivery service through Miles Farmers Market in Solon – an option popular for any busy resident, but especially young parents.

Having everything located under one roof is no accident. Whether catering to a busy, young professional or a retiree looking to slow down and relax, The Vue strives to make residents’ lives as convenient and hassle-free as possible.

“It’s a full lifestyle here,” Perez says. “That’s kind of what we go for: a full experience, a full lifestyle, right here at home.” js