Yep, that's about right. I live further away in Shaker Heights and pay to park in Veale. It is expensive, but I save a lot (and get more for my money in terms of space) by living further away.
Here's how things seem to break down in my experience:
- You'll spend the most (possibly outstripping the school's budget guidelines for living expenses) if you live close in a 1 br (Waldorf, Cleveland Heights, Little Italy) and pay to park in Veale. Apartments within walking distance to school (and it is mostly apartments of the 1-2 bedroom variety) are about $150-200/mo more than comparable apartments further out.
- You can live comfortably within the budget if you either live near school (especially with a roommate or two) and walk/bike/carpool or live >2 miles away from school and use the money you save on rent to pay for parking. As iceman said, there are some school and private lots cheaper than Veale, but they are a longer walk. On cold days you may find yourself gazing enviously at your classmates as they drive by on their way to Veale.
- If you really want to save money on housing, the only way to go is to live with roommates >2 miles away and carpool or bike. If you share a house with 3 roommates and you all go in for a parking pass, you can really keep your expenses down. I don't know of anyone who takes the bus, but many people carpool and a handful bike regularly.
As to meter/street parking on campus: as mentioned above, it is EXTREMELY limited. Last summer I didn't start my parking pass until August, and it was a huge mistake. I think I ended up paying the equivalent of a month's garage rent during the last two weeks in July because I had to resort to visitor parking ($8 in Veale) so many days after driving around in circles for 30 minutes praying to find a space.
NOTE: DON'T FORGET TO FACTOR HEAT INTO YOUR BUDGET. Heat is included in most apartments worth renting. If your house doesn't include heat, know that you may be unpleasantly surprised by your first heating bill of several hundred dollars. I know of at least a couple houses of med students who paid a LOT for heat even with the thermostat set at 62deg. Ask the landlord how much the heating bill averages in the winter months and run the numbers.
ALLLLL that said, at the end of the day most people I know are pretty happy with where they live (excepting unexpectedly tense roommate situations). Compared to other locations, Cleveland has some really nice housing for cheap. Just consider honestly what conveniences will make it easier for you to focus on studying and go from there.
Hope this helps! Can't wait to meet you all in a few short months.
) and I can tell you from my experience that it is really tough trying to nab a metered parking spot. There are spots available on circle dr (the road adjacent to the medical school running parallel to the train tracks), but during the working hours it's almost a no go, unless you get lucky. There really aren't any other good parking alternatives. 
