blinker12

^Yeah, the "lighthouse" is the Tower Press building. Legal live-work lofts in an old textile factory.

Thanks! Yeah, there are plenty of other establishments I could have pictured, but I only had so much time. As it is, I think this gives the picture of a fairly bustling, incredibly diverse neighborhood.

Chinatown is one of Cleveland's most exciting -- and least publicized -- neighborhoods. When I first moved back a few months ago, I was stunned by how extensive the area is, stretching from the E. 20s to the E. 50s and beyond along St. Clair, Superior and Payne avenues. I have heard that it offers the largest collection of Asian retail between New York and Chicago. Making the neighborhood even more irresistible is an emerging population of artists and artisans living in the area's old loft buildings, some of which have been legally rezoned as live-work spaces. Cleveland has had a Chinatown since the 19th century. Early on, it was downtown, in what's now the Warehouse District. It later moved to Rockwell Avenue around E. 21st Street, and then to its present location along St. Clair, Superior and Payne avenues between the E. 20s and E. 50s. I was out this morning taking photos for a class I'm in, and couldn't resist snapping a few extras of the neighborhood to show you guys. It was snowy out, as you'll see in the photos, but I thought that added to the charm. Here, then, is the tour -- consider it my holiday gift to the board! ;) First, "old" Chinatown -- Rockwell between E. 21st and E. 24th and environs. A street sign. The Rockwell streetscape. Shanghai Restaurant, open til 11 p.m. Chinese Merchants Association building. The beautiful mosaic entrance to the Chinese Merchants Association's building. Detail of the building. Cleveland Asian Youth Club. Gold Coins Restaurant. A nice, dense streetscape looking south on E. 21st Street toward Cleveland State University. Welcome to (old) Chinatown sign, seen from the parking lot of Phoenix Coffee. Phoenix Coffee on E. 21st and Superior, a local brewer since 1976. Superior Avenue streetscape looking east from E. 21st. Most of these are live-work. The famous Tower Press building at E. 18th and Superior. Now on to "new" Chinatown, reinhabiting a traditionally Eastern European neighborhood between the E. 20s and E. 50s. Evidence of the transition: an Asian seafood restaurant abuts the famous Slyman's deli -- home of Cleveland's largest corned beef sandwich. Vestiges of an old Croatian neighborhood remain (Croatian Tavern at E. 33rd and St. Clair). Asia Food Company, a large Asian supermarket. Inside Asia Food Co. Asia Food Co. customers load their car with purchases. In the background is the old St. Josaphat Roman Catholic Church, which has been freshly converted to an art gallery and artists' studios. Daniel's Home Furnishings, Payne Avenue and E. 27th. #1 Pho, a fantastic Vietnamese restaurant, Superior and E. 30th. The gorgeous Mueller Building, being converted to loft apartments, E. 31st between Superior and Payne. Cleveland hero Dave's Supermarket. This is their first location in the city, on Payne at E. 36th; a new facade is being constructed. Factory Xpress, a clothing store at E. 37th and Payne. A cold shopper on Payne Avenue. The just-opened Payne Commons, featuring Garden Cafe, Koko's Bakery and a hair salon. Next door, Friendship Auto Service. Adaptive reuse in its purest form: A pizzeria becomes a Korean restaurant. Next door is a convenience market. The beautiful Payne Avenue Lofts, just-completed loft conversions at Payne and E. 37th. Half the units pre-sold. Just down the street is this beauty; inquiring urbanist minds want to know when it will be converted! Asian Evergreen Apartments -- housing for Chinese senior citizens, E. 38th and Payne. Shovelworks, a live-work building on E. 40th between Payne and Superior. Detail -- I love this building. Flying the banner of City Artists at Work, an organization of Cleveland artists in the live-work district (http://www.cityartistsatwork.org) Tenant mix at Shovelworks. On the same block, Graphic Arts Centre. Also on the same block, the beautiful Loftworks building, which is legal live-work. North Presbyterian Church, E. 40th and Superior. The Tyler Village building, discussed in another thread, dating from about 1880. At Superior and E. 36th. Right across from Tyler on Superior are more Asian retailers. China Merchandise Exhibit. Next door, Korean House Family Restaurant. Korean House also has a billiards hall. Sweethearts, a new Asian candy store that is just about to open its doors, on the other side of China Merchandise Exhibit. Hi-Low's Pub, serving the area's warehouse employees. Right next to Sweethearts on Superior. Asian Town Center, coming to E. 38th and Superior. I don't like all the surface parking fronting on Superior, but oh well... (http://www.asiantowncenter.com for more info) Tink Holl, Chinatown's largest market, in Man Kam Plaza. The plaza itself is a renovated factory building, on E. 36th between Payne and Perkins. The entrance to Tink Holl. The Chinatown destination probably best-known to whites and suburbanites: Asia Plaza, at E. 30th and Payne. Inside Asia Plaza, a mix of Chinese herbalists, general merchandisers, restaurants and businesses. Inside Asia Plaza. Making a sale at Tak Yuen Tong, a Chinese herbal store at Asia Plaza. A bulletin board at Asia Plaza advertises houses for rent, a piano for sale... and who knows what else??? That's the end of the tour. As you can probably tell, I love this neighborhood...

Thanks for posting that, punch. Great news... I hope infrastructure work really does start next year. We all like to see those cranes and trucks at work.

Yeah, the church was going to be part of the Gordon Square Arts District, to be used as an acoustic music hall. It was dropped from the plan because the District had enough on its plate with the theater projects (Near West, CPT and the Capitol movie theater renovation).

That church is still used by a number of small congregations -- Romanian Orthodox (which is what it was originally built for), Russian Orthodox and I think maybe a Latino Catholic congregation? Seems like whoever buys it should keep it available for those services -- it brings a great mix of people into the neighborhood.

Thanks for the update, Ewoops! I think Silliman will make a very capable chief of staff -- though he's not nearly as charismatic as Chris Ronayne.

Apparently Le Oui Oui is planning to expand into the old laundromat space in January. That's what the owner recently told the coffee collective organizers.

Check out this spectacular adaptive reuse of an old Roman Catholic church on the city's near East Side into an art gallery and studios. Their first show opens this Friday, December 9, featuring the work of Thomas Frontini. Best photos are on these pages: http://www.josaphatartshall.com/introduction/renovation.php/ http://www.josaphatartshall.com/gallery/ "Private classes, workshops and lectures are now being offered in the individual studio businesses. Included are stained glass, painting, web design, glass fusion and slumping." Exact address: 1433 E. 33rd Street (St. Clair-Superior neighborhood)

WHOA! $50??? :-o Seems like the blogger should have mentioned that...

Looks like the Pinnacle will be having an open house this Thursday, for any interested! Unfortunately I have class... from The View from St. Clair, http://www.cleveland.com/weblogs/theview/ Tour My Neighborhood Many of you know I sit, writing this blog, from my loft in The Grand Arcade. The Grand Arcade is just one of the outstanding downtown living spaces located in the Historic Warehouse District. We would like to invite YOU to join us at this year's Historic Warehouse District Holiday Tour on Thursday, December 8, 2005. Come and see one of Cleveland's most impressive success stories for yourself - - and maybe you will be convinced to become my new neighbor. On December 8th, the Historic Warehouse District will open its doors to showcase some of our most spectacular living spaces. Tour apartments at the Bradley Building, Bridgeview, 425 Lakeside and Perry Payne. See condos at the Grand Arcade, Erie Building and the brand new Pinnacle, which is nothing short of sensational. Read More...

Oh, it's OK... And by the way, all you haters should know, we're considering indoor options for the CPA portion of the tour! ;) Now back to the Colectivo...

The Colectivo contacted Hotel Bruce about it themselves. This is the kind of project we're seeing more and more of in Cleveland these days -- citizens taking the initiative to improve their city in creative new ways. It makes me feel very optimistic about Cleveland's future.

The site looks just fantastic. Nice job, Ryan McKenzie and company... :clap:

I'm so glad you posted about this, mrnyc. Some of my friends here at the Levin College are founding members, and the group in general is just a beautiful idea. They're already getting lots of applications for projects.

Good for you, Dan. :clap:

Love the tunnel idea!

Oops. Guess I need to start reading more closely... :oops:

I found it very odd that today's editorial didn't mention the regionalism czar.

Honestly, I wouldn't have dared hope that appointing a regionalism czar would be a priority for Frank, so I'm happy. As far as a county merger: That would certainly help Cleveland in the short-term as far as tax revenue, but keep in mind that now Cuyahoga County as a whole is losing population -- not just Cleveland. A merger might help us keep the people we have in Cuyahoga, or it might just scare more people out into Medina and Geauga counties. So I think any talk of regionalism in The NEO has to involve the exurbs, too. We should also definitely be talking to Akron and environs.

Great news! I didn't know they were getting started so soon on the old Lou's Furniture building. The Muriel's a real cutie too. Now, is all of this being funded by HOPE VI or just the Arcade?

Yeah, it's no secret that the whole project started as a way to get people from 490 to University Circle -- and that makes me uneasy. However, if you think about the area the new street will go through, there really isn't hope for any other kind of economic stimulus. I'm still on the fence about it.

I hope so too, Wim. I guess I'm just really biased toward the city and feel like we're the place that needs all the help -- though of course that's not (completely) true.

The article was vaguely depressing, but didn't say anything I didn't already know (or assume). They're businessmen, they look at the bottom line, and Cleveland's a tough market. But if Rosentraub is right that we've got them for at least another 20 years, I think they'll have a chance to become more active here in the near future. I believe downtown (and the city as a whole) will begin to wake from its slumber 3-5 years from now, as some big development projects finish up. Guess I'm more optimistic than the Census!

My brain tells me this is a *great* thing, and it certainly shows that Jackson is more progressive than many of us gave him credit for. Yet I wonder, what could the suburbs possibly want from the city? Haven't they already sapped us almost completely dry -- of tax revenue, people and jobs?