These are photos from the southeast Cleveland neighborhoods of Mt. Pleasant and Buckeye. They are located due south of the University Circle/Shaker Square area. There is a lot of blight in these areas but I am not focusing on that in these threads...

 

 

 

Mt. Pleasant

 

 

 

This building once housed the Mt. Pleasant Theater (the theater dates to the early 1930s). Now it is the Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland

 

 

 

 

Also located on E. 131st

 

 

 

 

A drive around Mt. Pleasant...

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of the architecturally significant schools that is sadly on the list for demolition.

It's on E. 131st St.

 

 

 

On Kinsman Rd.

 

 

 

Also just off Kinsman... this was the previous Kinsman Jewish Center and Synagogue, from about 1929 to about 1960. The congregation would become the Warrensville Center Synagogue in University Hts.

These SE neighborhoods were heavily Eastern European. Most residents were Christian (Roman Catholic or Orthodox/Byzantine Catholic) and, to a lesser extent, the Jewish faith.

 

 

 

 

Located on E. 130th St, this is Alexander Hamilton Middle School (closed).

IMO, it will be the most unfortunate loss if torn down as it is on the demolition list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over to MLK Drive...

 

 

 

The downtown view.

 

 

 

 

The Audubon School, another scheduled for demolition...sad

 

 

 

The Kinsman-Ramona-MLK area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On MLK Drive, on the way into Buckeye.

 

 

 

 

Buckeye

 

 

 

In lower Buckeye, this is St. Elizabeth. One of the holdovers from the days when Buckeye was known as Little Hungary. It boasted the largest population of Hungarians in North America.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up the hill on MLK Drive.

 

 

 

 

Now the Full Gospel Evangelistic Center, I assume this was once St Andrew's(?). I couldn't confirm it.

 

 

 

St. Andrew Abbey in the background. The Benedictine Monks have resided here for decades and teach at Benedictine High School next door.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The commercial district.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Cleveland for 86 years, Orban's...

 

 

 

 

 

In a former life this was the Moreland Theater, c.1927

 

 

 

 

 

IMO, the best Cleveland public art...

 

 

 

 

 

The gorgeous Weizer Block. I think it's the best non-downtown building in Cleveland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The famous Lucy's Sweet Surrender.

 

 

 

A very charming Hungarian lady helped me pick out a lot of sweets.

 

 

 

 

The suburban-style Buckeye Plaza. It's not all that bad actually.

 

 

 

 

This doesn't look all that old.

 

 

 

A former Slovak Hall.

 

 

 

 

Heading back down Buckeye towards downtown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well done - good photos of often-ignored parts of Cleveland.  Very sad to see the schools slated for demolition, but what other plan could work to sustain these buildings?  West Tech Lofts struggles to fill its apartments in a more stable neighborhood (but it is a massive structure in comparison).  I don't have any marketable ideas to repurpose these empty schools, of which Cleveland has an abundance.  Wish there was better news regarding these structures, but I understand the school board isn't a preservation society either.

 

Now the Full Gospel Evangelistic Center, I assume this was once St Andrew's(?). I couldn't confirm it.

 

 

This was St. Benedict's Church - suppressed in 1993. (St. Andrew's was in the 5100 block of Superior, and was recently demolished)

 

A former Slovak Hall.

 

 

 

 

A former CZECH social hall (Ceska = Czech; Slovenska= Slovak; spol. is probably spolecnost which means society; sin means hall)

 

Thanks for the clarifications.

Hopefully I have the Czech/Slovak thing down now. There are a few buildings around town with the "...spol.sin" ending or "...narodni.sin" , and some others.

Makes sense that would've been St. Benedict's, given Benedictine High is literally on the same campus.

My hood!  I live right by that empty KFC.  ("doesn't look all that old")  It just closed a couple months ago.  Had a funky smell inside towards the end.  That's OK though, we still have Popeye's across the street.

Awesome tour!

Great stuff...except for the Giant Eagle.

Exceptionally well done Clueless.  It's to the point I get excited every time I see you post. (not to mention the wonderful job you are doing of supplementing my photo archives :))

For those interested in CMSD demolitions, there are photos of most of the 25 here:

 

http://www.clevelandareahistory.com/2010/05/cleveland-schools-slated-for-demolition.html

"The famous Lucy's Sweet Surrender.

A very charming Hungarian lady helped me pick out a lot of sweets."

 

Thats Marika Feigenbaum.  Her and her husband own the bakery and they are really great people.  I talked to him about Cleveland for nearly an hour one day.

 

I try to go there everytime Im back in Cleveland.    They are dedicated to Cleveland, but fairly recent incidents have cast a shadow for them, but looks like they are hanging in there.  Im glad to see they are still there.

 

 

Thanks McC.

Glad you like the photos.

 

Great tour!  Tons of awesome assets in these neighborhoods (Buckeye in particular).  But a serious ton of boarded up houses on those side streets too. 

 

More Czech stuff: that Boys and Girls Club in the 2nd/3rd photo looks like it was a Czech athletic club (Sokol) before becoming a theater: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokol

 

I agree about the Weizer block being a real winner- I love that building.  Does anyone have any photos of the old Weizer Block that used to be located on lower Buckeye?  It was demoed in the 1990s I believe. It was also pretty amazingly ornate, though looked really different from its upper Buckeye cousin.

Looks like a pretty rough area, especially if you say this isn't the worst of it.

Thank you so much for showing these hoods! Even in their current state I still see the charm that these places once had.

Thanks for the pics!  DAMMIT I wish job demand would pick up in the city to revitalize many of the east-side neighborhoods around University Circle.  Even with the dirt and grit, places like Buckeye have their own charm.

Thanks for the pics!  DAMMIT I wish job demand would pick up in the city to revitalize many of the east-side neighborhoods around University Circle.  Even with the dirt and grit, places like Buckeye have their own charm.

 

Agreed.  sigh

Thanks for the wonderful tour!

We have a very similar neighborhood in Seattle (without the blight) but still a mixed race neighborhood with a crime problems, some abandonment.  Housing stock, commercial district almost identical.  You can't touch a house in that neighborhood for less than $300K. 

Thanks for the pics! DAMMIT I wish job demand would pick up in the city to revitalize many of the east-side neighborhoods around University Circle. Even with the dirt and grit, places like Buckeye have their own charm.

 

Housing, the housing is the problem.  There are tons of jobs at nearby hospitals, universities and institutions... not to mention downtown, which isn't far... but those workers choose to live elsewhere.  Some of them always will, no matter what's done to fix up the city.  But if we provide some desirable urban housng in areas like Buckeye, where there's so much character and potential, some of those workers would give the area a shot.  Don't forget, Buckeye is right around the corner from Shaker Square.  And once you cross Moreland Blvd, Buckeye becomes South Woodland and features some badass mansions that have Shaker Country Club for a backyard.

As much as I like the beautiful "glamor shot" tours of Cleveland, I like your tours of these less "famous" neighborhoods, too.

Another great collection of a not-often photographed area! :-)

cool. i await part II.

 

Enjoying reading the comments!

Uh-oh now the pressure's on for part II, LOL.

The next part will feature 2 or 3 different SE neighborhoods, it won't be a continuation of Buckeye and Mt Pleasant.

The scenes are different...along with a slightly different built environment in the next 3 contiguous neighborhoods. (I think I just explained that correctly  :lol:)

 

 

 

North/South Broadway/ Union-Miles?  A lot of gems in there... a lot of despair too.

 

Yeah...Union-Miles Park, Corlett, and Broadway-Warner-Turney (that's how a co-worker of mine calls this neighborhood where she lives, others refer to it as South Broadway). It would be really south South Broadway.

Thanks for the pics! DAMMIT I wish job demand would pick up in the city to revitalize many of the east-side neighborhoods around University Circle. Even with the dirt and grit, places like Buckeye have their own charm.

 

This was really the point I was trying to make.  The only difference between Seattle's Columbia city neighborhood and Buckeye is the local economy.  It is a crime not to try to bring in the types of jobs that residents of these neighborhoods can do.  I know I used to work in a factory in Solon with a people from this hood.  Fancy Clinic jobs ain't going to do it.  We need light manufacturing jobs for people with high school educations or less.

Thanks for the pics! DAMMIT I wish job demand would pick up in the city to revitalize many of the east-side neighborhoods around University Circle. Even with the dirt and grit, places like Buckeye have their own charm.

 

This was really the point I was trying to make. The only difference between Seattle's Columbia city neighborhood and Buckeye is the local economy.

 

I don't get that impression.  You said it was a mixed race neighborhood.  There is nothing mixed race about Buckeye (it's over 95% African American).  And even though that alone SHOULDN'T matter, it does to enough people that it lowers demand, which further hampers home value and redevelopment opportunities.

 

You can't talk about the decline of Cleveland's east side without talking about race and white flight.

Don't forget immigrants: they're the ones who were mainly responsible for populating these neighborhoods in the first place. Although nowadays I don't think you'd attract a significant number of Hungarians, but you could attract other ethnicities who would be willing to move to these kinds of neighborhoods. The low-cost is already a good starting point, but there has to be more incentives since that alone isn't enough in most cases. I'm pretty certain as is the case in Columbus that heavily subsidized sprawl is cheap and perceived to be much safer, so they're establishing themselves far from the urban core.

Awesome pictures!! Good to see my high school in this thread too!

Where is the Weizer block? That is a beautiful building but have no idea where it is at

Awesome pictures!! Good to see my high school in this thread too!

Where is the Weizer block? That is a beautiful building but have no idea where it is at

 

Buckeye at 118th.

Thanks for the pics! DAMMIT I wish job demand would pick up in the city to revitalize many of the east-side neighborhoods around University Circle. Even with the dirt and grit, places like Buckeye have their own charm.

 

This was really the point I was trying to make. The only difference between Seattle's Columbia city neighborhood and Buckeye is the local economy.

 

I don't get that impression. You said it was a mixed race neighborhood. There is nothing mixed race about Buckeye (it's over 95% African American). And even though that alone SHOULDN'T matter, it does to enough people that it lowers demand, which further hampers home value and redevelopment opportunities.

 

You can't talk about the decline of Cleveland's east side without talking about race and white flight.

 

If 95% of the neighborhood's residents were employed in full time jobs it wouldn't be in decline.  It doesn't matter that they are black.  I know you didn't mean it that way but there are such  things as a prosperous black neighborhoods in this country.  Also, if it was prosperous it would be mixed race like Columbia City is here in Seattle.  I just don't buy into the "well there is racism and the neighborhood is black so it must inevitably fail" theory.  there are just too many examples around this country and in Cleveland's past to prove that is wrong. 

Don't forget immigrants: they're the ones who were mainly responsible for populating these neighborhoods in the first place. Although nowadays I don't think you'd attract a significant number of Hungarians, but you could attract other ethnicities who would be willing to move to these kinds of neighborhoods. The low-cost is already a good starting point, but there has to be more incentives since that alone isn't enough in most cases. I'm pretty certain as is the case in Columbus that heavily subsidized sprawl is cheap and perceived to be much safer, so they're establishing themselves far from the urban core.

 

Nobody with options is going to move into a neighborhood with serious crime problems.  Any neighborhood that has serious, chronic unemployment is going to have serious crime problems.  It takes jobs to break that cycle.

If 95% of the neighborhood's residents were employed in full time jobs it wouldn't be in decline.  It doesn't matter that they are black.  I know you didn't mean it that way but there are such  things as a prosperous black neighborhoods in this country.  Also, if it was prosperous it would be mixed race like Columbia City is here in Seattle.  I just don't buy into the "well there is racism and the neighborhood is black so it must inevitably fail" theory.  there are just too many examples around this country and in Cleveland's past to prove that is wrong. 

 

I think that there is plenty of evidence that race and property values are correlated.  The question people usually argue is why.  The seemingly popular line of thought I always encounter is that those "misbehaving minorities come in and ruin the neighborhood" where I tend to think white flight happens causing property values to fall due to lowered demand before the problems (crime, bad neighbors, etc.) eventually fill in when the property values are lowered and it's difficult to keep homes occupied.

 

Then of course there is the argument about why this initial white flight happens in the first place.  I think it's a combination of one or all of the following reasons: fear of other races, hatred of other races, fear of property values falling.  I'm sure there's more, but you know what I'm getting at.

 

Of course it's not impossible for an all minority neighborhood to be stable, but given the current wealth distribution by race in this country, it's much more likely for these neighborhoods to have all of the problems associated with poverty.  Then add in that white people with money are (on average) less likely to invest in an all-minority neighborhood and you get what you have happening in large swaths of the inner city all over the country.  I know you're going to tell me that it doesn't take white people to invest in the neighborhood and of course that's true, but it's simply a fact that there's not as much capital floating around right now in the black community that can be invested back into black communities, even if people wish to remain segregated and keep money within their own community (or for that matter, for black people to invest in white areas).

 

I know it's uncomfortable to think that we have a lot of problems due to racism, but it's the truth.  It's not the only cause, and not everybody is racist, but it's definitely one of the causes of problems in the inner city.

Nobody with options is going to move into a neighborhood with serious crime problems. Any neighborhood that has serious, chronic unemployment is going to have serious crime problems. It takes jobs to break that cycle.

 

You keep contradicting yourself.  You just talked about people investing in and paying a premium for houses in a high-crime area of Seattle.

 

Even in Cleveland, people are investing in and moving into areas with crime rates not all that different from these areas.

 

A lot of it comes down to perception, and I still maintain that race plays a large part in that.

Really cool pictures.  I don't know much about the area other than some occasional stories on cleveland.com and the PD.

 

And regarding the above conversation, eh, you're both right. 

Nobody with options is going to move into a neighborhood with serious crime problems.  Any neighborhood that has serious, chronic unemployment is going to have serious crime problems.  It takes jobs to break that cycle.

 

I have thought about this idea. I have come to the conclusion that things don't have to be this way and that it is a pity that this is what seemingly becomes of the human race when they're not with something to do (job)--resort to all the negative. Again, I don't think it has to be that way. Just because a given place is poor, does not mean that it has to be this reality we are conditioned to think is reality. (our reality)

 

I have been to low income and poorer neighborhoods overseas (western culture) and have found many of them to be much cleaner and safer feeling than the typical blighted area in the US. (not that there are not problems or are perfect) The general feeling was that people have little, and therefore are proud of what little they have and want to keep it in reasonable good condition.

 

Although I certainly acknowledge the need, at the same time....I don't care how much money and jobs we throw around thinking it will be the end all solution...Such is not always the cure all. We also need to spend it to try and re-instill a sense of civic pride and/or self respect, and respect for others, in people and re-introduce the idea of parenting/guidance that steers future generations away from falling prey to the forces of the darkside.

 

A job and pocket full of cash alone should not be what it takes to improve the human character deep within. Common example... Look how many pro-athletes have their job....and all the money they can handle, but many still end up getting into serious trouble.

 

Its a lot about lack of character and learned inappropriate behavior that one is taught is acceptable, when in actuality it is abnormal and cultivated from dysfunction, and not out of something socially redeeming. It is often easier to glamorize such dysfunctional/inappropriate/illegal behavior and lower the standards to make it appear cool. Marketing is really good at this sort of thing.

 

Let's spend more money trying to fix that. A job alone/in itself, although an important element in our economic culture.... does not suddenly do the complete whole magic trick. As a race, (and this means ALL of us) humans need to learn to not self destruct because times are tough. When you clean up the person inside and show them their purpose...and that resorting to crime is NOT the only option, you will have a better/wiser people.

 

When you do that, you will plant important and often ignored seeds into  having better neighborhoods as a result. Until then, we can also curb the kiddies being born into a life with no parental or any other guidance. How many times have I witnessed tots walking around n sidewalks at 1:00 AM in the morning in diapers with no one around! Its all a touchy issue but certainly important and I am not saying I grasp the answers, but just appraising it from personal experiences and observations. I cannot ignore such important lessons.

 

Great photos, buy the way...lots of gems here.

Nice photos of a great area that has seen some serious decay.  Good news is that it probably can't get much worse.  Hopefully.

 

Also, I always thought the former St. Benedict's Parish was to the south of Benedictine High School.  Not sure what was to the north, maybe the old St. Andrew's?

Thanks for the photos Cluesless!  This neighborhood in Buckeye is going through some interesting times right now.  The neighborhood seems to be at a tipping point right now.  There are a lot of efforts being made to revitilze the neighborhood with University Circle's extending its reach into nearby neighborhoods, St. Lukes being redeveloped with a new school and housing and Buckeye's community development corp trying to brighten up Buyeke Ave.  But neighborhoods like Buckeye like other poorer neighborhoods are loosing more and more residents.

 

Fortunately Buckeye has many resources that other poorer Cleveland neighborhoods do not have.  So I feel it has a chance at revitalization.  I hope for the best!

I really hope the St. Luke's area can be redeveloped, but I fear it won't get far with St. Luke's itself sitting there rotting.  What a massive, beautiful, dilapidated toilet for raccoons.  It functions as a negative anchor, a vortex of value.  And no the answer is not to tear it down and replace it with yet more cheap-looking-but-not-cheap single family homes.  That structure could be a residential anchor for the entire hillside.  It could inject some reliable spending power into the Buckeye retail strip... the kind Coventry enjoys. 

 

What does Coventry have that Buckeye doesn't?  Marketable rental housing.  My ideal vision, which would admittedly take a long time to accomplish, would be to replace all the rundown duplexes between Buckeye and Shaker with apartments like you'd find in the Coventy area or along Moreland Blvd.  Even larger structures along 116th could take advantage of the city's best skyline views, which are currently wasted.

Awesome pics, C-less. I also look forward to your photo threads.

^^ there is an extensive plan to redevelop st. lukes hospital into I believe about 100 rental housing units.  The problem i would imagine, not unlike most places around the city and country is $$$. The lending environment is just awful, and projects that are moving forward (i.e. uptown) are in areas that lenders think have a much higher chance at success. right now, frankly, that's just how it is.

Good!  I hope it can get moving soon.  Uptown doubtlessly has a better outlook than St. Luke's.  I just hope St. Luke's gets funded before more blocks of detached houses do, and I hope it isn't set aside for seniors or low income or some such.

 

In other news, apparently there's a new ribs place opening on Buckeye.  This local yuppie plans on visiting often. 

In other news, apparently there's a new ribs place opening on Buckeye.

 

That sounds good--where on Buckeye?

We can't let all those beautiful schools be demolished. What can be done? The Society Bank bldg on Public Square was also slated for demolition and enough community outraged not only saved it, but led to the current concept with Key Tower. Could the schools be turned into apartments (like in Ohio city many years ago), or artist studios (like Murray Hill School in Little Italy), or other uses such as community centers? Could they be tranferred to the city or the Parks Dept if the CMSD just wants to unload them? It would be such a waste of the city and its heritage to just tear down those beautiful old school buildings. Otherwise we'll soon into something like phoenix or some other boring place with no historical buildings or character.

^It's Ohio law that these schools have to be made available to charter schools first.  This is a bad deal for CMSD, so they prefer to just demolish them.  (I'm not speaking from direct experience with CMSD, but this is what has happened in Warren and Youngstown.)

It's Ohio law that these schools have to be made available to charter schools first.  This is a bad deal for CMSD, so they prefer to just demolish them.  (I'm not speaking from direct experience with CMSD, but this is what has happened in Warren and Youngstown.)

 

so what stops CMSD from making them available?---if there are no takers, can the district then lease them/sell them to other uses or does the law state they must be regular schools, charter schools, or otherwise destroyed? if this is the case, it doesn't make much sense.

I'm guessing CMSD would rather raze them than have more competition (and revenue loss) from more charter schools.  If there are no charter schools interested in the buildings, then they become available to anyone else.

Nobody with options is going to move into a neighborhood with serious crime problems.  Any neighborhood that has serious, chronic unemployment is going to have serious crime problems.  It takes jobs to break that cycle.

 

 

You keep contradicting yourself.  You just talked about people investing in and paying a premium for houses in a high-crime area of Seattle.

 

Even in Cleveland, people are investing in and moving into areas with crime rates not all that different from these areas.

 

A lot of it comes down to perception, and I still maintain that race plays a large part in that.

 

Fair enough, let me explain.  Columbia city has crime problems relative to other Seattle neighborhoods but it is not unlivable.  The financial dynamics here are also different.  Although employment rates are far better here than in Cleveland, average pay is not that much higher.  As a result, normal wage earners of any race are financially forced into neighborhoods like Columbia City because they can't afford to buy anywhere else, even with the crime issues.  If crime was really bad, they would live 20 mi outside of the city and deal with the dreadful commute.  Again, full employment is really the key.  Race is a tertiary issue. 

 

Also, successful Cleveland black neighborhood- Warrensville Heights, 1950's-1070's

 

Also, successful Cleveland black neighborhood- Warrensville Heights, 1950's-1070's

 

I'm not saying that there can't be successful black neighborhoods or that successful neighborhoods don't have black people living in them (hence the Warrensville Heights example being a moot point as it was an established suburb that saw an increasing percentage of African Americans, although it didn't hit 75% minority until 1980), but it's very difficult to garner investment into an area in disrepair in an economically challenged area of an economically challenged city when nearly 100% of the residents are of a race collectively not holding very much capital.  It's a shame this is how investment works (often along racial lines), and it's the reason you see people like Magic Johnson purposely trying to invest in African American areas to offset the fact that this so often is the case amongst white investors.  I'm not justifying it or saying it's fair or right.  I wish it wasn't the way it is.  But it's the reality until peoples' mindsets, prejudices, and preconceptions change.  It's not going to do any good to ignore it.

 

But it's time to move on.  Hopefully, I'm wrong and the east side of Cleveland can see a turnaround that's good for all, both in neighborhood revitalization and number of jobs.

Jam40Jeff, I realize racism is often the basis for some of the things mentioned, but its not always all about peoples mindsets, prejudices, and preconceptions.  Tell that to the Feigenbaum's of Lucy's who believed in the neighborhood and its history, and were victims of an armed robbery, with Marika being shot in the shoulder (she's pictured in this thread) or the store owner (not from the neighborhood) that was known for being generous to the down and out, was shot and killed in a robbery.

 

Lucy's is still there in part due to public outcry and support, but there are certain realities that do help to create the mindsets you are talking about.  I know Mr. Feigenbaum was certainly ready to give up on this area and frankly Cleveland (He's seen the direction of things in the last 10 years ((as have I), and helplessly watched as the elected officials sat seemingly in a state of denial).

 

I know I may not have had the strength or patience to stay in a neighborhood like thabt.  I was only hoping they would find a better Cleveland location instead of moving out of state like they were talking about. 

 

Jam40Jeff, I realize racism is often the basis for some of the things mentioned, but its not always all about peoples mindsets, prejudices, and preconceptions. Tell that to the Feigenbaum's of Lucy's who believed in the neighborhood and its history, and were victims of an armed robbery, with Marika being shot in the shoulder (she's pictured in this thread) or the store owner (not from the neighborhood) that was known for being generous to the down and out, was shot and killed in a robbery.

 

I'm not saying the area isn't high crime or that crime doesn't often present a challenge to redeveloping inner city areas.  But I believe (just based on personal observations so I may be wrong) that areas of equally high crime with a "white presence" seem to attract more redevelopment efforts.