First post!

 

I thought I'd start a thread about the city where I live - South Euclid, Ohio, a classic inner ring suburb east of Cleveland.

 

 

(A note: South Euclid is a separate city from Euclid.)

 

I'll spare you the "Jebidiah Southeuclid built a foundry here in 1802" history.

 

Most land in South Euclid was platted before the 1940s.  Residential construction boomed in the mid-1920s, but the Depression put an end to development.  After World War II, construction resumed, and the city became mostly built out about a decade later. 

 

The 15-20 year hiatus in development is quite visible when you drive through the city's neighborhoods.  A block may have a few very large homes built in the 1920s, with the remaining lots filled with smaller, almost identical Cape Cods ("bungalows" in the local vernacular) built in the early 1950s.  The original developer had the intention of building a high-end project, but the end result was quite different.  There's still quite a few ghost streets, including a short section of the street where I live; it's now a greensward connecting  two blocks.

 

There is some uneasiness in the city over predatory lending and stagnant real estate prices.  South Euclid is emerging as a hotspot for foreclosures; the number is increasing, and there's a growing inventory of vacant houses.  Houses are priced lower than their equivalents in surrounding suburbs, even though it's racially stable, schools are very good, and there's a high level of public services.  While real estate prices are rising outside the city line, they've flatlined in South Euclid. 

 

Also, unlike surrounding communities, South Euclid has far less "there there". There's little sense of place compared to Cleveland Heights (a progressive urban suburb with a left-leaning "People's Republic" reputation), University Heights ("The City of Beautiful Homes"), Lyndhurst (home of the upscale Legacy Village lifestyle center) and Beachwood (a very affluent, predominantly Jewish city).  The city once had a pedestrian-oriented business district at the corner of Mayfield and Green; many buildings were demolished in the 1990s and replaced with nondescript strip plazas.  The comprehensive plan doesn't have a clear vision.

 

Despite that, a number of first-time young professional homebuyers are moving into South Euclid.  The forces of gentrification aren't present yet, but the influx provides some stability to the city.  City leadership recognizes this, and has a policy of making South Euclid more friendly and appealing to young singles, childless couples and empty nesters, not just traditional families as is the case with most Cleveland 'burbs.

 

Anyhow, the photos.  Full-size versions at http://www.cyburbia.org/gallery .

 

A mixture of 1920s and 1950s-vintage houses, more older than newer

 

 

 

Block developed in the 1920s.

 

Typical 1950s South Euclid.

 

 

A few blocks away:

 

Greener 1950s block.

 

South South Euclid.

 

 

 

1950s-vintage multifamily development on Warrensville Center Road.

 

The city was mostly built out by the end of the 1950s, but vacant lots are scattered throughout the city.  Even though South Euclid isn't a prestigious address, there's still quite a bit of infill development - all market rate.

 

South Euclid is an ethnically diverse community, with Italians, Jews, Irish, Russian immigrants, and African-Americans predominating.  Like neighboring Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights and University Heights, the response to racial integration was not white flight, and there are few fears of racial turnover.

 

 

Hey, there's a dog park!  (Mine is the white spotted Portuguese Water Dog, Guinness.)

 

Cedar Road / Cedar Center area.  The woman is standing in SE; across the street is University Heights.

 

More Cedar Road

 

Cedar Center, a 1950s-vintage shopping plaza.  Fully occupied, but it's seen better days.

 

 

 

Part of the plaza is south of Cedar Road, in University Heights; it's now being demolished bit by bit, with businesses such as Whole Foods building on the ruins.  The South Euclid side, north of Cedar Road, is intact. There are plans to replace the SE portion with a mixed-use mini-lifestyle center. 

 

 

 

Even though residents say Cedar Center has fallen on hard times, it's almost fully occupied, and it has a Starbucks and Chipotle.

 

 

The intersection of Cedar Road and Green Road is "Kosher Korners", the location of many businesses owned by and catering to Orthodox Jews.  Here's part of the South Euclid side of the street.

 

 

 

Typical hours of many Cedar Road-area businesses. 

 

I'm missing photos of Mayfield Road, the city's other business district.  It's a mixture of 1920s-era taxpayer strip buildings, converted houses, and typical 1950s through 1990s-era single-use commercial structures; parking in front, building in the rear.  It's a mess, but not unwalkable.  The problem with Mayfield Road - the business mix is fairly limited, with little catering to the young professionals that are starting to trickle into the community. Lots of old-man taverns, auto repair shops, fast food restaurants, some small medical office buildings, and not just one, but two wheelchair stores - nothing very appealing.

Welcome to the forum!  That has to be the most informative inaugural post ever.

Welcome to the forum!  That has to be the most informative inaugural post ever.

 

Welcome and what a first post! :wave:

 

  Looking at that post, I have to ask, is China Garden restaurant (I think thats the name) the Chinese restaurant west of Marc still there?

Very sweet, Dan, gracias.

 

Re Cedar Center:  I have not yet forgiven Corky & Lenny's for pulling up stakes but man do I love Anatolia- best Turkish food ever.

Very sweet, Dan, gracias.

 

Re Cedar Center:  I have not yet forgiven Corky & Lenny's for pulling up stakes but man do I love Anatolia- best Turkish food ever.

 

Yeah...that was a blow to the area!

does anyone ever go through a photo thread looking for themselves?

Welcome to the forum, Dan!

 

For those of you who might not know, Dan runs cyburbia.org - probably the best urban planning forum out there. http://www.cyburbia.org/

 

"do I love Anatolia- best Turkish food ever."

 

Oh god, yes! *drool*

  Looking at that post, I have to ask, is China Garden restaurant (I think thats the name) the Chinese restaurant west of Marc still there?

 

You're welcome!

 

There's two Chinese restaurants in Cedar Center.  China Garden (old school 1950s style Chinese) is still there, along with the Peking Cafe (more vegetarian/macrobiotic oriented, but still with some meat dishes.)

 

Anatolia is also good.  Then again, there's no other Turkish restaurants in the area to compare it against.  It's a nice addition to the area, and a good first date restaurant -- provided she's not vegetarian or allergic to mutton.

 

The one time I stepped into Abba's (the kosher deli at the former location of Corky and Lenny's), the diners turned and gave me the stink-eye as if I was naked.  Considering I wasn't wearing a kippah, I might as well have been.  I felt really uncomfortable there, so I left.  There's a ton of kosher restaurants in the area, but they appeal to a largely Orthodox clientèle.

 

Poor Mayfield Road.  Not much in the way of dining there except Grande's.  Joe's Diner is only open for breakfast and lunch, and Jason's, a new diner near Green Road, seems to have attracted the geriatric crowd.  Otherwise, it's all fast food, carry-out, and generic sports and old man bars.  Phoenix Coffee opened at the former Brews Brothers location; I hope they do a lot of remodeling to make the space feel cozier and warmer.  Brews Brothers felt cold and barren, like a place where you didn't want to linger for more than a few minutes.

 

Anyone know if there's plans for the shopping center at the northeast corner of Mayfield and Green?  Rumor has it the city is eying the site for demolition and redevelopment, a la Cedar Center. 

What ever happened to that condo proposal near Green and Mayfield?

 

You're welcome!

 

There's two Chinese restaurants in Cedar Center.  China Garden (old school 1950s style Chinese) is still there, along with the Peking Cafe (more vegetarian/macrobiotic oriented, but still with some meat dishes.)

 

I love China Garden, the food is awesome.  Very old school!!

Anyone ever check out the old man bars on Mayfield Road?  House of Swing is the antithesis of the typical Mayfield Road bar; I love the place, and hope it remains for a good, long time.  I've been to Rummy's and Geppetto's too, but that's about it.  I think I'd get some strange looks if I stepped inside Madison Avenue or some of the hidden Russian bars.

 

There really needs to be something on Mayfield catering to a younger, more professional crowd.

Awsome first post  :clap:

Anyone ever check out the old man bars on Mayfield Road?  House of Swing is the antithesis of the typical Mayfield Road bar; I love the place, and hope it remains for a good, long time.  I've been to Rummy's and Geppetto's too, but that's about it.  I think I'd get some strange looks if I stepped inside Madison Avenue or some of the hidden Russian bars.

 

There really needs to be something on Mayfield catering to a younger, more professional crowd.

 

I love the old man bars on mayfield.

 

1) me and my friends did a mayfield pub crawl from I-271 to Little Italy. That hurt

2) On occasion you'll find me at rummy's (old owner of golden coins), golden coins, tino's, or R Bar (same owner of the old R Bar from Little Italy, which is now Maxi's)

 

Its a good low key alternative to how annoying coventry can get at times.

^I think I've been to Golden Coins once.  Randomly, and I think I saw a pretty good Springsteen cover band there.  Can't get more 'old man' than that.

^i frequent there less because the new owner's a bitch. But it is the closest bar to my house....

Anyone ever check out the old man bars on Mayfield Road?  House of Swing is the antithesis of the typical Mayfield Road bar; I love the place, and hope it remains for a good, long time.  I've been to Rummy's and Geppetto's too, but that's about it.  I think I'd get some strange looks if I stepped inside Madison Avenue or some of the hidden Russian bars.

 

There really needs to be something on Mayfield catering to a younger, more professional crowd.

 

I love the old man bars on mayfield.

 

1) me and my friends did a mayfield pub crawl from I-271 to Little Italy. That hurt

2) On occasion you'll find me at rummy's (old owner of golden coins), golden coins, tino's, or R Bar (same owner of the old R Bar from Little Italy, which is now Maxi's)

 

Its a good low key alternative to how annoying coventry can get at times.

 

Maybe this isn't for me or my people, but what the hell is an "old man bar"?  Is this a place where sugar daddy's go to die?

 

My Brother has talked about Geppetto's, what is that place all about?

old man bar: where 40 & 50 year old men sit around. Generally characterized by absolutely nothing special. I can pretty much guarantee that old man bars are not friendly to your type.

 

Just think, "old guard"

Dan,

 

How old are you?

 

When I was 21 or 20 or 19, I loved going to some of those old man bars on Mayfield.

old man bar: where 40 & 50 year old men sit around. Generally characterized by absolutely nothing special. I can pretty much guarantee that old man bars are not friendly to your type.

 

Just think, "old guard"

 

so they're not friendly to black&puerto rican nerdy geeks with glasses?

Oh Nancy, please - stop trying to be coy, it doesn't suit you.

sadly, they probably aren't the most receptive to minorities either.....

Oh Nancy, please - stop trying to be coy, it doesn't suit you.

 

LMAO!  well I am a nerdy geek with glasses

let me just follow up:

 

Please, no one take my statements as a "fits-all" description for the bars on mayfield.

 

But given the typical patron (patron, not owner!), may be the old 50-yr old factory worker, I'm just saying that certain people may fall prey to the typical glares

 

There truly are wonderful people that own and work at these establishments, so don't let a few bad apples/examples ruin the lot for you.

 

(and no, I was not just threatened by Bar X for Libel)

Dan (Cyburbia ;)), welcome!

Dan,

 

How old are you?

 

40, and many are still too old man for me.  I prefer places like La Cave du Vin, The Tavern on Lee, Nighttown, House of Swing and Great Lakes Brewery.

 

sadly, they probably aren't the most receptive to minorities either.....

 

Except Madison Avenue, where they aren't receptive to majorities.  House of Swing, Gepetto's and Rummy's have diverse, friendly crowds; the last two are still hole-in-the-wall-ish, but aren't places to fear the stinkeye. 

 

Grande's: Italian and Russian sausage party at the bar, last time I ate at the restaurant.  Black Forest: classic old-school old man tavern, from what I've seen every time I walked by the place.  South Euclid Cafe, Tino's, R Bar, The Drink, Razzle Dazzle Lounge and the hidden Russian bars: never been there.

Thanks for the great post, Dan - I didn't think anyone could make S. Euclid interesting  :-)

 

You've mentioned the "hidden Russian bars" a few times.  It's interesting to me that there are hidden Russian bars and especially in SE.  What's the story on them?

You've mentioned the "hidden Russian bars" a few times.  It's interesting to me that there are hidden Russian bars and especially in SE.  What's the story on them?

 

There are many Russian immigrants in South Euclid, Lyndhurst and Mayfield Heights.  Bars catering to Russian immigrants are either very low-key, with almost no signage, or they are tucked back in out-of-the-way locations, like the back end of shopping centers.  Some are like party centers, but they're almost semi-public, since the Russian immigrant community is close-knit.  My neighbors -- Russian immigrants -- tell me that they sometimes stay open long after 2:00 AM.

 

Even then, I've heard a lot of Russian spoken at Grande's and Gepetto's.

 

An aside: supposedly the ruins of a ghost town called Bluestone are located off of Belvoir Parkway, south of Monticello.  When the ground dries up, I"m going to take a look and see what's left.  There's also an abandoned railroad right-of-way in South Euclid, just east of Green Road north of Monticello.

You've mentioned the "hidden Russian bars" a few times.  It's interesting to me that there are hidden Russian bars and especially in SE.  What's the story on them?

 

There are many Russian immigrants in South Euclid, Lyndhurst and Mayfield Heights.  Bars catering to Russian immigrants are either very low-key, with almost no signage, or they are tucked back in out-of-the-way locations, like the back end of shopping centers.   Some are like party centers, but they're almost semi-public, since the Russian immigrant community is close-knit.  My neighbors -- Russian immigrants -- tell me that they sometimes stay open long after 2:00 AM.

 

Even then, I've heard a lot of Russian spoken at Grande's and Gepetto's.

 

Open past 2, eh?  Now it sounds like a mission to find these places!

South Euclid's housing is the same as Parma north of Ridgewood Dr. Street grid built in the 20's, home building stopped in the 30's....housing boom (mostly bungalows) in the 40's and 50's. Cool pics. You may have convinced me to do an Amrap photo thread some day.

Bluestone??

 

Interestesting. That's the name of the new development at Mayfield and Taylor.

Quite the mix of housing stock there.  A few interesting ones too.

From the city of Cleveland Heights website on CH history:

 

Although farming was predominant in this area, quarrying was also very lucrative. In 1867, Duncan McFarland, an Irish immigrant, opened a quarry mining bluestone along the east bank of Euclid Creek. The success of his business led to the establishment of the Village of Bluestone, which stretched along Bluestone Road from Quarry Road to the Euclid Creek Valley. Two City Landmarks remain from the early quarrying days: boundaries, the Asa Cady House and the Schroeder House. By 1910, the Bluestone post office closed and concrete was gaining in popularity for sidewalks. Most quarries were closed by 1924. The same fate was true for the other smaller quarries which were located throughout Cleveland Heights, such as in what is now Forest Hill Park, in Lake View Cemetery, and near Roxboro School.

 

From the Cleveland Metroparks website on Euclid Creek Reservation:

 

Euclid Creek Reservation is named for the Euclid Creek which runs the length of the reservation. It features wooded hillsides where the rare rock chestnut oak grows. The reservation is located in Euclid, South Euclid and Richmond Heights. The southern portion of the reservation is the site of a "ghost town." The village of Bluestone flourished in the late 1800s and early 1900s when its populace quarried the blue-gray siltstone for use in building sidewalks and other construction. Today, the only remaining exposure of bluestone is in Quarry Picnic Area

 

There's also an "Images of America" book about Euclid Creek that might have more info - saw it on Amazon.

old man bar: where 40 & 50 year old men sit around. Generally characterized by absolutely nothing special. I can pretty much guarantee that old man bars are not friendly to your type.

 

Just think, "old guard"

 

Old man bars, hmmm.  I'm 54.  When I choose to have a drink in a public place, it's usually in a jazz club, an old-style rock and roll place if I can find one, or an upscale hotel lobby where I can have a civilized conversation. 

 

Just wait - if your definition of an old man is 40, you'll be there soon enough :-)

Excellent post and information about South Euclid.  Nice photos of street life there.

Thanks for the photos.

 

Dan, I am not a regular poster on your site but have been following it for years. Thanks for all the hard work.

 

 

 

 

 

What's happening (or happened) to this?

Gosh dangit, I was hoping that people would actually be able to see this picture without having to click on the "view image" icon.

 

I'm a tad bit computer illiterate, but I'm learning.

^It's not you, it's the forum - the "view image" button is used when you quote someone's post. That way, if it's a photo thread, you don't have a repeat of someone's 50 photos in the quote. It keeps things tidy :-)

 

 

 

 

 

What's happening (or happened) to this?

 

I know the city is doing prep work to demo the existing buildings, but don't no much else beyond that.

 

Also see...http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,3262.120.html

^It's not you, it's the forum - the "view image" button is used when you quote someone's post. That way, if it's a photo thread, you don't have a repeat of someone's 50 photos in the quote. It keeps things tidy :-)

 

Oh......  Cool.

The Cedar Center project is about to begin demolition. I spoke to the South Euclid Building Dep't head honcho in November and he said demo work will be the first phase, beginning in Jan. 2009. They had to remove asbestos which took a while I guess.

 

As for South Euclid, thanks Dan for posting this thread! I missed it when it was originally posted, probably because I lived in Lakewood back then. Well, now I live in South Euclid and it's a very cool and interesting thread. I am contemplating doing a S. Euclid pic thread as well - not to one-up you, but to complement your committment to sharing what S. Euclid is all about to the others. It's one of those cities I knew little about before moving here, but now I think it has just as much of a rich history as C. Heights, S. Heights, U. Heights, Lakewood, and Parma. It's an inner-ring after all!

 

And plus, a lot has happened since this thread began, including the new watershed that has been restored, the new dorms at Notre Dame, Francis Court, the demo of the old temple on Cedar, and of course, the forthcoming Cedar Center, which will have 4 stories of living, office, and retail. It will also bring a 3rd parking deck to the intersection IN THE SUBURBS!

great thread. this style & the background info really gives you a feel for the place.

Anyone ever check out the old man bars on Mayfield Road?  House of Swing is the antithesis of the typical Mayfield Road bar; I love the place, and hope it remains for a good, long time.  I've been to Rummy's and Geppetto's too, but that's about it.  I think I'd get some strange looks if I stepped inside Madison Avenue or some of the hidden Russian bars.

 

There really needs to be something on Mayfield catering to a younger, more professional crowd.

 

Is there still jazz being played here regularly?