Can Waterloo Road be Cleveland's next Tremont?

The arts drive a long-awaited revival of North Collinwood

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Karen Sandstrom

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Melanie Hershberger and Kevin Newdecker used to scout Cleveland's Waterloo Road with an eye toward opening a record shop. Among the qualities they noticed: Waterloo was quiet.

 

Hershberger was a graduate student in Syracuse, N.Y., at the time. She had lived in Mentor during high school and he was from North Olmsted, so Cleveland was one of several cities they liked for planting roots. They'd visit the Beachland Ballroom to hear the indie-rock bands they liked and wondered about North Collinwood as a location for a store ...

 

... More at http://blog.cleveland.com/top_entertainment/2007/09/can_waterloo_road_be_cleveland.html

hooray for northeast shores  :clap:

for some reason I feel like this should have been written a while ago, like, say, before the collinwood arts fest...

East Side, where on the east side are you?

The Lakefront City of Superior Services    :lol:

(Euclid)

There are some other Euclidites/Euclidians or former Euclidites/Euclidians here.

like me!

Cool, btw I like Euclideans, it sounds...

mathematical?!?  :speech:

To stay on topic, the success of Collinwood is vitally important to Euclid in a CLE+ way, and vice versa i'm sure. I'll post some Euclid developments in the northeast developments page once I get some graphics by the end of the week.

Also, Cafe Marika's is the bee's knees, especially for me where my girlfriend drinks like a fish and I'd rather drink coffee

 

The Beachland and Music Saves are treasures in this city. Here's to them both being around for a long long time.

 

Only sad thing is the very name "Beachland" conjures lost images of Euclid Beach Park and a thriving beach and entertainment scene, regretfully long lost to neglect and erosion.

FYI, Saturday, October 20th, Arts Collinwood and Northeast Shores Development Corporation will be holding a forum on live/work ownership opportunities for artists interested in living in close proximity to the Waterloo strip. It's taking place from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Arts Collinwood (15605 Waterloo Road), followed by an opening of work by Jacob Wesley Lang and Jeffrey Chiplis, followed by an after-party at the Beachland Ballroom.

 

As an added bonus, I'll be one of the speakers at the forum  :-D

Mentioned in this week's PURE e-newsletter:

 

http://www.shoparooni.com/

 

looks cool... just wish it was in my neighborhood!

Why, are you frustrated with looking for a hip place to get women's shoes and purses on the westside?

maybe I am...  I can find 200 varieties of rubber duckies in my local commercial district, but go-go boots?  Not a chance!

^ I think a vintage-type store is slated to open in your local commercial district shortly ... and then you'll be able to get go-go boots to your heart's content.

promise?

What about black velvet Doc Martins.... Oh, wait... I already have a pair of those.

It's all good

btw, there is already a vintage store in the waterloo arts district.  it is called this way out, and it is located in the basement of the beachland.  and yes, go go boots a plenty.   

 

Altough this doesn't have to do with new construction...the neighborhood is still undergoing transformation.  I came across this interesting article from Toledo thanks to the Rock Hall inductions this year.:

 

http://www.foxtoledo.com/dpp/news/wupw_ToledoFreePress_Cleveland_rocks_040309

Cleveland rocks

Updated: Friday, 03 Apr 2009, 8:52 PM EDT

Published : Friday, 03 Apr 2009, 8:52 PM EDT

by MICHAEL MILLER, Editor-in-Chief, Toledo Free Press

 

CLEVELAND - I would not have believed a DJ could spin ’60s and ’70s R&B vinyl for 90 minutes and play only records I have never heard. My knowledge of the music is not encyclopedic, but it’s deep and wide enough so that DJ Mr. Fishtruck couldn’t possibly play nearly two hours’ worth of jams I did not recognize. But he did, and that was only one of the pleasant surprises experienced March 27 during a tour of the city of my birth, Cleveland.

 

DJ Mr. Fishtruck — former Toledoan Mark Leddy — owns, with Cindy Barber, the Beachland Ballroom & Tavern, part of Cleveland’s Waterloo Village Model Block Initiative. The concept is to take a less-than-vibrant area and rebuild it by creating an arts and entertainment district. It’s close to what the Warehouse District is doing in Downtown Toledo, but the results have been spectacular...

Nice article!

Does anyone know if the former cafe space in the Waterloo district is occupied again..OR vacant... (I forget the name and exact location, but it is a little corner triangle structure..and I believe the owner owns Lucy's Sweet Surrender Bakery..  (is that the name..not sure?) I know someone who was actually interested in a site like that.

^ http://www.thewaterloocafe.com/

http://www.cleveland.com/waterloo/index.ssf/2010/06/meet_waterloo_burgeoning_arts_and_entertainment_district_bursts_with_revitalized-neighborhood_pride.html

 

Meet Waterloo: Burgeoning arts and entertainment district bursts with revitalized-neighborhood pride

Published: Friday, June 25, 2010, 12:00 AM    Updated: Friday, June 25, 2010, 10:26 AM

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

 

 

Esquire called it one of the Top 100 bars in America. Its jukebox is the toast of the town. Bands local and national alike rave about playing there. And yet Cindy Barber and Mark Leddy had something else in mind when they opened their music club on Waterloo Road in Collinwood.

 

Yes, they imagined a premier club. But they also wanted to create an incubator for activity on a street long written off for dead. In the 10 years since the Beachland opened, the street has come alive as a strip of shops selling everything from records to arts, crafts and coffee. On Saturday, all that liveliness spills into the street, thanks to Waterloo Arts Fest. The seventh annual block party boasts bands, performers, DJs, food and arts vendors -- not to mention a neighborhood pride that has transformed Waterloo Road.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/waterloo/index.ssf/2010/06/meet_waterloo_burgeoning_arts_and_entertainment_district_bursts_with_revitalized-neighborhood_pride.html

Does anyone know if the former cafe space in the Waterloo district is occupied again..OR vacant... (I forget the name and exact location, but it is a little corner triangle structure..and I believe the owner owns Lucy's Sweet Surrender Bakery.. (is that the name..not sure?) I know someone who was actually interested in a site like that.

 

The space that was the Waterloo Cafe is now called the Cafe @ Arts Collinwood

http://artscollinwood.org/cafe/

I have always held out hope for that part of Collinwood north of the highway.  It is somewhat incubated with the rail depot and the highway immediately to the south and Bratenahl immediately to the west.  The new elementary school on 152nd is maybe the nicest school building in all of Cleveland.  There is also a large park just east of 156th and just south of Lakeshore.  The Grovewood is also a great asset.

 

On of my best friends recently lived on Lucknow before moving over to 170th, just off Waterloo.  Lucknow looked very rough but the neighbors were all cool.  170th was much nicer IMO.  Although Lucknow and the street between it and Waterloo are both pretty beat up, there are some much more attractive streets to the north of there, between 152nd and 156th, before getting to Lakeshore. 

Public art display coming to Cleveland

 

CLEVELAND - Local artists had a dream that came true in one Cleveland neighborhood.

 

Along East 156th and North Waterloo roads, crews began installing a new sculpture in front of the Arts Collinwood Center Wednesday.

 

The sculpture incorporates a 100 square-foot performing stage. Its steel tower weighs three tons and will stand 32 feet high.

 

The public art project will serve as a support for public art works.

 

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/entertainment/around_town/local-artists-have-a-dream-for-art-in-cleveland

^I'm glad that it is finally getting built!  It took a while to write that grant which was funded by the CAC!!  If the Waterloo Streetscape Plan is fully realized, we should see more placemaking elements like the one mentioned in different sections of the district. 

 

WHOHOO!!

^ http://www.thewaterloocafe.com/

 

 

Is this place open? Is anything in there? The website is "Bunn" coffee makers. Their phone number is listed but wrong.

^ http://www.thewaterloocafe.com/

 

Is this place open? Is anything in there? The website is "Bunn" coffee makers. Their phone number is listed but wrong.

 

It changed to "The Cafe at Arts Collinwood".  http://artscollinwood.org/cafe/

There's a GREAT article about North Collinwood in today's Fresh Water.  Can someone post it? On my iPhone....

^ Here it is!

 

http://www.freshwatercleveland.com/features/collinwooddevelopment010611.aspx

Not to be a Buzz Killington, but I have always been skeptical of the long term potential of this area. It seems to be a small bright spot in a sea of decline over in that section of the city. It's not like Tremont/Ohio City/Detroit-Shoreway, which I think in the long run will be helped out by their proximity to each other. Anyone care to refute my concerns? Because what is there seems to be very cool indeed. Will it be enough to really grow into the future? Frankly I don't even know why it exists considering that these business could set up shop somewhere like Gordan Square or Ohio City. It's not like they were "gentrified" out of former artsy areas. I suppose the Beachland Ballroom is what gave artists a reason to cluster over there.

It's really disadvantaged by its distance from everything else.  Our cool neighborhoods are all either just west of downtown or just east of Case.  That's why I'm so supportive of extending the waterfront line (or the red line) ASAP.  At least then it would be more connected with other places the cool kids like to hang out, and it would offer a viable car-free commute to major employment centers.

Could all that effort be better off with the continuation of the improvement of Ohio City and Tremont. Lets get a few stable neighborhoods instead of a few blocks.

Not to be a Buzz Killington, but I have always been skeptical of the long term potential of this area. It seems to be a small bright spot in a sea of decline over in that section of the city. It's not like Tremont/Ohio City/Detroit-Shoreway, which I think in the long run will be helped out by their proximity to each other. Anyone care to refute my concerns? Because what is there seems to be very cool indeed. Will it be enough to really grow into the future? Frankly I don't even know why it exists considering that these business could set up shop somewhere like Gordan Square or Ohio City. It's not like they were "gentrified" out of former artsy areas. I suppose the Beachland Ballroom is what gave artists a reason to cluster over there.

I don't see it turning into Tremont with high end restaurants, but I do see the artists colony staying there for a while.  It won't ever be as polished as the west side neighborhoods you mentioned, but as long as the committment is there, the area will grow.

I contend a rebirth of Euclid Beach Park, even a more modest, scaled down version of the original would revive the "Beachland" and even surpass the potential for Tremont or Detroit Shoreway.

 

This city is sorely missing a place that's fun, affordable, family oriented and a lakeside attraction.

 

Not to be a Buzz Killington, but I have always been skeptical of the long term potential of this area. It seems to be a small bright spot in a sea of decline over in that section of the city. It's not like Tremont/Ohio City/Detroit-Shoreway, which I think in the long run will be helped out by their proximity to each other. Anyone care to refute my concerns? Because what is there seems to be very cool indeed. Will it be enough to really grow into the future? Frankly I don't even know why it exists considering that these business could set up shop somewhere like Gordan Square or Ohio City. It's not like they were "gentrified" out of former artsy areas. I suppose the Beachland Ballroom is what gave artists a reason to cluster over there.

I don't see it turning into Tremont with high end restaurants, but I do see the artists colony staying there for a while.  It won't ever be as polished as the west side neighborhoods you mentioned, but as long as the committment is there, the area will grow.

Understand some of the concerns, but to be fair to the initiative, this was CDC-driven, not city-driven or even NPI-driven. The CDC built a concept around it, and it worked / is working. And given that roughly 50% of the artists are moving from out of the region, it's not like they're stealing energy from the Near West Side ... And it's not like one of those CDCs couldn't start a similar program; they just haven't yet.

 

As for the wisdom of investing in this particular area, it's arguably the Cleveland neighborhood with the best residential access to the lake. The streets nearest the lake are in great shape, and we're not talking about a huuuuuge footprint of redevelopment needed to take place to reach the Bratenahl line; if you can get most of North Collinwood stable, all the way over to Bratenahl, this starts to look like a pretty swank part of the city.

 

Beyond that, while I love what's happening on the Near West Side, I think it would be a huge mistake to channel all our resources over there and to UC/LI, letting everything else east of E. 17th Street deteriorate. I'm glad to see them take the initiative, and I'm glad it appears to be working. If you look at research on this, artists are also driven by a great degree by the affordability of space. The fact that they can buy a house just off of an arts corridor for as little as $5,000 is a HUGE seller. Just because not every average buyer would want to "rough it" in Collinwood doesn't mean the average artist wouldn't; I think a lot of people would have questioned the wisdom of artists moving into the Warehouse District or Tremont 20 years ago, or James Levin opening CPT in Gordon Square 25 years ago, and now look at the relative stability of those neighborhoods.

 

P.S. I believe there may be more efforts to provide local artists with homeownership opportunities in Cleveland and to recruit artists from other cities. Stay tuned!

I think Collinwood is a great spot for this kind of development.  It is more affordable than Tremont and even Ohio City or D/S, and it is probably about as safe as they are.  The problem with the east side is many neighborhoods are too far gone for people like this to move to (too much crime, too low of home values to make investing worth it).  It is nice to see something else besides the near west side to appear because this neighborhood has a chance to be saved before its in real trouble.  I worked on a campaign there 2 years ago and was impressed that the neighborhood is still in pretty good shape at least near the lake.  I went to the ballroom a few months back but i would like to go take a look at the rest of the neighborhood sometime soon.

Tremont had over 3000 people in poverty in the last census. There has to be affordable housing there. Im glad the people are taking interest in the city though

 

Edit: Tremont has half of the population of North Collinwood but only about 400 less people in poverty, according to the 2000 census.

^^ The organization I work for will be releasing research relatively soon about where artists are living throughout Cuyahoga County. That data is then used in a regression analysis to identify the neighborhoods where artists are most likely to live in the future (or at the very least, where you would expect more artists to live now). Some very interesting stuff ... And if artists are an indicator of revitalization potential, there are several neighborhoods on the east side that we shouldn't write off yet. But agree with your larger point, mikel ... This wouldn't work in every neighborhood.

Well I'm glad there are some positive individuals working towards the improvement of this area. The initiatives and the proximity to the Lake are good points. I still would feel more comfortable if this area popped up around say W. 41st & Lorain or E. 40th & St. Clair. Typically urban rejuvenation occurs along a path from a focal point, and when one area reaches a critical mass it then bleeds over to the next. That's pretty much how it works everywhere, so it's not just a Cleveland thing. In Cleveland the current focal points are downtown, the near west side, and University Circle. However, the Waterloo Arts District is like a random node away from any of these.

If it grew, it could stretch to 185th.  Its a great neighborhood if you have never been around there.  What's at 40th and St. Claire?

If it grew, it could stretch to 185th. Its a great neighborhood if you have never been around there. What's at 40th and St. Claire?

 

I mentioned 40th & St. Clair because it's at least close to downtown, CSU, and Tyler Village. I think it's better to have something like this over there, where it's more likely to gain momentum due to the proximity of other improving areas. Same goes with 41st & Lorain (proximity to Market Square/Tremont/Gordan Square).

 

And yes, I have been to the Waterloo Arts District and E. 185th St. I used to go to E. 185th on a regular basis actually when I was working over in that part of town. Frankly, I fear that E. 185th will suffer from the decline of Euclid.

Was Euclid ever booming?  It was always a tough, blue collar neighborhood as far back as I can remember.  Only difference is the 'tough guys' back in the day were catholic.... for the most part.

 

I think this discussion is a little off-base.  Waterloo will never be a trendy pick for yuppies or empty nesters.  But it is the perfect neighborhood for poor, up and coming artists and can remain that way for the foreseeable future.  It is unfortunate when artists are driven out of hoods they helped revitalize because they become trendy and the rent goes through the roof.  See parts of Brooklyn.

Was Euclid ever booming?  It was always a tough, blue collar neighborhood as far back as I can remember.  Only difference is the 'tough guys' back in the day were catholic.... for the most part.

 

I think this discussion is a little off-base.  Waterloo will never be a trendy pick for yuppies or empty nesters.  But it is the perfect neighborhood for poor, up and coming artists and can remain that way for the foreseeable future.  It is unfortunate when artists are driven out of hoods they helped revitalize because they become trendy and the rent goes through the roof.  See parts of Brooklyn.

 

Not sure if it was here or somewhere else, but I remember reading an article recently that said a lot of artists are migrating to Philly, Cleveland, and Detroit because there are not enough cheap places to live in NYC.  They gentrified everywhere in nyc and now have nowhere left to live.

Artists fleeing the city

High cost of living, fewer part-time jobs drive them out of New York.

 

Share  Print  Email    Comment (15)  By Miriam Kreinin Souccar

 

Buck Ennis

[+] Enlarge

READY TO GO: Katya Tepper, a painter and performance artist, is moving to Chicago when her Brooklyn lease expires in March.

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Filed Under : Arts, Center for an Urban Future, DUMBO, Small Business, SoHo, Top Stories, Williamsburg

Where : New York, New York City, Manhattan, Midtown South, Brooklyn, Williamsburg, DUMBO, SoHo

For 25 years, Elyas Khan tried to make it as a musician in New York. The front man for the band Nervous Cabaret, Mr. Khan lived in at least 20 places, from Bay Ridge to Washington Heights, moving each time his lease expired and the landlord jacked up the rent. He worked so many part-time jobs to make ends meet that he barely had time to compose new songs.

 

 

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20101114/FREE/311149985

 

I think this discussion is a little off-base. Waterloo will never be a trendy pick for yuppies or empty nesters. But it is the perfect neighborhood for poor, up and coming artists and can remain that way for the foreseeable future. It is unfortunate when artists are driven out of hoods they helped revitalize because they become trendy and the rent goes through the roof. See parts of Brooklyn.

 

How is discussing the long term viability of Waterloo off-base?

 

Cleveland is about the last city that has to worry about artists getting priced out by yuppies. Artists can find cheap housing in Cleveland just about anywhere.

It's not about long term viability, but rather... realistic exppectations.  There is very little comparison to OC and Tremont IMO.  The potential of those areas is much different for various reasons.  That is not to say that Waterloo doesn't have potential, but it will never be the next Tremont IMO.  It is what it is and that is part of the charm in that area.

^I think that's exactly Rustbelter's point: we should have realistic expectations here because Collinwood is a bit marooned from the other man-made amenities in the city.

 

I don't think anyone really disagrees here.  What North Shores is doing is great for that immediate subneighborhood.  Limited (12 houses so far, compared to how many demos in Collinwood in the last two years?), but great none the less.  What Rustbelter is getting at (not to put words in his mouth), is that this artists colony might not have quite the spin-off potential around Waterloo that it would if it were somewhere better connected to more of the city's assets.  That's OK though, North Shores' job is to improve its neighborhood, not to maximize the citywide leveraging of every dollar it spends.

Its a very pedestrian neighborhood.  It has good housing stock.  In the Waterloo area, a sub neighborhood of Colinwood, there have not been many houses demolished, but i'm sure there have been forclosures.  The city is investing a lot of money into the Rec Center right there, which would bridge the neighborhood to Euclid Beach Park.

 

I'm trying not to be defensive there, but I'm hearing "Its a part of town I do go to, so any development there is a waste of money"

I wish we could just get the neighborhoods directly surrounding downtown stable first. Get a strong inner inner ring :lol: