I'd second the recommendation to take the rapid to E 79th and have a walk around.  There are some pretty desolate sights to be seen, especially to the south of Woodland where the rapid lets off.  Woodhill Rd. would also be an interesting one to check out. 

 

That said, in all of my exploration of Cleveland's "rough side" I can't say that there is a particular neighborhood that sticks out in my mind as "worst".

 

I don't know your ethnicity, but if you happen to be white, be prepared to be at least lightly harrassed in some of these areas.  Nothing serious ever happens to me, but residents of these areas aren't always the nicest to "urban explorer" types.  Good luck.

There a low rise project on Woodland and they mostly stop around east 65 street.

 

This is why most have suggested taking the train to 79 street and walking around.

 

I would recommend against walking around the East 79th (between Woodland & Kinsman) stop, especially as someone who isn't thoroughly familiar with Cleveland or doesn't have a purpose for being on the streets. You'll be the only one on the streets, and there aren't a whole lot of homes to provide eyes to watch out for you.

 

I've worked in that nabe for over 4 years, so hopefully I have some credibility. Even I often have someone walk with me and a lot of residents know me, but I still feel a little tense there.

 

If you'd want to walk from downtown, I can recommend some routes to and landmarks around Central. It's about half revitalized, and is much safer than Kinsman.

 

 

You can see plenty of East Cleveland's decline from the Red Line. But that's a city that's been hurting since the 1960s. Yet if you go up the hill and see the Forest Hills section of East Cleveland, it's very nice. There's a thread in the photos section on the Forest Hills neighborhood.

 

Woodland still has its bad sections but it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be. About 15 years ago, when we drove new-hire reporters around the city, we showed them Woodland Avenue, with the King-Kennedy, Woodland and Outhwaite housing projects and many abandoned buildings and vacant lots. But now part of King-Kennedy was replaced with Phoenix Village, Woodland was replaced with Arbor Park and Outhwaite was replaced with a new development of the same name. Yet there are still serious problems. Such as from the part of King-Kennedy that still stands, the King Kennedy Outlaws ran their drug trade (cops busted 21 of them in March). I posted some pictures of Arbor Park in 2005 yet also parts of the neighborhood that haven't seen improvement yet.

 

Kinsman is another troubled area and the #14 bus will take you through that area, including the Forgotten Triangle bounded by Kinsman, Woodland and East 93rd-Woodhill.

 

A suggestion -- Take the #12 bus to Shaker Square. Then take the Blue Line to Warrensville. Then consider taking the #14 bus on Kinsman back to downtown.

You can also take the 19 bus from downtown down Broadway into Slavic Village.  You could get out an walk around there for awhile.  You can also keep going on the 19 down Miles Rd to Randall Park Mall...that section of Miles heading towards the Mall is pretty beat.  From Randall Mall, you can take the 34 north to the Green Line Rapid station.

You can also take the 19 bus from downtown down Broadway into Slavic Village.  You could get out an walk around there for awhile.  You can also keep going on the 19 down Miles Rd to Randall Park Mall...that section of Miles heading towards the Mall is pretty beat.  From Randall Mall, you can take the 34 north to the Green Line Rapid station.

 

Not the 34!  Take the 41.  This way you pass two train terminals on Warrensville (Van Aken/Chagrin and Shaker Blvd.) itself.

Slavic Village has been in the national media as the epicenter of the subprime mortgage crisis. If you want to see the affects of it, see this neighborhood. With that said, I still wouldn’t consider it as one of Cleveland’s “worst” neighborhoods.

Slavic Village has been the in the national media as the epicenter of the subprime mortgage crisis. If you want to see the affects of it, see this neighborhood. With that said, I still wouldnt consider it as one of Clevelands worst neighborhoods.

 

Unfairly portrayed as the "epicenter" and I agree, I wouldn't label it as "bad" or "the worst" either.  There are some beautiful churches there.

^ You don't consider Slavic Village bad?  When was the last time you went through there?  Have you seen or heard what's happening in the St. Hyacinth neighborhood or Union by the 70s block?

Yes.  But I think the media has portrayed it to be worse than it actually is.

how do you figure?

I think it is portrayed that way though for a few (not all) valid reasons.  One it does have the highest percentage of forclosures of any zip code in the country.  But more than that it's the way these forclosures have taken place.  This isn't miami where there are a lot of greed based idiots who wanted too much and bit off more than they could chew.  This was some really really bad predatory stuff.  Where a lot of good meaning not so smart people got taken advantage of and it has absolutely destroyed the neighborhood.  It's surreal what happened here.  I don't mind the national pub on this, I think someone needs to bring to light what happened. It wasn't all about the "credit crunch" and stupidity.  The fact that it happened in our back yard is what it is.

 

And I like (or used to) to spend time driving through our "bad areas" (typically on sundays) mainly because I like to see how the city fits together... I also like to try to picture them when they were vibrant areas... And I agree with CD... It's gotten pretty bad over here.  However this area does not hold a candle to the Woodland - Kinsman - Buckeye stretch mentioned earlier.  I stopped my "scenic" rides because the last time i was in that area people started throwing rocks at my car, simply because it was pretty obvious i "didn't belong" along there.  And by that I mean i was sitting at a stop light and people started firing rocks and telling me to get the f*ck out.  I'd be very cautious in that area if you go.

i was sitting at a stop light and people started firing rocks and telling me to get the f*ck out. 

 

That happened to me on Woodland twice, once with bottles and once with rocks...that is when I began testing the urban legend of not really having to stop.  I never got ticketed by the cops, but used roll through a lot.  Everyone I know did it.

We'll I've never had any problems on buckeye or woodland.

Judging by what was said as the items were being thrown, it 100% had to do with the fact that I was white.  That it happened twice was weird, maybe it was just the same pack of kids doing it all the time.  That was over 12 yrs ago though so, whatever. 

 

Ajknee, just be super careful in some of these areas, they don't mess around.

Judging by what was said as the items were being thrown, it 100% had to do with the fact that I was white.  That it happened twice was weird, maybe it was just the same pack of kids doing it all the time.  That was over 12 yrs ago though so, whatever. 

 

Ajknee, just be super careful in some of these areas, they don't mess around.

 

Damn Gringo!  Stay out the hood!  aiight! :shoot:  That was TWELVE long years ago man.  Come on.  I'm not saying the neighborhood is pristine, but it's not the same.  If I can walk down Buckeye holdin my partners hand, then certainly people of all races and colors can go anywhere.

 

I do agree, no matter what neighborhood you are in, you should exercise caution. Especially in the suburbs! :evil:

My incident happened 4 months ago or so... and had pretty much the same connotation.

Actually, I think my earlier post sounded like I was meaning more Buckeye, sorry for the confusion, but I meant farther down for the really rough stuff on Woodland.  Hell, I used to walk to HS Williams and that Finast-y store at 112th/Fairhill (??) when I lived on the square and never had a problem on that stretch.  It was more like in the 70'ish 80's blocks.. maybe...hell I don't remember exactly.  Some of those areas down there are so isolated, they are in their own world of reality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think you're thinking for woodland by the cemetary.  That is creepy as hell

That triangle bordered by 55th (at the point of the triangle) Kinsman (1 side) Woodland (2nd side, the cemetery is right along here) and Woodhill (3rd side)... I highly suggest not going in that area unless you're from there. 79th runs right through the center of it.  As stated earlier... they don't f*ck around there.

 

Again I'd suggest looking at East Cleveland.  It's heart wrenching in it's despair and general decline of once grand building stock, but it is much much safer.

Again I'd suggest looking at East Cleveland.  It's heart wrenching in it's despair and general decline of once grand building stock...

 

No joke, there is/was amazing housing stick in East Cleveland :(.

Dont be wuss.  I'm not from that area and I drive thru with no problems.

What about walk as Ajknee is planning on doing?

What about walk as Ajknee is planning on doing?

 

He's tough.  He's showered in a Burger King bathroom or something or another.  He'll survive.  :-D

I attend church in the Slavic Village neighborhood (St Stan's) and have walked that neighborhood many times in day and evening without being harassed or even looked at funny.  I don't think I'd be as comfortable along Woodland, or for that matter, the parts of St Clair or Superior between East Five-Five and MLK which I find far more intimidating than Slavic Village. 

 

Here's my proposal: Take a bike on the Red Line and get off at East 55th - bike south on East 55th then south on Broadway, check out some of the abandoned industrial areas on Aetna Road, then either double back and head west along Fleet Ave or head south on E 93rd and then west on Harvard Ave.  Either way, cross I-77 and then head north right through the LTV/ISG steel mill along Independence Road, then up Broadway back to downtown.  It's a nice mix of gritty neighborhoods and the best of gritty industrial Cleveland.  I wish I had the skills to mark this route up on Mapquest or Google Maps...

the weird thing is if you are moving, walking , driving or what ever, you are better off. When you stop for more than a few minutes out on the street, issues can arise. I found if I am out on the sidewalks/street talking to someone, people start to appear. I actually think I was getting robbed once ("give me your money"), but I so caught off guard and there was no weapontry so I blew the guy off and told him to leave us alone. He ran back to a boarded up house, furious. Needless to say, we wrapped things up and  got the heck out of there.  Mt. Pleasant... 140th area. Another time in Union miles some early teen thugs were literally trying to break into my car when I was standing 10 ft away on the yard in broad daylight.  :roll:

That triangle bordered by 55th (at the point of the triangle) Kinsman (1 side) Woodland (2nd side, the cemetery is right along here) and Woodhill (3rd side)... I highly suggest not going in that area unless you're from there. 79th runs right through the center of it.  As stated earlier... they don't f*ck around there.

 

 

I was surprised to hear about the rocks and taunts.  As I mentioned, I've been working in this neighborhood for over 4 years, and I never have experienced any threats to my safety.  And yes, I'm white.  I've even walked around public housing estates without any issues.  Nor have my co-workers.  Nor have any of the professional people who've come to the office for meetings.  Still, I carry myself differently than you guys who are sightseeing, since I have work to perform out in the field. 

 

It's very tough to characterize the people of a neighborhood based on the physical perspective.  I know over a hundred homeowners who care about the area, are engaged and working to improve the community, and want to expel the same stigma you speak of.  It might be one of the worst nabes in Cleveland, but people are definitely trying to improve it.

 

AJ, regardless of what other folks say, don't put your safety in jeopardy.  People will take advantage of you not knowing your way around.

I appreciate the concern, and the advice.  I still haven't decided if I'll visit these places, but I'll proceed with caution if I do.  I would like to point out that I won't be wandering around taking photos and asking for directions though.  The reason I ask locals BEFORE I visit places is so I can do research on the destination before I go.  IF I visit East Cleveland or the triangle area, I will know every street by heart, know the nearest food pantries and homeless shelters (so I can direct homeless people  :-) ) and will research the hotspot corners for crime.  I will also only visit in the morning between 7 and 10.  These are personal rules that haven't failed me in Chicago's South Side, St. Louis's North Side, the Bronx, Gary, and the heart and soul of Milwaukee's rough area where I grew up...27th and Capitol.  I've had a gun pointed at me twice in my life and have been in many more tough situations.  I REFUSE to be a victim and I know how to handle myself in violent situations. 

 

Besides, if I go it'll be on Thursday and I'll have already seen Shaker Square, Downtown, Ohio City, Tremont, Detroit Shoreway, and University Square...so if I die or end up in a hospital I'll be full of many more fond memories of Cleveland than dingy ones.  Cheers.

 

 

 

Sweetie, it's University Circle, not square.

 

CD's point is good. If you have business in any neighborhood, it goes over better than a sightseer or someone lost. Yes from time I have had issues, but given the amount of time I spend in impoverished areas, they are minimal.

HAHA, boy am I bad at that.  Sorry MTS.  University Circle, Shaker Square.  Got it.

HAHA, boy am I bad at that.  Sorry MTS.  University Circle, Shaker Square.  Got it.

 

That's was your last warning Mr. Man.  :whip: :whip:

Alright, Cleveland's coming up.  I'm scheduled to get into Cleveland Hopkins at 9:55AM on Monday the 23rd...

 

I'm planning on taking the Rapid into downtown first (where hopefully a mini-UO meet will happen) followed by wandering the western neighborhoods.  West Side Market is definitely on the agenda, maybe Tremont, Ohio City and Detroit Shoreway (where I'll be staying)

Are the Flats worth visiting?

 

Tuesday is my Eastern neighborhood day.  Shaker Square, University Circle, etc. 

 

Wednesday is unscheduled...whetever neighborhood I like the most, or Rocky River Reservation, or Cuyahoga Valley NP we'll see.

 

Thursday is tour the ghetto day.  I think I'm going to head up to East Cleveland because the transit options are better up there.  If I have time I'll head south, but I have to be back to the airport at 5pm to catch a 6:58pm flight back to MKE. 

 

Thanks for all your tips.  I'm more than thrilled that this thread got to five pages.

 

The only thing left to plan is this mini-meet.  I'm still up for it if you all are.  Pick a place and time (no earlier than noon) and I'll be there. 

 

PS - I hope you guys weren't hit too badly by the storms this past week.  Milwaukee is a disaster area and the governor is seeking FEMA money for us and a few other counties but it's still raining here.  This bridge is is the only link between my house and my grocery store and now it's overtopping so I have to walk over a mile to shop this week...it's wearing me out:

 

Meanwhile the continued rain is making it more than difficult to clear the streets off.  This is what every street near me looks like:

 

This picture devastates me.  This corner was the heart of the

Latin Quarter and the building that collapsed in the storm was about to be remodeled with construction starting this coming Monday:

 

This is four blocks (and slightly downhill) from my mother's house in Racine:

 

And I know this was in the New York Times this past week, but have you guys seen these pics?  I don't think people outside Wisconsin realize how important this lake was.  EVERYBODY vacationed on it as a kid, and it's one of the top tourism money makers in the state.  Now everybody's at a loss...

 

Former Lake Delton on the left, Wisconsin River on the right.  That huge ravine between was not there a week ago:

 

That's our Governor:

 

This one hurts my eyes.  I can't believe this house is still standing:

 

 

 

 

 

The Tommy Bartlett Thrill Show was a HUGE attraction in the state:

 

These are two skiers from the Tommy Bartlett Thrill Show looking at their former place of employment:

 

Anyway, I know that this is all unrelated, but I thought I'd share anyway. 

 

  Shaker Square, University Circle, etc. 

 

 

 

LOL!!! 

 

I'm scheduled to get into Cleveland Hopkins at 9:55AM on Monday the 23rd...

 

I'm planning on taking the Rapid into downtown first (where hopefully a mini-UO meet will happen)

 

not sure if you guys have done this but the planner in me says someone should exchange a cell # with AJ as it looks like rain on Monday, from the report I checked out (hope you don't mind the suggestion since I've just been a bystander on this thread :)  ).

 

Also, the pics were indeed breathtaking (and not in a good way). 

 

 

Those pictures are nasty. I love a bad storm, but that's just off the charts.

 

You'll be happy to know we've escaped the bad weather here (knock on wood!).

 

Unfortunately, I cannot participate in any UO activites on Mondays or Tuesdays unless it's after 6 p.m.

Those pictures are terrible.  :-(

 

I have an event Monday afternoon so me at lunch is 50-50 depending on what's happening.  If you guys let me know when/where, I will try to make it if I can get away.

I can probably do lunch on monday....

Happy hours are much more doable for me than lunches.  I'd like to join, but that Monday will be my first day back from a week out of the office. 

 

ajknee, let me know when you want to try to go bicycling.

Okay folks, ajknee's gonna be in town - who is available for lunch downtown (somewhere between East 9th and West 9th) today? Roll call!!!

I can't go but you guys have fun.  Problems with my event this afternoon have already surfaced and it's not even 8am.  :-(

Thanks for the bump MayDay.  I'm at Mitchell Airport in MKE and the flight is on time with sunny skies.  I was planning to sleep here last night because no buses drive here in the early morning, BUT I found a house near the airport to crash at...so that means that I'll be a little more perky than originally anticipated.  On the flipside, the TSA just raped me of all my toiletries.  (Do any Rapid stations between Hopkins and Downtown have convenience stores nearby?) 

Anyway, I told MayDay in an e-mail last night that I'm up for lunch with anyone anywhere downtown.  I'm in a t-shirt and really shabby jeans though, so nowhere too nice. 

 

Can't wait to see the RTA sign at the airport and the fierce skyline of yours.

Just come into downtown, we'll get you to a CVS. There are two - one on East 9th across from One Cleveland Center (the silver chisel) and one on Euclid Avenue @ East 9th.

 

Oh, and make sure you grab a window seat so that when you're facing forward, you're on the RIGHT side - best view coming into downtown that way. :-)

what time do you suppose lunch will be?

I'm still on for a quick lunch.

what time do you suppose lunch will be?

 

Noonish?

I can be downtown at 12:30 at the earliest

Pope, does 12:45 work for you?

Pope, does 12:45 work for you?

 

Yes, actually its preferred.

Alright - 12:45! Stay tuned for location.

Okay, take your pick folks:

 

Sammy's Metropolitan (Huntington Building - kick@ss views, not as pricey as you'd think): http://www.sammys.com/menusettings-metro.shtml

 

Octane - wraps, salads, smoothies http://www.octanecafe.com Owned by "Siren" of American Gladiators :-D

 

Saigon - Vietnamese http://www.saigoncleveland.com/lunch_menu

 

Or if any of these are unfathomable, I'm open to suggestions

All seem fine to me, I'll defer to the tourist.