Since it was such a ridiculously beautiful day yesterday, my partner and I decided to take a walk around the Edgewater neighborhood, including Edgewater Park.

 

Some happy-fun-summer music to set the mood:

 

Off we go, heading north on West 14th in Tremont:

 

A view I'll never get tired of:

 

Let's see, kites, joggers, greenspace and water? Must be Edgewater Park!

 

We park at a friends' house and head to Clifton - not a pretty building but I bet the upper floors have amazing views of the Lake and downtown:

 

Anyway, on to Edgewater Drive - quite a few homes with For Sale signs, including this ($589K) http://11440edgewaterdrive.howardhanna.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even with all the lovely homes, there are some bits of eccentricity:

 

 

 

And of course, over to Cliff Drive... oyyy... I'm sure the owners of this home are lovely people, and the balconies have great views, but yeesh!

 

Oh well, speaking of the great views:

 

 

 

We decided, what the heck - let's head over to the beach:

 

 

Almost there:

 

We made it!

 

 

 

The smokestack at the Battery Park development getting 10 feet taken off:

 

Anyway, we decided we needed beer hydration so let's head back out of the park:

 

 

Gorgeous house (my favorite in Edgewater), horrible lighting  :|

 

 

 

This place needs some serious landscaping:

 

 

My old homestead:

 

More of Lake Avenue's tudor-esque apartment buildings:

 

 

Lovely home, horrid shade of green!

 

Not my cup of tea, but they've REALLY improved this house:

 

Here a Tudor, there a Tudor:

 

 

Ahh, this grand wall must be part of some lush estate!

 

Errr, not so much. Back in the day, Edgewater was home to massive estates owned by wealthy industrialists including Marcus Hanna. Eventually the estates became subdivided with smaller (but still grand) homes built on the site. Of course, not everyone appreciated the existing homes and decided to build Brady Bunch/ranch crap:

 

But there are still plenty of charming homes to go around:

 

And it was around the time we needed to head home:

 

Signing off from the Abbey Avenue bridge:

 

Hope you enjoyed!

 

 

Were the house shots from Lakewood or Cleveland?

Entirely in the City of Cleveland :-)

Wow. They're such beautiful treasures!!

 

I would've totally thought Lakewood, with my ignorant self.

VERY VERY NICE!!

Wow, beautiful homes. Using the word eccentric is certainly kind with the kitsch factor going off the charts for the carved thing with the bird, squirrel et al.  The house with the seven thousand gables is pretty amusing as well.  When in doubt, try another building style and roofline!  But the rest are amazing. It must be depressing to live in such hovels. That high rise apartment building looks like something out of East Berlin. Luckily the residents probably have great views, and when looking out their windows don't have to look at the monstrosity they live in! 

 

Extra good shots of the skyline as well.  Yet another smashing photo thread from MayDay. 

"And of course, over to Cliff Drive... oyyy... I'm sure the owners of this home are lovely people, and the balconies have great views, but yeesh!"

 

That house and the one next to it on Cliff are probably the cheesiest, tackiest buildings in all of the City of Cleveland.  Did you get any shots of the creepy metal sculpture of little kids playing tug-of-war that's in the front yard of one of them?

Excellent set!

 

While this all may be in Cleveland proper, that doesn't mean Lakewood doesn't contain very comparable sections (not that anyone said the contrary).

^ink, you're absolutely right, and if it weren't for each city's signage ("Welcome to Lakewood"), the area is practically seamless. The thing is, SOOOOO many people in/from Cleveland think that Lakewood's border starts immediately west of Edgewater Park (aka "there's no way such a nice area is actually in the CITY of Cleveland").

The thing is, SOOOOO many people in/from Cleveland think that Lakewood's border starts immediately west of Edgewater Park (aka "there's no way such a nice area is actually in the CITY of Cleveland").

 

I did. :(

It's okay - it's a very common misconception (believe me, when I lived in the area, I probably corrected several DOZEN people over the years), but now you can spread the word! :-D

 

thats part of the cities self loathing problem.  There are many nice area's that are often associated with a suburb instead of the city. 

 

It happens in my neighborhood as well.  People often ask if University Circle is a part of Cleveland Hts.  Parts of the Lee Harvard neighborhood are often associated with Warrensville or Highland.

 

It even happens on East Blvd. as some people think its associated with Bratenahl.

^I think it's more 80% geography confusion, 20% self-loathing. 

^I think it's more 80% geography confusion, 20% self-loathing. 

 

I'll give that it's a combo.  Perhaps 50%-50%?  I mean how many signs do you need up to show that Shaker Square is in the city of Cleveland?

From what I've been told, it is less common for people to call the Cleveland neighborhood Edgewater, than for people to refer to the Lakewood and Cleveland sides both together as Clifton. Is that accurate?

These photos are phenomenal.  How could anyone not fall in love with this city when looking at this set? ;)

Great set, MayDay. I walked with a friend on the Fourth of July from Edgewater Park to my condo in Lakewood via Edgewater Drive. It gave us a chance to really admire the homes. Had I brought my camera, there would have been two threads on here of the neighborhood's homes.

 

From what I've been told, it is less common for people to call the Cleveland neighborhood Edgewater, than for people to refer to the Lakewood and Cleveland sides both together as Clifton. Is that accurate?

 

I've lived on Clifton Boulevard for 12 years and never used the term or heard the area called Clifton. I tell people I live near the Gold Coast. Sometimes I tell people I live two streets south of the Gold Coast, which makes Clifton the Bronze Coast. :)

Very good.

I've lived on Clifton Boulevard for 12 years and never used the term or heard the area called Clifton. I tell people I live near the Gold Coast. Sometimes I tell people I live two streets south of the Gold Coast, which makes Clifton the Bronze Coast. :)

 

Huh. So people do say Edgewater?

Cleveland continues to impress!

I love Edgewater! Unfortunately, I live in the far southeast suburbs and I don't get to visit as much as I'd like.

^I think it's more 80% geography confusion, 20% self-loathing. 

 

I'll give that it's a combo.  Perhaps 50%-50%?  I mean how many signs do you need up to show that Shaker Square is in the city of Cleveland?

 

I agree. Plus, if all else fails I always check the color of the street signs...

MayDay did you live in Lake West???

 

Sure looks like my old apt bldg. Then again, they all look at least a little similar to me!!

^I sure did!

That house and the one next to it on Cliff are probably the cheesiest, tackiest buildings in all of the City of Cleveland. 

Maybe Ozzy and Sharon bought a home in Cleveland!

 

I've always known Edgewater was a Cleveland hood, now Shaker Square, that's another story. Nice set of one of Cleveland's prettiest hoods.

 

 

 

 

That house and the one next to it on Cliff are probably the cheesiest, tackiest buildings in all of the City of Cleveland.

Maybe Ozzy and Sharon bought a home in Cleveland!

 

I've always known Edgewater was a Cleveland hood, now Shaker Square, that's another story. Nice set of one of Cleveland's prettiest hoods.

 

FG, brings up a point MayDay touched.  So many people, not say you do FG, think if a neighborhood is "nice, pretty, well maintained" it can't be a part of Cleveland and that shit makes my blood boil!

"And of course, over to Cliff Drive... oyyy... I'm sure the owners of this home are lovely people, and the balconies have great views, but yeesh!"

 

That house and the one next to it on Cliff are probably the cheesiest, tackiest buildings in all of the City of Cleveland.  Did you get any shots of the creepy metal sculpture of little kids playing tug-of-war that's in the front yard of one of them?

 

Ironically all 3 of these houses are the same family.  With the big white one with the sculptures being the original, and then they built the other 2 on both sides for the daughter and son.  Yeah, I painfully watched them build the one in the picture each time I came back, and just when I thought they couldnt do anything else to it, they did, and apparently feel "more is more". 

 

My cousin owns the house behind this, on Edgewater (the gray one that you got a picture of).  Apparently they built quite the garage that towers over his backyard that he planted bamboo to hide (and which the city looked the other way, when people complained about the excessive height).  He said its not too bad since it at least hides the house.  My uncle owns the one across from my cousin' on Edgewater.  Thats where I would spend parts of my summer's growing up.  Ah the memories..

superb. we really needed this area shown. and of course there is so much more than that.

 

i also enjoyed the cliking on the music first while i was looking -- great idea!!!

I have a high school classmate who lives on either W 115 or W116 between the tracks and Detroit, and he recently referred to the nabe as the "West Edge" which was a new one for me.

 

I have called the retail area (east of 117th) "Clifton" and thought it was the west-side equivalent of saying "Coventry" - but I wouldn't call those apartments on Lake "Clifton" because to me that's more "Edgewater" - this is too complicated I guess... anyway, great thread!

Edgewater's my fave West Side hood by a mile -- it literally has it all... Admittedly, though, I wish Cleveland's line stretched so those grand Gold Coast towers were w/in... Then again, these 2 great side-by-side neighborhoods make political boundaries seem pointless because, really, its just one seamless, awesome residential area -- just w/ different colored street signs.  Who the hell needs Chicago's North Shore, eh?

I thought so!!!

 

My wife and I lived in 310 from 1999 to 2004 when we outgrew our little 450 square foot apartment and bought a small bungalow in Birdtown/Lakewood.

 

I miss that great neighborhood, walking to Edge, the very very hot radiator in winter, walking along all the very cool houses. And, of course, I miss the thrill of the Lake West elevator lol.

 

p.s. I will not miss being towed from Lake Ave, flaky hardwood floors or being periodically scalded in the shower by extremely hot water.

 

^I sure did!