The proposed "panther district" got me thinking about some of the awkward place names we already have in Cleveland.  Some old, some new.  Is anyone else bothered by these?  Any better ideas?  How would one go about reforming a place name?  These in particular jump out at me:

 

Historic Warehouse District-- Indistinct and has nothing to do with the area's current use.  Everyone has a warehouse district and Cleveland has dozens.  And is it necessary to say "historic?"  It's forced.  It comes off like "The" Ohio State University, maybe worse.

 

Gateway-- To what?  To I-77?  It's a core section of downtown, in some ways THE core.  Calling it a gateway makes no sense.  Is this what it was called before the south end of downtown disappeared?  Even then, it still doesn't make much sense.  Oh, and I believe it's technically the "Historic" Gateway District.  If people can't tell that by looking at it, they aren't going to care.

 

Goodrich-Gannett-Kirtland/Payne-Sterling/St Clair-Superior/Asiatown/Chinatown/QuARTer-- Come on.  We've got to pick one and pick one now.  We also need to not pick QuARTer because that's asinine.  I realize the section called "St Clair-Superior" is technically east of 55th, but I'm very nerdy and don't realistically expect people to figure that out.  "Asiatown" may be accurate but sounds embarassingly PC.  I'm willing to bet other cities have significant SE Asian diversity in what they call Chinatown.  "Asiatown" implies everything from the Middle East over, which is perhaps less accurate than calling it Chinatown.

 

Detroit Shoreway-- Most cities have streets named after nearby destinations, but few seem to name their own neighborhoods in that manner, even when such a street passes through.  It's inherently confusing.  Casual references to it will forever be forced to specify "in Cleveland," which is clunky and doesn't help in establishing nationwide recognition for the neighborhood.

 

Battery Park-- It's. A. Pun.  Not only is it a pun, it commits the cardinal sin of referencing a larger, better known neighborhood in a larger, better known city.  This robs it of independent identity and locks it into #2 status. 

 

Old Brooklyn/South Brooklyn/Brooklyn Center-- Senseless.  By all accounts, Brooklyn Center is older than Old Brooklyn (aka South Brooklyn).  Why did we stop calling the Pearl/Memphis area Brighton, as in Brooklyn-Brighton bridge?  That actually makes sense and facilitates identification.  Also, see above regarding names of larger, better known entities.  I'm guessing the township was originally called Brooklyn because it was similarly across the water from the main settlement, but that doesn't make it right.

 

Avenue District-- What does that even mean?  It's a place with streets?  Avenues abound everywhere!  What does this term have to do with the site or the development?  It's meta-generic.

 

"North" fill in the blank-- If there's no south Royalton, Ridgeville, Randall, Olmstead... why say north?  It implies more balkanization than we already have.

 

North Coast-- I've covered this before, but it just doesn't work for me.  To the extent that it is a "coast," it's a tertiary one, and people can't rationally be expected to hold it on par with the other two.  Asking them to do so strains credulity.

 

Uptown/the Heights-- I find that "Uptown" is a convenient way to refer to the greater University Circle area, including that near section of Cleveland Heights and probably Shaker Square too.  Maybe parts of Glenville and East Cleveland.  But nothing east of Lee.  Now that the Uptown project is going up at Euclid/Mayfield, the term seems less useful in describing the whole area.  I'd prefer it caught on.  It seems common for cities call their secondary downtown area Uptown.  It also works well with the fact that we already have a Midtown.  It's a lot more efficient and inclusive than "University Circle" (where exactly is the circle? do they mean that roundabout?). 

 

Euclid/Old/Colonial arcades-- Inherently confusing, since two are joined and all 3 are on Euclid.  And the Old Arcade deserves a nicer name.

"Avenue District-- What does that even mean?  It's a place with streets?  Avenues abound everywhere!  What does this term have to do with the site or the development?  It's meta-generic."

 

The main artery of it - East 12th - touches all the major east-west avenues (Lakeside, St. Clair, Superior, Chester, Euclid).

 

After that, I think you're thinking about them too much ;-)

Hmmm. Interesting discussion topic, I think.

 

I definitely agree with the Warehouse District thing. Boooooooring. I mean, just because they're all warehouses means it has to be the warehouse district?? I would love to know more about the history about this area. If it's truly a historical neighborhood, why not give it a more historically significant name?

 

And I thought the exact same thing regarding Battery Park and the Avenue District. I think both are horribly lame names.

 

Detroit-Shoreway, I kinda like. I feel like that's a relatively established Cleveland neighborhood name.

 

Gateway: Bleh. But it's better than the flipping Arena District. I imagine that brainstorming session going something like this:

Drone #1: Okay, so our meeting today is to discuss the naming of our new district. It happens to have a couple of arenas, so..

Drone #2: I've got it!! The ARENA DISTRICT!

Drone #1: That. Is. Brilliant. Done.

 

I, too, think it would be interesting to revert back to the historical names for some of these areas. Or at least, take more of a look in terms of the historical background for these neighborhoods. I'm sure they'd be able to come up with some more interesting names than these.

It's a slow news day.

Gateway-- To what?  To I-77?  It's a core section of downtown, in some ways THE core.  Calling it a gateway makes no sense.  Is this what it was called before the south end of downtown disappeared?  Even then, it still doesn't make much sense.  Oh, and I believe it's technically the "Historic" Gateway District.  If people can't tell that by looking at it, they aren't going to care.

 

Well, the Gateway Neighborhood was formed as a coallition of two development groups, The East 4th Street Local Development Corporation and the Prospect Avenue Merchants Association.  It was named the Gateway Neighborhood because of the proximity to the then under construction Gateway Sports Complex.  I believe the Gateway Sports Complex got it's name from being the new "Gateway" to the city.  The historic comes from the point that it is, in fact, a registered historic district, and many of it's buildings encompassed are thus protected.  Thus... you get the Historic Gateway Neigborhood.  I kind of like it, I think it definitley lets you know you are in the arena / ballpark neighborhood. 

Battery Park is Battery Park because it's built on the site of the former Everready Battery Factory.  Part still existing on site (the powerhouse).

I can see your point though, with Murray Hill.

It's a slow news day.

Before I post, being a nerd, have you researched why many of the established neighborhoods were given their names?

 

Battery Park is Battery Park because it's built on the site of the former Everready Battery Factory. Part still existing on site (the powerhouse).

I can see your point though, with Murray Hill.

 

I like Murray Hill! :)

Battery Park is Battery Park because it's built on the site of the former Everready Battery Factory.  Part still existing on site (the powerhouse).

I can see your point though, with Murray Hill.

 

 

From The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

 

Often referred to as "Murray Hill" because of the street by that name in the center of the neighborhood.

 

It's a lot more efficient and inclusive than "University Circle" (where exactly is the circle? do they mean that roundabout?). 

 

Yup.  It is the "circle" in front of Wade Lagoon where MLK and Euclid intersect.  This is the area where the old street car turned around... and was named "University" Cirlce because Western Reserve University and The Case Institute of Technology both located right around this prime transit hub.

Who's complaining about Murray Hill?  It does have that NY problem though, good catch. 

 

Re: Battery Park, that's what I mean.  Battery factory site + NY has a place called Battery Park.  A play on the same word having different meanings. 

 

I did look them up, and McCleveland's explanation of Gateway is the best I've heard.  That said, my issue with it remains.  It's to the south, and the only way you're approaching downtown from the south is on 77.  I never understood why they called the sports complex that.  It's right off the main square of town.  Maybe if one thinks of Tower City as the core of cores, Ontario and lower Prospect do lead into it.  I am definitely overthinking this.

I did look them up, and McCleveland's explanation of Gateway is the best I've heard. That said, my issue with it remains. It's to the south, and the only way you're approaching downtown from the south is on 77.

 

And 90/71.  Unless you're coming from the short West (shoreway) or East you are usually getting off the highway at Ontario or thereabouts.  I think it's an appropriate name...

I am definitely overthinking this.

North Coast-- I've covered this before, but it just doesn't work for me. To the extent that it is a "coast," it's a tertiary one, and people can't rationally be expected to hold it on par with the other two. Asking them to do so strains credulity.

 

I like the term "North Coast".  Perhaps only because it incites fond memories..."East Coast, West Coast, no need to roam.  You know the North Coast is better and its closer to home"...but I like it none the less.

 

Bonus points for anyone who can name the song those lyrics are from.

My Town?  Michael Stanley?

My Town? Michael Stanley?

 

No, but in the right direction with a local artist (well, local being primarily performing in Ohio).

Well the only thing that jumped out at me is at least there are EASTlake and WESTlake....

 

I personally like Detroit Shoreway and North Coast. If we have surfers, its a coast.

 

I see your point about Battery Park though, it is really cheesy when you think about it.

Here's another one... It shouldn't be WestLAKE when it's not on the lake.  And these 5000+ cities that insist on the keeping the village moniker.  It's officially the City of Bay Village and the City of Orange Village.  They've done this, literally, because they're turned off by the word city.

The worst offender of this is Catawba Island, OH.  It's not an Island.

Well I understand "Warehouse District", but I don't use the word Historic in front of it. Its old and its pretty but I don't consider it historic unless I can come up with some historical event that happened there within a few seconds. I'm sure some people on this board can come up something off the top of their head, but I can't, so I'm just calling it the Warehouse District.

 

Gateway I can live with, as when I came to Cleveland occasionally as a kid we always came through that part of town. But in addition to the reason I gave above, I won't call it Historic because I remember when Gateway was built.

 

Ohio City, Kirtland ,Collinwood and a bunch of other neighborhoods make sense as they used to be separate towns with those names.

 

Battery Park annoys me quite a bit. Just a rip-off of a better known neighborhood.

 

Avenue District annoys me too, as last time I checked, most neighborhoods have Avenue's running through them.

 

North Coast is just a bad joke.

Well I understand "Warehouse District", but I don't use the word Historic in front of it. Its old and its pretty but I don't consider it historic unless I can come up with some historical event that happened there within a few seconds. I'm sure some people on this board can come up something off the top of their head, but I can't, so I'm just calling it the Warehouse District.

 

Gateway I can live with, as when I came to Cleveland occasionally as a kid we always came through that part of town. But in addition to the reason I gave above, I won't call it Historic because I remember when Gateway was built.

 

 

Both these neighborhoods use "Historic", because they are both registered Historic Districts.  That designation gives the buildings within their boundaries protections not available to buildings in other areas. From the National Register of Historic Places Homepage:

 

"The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our historic and archeological resources. Properties listed in the Register include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior."

Technically, Catawba used to be an island.

Interesting discussion.  Regarding the "north" modifiers, North Olmsted, North Royalton, and North Ridgeville were created out of Olmsted, Royalton, and Ridgeville townships, respectively.  And if you look up the old township boundaries, you start to see that the northern part of the townships saw development first in all three cases.  So, when it came time for these settlements in the townships to become cities, they chose names like this.  Maybe the thought process was something like, "North Royalton -- the northern part of Royalton Township."  Today, the cities of North Ridgeville and North Royalton are coterminous with the old townships (but there's still more development in the northern parts), and North Olmsted is the northern part of Olmsted Township, while Olmsted Falls and unincorporated Olmsted Township make up the southern part.

I have a question and hopefully someone older than me can answer. 

 

Why are Cleveland Hts., Shaker Hts., Lyndhurst, S. Euclid & University Hts. (and maybe Beachwood) known as the "Hillcrest Communities"?

The highest (crest) of the hills east of the city.  I'm younger than you.

The highest (crest) of the hills east of the city. I'm younger than you.

 

I got that part, but I'm wonder if there was a story or a link to the origins.  Damn whippersnapper!

Not that needs to be discussed, but I am almost pretty sure North Royalton got its name in reference to another "Royalton" in southern Ohio.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/northroyalton/index.ssf?/northroyalton/more/sa/northroyalton01.html

 

Also, kind of on this topic that I also find fascinating is how local high schools got their "team" name.  For example, The Medina Bee's came about because of the candle factory and wax.  Brecksville-Broadview Hts Bee's because both towns start with B's, hence the Bee's and to end with the town I started with, THE North Royalton Bears who used to be the North Royalton Indians, but in the 40-50's a gentleman from the town used to come to the home games in a skinned bear costume to scare the other team, so they changed the name to the Bears.  How about that for useless knowledge. 

I think that Avon Lake and Sheffield Lake should revert to their earlier names- "Avon on the Lake" and "Sheffield on the Lake".  The would make a matched set with Geneva on the Lake and Mentor on the Lake on the eastside.