Cleveland's West Side is home to the Longmead Puritas Neighborhood, also known as Bellaire Puritas. It makes up almost a quarter of Cleveland's economic base. It has an exciting future ahead of it for several reasons: it's close proximity to NASA and Hopkins International Airport; it's already existing rail and commuter rail lines; and it's fabulous newly constructed and 'to be constructed' public schools. And the neighborhood's vibrant shopping areas enhance it's live ability even more. 

First a bit of history: The area started out as a 'railroad town' so to speak, but became a hub of industry. Most of the areas housing development occurred after World War Two, so unlike some of the other West Side neighborhoods, the general housing stock is a tad newer. Northeast Ohio is known for it's inventors and entrepreneurs: in 1898 John E. Gooding is credited with bringing the first horse drawn and then steam powered carousels to Ohio. They were featured in Puritas Springs Park which in 1898 was THE place to go! We aren't talking small here, this amusement park featured: a roller rink, fast rides like the Cyclone Roller Coaster, a dance hall and ball fields! It was on a trolley line so many Northeast Ohioans who had newly discovered the term leisure time (due to the Industrial Revolution) enjoyed their families at Puritas Springs Park.

Three aspects of this community make it a fantastic place to live. 1) Affordable housing; 2) Industry; 3) Schools

The housing stock runs the gamut in market value. You can get a classic home, maybe a Cleveland bungalow with a spacious front porch and old world features like leaded glass china cabinets in the dining room with a window seat between; there is an abundance of these beautiful homes. You can also get new construction. Puritas Park town homes is a fabulous development with multi-level living areas, vaulted ceilings, and a close proximity to the Airport; in fact I have sold to flight attendants who find them a great place to live and less than a fifteen minute commute to work! There is also an oasis of bungalows built in 2000 called Julia Court, with tax abatement exceeding 8 years left on the community. It is on an idyllic section of W. 145th street that dead ends and abuts a meadowland/marshland that is not only never to be built on, but has recently been found to be on a migratory bird path for some distinctive and apparently rare birds!

I had the delightful opportunity to talk with two creative and interesting members of the Bellaire Puritas Development Corporation (BPDC): Bryan Gillooly, Executive Director, and Rachel Napolitano, Community Organizer. Their enthusiasm about the neighborhood was contagious, and I wanted to share some of our conversation with you. Bryan and Rachel are the ones who filled me in on the migratory bird information. (Look for more on that in future posts.)

BPDC does a lot of work to assist the neighborhood. They run a computer learning center for residents to improve job skills; they work with WIRENET to operate and fund a training program for future machinists (more on that later too). They help residents with loans in order to make home repairs. Not just keeping up but enhancing the neighborhood is their goal, and believe me they are enthusiastic about it.

What had them smiling and proud when I was talking with them revolves around neighborhood schools. Riverside Elementary School has already reopened and it is a fabulous structure. Now in the works? Three completely new elementary schools: Artemus Ward (I am featuring their latest 'school report card' published by the State of Ohio and made available to the public), R.G. Jones, and Garfield. I was excited to see the architectural renderings and believe me they are fabulous. I particularly loved Garfield's plans with an almost Jetson like design. The goal is to allow students from all grades up to High School to learn in one building, with separate entrances for different grade levels. We will be planning some public open houses to talk about these schools, if you have not already attended the School Boards meetings. You are going to be very impressed and probably wanting to get on the bandwagon and move to the neighborhood. John Marshall High School is also up for renovations. We know the grand old Art Deco building has an elegant beauty. By the time all of this is completed, four public schools in the neighborhood will be new or updated!

The BPDC has also built and rehabbed neighborhood homes. Their Longmead Townhomes (complete with their own day care center) are selling out fast, all have a 15 year tax abatement with very pretty and efficient floor plans and all the modern amenities.

Two more reasons to live here (if you need more after all this!): The Thriving Commecial Districts and The Parks.

The Bellaire Puritas Neighborhood allows you to live where you shop, work and play! The area parks and walking trails are beautiful. Crossburn Park has been recently revamped with a cool playground area. There is also McGowan Park, Halloran Park (with it's ice rink) and Gunning Recreation Center (with a fabulous pool). And of course this neighborhood is extremely close to the Rocky River Metroparks which is breathtakingly beautiful in itself.

Most area residents shop for all their grocery, pharmacy and specialty needs right in the neighborhood. We even have neighborhood hardware store there, Torch Hardware, where you can find everything you need, including the knowledge of how to do something with what you buy! It is a treasured neighborhood resource. Complete with it's own live in cat! The entire Lorain Avenue Corridor is a unique shopping experience where you can find antiques, a diverse array of food markets and restaurants (everything from Middle Eastern, Latino, Vietnamese, German to fast food), a shoe repair shop (how many of them are around anymore) and everything in between.

You can purchase a home in this neighborhood for well under $100,000, or you can spend more. There are two zip codes representing Bellaire Puritas: 44111 and 44135. Using statistics provided to me through our Northern Ohio Multiple Listing Service (their Third Quarter of 2006 Report): the average sale price on both zipcodes together is about $94,000. I took a photo of a home on Julia Court (pretty bungalow pictured above). These homes are listed on the market in the $200,000 range. The styles and price point choices are yours. Either way, this is a great place to live, work and shop.

As a Realtor® I love to sell this neighborhood, because it represents the diversity, history and livability of what I think cities and neighborhoods are all about.

Bellaire Puritas is truly a Cleveland treasure!

Peace Out - 3C