Cleveland is divided up into approximately 36 neighborhoods and I think most are aligned with their own community development corporation (CDC). Last time I explored Detroit Shoreway; now we head Downtown to Historic Gateway. This is one of my favorite areas. The variety of things to do will blow your mind!!! And like the National statistics, more people are moving into downtown areas to take advantage of car-free, transit oriented development (TOD) living, and all the amenities surrounding the housing.
Did you know that one of the first ever shopping malls is in this neighborhood? The Arcade is a magnificent beauty of scrolled ironwork and brass, nothing like our modern day malls, no offense to anyone who is enamored with modern indoor malls. (The photo leading into this post is an interior Arcade shot I took last weekend.) This one was built in 1890. I remember being a kid and walking around wide-eyed and in awe of all the artistry that went into this place. Now, for better or worse, it is owned by the Hyatt Regency. I will say they spent a good deal of money refurbishing all that glorious scroll work. Back in the day when so many of the famous industrialists lived and ran their companies from Cleveland, they would spend their money on other amenities as well. John D Rockefeller and others were involved in putting up the money for The Arcade.
I bet you wouldn't expect a Baseball History Museum here? Yep! 2042 East Fourth Street. Call 216-621-3524 for details. And yes, Jacobs Field, er, Progressive Field (don't you love how the names keep changing) and The Cleveland Indians are at home here too. And of course The Gund, er, Quicken Loans Arena(I swear I can't keep up with the name changes)? Anyway, whatever you call it, you can watch LBJ (LeBron to the rest of you) and the Cavs there, as well as awesome concerts. In fact, Nine Inch Nails (NIN) is coming on August 22nd so you know where I may be :-)
The Historic Gateway District is also home to a tradition NE Ohioans hold dear. The right to free speech and the gathering of knowledge. Exemplified by The City Club, As they say on their website:
"...Established to encourage new ideas and a free exchange of thought, The City Club is the oldest continuous free speech forum in the country, renowned for its tradition of debate and discussion...."
They have been holding meetings since 1912 and I used to listen to them whenever I could when I lived in the DC area; the weekly luncheons are covered all over the Country. The speakers? OMG. How about Franklin Roosevelt, Desmond Tutu and WEB DuBois for starters? Here is a list of upcoming City Club Speakers from their website.
Shops galore! And not your run of the mill chains! I bought a straw baseball cap from Mike The Hatter after my open house at Pointe at Gateway last weekend. They've been in operation a lot longer, but at their Prospect Ave. location for 35 years. Awesome staff and awesome hats. And coincidentally, an article in a blog on our local WKYC website shows how there is a 21st Century spin as well. Have you ever thought of shopping and enjoying a few libations at the same time? No not for food, but for clothes? You can here! The M Lang clothing store now has a full service bar and yes a liquor license. M Lang can be found at 1801 East 12th Street. Check it out :-)
How fabulous would it be to live here and enjoy all I've mentioned and more?Just for starters, check out Pointe at Gateway (PAG) -see how fabulous a location you will have if you live there. 750 Prospect (see the street-scape with the Winking Lizard, PAG's entrance awning is just beyond that). You could get a condo for around $159k, a penthouse for a bit more (with a deck and a view and you might just set up a grill and never leave ). The developer is offering an extra year of tax abatement on him and is applying for more through the City. He is also offering a year's free parking in the garage across the street. Check out my website for more details about The Pointe, call me if you have any questions or would like to see it.
It took me exactly three minutes to walk from Pointe at Gateway to the East Fourth Street excitement. The photo at the right shows some of the places, like the high tech Corner Alley bowling alley, but you can get everything from Vietnamese food, The House of Blues, to our own Iron Chef Michael Symon's Lola's (and be sure to check out Michael's blog, appropriately named Symon Says).
East Fourth is home to entertainment, but also to apartments, in fact most of the shops and restaurants have apartments above them. The street has been blocked off to auto traffic and as you can see from the photo, it would be easy to spend a lot of time there! If you are looking to rent and not buy but want to live in the area, check out the street and get the uh, word on the street (!!!) about what might be available. You can also tell from the photo I shot this weekend that the streetscaping included some gorgeous flowers. I hope you have enjoyed the tour! No matter what you like to do, I think it's probably available in Historic Gateway. Peace Out 3C
Links I did not list above:
The East Fourth Street Neighborhood Site
Michael Symon's New Food Network Show Dinner Impossible
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