Lakewood, Ohio

Lakewood, Ohio
City
City of Lakewood
Cleveland, Ohio, as seen from Lakewood Park in April 2007.
Nickname(s): "City of Beautiful Homes"
Motto: "A Great Place to Call Home"
Location in Cuyahoga County and the state of Ohio.
Location of Ohio in the United States
Coordinates: 41°28′51″N 81°48′01″W / 41.48083°N 81.80028°W / 41.48083; -81.80028Coordinates: 41°28′51″N 81°48′01″W / 41.48083°N 81.80028°W / 41.48083; -81.80028
Country	United States of America
State	Ohio
County	Cuyahoga
Government
• Type	Mayor-council
• Mayor	Michael P. Summers (D)[1]
Area[2]
• Total	6.69 sq mi (17.33 km2)
• Land	5.53 sq mi (14.32 km2)
• Water	1.16 sq mi (3.00 km2)
Elevation[3]	705 ft (215 m)
Population (2010)[4]
• Total	52,131
• Estimate (2012[5])	51,385
• Density	9,426.9/sq mi (3,639.7/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	44107
Area code(s)	216
FIPS code[6]	39-41664
GNIS feature ID	1064966
Website	www.onelakewood.com

Lakewood is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. It is part of the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area, and borders the city of Cleveland. The population was 52,131 at the 2010 United States Census,^[7] making it the third largest city in Cuyahoga County, behind Cleveland (396,815) and Parma (81,601).

Lakewood, one of Cleveland's inner-ring suburbs, borders the city of Cleveland to the west. Lakewood's population density is the highest of any city in Ohio and is roughly comparable to that of Washington, DC.

Government

Lakewood is governed by an elected mayor and elected council. The council's strength is seven, with 4 members representing wards in the city and the other three are at-large council members. Lakewood is represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Marcy Kaptur (OH-9,D). In the state assembly it is represented by Michael Skindell (D) in the State Senate and by Nickie Antonio (D) in the State House. The expected expenditure for 2010 for the City of Lakewood is $33.7 Million with the city bringing in revenues of $ 34.03 Million.^[8] The current income tax is 1.5%.

Geography

Lakewood is located at 41°28′51″N 81°48′1″W / 41.48083°N 81.80028°W / 41.48083; -81.80028 (41.480881, -81.800360),^[9] about 6 miles (9.7 km) west of downtown Cleveland.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.69 square miles (17.33 km²), of which 5.53 square miles (14.32 km²) is land and 1.16 square miles (3.00 km²) is water.^[2]

Demographics

88.12% spoke English, 3.01% Arabic, 1.84% Spanish, 1.02% Albanian, and 0.74% Hungarian as their first language.^[14]

As of the 2007 American Community Survey, the median income for a household in the city was $42,602, and the median income for a family was $59,201. Males had a median income of $42,599 versus $35,497 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,939. About 10.9% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over. Of the city's population over the age of 25, 39.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher.^[15]

Lakewood is a hotspot for immigrants arrival mostly from Middle East and Albania. The foreign born population was 8.7% in 2007.

2010 U.S. Census

As of the census^[4] of 2010, there were 52,131 people, 25,274 households, and 11,207 families residing in the city. The population density was 9,426.9 inhabitants per square mile (3,639.7/km²). There were 28,498 housing units at an average density of 5,153.3 per square mile (1,989.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.5% White, 6.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 1.3% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population.

There were 25,274 households of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.7% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 55.7% were non-families. 44.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.99.

The median age in the city was 35.4 years. 19.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 34.3% were from 25 to 44; 25.7% were from 45 to 64; and 11% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

Education

Public schools

Lakewood High School in April 2009

The City of Lakewood Public School System is managed by a directly elected school board. The Lakewood City Schools has been rated Continuous Improvement by the Ohio Dept. of Education in 2013. Lakewood boasts brand new elementary schools and middle schools. The high school is under renovation. Two more elementary schools are slated to be rebuilt or renovated in the next two years. The investment is the first major school building program in Lakewood since 1920. The Lakewood school system is one of the largest employers in the city of Lakewood.

• Lakewood High School - One of the largest high schools in the state of Ohio, is highly diverse with over 2000 students attending. Has outstanding athletic facilities which regularly host regional competitions, as well as a successful music department.
• Franklin Elementary, Franklin Blvd. closed June 2009. opened in 1909
• Grant Elementary, 1470 Victoria Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio
• Emerson Elementary, 13439 Clifton Blvd., Lakewood, Ohio
• Harrison Elementary, 2080 Quail Street, Lakewood, Ohio
• Hayes Elementary, 16401 Delaware Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio
• Lincoln Elementary^[16] 15615 Clifton Boulevard, Lakewood, Ohio 44107.
• Horace Mann Elementary, 1215 West Clifton Blvd., Lakewood, Ohio
• Roosevelt Elementary, 14327 Athens Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio
• Harding Middle School - A new building replaced the original facility in 2007.
• Garfield Middle School - A new middle school building that was formerly an elementary school, re-opened in 2007. Efforts were made to retain the original facade of the school, which was constructed in the late 1800s.
• Taft Elementary - Closed June 2008.

Private schools

• Lakewood Catholic Academy - a private Catholic K-8 school offering academic and religious education through a challenging curriculum. Lakewood Catholic Academy was established in 2005 when three separate Catholic grade schools (St. James, St. Clement and St. Luke) combined into one academy located at the former St. Augustine Academy campus.
• Lakewood Lutheran School - k-8 integrated elementary education.
• Padre Pio Academy - a K-8 elementary school founded by lay Catholics striving to be loyal to the Magisterium of the Church. It offers a classical curriculum and is a member of NAPCIS, the National Association of Private Catholic and Independent Schools.
• St. Edward High School - Private Roman Catholic High School for boys which attracts students from around northeastern Ohio. New athletic facilities and chapel constructed in 2004 and 2006. 2010 Ohio Division I football champions.
• The Virginia Marti College of Design - Offers degrees in Digital Media, Fashion Design, Fashion Merchandising, Graphic Design and Interior Design.
• The University of Akron maintains a satellite branch in downtown Lakewood.

Economic development

Downtown Lakewood

Downtown Lakewood spans from Bunts Avenue to the east and Arthur Avenue to the west along Detroit Avenue. The area has been a site of significant economic development in recent years. Development in Lakewood has escalated in recent years, even during a period of regional and national economic decline (2006–2009).

Development

• Lakewood's second-largest office complex, the former Bailey Building was purchased in 2006, was restored to its original historic grandeur through a $6MM renovation 2009.
• Lakewood library underwent a $17 Million expansion in 2007.
• Rockport Square, a new residential project by Forest City Enterprises began being developed on the eastern end of the city in 2004 and is incorporating mixed use all along Detroit Avenue. The project includes three phases, with the first one complete and the second one underway. The phase will include two 6-story loft buildings and several adjacent mixed-use buildings.
• The Cleveland Clinic completed construction of a new one-story facility on Detroit Avenue in 2005, adjacent to Rockport Square.
• Rosewood Place, a new mixed-used development reached completion in the end of 2006, offering new town homes, condos, and retail in the heart of Lakewood along Detroit Avenue.
• The Lakewood YMCA finished construction of its new facility on Detroit Avenue in 2004. The two-story gymnasium features state-of-the-art exercise equipment, an indoor swimming pool, yoga lessons, and an extended babysitting service. The Lakewood YMCA is effectively the city's rec center.

Awards

• Travel + Leisure Magazine - Top 10 Suburbs in the USA.^[17]
• Business Week - Best Place to Raise Your Kids: 2010.^[18]
• The City of Lakewood Department of Planning & Development^[19] won an award for Economic Development from Inside Business Magazine in 2009.
• In 2009, the American Institute of Architects and the Cleveland Restoration Society honored the City of Lakewood Department of Planning & Development and LakewoodAlive^[20] with an award for Creative & Effective Preservation Advocacy in 2009.
• The Ohio Historic Preservation Office honored the City of Lakewood Department of Planning & Development and LakewoodAlive^[20] for their collective efforts to recognize, preserve, and promote Lakewood’s historic resources in 2009.
• This Old House Magazine chose Lakewood as the best city in the Midwest to buy a house in 2008.
• Scene Magazine rated Lakewood the best city to live in 2006 and again in 2013.
• The City of Lakewood was awarded the nationally renowned MainStreet program in 2005.

Attractions

Lakewood Park with view of Downtown Cleveland Skyline.

Gold Coast - Lakewood

• Lakewood Park is one of the largest lakefront parks in Ohio and features a live concert stage, outdoor swimming pool, picnic pavilions, 4-season public pavilion, kids' playground, baseball, volleyball, and a skate park, which opened in 2004. Lakewood has more than 150 acres (0.61 km²) of greenspace citywide. The park's million dollar lakefront promenade opened in 2006 and offers an excellent panorama of Downtown Cleveland and the presence of viewing telescopes enhances the viewing experience of Downtown Cleveland. An all-purpose trail that circles the park was built in 2006.

On October 30, 2015, Lakewood opened its “Solstice Steps” in the northwest corner of the Park. The steps are aligned in the direction of sunset on the summer solstice. They are constructed of white concrete blocks in five tiers; each tier has four steps and is separated from its fellows by green grass strips.^[21]

• The Rocky River Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks System forms part of the city's western border. The Lakewood Dog Park, built in 2004, is located next to the Metroparks, in the Rocky River valley.
• Lakewood Public Library^[22] has won numerous awards^[23] and has two branches: the main branch on Detroit Avenue and a smaller branch on Madison Avenue. The Lakewood Library is normally ranked one of the top 5 libraries in the USA for its size on a regular basis,^[24] and was awarded "Best Place to Hang Out if You're Broke" by Scene Magazine in 2009.
• The Beck Center for the Arts is the largest cultural arts center on Cleveland's West Shore and showcases numerous theatrical productions, concerts, events, activities and art shows.
• Lakewood houses at least 4 art galleries: Bela Dubby (art gallery and coffeehouse), Breakneck Art Gallery, the Local Girl Gallery and the Wobblefoot Gallery.
• Lakewood boasts a very popular bar scene up and down both Madison Avenue and Detroit Avenue.
• Home of the former Winchester Music Hall is in Lakewood, which hosted live music and had been named the best music venue in Cleveland.^[25]
• The home of Malley's Chocolates is in Lakewood, still retaining its original 1960s charm.
• Aladdin's Eatery, a national restaurant brand, is based in Lakewood. Their first restaurant was founded in Lakewood by Fady and Sally Chamoun in 1994. Aladdin's Lakewood Headquarters was expanded in 2007.
• New York Life Insurance Company's expanded its Lakewood offices, center of the company's midwest operations in 2005.
• Szechwan Garden Chinese restaurant which has been frequented by Trent Reznor of the musical act Nine Inch Nails.
• The bloody smile face on the window of The Melt

Other notes

• The City of Lakewood first introduced curbside reycling in 1989 and has one of the highest recycling rates in all of Ohio: 79% in 2009.^[26]
• Lakewood, is home to a large number of media outlets including three weekly newspapers and a handful of devoted websites. The most notable include the independent community site LakewoodBuzz.com, The Lakewood Sun, The Lakewood Observer, and Lakewood Times.
• Lakewood operates a US-CERT program. This all citizen emergency response program was created in 2005 to respond to emergencies within the city.
• According to the Free Times and The Plain Dealer, Lakewood has the highest concentration of vegetarians and vegans in Northeast Ohio. Nature's Bin, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is one of the largest health food stores on the west side of Cleveland.
• Historical housing throughout the city and an active historical society are the norm in Lakewood. The 'Make Lakewood Beautiful' program involves contests in which residents compete to make their home look and resemble its original design and architecture and awards are given to several homeowners each year. The city offers tours of the most famous homes in the spring, summer, and fall.

Skyline

Lakewood is home to a rather large number of high rises. While there are high rises throughout the city, most are concentrated in two areas: Gold Coast and in downtown Lakewood.

Gold Coast

Downtown Lakewood

• Lakewood Center North (186 ft) is Lakewood's tallest office building with 15 floors of office space and is the largest private office building in Cuyahoga County outside of downtown Cleveland, based on total square footage.
• The INA Building, the first medical office building ever constructed.
• Westerly West Building
• Westerly East Building
• Westerly South Building
• Northwesterly

Other high rises

• Castlewood Apartments
• Richard Hilliard House Condominiums
• Fedor Manor
• Harbour View Apartments
• Commodore Club Apartments

Neighborhoods and districts

A residential street in Lakewood

• Arts District (Proposed in 2006) - 3 locations have been proposed with the most likely location to be centered around The Beck Center For The Arts, on the west side of Lakewood.

• Birdtown - Southeastern corner of Lakewood, a well-known 8-street residential district on the southeast side of the city that was built specifically for the workers of the nearby Union Carbide company in the 1890s. The houses are distinctive and most of the streets are named after birds. Birdtown was recently designated a National Register Historic District. Located adjacent to Madison Park, the former Union Carbide factory, and the W. 117th St. Rapid Transit Station. Many of the original houses built there were boarding houses. Birdtown achieved National Historic Register status in 2006.

• Clifton Boulevard - Lined with big trees and multi-family homes, apartment complexes, and 4×4 brick structures, the 7-lane Clifton Boulevard is one of the busiest streets in Lakewood.

• Clifton Park - The wealthiest neighborhood of Lakewood is situated in the northwestern corner of the city, and consists mostly of magnificent Victorian mansions. Bounded by Sloane on the south, West Clifton on the east, The Rocky River on the west, and Lake Erie on the north. Built in the late 19th century, this area has been historically and continues to be the home to many of greater Cleveland's most prominent citizens. Includes the private Clifton Beach community.

• Downtown Lakewood - The main section of Lakewood is centered at Detroit Avenue and Warren Road. This district was formally identified when Lakewood was chosen as a member of the national MainStreet program in 2005. The area is lined with office buildings, restaurants, and variety shops. Lakewood Library, the USPS, Lakewood Hospital, and Lakewood City Schools are all located in this district.

• Edge, The - This easternmost neighborhood includes many concert venues, pubs, and taverns and co-exists partially in the city of Cleveland.

• 'Victorian Village-named after the large Victorian homes on Grace, Clarence and Cohassett Avenues on the city's east end. When constructed in the early 1900s, served as residences for executives from National Carbon Company.

• The Gold Coast

• Rockport Square - Rockport Square (not to be confused with the former Rockport Township) is an urban renewal project along Detroit Avenue on the eastern side of the city. Construction began in 2004 of roughly 200 condos, lofts, and live-work spaces.

• West End - The West End is the westernmost neighborhood of Lakewood, along the Rocky River Reservation. There was a proposal to create a lifestyle center here in 2003, but after a controversial Mike Wallace "60 Minutes" segment critical of the City's attempts to use eminent domain, residents voted against it by a handful of votes.

• Lakewood's nickname "City of Beautiful Homes" is due to the fact the city was intentionally designed in the early 1900s with a lack of industry and an emphasis on a diverse variety of residential housing structures including many large Tudors mainly near the lakeshore, and multi-family and smaller single family homes in many other sections of the city.

Transportation

• The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's Cleveland State Line (routes 55,55A,55B,55C), run east and west along Clifton Boulevard, terminating at Cleveland State University in downtown Cleveland to the east and in Fairview Park (55) or Bay Village (55B) and Westlake (55C) to the west. Route 55A terminates at Lakewood Park.^[27]
• RTA Route 26 serves Detroit Avenue, Route 83 serves Warren Road, Route 43 runs along West Clifton Boulevard and Riverside Drive, Route 78 serves at the boarder line on West 117th Street, and Route 25 serves Madison Avenue.^[27]
• Two RTA rapid transit stations exist just across the Lakewood/Cleveland border, at W. 117th St. and Madison Avenue and the other between Lakewood Heights and Triskett near West 140. Both stations provide access to the Red Line east to Windermere via Downtown Cleveland and west to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.^[27]
• RTA's Route 804, the Lakewood Community Circulator, was discontinued by RTA in late 2009. Lakewood residents and city officials were campaigning for it to return.^[27]
• I-90 borders the south side of Lakewood and has on/off-ramps at W. 117th St., Bunts Road, Warren Road, and McKinley Road.
• The Cleveland Memorial Shoreway begins approximately 1-mile (1.6 km) east of Lakewood via Lake Avenue and Clifton Boulevard and serves as a transportation hub to and from downtown Cleveland.
• Lakewood is included in the service areas of several taxicab companies.
• Lakewood is pedestrian-friendly, with sidewalks on both sides of most streets, and the majority of the city's residences within 1-mile (1.6 km) of the commercial districts on Madison and Detroit Avenues.
• Lakewood is bicycle-friendly, with designated "share the road" paths through the city.^[28]

		Lake Erie
	Rocky River		Cleveland
		Lakewood
		Cleveland/West Park

Notable people

• Birthplace of Alex Boone, San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle and former Ohio State Buckeye
• Birthplace of Alan Boss, astrophysicist
• Birthplace and home of Richard Celeste, Governor of Ohio from 1983–1990, Director Peace Corps, 12th president of Colorado College^[29]
• Birthplace of Brad Friedel, former Tottenham Hotspur and United States men's national soccer team goalkeeper
• Birthplace of Brian P. Cleary, children's author
• Birthplace of Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International and the Rainforest Foundation
• Birthplace of D.A. Henderson, epidemiologist known for eradication of smallpox
• Birthplace of Matt Dunigan, a player, coach and executive of the Canadian Football League and sportscaster
• Birthplace of Teri Garr, Academy Award-nominated actress
• Birthplace of Brian Hoyer, Houston Texans quarterback^[30][31]
• Birthplace of Sister Jeanne Knoerle, former president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and program director of the Lilly Endowment
• Birthplace of Moe Mantha, Jr., a National Hockey League player and World Hockey Association coach
• Birthplace of Pat McCormick, comedy writer and actor, Smokey and the Bandit
• Birthplace of Sean Patrick O'Malley, Cardinal Archbishop of Boston
• Birthplace of Benjamin Orr (Orzechowski), best known as co-lead singer and bassist for The Cars; born Sept. 8, 1947, died October 4, 2000 of pancreatic cancer
• Birthplace of Ted Wass, actor and director
• Birthplace of Dr Bernie L. Wade, presiding Bishop and founder of the International Circle of Faith
• Boyhood home of Jack Buck, Baseball Hall of Fame broadcaster of the St. Louis Cardinals
• Boyhood home of Darlington Nagbe, forward and midfielder for Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer
• Home to Jimmie Foxx, baseball Hall of Fame first baseman for Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox
• Home to Gary Lewis, musician
• Home to Vernon Stouffer, founder of Stouffer Foods
• Home to Burgess Meredith, Oscar-nominated actor, Rocky, Batman, Grumpy Old Men
• Home to Jack Riley, actor, The Bob Newhart Show
• Home to Michael Rupp, a National Hockey League player and Stanley Cup champion
• Actors John Lithgow and Hal Holbrook and TV personality Phil Donahue attended school in Lakewood
• American composer Donald Erb attended Lakewood High School

Notes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lakewood, Ohio.

• Lakewood, Ohio (BIrd Town, A section of Lakewood) - The Carpathian Connection
• Official website
• Lakewood Public Library
• Lakewood Public Library Future Focus
• LakewoodBuzz.com – Original community forum and events and news/urban website
• Lakewood Observer – Volunteer community newspaper/urban journal
• LakewoodAlive – Economic development portal

Municipalities and communities of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States County seat: Cleveland Cities Bay Village Beachwood Bedford Bedford Heights Berea Brecksville Broadview Heights Brook Park Brooklyn Cleveland Cleveland Heights East Cleveland Euclid Fairview Park Garfield Heights Highland Heights Independence Lakewood Lyndhurst Maple Heights Mayfield Heights Middleburg Heights North Olmsted North Royalton Olmsted Falls Parma Parma Heights Pepper Pike Richmond Heights Rocky River Seven Hills Shaker Heights Solon South Euclid Strongsville University Heights Warrensville Heights Westlake Villages Bentleyville Bratenahl Brooklyn Heights Chagrin Falls Cuyahoga Heights Gates Mills Glenwillow Highland Hills Hunting Valley‡ Linndale Mayfield Moreland Hills Newburgh Heights North Randall Oakwood Orange Valley View Walton Hills Woodmere Townships Chagrin Falls Olmsted Paper townships Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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