Old Brooklyn

Last updated
Old Brooklyn
Neighborhood of Cleveland
The RainForest.jpg
Exterior of The RainForest of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Cleveland City Neighborhoods - Old Brooklyn.png
Country United States
State Ohio
County Cuyahoga
City Cleveland
Population
 (2020) [1]
 • Total32,813
Demographics [1]
 •  White 73.8%
 • Black9.9%
 • Hispanic (of any race)19.6%
 • Asian and Pacific Islander2.6%
 • Mixed and Other13.7%
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
parts of 44109, 44144 and 44134
Area code 216
Median income [1] $39,591
Source: 2020 U.S. Census, City Planning Commission of Cleveland [2]

Old Brooklyn is a neighborhood on the West Side of Cleveland, Ohio, United States, located approximately five miles south of downtown Cleveland. It extends east-to-west from the Cuyahoga River to the city of Brooklyn and north-to-south from the Brookside Park Valley to the city of Parma. It is home to the Cleveland Metroparks, including the Cleveland Zoo; the Jesse Owens tree at James Ford Rhodes High School; and the Benjamin Franklin Community Garden, the largest urban community garden in Cuyahoga County. Old Brooklyn has recently adopted the slogan "Old Brooklyn, a great place to grow" to commemorate its history and potential growth.

Contents

History

The first instance of European habitation in the Old Brooklyn vicinity occurred in 1790, when fur trader Joseph Du Shattar established a trading post on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River, across from the area that became Newburgh. [3]

Originally a portion of Brooklyn Township, the area was settled permanently in 1814 as the hamlet of Brighton, [4] centered at the present-day intersection of Pearl and Broadview Roads. The Brighton area was incorporated as South Brooklyn Village in 1889 and then annexed with other surrounding villages by the City of Cleveland during the years of 1905–1927.

During the late 1880s, farmers in Old Brooklyn's Schaaf Road area (also known as South Hills) and the neighboring Village of Brooklyn Heights were among the first in the Midwest to use greenhouses to cultivate vegetables. [5] By the 1920s the neighborhood was one of the nation's leading producers of greenhouse vegetables, with more than 100 acres (0.40 km2) under glass. Most of the greenhouses were displaced, beginning about 1960, by new housing and the construction of Ohio Rt. 176 (Jennings Freeway).

Commercial development in Old Brooklyn reached its apex during the period of 1920–1960. [5] Shopping districts spread along Pearl, Broadview, and State Roads and were followed, after World War II, by the development of shopping plazas at the intersections of Memphis-Fulton, Broadview-Brookpark, and Pearl-Brookpark. The original Honey Hut ice cream shop, a favorite of many West-siders, can be found on State Road near the south end of the community. [6]

The most ambitious period of residential construction extended from the early 20th century to the 1950s. During the 1980s and 1990s, residential development experienced a resurgence, particularly in the South Hills and Jennings Road areas. Housing values in Old Brooklyn, today, are among the highest within Cleveland proper. [5]

Landmarks

White autos vs luxus.jpg
White Autos of Cleveland vs. Luxus of Omaha, 1915

Old Brooklyn's most notable landmark, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, was created in 1907 when Cleveland's Park Board relocated the Zoo from University Circle on Cleveland's east side to Brookside Park. The 145-acre park lies entirely within Old Brooklyn and is one of the 16 nature preserve reservations of the Cleveland Metroparks system.

Brookside Park also has a place in sporting lore, having hosted the reputedly largest baseball crowd in Cleveland's history, when the White Autos of Cleveland met Omaha in the World Amateur Baseball Championship. [7] On October 10, 1915, a reported crowd of 115,000 sprawled along and below the park's northern bluff, directly west of today's Fulton Road Bridge, and cheered as the home team seized the day.

The Jeremiah Gates Home, built in 1820 and located at 3506 Memphis Avenue, is believed to be the oldest residence in Old Brooklyn. [8] [9] Other notable landmarks include the Brooklyn-Brighton Bridge, the Estabrook Recreation Center, and the Italian Gothic-style Our Lady of Good Counsel Church (now called Mary Queen of Peace) [10] atop Pearl Road Hill.

The new Fulton Road Bridge New Fulton Bridge 19.jpg
The new Fulton Road Bridge

Education

Old Brooklyn is a part of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. [11] Schools in the neighborhood include: Charles A. Mooney School, William C. Bryant Elementary, Benjamin Franklin Elementary, William Rainey Harper, James Ford Rhodes High, Facing History New Tech, Cleveland Preparatory Academy, Constellation Schools: Old Brooklyn Community Elementary and Middle, Mary Queen of Peace, Luther Memorial, Saint Mary’s, and St. Leo’s schools.

Natives of Old Brooklyn

The neighborhood's secondary students generally attend James Ford Rhodes High School, whose graduates include 1944 Heisman Trophy winner Les Horvath, anti-establishment poet D. A. Levy, [12] and television star Drew Carey. The Drew Carey Show's "Warsaw Tavern" was patterned after a bar near the Memphis-Fulton intersection, [13] which hosts one of the highest concentrations of bars and restaurants in Greater Cleveland.

Demographics

Old Brooklyn encompasses all of Cleveland's Ward 13, [14] and the southwestern portion of Ward 12. [15]

Recent and Future Developments

The Treadway Creek Greenway Restoration project, completed in 2008, restored and preserved 21 acres (0.085 km2) of riparian corridor and open space along Treadway Creek. [16] The project included the construction of a multi-purpose trail connecting Harmody Park to the Ohio and Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor's Towpath Trail. Other plans include a connector linking the Towpath Trail with the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, as well as transit service and streetscape improvements. [17] In 2020, the Cleveland Metroparks approved development of a 26-acre park space named Brighton Park, with a connection to the trails from the Towpath to the Zoo, atop the former Henninger Landfill site. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland</span> City in Ohio, United States

Cleveland, officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in Northeast Ohio along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the U.S. maritime border with Canada and lies approximately 60 miles (97 km) west of Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuyahoga County, Ohio</span> County in Ohio, United States

Cuyahoga County is a large urban county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S.-Canada maritime border. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,264,817, making it the second-most-populous county in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brecksville, Ohio</span> City in Ohio, United States

Brecksville is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and a suburb in the Greater Cleveland area. The city's population was 13,635 at the United States 2020 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parma, Ohio</span> City in Ohio, United States

Parma is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, located on the southern edge of Cleveland. As of the 2020 census, its population was 81,146. Parma is the seventh largest city in the state of Ohio, the largest suburb in the state, and the second largest city in Cuyahoga County after Cleveland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuyahoga Valley National Park</span> National park in Ohio, United States

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is an American national park that preserves and reclaims the rural landscape along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland in Northeast Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio and Erie Canal</span> 19th-century manmade water route between Akron and Cleveland, Ohio, USA

The Ohio and Erie Canal was a canal constructed during the 1820s and early 1830s in Ohio. It connected Akron with the Cuyahoga River near its outlet on Lake Erie in Cleveland, and a few years later, with the Ohio River near Portsmouth. It also had connections to other canal systems in Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irishtown Bend</span> Archaeological site in Ohio, United States

Irishtown Bend is the name given to both a former Irish American neighborhood and a landform located on the Flats of the west bank of the Cuyahoga River in the city of Cleveland in the U.S. state of Ohio in the United States. The landform consists of a tight meander in the Cuyahoga River, and the steep hillside above this meander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland Metroparks</span> Public park system in Greater Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland Metroparks is an extensive system of nature preserves in Greater Cleveland, Ohio. Eighteen reservations, which largely encircle the city of Cleveland, follow along the shore of Lake Erie and the rivers and creeks that flow through the region. Referred to unofficially as the 'Emerald Necklace', the network of parks spans over 24,000 acres (9,700 ha) and includes over 300 miles (480 km) of walking, bicycle, and horse trails as well as numerous picnic areas, nature education centers, golf courses, and countless fishing spots. In addition, the district includes the zoo in Cleveland. Four of the reservations are adjacent to Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Summit Metro Parks is a Metroparks system serving the citizens of Summit County, Ohio by managing 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) in 16 developed parks, six conservation areas and more than 150 miles (240 km) of trails, with 22.4 miles (36.0 km) of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio State Route 176</span> State highway in Ohio, US

Ohio State Route 176 is a route linking Interstate 71 (I-71) in Cleveland to I-77 near Richfield. The freeway portion is known as the Jennings Freeway, while the at-grade portion is mostly Broadview Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamm's Corners</span> Neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Kamm's Corners is a neighborhood on the West Side of Cleveland, Ohio. It is bounded by the streetcar suburb of Lakewood to the north, the Rocky River Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks and the suburbs of Rocky River and Fairview Park to the west, the New York Central Railroad tracks to the east, and Puritas Road to the south. Kamm's Corners Plaza and Warren Village are the major retail centers of the neighborhood. According to the 2019 U.S. census estimate, the neighborhood has the highest concentration of Irish Americans in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fulton Road Bridge</span> Bridges in Cleveland, Ohio, United States

The Fulton Road Bridge was the name of two bridges in Cleveland, Ohio, the original and its replacement. The bridge in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood spans the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Big Creek, John Nagy Boulevard, and Norfolk Southern and CSX railroad tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defunct townships of Cuyahoga County, Ohio</span>

Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States is divided into 21 townships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MetroHealth</span> Hospital in Ohio, USA

The MetroHealth System is a nationally ranked non-profit, public health care system located in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1837 as City Hospital, The MetroHealth System serves the residents of the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. It is one of the three major health care systems in Cleveland, Ohio, along with Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals of Cleveland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akron metropolitan area</span> Metropolitan area in Ohio, United States

The Akron, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, sometimes referred to as Greater Akron, is defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget as an area consisting of two counties, Summit and Portage, in Northeast Ohio and anchored by the city of Akron. As of the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 702,219. The Akron MSA is also part of the larger Cleveland–Akron–Canton, OH Combined Statistical Area, which has a population of 3,633,962 people as of the 2020 census, the largest metropolitan area in Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooklyn Centre</span> Neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Brooklyn Centre is a neighborhood on the West Side of Cleveland, Ohio. It borders Old Brooklyn to the south, Stockyards, Clark–Fulton, and Tremont to the north, and the Cuyahoga Valley and the suburb of Cuyahoga Heights to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiskey Island (Cleveland)</span> Peninsula in Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Whiskey Island is a peninsula at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River at Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio. Its current configuration was created in 1827 when the river's mouth was moved to its present location. Part of the city's Cuyahoga Valley neighborhood, the peninsula is 1 mile (1.6 km) long and 0.3 miles (0.48 km) at its widest, bounded by Lake Erie to the north, West 54th Street on the west (roughly), and the Cuyahoga River to the south and east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Park, Cleveland</span> Historical area of Cleveland, Ohio, United States

West Park is a historical area on the West Side of Cleveland, Ohio. Once an independent municipality, it was annexed by Cleveland after a referendum in 1923. The area covers 12.5 square miles and is bounded by West 117th Street to the east, the Rocky River Valley to the west, Brookpark Road to the South, and the streetcar suburb of Lakewood to the north. The Cleveland City Planning Commission traditionally divides West Park into four neighborhoods: Jefferson, Kamm's Corners, Bellaire–Puritas, and Hopkins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail</span> Multi-use trail in Northeast Ohio

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland Foundation Centennial Lake Link Trail</span>

The Cleveland Foundation Centennial Lake Link Trail, originally known as the Lake Link Trail, is a cycling, hiking, and walking trail located in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. Owned by the city of Cleveland and maintained by Cleveland Metroparks, the trail runs along the former track bed of the Cleveland and Mahoning Valley Railroad. The trail is named for The Cleveland Foundation, a local community foundation which donated $5 million toward the trail's construction. The southern leg of the 1.3-mile (2.1 km) trail opened in August 2015, and the northern leg in August 2017. The middle leg will begin construction once the Irishtown Bend hillside is stabilized. A bridge connecting the trail to Whiskey Island will begin construction in Spring 2019 and will be completed in early Summer 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Cleveland Neighborhoods and Wards: Old Brooklyn Neighborhood Factsheet (2021)" (PDF). The Center for Community Solutions (Cleveland). Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Census data" (PDF). planning.city.cleveland.oh.us. 2010. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  3. ↑ "Encyclopedia of Cleveland History:DU SHATTAR, JOSEPH". Ech.case.edu. 1997-07-15. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  4. ↑ "Encyclopedia of Cleveland History:BROOKLYN (Old Brooklyn)". Ech.case.edu. 1998-05-15. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  5. 1 2 3 "Neighborhood Tour". Nhlink.net. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  6. ↑ Chojnacki, Linda (11 November 2012). "Honey Hut's homemade ice cream blends natural ingredients with a touch of Amish honey". Cleveland.com . Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  7. ↑ "January 22, 2007 (2)". Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2010-09-28.
  8. ↑ "Old Brooklyn" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  9. ↑ "Photo" (JPG). planning.city.cleveland.oh.us. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  10. ↑ "Cleveland City Planning Commission". Planning.city.cleveland.oh.us. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  11. ↑ https://www.clevelandmetroschools.org/Page/11471
  12. ↑ "Cleveland Press, Nov 25, 1968" (PDF). Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  13. ↑ "'Drew Carey' bar has little resemblance to its inspiration". The Cincinnati Enquirer . January 2, 2000. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Map" (JPG). planning.city.cleveland.oh.us. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  15. ↑ "Ward map" (PDF). www.clevelandcitycouncil.org. 2014. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  16. ↑ "West Creek Conservancy: Treadway Creek Trail" . Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  17. ↑ "Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation: Planning Initiatives" . Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  18. ↑ "Cleveland Metroparks approves plan to turn Old Brooklyn landfill into 26-acre park with Towpath link". 18 June 2020. Retrieved 2021-03-23.

Coordinates: 41°25′54″N81°42′08″W / 41.431559°N 81.702332°W / 41.431559; -81.702332

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