Lakewood, Ohio

Lakewood is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area, and borders the city of Cleveland. The population was 52,131 at the 2010 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 and north. Lakewood's population density is the highest of any city in Ohio and is roughly comparable to that of Washington, DC.

History
Lakewood was incorporated as a village on August 31, 1889.

A complete history of Lakewood is available through the Lakewood Public Library.

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 other three are at large council members. Lakewood is represented in the US House of Representatives by Rep. Dennis Kucinich(OH-10,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. The current income tax is 1.5%, one of Ohio's lowest municipal income tax rates.

Geography
Lakewood is located at °N, °W (41.480881, -81.800360), about 6 mi west of downtown Cleveland.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²), of which, 5.6 square miles (14.4 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (3.0 km²) of it (17.16%) is water.

Demographics
As of the 2007 American Community Survey, there were 54,765 people, 24,898 households, and 12,212 families residing in the city. The population density was 9,957.3 inhabitants per square mile (3,803.2/km²), making it more densely populated than Los Angeles, California. There were 27,806 housing units at an average density of 5,055.6 per square mile (1,931.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.9% White, 5.2% Black, 0.1% American Indian, 1.3% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population. Ethnic groups include Germans (28.2%), Irish (23.5%), English (11.6%), Italians (10.2%), Poles (9.5%), Slovaks (4.3%), and Arab (4.3%).

There were 24,898 households out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.2% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.0% were non-families. 42.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.9 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

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.

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

Public schools
The City of Lakewood Public School System is managed by a directly elected school board. The Lakewood City Schools has been rated Excellent by the Ohio Dept. of Education. 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.
 * Lincoln Elementary 15615 Clifton Boulevard, Lakewood, Ohio 44107.
 * 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.
 * Two new middle schools—Harding and Garfield—and two new elementary buildings—Harrison and Hayes—opened in August, 2007. Emerson and Horace Mann were converted from middle schools to elementary schools and re-opened in August, 2008.  A major renovation of Lakewood High School began in 2007 and is expected to take four years to complete.
 * The renovation projects on Emerson and Horace Mann have cost the school system $36 million. The rebuilding projects on Hayes and Harrison cost the school system $13 million. This difference in price can be attributed to the desire of Board of Education leaders wanting to keep the schools (Emerson and Horace Mann) as "twin" schools.
 * In tune with the increasing immigrant population Lakewood Schools offer English as Second Language courses at various places in the city

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 - 1-8 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 Northeast 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.

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 (2008–2009).

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 equivalent to a city rec center.

Awards

 * Travel + Leisure Magazine - Top 10 Suburbs in the USA.
 * Business Week - Best Place to Raise Your Kids: 2010.
 * The City of Lakewood Department of Planning & Development 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 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 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.
 * The City of Lakewood was awarded the nationally renowned MainStreet program in 2005.

Attractions



 * 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 acre 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.
 * 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 has won numerous awards 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, and was awarded "Best Place to Hang Out" by Scene Magazine in 2009.
 * The Beck Center for the Arts is the largest cultural arts center in Northeast Ohio and showcases numerous theatrical productions, concerts, events, activities and art shows.
 * Lakewood houses at least 4 art galleries: Bela Dubby (art gallery and coffeehouse), The Pop Shop Gallery & Studio, the Local Girl Gallery and the Wobblefoot Gallery.
 * Lakewood boasts a very popular bar scene up and down both Madison Avenue and Detroit Avenue.
 * Lakewood is home to the nation's first high school Rock Orchestra called the Lakewood Project. The Lakewood Project uses a double quartet of electric instruments, a substantial acoustic section, and a rhythm section.  Performances have been held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and House of Blues Cleveland and Lakewood High School's Civic Auditorium. The Lakewood Project performs at Lakewood Park on the Fourth of July every year.
 * 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.

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.
 * 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.
 * Lakewood is home to the district headquarters of Congressman Dennis Kucinich.
 * 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 with an emphasis on the masterpieces along Lake Avenue.

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

 * Winton Place Condos
 * Carlyle Condominiums on the Lake
 * The Meridian
 * The Waterford Condos
 * Marine Towers West
 * Marine Towers East
 * Imperial House


 * The Envoy
 * Twelve Thousand Edgewater
 * The Shoreham Apartments
 * Edgewater Towers
 * Lake House Condominiums
 * The Berkshire Condominiums
 * Lake Shore Towers

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

 * 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, just west of downtown 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 4x4 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 and is home to many of greater Cleveland 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 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.


 * 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 2004, 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 mainly due to the beautiful mansions along the lakeshore, the houses in the south of lakeshore are modest.

Transportation

 * The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's 55 and 55F routes (the F is an express route), run east and west along Clifton Boulevard, terminating at Cleveland State University in downtown Cleveland to the east and in Fairview Park (55) or Avon Lake (55F) to the west.
 * RTA Route 26 serves Detroit Avenue, Route 86 serves Warren Road, Route 70 runs along Bunts Road, and Route 25 serves Madison Avenue.
 * There is an RTA rapid transit station located just inside Cleveland city limits at W. 117th St. and Madison Avenue, offering access to the Red Line east to Windermere via Downtown Cleveland and west to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Another RTA station that serves Lakewood is Triskett.
 * RTA's Route 804, the Lakewood Community Circulator, was discontinued by RTA in late 2009. But Lakewood residents and city officials are campaigning for it to return.
 * 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 mi 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 mi of the commercial districts on Madison and Detroit Avenues.
 * Lakewood is bicycle-friendly, with designated "share the road" paths through the city.

Notable residents

 * Birthplace of Matt Dunigan, a player, coach and executive of the Canadian Football League and sportscaster.
 * Birthplace of Dr. Donald Henderson, lead doctor for the eradication of smallpox
 * Birthplace of Teri Garr, actress
 * Birthplace of Alan Boss, astrophysicist
 * Birthplace of Moe Mantha, Jr., a National Hockey League player and World Hockey Association coach.
 * Birthplace of Benjamin Orr, bass player and singer for The Cars
 * Birthplace of Brad Friedel, goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur FC
 * Birthplace of Perrieve Spencer Satullo, Better known as Perry Saturn, Professional Wrestler
 * Birthplace of Dr Bernie L. Wade, Presiding Bishop and Founder of the International Circle of Faith
 * Longtime home of Mike Beckwith, quarterback, Cleveland Gladiators
 * Birthplace of Sean Patrick O'Malley, Cardinal Archbishop of Boston
 * Birthplace of Alex Boone, San Francisco 49ers Offensive Tackle and former Ohio State Buckeye
 * Home to Dick Feagler, a newspaper columnist, playwright and television personality from Cleveland, Ohio.
 * Birthplace and home of Richard Celeste, Governor, State of Ohio from 1983–1990, Director Peace Corps
 * Home to Jack Buck, Baseball Hall of Fame announcer of the St. Louis Cardinals
 * Home to Vernon Stouffer, founder of Stouffer Foods
 * Home to Jimmie Foxx, baseball Hall of Fame Firstbaseman for the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox
 * Home to Burgess Meredith, actor (Rocky)
 * Home to Jack Riley, actor (Bob Newhart Show)
 * Home to Gary Lewis, musician
 * Home to Chuck Heaton, Plain Dealer sportswriter and father of actress Patricia Heaton