University Circle is a district in the
neighborhood of University on the East Side of
Cleveland
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 the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
. One of America's densest concentrations of cultural attractions and performing arts venues, it includes such world-class institutions as the
Cleveland Museum of Art
The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in Cleveland, Ohio, located in the Wade Park District, in the University Circle neighborhood on the city's east side. Internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian ...
;
Severance Hall (home to the
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra, based in Cleveland, is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the " Big Five". Founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Se ...
); the
Cleveland Institute of Art;
Case Western Reserve University; the
Cleveland Institute of Music
The Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) is a private music conservatory in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1920 by Ernest Bloch, it enrolls 325 students in the conservatory and approximately 1,500 students in the preparatory and continuing educatio ...
; the
Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland; the
Cleveland Botanical Garden; historic
Lake View Cemetery
Lake View Cemetery is a privately owned, nonprofit garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland in the U.S. state of Ohio. Founded in 1869, the cemetery was favored by wealthy families during the Gil ...
; the
Cleveland Museum of Natural History; and
University Hospitals/Case Medical Center.
The area is also known as "The Circle" to locals.
Encompassing approximately the University neighborhood is bordered to the north by the
Glenville neighborhood, to the south by the
Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood, to the west and southwest by the neighborhoods of
Hough Hough may refer to:
* Hamstringing, or severing the Achilles tendon of an animal
* the leg or shin of an animal (in the Scots language), from which the dish potted hough is made
* Hough (surname)
Communities United Kingdom
* Hough, Alderley E ...
and
Fairfax (also known as Midtown) and to the east by the cities of
East Cleveland and
Cleveland Heights
Cleveland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and one of Cleveland's historical streetcar suburbs. The city's population was 45,312 at the 2020 census. As of the 2010 census, Cleveland Heights was ranked the 8th largest ...
. University Circle is member of the
Global Cultural Districts Network.
While the population of University Circle ranks on the lower end of Cleveland's 36 defined Statistical Planning Areas (SPAs), it ranks near the top in importance to the city's economic sector. Neighborhood businesses and institutions provide the city with more than 30,000 jobs in a variety of fields, including averaging 1,000 new jobs per year since 2005. Nearby attractions draw approximately 2.5 million visitors annually. As the neighborhood's name implies, higher learning is a major part of the culture of University Circle, with over 13,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students attending the area's various institutions. University Circle Inc., a
not-for-profit corporation established in 1957, serves as the neighborhood
chamber of commerce, providing many administrative and quasi-governmental functions for the area, including security, transportation administration, and marketing.
University Circle has its own full-service police department to provide security and patrol the area.
Media coverage
In 2021,
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
ranked University Circle #1 as the "Best Arts District" in America.
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
ranked University as one of America's Prettiest Neighborhoods; with high praise for its symphony orchestra, museums, botanical garden, planetarium, high-end foods, world class culture, and walkability. In a 2007 ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
'' article entitled "10 great places to discover Italy in America",
Mario Batali was quoted as saying, "Corbo's Bakery has the best
cassata (cake) I have tried in the USA." The article listed Cleveland's Little Italy as a top ten Little Italy in America.
Askmen.com ranked Cleveland's Little Italy #3 out of 10 in their list of "Top 10: Little Italies".
Notable institutions and landmarks
Points of interest in the University Circle neighborhood include:
*
Case Western Reserve University
**
Adelbert Hall
Adelbert Hall is an administration building at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and a registered historic building, listed in the National Register on 1973-10-30.
Construction
It was built in 1881 to serve as the home of West ...
**
Allen Memorial Medical Library
**
DiSanto Field
**
Michelson-Morley Memorial Fountain Michelson-Morley Memorial Fountain, also known as the Michelson-Morley Monument and commonly called the "lipstick fountain," is located on the campus of Case Western Reserve University in the University Circle neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. It wa ...
**
Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center
*
Severance Hall (Home to the
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra, based in Cleveland, is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the " Big Five". Founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Se ...
)
*The
Cleveland Museum of Art
The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in Cleveland, Ohio, located in the Wade Park District, in the University Circle neighborhood on the city's east side. Internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian ...
*The
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
*The
Cleveland Botanical Garden
*The
Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (MOCA)
*The
Cleveland Institute of Art
*The
Cleveland Institute of Music
The Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) is a private music conservatory in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1920 by Ernest Bloch, it enrolls 325 students in the conservatory and approximately 1,500 students in the preparatory and continuing educatio ...
and the Cleveland Music School Settlement
*
Cleveland Cinematheque
*
University Hospitals Case Medical Center
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (UH Cleveland Medical Center) is a large not-for-profit academic medical complex in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center is the main affiliate hospital of Cas ...
**
Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital
**Seidman Cancer Center
**MacDonald Women's Hospital
*The
Western Reserve Historical Society
The Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) is a historical society in Cleveland, Ohio. The society operates the Cleveland History Center, a collection of museums in University Circle.
The society was founded in 1867, making it the oldest cul ...
**
Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum
The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum is a transportation museum in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Western Reserve Historical Society's Cleveland History Center in University Circle, and its collection includes about 170 cars. It ...
**
Cleveland History Center
*The
Dittrick Museum of Medical History
*
Lake View Cemetery
Lake View Cemetery is a privately owned, nonprofit garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland in the U.S. state of Ohio. Founded in 1869, the cemetery was favored by wealthy families during the Gil ...
**
James A. Garfield Memorial
**
Wade Memorial Chapel
*
Rockefeller Park
*
Cozad–Bates House
*
John Hay High School
John Hay High School — also known as the John Hay Campus — is a public high school located in Cleveland, Ohio. John Hay is part of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, with grade levels including 9th through 12th. The neoclassical scho ...
*
Cleveland School of the Arts
*
Tara Seibel Art Gallery
*
Montessori High School
*
Hawken School University Circle campus
*Montessori Elementary at
Holy Rosary
History
19th century
University Circle was known during the early 19th century as Doan’s Corners, after Nathanial Doan, a member of the
Connecticut Land Company
The Connecticut Company or Connecticut Land Company (e.-1795) was a post-colonial land speculation company formed in the late eighteenth century to survey and encourage settlement in the eastern parts of the newly chartered Connecticut Western Re ...
, who settled his family and started a community here.
The name "University Circle" began to take shape in the 1880s. Western Reserve University moved its campus from
Hudson, Ohio, to
Euclid Avenue in 1883.
Case School of Applied Science
The Case School of Engineering is the engineering school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. It traces its roots to the 1880 founding of the Case School of Applied Science. It became the Case Institute of Technology in 1947 ...
moved from
Downtown Cleveland to a site next to WRU in 1885. Their relocation led to the birth of an educational center and the creation of a new community called University Circle, named in part after these new institutions—but also the circular street intersection and trolley turnaround located at
Euclid Avenue and Doan Brook Boulevard (
Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard today).
By the 1890s, the Western Reserve School of Design for Women (
Cleveland Institute of Art) moved to University Circle, and the concept of developing a world-class arts and cultural center came to life. The concept became more concrete when
Jeptha Wade, a trustee of Western Reserve University, set aside land for the
Cleveland Museum of Art
The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in Cleveland, Ohio, located in the Wade Park District, in the University Circle neighborhood on the city's east side. Internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian ...
to be built in the Circle, which required the Cleveland Zoological Park, now known as the
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, to be relocated to its present-day location of
Old Brooklyn. The Historical Society (
Western Reserve Historical Society
The Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) is a historical society in Cleveland, Ohio. The society operates the Cleveland History Center, a collection of museums in University Circle.
The society was founded in 1867, making it the oldest cul ...
) joined these institutions before the start of the 20th century.
20th century
The Circle began to grow rapidly in the early 20th century. The
Cleveland Museum of Art
The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in Cleveland, Ohio, located in the Wade Park District, in the University Circle neighborhood on the city's east side. Internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian ...
opened its doors in 1916. By the 1920s and 1930s, 19 educational and cultural institutions were located in the area, from the
Cleveland Museum of Natural History to the
Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center to the
Cleveland Botanical Garden and others.
Cleveland's
college football scene began in University Circle through both
Case and Western Reserve football teams. Van Horn Field hosted games against
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
,
Notre Dame, and
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
. Famed Notre Dame coach
Knute Rockne made his coaching debut against Case in University Circle in
1918. In
1920, The
Alabama Crimson Tide played their first ever game in the
north
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north ...
at Van Horn Field against Case.
The arrival of
University Hospitals in 1931 (founded in 1866) led to health care becoming another center of innovation in University Circle. Less than away from University Hospitals, the
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit American academic medical center based in Cleveland, Ohio. Owned and operated by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, an Ohio nonprofit corporation established in 1921, it runs a 170-acre (69 ha) campus in Cleveland, ...
had been serving its patients since 1921. Also in 1931
Severance Hall, home of the
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra, based in Cleveland, is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the " Big Five". Founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Se ...
, was constructed at the corner of Euclid and East Boulevard.
By 1950, 34 institutions had chosen University Circle as their home.
In 1967, Case School of Applied Science and Western Reserve University confederated to become
Case Western Reserve University.
21st century
University Circle remains
Cleveland
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 the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
's center for cultural, educational, religious, and social-service institutions. The area is currently undergoing many construction projects with many institutions expanding, and private development of residential and commercial dwellings. New housing developments in the area have increased the number of year-round residents in the area to an estimated 15,000 as of 2013.
In 2012, the
Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) opened its new permanent location in University Circle at the corner of
Mayfield Road and
Euclid Avenue.
Public transportation
University Circle is served by multiple forms of transportation, including rapid train, bus,
bus rapid transit (BRT), and circulators. Unique from other
Cleveland
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 the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
neighborhoods, it contains two train stops on the
RTA
RTA may refer to:
Media
* Radio and Television Arts, program at Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada
* Radio Television Afghanistan
** RTA TV, an Afghan channel
* Radiodiffusion Télévision Algérienne
* Real time attack, a game speedrun
Scienc ...
's
Red Line, the
Little Italy-University Circle Station and the
University Circle-Cedar Rapid Station. The CircleLink shuttle service (colloquially known as the "Greenie") provides free public transportation within University Circle. It provides service between the north and south sides of the CWRU campus, from University Circle to Coventry Village, around the CWRU campus and the
University Hospitals of Cleveland
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (UH Cleveland Medical Center) is a large not-for-profit academic medical complex in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center is the main affiliate hospital of Cas ...
, and between the
Urban Child Research Center and the main Case campus.
The new BRT
HealthLine
Healthline Media, Inc. is an American website and provider of health information headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1999, relaunched in 2006, and established as a standalone entity in January 2016.
Accuracy
There ar ...
, which opened on October 24, 2008, is the newest option to the neighborhood, being a major destination on the line along
Euclid Avenue that connects
Public Square
A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...
to
Louis Stokes Station at Windermere
Louis Stokes Station at Windermere is a rapid transit station on the RTA Red Line in East Cleveland, Ohio. It is located on the northwest side of Euclid Avenue ( U.S. Routes 6 and 20) between Bryn Mawr and Doan Roads. It is the eastern termin ...
in
East Cleveland. In a $197 million project, Euclid Avenue was rebuilt during construction, with the installation of public art, new lighting, and sidewalks along the entire length of the HealthLine, along with dedicated bus lanes. There are seven
HealthLine
Healthline Media, Inc. is an American website and provider of health information headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1999, relaunched in 2006, and established as a standalone entity in January 2016.
Accuracy
There ar ...
stops in University Circle and runs 24 hours. Additionally, many bus routes have stops in University Circle, including bus numbers 7, 8, 9, 10, 32, 38, and 48/48A.
Events
University Circle is known for its year-round cultural events:
*
Hessler Street Fair (May)
*Parade the Circle (Jun)
*Summer Solstice Party (
Cleveland Museum of Art
The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in Cleveland, Ohio, located in the Wade Park District, in the University Circle neighborhood on the city's east side. Internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian ...
) (Jun)
*International Folk Festival (Jun)
*WOW! Wade Oval Wednesdays (Jun-Aug)
*
Feast of the Assumption
The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows:
We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by Go ...
(August 15 weekend)
*Showcase in the Circle and Home Tour (Sep)
*Cleveland's RIPE! Fest (
Botanical Garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
) (Sep)
*Little Italy
Columbus Day
Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere, and a federal holiday in the United States, which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492.
...
Parade (Oct)
*Holiday CircleFest (Dec)
Construction and expansion projects
University Circle is undergoing $2 billion in construction and renovation projects.
Uptown project
The Uptown project is a multi-phase, $150 million-plus retail, entertainment, restaurant and cultural project under development by MRN Ltd. of Cleveland, and sponsored by
Case Western Reserve University and University Circle Inc. Its location creates a true center to University Circle.
A $44.5 million "Phase I" broke ground on August 2, 2010, creating two mixed-use buildings of 102 apartments above first floor retail.
Additional anchors of the project currently under construction include the $66 million expansion of the
Cleveland Institute of Art and the $32 million new home for the
Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). The new MOCA is designed by the London architect
Farshid Moussavi. The surrounding pedestrian plaza is designed by
James Corner Field Operations, the same landscape architecture firm who designed the
High Line
The High Line is a elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan in New York City. The High Line's design is a collaboration between James Corner Field Opera ...
in New York City.
The $21 million "Phase II" consists of 43 apartments, dormitories for the
Cleveland Institute of Art, and retail. The anchor tenant is a two-story bowling alley, known as Corner Alley. Completion date was in fall 2014.
Euclid–East 120th (RTA Rapid Transit station) has been relocated to Mayfield Road at East 119th Street. With a total cost of $17.5 million, it was renamed the Little Italy-University Circle Rapid Station.
On November 30, 2011, the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' showcased the project with an article entitled "Cleveland Turns Uptown Into New Downtown".
Cleveland Museum of Art expansion
On March 7, 2005 the Cleveland Museum of Art embarked on a multi-year project to renovate and expand into the next century. The project is designed by architect
Rafael Viñoly, combining old and new styles. At a total cost of $350 million, it is the largest cultural project in the history of the state of Ohio and one of the most comprehensive renovation and expansion projects in the museum field in the nation.
University Hospitals/Case Medical Center expansion
Three new facilities and structures opened in summer of 2011. They include the $250 million
Seidman Cancer Center, $41 million Center for Emergency Medicine, and a $30 million new parking structure.
Train stations
Both current University Circle train stations were rehabbed and reconstructed by August 2015.
The
University Circle-Cedar Rd rapid station underwent a complete rehab, using an
ADA-compliant design to include a new rail entry plaza, waiting area, and train loading platform. A new bus terminal was also constructed on the north side of Cedar Road with a pedestrian connection between the bus terminal and the rail station. Secured funding included a $10.5 million grant from the
U.S. Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States and ...
and a $2 million grant from the
Federal Transit Administration—totaling $12.5 million in federal funds.
The
Euclid–East 120th rapid station was relocated in conjunction with the Uptown Project to E.119 St and Mayfield Rd. Funding was received through a $12.5 million grant from the
U.S. Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States and ...
, via the
Federal Transit Administration. The final cost of the new station was around $17.5 million.
Louis Stokes VA Medical Center expansion
Totaling a $526 million expansion, this project includes a seven-story administrative office tower, living space for 122 homeless veterans, a 2,000-car parking garage, and a seven-story tower with 222 patient beds. Among the other parts of the project are the renovation of the hematology/oncology unit, expansion of the radiation area, building two floors on top of the atrium to accommodate various services, and an expanded operating room.
Case Western Reserve University expansion
Two major new construction projects have recently broken ground:
*Tinkham Veale Student Center
*Wyant Field House
In Spring 2012,
Case Western Reserve University campus underwent the construction of $50 million student center in the center of campus. It is known as the Tinkham Veale Student Center designed by
Ralph Johnson of
Perkins + Will
Perkins&Will is a global design practice founded in 1935. Since 1986, the group has been a subsidiary of Lebanon-based Dar Al-Handasah (Arabic: دار الهندسة). Phil Harrison has been the firm's CEO since 2006.
History
The firm was establ ...
. It encompasses 82,000-square-feet, has 24/7 student access, and is environmentally friendly—with a green roof to absorb rainwater and windows designed to prevent excessive heat from sunlight. The second project is known as the Wyant Field House, enclosing the last open portion of
DiSanto Field. The Wyant Field House is approximately 24,000 square feet and serves as a facility for varsity athletes and the 2,500 students who reside at The Village. The facility includes weight training and cardiovascular areas, a Varsity Club lounge, and multipurpose space.
Little Italy
Little Italy ( it, Piccola Italia) is an
ethnic enclave
In sociology, an ethnic enclave is a geographic area with high ethnic concentration, characteristic cultural identity, and economic activity. The term is usually used to refer to either a residential area or a workspace with a high concentration ...
that serves as the historic center of Cleveland's
Italian American community. It is located from E. 119th to E. 125th streets on Murray Hill and
Mayfield roads, situated at the eastern city limits, along a long, moderately sloping grade that ascends in elevation approximately 300 feet. It is bounded to the east and south by suburban
Cleveland Heights
Cleveland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and one of Cleveland's historical streetcar suburbs. The city's population was 45,312 at the 2020 census. As of the 2010 census, Cleveland Heights was ranked the 8th largest ...
, to the northeast by
Lakeview Cemetery, and to the west by
CSX,
Norfolk Southern
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31, ...
, and
Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Red Line railroad tracks, which separates it from the rest of University Circle.
Points and events of interest
Little Italy is known for its several culinary, historic, and cultural sites. Its biggest attractions are the restaurants, bakeries, and pizzerias. It is home to everything from a thriving
art gallery, to scene boutique shops—and even a technology startup. The best known historic structure is
Holy Rosary Church built in 1908. Culturally, Little Italy is home to the
Italian American Museum of Cleveland and the Alta House, the neighborhood community center founded in 1895. The private elementary and middle school is Montessori Elementary at
Holy Rosary Church. Tony Brush Park provides the neighborhoods green space and playgrounds.
Each August, the
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
congregation of the historic
Holy Rosary Church celebrates the 4-day festival for the
Feast of the Assumption
The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows:
We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by Go ...
, in which Little Italy stages Greater Cleveland's
largest Italian-American street festival. Every October, Little Italy hosts the city's
Columbus Day
Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere, and a federal holiday in the United States, which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492.
...
Parade. The neighborhood enjoys art walks a few times a year, usually in June, October, and December.
History
Little Italy began in 1895 when immigrant Joseph Carabelli saw the need for monument work in Cleveland's
Lakeview Cemetery and established what soon became the city's leading marble and granite works. Local Cleveland industrial billionaire
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He has been widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Rockefeller was ...
took a special liking to the Italian immigrants of the neighborhood and commissioned the building of the community center Alta House, named after his daughter
Alta Rockefeller Prentice, in 1900. Little Italy is also home to the first Italian restaurant to open in the
State of Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, Guarino's, which is also the oldest restaurant in the city, opening in 1918. The first hand-crank pasta machine was invented in Little Italy by Angelo Vitantonio, an Italian immigrant to Cleveland. He received a
patent
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A ...
for the product in 1906, and went on to found the Italian kitchenware manufacturer
VillaWare, which continues to operate today.
In 1911, it was estimated that 96% of the inhabitants were Italian-born, and another 2% were of Italian parents.
Ettore Boiardi (Chef Boyardee) opened his first restaurant, Il Giardino d'Italia, in the 1920s. In 1993, the community dedicated Tony Brush Park, named for champion boxer and Little Italy resident Anthony Brescia, at Mayfield and Random roads. Major residential project expansions occurred in 2003 with the 20-unit Villa Carabelli, in 2005 with the 15-unit Random Road Lofts townhomes, and in 2011 the 27-unit 27 Coltman townhouses. The neighborhood
bocce
(, or , ), sometimes anglicized as bocce ball, bocci or boccie, is a ball sport belonging to the boules family. Developed into its present form in Italy, it is closely related to British bowls and French , with a common ancestry from ancie ...
courts are located at the Alta House, and in 2011 underwent a complete remodeling in a $110,000 project, being named in honor of Nick and Dorothy Lucarelli.
For a large part of its history, Cleveland was home to the largest
Mafia organization between New York and Chicago.
The Mayfield Road Mob was the name of a gang which began around 1920 in Little Italy. Among the members of the "Mayfield Road Mob" were
James T. Licavoli
James T. Licavoli (born Vincentio Licavoli; August 18, 1904 − November 23, 1985), also known as "Jack White" or "Blackie", was an American mobster based in Cleveland, Ohio, and one of the earliest organized crime figures to be convicted under t ...
and
Jimmy Fratianno. This Mafia faction was even mentioned by its old name in the movie "
The Godfather" as the Lakeview Road Gang, as
Lakeview Cemetery borders Mayfield Road Hill.
Gallery
File:Adelbert Hall.jpg, Adelbert Hall
Adelbert Hall is an administration building at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and a registered historic building, listed in the National Register on 1973-10-30.
Construction
It was built in 1881 to serve as the home of West ...
at Case Western Reserve University
File:WWSeverance-Hall-1.jpg, Severance Hall, home to the Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra, based in Cleveland, is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the " Big Five". Founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Se ...
File:Euclid Avenue Presbyterian Church Cleveland Ohio.jpg, Church of the Covenant
File:Cozad-Bates House Cleveland Ohio.jpg, Cozad-Bates House built 1853
File:Cleveland Museum Natural History.jpg, Main entrance to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
File:HersheyChildrensGarden6.jpg, Hershey Children's Garden at the Cleveland Botanical Garden
File:Cleveland Institute of Art Euclid Ave.jpg, The Cleveland Institute of Art is centered in a former Ford Model T factory
File:Cleveland Institute of Music.JPG, The Cleveland Institute of Music
The Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) is a private music conservatory in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1920 by Ernest Bloch, it enrolls 325 students in the conservatory and approximately 1,500 students in the preparatory and continuing educatio ...
File:GarfieldMonument.jpg, The James A. Garfield Memorial in Lakeview Cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
File:The Temple Tifereth Israel.jpg, Maltz Performing Arts Center
Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center at Temple–Tifereth Israel is a 1200-seat historic arts and religious venue on the campus of Case Western Reserve University located on the Hough, Cleveland, Hough and University Circle border at Sil ...
, converted synagogue operated by Case Western Reserve University
File:Tudor Arms ballroom.jpg, Ballroom of the Tudor Arms Doubletree Hotel renovated in 2011
File:Seidman Cancer Center.jpg, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center behind a mixed-use apartment building
File:Cleveland Museum of Art atrium expansion 2012.jpg , Inside the atrium of the Cleveland Museum of Art
The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in Cleveland, Ohio, located in the Wade Park District, in the University Circle neighborhood on the city's east side. Internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian ...
File:Allen Memorial Medical Library Exterior.jpg, Allen Memorial Medical Library, home to the Dittrick Museum of Medical History
File:Francis K Glidden House Cleveland Ohio.jpg, Glidden House boutique hotel located at the Juniper Rd and Ford Rd intersection
File:Uptown Cleveland Apartments Euclid Ave II.jpg, Streetscape of Euclid Ave at E.115 showing Uptown
File:Peter B. Lewis Building - oblique 1.jpg, Frank Gehry designed Peter B Lewis Building serves as the Weatherhead School of Management.
File:Amasa Stone Chapel Case Western Reserve University Circle.jpg, Amasa Stone
Amasa Stone, Jr. (April 27, 1818 – May 11, 1883) was an American industrialist who is best remembered for having created a regional railroad empire centered in the U.S. state of Ohio from 1860 to 1883. He gained fame in New England in the 184 ...
Chapel
File:Kelvin Smith Library.jpg, Kelvin Smith Library
File:John D. Rockefeller Case Western Reserve Physics Building 1905.png, John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He has been widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Rockefeller was ...
Physics Building
File:Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center (26875646802).jpg, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center
file:Cleveland Museum of Art - lagoon with statue.jpg, Wade Lagoon stretches in front of the Cleveland Museum of Art
The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in Cleveland, Ohio, located in the Wade Park District, in the University Circle neighborhood on the city's east side. Internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian ...
See also
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List of Italian-American neighborhoods
References
External links
Little Italy Redevelopment CorporationLittle Italy ClevelandLittle Italy Guide at Cleveland.comUniversity Circle IncorporatedUniversity Circle Guide
{{Authority control
Populated places established in 1799
Academic enclaves
Neighborhoods in Cleveland
Italian-American culture in Cleveland
Little Italys in the United States
Tourist attractions in Cleveland
Art gallery districts
Medical districts