Lakewood Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is a lakefront neighborhood of the city of Lakewood, Ohio, United States. Visible from downtown Cleveland, the Gold Coast consists of many highrise condo and apartment towers directly along the coasts of Lake Erie. The Gold Coast runs specifically along Edgewater Drive and Lake Avenue. It is bordered on the west by Gold Coast Lane and on the east along W. 117th St. Some consider Clifton Boulevard to also be a part of the Gold Coast. The majority of the neighborhood revolves around dense low-rise residential complexes on the southern side with the newer and taller buildings on the northern side.

Overview

*Winton Place is Lakewood's tallest building with approx. 30 floors, standing in at 264 feet. The tower features a lakefront restaurant (Pier W.) which hangs off the shore of Lake Erie beneath the building itself. Winton Place is a full-amenity facility with an underground parking garage, indoor swimming pool, and 24-hour concierge desk.
*The Carlyle (180 feet) also houses a lakefront restaurant (Swingos), which is known for its renowned wine selection.
*The Meridian (161 feet)
*The Waterford (154 feet)
*Marine Towers West (154 feet) and Marine Towers East (146 feet) are situated parallel to each other.
*The Imperial House
*The Envoy is the only Gold Coast highrise not located on Edgewater Drive. It is in fact, located along Lake Avenue.
*Twelve Thousand Edgewater
*The Shoreham Apartments
*Edgewater Towers
*Lake House Condominiums
*The Berkshire Condominiums
*Lake Shore Towers was built in 1926 and is amongst the first highrises built in the city of Lakewood. The tower has a grand ballroom, open courtyard, and once housed 3 restaurants which has since become the home of an architectural firm.

Other

The Gold Coast is mostly residential, however, several hotels and a large number of retail shops (coffeehouses, restaurants, shops, and deli's) are on the outskirts of the neighborhood, particularly along Clifton Boulevard and W. 117th St, which is the borderline of Cleveland's Edgewater neighborhood.

Future development

While the majority of the Gold Coast is fully developed and has been since the 1970s, several plans are under discussion to enhance the future of Lakewood.
*The re-development of W. 117th Street in its entirety has long been a wish for both the city of Cleveland and Lakewood. In early 2007, the both cities announced a partnership to work towards improving the overall quality of life on both sides of the street (Cleveland borders the eastern side and Lakewood borders the western side).
*The re-construction of the W. 117th Street/Clifton Boulevard intersection has been proposed. New streetscapes, enhanced crosswalks, and improved usage of the northwestern corner of the intersection are some of the issues being discussed.
*In 2008, Clifton Boulevard in its entirety is to be re-built into a true boulevard and will once again be graced with a median full of young trees. Included in the masterplan is a major reworking of the streetscape and RTA bus access, which would directly impact thousands of Gold Coast residents.
*City Place recently opened up on the northeastern corner of Clifton and W. 117th St. The restaurant is open 24 hours and involved turning an old office building with no windows into a very welcoming joint wrapped with windows along the premise. UPDATE - City Place closed at the end of 2007.
*The vacant rotunda church on the corner of Lake Avenue and W. 117th St. has been rumored to be the potential hot spot for a Borders or Barnes & Noble, both of which have shown an interest in moving into the neighborhood.
*The Giant Eagle on Clifton Boulevard recently showed interest in re-locating to W. 117th St. near I-90 in the near future. If the current location closes, there are plans to tear down the old 1-story building and turn it into a mid-rise mixed-use building, including residential apartments and condominiums. The hiatus of this project is due to Giant Eagle's purchase of Tops supermarkets in December 2006.

References