Lakewood, Ohio

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Lakewood, Ohio
settlement_type = City
nickname = "City of Beautiful Homes"
motto =

imagesize =
image_caption =


image_

---

mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Lakewood in Cuyahoga County
pushpin_

pushpin_label_position = right
pushpin_mapsize = 300
pushpin_map_caption = Location of Lakewood in Ohio

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Ohio
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Cuyahoga

government_footnotes =
government_type = Mayor-council
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Edward FitzGerald
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 17.3
area_land_km2 = 14.4
area_water_km2 = 3.0
area_total_sq_mi = 6.7
area_land_sq_mi = 5.5
area_water_sq_mi = 1.1

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 56646
population_density_km2 = 3941.5
population_density_sq_mi = 10208.5

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes = GR|3
elevation_m = 215
elevation_ft = 705
latd = 41 |latm = 28 |lats = 51 |latNS = N
longd = 81 |longm = 48 |longs = 1 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 44107
area_code = 216
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 39-41664GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = [Gnis3|1064966 1064966]
website = http://www.ci.lakewood.oh.us/
footnotes =

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 56,646 at the 2000 census, making it the third largest city in Cuyahoga County, only behind Cleveland (478,403) and Parma (85,655).

History

Lakewood incorporated as a village on August 31, 1889. [ [http://www.ci.lakewood.oh.us/citygovern_mayor.html Office of the Mayor] , City of Lakewood. Accessed 2007-08-07.]

Geography

Lakewood is located at coor dms|41|28|51|N|81|48|1|W|city (41.480881, -81.800360),GR|1 about 6 miles 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 censusGR| 2 of 2000, there were 56,646 people, 26,693 households, and 12,545 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,940.7/km² (10,208.5/sq mi), making it more densely populated than both Los Angeles, California and Toronto, Ontario (It is, in fact, the most densely populated city between New York and Chicago). There were 28,416 housing units at an average density of 5,121.0/sq mi (1,976.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.07% White, 1.97% African American, 0.25% Native American,Arab 0.7%, 1.41% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 2.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.24% of the population. Ethnic groups include Germans (25.2%), Irish (23.6%), English (9.8%), Italians (8.9%), Poles (7.8%), and Slovaks (5.3%). A substantial community of Greeks also exists in Lakewood and the city has also attracted many recent Albanian and Arab (mostly Maronite Christian and Sunni Muslim) immigrants. Lakewood has been recognized as being a counterculture and alternative haven for Northeast Ohio residents, as opposed to the outer-ring suburbs.

There were 26,693 households out of which 23.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.0% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.0% were non-families. 43.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 37.2% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,527, and the median income for a family was $53,433. Males had a median income of $38,513 versus $30,370 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,945. About 6.1% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.7% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

The gay community has a strong presence in Lakewood. Although the entire city boasts many neighborhoods where gay individuals and same sex couples are part of the norm, certain areas such as Edgewater Drive and the Gold Coast are known for being very gay friendly and home to many gay and lesbian people.Fact|date=September 2008

Education

The public school district is currently in the midst of its first major school building program since 1920.
*St. Edward High School - Private Roman Catholic High School for boys which attracts students from around Northeast Ohio.
*Lakewood High School - One of the largest high schools in the state of Ohio, with over 2000 students attending. Has outstanding athletic facilities which regularly host regional competitions.
* [http://www.lkwdpl.org/schools/lincoln/ Lincoln Elementary] 15615 Clifton Boulevard, Lakewood, Ohio 44107 .
*Harding Middle School A new building replaced the original facility in 2007.
*Garfield Middle School
* 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 will begin in early 2008 and is expected to take four years to complete.
* The renovation projects on Emerson and Horace Mann have cost the city $36 million. The rebuilding projects on Hayes and Harrison cost the city $13 million. This difference in price can be attributed to the desire of Board of Education leadres wanting to keep the schools (Emerson and Horce Mann) as "twin" schools.
* The Lakewood school system is one of the largest employers in the city of Lakewood.
* Taft Elementary (Lakewood Ohio) Closed June 2008
* The Virginia Marti College of Design is located on Detroit Avenue.
* The University of Akron has expressed interest in an off-campus site in the city of Lakewood, to counter CSU's recent expanding of horizons to suburbs like Solon and Westlake.
* Lakewood Catholic Academy is a highly regarded private elementary school.
* Padre Pio Academy is 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.

Amenities & Highlights

* Scene Magazine rated Lakewood the best city to live in for 2006.
* Lakewood's Gold Coast, along Edgewater Drive, is a densely populated row of luxury high-rise apartment and condominium buildings.
* Lakewood Park is one of the largest lakefront parks in Ohio and features a live concert stage, outdoor swimming pool, picnic pavilions, basketball, baseball, volleyball, and a skate park.
* The Rocky River Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks System forms part of the city's western border. The Lakewood Dog Park is located next to the Metroparks, in the Rocky River valley.
* [http://www.lkwdpl.org Lakewood Public Library] has won numerous [http://www.lkwdpl.org/about/awards/ 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. [http://www.haplr-index.com/HAPLR100.htm]
* 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.
* Madison Village, an area in southeast Lakewood that consists of art and record stores, and has a progressive, or counterculture atmosphere.
* Lakewood houses 4 art galleries: Bela Dubby (art gallery and coffeehouse), The Pop Shop Gallery & Studio, the Local Girl Gallery and the Wobblefoot Gallery.
* 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 also home to the district headquarters of Congressman and former Cleveland mayor Dennis Kucinich.
* Lakewood boasts a very popular bar scene up and down both Madison Avenue and Detroit Avenue.
* 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 it's 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.
* The eastern edge of Lakewood blends smoothly with Cleveland's Edgewater neighborhood to create a culturally diverse district that comprises two cities, known as "The Edge: Two Cities, One Neighborhood".
* Birdtown (also known as Bird's Nest) is 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.
* Lakewood is home to Clifton Park, the famous residential neighborhood on the west side of the city that was cut in half in the 1930s to allow Clifton Boulevard to bridge across the Rocky River, only to be later rendered useless, as all state routes terminate at West Clifton and Clifton Boulevard.
* Lakewood operates a US-CERT program, created to respond to emergencies within the city. The program has been used successfully in 2007 on two different occasions - both times, appraised by public officials for the absence of any errors or problems.
* Lakewood, while populated at under 60,000 residents, is home to a large number of media outlets including no less than 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.
* The city of Lakewood has one of the highest recycling rates in all of Ohio. City employees can be seen all days of the week riding around Lakewood in their mini-vehicles picking up curbside recyclables. In addition, Lakewood provides its own water, sewer, and trash removal, something almost absent amongst the rest of Cuyahoga County.
*Lakewood is home to the nation's first high school Rock Orchestra called the [http://www.thelakewoodproject.net/ 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. The Lakewood Project performs at Lakewood Park on the forth of July every year.

Projects and construction

Lakewood is in the midst of experiencing a true renaissance in which economic development has boomed in recent years. In addition to the aforementioned 5 school project, some of the more notable projects recently completed or currently under construction include:

* On March 8, 2007, "The Plain Dealer" published a cover story announcing Lakewood's plans to create a new "Arts District". Three possible locations have been determined, with the possibility of developing each location independently of the other. The first revolves around the Beck Center for the Arts on Detroit Avenue and is to include restaurants, art galleries, and other shops. The second location would become a live-work area between Birdtown and the eastern edge of the city, intertwined between Madison Avenue and Berea Road. The third possible location to develop an "Arts District" would be the Hilliard Triangle, which is at the junction of Hilliard and Madison Avenue's.
* In May 2006, the city of Lakewood added a paved bicycle/jogging trail to Lakewood Park that loops the entire park and a lake front boardwalk that offers outstanding views of the Cleveland skyline. The next phase to Lakewood Park is to add a beach on the northwestern tip of the park, sometime in.
* Lakewood library recently underwent a large expansion. The president of the Lakewood Library has adopted some very innovative features, such as keeping the library open until 9 p.m. on Sundays, with hopes of keeping the library open until 11 p.m. or later in the future.
* Rockport Square, a new residential project by Forest City Enterprises is being developed on the eastern end of the city and is incorporating mixed use all along Detroit Avenue. The project includes three phases, with the first one complete and the second one currently underway. The current phase will include two 6-story loft buildings and several adjacent mixed-use buildings.
* In recent years, Lakewood has adopted a special building code that requires all future development within the city to be created using an urban sense of nature, meaning that any new construction must be built up against the sidewalk and attempt to resemble the historical brick and mortar structures throughout the city. This building code has become prevalent with large retailers like Walgreens having to place parking lots in the rear or side of the building as opposed to the traditional suburban style storefront. This building style is also evident amongst the recently constructed Rite-Aid, Hollywood Video(now closed, the building will be the future home to Auto Zone), and the second Walgreen's location currently under construction.
* 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.
* A new riverfront condo project is to be constructed up against the walls of the Rocky River Reservation. The high rise will include options for boat docking and will be the first construction of its kind in Northeast Ohio.
* The Lakewood YMCA recently finished construction of its new facility on Detroit Avenue. 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.
* Lakewood and the city of Cleveland will begin the re-construction of Clifton Boulevard in its entirety beginning in 2008. The plan calls for the re-creation of a true boulevard, meaning the street would once again have a tree-lined median.
* The Cleveland Clinic recently completed construction of a new one-story facility on Detroit Avenue, adjacent to Rock port Square.

Skyline

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

=Gold Coast=

* Winton Place
* The Carlyle
* The Meridian
* The Water ford
* 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 feet) 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.
* 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 & districts

* Arts District (Proposed) - 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/Bird's Nest - Southeastern corner of Lakewood.

* Clifton Boulevard/ North End - Lined with big trees and countless multi-family homes, apartment complexes, and big 4x4 brick structures, the 7-lane Clifton Boulevard is the busiest street in Lakewood and is almost exclusively residential.

* Clifton Park - The wealthiest neighborhood of Lakewood is situated in the northwestern corner of the city. Bounded by Sloane on the south, West Clifton on the east, The Rocky River on the west, and Lake Erie on the north. Includes the private Clifton Beach community.

* Clifton Prado - A relatively small and secretive area of Lakewood, Clifton Prado is a 1-street neighborhood between Clifton Boulevard and Detroit Avenue, one block east of Cove Avenue. Clifton Prado is the most narrow street in Lakewood and has largely fallen into a state of disrepair; several homes on the street have been condemned.

* 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 also co-exists partially in the city of Cleveland. Some of the most known venues include The Hi-Fi, The Five-O-Clock, Phantasy, and The Chamber.

* Gold Coast, The

* "Lakewood Heights" - Running along Lakewood Heights Blvd, this neighborhood is the southern border of Lakewood, and includes several bars, an independent full-service grocery store, and several other businesses. While there is no real neighborhood designated "Lakewood Heights" per se, the name of the main road traversing it provides a convenient moniker for the area between it and Athens Blvd.

* Lakewood Park - Lakewood Park is Lakewood's biggest park and features direct access to Lake Erie. Many residential streets surround the park directly and the southwestern edge of the park is lined with a row of large apartment complexes. Lakewood Catholic Academy borders the neighborhood to the west.

* Rockport Square - Rockport Square (not to be confused with the former Rockport Township) is an urban renewal project along Detroit Avenue on the western side of the city. Roughly 200 condo's, lofts, and live-work spaces are to be constructed in all.

* Silver Coast - The Silver Coast is centered around the intersection of Hilliard Avenue and Madison Avenue. This neighborhood is best known for the big plans in the 60's to make it the next Gold Coast which would eventually become lined with high rise apartment towers.

* 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 residents voted against it by only a handful of votes.

Transportation

* The Gold Line (55X/55F), an RTA express bus route, runs east and west along Clifton Boulevard, terminating at Cleveland State University in downtown Cleveland to the east and in Avon Lake via Lake Road to the west. [http://www.gcrta.org/maps-schedules.asp Greater Cleveland Regional Transport Authority: Timetables, Maps & Schedules] ]
* 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 the 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.
* RTA's Route 804, the Lakewood Community Circulator runs on several main East-West routes with a lower fare than normal RTA buses.
* 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 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 of the commercial districts on Madison and Detroit Avenues.
* Lakewood has no on-road signed bicycle routes or bicycle-specific lanes, but bicycles are permitted on all sidewalks and roadways [http://bikelakewood.org/Bike%20Ordinances%20New.pdf] .

Geographic Location
North = Lake Erie
West = Rocky River
Center = Lakewood
East = Cleveland
South = Cleveland/West Park

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 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 Aston Villa
*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 Robert E. Hawkins, photographer
*Longtime home of Mike Beckwith, quarterback, Cleveland Gladiators
*Sean Cardinal O'Malley Archbishop of Boston, Ma. Grew up here

Notes

External links

* [http://www.ci.lakewood.oh.us/ City of Lakewood - Official Site]
* [http://lkwdpl.org Lakewood Public Library]
* [http://www.lkwdpl.org/focus/ Lakewood Public Library Future Focus]
* [http://www.lakewoodbuzz.com/ LakewoodBuzz.com |original community forum and events and news/urban website]
* [http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/ Lakewood Observer |volunteer community newspaper/urban journal]
* [http://www.crimewood.com/ Crimewood.com |Web site focusing on crime and quality of life issues]
* [http://www.lakewoodalive.com/ Lakewoodalive |Economic development portal]
* [http://www.ascension-lakewood.org/ Church of the Ascension | One of the first churches in Lakewood | Est. 1875]