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East Cleveland, Ohio
Forest Hill Historic District
Flag of East Cleveland, Ohio
Flag
Official seal of East Cleveland, Ohio
Seal
Location in Cuyahoga County and the state of Ohio
Location in Cuyahoga County and the state of Ohio
Country  United States
State  Ohio
County Cuyahoga
Area
 • Total 3.09 sq mi (8.00 km2)
 • Land 3.08 sq mi (7.98 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation
686 ft (209 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 13,792
 • Estimate 
(2023)
13,352
 • Density 4,473.56/sq mi (1,727.26/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
44110, 44112, 44118
Area code(s) 216
FIPS code 39-23380
GNIS feature ID 1064577
Website www.eastcleveland.org

East Cleveland is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,792 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb lying east and south of Cleveland and west of Cleveland Heights.

History

Forest Hill, John D. Rockefeller's Residence, Cleveland Sixth City (NBY 794)
Forest Hill, John D. Rockefeller's East Cleveland mansion

Historically East Cleveland was partially founded by Scottish immigrants, whose names can still be found in the city such as Shaw, McIlrath, and Eddy. East Cleveland incorporated as a village in 1895 and became a city in 1911. This charter included provisions for women's suffrage, which at the time was unheard of east of the Mississippi River. Before the charter passed, the city of Cleveland unsuccessfully attempted to annex the emerging municipality in 1910 and again in 1916.

East Cleveland is home to General Electric's historic Nela Park, the world's first industrial park. Nela Park, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, continues to operate today as the functional headquarters for GE Lighting and is the city's second largest employer. Huron Hospital, a satellite hospital of the Cleveland Clinic, was the city's largest employer. Huron Hospital was a notable health care facility, being the only Level-II trauma center between Cleveland's MetroHealth Medical Center, located on West 25th Street, and Hillcrest Hospital, located in Mayfield Heights. Huron Hospital closed in early spring of 2011.

By the Great Depression a great number of homes along "Millionaires' Row" were demolished or abandoned. Although commercial properties and fast-food chains replaced many Euclid Avenue homes during the second half of the 20th century, East Cleveland is still home to 18 of the original "Millionaire's Row" homes, while only six are left in the city of Cleveland.

After World War II, development of other suburbs within the region brought a number of changes to East Cleveland. By the 1960s, African Americans constituted an increasingly large portion of the city's population. By 1984, East Cleveland was one of the largest primarily black communities in Ohio, with a population of 36,957.

Geography

East Cleveland is located at 41°31′54″N 81°34′55″W / 41.53167°N 81.58194°W / 41.53167; -81.58194 (41.531701, -81.581948). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.10 square miles (8.03 km2), of which 3.09 square miles (8.00 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.

Most of the city is located in a relatively flat and relatively lower area contiguous with the city of Cleveland. A small portion of the city lies atop a steep hill, and is contiguous with the neighboring city of Cleveland Heights; it also lies in a relatively flat area at a higher elevation. Superior Road, Forest Hills Boulevard, Lee Road, Noble and North Taylor roads are the major through-streets ascending the hill. The McGregor Home and the Forest Hill Historic District are located on "the hill." The city is notable for its high amount of abandoned buildings.

Surrounding communities

The University Circle neighborhood of Cleveland is immediately to the west of East Cleveland, on the other side of a railway viaduct that carries the RTA Red Line. Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, and the Cleveland Museum of Art are in University Circle.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 2,876
1890 2,876 0.0%
1900 2,757 −4.1%
1910 9,179 232.9%
1920 27,292 197.3%
1930 39,667 45.3%
1940 39,495 −0.4%
1950 40,047 1.4%
1960 37,991 −5.1%
1970 39,600 4.2%
1980 36,957 −6.7%
1990 33,096 −10.4%
2000 27,217 −17.8%
2010 17,843 −34.4%
2020 13,792 −22.7%
2023 (est.) 13,352 −25.2%
Sources:

Households

East Cleveland is a community with a housing density of 4,343 houses per square mile. There are a total of 13,491 houses within the city limits. Although the state average for renters in Ohio is 35%, the percentage of renters in East Cleveland specifically is 68%. The 2015 median gross rent for East Cleveland was $472 per month. In East Cleveland, 95.8% spoke English, 2.1% Spanish and 1.2% Russian.

Income

The 2011–2015 median household income for residents living in East Cleveland was $19,592. Along with that, 59% of household income is less than $25,000 annually. Only 19% of households in East Cleveland have annual incomes between $25,000 and $44,000. The 2011–2015 median individual income for residents of East Cleveland was $14,442, with 52% of individual incomes being under $15,000 a year. In addition, 31% of individual incomes in East Cleveland are between $15,000 and $34,000.

In 2018, East Cleveland was ranked as the 4th poorest city in America. Moreover, the city had a 41.8% poverty rate along with a $19,953 median household income.

2020 census

East Cleveland, Ohio – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2000 % 2010 2020
White alone (NH) 1,219 796 630 4.48% 4.46% 4.57%
Black or African American alone (NH) 25,291 16,532 12,314 92.92% 92.65% 89.28%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 46 38 31 0.17% 0.21% 0.22%
Asian alone (NH) 61 40 44 0.22% 0.22% 0.32%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 4 0 5 0.01% 0.00% 0.04%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 34 16 64 0.12% 0.09% 0.46%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) 355 242 474 1.30% 1.36% 3.44%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 207 179 230 0.76% 1.00% 1.67%
Total 27,217 17,843 13,792 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 17,843 people, 8,286 households, and 4,043 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,774.4 inhabitants per square mile (2,229.5/km2). There were 12,523 housing units at an average density of 4,052.8 per square mile (1,564.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.2% African American, 4.6% white, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.

There were 8,286 households, of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 16.5% were married couples living together, 26.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 51.2% were non-families. 46.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 3.03.

The median age in the city was 42.6 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.6% were from 25 to 44; 28.6% were from 45 to 64; and 18.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.1% male and 54.9% female.

Economy

Nela Park Building 307
General Electric's Nela Park was the world's first industrial park.

Per the 2012 Economic Census there are 1,105 locally owned businesses in East Cleveland. Of these firms 944 are owned by minorities and 733 by women. The portion of firms owned by minorities and women are significantly higher than both the state and national average.

Lately there has been a lot of interest in development by investors. This has led to the demolition of many old buildings, new constructions, the renovation of historic homes, the creation of green space for hundreds of abandoned properties close to Case Western Reserve University, University Hospital, John D. Rockefeller Park and the Historic Lake View Cemetery.

A complete road repair of both Euclid Ave and Superior Ave has also led to interest and land purchases in the vicinity.

% of firms owned by women % of firms owned by minorities
East Cleveland 66.33% 85.43%
Ohio 33.91% 13.56%
United States 35.76% 28.79%

Parks and recreation

The 248-acre (1.00 km2) Forest Hill Park boasts three baseball diamonds, tennis courts and walking trails that have retained the natural green space as intended by John D. Rockefeller Jr. when he deeded the park to East Cleveland and the City of Cleveland Heights. Forest Hill Park is the largest single body of green park space between two large metroparks on the far east and west sides of Cleveland, Ohio. The city also features Pattison Park and Hawley Park.

Infrastructure

Superior Cleveland RTA station
Superior station on the RTA Red Line

East Cleveland is a major public transportation hub for northeast Ohio with a total of 80 (approximately one-third) of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority bus routes beginning or ending inside the city.

The GCRTA's Red Line's eastern terminus is located at the Windermere Rapid Station, located on Euclid Avenue in East Cleveland. Destinations along the Red Line include University Circle, Cleveland State University, Tower City Center/Public Square, the West Side Market, and Hopkins International Airport. Passengers boarding GCRTA buses with stops in East Cleveland have access to an even wider range of employment, educational, recreational and cultural destinations throughout the Cleveland area.

Medical care

East Cleveland is home to several medical care facilities including the Candlewood Park Healthcare Center and the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Health Center. Candlewood Park Healthcare Center offers care for senior citizens including outpatient care and rehabilitation services. The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Health Center, which is also a Cleveland Clinic facility, specializes in many different areas including cardiology, chronic disease services, diabetes, internal medicine, and general surgeries.

Education

The East Cleveland demographics on the levels of education are as follows: with 34% of residents having a high school diploma or equivalent, 37% have at least some college, and 7% have a completed bachelor's degree.

East Cleveland City Schools

The East Cleveland City School District provides public education to more than 3000 students in seven new or renovated buildings that were updated as part of a $94 million state-sponsored school construction project. Voters in 1997 agreed to add another $10 million to the $94 million for operating costs.

According to the Ohio Department of Education reports from January 2016, nearly 30% of high school students attending East Cleveland City Schools fail to graduate on time. Students are falling behind state expectations in English, Language Arts, and Mathematics. The district also lags behind the state in the performance index score. During the 2014–2015 school year, East Cleveland City Schools’ performance index score was 66.8. This was the lowest it had been in four years.

East Cleveland schools consist of Shaw High School, Heritage Middle School (formerly Kirk Middle School), Prospect Elementary School (closed in 2016) open for administrative use, Chambers Elementary School, Superior Elementary School, Mayfair Elementary School and Caledonia Elementary School. Rozelle Elementary School was closed due to lower student enrollment and was later demolished.

East Cleveland Public Library operates the Main Branch at 14101 Euclid Avenue. In December 2009 the Caledonia Branch at 960 Caledonia Avenue, and the North Branch at 1425 Hayden Avenue were closed due to budget cuts and the decline in population. East Cleveland Public Library became a member of CLEVNET in 1985.

Notable people

  • Ed Benedict, animator
  • Clarence Berger, professional baseball player
  • Stephen Blum, ethnomusicologist
  • Yvette Nicole Brown, actress
  • JaQuan Hardy, professional football player
  • John Henton, actor and comedian
  • Dale T. Knobel, historian and academic administrator
  • Ruth McKenney, author and journalist
  • Dante Moore, college football player
  • Eleanor Parker, actress
  • Art Sansom, cartoonist
  • Bruce F. Scharschmidt, physician
  • Burt E. Skeel, pilot
  • Ernest Sprague, football player, public official, and engineer
  • Mike Trivisonno, radio broadcaster
  • David John Walkowiak, prelate
  • Bert Wolstein, real estate developer, sports team owner, and philanthropist

See also

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