“I just fell in love with this neighborhood.” It’s a phrase repeated over and over by Clevelanders who might have initially chosen the location of their home because it was close to their job, they had friends who lived nearby or they liked a particular house, apartment or townhome.
But then they realize how convenient walking to their favorite restaurant is, how friendly their neighbors are and what it means to be a real living-in-the-city, in-a-neighborhood Clevelander.
Here’s what your neighbors have to say:
Kenny Crumpton
Feature Reporter, Fox 8 News in The Morning
Unless there is a storm, the waves off Lake Erie aren’t really big enough for bodysurfing. That was an activity that Fox 8’s News in the Morning reporter Kenny Crumpton enjoyed in California before he moved to Cleveland in 1999. But he owns a paddleboard and a kayak. Plus Edgewater Beach is practically in his backyard.
Crumpton has lived in Cleveland’s Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood that overlooks Lake Erie for the past nine years. The Kickin’ It With Kenny host “fell in love” with the neighborhood even before he moved in.
“I was doing a story years ago in Detroit-Shoreway and they were just starting to build all the condos and apartments. I thought it would be a great place to live. It’s new lakefront property and that’s very scarce anywhere in the United States anymore. I love water, and the view … You have a beautiful lake that looks like an ocean right there,” says Crumpton.
The WJW features reporter also said it doesn’t hurt that his neighborhood is close to Downtown. Crumpton’s work schedule often means he’s up and about before snowplows can get to all the streets. So he may have to travel on snow-covered roads, but not for too long.
Being near water and work are major reasons Crumpton chose the neighborhood to call home. But he also proudly declares himself “a theater minor,” and the Gordon Square Arts District is a huge plus. Cleveland Public Theatre, Capitol Theatre, Near West Theatre and other venues’ stages are just part of what makes the area a cultural arts destination.
“I love the fact that the whole neighborhood places a huge emphasis on the arts. First you have theaters, then art galleries follow and after that, restaurants,” says Crumpton. “There are a lot of start-ups here, people who say, ‘I only have a 900-square-foot place, but it’s always been a dream of mine … I am putting my heart and soul into this.’ These are the risk takers.” Crumpton says many folks start with a smaller place but then expand over time. Housing options are plentiful in this neighborhood, he says.
Crumpton says “the arts welcome people of all ages, backgrounds and ethnicities,” an attitude that permeates his neighborhood.
“There are homes here that have been here forever, as well as new townhomes and apartments. It’s a nice blend of up-and-comers and empty-nesters. These are people who say, ‘Let’s walk over to that gallery. There’s a nice young artist, I met them, and I think we should support them,’” he says.
Crumpton also appreciates the “high concentration of women and minority-owned businesses in Detroit-Shoreway, which adds to the inclusive attitude you feel in the area.”
Craig Hassall
President and CEO, Playhouse Square
Craig Hassall hasn’t had a chance to use the thermal underwear he specifically bought when he moved to Cleveland from London this past winter.
“Where was the polar vortex everyone was talking about?” asks Hassell, who became president and CEO of Cleveland’s Playhouse Square in February. “I was told it was such a mild winter, but not to be disappointed. The vortex would be back.”
Indeed. But we think even frigid cold temperatures would not stop the former chief executive of the Royal Albert Hall in London from walking the Playhouse Square neighborhood that he now calls home.
“Cleveland is a great walking city. I’ve walked everywhere downtown. It’s flat, the streets are wide and there is lots to see,” says Hassall, who bought a “big old car” when he first moved here, but parked it in what he calls the “car park” of his residential building and never moved it for six weeks. “I did notice that people here really love their cars. I was used to the Tube and walking in London.”
Obviously, Hassall chose his neighborhood because he “has never seen a collection of theaters in one area that are so ornate, beautiful and well-maintained.” He is also impressed with Playhouse Square’s resident companies, the Broadway series and its educational programs. (Hassall’s assessment is enough to make a proud Clevelander sit up straighter in a theater seat.) Of course, Hassall (born in Australia) is now surrounded by it all.
But Hassall also heard about “that East/West thing” and decided locating somewhere neutrally in the middle would be diplomatic. He’s open to other housing possibilities down the road, but for now Hassall is happy with patronizing The Copper Moon in The Statler apartment lobby, “which has really great coffee,” Zaytoon Lebanese Kitchen and other eateries within walking distance. He is also a big fan of Heinen’s of Downtown Cleveland and other repurposed grand old buildings with classic architecture.
“London is so odd,” says Hassall. “Here I come out my door, hop on my floor’s elevator, people say ‘good morning, how are you?’ That would never happen in London. It was a little unnerving. At first, I thought, what do they want? What are they after? But people here are just genuinely friendly and there is no hidden agenda. I do wish that the streets would be more animated. We need more people enjoying cafes and bars and the fantastic streets. That will happen.”
Phyllis Seven Harris
Executive Director, Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Greater Cleveland
If Phyllis Seven Harris, a resident of Shaker Square’s Larchmere neighborhood, wants to be a self-described “cool mom,” she knows what to do.
“My daughter loves The HoneyBirch Bakehouse and especially their baguettes. I’ll run in there and get one of those and maybe a cinnamon knot,” says Harris, who has lived in the Larchmere neighborhood since 2011, first geographically in Shaker Heights and now within the City of Cleveland for the past three years.
But Harris feels it is more than just the pastries in Larchmere that have given her daughter and son, whom she co-parents, a nurturing upbringing.
“Last year my daughter who is 17 got a summer job at Loganberry Books. She walked to work. I know she was in a safe place and I could always walk up to meet her after work if I wanted to. It’s been a pleasure watching her grow up in Larchmere. She was four when we moved here,” says Harris, executive director of The Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Greater Cleveland.
As “a middle-age, working professional,” Harris also appreciates the safe walking environment of a neighborhood that does not sacrifice its vibrancy. As a member of the LGBT community, she enjoys introducing friends to the area. Harris belongs to “an unofficial group” called Lesbians of Larchmere (LOL) and is a friend of Lesbians of Larchmere Ally (LOLA).
“I already had that city feeling when I lived in what I call East Larchmere. But when I moved to West Larchmere, what came was not only a pride for my neighborhood, but a pride for the City of Cleveland,” says Harris, a member of the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2019.
Harris’ list of favorite Larchmere places includes: Academy Tavern with its patio for entertaining friends; Batuqui, The Flavor of Brazil for showing off to company; Big Al’s Diner for breakfast; DaVita’s Deli and Beverage for chips and drinks; and Fiddlehead Gallery for jewelry and retail shopping, as well as other unique establishments. And of course, Larchmere is well-known for its antique shops.
“You also can’t live in Larchmere without being part of a festival, including the Larchmere Porch Fest,” says Harris, who, when she first moved to her home, had to get used to more noise than she was accustomed to. Now she associates city sounds as part of the neighborhood’s beat.
“I am not a homeowner — that’s not for me,” says Harris. “I rent space and have been very lucky. (The management company) has been very gracious and they take care of any needs I have and keep up the property. It’s not a big residential space, but it’s affordable, and we all need affordable places to live in our neighborhoods. I know that may be changing with some of the new development here. But now I have a great place to live and I am planning to stay here as long as it suits the way I want to live. I want to be mayor of Larchmere. Let’s keep Larchmere great.”
Craig Williams
Executive Chef and Owner, Momocho
When Eric Williams moved to his first house in Old Brooklyn in 1999, he went to South Hills Hardware, a nearby, family-owned business, and bought an 8-foot ladder.
“I figured I was an adult then, a real homeowner. I became lifelong friends with the owners of the hardware store because they made me feel welcome,” says Williams, who moved to the neighborhood with his wife, Heather. “And one time I heard that a deli in the neighborhood had great lobster bisque. But I got there a few minutes after they closed. I went home and started to work in my front yard. Someone from the deli pulls into my driveway, hands me a couple quarts of lobster bisque and says, ‘Enjoy your afternoon.’ That’s some Mayberry stuff right there.”
Currently, the couple and their 20-year-old son, Jaxson, live in their second home in Old Brooklyn, a classic Tudor that Williams calls his wife’s “dream home.” His mother now lives in the brick bungalow he calls his first Old Brooklyn home.
“I thought it was important that my son grow up close to his family and grandmother. And Old Brooklyn is a nice, tight-knit neighborhood,” says Williams, executive chef and owner of Momocho, an innovative, modern Mexican cuisine restaurant in Cleveland. “We own and operate businesses in Cleveland and so it’s important to me to live in the city. I feel we should support the community that supports us.”
Old Brooklyn also has a reputation for being home to many other of Cleveland’s most renown chefs, many of whom are friends of Williams.
“I kept thinking what was it about Old Brooklyn that others in the restaurant community knew that I didn’t know,” says Williams, who has been featured on the Food Network, nominated by the James Beard Foundation for Best Chef Great Lakes Region, and taught Guy Fieri how to make a favorite Momocho dish over Zoom.
The chef likes being only eight minutes from downtown Cleveland and having easy access to both sides of town, as well as to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. He appreciates his neighborhood’s amenities, including a fire department station, new and well-established small businesses and parks.
“It’s also a very walkable neighborhood,” says Williams. “It’s like clockwork around here. You can tell what time it is by just seeing who is out walking their dog. There’s a real sense of hospitality here and community connection. We look out for each other,” says Williams.
