Welcome to Our Southwestern Communities

Welcome to Our Southwestern Communities

The southwestern communities of Cuyahoga County represent a blend of shopping convenience, highway access and proximity to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Situated in the midst of it all is greater Cleveland’s primary airport, Cleveland-Hopkins, the NASA Glenn Research Center and a number of walkable, historic towns.

Where Are Artists Locating?

Artists can be found throughout the southwestern suburbs; however, CPAC’s research shows that they are most prevalent in Berea and Strongsville.

Who Can Help Me Find Space?

With 58 cities and townships in Cuyahoga County, each with their own distinct character, it can be difficult to find the perfect fit for your preferences through an online resource. That’s why CPAC recommends that artists get out and explore communities before committing to a particular city or neighborhood. Along the way, there are also a lot of resources that can make this search easier for you.

City and County Government

When looking for space in suburban markets, city government can be one of your greatest resources. Some cities have specific pages devoted to people interested in relocating to their community. If you’re unable to find a web page that matches that description, pages for Community Development and Economic Development Departments can often provide additional information and resources for home and commercial space buyers. In smaller cities and townships you may not find a page specifically related to development; in this case, it may be best to contact a main phone number. Cuyahoga County’s website features a listing of all 58 municipalities’ direct lines.

Other Resources

Community Development Corporations can be an extraordinary help when you are looking for information and resources about a particular community. These nonprofit organizations work to revitalize the neighborhoods and cities where they are located, sometimes through planning, sometimes through real estate development and sometimes through services like block clubs, community policing or art festivals. The primary community development organization in the southwestern suburbs is the Berea Community Development Corporation.

Beyond this community-specific resource, you may also find additional support through regional resources to learn more about neighborhoods, space and community resources throughout the entire region. One of the primary organizations filling this role is Global Cleveland.


Welcome to Our Western Communities

Welcome to Our Western Communities

With some of the best access to the lakeshore and parklands in greater Cleveland, the western communities have drawn a wide variety of artists to properties ranging from bungalows to lakefront mansions. The city of Lakewood remains one of the densest suburbs in the country, with walkable streets and plenty of activity. Further to the west, suburbs grow more residential and less commercial, creating the sense of a strong-knit community.

Where Are Artists Locating?

You can find artists locating across the western suburbs but CPAC’s research suggests that they are showing up in the highest numbers in certain cities, particularly communities closer to the Lake Erie Shoreline:

Who Can Help Me Find Space?

There are 58 cities and townships in Cuyahoga County, and each has its own distinct character. We recommend that artists take some time to get out and explore communities to find one that’s the perfect fit for them. There are a lot of resources that can help you in your search.

City and County Government

When looking for space in suburban markets, city government can be one of your greatest resources. Some cities have specific pages devoted to people interested in relocating to their community. If you’re not able to find something like that, Community Development and Economic Development Departments can often provide additional information and resources for home and commercial space buyers. In smaller cities and townships, you may not find a page specifically related to development; in this case, you may want to contact a main phone number instead. Cuyahoga County’s website features a listing of all 58 municipalities’ direct lines.

Other Resources

Community development corporations can be a strong partner when you are looking to find information and resources about a community. These nonprofit organizations work to revitalize the neighborhoods and cities where they are located, sometimes through planning, sometimes through real estate development and sometimes through services like block clubs, community policing or art festivals. The primary community development corporation in the western suburbs is LakewoodAlive.

Beyond this community-specific resource, you may find additional support through regional resources aimed at helping people learn more about neighborhoods, space and community resources throughout greater Cleveland.


Welcome to Our Southeastern Communities

Welcome to Our Southeastern Communities

Situated between the city of Cleveland and the city of Akron, the southeastern communities have tremendous access to both cities as well as the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Nearer to Cleveland, the southeastern suburbs have access to a great deal of shopping options, while those closer to the border of the county give way to quaint town centers and farmlands.

What Are Artists Locating?

Artists are present in virtually every southeastern suburb, but CPAC’s Putting Artists on the Map report suggests that downtown Bedford is the current epicenter of the southeastern artist community.

Who Can Help Me Find Space?

Cuyahoga County is home to 58 cities and townships, each with their own distinct character. For this reason, CPAC recommends that artists take time to explore communities to find a perfect fit before committing to any one particular community. Along the way, there are a number of resources that can help make your search easier.

City and County Government

When looking for space in suburban markets, city government can be one of your greatest resources. Some cities have specific pages devoted to people interested in relocating to their community. If you’re not able to find something like that, Community Development and Economic Development Departments can provide additional information and additional resources for home and commercial space buyers. In smaller cities and townships, you may not find a page specifically related to development; in this case, it may be best to contact a main phone number.  Cuyahoga County’s website features a listing of all 58 municipalities‘ direct lines.

Other Resources

Beyond these government resources, you may also take advantage of other efforts to learn more about neighborhoods, space and community resources throughout greater Cleveland. The primary nonprofit organization providing this type of service to individuals is Global Cleveland.


Welcome to Our Eastern Communities

Welcome to Our Eastern Communities

The eastern communities are some of the oldest suburbs in greater Cleveland and home to some of the highest concentrations of artists in our region. Inner ring suburbs like Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland and Shaker Heights grew up at the turn of the 20th century around the streetcar and feature dense commercial districts and large houses on winding boulevards. Further to the east, the communities of the Chagrin Valley feature historic New England-style villages and towns peppered among parklands and rivers.

Where Are Artists Locating?

Artists are laying down roots across the eastern suburbs. Through our Putting Artists on the Map research, however, CPAC has been able to identify particular areas where artists are locating in large numbers:

Who Can Help Me Find Space?

There are 58 cities and townships in Cuyahoga County, each with their own distinct character. Before renting or buying space, we recommend scheduling some time to get out and explore communities to find one that’s the right fit for you. There are also a lot of resources that can help you in your search.

City and County Government

When looking for space in suburban markets, city government can be one of your greatest resources. Some cities have specific pages devoted to people interested in relocating to their community. Community Development and Economic Development Departments can often provide additional information and resources for home and commercial space buyers. In smaller cities and townships, you may not find a page specifically related to local development; in this case, your best bet might be to reach out directly to a main phone number instead. Cuyahoga County’s website features a listing of all 58 municipalities’ direct lines.

Other Resources

In the eastern suburbs, there are a number of neighborhood-specific websites that can provide you with additional information:

The city of Cleveland Heights also maintains a webpage devoted to the Severance Shopping Center located in the heart of the Severance neighborhood.

Community development corporations can also be a tremendous resource when you are looking for information and resources about a community. These nonprofit organizations work to revitalize the neighborhoods and cities where they are located, sometimes through planning, sometimes through real estate development and sometimes through services like block clubs, community policing or art festivals. The primary community development corporation in the eastern suburbs is FutureHeights.

Beyond these community-specific resources, you may find additional support through regional resources. These are aimed at helping people learn more about neighborhoods, available space and community resources throughout greater Cleveland.


Where Are Artists?

Where Are Artists?

The most basic way to understand the location decisions of artists is to see where they are currently living by pinpointing their current addresses on a map.  The database of 4,016 individual artist addresses was used to geocode or map their locations.  After completing this, Northern Ohio Data and Information Service (NODIS) and CPAC staff used a block group level map of the number of artists and artists per adult population (based on 2000 Census data), along with Geographic neighborhoods in the county.

The twenty-four artists neighborhoods are listed below and shown in the following maps.

Asiatown / St. Clair-Superior Forest Hill
Baldwin Wallace / Berea Kamm’s Corners
Buckeye-Shaker Square-Larchmere Lakewood
Cedar-Lee/Cedar Fairmount  Northeast Shores
Chagrin Valley Ohio City
Coventry Village Severance
Detroit-Shoreway / Gordon Square South Shaker
Downtown Bedford St. Hyacinth
Downtown Cleveland Strongsville
East Shaker / Mercer Tremont
Edgewater University Circle / Little Italy
Fairview Park / Rocky River West Shore

The map below shows artist neighborhoods colors are used to distinguish the neighborhoods.

The second map shows artists and artist neighborhoods.  This map has red dots to show the areas that are most populated by artists.


Cleveland

Cleveland

If you’re talking artist communities in Cuyahoga County, it’s hard to overlook the creative energy that’s bubbling up in Cleveland. Artists are laying down roots in neighborhoods across the city, transforming the appearance of our main streets and finding ways to get engaged in revitalizing our urban core.

Cleveland is full of dense commercial districts showing new signs of life, old industrial buildings converted into modern live/work lofts, hundreds of great restaurants and a buzzing nightlife. It’s also a city of tree-lined boulevards and quiet residential streets with historic single-family homes. In short, it’s a city that’s large enough to provide you with a variety of inspiring settings … but at a fraction of the cost of other large cities.

Where Are Artists Locating?

While you can find artists in every neighborhood in the city, CPAC’s research shows that some city neighborhoods are drawing large numbers of the artistic community:

Who Can Help Me Find Space?

Like most of the urban centers in the Northeast and upper Midwest, Cleveland is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own distinct culture and character. For artists wanting to locate their home or business in Cleveland, we always recommend getting out and exploring these neighborhoods. Seeing the building stock, visiting commercial districts and talking directly with residents will give you a much better sense of which areas best meet your interests and preferences. Beyond this on-the-ground exploration, there are a number of other resources that can be helpful in your search for space.

Corporations

Cleveland has one of the strongest networks of community development corporations in the country. These organizations work on the neighborhood level to improve the local economy and quality of life. Almost every neighborhood in the city of Cleveland has an active community development corporation. If you are looking to find out more about a neighborhood, or specific rental or ownership opportunities in that neighborhood, the local community development corporation can be a good first step.

  • You can find a comprehensive list of these organizations on the LiveCLEVELAND! website.
  • You can find out about additional investments community development corporations are making in the city through Cleveland Neighborhood Progress.

Other Space-Related Resources

A number of other organizations provide great information for artists searching for space. These range from artist-specific initiatives, like ArtSpace Cleveland and Creative Compass, to more general resources for looking for space in the city:

  • LIVECleveland
  • Global Cleveland
  • Retail Spaces Cleveland

Online Forums and Neighborhood Guides

  • In addition to the formal initiatives and organizations listed above, a number of informal resources are also available to help you in your search for space within the city. First ask our own community of artists at the Creative Compass Forum. The urban policy forum UrbanOhio is a great place to find neighborhood information and ask questions about where to locate. A number of online neighborhood “tours” are available for Cleveland, including Neighborhood Link’s data-rich profiles and Design*Sponge’s detailed look at a handful of Cleveland neighborhoods. More recently, residents are making more of an effort to launch their own introductions to Cleveland, like the detailed New to Cleveland guide by residents Justin Glanville and Julia Kuo.