The Warehouse District
Encyclopedia
The Warehouse District is a nationally recognized historic district
located in downtown
Cleveland
, Ohio
. It is roughly bound by Front Avenue, Superior Avenue, West 3rd Street, and West 10th Street.
On September 30, 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
as the Cleveland Warehouse District. On February 21, 2007, its boundary was increased to include 1384 to 1410 West 10th Street.
and distribution
terminals for more than 100 years. But after warehouse traffic moved elsewhere, it fell into serious disrepair with empty, run-down warehouses.
After the late 1980s, the Warehouse District became a hot night spot for twenty-somethings and urban professionals, following a pattern pioneered in Cleveland by the Flats entertainment district
, which it ultimately supplanted as the city’s premier weekend place-to-be.
Artists Steven B. Smith
and S. Judson Wilcox were two early "urban pioneers": artists who settled the Warehouse District in Cleveland in 1981. Artists, musicians and renegades moved there to revel in Cleveland's industrial beauty.
Smith's spot in the warehouse became a gathering spot for other artists in the building, including S. Judson Wilcox, Melissa Jay Craig (AKA "Field Marshal May Midwest"), Laszlo Gyorki, Ken Nevadomi, Randy Rigutto, Jay Clements, Beth Wolfe and others. Guests were offered keepsakes of miniature toy soldiers, babies in plastic bubbles or poetry.
Spaces Gallery was located on the first floor, making the warehouse the de facto
epicenter of creative activity.
The affordability of Cleveland neighborhoods periodically caused mass migrations of artists. In the 80s, Smith was one of the urban pioneers to move into the Warehouse District. In 1985, he was one of many artists who moved from the warehouses to Tremont
, in the typical pattern where artists move into undesirable but inexpensive neighborhoods, fixing up old buildings in which to live and work.
Although more than half of the original eight-block area has been razed and replaced by parking lot
s, by 2000 the remaining restored buildings were home to many restaurants and clubs. West Sixth Street is known as the heart of the district and on this street can be found live music at the Blind Pig, the Velvet Dog's rooftop patio bar, and the restaurant and bar Panini's. The Metropolitan Cafe, Blue Pointe Grill, and Johnny’s Downtown serve food on W. 6th as well, while the Cabaret Dada
theater has provided improvisational comedy for over a decade.
The neighborhood has seen many of the rehabilitated warehouses converted to office and residential space. The ornate Victorian age facades of these historic warehouses are often preserved and restored, while the interiors of the buildings experience complete transformation into contemporary and trendy spaces. Its apartment
s and condominium
s are responsible for a large portion of downtown Cleveland's recent population growth. Most of the remaining structures have been rehabilitated, and developers have started to plan and build infill construction projects.
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
located in downtown
Downtown Cleveland
Downtown Cleveland is the central business district of the City of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. Reinvestment in the area in the mid-1990s spurred a rebirth that continues to this day, with over $2 billion in residential and commercial developments slated for the area over the next few years...
Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. It is roughly bound by Front Avenue, Superior Avenue, West 3rd Street, and West 10th Street.
On September 30, 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as the Cleveland Warehouse District. On February 21, 2007, its boundary was increased to include 1384 to 1410 West 10th Street.
History
In the first half of the 19th century, this neighborhood was part of Cleveland’s original residential area. Later in the century, it became the center of Cleveland's wholesale commercial area, and was occupied by warehousingWarehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
and distribution
Distribution (business)
Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. An organization or set of organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user.The other three parts of the marketing mix are product, pricing,...
terminals for more than 100 years. But after warehouse traffic moved elsewhere, it fell into serious disrepair with empty, run-down warehouses.
After the late 1980s, the Warehouse District became a hot night spot for twenty-somethings and urban professionals, following a pattern pioneered in Cleveland by the Flats entertainment district
The Flats
The Flats is a mixed-use industrial, entertainment, and increasingly residential area of Cleveland, Ohio, USA. The name reflects its low-lying topography on the banks of the Cuyahoga River.-History:...
, which it ultimately supplanted as the city’s premier weekend place-to-be.
 |
 |
 |
Recent developments
The metamorphosis to the Warehouse District’s current state began with the opening of Hilarities Comedy Club in the late 1980s (Hilarities has since moved to E. 4th Street). The transformation of the district initially sought to attract artists in live-work spaces, but rent and popularity became too high, and drove artists to nearby Cleveland neighborhoods of Tremont or the St. Clair Superior.Artists Steven B. Smith
Steven B. Smith (poet)
Steven B. Smith , is an underground artist and poet from Cleveland, Ohio. He published the cult underground classic ArtCrimes, a zine influenced by the beats...
and S. Judson Wilcox were two early "urban pioneers": artists who settled the Warehouse District in Cleveland in 1981. Artists, musicians and renegades moved there to revel in Cleveland's industrial beauty.
Smith's spot in the warehouse became a gathering spot for other artists in the building, including S. Judson Wilcox, Melissa Jay Craig (AKA "Field Marshal May Midwest"), Laszlo Gyorki, Ken Nevadomi, Randy Rigutto, Jay Clements, Beth Wolfe and others. Guests were offered keepsakes of miniature toy soldiers, babies in plastic bubbles or poetry.
Spaces Gallery was located on the first floor, making the warehouse the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
epicenter of creative activity.
The affordability of Cleveland neighborhoods periodically caused mass migrations of artists. In the 80s, Smith was one of the urban pioneers to move into the Warehouse District. In 1985, he was one of many artists who moved from the warehouses to Tremont
Tremont, Cleveland
Tremont is a neighborhood in the city of Cleveland, Ohio. Tremont is one of the oldest parts of Cleveland, and is home to restaurants and art galleries. The district sits just west of the Cuyahoga River and south of the Ohio City neighborhood. Tremont is home to numerous historic churches...
, in the typical pattern where artists move into undesirable but inexpensive neighborhoods, fixing up old buildings in which to live and work.
Although more than half of the original eight-block area has been razed and replaced by parking lot
Parking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
s, by 2000 the remaining restored buildings were home to many restaurants and clubs. West Sixth Street is known as the heart of the district and on this street can be found live music at the Blind Pig, the Velvet Dog's rooftop patio bar, and the restaurant and bar Panini's. The Metropolitan Cafe, Blue Pointe Grill, and Johnny’s Downtown serve food on W. 6th as well, while the Cabaret Dada
Cabaret Dada
Something Dada Improvisational Comedy Co., was formed in October of 1994 in Cleveland, Ohio. The original eight cast members were all Cleveland based actors and comedians.-Background:After performing most of the renovations themselves, the group opened Cabaret Dada, an improvisational...
theater has provided improvisational comedy for over a decade.
The neighborhood has seen many of the rehabilitated warehouses converted to office and residential space. The ornate Victorian age facades of these historic warehouses are often preserved and restored, while the interiors of the buildings experience complete transformation into contemporary and trendy spaces. Its apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s and condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
s are responsible for a large portion of downtown Cleveland's recent population growth. Most of the remaining structures have been rehabilitated, and developers have started to plan and build infill construction projects.