ABOUT
Old Brooklyn & Brooklyn Centre

Old Brooklyn, at one time a thriving location for greenhouses, is now characterized as one of Cleveland's most stable residential communities. Brooklyn Centre, with its quaint historic architecture undergoes continuing commercial and residential investment. The neighborhoods offer a variety of housing options and styles. Old Brooklyn has a large senior citizen population, as well as young families. Current retail in the area includes specialty shops, restaurants, and stores offering daily necessities. The new shopping center, Steelyard Commons, borders the area to the north east. This Center offers several larger retail outlets as well as smaller retail stores. Both Brooklyn Centre and Old Brooklyn are situated within the National Heritage Corridor surrounding the historic Ohio & Erie Canal.

The ward areas and ward numbers for OBCDC were changed starting in January of 2010, however, the area covered by the CDC still remains the same, Old Brooklyn and Brooklyn Centre. Therefore, in this section data and reports may say Ward 15 (which was Brooklyn Centre) or 16 (which was Old Brooklyn). Since these reports and data were from before January 2010 we are not changing the Ward boundary names or numbers. All statistics in this section are for the area the CDC covers but are also from 2000. They will be updated when new census data is available.

The CDC is now covered by parts of four wards: Ward 13, Councilman Kevin Kelley; Ward 14, Councilman Brian Cummins; Ward 12, Councilman Tony Brancatelli; and Ward 3, Councilman Joe Cimperman. However, there most likely will be further changes in ward boundaries before 2012. See 2010 – 2013 Cleveland City Council Ward Boundaries or Cleveland City Planning Commission Ward Maps.

For more information on local attractions and merchants in Old Brooklyn see our area map [pdf].

Demographics

Wards 15 and 16 averages. For details on each ward go to Neighborhood Fact Sheets.

Population: 43,400
Households: 18,730
% owned = 55%
% rented = 45%
Average Household Income: $31,100.

Assets

• Location: accessible from Interstate 71 at West 25th Street/Pearl Road and Fulton Road, from Ohio176 (Jennings Freeway) from the Denison Avenue and Spring Road exits, and from I-480 at State Road and Ridge Road.
  
  
• Nationally dedicated American Byway includes Pearl Road, Broadview Road, and Schaaf Road.
   
  
• Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority runs along all major and commercial streets including Pearl (West 25th Street), State, Fulton and Broadview Roads, Denison and Memphis Avenues.
   
  
• Current retail stores: coffee shops, small eateries, video stores, auto supply stores, small scale grocery, drug stores, bakeries, hardware stores, health and beauty outlets, print shops and specialty stores.

Other Features

• Brooklyn Centre and Old Brooklyn (Brooklyn Centre and South Brooklyn Historic Districts are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Brooklyn Centre has been designated a Local Landmark District. This District is comprised of historically significant structures, both commercial and residential. There has been a recent increase in improvements and investment to promote and preserve the Brooklyn Centre Historic District.
   
• Major stakeholders in the neighborhood include: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and The MetroHealth System.
   
• Active social service organizations include: Brookside Center, Brooklyn Kiwanis, Senior Citizen Resources, and United Hearts Life Mission. There are approximately 163 active block clubs as well as three residential-based citizen groups: Brooklyn Centre Community Association, Southwest Citizens Area Council and South Hills Community Association.
   
• A Ward 15 Commercial Revitalization Plan has been developed and implementation includes the Main Street philosophy and practices.

Sources for Further Information

"brooklyn 101: unlocking the mysteries of the cleveland brooklyns," by Erin O'Brien, Fresh Water (December 08, 2011).

Cleveland Planning Commission Data:

Ward maps:
(Former) Ward 15 [pdf];
(former) Ward 16 [pdf];
Current Ward Maps

Old Brooklyn Business Revitalization District [jpg], Old Brooklyn Business Revitalization District [pdf]

Statistical Planning Area (SPA) Maps:
Brooklyn Centre [jpg], Brooklyn Centre [pdf];
Old Brooklyn [jpg], Old Brooklyn [pdf]

Near West Design Review Region [jpg], Near West Design Review Region [pdf]

2020 Citywide Plan-
District 2:
Brooklyn Centre;
Old Brooklyn

Neighborhood Fact Sheets:
Brooklyn-Centre Statistical Planning Area (Census Tracts: 105602, 105500, 105400, 105601);
Old Brooklyn Statistical Planning Area (Census Tract: 106100, 105700, 106300, 105900, 106200, 106400, 106600, 106800, 106900, 107000, 106500).

LiveCLEVELAND!: the official guide to Cleveland neighborhoods 2010-2011.
See Old Brooklyn/Brooklyn Centre on page 30.

LocalHealth Network (ClevelandHealth.info) Demographic Report (old ward designations) [pdf]:
Ward 15;
Ward 16

Northern Ohio Data and Information Service (NODIS):

Brooklyn Centre - Parcel Map - Orthophoto with streets [pdf]
Old Brooklyn - Parcel Map - OrthoPhoto with streets [pdf]
2000 Census SF3 Profile Report [pdf]:
Ward 15;
Ward 16

Team NEO ClevelandPlus Demographic Data Center

Living in Cleveland Center
Living in Cleveland Center brochures [pdf]:
Brooklyn Centre;
Old Brooklyn

Cleveland Neighborhood Development Coalition

Neighborhood Progress

City of Cleveland, Community Development Department

City of Cleveland, Building & Housing Department

CSU NeighborhoodLink:
Brooklyn Centre;
Old Brooklyn

Pearl Road Corridor Study, Old Brooklyn, June 2005 [pdf]

Lower Big Creek Community Revitalization, Phase Two, February 2006 [pdf]
Lower Big Creek Planning Initiatives, Summer 2005 [pdf]
Lower Big Creek Study, Phase One, December 2002 [pdf]

Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
Brooklyn;
South Brooklyn

Wikipedia: Old Brooklyn
Wikipedia: Community Development Corporation

Brooklyn Centre Historic District: Ohio and Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary

Brooklyn Centre National Wildlife Community - A National Wildlife Federation Registered Community Wildlife Habitat

Treadway Creek Greenway Restoration Project
 
A $1.1 million project for restoration and preservation of a riparian corridor in Treadway Creek ravine in Old Brooklyn.

The greenway trail brings access for the Old Brooklyn Harmody Park neighborhood to the Lower Big Creek Valley and the Canalway's Towpath Trail.