CLEVELAND'S SLAVIC VILLAGE? Old Polish neighbourhood.

Anyone familiar with Cleveland's Slavic Village? It was a deteriorating old Polish neighbourhood that underwent ethnic-style urban renewal in the 1970s and '80s. The high street was spruced up gables, balconies, shutters and facades stylised to resemble the Tatra chalet style of Podhal4e. Anyone know if the project has survived?

I used to live when I was very young, but my parents decided to move out because the neighborhoods were getting very bad. People are scared to go out at night because of gangs. Some people have even been attacked, It's a shame what has happened there. There are still some polish churches left but all the Polish elementary schools have closed because of low attendence. Also, there are a few polish food/good stores left. I think that in less than 10 years, Slavic Village will no longer be Slavic Village because of all the scum that moves in.

The same thing happened in Baltimore..St. Stanislaus, St James, and St. Wenceslaus.. To name a few. The old people are moving to the suburb's with the Kids. Those animals Are mugging 80 yr old ladies who just want to go to church

i am sorry to hear this my cousin had worked at Tony's Polka's village. my sister also grew up near there. Tom

Just last week, I read in the paper that some/most of the Polish churches may close or merge. Many of the Polish people have moved out because slavic village is getting so bad so there is small attendence at the masses, therefore, the church doesn't get enough money. I was baptized in one of the polish churches and I really enjoy going to the polish masses. These churches are so beautiful, I can't imagine any of them closing. Slavic Village has become a disaster, and it is all because of the filthy trash that moved in from the ghetto. I just hope that the churches can somehow stay open, but i doubt it.

anybody going to the slavic village polish festival in august

It is truly heartbreaking to see a historic landmark close. Although St. Casimir is not in Slavic Village, it was once in a very prominent Polish neighborhood. The church was built in 1892, and the new bishop of Cleveland decided to close it. From what I heard, people were protesting during final mass, which was lead by the bishop. They would interrupt the bishop while he was speaking and shout "Judas" and "go back to Boston". Sadly the Polish culture in dying, because all the polish people that emigrated to america are getting old. The younger generation has become americanized and doesn't care about the polish culture like the older generation.

Here picture of the altar at St. Casimir. It is so beautiful!

During my time (1993 to 1999) as President of {the now defunct} South East Clevelanders Together I worked to promote community organizing in Ward 12 {Slavic Village} to address quality of life issues {such as crime watch} in an aggressive and systematic manner. During that time, Ward 12 was represented by current City of Cleveland Director of Building and Housing Edward W. Rybka and the former Broadway Area Housing Coalition nka Slavic Village Development headed then by current Ward 12 Councilman Anthony Brancatelli.

Needless to say, it did not take long for our organization to clash with the former Councilman's housing group. Their primary objective was to build and rehabilitate housing without any real regard for the other issues affecting the residents and business owners. They too took the worst houses and put people {white and black} in them who had no ability {or desire} to pay. In fact, once they completed their first rehabilitation on any given street that house soon became a haven for various social malcontents. Once the "single apple spoiled the barrel" the remaining law-abiding residents moved thus adding further to the catastrophe.

Now the Cleveland City Council has extended the boundaries of Ward 12 beyond the current boundaries of Ward 15 which {as luck would have it} now include my residence. Councilman Brian Cummins has been a fine representative for Ward 15 but as for Ward 12 Councilman Anthony Brancatelli; he will do for Ward 15 {Old Brooklyn} what he has and will continue to do for Ward 12 {Slavic Village}.

The filthy trash you speak of are people. If the slum lords who own the houses were not so greedy for money, then maybe the neighborhood wouldn;t be so bad. they buy houses in the suburbs and then rent to the first thing that comes along anf then they don't keep up the property or check on the tenants. Scum might have moved in but those who own the homes allowed it. I am sure that they knew they were renting to people who didn't take care of the last place they lived at and who were trouble makers. So blame it on YOURSELF NOT THE PEOPLE WHO MOVED IN.

Oh, come on! The renters had no responsibility? Give us a break!

Let's see, I think I'll rent a house so I can destroy it. Yep, who can argue with that.

Wow that is gorgeous.

actually that is how it works; unfortunate but true.

strycz


plk123


Actually both comments are partially true. I'm a landlord and to prevent damage you have to stay on top of the property. Meaning you have to maintain it, or it will go to hellinahandbasket right quick if the tenants think that the landlord doesn't care.

I live here now, st johns st stans and Lourdes are all still open. Red chimney is still operating and almost all the bars are still open except denobiles is only open for catering pizza parties, fleets finest or two bucks is closed along with village pub but borderline which is now brick house was remodeled and a nice place, browns tavern is still open and the market was sold, freedom which is the old mr's which used to have great prime rib is now freedom and known for a lot of shootings. Morgana gave up the 2 smaller fields to build south high a new football field, they used it part of a year and shut down south high. Needless to say its a waste. The boys and girls club on broadway built a small baseball park and little leagues used st. Hiassin field until many kids and families were in the middle of a "shoot out" during a baseball game. Grabowskis or Slavic village market is still in operation and the laundromat on 63rd is no longer 24 hours because the attendant was robbed and raped a few years ago. Old world foods potato pancakes/papa andys peirogis and janka peirogis are still around. Crankshaft cafe is still open and has good food along with brick house. Arcade pizza still amazing. Daisys is also still open. A lot of trash has taken over the city but there are many true polish natives that stick to their hometown. The drug problem is what is causing many of these beautiful places to deteriorate. But any Slavic village native will tell u mo matter how bad it gets it will always be known as a polish community.

Sorry to say that this is happening to the majority of American cities Detroit ,Baltimore, Philadelphia, Westfield Mass, Chicoppe Mass, Linden NJ. etc.

I'm sure the show "Hot in Cleveland" isn't helping since some of the characters play Polish-Americans (which, unless they said "Poland' often, I would think they were from somewhere else entirely) and act trashy, stereotypical, make jokes about Poland, are nasty to others, etc.

Linden is doing just fine thank you very much.

Merged: Polish and living in Slavic Village

I currently live in Slavic Village and have organized the remaining polish holdouts to combat these gangs. I know it's unlawful in the style we handle these gangs such as bloods and crips but the Polish holdouts are protecting the last of the Polish families that are plagued by these gangs. We are funded and armed by Polish failed that have been scared out of Slavic Village into suburbs like Parma and Strongsville. We do not show these punks any mercy because the Cleveland district 3 police is a joke in combating these gangs. It's a shame that good Catholic Polish people are being forced to vigilante activity to protect ourself and our homes churches and people.

As I understand it the SV project was launched in the 1970s by local community leaders, businessmen and residents to stem the further slumification of an older ethnic neighbourhood. Store fronts were given Tatra Mt effect wooden trim (gables, balconies, shutters) and new businesses and families began moving into the area. The annual festival attracted thousands from miles around and for a time the neighbourhood appeared to be flourishing. My question is: at what point in time did the re-slumification process begin and why?