St. Clair Superior Community Information
Located just east of Downtown Cleveland, the historic St. Clair Superior neighborhood was once a major industrial hub, populated mainly by workers employed by local factories. Over the past decade, St. Clair Superior has become one of Cleveland's most diverse and dynamic areas, home to the growing AsiaTown community as well as to artists and others drawn by the neighborhood's many lofts and flexible industrial spaces. Tyler Village—a cluster of buildings once occupied by an elevator company—is now host to the popular Cleveland Flea.
The History of St. Clair Superior
St. Clair Superior was developed in the late 1800s and was developed as a residential and industrial hub. Many companies that were a big part of Cleveland’s industrial growth in the early 20th century have called the neighborhood home including White Motors, Tyler Elevator, Cleveland Twist Drill, and Osborn Engineering. St Clair Superior was the site of the most disastrous fire in Cleveland’s history when in 1944, an East Ohio Gas holding tank exploded engulfing a one square mile area in flames. Evidence of the fire can be seen on streets such as East 61 st which have homes built in the late 1940s and early 50s in an area which the average home was built around 1900.
Real Estate Opportunities
There is a mixture of single-family homes, multi-family homes, apartment buildings and worker cottages clustering around the industrial and commercial centers, which have historically been the main employers in the neighborhood. More recently, the St. Clair Superior neighborhood has benefited from revitalization efforts that include the conversion of historic warehouse and industrial buildings into unique, loft apartments and condominiums. This area is the first sanctioned live / work district within the city of Cleveland, with new legislation helping to facilitate the conversion of these buildings into artist and studio residences.
Neighborhood Amenities
The St. Clair Superior neighborhood includes a diverse set of businesses. St. Clair Avenue offers many businesses, including a historic district centering around the beautiful and recently rehabilitated Slovenian National Hall. Dave’s—a full-service supermarket is located on Payne Avenue, and a number of Asian specialty food stores are located on Payne, Superior and St Clair Avenues. There are also two full-service drugstores and two hardware stores located in the neighborhood.
St. Vitus Church is one of the most historic churches in the community, and was historically a focal point of the Slovenian community in Cleveland. At East 30th and Payne Avenue, Asia Plaza includes shopping, restaurants and a community center. St. Clair Superior is known for its great ethnic diversity, its close proximity to Lake Erie, its beautiful loft buildings, and Gordon Park, Rockefeller Park and Kirtland Park. A special feature of the neighborhood is the many restaurants serving Chinese, Croatian, Ethiopian, Korean, Slovenian and Vietnamese cuisine.
Shopping and Dining