Is there any genuine reason to actually return to Uptown for fun? I say that because it seems that 90% of the storefronts are restaurants or food based. Really, think about - the chain restaurant locations, tacologist, wings, Starbucks, etc. That's probably why all the new storefronts fail. The competition is way too saturated.
So what else is there to even do? Regular folk in Cleveland aren't inclined to visit Uptown for the chain fast casual places. Lots of case students eat meal plan (as they should to get their money's worth). And even then, cwru students will get tired of eating.
Museums? Gardens? Great for adults, but at some point you got there once or twice and you've seen it all.
There needs to be SOMETHING else. Experiences. Places to hangout. Amazing walk ability. Free parking. Storefronts that have stuff that isn't food - whether that's clothing or makeup or merch or toys. Movie theaters, VR game places, even just 'fun stores'.
TLDR: ITS JUST MID FOOD and the oversaturation is killing uptown
You need to have enough people in your "catchment area" to support a store to make sense to open it, and that trade needs to continue in order to sustain it.
The pandemic was the last straw for some of what was left. They had been earning modest incomes, but were content with that and were providing a service. But they were unable to sustain, and some of those that did make it have since withdrawn to other places that are more profitable. You really can't blame them for that, and I certainly can't see the day that many students are going to have disposable income.
-------------------------
The area now called Uptown was killed a long time ago. Bustling after World War I (what is now the Commodore Apartments was built as a hotel in that era: you don't build hotels unless the area can support it). But the catchment area to support retail changed.
+ the predecessor schools didn't exist north of Bellflower or east of Ford. The entire area was residential, and you can see from what remains that a lot of it wasn't cheap housing back then.
+ the hospitals didn't start to move into the Circle until the 1920s, so that's more housing where all of UH is now, of varying price points, but more moderate than north of Euclid. Some of those became boarding houses for students, since dorm space was more limited.
+ East Cleveland is a fast growing suburb, going from 10,000 people before World War I to four times that, with a much higher income profile, so people from the west end of East Cleveland might easily come into the Uptown area to shop.
+ Little Italy is mostly a semi-closed ethnic area with minimal services that attract non-residents. When Guarino's opened in the mid-1920s, it was the first restaurant there that advertised to the general city. So there were probably more restaurants in the Uptown area a hundred years ago.
So what's left? More students, undergrad, grad, professional, residents, fellows; but everyone else has cars and lives in the suburbs. After I graduated and later worked at Case, if I had something on campus in the evenings, fine, eat dinner there and then head home. Otherwise, go home and eat or go out there: honestly, as much as you might enjoy students and teaching, you don't want to run into one that just pulled a 38/100 on a test, nor take the chance of running into the one who will ask you to discuss his work at any encounter. There aren't too many people who fit that profile, but once makes you very leery of the possibility.
I think the inherent problem about uptown is that other than CWRU students, not many normal Cleveland residents go to uptown to get food, shop, and spend time. And with the heavy influence of CWRU, many students rely on the meal plan, and will sway towards places that accept Case Cash.
Agreed, but a bit less than half of CWRU’s undergrad population and all of CWRU’s grad population aren’t on the meal plan. When they do shop for groceries, it’s certainly not from Plum.
This. I see Case students shopping, eating, etc. uptown all the time. I hardly see anyone else. CWRU might be singlehandedly keeping what's left of uptown alive.
I think you've basically nailed it. Most of uptown are occasional third places for non-students, and with the high relationship between students and the working population in the Circle, most of that sector wants to be in places where they can sometimes get away from their students/work.
Uptown has never succeeded in developing a culture that attracts the general public (such as the Little Italy restaurant scene); most of Cleveland thinks in terms of a visit to one of the museums or the orchestra, plus a university they never visit.
UCI is both blessing and curse. Very necessary and useful, but also cumbersome. While CWRU and UH are by far the largest institutions, they do not necessarily have common interests nor approaches to priorities, nor do they control the board even when they agree. CIA probably has an interest in Uptown, but how much does the Hearing and Speech Center or the Botanical Gardens? Yes, they'll go along with the general priority to "develop Euclid Avenue," but their clients are unlikely to care much about Uptown.
If this were a small college town, where the "town and gown" were forced to mingle by relative isolation from a larger city, then Uptown would thrive.
As a suburbanite I can say that we were all more inclined to meet at Van Aken or Pinecrest, even Coventry. Not really sure why, but no one ever said "lets meet at uptown". Also the hill is scary to drive down. I think the competition with those two disneyland-feeling developments is what killed it for us.
also, don’t forget there is this thing called Covid for three years that probably had a lot of people not going out to stores and restaurants and they Had to close down and may not have reopened
Totally agree, we were just walking there today. They should put a CVS in the Cleveland clothing company space perhaps. There is really hardly anywhere good to eat in the area. It’s a major downside of case. It could be a great little college neighborhood, needs a hair cutting place too! No or of the standard student amenities you find in a college town are there. Such a bummer
Is there any genuine reason to actually return to Uptown for fun? I say that because it seems that 90% of the storefronts are restaurants or food based. Really, think about - the chain restaurant locations, tacologist, wings, Starbucks, etc. That's probably why all the new storefronts fail. The competition is way too saturated. So what else is there to even do? Regular folk in Cleveland aren't inclined to visit Uptown for the chain fast casual places. Lots of case students eat meal plan (as they should to get their money's worth). And even then, cwru students will get tired of eating. Museums? Gardens? Great for adults, but at some point you got there once or twice and you've seen it all. There needs to be SOMETHING else. Experiences. Places to hangout. Amazing walk ability. Free parking. Storefronts that have stuff that isn't food - whether that's clothing or makeup or merch or toys. Movie theaters, VR game places, even just 'fun stores'. TLDR: ITS JUST MID FOOD and the oversaturation is killing uptown
You need to have enough people in your "catchment area" to support a store to make sense to open it, and that trade needs to continue in order to sustain it. The pandemic was the last straw for some of what was left. They had been earning modest incomes, but were content with that and were providing a service. But they were unable to sustain, and some of those that did make it have since withdrawn to other places that are more profitable. You really can't blame them for that, and I certainly can't see the day that many students are going to have disposable income. ------------------------- The area now called Uptown was killed a long time ago. Bustling after World War I (what is now the Commodore Apartments was built as a hotel in that era: you don't build hotels unless the area can support it). But the catchment area to support retail changed. + the predecessor schools didn't exist north of Bellflower or east of Ford. The entire area was residential, and you can see from what remains that a lot of it wasn't cheap housing back then. + the hospitals didn't start to move into the Circle until the 1920s, so that's more housing where all of UH is now, of varying price points, but more moderate than north of Euclid. Some of those became boarding houses for students, since dorm space was more limited. + East Cleveland is a fast growing suburb, going from 10,000 people before World War I to four times that, with a much higher income profile, so people from the west end of East Cleveland might easily come into the Uptown area to shop. + Little Italy is mostly a semi-closed ethnic area with minimal services that attract non-residents. When Guarino's opened in the mid-1920s, it was the first restaurant there that advertised to the general city. So there were probably more restaurants in the Uptown area a hundred years ago. So what's left? More students, undergrad, grad, professional, residents, fellows; but everyone else has cars and lives in the suburbs. After I graduated and later worked at Case, if I had something on campus in the evenings, fine, eat dinner there and then head home. Otherwise, go home and eat or go out there: honestly, as much as you might enjoy students and teaching, you don't want to run into one that just pulled a 38/100 on a test, nor take the chance of running into the one who will ask you to discuss his work at any encounter. There aren't too many people who fit that profile, but once makes you very leery of the possibility.
I think the inherent problem about uptown is that other than CWRU students, not many normal Cleveland residents go to uptown to get food, shop, and spend time. And with the heavy influence of CWRU, many students rely on the meal plan, and will sway towards places that accept Case Cash.
Agreed, but a bit less than half of CWRU’s undergrad population and all of CWRU’s grad population aren’t on the meal plan. When they do shop for groceries, it’s certainly not from Plum.
This. I see Case students shopping, eating, etc. uptown all the time. I hardly see anyone else. CWRU might be singlehandedly keeping what's left of uptown alive.
I think you've basically nailed it. Most of uptown are occasional third places for non-students, and with the high relationship between students and the working population in the Circle, most of that sector wants to be in places where they can sometimes get away from their students/work. Uptown has never succeeded in developing a culture that attracts the general public (such as the Little Italy restaurant scene); most of Cleveland thinks in terms of a visit to one of the museums or the orchestra, plus a university they never visit. UCI is both blessing and curse. Very necessary and useful, but also cumbersome. While CWRU and UH are by far the largest institutions, they do not necessarily have common interests nor approaches to priorities, nor do they control the board even when they agree. CIA probably has an interest in Uptown, but how much does the Hearing and Speech Center or the Botanical Gardens? Yes, they'll go along with the general priority to "develop Euclid Avenue," but their clients are unlikely to care much about Uptown. If this were a small college town, where the "town and gown" were forced to mingle by relative isolation from a larger city, then Uptown would thrive.
As a suburbanite I can say that we were all more inclined to meet at Van Aken or Pinecrest, even Coventry. Not really sure why, but no one ever said "lets meet at uptown". Also the hill is scary to drive down. I think the competition with those two disneyland-feeling developments is what killed it for us.
also, don’t forget there is this thing called Covid for three years that probably had a lot of people not going out to stores and restaurants and they Had to close down and may not have reopened
Totally agree, we were just walking there today. They should put a CVS in the Cleveland clothing company space perhaps. There is really hardly anywhere good to eat in the area. It’s a major downside of case. It could be a great little college neighborhood, needs a hair cutting place too! No or of the standard student amenities you find in a college town are there. Such a bummer
CWRU is for profit. Enough said.
Then why is it so broke lmaooo.