I am a truck driver and drive down Euclid every night between 2-3am. What you see here does no justice. Once it gets dark, you will see the prostitutes, you will see the hand to hand drug transactions, you will even occasionally see the abandoned stolen car "no kidding". The streets are horrible, and have had orange barrels in sections of potholes literally for over a year, the streets are busy with people just standing around and just doing "nothing". I don't even have fear, I just feel sad for what I see because to live here, is to literally not have a life, or anything to really look forward to. The one thing I see is the historical aspect to how beautiful things were at one time. Makes you wonder what exactly did happen, and why did people stop caring about their home? The elected officials are to blame. Look no further to who claims to serve the community but yet accepts the paycheck, the status, and enjoys the office while the streets literally rot right out from under the people they promised to make life better for. If they will not walk the street after midnight without a gun or body guard, then they don't give a shit about the people who actually do care about calling this place home.
The answer, Mr. Harris, about what happened is the collapse of personal responsibility. That's the whole damn country's #1 problem. But in some places, it's a raging plague. Add to that 50 years of vanishing manufacturing jobs, and you have a never-ending cycle of social disaster.
It is bad........never been a crack head but know of others whom are actually complete strangers to Cleveland, & during a July 4 th ballgame go into a bar few blocks from stadium & find their crack. Even with all the cops riding around on bikes & horses. I hate drugs, pissed me off when this happened, but couldn’t help but be amazed....... SMH........
It is all about tax revenue, local and state government corruption, jobs, and property owner obligations. If all of these things are broken the problem will only get worse. A way to fix the problem is to have a multi-billionaire come into the community with his own troops. He or she will buy up all the property. Use there own money to rebuild clean new housing, community center, recreational facilities, and most importantly job creating business in the middle of it all. Other than that , good luck.
Crime creates poverty because it drives what's left of the above-ground economy out and nothing replaces it because nobody wants to open a business where they're gonna get jacked, either to and from work or behind the counter of their own businesses. You want to bring E Cleveland back? *Snitch. Your. Asses. Off.* and start shooting these pricks before they shoot you. Sorry, but crack a book and you'll find that that _is_ the remedy.
Good video, and thanks for being a teacher. I was born and raised in Cleveland and live in one of those bombed out apartment buildings on Lockwood. I moved there shortly after I got married in 1966. East Cleveland was considered a move up from Cleveland itself. I worked at the now gone St. Alexis and Cleveland Clinic as a respiratory therapist. The density of apartments was one of the attractions of East Cleveland as well as the start of its downfall. As industry and jobs left, landlords couldn't be quite as choosy about tenants. East Cleveland started to see the tidal wave of low income families moving in, many with no man in the house. As things got worse, it wasn't working poor any longer but more and more welfare families where no on was employed, and many of those families had no one that had been employed for generations. Landlords had to lower rates as no middle class family, white or black, wanted to live there. That started the second wave of tenants contained a greater and greater proportion of people who were criminals and drug dealers. Without job skills you do what you know, and that meant rampant drug dealing (and addiction) and stealing, including killing people while you were robbing them. The population shrank as more people moved out, and many tenants just stopped paying rent. Landlords couldn't afford proper maintenance, so the buildings deteriorated further, which meant they rented for even less. These were solid buildings, evidenced by the fact they are still standing, not some kind of slum area. The snowball rolled downhill as more buildings went into foreclosure. They weren't saleable at any price, so the banks boarded them up and left them to the scrappers to finish off. Hundreds of buildings have already been demolished and hundreds more still need to be demolished. One of the biggest expenses for East Cleveland now is the cost of mowing the resultant urban prairie. We were expecting our first child by 1968, and I thought things were going to end up exactly as they have. Corrupt politicians combined with grinding poverty conspired to destroy a once nice and thriving community. I decided we had to leave and moved to California, a move that I regretted at the time, since I was leaving my hometown. Seeing what has happened makes that regret now non-existent. Sorry for being so long winded, but but what happened to East Cleveland, and Cleveland in general, was a decades long process. The seeming inability of politicians and city officials to recognize the path solidified the outcome. This is a sad chapter in the history of our great country.
William Bowen EAST 99 is where youd find em slinging that yayo! massive drug bust recently. EAST Cleveland is a beautiful urban wasteland but has potential but the city itself is turning a blind eye. shut Euclid ave was millionaires row. known for being one of the most beautiful streets in America . now it's looks like the video.
I have driven around East Cleveland as an Uber driver. My drives through East Cleveland were thought provoking. That's great you're helping out the kids.
This is heart breaking. I lived in East Cleveland back in the 70's and I remember when it was a nice place to live. Big business and factories, etc. betrayed these Americans when they moved their businesses to China. People were forced out of their homes by foreclosures. It's hard to believe that big business could do this. My prayers are with and for East Cleveland...I have such fond memories of it and I pray that a solution will be found to turn this situation around.
Dame S blame it on liberal democrats, slavery to the govts with there high corporate taxes because corporations are so evil for providing jobs in there mind. I wish the idiots in Cleveland would stop voting for the party that put them in this mess, you have to work out of poverty now not be moocher off welfare. I hope trump will fix shit and shit the dumb ass rich liberals up
I was Music Director at St. Philomena (on Euclid Ave.) in the 70s and 80s. It was getting bad, but not this bad. Part of the problem was the Republican banksters downtown, who redlined the entire city. People, who owned their homes, were scared, because the banks scared them, and coaxed them into buying another home with another mortgage ("Get out now, before it's too late!"). Those banksters were/are criminals. They made a shit-load of money in this fraudulent scheme. May God damn their souls.
@@urbanviii6557 There was no music director at St. Philomena in the 70s and 80s. Laughable. I went to mass there in the late 60s and it was almost completely empty. Nice try though.
Powerful video. I, too, grew up on Nelaview, near Noble. We moved to LA when I was a kid in 1968. I still feel a strong attachment to Cleveland and have family there. People like you who work with kids and produce such wonderful art that raises our awareness give me hope. Keep up the good work.
it's apparent what is going on in east Cleveland. CWRU and Cleveland Clinic are closing in. So, they find no good reason to restore it as they wait for investors to buy it dirt cheap.
I lived in East Cleveland back in the 70's, in an apartment bldg. on Superior & Euclid. I am a white woman and I worked with and for a dear friend, Mrs. Eleanor Price, who with her husband Bill, owned and operated two fabric stores. The one I worked in was located just across the street but is no longer there. It was a friendly neighborhood then and we knew just about everyone who came in the shop, by name. I am so deeply saddened by what has become of this town. It was probably one of the most diversified suburbs of Cleveland. I am so sorry for what has happened, thanks to crooked politicians and Government officials and let's not forget the greedy, money hungry factories and business that deserted their fellow Americans and moved to China. They are all guilty and contributed to E.C.'s downfall. My prayers are with those of you brave souls who have endured this so very long. I sincerely pray that some solution can be found that will benefit those who still remain and NOT some more GREEDY folks, who seek to take advantage of the situation for their own selfish benefits!
What Laura says is basically correct. No amount of "working together" will ever bring back the jobs Americans lost to foreign labor, because it's cheaper. Besides, it's not "hatred" directed at foreign workers, when stating plain facts. It's the way Capitalism works, putting profit before people. Politicians are just puppets of those who really wield economic power: the big conglomerates.
And people like ME! I abandoned my hometown. I moved my family to Texas so my kids could grow up in a thriving community, not a dying one. Detroit has never recovered from the White flight, drugs, and crime. I feel partially responsible for not staying and helping.
CHERUSCI you are right about that. Well, almost. I would say 20% is a good diversity level of blacks, but when you get to around 35% or higher then it becomes too violent for any other race, and they leave in what is now known as white flight. When that happens the neighborhood, which may have been very nice, is doomed to becoming a ghetto. Or abandoned.
I'm from the east side of Detroit...Your neighborhood looks nice by comparison. You seem to care, people like you will make a difference. good luck to you and yours....Peace
My name is Mark Kingsley I went to Julia billiardCatholic School school but grew up in chesterland and it's very sad to see. I live in Emerald Isle North Carolina now but do come up about once a year I love Cleveland and miss it.
I really hate being here. I’m 19. I’ve lived here since I was 13 & my mom was raised here. My family is obviously poor, so we don’t have a car. I’ve been walking home at night for years, & it’s so scary. All the fiends and drug dealers and prostitution. The pissy bus stops, the potholes, the bandos. This is the reality of living here. I’m in college now, though. Finally a sophomore pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science. I’m a first generation commuter student. The first in my family to pursue a 4 year college education. I ride those RTA buses almost everyday. The healthline? Yeaaa lol. They’re always late. & Everything just be so depressing. But I have to keep going. I just wanna make it out sooo bad... I wonder if I ever will fr. I’m sorry for the rant. But nobody ever talks about ec.
I am East Cleveland born and bread. Grew up on N. Lockwood. My family purchased the home in 1960. I Attended Rozelle (torn down), Kirk (renamed) and Shaw class of 1984. East Cleveland was a suburb when I grew up there. It is heartbreaking to see what it has become. But...it is time to stop fixing blame and find ways to fix the problem. The city is "conveniently" ripe for gentrification. What can be done to save it or at least keep it diverse? Many of us have moved but still love E.C. and are willing help. What is the plan???
Really cool to learn that history..I would love to hit the streets of EC with someone who really knows the place, buildings and history..I must ask out of curiosity though.."Ripe for gentrification" ?? Certain parts of Cleveland I may agree, but EC? Not sure there..Would like your opinion on how.. I suggested in earlier comments, the hard truth, of almost abandoning EC altogether and merging with Cleveland..Burning down ALL abandoned buildings ( As they are drug havens now) Not sure of any other way to recover such a devastated area..But your input..I am not being a smart ass, I really ask.
Just saying..I am a real estate owner here in Cleveland. ( West side ) But at this point..Reality is, I will not take homes for free in EC!..No joke..Will not take anything! I Would though, with proper political moves from the mayor and or Governor..
No blacks owned houses in EC in 1960. But, Shaw was 80% black in 1968 and 100% black years before 1984. All came up from the South. Poor share croppin' colored folks. The Government bought up all the houses. The Government fronted black real estate companies and red lined the hell out of the whole area. The government moved the blacks up from the South, with multiple extended families sharing a house. EC was destroyed in an amazingly short time. Wrecked a beautiful swimming pool the first summer they showed up. Had to close it for good due to the vandalism. All government sponsored social engineering. You know what I'm saying is right because you can ask your mom or grandma how many generations you are from the South and how you ended up in Cleveland. It wasn't drugs. It was relocating an entire uneducated, impoverished population from one part of the country to another. No jobs. No money. No socialization. They had that shit torn up completely in 10 years. Gentrification. Really hilarious. Guess what? It's the EXACT same thing they're doing now with millions of immigrants. Tearing shit up. Social engineering. Just went deeper South this time.
Why do you think crack ends up in these neighborhoods? Why do they rehabilitate heroine users, but let crackheads fall victim to addiction? You need to be real before passing judgment!
The first part of my comment went WAY over you head. Second, you don't think ppl have been trying to clean up the streets in EC? Please shut the fuck up because government officials have actually been charged they are so corrupt...
The government has been throwing trash in the streets for decades it's called crack cocain. You cant just tell on side other story without telling the other side dude. Wake up!
Goddamn, I reals terrible there. It looks worst then parts of Detroit. I'm not from East Cleveland, I'm not even from Ohio. I'm from NY, and I've never seen any parts of NY, that looked this bad, not even in the 80's. South Bronx, in NYC, looked really bad in the 1980's, with burned out abandoned buildings, squatters living in dilapidated buildings. Broken bottles, and hypodermic needles in the streets, bums hanging on the street corners. And it still didn't look as bad as this. By the late 80's, and early 90's the city cleaned, and fixed up the South Bronx, it's unrecognizable from back in the days. Even Times Square 42nd ST., it's not like it use to be back in the days, which was very bad, and dangerous. The officials of The City of East Cleveland, need to be ashamed of themselves, for having people live in deplorable environments like this.
It's not necessarily the people who live there that don't care...it's the people who don't live there to care enough to help the city with the devestating issues that plague the city.
East Cleveland Ohio This city was beautiful in 1960 by 1970 the decline was moving fast The population is way down It's a small city next to Cleveland There's nice homes on the other side of Euclid Ave
I was just in East Cleveland over the Thanksgiving holiday . I stayed downtown , but traveled up & down Superior Ave several times to go to my gf aunts house . I was astonished at what I saw , and also fascinated. Definitely a rough area .
I spent my childhood in East Cleveland. I grew up on a street called Collamer where I had so much fun as a kid. I'm so sad to see this area. I live in Massachusetts now and I went home two summers ago I went to Collamer and all I saw was abandon buildings and grass. How did this happen?
I live in Cleveland heights and I live probably 2 minutes away on noble down that hill and u can really tell the difference of east Cleveland and Cleveland heights right when u cross the border
So True..I think East Cleveland tried to merge with Cleveland Heights. In I want to say like 06' or 08'..Cleve Hts was NOT having it!..LOL..It is like going from day to night, when you cross the street to EC..Almost literally..
I just want to say god bless you for your craft and raising awareness here. I live just outside of South Bend Indiana. It's decaying, but nothing like this. I can't imagine you have an easy job, not by far. Hopefully you can plant a seed of hope and personal responsibility in to these children so that they may break the cycle of poverty. We can point the finger and blame but at the end of the day the struggle these kids live is real and that's what matters today. Again, bless you and I wish you well.
I was born in 1960 and we lived on e111th and miles rd. My kindergarten teacher was African American and we had a mixed class at Miles rd elementary school. Time has made a change...
I had to go down there and see this for myself after watching this video. No words. Thanks for posting this and I hope it continues to bring more attention to the state of things in this area, and thanks so much for your work with the youth as well.
Very sad to see what happened in East Cleveland. Grew up there in the 40's,50's, and 60's. Lived there 30 years. Graduated from Shaw High in 1960. Wha happened? Wow. Looks like a war zone. Used to be a model city back in the day. Thanks for your video.
Timothy Shelsea most of Detroit is not like this. People keep point any your problems and comparing them to Detroit. You need to come to the city and see the renaissance. That city is on its way back. Your opinion of Detroit as America’s shithole is totally wrong. Stop comparing your city to Detroit. You have no idea what’s going on there other than to try an make yourself feel good about the bullshit people put that Detroit is the worst. Get over it. Detroit is on a Big come up. Thanks to Dan Gilbert, Roger Penske and the leadership of the mayor and city council we have in place. It still has a long ways to go. But it took a long time for it to get where it was. Detroit is not your joke anymore. Go and see!!!!
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Muskegon Heights MI too, but this one looks little worse than Gary IN
@@sneakypete139 I'm in detroit every 2 weeks, the downtown looks better, hell, the roads are even getting done, but soon as you leave downtown, same old detroit. Clevelands like a mini Detroit, detroits like 5x the size
I just came back from Cleveland visiting my family on my fathers side I actually drove to East Cleveland and it’s horrible seeing this video is nothing compared to seeing some of this stuff in person it’s absolutely horrific and very sad hope things change
At one time I worked at a elementary school out there & my 1st day I was looking for the school & I literally thought that I was lost because everything looked abandoned, burned-out, or trash dumped fields & littered street's. I felt so bad for them children at the school as they looked oblivious as to what they were up against. It is really sad because truthfully, as I rode through there after work exploring a few day's I couldn't help to wonder how many dead bodies I was passing up going past all them abandoned buildings. 😔🏬🏣🏢🏠🏡😢
Wow!! When I stayed on Roxford it was beautiful! Some of my fondest memories were in East Cleveland. I believe it was late 80's. They had festivals and there shrimp boat restaurant was delicious.. I feel like whom ever was responsible should have been held more than responsible for the way East Cleveland was being ran into the ground. Praying for the people who lives there!!
Please don't look to the Government and how they can solve this. In most cases it's caused by them. Good for you for driving your kids to see it. Let them know that many of these places are due to choices people make.
I agree..Funny how the government chooses where to "Politically plant their asses" ie. most of New Orleans..Why in gods name do we waste BILLIONS on an area, BELOW SEA LEVEL?! Such a waste..Same for East Cleveland..But at least, money is not wasted there..I would however disagree that East Cleveland's demise was from poor choices..It's demise is simply..The modern world..Overseas business for the most part..In a whole, Cleveland is still a great place, just smaller..
go look on you tube videos on Africa this is exactly how they live, they have a huge market with human poop all over the streets!, live sewage all over the streets! As far as the trash and debris people dumped it from the city lazy democratic Africans.....
What a shame man. Let's turn it into something beautiful. I was the kid you met earlier today and I just wanted to thank you for giving your time to talk with us. Really appreciate it. Preach this! Let's give Cleveland A better name!
thanks for commenting. Cool place to meet somebody today. Add me on Facebook at Jamal Collins or IG @jayworking too share your findings I would love to see the flicks and film you shot today.
I am from Cleveland,live on the Eat and West side.Move to NC years ago,so sad that this city has became a war zone,you would think with all of the homeless,something would be done to repair these communities so folks would have a home!!!
Once East Cleveland annexes with Cleveland this area will get cleaned up by University Circle and business will start to come back to this area and get the desperate city services this city needs it'll be a good thing for both cities. It'll become a historic neighborhood of Cleveland.
I am heartbroken to see your video, but thank you for making it. I grew up on the streets you filmed. I lived on Chapman Avenue when I was born, grew up on Wymore. I used to walk to school along Elderwood or Euclid to go to Prospect Elementary. I wish people could see what it used to look like. It was a wonderful place to live. Beautiful tree lined streets and stately apartment buildings with well cared for lawns. My father worked at General Electric on Ivanho. When the factory closed we moved away. Now my home looks like it is in a bombed out war zone. What on earth can be done to bring it back? How can we spend money to rebuild Iraq and have cities in our country that look like this?
+jayworking Very happy to meet you! How about going to the media with this video. With Kasich running for President, seems this would get some attention. What is the Governor planning on doing to revitalize East Cleveland? There may be an opportunity to get some attention and assistance for East Cleveland due to the political implications for Kasich and the Republican Party as a whole.
Because the federal politicians corporation CEOs are going to live and or own property in those countries while they tell us them people over their are the enemies and most Americans go for it
I remember growing up going skating at USA skating rink in Willoughby and driving through EC and noticing how clean the city was. City was spotless. Trash no where to be found. Businesses were booming and it was a vibrant city. But like you said, the 90's crack cocaine, greedy polictians, that combination turned that city to what it is today. I refuse to drive through EC.
I lived on E 76 th street growing up in the 90s. It was rough, drugs and violence everywhere. Seen a friends dad get shot and killed. My father got shot in the head by some gang members standing outside corner store when he was coming back from my grandfathers funeral. My brother and I would get jumped at school all the time because we were different race. We left 2 months after my dad was shot ( thank God he survived). I have been back twice since then visiting family but I am thankful my parents got ya the hell out of there, otherwise who knows were we would be.
Jeez , I’m not American but I’ve seen a lot of vids about so many cities that are in this abandoned dilapidated state , Why is this happening ? You can see these were nice areas with nice houses ! even the trees look like they have given up !! I can’t believe I am watching cities in the USA a big wealthy country !!!! This is bad 😢
I'm a born and raised Clevelander that used to hang out over in EC on 131 and shaw for many years I spent many summers over there and many of my relatives lived over there. My dad took me over there about 2 years ago and it broke my heart. EC used to be a great place to raise families but when the factory and industry jobs left everything started going to pot. I plan on doing a special podcast on this issue
+FORALL2HEAR TV Please make the podcast! I teach Graphic Design After School twice a week at The Boys & Girls Club on Shaw. I'm trying to do my part by bringing change starting with the kids using Design!
I know this video is old, but I went to E.Cleveland a couple of weeks ago. I think my phone is listening to me because now videos about it are showing up in my news feed. It was so sad. Building after building looked as though they were in a war zone. Not one window in the countless abandoned buildings was left. It was unreal. So much waste. So much that would need to be demolished and removed to even make the area useable. I wouldn't even know where to begin. It seems as though no one else does either. 😩
everything looks dismal right after the snow melts, once the spring comes, the sun is shining and the leaves bloom it looks like a postcard paradise. clean up garbage, it ain't that hard.
You must be joking right? East Cleveland for the most part looks like a warzone all year round. It has nothing to do with the the snow just recently thawing lmao. I do agree that starting somewhere as simple as cleaning up the trash could go a long way to make it look better but trust me, that's the last thing on the bucket list of issues in East Cleveland. Tearing down or renovating abondoned homes and buildings is the #1 issue. Then crime is #2. Then corruption... And the list goes on
On behalf of the residents of East Cleveland and as a former resident. I am appealing to your concern and care for the citizens of the state of Ohio by turning your efforts and attention toward the desolate conditions that the residents of this city face on a daily basis. They are in dire need of economic recovery so that revitalization and restoration can take place. East Cleveland was once a thriving city and one of the very 1st suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. Throughout the years the city has suffered an injustice and has been ravaged from the effects of drugs and crime. The city is overrun by abandoned housing, dilapidated buildings and debris. We can no longer turn our heads and not address this situation when we have our own citizens of our state struggling to stay a float. It is our civic duty as a community to help our fellow residents out of the quagmire of hopelessness and despair. We also need to look at other communities, but East Cleveland seems to be the most desolate at this time. I look forward to your response and plan. Okay, Amerrrrrrrca our brother Jay is crying out for help. There something we can do. Duplicate this letter or tweak it and email or mail it to your 2 senators in Ohio (Sherrod Brown & Rob Portman) and your congresswoman (Marcia Fudge) here in Ohio. For other states: Detroit, Chicago and others call: 202-225-3121 and find out who your representatives are. We do have a voice. Stand united
Our so called elected politicians talk the talk to get elected. They have the connections to get a job done. They all say what they will do for the constituant...but what changes have you really seen in the communities that need the help the most? They uplift the affluent communities...the well to do. The cry for help in economicly distressed communities fall on deaf ears. You can call until your finger is numb from dialing their number, your ear hurts from diversion from person to person and your mouth and tongue are dry trying to speak your concern. They live, sleep and eat well everyday and night. How many of them do you hear about standing in line at a food pantry, threats of eviction from their sprawling homes, their utilities about to be disconnected and the list goes on. Why do you keep voting for these people?
Great mini-doc! More people need to see the blight of EC and other inner city spots around northeast Ohio. I grew up on E.79th, but had close fam that lived on Mann Ave, off of Hayden, and remember it still being decent in the 80s. Vaguely remember back in the early 2000s, a plan on the table to annex EC into Cleveland & Cleveland Hts. I believe it never materialized, due to Cleveland wanting to split it down the middle, and Cleveland Hts only wanting the Forest Hills neighborhoods, nothing else.
+boothmann Yeah, I heard the same thing. Something gotta to happen. I mean who own these areas the Bank? Some funds from somewhere needs to be applied to demo these areas and make them green if nothing else.
+jayworking Man, some of those structures are so wrapped up in redtape, good luck finding original owners, i.e. the observatory. The city needs to take eminent domain over that, and the DOZENS of abandoned houses, apartment bldgs & store fronts. EC is the product of so many things gone wrong....war on drugs, NAFTA, tax mismanagement, misrepresentation, apathetic citizens. Hopefully, you shining the light on this will start to mobilize people, cant rely on elected officials to do it, they dont represent the people.
+boothmann I on the ground empowering the kids with my Graphic Design After School Program. I believe the kids are the key for any growth in the city so I'm starting with them. Thanks for your comments.
Well said..I Have comminted a few times on your vine here, but do not think I have hit you directly.. At this point I agree with you completely! Demo is really the ONLY viable answer..To answer you question about who owns the property..Some the bank..But mostly, the city at this point..( Banks stopped paying the taxes ) That is why you can buy them for $1 .The prob is..They are to bad to refurbish..So, yes agreed that demo is the best option..EC mayor needs to beg for federal funding to demo and clean up..Possibly buy out the few taxpayers left and shutdown EC altogether!..Move the poor residents to Cleveland and start fixing a city that is still together..EC is done ( property wise )
I am sure the residents appreciate your hard work in the community! We (ATL) don’t have any public housing here but we do still have a couple of hood spots!
It isn't the environment that makes the people who they are. It is who the people are that make the environment. Those neighborhoods were fine when people who cared about themselves, their families, and their neighbors lived there.
I lived off 185 on Neff n Lakeshore. I'm a young white male and this is home to me. sad how poor our city is. but I'm proud and it's made me who I am. some people won't ever understand the struggle of having nothing but I made it. and I pray you all do to.
It saddens me as well how the city is now,i can remember how beauiful the people was...how people took care of there yards...now i look and i just smdh....the people who destroyed the city.. moved out..we was a city where everyone knows your name...i still live here eveything is being teared down.. Cleveland is taking over. ..soon so u dont know if anything will be done. ..
It is a hard comparison, but I would say Chicago takes the " Crime Cake" ..Cleveland and East Clevenad have only a few hundred thousand residents, compared to Millions in Chicago..East Cleveland..All I can say..Is be armed to the teeth!! Especially for residents...( Thankfully, I am not) Some years back the mayor even came out and said, in plain English.." If you live here, and are not a criminal..Defend yourself by any means! " Crazy but true..I am not personally familiar with Chicago..But, the stats are the stats..Chicago is more dangerous than Iraq!
***** Alright Bro..No worries..As you said it is.."Who you are"..At the end of the day..Most homicides are " GAME " Related..Chicago, EC, Cleve..If you are in the game..It is all in the game!! If you are a citizen..You should be ok..So If cleve is higher ( Per capita ) I believe you..Not gonna argue or even google it..Just saying..Bro..Stay positive and AWAY from the game ok man!! Not looking over your shoulder is a good thing..I am personally good in EC or Cleve..I stay under the radar...Hope you do too..
michael Davis yeah, rough, that's why I talk to the youth every day trying to expose them to design and hopefully give them way out of this mess and come back and help like me.
I am from Philly, and at one time we had a similar situation on the outskirts of North Philadelphia. The homes were demolished. I believe there was a huge sinkhole underneath.Now it's open space.After seeing this area it makes me very sad and its so unfair to the remaining residents and their children to have to live around this. No human being should have to live this way. With declining malls closing, mom and pops who have to close because of high taxes, and Greedy corporations Walmart being the worst have been the downfall of American civilisation. I will pray that something can be done although it looks pretty bleak Maybe god can she's some light on it. May god bless the area and all of the residents.
Security is the most important concept in economic recovery. Without it, there will be very few businesses brave enough to stay there. Very few people brave enough to go to the businesses. Then there will be no jobs. Pride and respect for the city is absolutely non existent. Who dumps 35 tires in the middle of the sidewalk? For what purpose? Like you imply, it does seem like an extensive city beautification program could go a long way in helping. Block by block, get rid of the trash, tires, rubble. Knock down the abandoned buildings that are dens for druggies. Bring back pride and safety. I guarantee you could recruit an army of hard working volunteers if their safety could be guaranteed. There are bigger social issues plaguing East Cleveland, but city beautification is free.
I've been praying for Detroit lately, I go there often and the people that i meet are for the most part super people. This is far too common in our country. We have been sold out.
I have been returning to your page, Jay, in hopes of finding a comment from someone who remembers the little Fabric Shop on the corner of Euclid & Superior. It was owned and operated by husband and wife, Ellen and William Price. At one time, they also operated a second shop several blocks up Superior Ave. I was told by a friend of mine who lived at 1210 Carlyon Rd., just east off of Superior, that the store on Euclid & Superior had burned down. Mr. & Mrs. Price have long passed away as have the other members of their family. I was wondering if any of you, who post comments on Jay's page, remember this shop and if by chance, knew Mr. or Mrs. Price. Would like to know what happened to their business. I left E. Cleveland in 1976 do to health problems. If anyone remembers anything about them, PLEASE add a comment. I was a seamstress at their shop and I have so many fond memories of working for and with them and I still miss them very much.
in Youngstown,ohio alot of Gardens are sprouting up where buildings has been torn down. it's really inexpensive and gives the neighborhoods a nicer look.
+jayworking basically I think a route like this should happen, a neighborhood group should be formed to talk to the universities and the city about possibly doing something like this.If Cleveland is trying to go through a renaissance right now, that's the least they can do to get a old neighborhood to start a rebuild. community gardens and small community parks might not sound like much,but it's a start and much better than just rubble and run down buildings in it's place.
They tried, EC has Abandoned gardens, all over! EC needs to be burned to the ground and merged with Cleveland..( For the few remaining paying homeowners at least) Surprisingly, there are actually still a small few who still keep up their homes in EC..A few of the homes are UTTERLY AMAZING! ( Just not sure keeping them, would weigh out the cost of paying to keep infrastructure in place) I am sure they would be fine with burning down every abandoned home and building around them..Not too much to light a fire, would fix a ton for decent residents..Really though, I think EC should be totally abandoned!! The Feds already have to pay for the schools and living costs of 85%-90% of the residents..Cheaper to move them if you think about it..One way or the other, taxes go there..
It took decades to get this bad. When resources are scarce, do you spend the money on people or to tear down buildings. That is the problem. Children should not grow up in a place like this. You can only do what you can do. Being a positive influence on kids is A LOT.
Keep on working with those kids, sir! They are the ones who will rebuild EC. I lived in Parma in the late 1980s, early 1990s and used to go on "prayer drives" in this neighborhood with my church sisters on Sunday afternoons. Crack dealt the final blow by about '95, '96. There were still people here back then. Now it's deserted. The choice is in the hands of the young people. They can decide to re-civilize this area and make it a place to put down roots, raise their children and grandchildren, or they can walk away and leave it to the devil and his demons. With God's help, it CAN be done, but He isn't going to do it for them. As for the politicians, don't waste your energy. They've had over five decades to prove whose side they're on, and it's not the Lord's. I'm a teacher, too, in New York. Whenever my middle schoolers start allowing the classrooms, their desks, lockers, the general physical environment to decay, I teach a mini-unit about the South Bx. and Alphabet City. We look at photos, films, news articles, city archives tracing the history from the 1920s to the present. How did it change? Why? What is the process of urban decay? What was the inhabitants' mind-set ? What does it take in terms of personal commitment to maintain a positive community? God's grace go with you!
Thx for the vid..Made one myself a few months back with my son..We stopped and got out at these exact buildings!! What a sight imagining how great they used to be!! Of course I was well armed, got to be in EC now..Truth is, East Cleveland will NEVER RECOVER,,EVER!! I was asked when I got out by a 4 plex off Euclid, if I was an investor ( being white, I stood out ) responded with yes I am..But, could not invest there. What needs to happen is East Cleve, needs to merge with Cleveland. Not enough tax money in EC..Burn most homes and structures to the ground. When enough is saved, do the clean up in full..but for now get rid of possible trap houses..Cleveland is still a thriving city, full of work for those who want it..It will never be, what my dad tells me what it once was.. But, it can be beautiful again with careful politics and hard work..
Good thought, I myself came from this neighborhood. I was in a gang myself but not like they are now. I grew up on a couple of streets over on Eastham Avenue. The street that the bank was on and walgreens was A&P grocery store. You may remember. I just came from visiting mom and dad who stay now off of lakeshore, I just came from there last week. Showed my wife and babygirl where I grew up now the apartment buiding we owned looks lile a jungle around it. It is real real terrible. Its like the government abandoned the whole city,
The Dreamer Well, Glad you no longer live in EC..Is Eastham a street between Euclid and Hayden? Area? It is amazing to see even from say 7 or 8 years ago especially around there, if I was correct on the location..Buildings still with for rent banners,,now falling over..Places like East Cleveland are now just a has been the place to be. There is still thriving economy for workers, it just will not grow for a long time...Technology and overseas business, have taken many cities. If you ask me, most Mid West areas need to be condensed. ie. Flint MI. No reason to invest billions over crappy water, there is nothing to recover.Use the money to buy out up to date homeowners and have folks fix up places in Detroit..Same for EC..I definitely see things in a.. It is, the way it is way..EC, just, is what it is...Sad to see all the beautiful architecture falling over..But, it is valueless now unfortunately..
Dame S you maybe right, the solution is the youth, the kids help change a culture of consumers into producers, these are the future leaders who will help.
I am a truck driver and drive down Euclid every night between 2-3am. What you see here does no justice. Once it gets dark, you will see the prostitutes, you will see the hand to hand drug transactions, you will even occasionally see the abandoned stolen car "no kidding". The streets are horrible, and have had orange barrels in sections of potholes literally for over a year, the streets are busy with people just standing around and just doing "nothing". I don't even have fear, I just feel sad for what I see because to live here, is to literally not have a life, or anything to really look forward to. The one thing I see is the historical aspect to how beautiful things were at one time. Makes you wonder what exactly did happen, and why did people stop caring about their home? The elected officials are to blame. Look no further to who claims to serve the community but yet accepts the paycheck, the status, and enjoys the office while the streets literally rot right out from under the people they promised to make life better for. If they will not walk the street after midnight without a gun or body guard, then they don't give a shit about the people who actually do care about calling this place home.
I bet!!!! Thanks for the comment.
The answer, Mr. Harris, about what happened is the collapse of personal responsibility. That's the whole damn country's #1 problem. But in some places, it's a raging plague. Add to that 50 years of vanishing manufacturing jobs, and you have a never-ending cycle of social disaster.
It is bad........never been a crack head but know of others whom are actually complete strangers to Cleveland, & during a July 4 th ballgame go into a bar few blocks from stadium & find their crack. Even with all the cops riding around on bikes & horses. I hate drugs, pissed me off when this happened, but couldn’t help but be amazed....... SMH........
It is all about tax revenue, local and state government corruption, jobs, and property owner obligations. If all of these things are broken the problem will only get worse. A way to fix the problem is to have a multi-billionaire come into the community with his own troops. He or she will buy up all the property. Use there own money to rebuild clean new housing, community center, recreational facilities, and most importantly job creating business in the middle of it all. Other than that , good luck.
Crime creates poverty because it drives what's left of the above-ground economy out and nothing replaces it because nobody wants to open a business where they're gonna get jacked, either to and from work or behind the counter of their own businesses. You want to bring E Cleveland back? *Snitch. Your. Asses. Off.* and start shooting these pricks before they shoot you. Sorry, but crack a book and you'll find that that _is_ the remedy.
Good video, and thanks for being a teacher. I was born and raised in Cleveland and live in one of those bombed out apartment buildings on Lockwood. I moved there shortly after I got married in 1966. East Cleveland was considered a move up from Cleveland itself. I worked at the now gone St. Alexis and Cleveland Clinic as a respiratory therapist. The density of apartments was one of the attractions of East Cleveland as well as the start of its downfall. As industry and jobs left, landlords couldn't be quite as choosy about tenants.
East Cleveland started to see the tidal wave of low income families moving in, many with no man in the house. As things got worse, it wasn't working poor any longer but more and more welfare families where no on was employed, and many of those families had no one that had been employed for generations. Landlords had to lower rates as no middle class family, white or black, wanted to live there. That started the second wave of tenants contained a greater and greater proportion of people who were criminals and drug dealers. Without job skills you do what you know, and that meant rampant drug dealing (and addiction) and stealing, including killing people while you were robbing them. The population shrank as more people moved out, and many tenants just stopped paying rent. Landlords couldn't afford proper maintenance, so the buildings deteriorated further, which meant they rented for even less. These were solid buildings, evidenced by the fact they are still standing, not some kind of slum area. The snowball rolled downhill as more buildings went into foreclosure. They weren't saleable at any price, so the banks boarded them up and left them to the scrappers to finish off. Hundreds of buildings have already been demolished and hundreds more still need to be demolished. One of the biggest expenses for East Cleveland now is the cost of mowing the resultant urban prairie.
We were expecting our first child by 1968, and I thought things were going to end up exactly as they have. Corrupt politicians combined with grinding poverty conspired to destroy a once nice and thriving community. I decided we had to leave and moved to California, a move that I regretted at the time, since I was leaving my hometown. Seeing what has happened makes that regret now non-existent. Sorry for being so long winded, but but what happened to East Cleveland, and Cleveland in general, was a decades long process. The seeming inability of politicians and city officials to recognize the path solidified the outcome. This is a sad chapter in the history of our great country.
bone thugs wasn't lying when they said its a wasteland
William Bowen yeah, homie!
William Bowen EAST 99 is where youd find em slinging that yayo! massive drug bust recently. EAST Cleveland is a beautiful urban wasteland but has potential but the city itself is turning a blind eye. shut Euclid ave was millionaires row. known for being one of the most beautiful streets in America . now it's looks like the video.
Too True!
..... ..............bOY!
wasteland is st clair 105 -93rd
I have driven around East Cleveland as an Uber driver. My drives through East Cleveland were thought provoking. That's great you're helping out the kids.
This is heart breaking. I lived in East Cleveland back in the 70's and I remember when it was a nice place to live. Big business and factories, etc. betrayed these Americans when they moved their businesses to China. People were forced out of their homes by foreclosures. It's hard to believe that big business could do this. My prayers are with and for East Cleveland...I have such fond memories of it and I pray that a solution will be found to turn this situation around.
+Laura R I know its sad. Thanks for comment.
Yup, Big business moving to China, is the DIRECT result of EC looking and being the way it is today! Agreed..Sad, yet so true..
Dame S blame it on liberal democrats, slavery to the govts with there high corporate taxes because corporations are so evil for providing jobs in there mind. I wish the idiots in Cleveland would stop voting for the party that put them in this mess, you have to work out of poverty now not be moocher off welfare. I hope trump will fix shit and shit the dumb ass rich liberals up
I was Music Director at St. Philomena (on Euclid Ave.) in the 70s and 80s. It was getting bad, but not this bad.
Part of the problem was the Republican banksters downtown, who redlined the entire city. People, who owned their homes, were scared, because the banks scared them, and coaxed them into buying another home with another mortgage ("Get out now, before it's too late!"). Those banksters were/are criminals. They made a shit-load of money in this fraudulent scheme. May God damn their souls.
@@urbanviii6557 There was no music director at St. Philomena in the 70s and 80s. Laughable.
I went to mass there in the late 60s and it was almost completely empty. Nice try though.
Powerful video. I, too, grew up on Nelaview, near Noble. We moved to LA when I was a kid in 1968. I still feel a strong attachment to Cleveland and have family there. People like you who work with kids and produce such wonderful art that raises our awareness give me hope. Keep up the good work.
John Lloyd wow moved on Nelaview in 75
it's apparent what is going on in east Cleveland. CWRU and Cleveland Clinic are closing in. So, they find no good reason to restore it as they wait for investors to buy it dirt cheap.
Big Facts! Thanks for sharing!
I lived in East Cleveland back in the 70's, in an apartment bldg. on Superior & Euclid. I am a white woman and I worked with and for a dear friend, Mrs. Eleanor Price, who with her husband Bill, owned and operated two fabric stores. The one I worked in was located just across the street but is no longer there. It was a friendly neighborhood then and we knew just about everyone who came in the shop, by name. I am so deeply saddened by what has become of this town. It was probably one of the most diversified suburbs of Cleveland. I am so sorry for what has happened, thanks to crooked politicians and Government officials and let's not forget the greedy, money hungry factories and business that deserted their fellow Americans and moved to China. They are all guilty and contributed to E.C.'s downfall. My prayers are with those of you brave souls who have endured this so very long. I sincerely pray that some solution can be found that will benefit those who still remain and NOT some more GREEDY folks, who seek to take advantage of the situation for their own selfish benefits!
Not only to China, but closer to home, to Latin America.
What Laura says is basically correct.
No amount of "working together" will ever bring back the jobs Americans lost to foreign labor, because it's cheaper.
Besides, it's not "hatred" directed at foreign workers, when stating plain facts. It's the way Capitalism works, putting profit before people.
Politicians are just puppets of those who really wield economic power: the big conglomerates.
And people like ME! I abandoned my hometown. I moved my family to Texas so my kids could grow up in a thriving community, not a dying one. Detroit has never recovered from the White flight, drugs, and crime. I feel partially responsible for not staying and helping.
CHERUSCI 14 oh you're that type of person
CHERUSCI you are right about that. Well, almost. I would say 20% is a good diversity level of blacks, but when you get to around 35% or higher then it becomes too violent for any other race, and they leave in what is now known as white flight. When that happens the neighborhood, which may have been very nice, is doomed to becoming a ghetto. Or abandoned.
I'm from the east side of Detroit...Your neighborhood looks nice by comparison. You seem to care, people like you will make a difference. good luck to you and yours....Peace
My name is Mark Kingsley I went to Julia billiardCatholic School school but grew up in chesterland and it's very sad to see. I live in Emerald Isle North Carolina now but do come up about once a year I love Cleveland and miss it.
I really hate being here. I’m 19. I’ve lived here since I was 13 & my mom was raised here. My family is obviously poor, so we don’t have a car. I’ve been walking home at night for years, & it’s so scary. All the fiends and drug dealers and prostitution. The pissy bus stops, the potholes, the bandos. This is the reality of living here. I’m in college now, though. Finally a sophomore pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science. I’m a first generation commuter student. The first in my family to pursue a 4 year college education. I ride those RTA buses almost everyday. The healthline? Yeaaa lol. They’re always late. & Everything just be so depressing. But I have to keep going. I just wanna make it out sooo bad... I wonder if I ever will fr. I’m sorry for the rant. But nobody ever talks about ec.
email me so we can talk jcollins013@gmail.com
or shoot me a text 216-236-8689
I am East Cleveland born and bread. Grew up on N. Lockwood. My family purchased the home in 1960. I Attended Rozelle (torn down), Kirk (renamed) and Shaw class of 1984. East Cleveland was a suburb when I grew up there. It is heartbreaking to see what it has become. But...it is time to stop fixing blame and find ways to fix the problem. The city is "conveniently" ripe for gentrification. What can be done to save it or at least keep it diverse? Many of us have moved but still love E.C. and are willing help. What is the plan???
+qwnvicious I grew up on Nelaview born and bread as well. Thanks for your sharing I value your thoughts.
Really cool to learn that history..I would love to hit the streets of EC with someone who really knows the place, buildings and history..I must ask out of curiosity though.."Ripe for gentrification" ?? Certain parts of Cleveland I may agree, but EC? Not sure there..Would like your opinion on how.. I suggested in earlier comments, the hard truth, of almost abandoning EC altogether and merging with Cleveland..Burning down ALL abandoned buildings ( As they are drug havens now) Not sure of any other way to recover such a devastated area..But your input..I am not being a smart ass, I really ask.
Just saying..I am a real estate owner here in Cleveland. ( West side ) But at this point..Reality is, I will not take homes for free in EC!..No joke..Will not take anything! I Would though, with proper political moves from the mayor and or Governor..
No blacks owned houses in EC in 1960. But, Shaw was 80% black in 1968 and 100% black years before 1984. All came up from the South. Poor share croppin' colored folks. The Government bought up all the houses. The Government fronted black real estate companies and red lined the hell out of the whole area. The government moved the blacks up from the South, with multiple extended families sharing a house.
EC was destroyed in an amazingly short time. Wrecked a beautiful swimming pool the first summer they showed up. Had to close it for good due to the vandalism.
All government sponsored social engineering.
You know what I'm saying is right because you can ask your mom or grandma how many generations you are from the South and how you ended up in Cleveland.
It wasn't drugs. It was relocating an entire uneducated, impoverished population from one part of the country to another. No jobs. No money. No socialization. They had that shit torn up completely in 10 years. Gentrification. Really hilarious.
Guess what? It's the EXACT same thing they're doing now with millions of immigrants. Tearing shit up.
Social engineering. Just went deeper South this time.
This is the collective results of individual actions and behavior of people. Government does not throw trash in the streets or tear up property.
6tring Player yes but it’s government’s responsibility to fine and regulate what suburb you know is going to tolerate this?
Why do you think crack ends up in these neighborhoods? Why do they rehabilitate heroine users, but let crackheads fall victim to addiction? You need to be real before passing judgment!
The first part of my comment went WAY over you head. Second, you don't think ppl have been trying to clean up the streets in EC? Please shut the fuck up because government officials have actually been charged they are so corrupt...
And yes actually the government does tear down the buildings.
The government has been throwing trash in the streets for decades it's called crack cocain. You cant just tell on side other story without telling the other side dude. Wake up!
E.152st.Clair my city love born and raise 33yrs in da land wouldn't want to be nowhere else but home...Cleveland stand up
Aye!!! Salute!!!!
Polensek does what ever is necessary to police and keep is ward together as best he can...more than I can say for some other councilmen.
Goddamn, I reals terrible there. It looks worst then parts of Detroit. I'm not from East Cleveland, I'm not even from Ohio. I'm from NY, and I've never seen any parts of NY, that looked this bad, not even in the 80's. South Bronx, in NYC, looked really bad in the 1980's, with burned out abandoned buildings, squatters living in dilapidated buildings. Broken bottles, and hypodermic needles in the streets, bums hanging on the street corners. And it still didn't look as bad as this. By the late 80's, and early 90's the city cleaned, and fixed up the South Bronx, it's unrecognizable from back in the days. Even Times Square 42nd ST., it's not like it use to be back in the days, which was very bad, and dangerous. The officials of The City of East Cleveland, need to be ashamed of themselves, for having people live in deplorable environments like this.
Thanks, For watching and I thank you for your comment.
I'm from East Cleveland & Yes shit is real there😦
Cocaroaches
Thank you, I lived on Wymore in 1953 it was beautiful.
jim love u a grandpa 💀🤣
No sense fixing up something if you know the people aren't going to take care of it.
It's not necessarily the people who live there that don't care...it's the people who don't live there to care enough to help the city with the devestating issues that plague the city.
@@bridgettjohnson7437 The took responsibility for their lives and left!
East Cleveland Ohio This city was beautiful in 1960 by 1970 the decline was moving fast The population is way down It's a small city next to Cleveland There's nice homes on the other side of Euclid Ave
No there isn't.
@@mheile11 Shut up dude
I was just in East Cleveland over the Thanksgiving holiday . I stayed downtown , but traveled up & down Superior Ave several times to go to my gf aunts house . I was astonished at what I saw , and also fascinated. Definitely a rough area .
A Briggs Jr yeah, it's crazy at least they have blocked the streets to cut down on riff raff.
OP sounds like a good man. His kids are lucky to have him.
+bluenoserr Thanks!
I spent my childhood in East Cleveland. I grew up on a street called Collamer where I had so much fun as a kid. I'm so sad to see this area. I live in Massachusetts now and I went home two summers ago I went to Collamer and all I saw was abandon buildings and grass. How did this happen?
ANGELA MIA
No jobs everybody leaving and bad government
I live in Cleveland heights and I live probably 2 minutes away on noble down that hill and u can really tell the difference of east Cleveland and Cleveland heights right when u cross the border
yeah its a shame.
So True..I think East Cleveland tried to merge with Cleveland Heights. In I want to say like 06' or 08'..Cleve Hts was NOT having it!..LOL..It is like going from day to night, when you cross the street to EC..Almost literally..
"Down that hill, huh" There's no obvious difference on Noble Rd. between East Cleveland and Cleveland Heights. More crap.
This is a legacy of redlining no doubt, the banks are a major culprit in all this.
Heartbreaking! I was born here in 63. Moved away in 71. Prayers to this community!
Great Move. Just don't forget
And just think the Rockefellers used to live in these areas in early 1900's....
I just want to say god bless you for your craft and raising awareness here. I live just outside of South Bend Indiana. It's decaying, but nothing like this. I can't imagine you have an easy job, not by far. Hopefully you can plant a seed of hope and personal responsibility in to these children so that they may break the cycle of poverty. We can point the finger and blame but at the end of the day the struggle these kids live is real and that's what matters today. Again, bless you and I wish you well.
thank you! I appreciate your kind words.
What decent person wants to set up shop in an area that is full of thugs, load vulgar music, and street creepers every where?
chased 6 white familys out in 1971 with DEATH threats. took our tax $ and left windermere apt.you ppl suck!!
I was born in 1960 and we lived on e111th and miles rd. My kindergarten teacher was African American and we had a mixed class at Miles rd elementary school. Time has made a change...
It's sad when you think about if it had gone the right way and us loving each other instead of being pit against one another.
I used to live in east cleveland in the early 80s up taylor the cleveland heights border and it was nice back then DAMN what happened
bossmandm78 Cleveland Flight and decline, No Business, No Revenue, No opportunities.
Republicans have been dominating since then.
And detroit ppl moved there
You were in East Cleveland Heights..my brother lives there...
@@pm561 Wrong.
Darn that looks Apocalyptic!
right!
Its sad to see all that beautiful workmanship turning to waste like that. My prayers are with you..
+Jody Sephus (Jodysephus) thanks for your comments, I actually teach the kids so it's all not a lost I trying to save them teaching graphic design.
looks like Chernobyl!
+IntellectualMisfit84 Thanks for you input.
ight nigga i see u got jokes
chernobyl looks like a nature reserve paradise now
Greed & ignorance is going to be the death of us all. Thank you for trying to make change for the next generation
elcgmail thanks for watching! Subscribe to the channel.
jayworking Done! & thanks again... the world needs more people like you
I had to go down there and see this for myself after watching this video. No words. Thanks for posting this and I hope it continues to bring more attention to the state of things in this area, and thanks so much for your work with the youth as well.
thanks for watching, look at my latest video I did a interview I went back and talked about the problem and what I think is the solution.
My mom use to live there and we had to get out to dangerous. We lived in some shitty parts of Cleveland but nothing is worst than east Cleveland.
Looks like it was a nice area at one time
Oh does it.
Very sad to see what happened in East Cleveland. Grew up there in the 40's,50's, and 60's. Lived there 30 years. Graduated from Shaw High in 1960. Wha happened? Wow. Looks like a war zone. Used to be a model city back in the day. Thanks for your video.
Very similar to most of Detroit sadly.
...and East STL.
Timothy Shelsea most of Detroit is not like this. People keep point any your problems and comparing them to Detroit. You need to come to the city and see the renaissance. That city is on its way back. Your opinion of Detroit as America’s shithole is totally wrong. Stop comparing your city to Detroit. You have no idea what’s going on there other than to try an make yourself feel good about the bullshit people put that Detroit is the worst. Get over it. Detroit is on a Big come up. Thanks to Dan Gilbert, Roger Penske and the leadership of the mayor and city council we have in place. It still has a long ways to go. But it took a long time for it to get where it was. Detroit is not your joke anymore. Go and see!!!!
Muskegon Heights MI too, but this one looks little worse than Gary IN
@@sneakypete139 "paid for by the department of tourism, city of detroit."
@@sneakypete139 I'm in detroit every 2 weeks, the downtown looks better, hell, the roads are even getting done, but soon as you leave downtown, same old detroit. Clevelands like a mini Detroit, detroits like 5x the size
Would be a great place for the Army/National Guard to put a fence around and conduct urban warfare training! For real.
I don't know why I find these videos fascinating
I just came back from Cleveland visiting my family on my fathers side I actually drove to East Cleveland and it’s horrible seeing this video is nothing compared to seeing some of this stuff in person it’s absolutely horrific and very sad hope things change
At one time I worked at a elementary school out there & my 1st day I was looking for the school & I literally thought that I was lost because everything looked abandoned, burned-out, or trash dumped fields & littered street's. I felt so bad for them children at the school as they looked oblivious as to what they were up against. It is really sad because truthfully, as I rode through there after work exploring a few day's I couldn't help to wonder how many dead bodies I was passing up going past all them abandoned buildings. 😔🏬🏣🏢🏠🏡😢
Wow!!
When I stayed on Roxford it was beautiful!
Some of my fondest memories were in East Cleveland.
I believe it was late 80's.
They had festivals and there shrimp boat restaurant was delicious..
I feel like whom ever was responsible should have been held more than responsible for the way East Cleveland was being ran into the ground.
Praying for the people who lives there!!
Please don't look to the Government and how they can solve this. In most cases it's caused by them. Good for you for driving your kids to see it. Let them know that many of these places are due to choices people make.
Thanks, we'll said my friend.
I agree..Funny how the government chooses where to "Politically plant their asses" ie. most of New Orleans..Why in gods name do we waste BILLIONS on an area, BELOW SEA LEVEL?! Such a waste..Same for East Cleveland..But at least, money is not wasted there..I would however disagree that East Cleveland's demise was from poor choices..It's demise is simply..The modern world..Overseas business for the most part..In a whole, Cleveland is still a great place, just smaller..
You can't be serious? smh
go look on you tube videos on Africa this is exactly how they live, they have a huge market with human poop all over the streets!, live sewage all over the streets! As far as the trash and debris people dumped it from the city lazy democratic Africans.....
What a shame man. Let's turn it into something beautiful. I was the kid you met earlier today and I just wanted to thank you for giving your time to talk with us. Really appreciate it. Preach this! Let's give Cleveland A better name!
thanks for commenting. Cool place to meet somebody today. Add me on Facebook at Jamal Collins or IG @jayworking too share your findings I would love to see the flicks and film you shot today.
They need to fix and rebuild east cleveland
I am from Cleveland,live on the Eat and West side.Move to NC years ago,so sad that this city has became a war zone,you would think with all of the homeless,something would be done to repair these communities so folks would have a home!!!
Two generations ago, people moved in the opposite direction. They left NC to find work in the Cleveland factories.
Once East Cleveland annexes with Cleveland this area will get cleaned up by University Circle and business will start to come back to this area and get the desperate city services this city needs it'll be a good thing for both cities. It'll become a historic neighborhood of Cleveland.
Sean Hanna let pray that happens.
I am heartbroken to see your video, but thank you for making it. I grew up on the streets you filmed. I lived on Chapman Avenue when I was born, grew up on Wymore. I used to walk to school along Elderwood or Euclid to go to Prospect Elementary. I wish people could see what it used to look like. It was a wonderful place to live. Beautiful tree lined streets and stately apartment buildings with well cared for lawns. My father worked at General Electric on Ivanho. When the factory closed we moved away. Now my home looks like it is in a bombed out war zone. What on earth can be done to bring it back? How can we spend money to rebuild Iraq and have cities in our country that look like this?
wow, thanks for the comment my father worked there as well. Charles!
+jayworking Very happy to meet you! How about going to the media with this video. With Kasich running for President, seems this would get some attention. What is the Governor planning on doing to revitalize East Cleveland? There may be an opportunity to get some attention and assistance for East Cleveland due to the political implications for Kasich and the Republican Party as a whole.
Because the federal politicians corporation CEOs are going to live and or own property in those countries while they tell us them people over their are the enemies and most Americans go for it
Thank you Brother!
I remember growing up going skating at USA skating rink in Willoughby and driving through EC and noticing how clean the city was. City was spotless. Trash no where to be found. Businesses were booming and it was a vibrant city. But like you said, the 90's crack cocaine, greedy polictians, that combination turned that city to what it is today. I refuse to drive through EC.
Even the trees look sad to be there.
I used to work on E 55th. Total mess. I graduated in 89 too, just heard you mention that.
I lived on E 76 th street growing up in the 90s. It was rough, drugs and violence everywhere. Seen a friends dad get shot and killed. My father got shot in the head by some gang members standing outside corner store when he was coming back from my grandfathers funeral. My brother and I would get jumped at school all the time because we were different race. We left 2 months after my dad was shot ( thank God he survived). I have been back twice since then visiting family but I am thankful my parents got ya the hell out of there, otherwise who knows were we would be.
Wow! Thanks for sharing that!
@San Den I was told that I needed my a$$ whooped because I was a little white bit**. That is how I knew it was because of the color of my skin.
Jeez , I’m not American but I’ve seen a lot of vids about so many cities that are in this abandoned dilapidated state , Why is this happening ? You can see these were nice areas with nice houses ! even the trees look like they have given up !! I can’t believe I am watching cities in the USA a big wealthy country !!!! This is bad 😢
I'm a born and raised Clevelander that used to hang out over in EC on 131 and shaw for many years I spent many summers over there and many of my relatives lived over there. My dad took me over there about 2 years ago and it broke my heart. EC used to be a great place to raise families but when the factory and industry jobs left everything started going to pot. I plan on doing a special podcast on this issue
+FORALL2HEAR TV Please make the podcast! I teach Graphic Design After School twice a week at The Boys & Girls Club on Shaw. I'm trying to do my part by bringing change starting with the kids using Design!
I will do this and get the link posted
I understand your concern. I am also from East Cleveland. However, this situation must be fixed not by our generation, but by generations to come.
Truth!
Take a VILLAGE AND DONE
I know this video is old, but I went to E.Cleveland a couple of weeks ago. I think my phone is listening to me because now videos about it are showing up in my news feed. It was so sad. Building after building looked as though they were in a war zone. Not one window in the countless abandoned buildings was left. It was unreal. So much waste. So much that would need to be demolished and removed to even make the area useable. I wouldn't even know where to begin. It seems as though no one else does either. 😩
Good video, very impactful Jay
thanks!
everything looks dismal right after the snow melts, once the spring comes, the sun is shining and the leaves bloom it looks like a postcard paradise. clean up garbage, it ain't that hard.
You must be joking right? East Cleveland for the most part looks like a warzone all year round. It has nothing to do with the the snow just recently thawing lmao. I do agree that starting somewhere as simple as cleaning up the trash could go a long way to make it look better but trust me, that's the last thing on the bucket list of issues in East Cleveland. Tearing down or renovating abondoned homes and buildings is the #1 issue. Then crime is #2. Then corruption... And the list goes on
On behalf of the residents of East Cleveland and as a former resident. I am appealing to your concern and care for the citizens of the state of Ohio by turning your efforts and attention toward the desolate conditions that the residents of this city face on a daily basis. They are in dire need of economic recovery so that revitalization and restoration can take place.
East Cleveland was once a thriving city and one of the very 1st suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. Throughout the years the city has suffered an injustice and has been ravaged from the effects of drugs and crime. The city is overrun by abandoned housing, dilapidated buildings and debris. We can no longer turn our heads and not address this situation when we have our own citizens of our state struggling to stay a float. It is our civic duty as a community to help our fellow residents out of the quagmire of hopelessness and despair. We also need to look at other communities, but East Cleveland seems to be the most desolate at this time. I look forward to your response and plan.
Okay, Amerrrrrrrca our brother Jay is crying out for help. There something we can do. Duplicate this letter or tweak it and email or mail it to your 2 senators in Ohio (Sherrod Brown & Rob Portman) and your congresswoman (Marcia Fudge) here in Ohio. For other states: Detroit, Chicago and others call: 202-225-3121 and find out who your representatives are. We do have a voice. Stand united
Angela Kane thank you that's awesome! keep me posted.
Angela Kane Chicago got some nasty suburbs too with a huge gang population
Our so called elected politicians talk the talk to get elected. They have the connections to get a job done. They all say what they will do for the constituant...but what changes have you really seen in the communities that need the help the most? They uplift the affluent communities...the well to do. The cry for help in economicly distressed communities fall on deaf ears. You can call until your finger is numb from dialing their number, your ear hurts from diversion from person to person and your mouth and tongue are dry trying to speak your concern. They live, sleep and eat well everyday and night. How many of them do you hear about standing in line at a food pantry, threats of eviction from their sprawling homes, their utilities about to be disconnected and the list goes on. Why do you keep voting for these people?
Great mini-doc! More people need to see the blight of EC and other inner city spots around northeast Ohio. I grew up on E.79th, but had close fam that lived on Mann Ave, off of Hayden, and remember it still being decent in the 80s.
Vaguely remember back in the early 2000s, a plan on the table to annex EC into Cleveland & Cleveland Hts. I believe it never materialized, due to Cleveland wanting to split it down the middle, and Cleveland Hts only wanting the Forest Hills neighborhoods, nothing else.
+boothmann Yeah, I heard the same thing. Something gotta to happen. I mean who own these areas the Bank? Some funds from somewhere needs to be applied to demo these areas and make them green if nothing else.
+jayworking Man, some of those structures are so wrapped up in redtape, good luck finding original owners, i.e. the observatory. The city needs to take eminent domain over that, and the DOZENS of abandoned houses, apartment bldgs & store fronts. EC is the product of so many things gone wrong....war on drugs, NAFTA, tax mismanagement, misrepresentation, apathetic citizens. Hopefully, you shining the light on this will start to mobilize people, cant rely on elected officials to do it, they dont represent the people.
+boothmann I on the ground empowering the kids with my Graphic Design After School Program. I believe the kids are the key for any growth in the city so I'm starting with them. Thanks for your comments.
Well said..I Have comminted a few times on your vine here, but do not think I have hit you directly.. At this point I agree with you completely! Demo is really the ONLY viable answer..To answer you question about who owns the property..Some the bank..But mostly, the city at this point..( Banks stopped paying the taxes ) That is why you can buy them for $1 .The prob is..They are to bad to refurbish..So, yes agreed that demo is the best option..EC mayor needs to beg for federal funding to demo and clean up..Possibly buy out the few taxpayers left and shutdown EC altogether!..Move the poor residents to Cleveland and start fixing a city that is still together..EC is done ( property wise )
Dame S Thanks for watching I appreciate your insight!
Mix of loss of Industrialization/ job market and more government housing and welfare. It's all over north eastern ohio
I am sure the residents appreciate your hard work in the community! We (ATL) don’t have any public housing here but we do still have a couple of hood spots!
Thanks for watching!
Welcome!
It isn't the environment that makes the people who they are. It is who the people are that make the environment. Those neighborhoods were fine when people who cared about themselves, their families, and their neighbors lived there.
Man thats sad to see these living conditions kids are afraid to walk by these houses while goin to and from school its sad
Its like parts of Baltimore city, its better off just tearing down the vacant buildings and sell the land to investors to maintain
I agree!!!
I lived off 185 on Neff n Lakeshore. I'm a young white male and this is home to me. sad how poor our city is. but I'm proud and it's made me who I am. some people won't ever understand the struggle of having nothing but I made it. and I pray you all do to.
It saddens me as well how the city is now,i can remember how beauiful the people was...how people took care of there yards...now i look and i just smdh....the people who destroyed the city.. moved out..we was a city where everyone knows your name...i still live here eveything is being teared down.. Cleveland is taking over. ..soon so u dont know if anything will be done. ..
+Coynelle Bryant Thanks for your honesty!
bone thugs n harmony is from cleveland
Orlando Skeete naww really? weve only know this since 1994
I think it would make a great 4 wheel park and a dirt bike area and maybe a track what do you think?
My hood....iam from Cleveland and its rough.
It is a hard comparison, but I would say Chicago takes the " Crime Cake" ..Cleveland and East Clevenad have only a few hundred thousand residents, compared to Millions in Chicago..East Cleveland..All I can say..Is be armed to the teeth!! Especially for residents...( Thankfully, I am not) Some years back the mayor even came out and said, in plain English.." If you live here, and are not a criminal..Defend yourself by any means! " Crazy but true..I am not personally familiar with Chicago..But, the stats are the stats..Chicago is more dangerous than Iraq!
***** Alright Bro..No worries..As you said it is.."Who you are"..At the end of the day..Most homicides are " GAME " Related..Chicago, EC, Cleve..If you are in the game..It is all in the game!! If you are a citizen..You should be ok..So If cleve is higher ( Per capita ) I believe you..Not gonna argue or even google it..Just saying..Bro..Stay positive and AWAY from the game ok man!! Not looking over your shoulder is a good thing..I am personally good in EC or Cleve..I stay under the radar...Hope you do too..
michael Davis yeah, rough, that's why I talk to the youth every day trying to expose them to design and hopefully give them way out of this mess and come back and help like me.
michael Davis yall still dont have the problems we got in chicago
jayworking ,
Why didn't the bozo Obama help his fellow African Americans in Cleveland ????????
at 3:05 How sad I remember when these were beautiful 2 family homes back in the 1950's and 60's .
OMG that is scary, not how a neighborhood should look!
I am from Philly, and at one time we had a similar situation on the outskirts of North Philadelphia. The homes were demolished. I believe there was a huge sinkhole underneath.Now it's open space.After seeing this area it makes me very sad and its so unfair to the remaining residents and their children to have to live around this. No human being should have to live this way. With declining malls closing, mom and pops who have to close because of high taxes, and Greedy corporations Walmart being the worst have been the downfall of American civilisation. I will pray that something can be done although it looks pretty bleak Maybe god can she's some light on it. May god bless the area and all of the residents.
If it was rebuilt, would it work return into this again in 25 years? Their are deeper issues here. God speed EC.
Page been abandon for years. Thats a body dump.
Security is the most important concept in economic recovery. Without it, there will be very few businesses brave enough to stay there. Very few people brave enough to go to the businesses. Then there will be no jobs. Pride and respect for the city is absolutely non existent. Who dumps 35 tires in the middle of the sidewalk? For what purpose?
Like you imply, it does seem like an extensive city beautification program could go a long way in helping. Block by block, get rid of the trash, tires, rubble. Knock down the abandoned buildings that are dens for druggies. Bring back pride and safety. I guarantee you could recruit an army of hard working volunteers if their safety could be guaranteed. There are bigger social issues plaguing East Cleveland, but city beautification is free.
6 years later and nothing has changed
East cleveland looks like a ghost town
Yeap!!!
Good video. I saw something on fb and found this. It's very shocking.
They have started cleaning some of the areas.
@@jayworking How about the fact that no one lives there, but they built a brand new high school after the place was completely abandoned.
Bruddah City- there tons of opportunities, get certified as bonafied thug and you get to be sales man, then get promoted within ranks
I was right the Rust Belt isn’t recovering, especially by looking at East Cleveland.
Damn I'm from east Cleveland and my mom decided to move to Colorado because its more safe and isn't shitty but I do miss living there
Wow! Thanks for sharing!
I'm writing a letter, it's time we make a change here. People living in this area deserve a better life ❤
I've been praying for Detroit lately, I go there often and the people that i meet are for the most part super people. This is far too common in our country. We have been sold out.
I agree with everything you've said
I am here in Cleveland. Feel for you. Would be interested in making a documentary about the east side?
I have been returning to your page, Jay, in hopes of finding a comment from someone who remembers the little Fabric Shop on the corner of Euclid & Superior. It was owned and operated by husband and wife, Ellen and William Price. At one time, they also operated a second shop several blocks up Superior Ave. I was told by a friend of mine who lived at 1210 Carlyon Rd., just east off of Superior, that the store on Euclid & Superior had burned down. Mr. & Mrs. Price have long passed away as have the other members of their family. I was wondering if any of you, who post comments on Jay's page, remember this shop and if by chance, knew Mr. or Mrs. Price. Would like to know what happened to their business. I left E. Cleveland in 1976 do to health problems. If anyone remembers anything about them, PLEASE add a comment. I was a seamstress at their shop and I have so many fond memories of working for and with them and I still miss them very much.
in Youngstown,ohio alot of Gardens are sprouting up where buildings has been torn down. it's really inexpensive and gives the neighborhoods a nicer look.
yeah that's crazy, thanks for the comment.
+jayworking basically I think a route like this should happen, a neighborhood group should be formed to talk to the universities and the city about possibly doing something like this.If Cleveland is trying to go through a renaissance right now, that's the least they can do to get a old neighborhood to start a rebuild. community gardens and small community parks might not sound like much,but it's a start and much better than just rubble and run down buildings in it's place.
Good point, thanks for your input!
They tried, EC has Abandoned gardens, all over! EC needs to be burned to the ground and merged with Cleveland..( For the few remaining paying homeowners at least) Surprisingly, there are actually still a small few who still keep up their homes in EC..A few of the homes are UTTERLY AMAZING! ( Just not sure keeping them, would weigh out the cost of paying to keep infrastructure in place) I am sure they would be fine with burning down every abandoned home and building around them..Not too much to light a fire, would fix a ton for decent residents..Really though, I think EC should be totally abandoned!! The Feds already have to pay for the schools and living costs of 85%-90% of the residents..Cheaper to move them if you think about it..One way or the other, taxes go there..
Good Content. Ive been photographing the area a lot Mostly East 55th. Very Eerie.
thanks!
It took decades to get this bad. When resources are scarce, do you spend the money on people or to tear down buildings. That is the problem.
Children should not grow up in a place like this. You can only do what you can do. Being a positive influence on kids is A LOT.
It reminds me of the 'Bronx' in the 70's and early 80's
i lived in east cleveland for 3 years and i know these places
A call to city hall to complain should produce immediate action to clean up and renovate the city : )
Keep on working with those kids, sir! They are the ones who will rebuild EC. I lived in Parma in the late 1980s, early 1990s and used to go on "prayer drives" in this neighborhood with my church sisters on Sunday afternoons. Crack dealt the final blow by about '95, '96. There were still people here back then. Now it's deserted. The choice is in the hands of the young people. They can decide to re-civilize this area and make it a place to put down roots, raise their children and grandchildren, or they can walk away and leave it to the devil and his demons. With God's help, it CAN be done, but He isn't going to do it for them. As for the politicians, don't waste your energy. They've had over five decades to prove whose side they're on, and it's not the Lord's.
I'm a teacher, too, in New York. Whenever my middle schoolers start allowing the classrooms, their desks, lockers, the general physical environment to decay, I teach a mini-unit about the South Bx. and Alphabet City. We look at photos, films, news articles, city archives tracing the history from the 1920s to the present. How did it change? Why? What is the process of urban decay? What was the inhabitants' mind-set ? What does it take in terms of personal commitment to maintain a positive community? God's grace go with you!
Marie Katherine thanks for your kind words.
My kids mother lived on Wymore, I remember when they gave everybody section 8 to get them all out and just left the whole area abandoned
Thx for the vid..Made one myself a few months back with my son..We stopped and got out at these exact buildings!! What a sight imagining how great they used to be!! Of course I was well armed, got to be in EC now..Truth is, East Cleveland will NEVER RECOVER,,EVER!! I was asked when I got out by a 4 plex off Euclid, if I was an investor ( being white, I stood out ) responded with yes I am..But, could not invest there. What needs to happen is East Cleve, needs to merge with Cleveland. Not enough tax money in EC..Burn most homes and structures to the ground. When enough is saved, do the clean up in full..but for now get rid of possible trap houses..Cleveland is still a thriving city, full of work for those who want it..It will never be, what my dad tells me what it once was.. But, it can be beautiful again with careful politics and hard work..
Good thought,
I myself came from this neighborhood. I was in a gang myself but not like they are now. I grew up on a couple of streets over on Eastham Avenue. The street that the bank was on and walgreens was A&P grocery store. You may remember. I just came from visiting mom and dad who stay now off of lakeshore, I just came from there last week. Showed my wife and babygirl where I grew up now the apartment buiding we owned looks lile a jungle around it. It is real real terrible. Its like the government abandoned the whole city,
The Dreamer Well, Glad you no longer live in EC..Is Eastham a street between Euclid and Hayden? Area? It is amazing to see even from say 7 or 8 years ago especially around there, if I was correct on the location..Buildings still with for rent banners,,now falling over..Places like East Cleveland are now just a has been the place to be. There is still thriving economy for workers, it just will not grow for a long time...Technology and overseas business, have taken many cities. If you ask me, most Mid West areas need to be condensed. ie. Flint MI. No reason to invest billions over crappy water, there is nothing to recover.Use the money to buy out up to date homeowners and have folks fix up places in Detroit..Same for EC..I definitely see things in a.. It is, the way it is way..EC, just, is what it is...Sad to see all the beautiful architecture falling over..But, it is valueless now unfortunately..
Dame S you maybe right, the solution is the youth, the kids help change a culture of consumers into producers, these are the future leaders who will help.
Yes, It is the Kids..If you reach just one..You have made a difference!! Thank you for your work in the area!! Any links, webpages on your work?
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Champman Ave, NW of Euclid Ave. is _literally_ an entire street of abandoned apartment houses.
We have a lot of this in Detroit too. It's a shame.
I know, thanks for the comment.
When my dad drove truck back in late 80s early 90s east cleveland was never like that!!!
You always hear about Detroit! Never hear about Cleveland!!