Old Brooklyn

A range of historic districts, bungalows and two-story brick homes, Old Brooklyn boasts a melting pot of many different ethnic groups, including Eastern European, Irish, Polish and Italian residents. Less than two miles from Steelyard Commons and Ridge Park Square, the neighborhood also has its share of strip malls.

Neighborhood Gem

South of downtown and just beyond Steelyard Commons, lies the South Hills area of Old Booklyn. Robyn Sandys, executive director of Old Brooklyn Community Development Corp., states “this is a neighborhood with brick homes in the $150,000 to $200,000 rang surrounded by trees that looks like it belongs right in the middle of a suburban subdivision.”

The housing stock isn’t the only pleasant surprise. Behind the local elementary school lies the Ben Franklin Community Garden, three acres of land with 200 garden plots. Here, families and seniors pay $30 a season for their own 20-by-25-foot vestige of farmland in the heart of the city.

Since its introduction some 25 years ago, the garden has produced so much that, according to Sandys, “tons is given to shelters and the food bank. Some of the growers have even been prize-winners at the Cuyahoga County Fair.”

In the Community

Helping Hands

Old Brooklyn CDC (OBCDC) markets and promotes Old Brooklyn and Brooklyn Centre. Both have easy access to major roads and highways, well-built housing, including historic homes. The area is within minutes of Steelyard Commons, Ridge Park Square and speciality shops and services. There are great neighborhood schools, with Rhodes High School being one of the best in Cleveland. The area is home to Metro Health’s Senior Health and Wellness Center.

Community Project

The CDC is sponsored it's first annual Housing Fair in July of 2008. Lolly the Trolly carried participants on tours to for-sale homes throughout this great neighborhood. There were workshops on homeownership, maintaining your investment and choosing the right home for you. Each participant had the opportunity to tour 10 homes either in the morning or afternoon. Admission was free.

Fun Fact

“Can I trade you my carrots for your green beans?” The Ben Franklin Community Garden, located within the South Hills neighborhood, is the largest of its kind in Cuyahoga County.