University Circle | |
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| Coordinates:41°30′31″N81°36′19″W / 41.50861°N 81.60528°W /41.50861; -81.60528 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| City | Cleveland |
| Population | |
• Total | 7,661 |
| Demographics[1] | |
| • White | 56.4% |
| • Black | 21.6% |
| • Hispanic (of any race) | 3% |
| • Asian and Pacific Islander | 17.7% |
| • Mixed and Other | 4.3% |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 44106 |
| Area code | 216 |
| Median income[1] | $17,194 |
| Source: 2020 U.S. Census, City Planning Commission of Cleveland[2] | |
University Circle is a district in theneighborhood ofUniversity on the East Side ofCleveland,Ohio. It is home to theCleveland Museum of Art,Severance Hall (home to theCleveland Orchestra), theCleveland Institute of Art, theCleveland Cinematheque,Case Western Reserve University, theCleveland Institute of Music, theMuseum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, theCleveland Botanical Garden, historicLake View Cemetery, theCleveland Museum of Natural History, andUniversity Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.
Encompassing approximately 550 acres (220 ha) the University neighborhood is bordered to the north by theGlenville neighborhood, to the south by theBuckeye-Shaker neighborhood, to the west and southwest by the neighborhoods ofHough andFairfax (also known as Midtown) and to the east by the cities ofEast Cleveland andCleveland Heights. University Circle is member of theGlobal Cultural Districts Network.
While the population of University Circle ranks on the lower end of Cleveland's 36 defined Statistical Planning Areas (SPAs), it ranks near the top in importance to the city's economic sector. Neighborhood businesses and institutions provide the city with more than 30,000 jobs in a variety of fields, including averaging 1,000 new jobs per year since 2005.[3] Nearby attractions draw approximately 2.5 million visitors annually.[4] As the neighborhood's name implies, higher learning is a major part of the culture of University Circle, with over 13,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students attending the area's various institutions. University Circle Inc., anot-for-profit corporation established in 1957, serves as the neighborhoodchamber of commerce, providing many administrative and quasi-governmental functions for the area, including security, transportation administration, and marketing.[5] University Circle has its own full-service police department to provide security and patrol the area.[6]
In 2021,USA Today ranked University Circle #1 as the "Best Arts District" in America.[7]Forbes ranked University as one of America's Prettiest Neighborhoods; with high praise for its symphony orchestra, museums, botanical garden, planetarium, high-end foods, world class culture, andwalkability.[8] In a 2007USA Today article entitled "10 great places to discover Italy in America",Mario Batali was quoted as saying, "Corbo's Bakery has the bestcassata (cake) I have tried in the USA."[9] The article listed Cleveland's Little Italy as a top ten Little Italy in America.Askmen.com ranked Cleveland's Little Italy #3 out of 10 in their list of "Top 10: Little Italies".[10]
Points of interest in the University Circle neighborhood include:
University Circle was known during the early 19th century as Doan’s Corners, after Nathanial Doan, a member of theConnecticut Land Company, who settled his family and started a community there.[16]
The name "University Circle" began to take shape in the 1880s. Western Reserve University moved its campus fromHudson, Ohio, toEuclid Avenue in 1883.Case School of Applied Science moved fromDowntown Cleveland to a site next to WRU in 1885. Their relocation led to the birth of an educational center and the creation of a new community called University Circle, named in part after these new institutions—but also the circular street intersection and trolley turnaround located atEuclid Avenue and Doan Brook Boulevard (Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard today).[17]
By the 1890s, the Western Reserve School of Design for Women (Cleveland Institute of Art) moved to University Circle, and the concept of developing a world-class arts and cultural center came to life. The concept became more concrete whenJeptha Wade, a trustee of Western Reserve University, set aside land for theCleveland Museum of Art to be built in the Circle, which required the Cleveland Zoological Park, now known as theCleveland Metroparks Zoo, to be relocated to its present-day location ofOld Brooklyn. The Historical Society (Western Reserve Historical Society) joined these institutions before the start of the 20th century.[16]
The Circle began to grow rapidly in the early 20th century. TheCleveland Museum of Art opened its doors in 1916. By the 1920s and 1930s, 19 educational and cultural institutions were located in the area, from theCleveland Museum of Natural History to theCleveland Hearing and Speech Center to theCleveland Botanical Garden and others.
Cleveland'scollege football scene began in University Circle through bothCase and Western Reserve football teams. Van Horn Field hosted games againstOhio State,Notre Dame, andAlabama. Famed Notre Dame coachKnute Rockne made his coaching debut against Case in University Circle in1918. In1920, TheAlabama Crimson Tide played their first ever game in thenorth at Van Horn Field against Case.
The arrival ofUniversity Hospitals in 1931 (founded in 1866) led to health care becoming another center of innovation in University Circle. Less than one mile (1.6 km) away from University Hospitals, theCleveland Clinic had been serving its patients since 1921. Also in 1931Severance Hall, home of theCleveland Orchestra, was constructed at the corner of Euclid and East Boulevard.[16] By 1950, 34 institutions had chosen University Circle as their home.[17] In 1967, Case School of Applied Science and Western Reserve University confederated to becomeCase Western Reserve University.[18]
University Circle remainsCleveland's center for cultural, educational, religious, and social-service institutions. The area is currently undergoing many construction projects with many institutions expanding, and private development of residential and commercial dwellings. New housing developments in the area have increased the number of year-round residents in the area to an estimated 15,000 as of 2013.[19]
In 2012, theMuseum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) opened its new permanent location in University Circle at the corner ofMayfield Road andEuclid Avenue.[20]
University Circle is served by multiple forms of transportation, including rapid train, bus,bus rapid transit (BRT), and circulators. Unique from otherCleveland neighborhoods, it contains two train stops on theRTA'sRed Line, theLittle Italy-University Circle Station and theUniversity Circle-Cedar Rapid Station. The CircleLink shuttle service (colloquially known as the "Greenie") provides free public transportation within University Circle. It provides service between the north and south sides of the CWRU campus, from University Circle to Coventry Village, around the CWRU campus andUniversity Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center], and between theUrban Child Research Center and the main Case campus.[21] The new BRTHealthLine, which opened on October 24, 2008, is the newest option to the neighborhood, being a major destination on the line alongEuclid Avenue that connectsPublic Square toLouis Stokes Station at Windermere inEast Cleveland. In a $197 million project,[22] Euclid Avenue was rebuilt during construction, with the installation of public art, new lighting, and sidewalks along the entire length of the HealthLine, along with dedicated bus lanes. There are sevenHealthLine stops in University Circle and runs 24 hours. Additionally, many bus routes have stops in University Circle, including bus numbers 7, 8, 9, 10, 32, 38, and 48/48A.
University Circle is known for its year-round cultural events:
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(August 2025) |
University Circle is undergoing $2 billion in construction and renovation projects.[30]
The Uptown project is a multi-phase, $150 million-plus retail, entertainment, restaurant and cultural project under development by MRN Ltd. of Cleveland, and sponsored byCase Western Reserve University and University Circle Inc. Its location creates a true center to University Circle.
A $44.5 million "Phase I" broke ground on August 2, 2010, creating two mixed-use buildings of 102 apartments above first floor retail.[31]
Additional anchors of the project currently under construction include the $66 million expansion of theCleveland Institute of Art[32] and the $32 million new home for theMuseum of Contemporary Art (MOCA).[33] The new MOCA is designed by the London architectFarshid Moussavi. The surrounding pedestrian plaza is designed byJames Corner Field Operations, the same landscape architecture firm who designed theHigh Line in New York City.[34]
The $21 million "Phase II" consists of 43 apartments, dormitories for theCleveland Institute of Art, and retail. The anchor tenant is a two-story bowling alley, known as Corner Alley. Completion date was in fall 2014.[35]Euclid–East 120th (RTA Rapid Transit station) has been relocated to Mayfield Road at East 119th Street. With a total cost of $17.5 million, it was renamed the Little Italy-University Circle Rapid Station.[36]
On November 30, 2011, theNew York Times showcased the project with an article entitled "Cleveland Turns Uptown Into New Downtown".[34]
On March 7, 2005 the Cleveland Museum of Art embarked on a multi-year project to renovate and expand into the next century. The project is designed by architectRafael Viñoly, combining old and new styles. At a total cost of $350 million, it is the largest cultural project in the history of the state of Ohio and one of the most comprehensive renovation and expansion projects in the museum field in the nation.[37]
Three new facilities and structures opened in summer of 2011. They include the $250 millionSeidman Cancer Center, $41 million Center for Emergency Medicine, and a $30 million new parking structure.[38]
Both current University Circle train stations were rehabbed and reconstructed by August 2015.
TheUniversity Circle-Cedar Rd rapid station underwent a complete rehab, using anADA-compliant design to include a new rail entry plaza, waiting area, and train loading platform. A new bus terminal was also constructed on the north side of Cedar Road with a pedestrian connection between the bus terminal and the rail station. Secured funding included a $10.5 million grant from theU.S. Department of Transportation and a $2 million grant from theFederal Transit Administration—totaling $12.5 million in federal funds.[39]
TheEuclid–East 120th rapid station was relocated in conjunction with the Uptown Project to E.119 St and Mayfield Rd. Funding was received through a $12.5 million grant from theU.S. Department of Transportation, via theFederal Transit Administration. The final cost of the new station was around $17.5 million.[40]
Totaling a $526 million expansion, this project includes a seven-story administrative office tower, living space for 122 homeless veterans, a 2,000-car parking garage, and a seven-story tower with 222 patient beds. Among the other parts of the project are the renovation of the hematology/oncology unit, expansion of the radiation area, building two floors on top of the atrium to accommodate various services, and an expanded operating room.[41]
Two major new construction projects have recently broken ground:
In Spring 2012,Case Western Reserve University campus underwent the construction of $50 million student center in the center of campus. It is known as the Tinkham Veale Student Center designed byRalph Johnson ofPerkins + Will. It encompasses 82,000-square-feet, has 24/7 student access, and is environmentally friendly—with a green roof to absorb rainwater and windows designed to prevent excessive heat from sunlight.[42] The second project is known as the Wyant Field House, enclosing the last open portion ofDiSanto Field. The Wyant Field House is approximately 24,000 square feet and serves as a facility for varsity athletes and the 2,500 students who reside at The Village. The facility includes weight training and cardiovascular areas, a Varsity Club lounge, and multipurpose space.[43]
Little Italy (Italian:Piccola Italia)[44] is anethnic enclave that serves as the historic center of Cleveland'sItalian American community.[45] It is located from E. 119th to E. 125th streets on Murray Hill andMayfield roads, situated at the eastern city limits, along a long, moderately sloping grade that ascends in elevation approximately 300 feet.[46][better source needed] It is bounded to the east and south by suburbanCleveland Heights, to the northeast byLakeview Cemetery, and to the west byCSX,Norfolk Southern, andGreater Cleveland Regional Transit AuthorityRed Line railroad tracks, which separates it from the rest of University Circle.
Little Italy is known for its several culinary, historic, and cultural sites. Its biggest attractions are the restaurants, bakeries, and pizzerias. It is home to everything from a thrivingart gallery, to scene boutique shops—and even a technology startup. The best-known historic structure isHoly Rosary Church built in 1908. Culturally, Little Italy is home to theItalian American Museum of Cleveland and theAlta House, the neighborhood community center founded in 1895. The private elementary and middle school is Montessori Elementary atHoly Rosary Church. Tony Brush Park[47] provides the neighborhoods green space and playgrounds.
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Each August, theRoman Catholic congregation of the historicHoly Rosary Church celebrates the 4-day festival for theFeast of the Assumption, in which Little Italy stages Greater Cleveland'slargest Italian-American street festival. Every October, Little Italy hosts the city'sColumbus Day Parade. The neighborhood enjoys art walks a few times a year, usually in June, October, and December.
Little Italy began in 1895 when immigrant Joseph Carabelli saw the need for monument work in Cleveland'sLakeview Cemetery and established what soon became the city's leading marble and granite works. Local Cleveland industrial billionaireJohn D. Rockefeller took a special liking to the Italian immigrants of the neighborhood and commissioned the building of the community center Alta House, named after his daughterAlta Rockefeller Prentice, in 1900. Little Italy is also home to the first Italian restaurant to open in theState of Ohio,Guarino's,[48] which is also the oldest restaurant in the city, opening in 1918.[49][50] The first hand-crank pasta machine was invented in Little Italy by Angelo Vitantonio, an Italian immigrant to Cleveland. He received apatent for the product in 1906, and went on to found the Italian kitchenware manufacturerVillaWare, which continues to operate today.[51]
In 1911, it was estimated that 96% of the inhabitants were Italian-born, and another 2% were of Italian parents;[45] immigrants primarily came fromAbruzzo,Molise, andSicily.[52]Ettore Boiardi (Chef Boyardee) opened his first restaurant, Il Giardino d'Italia, in the 1920s. As the nearby neighborhoods ofGlenville andHough became increasingly African American by the 1950s, Little Italy experienced racial tensions which were especially on display in 1964 when Murray Hill School was integrated, and during the 1966Hough riots.[53] In 1993, the community dedicated Tony Brush Park, named for champion boxer and Little Italy resident Anthony Brescia, at Mayfield and Random roads. Major residential project expansions occurred in 2003 with the 20-unit Villa Carabelli,[54] in 2005 with the 15-unit Random Road Lofts townhomes,[55] and in 2011 the 27-unit 27 Coltman townhouses.[56]
The neighborhoodbocce courts are located at the Alta House, and in 2011 underwent a complete remodeling in a $110,000 project, being named in honor of Nick and Dorothy Lucarelli. The Alta House runs bocce leagues Monday through Thursday from May to October every year.[57] Annually, the Alta House hosts some of the largest bocce tournaments in the Midwest, including the memorial John Anthony Cipullo Bocce Tournament which started in 1992 and occurs every July.[58]
For a large part of its history, Cleveland was home to the largestMafia organization between New York and Chicago.[59] The Mayfield Road Mob was the name of a gang which began around 1920 in Little Italy. Among the members of the "Mayfield Road Mob" wereJames T. Licavoli andJimmy Fratianno. This Mafia faction was even mentioned by its old name in the movie "The Godfather" as the Lakeview Road Gang, asLakeview Cemetery borders Mayfield Road Hill.
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Places adjacent to University Circle | |
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