Neighborhoods in Cleveland refer to the 34 neighborhood communities of the city of Cleveland, Ohio, as defined by the Cleveland City Planning Commission.[1][2] Based on historical definitions and census data, the neighborhoods serve as the basis for various urban planning initiatives on both the municipal and metropolitan levels.[2] Technically known as Statistical Planning Areas (SPAs), they also provide a "framework for summarizing socio-economic and other statistics within the city."[2] City neighborhood boundaries were last revised by the City Planning Commission in 2012.[2]
Cleveland's neighborhoods are generally defined by their position on either the East Side or West Side of the Cuyahoga River.[3] Downtown and Cuyahoga Valley are situated between the East and West Sides, while the Broadway–Slavic Village neighborhood is sometimes referred to as the South Side.[4]
For all practical purposes, though – and hang the technicalities – everything east of the [Cuyahoga] river constitutes the East Side. Everything west of the river can be considered the West Side. That is the realistic view taken by Clevelanders. When two Clevelanders meet for the first time, they fence conversationally until the vital question of East or West is answered. Knowing which side of town a new acquaintance comes from makes a subtle difference.
A symphony of hammers, saws and chisels pierce the early-morning silence that had blanketed Slavic Village, a neighborhood tucked away on Cleveland's south side.