For the love of God, Lakewood is NOT "turning into a ghetto" (Cleveland: rent, credit)

[kpl1228]

OP here. great posts all. Couple of Lakewood stories for you that triggered the post:
1) I have a very good friend who has taught for about 30 years in a Lakewood school. A great teacher, and what most kids would call "the cool teacher." Also very liberal politically ( more than me, if that's possible.) All I've heard in the last five years from this guy is how Lakewood is going down the tubes and turning into a ghetto. He will say this while drinking a beer at some upscale bar on the western end of Detroit Rd. I shake my head and think why is my friwnd turning into a grouchy old guy? I tell him most schools have changed and he'd say this anywhere. I'm now waiting for him to yell at me if I stand on his lawn.
2) 15 or so years ago, moved to Cleveland and got my first job as a substitute teacher in Lakewood. No one could figure out why all the Arabic kids were passing out in gym class. Turns out they were doing the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness test where they see how many laps they could run or how many sit ups they could do. The district brilliantly scheduled it during Ramadan. And since they were taught not to argue or talk back to the teacher, the Arabic kids went along with it and were dropping like flies. The teacher's lounge that day was full of cackling hens clucking about how "we didnt use to have to deal with this problem" and "they're in America now why dont they get it."
Lakewood is pretty terrific. I moved out of state last year and never understood why such a cool suburb doesn't get the love it should ( though some are fiercely proud of it)

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by kpl1228

OP here. great posts all. Couple of Lakewood stories for you that triggered the post:
1) I have a very good friend who has taught for about 30 years in a Lakewood school. A great teacher, and what most kids would call "the cool teacher." Also very liberal politically ( more than me, if that's possible.) All I've heard in the last five years from this guy is how Lakewood is going down the tubes and turning into a ghetto. He will say this while drinking a beer at some upscale bar on the western end of Detroit Rd. I shake my head and think why is my friwnd turning into a grouchy old guy? I tell him most schools have changed and he'd say this anywhere. I'm now waiting for him to yell at me if I stand on his lawn.
2) 15 or so years ago, moved to Cleveland and got my first job as a substitute teacher in Lakewood. No one could figure out why all the Arabic kids were passing out in gym class. Turns out they were doing the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness test where they see how many laps they could run or how many sit ups they could do. The district brilliantly scheduled it during Ramadan. And since they were taught not to argue or talk back to the teacher, the Arabic kids went along with it and were dropping like flies. The teacher's lounge that day was full of cackling hens clucking about how "we didnt use to have to deal with this problem" and "they're in America now why dont they get it."
Lakewood is pretty terrific. I moved out of state last year and never understood why such a cool suburb doesn't get the love it should ( though some are fiercely proud of it)

As to point (1), wouldn't a school teacher of 30 years also be able to discern the change to going ''ghetto'' in Lakewood? What you call a grouchy old guy, some might consider his insight being a school teacher in the community for so many years. Besides police officers, teachers are right up there with seeing social change in their communities.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by kpl1228

Lakewood is pretty terrific. I moved out of state last year and never understood why such a cool suburb doesn't get the love it should ( though some are fiercely proud of it)

Lakewood has received quite a bit of national acclaim in recent years. For starters:

Travel & Leisure: Lakewood one of Top 10 "Coolest Suburbs":
Coolest Suburbs Worth a Visit- Page 4 - Articles | Travel + Leisure

BusinessWeek: Best Places To Raise Your Kids (2010):
Best Places to Raise Your Kids: 2010: Best Place to Raise Your Kids: Ohio - BusinessWeek

This Old House magazine: Best Places in the Midwest to Buy an Old House:
Lakewood, Ohio | Best Places in the Midwest to Buy an Old House | This Old House


So the next time someone starts in on you about Lakewood, you've got stuff to boast about.

[sheena12]

We fell upon Lakewood on our way back from a Dr's appointment in Cleveland. It began to rain and we parked in a convenient parking garage that was near a few restaurants. We chose the Thai restaurant. Glad that we did.
I think that it's a lovely small city, with a wonderful stock of older homes and a vibrant cultural community.

Cute shops. Walk able and easy to park. We saw no evidence of a down ward trend or a depressing element in Lakewood.

Just my observation.

[JR_C]

Be careful of--and work hard against--the self-fulfilling prophecy of the neighborhood that's "going downhill." If enough people get it in their heads that their neighborhood is "going downhill" they will begin to leave. This lowers demand for the area, causing housing prices to drop, which eventually allows the very problems they are fleeing, to occur.

[L2DB]

Lakewood people... start talking about how you all are embracing the new diversity everywhere you can while also using it to rationalize declining test scores. If you are consistent and loud enough with this message, you can probably delay the tipping point by 5-10 years.

[ECBeastor]

Originally Posted by L2DB

Lakewood people... start talking about how you all are embracing the new diversity everywhere you can while also using it to rationalize declining test scores. If you are consistent and loud enough with this message, you can probably delay the tipping point by 5-10 years.

People have been saying that since 1995 and to be honest, it was probably worse back then except there weren't as many non-whites.

Lakewood will always have issues with crime and lower test scores compared to places like Bay Village and Rocky River because of the huge number of rental properties and the type of folks that tend to be renters. Not to stereotype all renters, there are special circumstances and everyone has there reasons for why things are the way they are, but plenty of duplex renters with children have their priorities out of line and their children's behavior reflects it. That's always been a reality in Lakewood, since forever-ago.

[kpl1228]

Originally Posted by Kamms

As to point (1), wouldn't a school teacher of 30 years also be able to discern the change to going ''ghetto'' in Lakewood? What you call a grouchy old guy, some might consider his insight being a school teacher in the community for so many years. Besides police officers, teachers are right up there with seeing social change in their communities.

That's the irony: how this older hippie suddenly has become grouchy and nostalgic. The insight point is well taken, but he's so buried in grouchiness that it's hard to find the true insight. And he's totally inflexible on the point. When people laugh he gets mad, which just compounds the irony cause he never gets mad about anything. To his credit it doesn't cloud his teaching and his commitment. Still a darn good teacher.

[kpl1228]

Originally Posted by L2DB

Lakewood people... start talking about how you all are embracing the new diversity everywhere you can while also using it to rationalize declining test scores. If you are consistent and loud enough with this message, you can probably delay the tipping point by 5-10 years.

No tipping happening, or gonna happen, I don't think. That's the fear of the "not as good as it used to be" crowd, but so many improvements over the last decade virtually insure no tipping, probably not even in my lifetime.

Concerning the renters, lakewood's been deluged with renters since the 1920's. Lotsa doubles. And I agree that the riffraff often finds its way into the doubles (and they do), but this is hardly a new phenomenon and has been an issue there for DECADES, not just the last 10-20 yrs. Probably the biggest issue Lakewood has had, and always been so. Not that I'm not noticing the issues also. They're just, to me, part of the territory forever there.

[sheena12]

Originally Posted by kpl1228

No tipping happening, or gonna happen, I don't think. That's the fear of the "not as good as it used to be" crowd, but so many improvements over the last decade virtually insure no tipping, probably not even in my lifetime.

Concerning the renters, lakewood's been deluged with renters since the 1920's. Lotsa doubles. And I agree that the riffraff often finds its way into the doubles (and they do), but this is hardly a new phenomenon and has been an issue there for DECADES, not just the last 10-20 yrs. Probably the biggest issue Lakewood has had, and always been so. Not that I'm not noticing the issues also. They're just, to me, part of the territory forever there.

I was going to say, while driving around we noticed that many of the homes were built in the late teens, through late 1920s as two family homes. I believe I saw some multi-family dwellings also.

There was a satellite campus of University of Akron there, also, which probably accounts for some of the tenants. Typically, inner ring sububs, from their inception; were and always will be a mix of home owners and renters.