Cleveland’s Most Passionate Neighborhood
Lakeview Cemetery brought the first European people to settle in the Little Italy area between the train tracks and the hill, adjacent to the cemetery, and they literally carved out an existence that is still thriving to this day. The people were stone cutters from Italy, artists really, and since stone is so dog-gone heavy to move around, it made sense to do business as close to its final resting place as possible.
The people loved their homeland and did the best they could to reproduce it in their neighborhood. The did a great job. This area now called Little Italy is the most European neighborhood in Cleveland.
The tiny winding streets are still made of brick. Buildings are so close to each other and the streets that the shops and restaurants spill their sounds and people onto the sidewalks and roadways out front. All this jostling makes a walk down Murray Hill or Mayfield Roads in the neighborhood a cultural experience.
Opera and accordion music tumble together in your ears. Smells of hot espresso and cigar smoke come and go between the pleasant garlic and basil scents from the restaurants. On sunny days you can join the crowds sitting at cafe tables and bask in the warm sun while savoring your pasta and vino. The neighborhood is teeming with artists and galleries.
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