Tucked between University Circle and Cleveland Heights, Little Italy is one of Cleveland's most charming and historic neighborhoods. Aluminum-sided doubles nestle against modern pastel-colored townhomes, while art galleries and Italian restaurants dot Mayfield and Murray Hill roads.  

Although Italians no longer are the neighborhood's predominant ethnic group, much of the real estate is still owned by the Italian families that settled here nearly a century ago. Popular with Case Western Reserve University students and hospital employees, the area's mix of residents now reflects the diversity of University Circle.

Yet while today's Little Italy may have "just as many Chinese as Italians," says Ray Kristosik, Executive Director of the Little Italy Redevelopment Corporation, a new wave of immigrants is arriving on these shores, and they're less likely to come from Sicily than Mayfield Heights and Solon.

"Empty-nesters are beginning to move back to the area, including Italian-Americans that have family roots in the neighborhood," he says. "People love its proximity to University Circle, and the fact that while we have development, parts of the Little Italy look just like they did 80 years ago."

The influx of empty-nesters has been facilitated in part by the development of new and rehabilitated housing. Townhome projects such as Villa Carabelli, Random Road Lofts and 27 Coltman have provided contemporary, upscale housing choices for professionals seeking a low-maintenance lifestyle.

Although Kristosik says that it's important to ensure that that the area's historic housing is preserved, he believes that the new development taking place is contributing to the area's revitalization by attracting people to move back to the urban core.

In fact, Kristosik is looking forward to the day his own kids head off to college. "I can't wait for them to grow up so I can move back to the neighborhood," he says.

Source: Ray Kristosik
Writer: Lee Chilcote