What happened to Parma Heights? (Cleveland, Strongsville: 2014, houses, elementary school)

[Leafygreens]

Seems that every time I drive down Pearl Road through Parma Heights its looking awful. Tons of vacant store fronts, check cashing stores, tobacco outlets, sweepstake stores, cash for gold etc. On one hand I can see its better to have some form of business occupy the location but, is it really that hard to attract something a little more attractive? What ever happened to the big development at W130th and Pearl? Now its just an overgrown grassy field with some dirt mounds. Hope the city can find a recipe to turn it around and soon! And yes I know that there is more to the city than Pearl Rd.

[andremclippers]

Good people move out....certain elements move in.

[maxmodder]

Everyone drove down the road, saw Strongsville, and said "hmmmmm!"

[ParmaResident715]

Originally Posted by Leafygreens

Seems that every time I drive down Pearl Road through Parma Heights its looking awful. Tons of vacant store fronts, check cashing stores, tobacco outlets, sweepstake stores, cash for gold etc. On one hand I can see its better to have some form of business occupy the location but, is it really that hard to attract something a little more attractive? What ever happened to the big development at W130th and Pearl? Now its just an overgrown grassy field with some dirt mounds. Hope the city can find a recipe to turn it around and soon! And yes I know that there is more to the city than Pearl Rd.

Pearl Rd in Parma Heights, particularly around W 130, has seen better days, but the residential area and community is still very attractive. While it's true that good people move out of various communities, including Parma Heights, it's also true that many good people also move in. I'm not a Parma Heights resident, but it's still a great city to live in.

And in response to maxmodder, Strongsville is nice, too, but in my opinion Parma Heights is a more attractive community. Also, believe it or not, there are plenty of people who have moved from Strongsville to Parma Heights as well. And some who move from Parma Heights, skip Strongsville, and find themselves in Brunswick. Some choose Parma. Some never leave. It comes down to personal preference. Greater Cleveland area has much to offer and there's plenty to choose from no matter where you go.

[Ex Parma Resident]

But Strongsville is awful too. There is no culture in any of those towns! What do they have except corporate stores and restaurants?! Shopping centers, large grocery stores, etc... People in those towns would rather go to an Applebee's than to a local, family-owned restaurant and to a Starbucks rather than a local coffee joint. This is what happens to places like Parma Heights. The small amount of culture that existed is being sucked away. The people who are looking for culture and opportunity are moving out. The people who are looking for cheap housing are moving in.

[Cleveland_Collector]

The internet happened. The small brick-and-mortar stores which were so prevalent post WW2 through 2000 are essentially being consumed by direct-ship retail. Unfortunately for PH (and about every other community in the US), their main streets are lined with them. In general, PH is still a very decent place to live.

[maxmodder]

Originally Posted by Ex Parma Resident

But Strongsville is awful too. There is no culture in any of those towns! What do they have except corporate stores and restaurants?! Shopping centers, large grocery stores, etc... People in those towns would rather go to an Applebee's than to a local, family-owned restaurant and to a Starbucks rather than a local coffee joint. This is what happens to places like Parma Heights. The small amount of culture that existed is being sucked away. The people who are looking for culture and opportunity are moving out. The people who are looking for cheap housing are moving in.

Mom and pop owned restaruants aren't as big as they use to be as indicated by the success of places like Starbucks and massive chain stores over independantly owned coffee shops and small grocery stores. If people wanted to go to those places, they would, but low price outweighs culture in the eyes of the majoirty. Is what it is.

Back in 2004, the Strongsville mall and surrounding shopping area had 1/2 the traffic that they do now. Why? Because Parmatown and Great Northern areas couldn't hold their own and now many consumers who use to shop in those areas and eat at those surrounding restaruants now head over to Royalton Rd. The people that own property in Strongsville don't like dealing with all this extra congestion. Major North Olmsted and Parma shopping areas have a decent amount of traffic, but no where near that of Strongsville. Instead of it being a 3 way split like it was 10 years ago it's a 60/20/20 split. When I visit the Brunswick/Strongsville/Parma/ area, I'd rather shop on amazon and eat at a nice mom/pop owned restaruant like Jennifers or Don's Pomeroy House on Pearl Rd. Maybe a stop at the Brew Kettle. I can always go to a corporate store and restaruant in my own city.

[1watertiger]

Wrecking Ball Brings Big Change to Parma Fixture | FOX8.com

[Apteryx]

Parma Heights, at least, is still a very safe place to live, from what I can tell, as I have many friends who still live there. On Pearl Road heading north past where Pearl Road Elementary School is and before the water treatment center there are some immense old houses that have been kept up quite well.

[deskjockey]

Originally Posted by maxmodder

If people wanted to go to those places, they would, but low price outweighs culture in the eyes of the majoirty. Is what it is.