Shaker Heights, OH
Shaker Heights is a Cuyahoga County, Ohio city located just past Cleveland’s eastern border. Its etymology comes from a combination of the name of the religious community known as Shakers that owned land there, and the word “heights,” owing to its location more than 1,000 feet above sea level.
See All Shaker Heights Listings
It was incorporated in 1912, when it was known as “Shaker Village”. The community then was converted to a city in 1931. There are many historic buildings in Shaker Heights due to its strict building codes. Seven-tenths of Shaker Heights is comprised of the Shaker Village Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
With the acquisition of the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, landowners M.J. and O.P. Van Sweringen constructed a streetcar system providing transportation between Cleveland and Shaker Heights.
The Van Sweringen vision for Shaker Heights was a place where people could get away from Cleveland’s inner-city environment. Shaker Heights has a long history of ethnic integration, as early efforts were made toward creating diverse neighborhoods.
Look and Feel
Shaker Heights is a suburban area, home to about 28,000 people. It’s one of Cleveland’s inner ring suburbs, and therefore one of its oldest. Shaker Heights is divided into nine neighborhoods, which are known as Lomond, Ludlow, Boulevard, Malvern, Onaway, Mercer, Fernway, Sussex, and Moreland.
It also contains four parks: Thornton Park and Gridley Triangle Park in the southeastern quadrant of the city, Chelton Park in the southwestern quadrant of the city, and Horseshoe Park as well as Shaker Lakes Park in the northwestern quadrant.
Things to Do
An ice skating rink, which provides lessons and can be rented for uses such as birthday parties, is located at Thornton Park. The City of Shaker Heights also offers arts, Tai Chi, Yoga, and other classes at Thornton Park. In addition, there are permits for picnicking at Horseshoe Lake Park available for purchase.
Education
Shaker Heights City School District is well known for its excellent quality; 90 percent of its graduates attend college, and it scored a 97.1 out of 120 on the Ohio State Report Card for 2007-2008.
Aside from Shaker Heights High School and Shaker Heights Middle School, the district has a total of six elementary schools. Shaker Heights residents are also highly educated.
Two in three people in Shaker Heights had a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education, compared to roughly one in four nationally and in Ohio.
Economic Characteristics
Shaker Heights is an excellent place to live and work. Its per capita income was $49,215 in 2008-2012, which is 75 percent more than the United States as a whole and 90 percent more than the State of Ohio.
This means real estate is also very affordable in Shaker Heights, because at $231,400, the median home value in the city is only $50,000 more than the national median.
