Little Italy Neighborhood Guide

Little Italy is one of the neighborhoods that make up Cleveland’s East Side.

This historic neighborhood was shaped by the artistry of Italian immigrants who contributed their granite and marble works that define the Mayfield and Murray Hill roads.

Today, Little Italy is home to a diverse population and artists of all ethnicities. Residents get their fill of the rich cultural village as the neighborhood showcases the finest Italian restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and art galleries.

Strolling the streets of the neighborhood lets one explore the brick roads with grand Victorian houses, beautiful gardens, and courtyards. Little Italy also has a number of apartment complexes and older houses converted into apartment buildings.

The Holy Rosary Church is one of the majestic churches that serve as the neighborhood’s spiritual centers.

The neighborhood is also located near the University Circle – a world-class center that showcases the best of Cleveland’s museums, hospitals, botanical gardens, and beautiful parks.

Little Italy is a small cultural district that is home to more than a thousand residents. The neighborhood has a high population of young professionals and young families with a median age of 27.

About 80% of the neighborhood’s employees work in white-collar jobs.

The most common types of jobs held by residents include sales and office occupations, service occupations, education, training, and library occupations, and arts and design occupations.

About 35% of the adults in Little Italy have a graduate degree and 22% have a bachelor’s degree.

White residents make up about 56% of the neighborhood’s total population. This is followed by Asian residents accounting for 21.5%, and Latino residents accounting for about 9.3%.

Many of the schools serving Little Italy are Montessori schools and institutions that are under the University Circle.

Schools here are well-known for their innovative programs that cater to students from diverse economic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. They are committed to helping students mature physically, mentally, and spiritually.

The schools are known for rigorous academic curriculums that emphasize the importance of education beyond the classrooms.

Since Little Italy is conveniently located near renowned museums, medical institutions, and botanical gardens, students get amazing opportunities for real-life learning and involvement with community organizations and groups.

By enhancing their social and learning skills, the schools encourage students to cultivate their curiosities and seek advice from mentors in the science, design, math, and social studies fields.

The schools also offer professional and personal development programs to help students prepare for success in college and in the pursuit of careers.

Little Italy is an urban neighborhood where about 75% of housing units are occupied by renters and about 10% of properties are owner-occupied.

The neighborhood enjoys a good mix of single-family homes, new construction townhomes, and several apartment complexes and older houses turned into apartment buildings.

The majority of housing units in Little Italy have colonial, traditional styles as many of them were built in 1939 or earlier. There are also a number of properties that were built between 1970 to 1999 and 2010 to 2013.

Most of the grand Victorian houses with beautiful backyards and gardens are located on the streets of Muray Hill, Mayfield, and Cornell. Modern luxury homes in the area feature exquisite architecture, rooftop terraces, and fully equipped outdoor kitchens.

The apartments for rent, meanwhile, feature expansive open layouts and easy access to swimming pools and fitness centers.