Cheese, Wine, Coffee Businesses Set New Tone For Old Brooklyn

CLEVELAND, OH -- For most Greater Clevelanders, Old Brooklyn is synonymous with the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in the Brookside Valley between W. 25th Street (Pearl Road) and Fulton Road. But south of the zoo is Cleveland's largest (geographically and population-wise) neighborhood. Bordered on the west by Brooklyn and to the south by Parma, it's the gateway to two of Cleveland's oldest inner-ring suburbs.

In recent years, the Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation has made great strides in attracting a wave of entrepreneurs like Michael Januska, who opened his Old Brooklyn Cheese Company last fall. Januska, a former chef at a number of restaurants, wanted to make cheese the Old World way, and his basement in a renovated building from the turn-of-the-century offered him plenty of room to grow his new business.

Also, a winery called Vino Veritas took over land on Memphis that was formerly an elementary school and has been doing well over the past year. It used to be a non-profit urban farm, selling fresh eggs and some produce grown there.

Jeff Verespej, the executive director of OBCDC, talked with pride about his staff's accomplishments.

"Old Brooklyn continues to grow," Verespej said. "Over $15 million have been invested on and near Pearl Road including new businesses such as Old Brooklyn Cheese Company, Vino Veritas Winery, Coffee Coffee Coffee and the Ariel Pearl Center.

"We’re excited to welcome the first new apartment conversions in the historic Pearl Street Savings & Trust building in 2018, which will be a great option for those looking for an exciting and spectacular residence at an accessible price point."

OBCDC hosted a Cleveland Neighborhood Progress conference Oct. 31 at the Ariel Pearl Center, at which all of the city's community development corporations were represented.

"Over the coming years we look forward to the restoration of the Atlas building, new lifestyle businesses and restaurants as well as the construction of the Old Brooklyn park next to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo that will connect our neighborhood’s downtown to the Towpath Trail," Verespej said.

Verespej is quick to give credit to Kevin Kelley and Tony Brancatelli, the two Cleveland City Councilmen who represent the area. Both of them have served on council for 12 years and were handily re-elected Nov. 7. Kelley is council president and a lifelong resident of Old Brooklyn.

"New residents are discovering what generations of Old Brooklyn community members have known: this is a place to put down roots," Verespej said. "With the largest community garden in Ohio [at Benjamin Franklin school], some of Cleveland’s favorite summer events and local small businesses, Old Brooklyn is a family-friendly neighborhood."

Photo by Mark Holan/Patch Staff