Section 65: Bellaire-Puritas - Part 1

 This was the first section run of the Bellaire-Puritas neighborhood, which is one of four neighborhoods that make up West Park.

The area was originally part of Rockport Township in the 1800s which then became West Park Township in the 20th century. Cleveland annexed the area in 1923.

Most of the housing is post-WWII. More than 20 percent of Cleveland's industrial activity occurs within the Bellaire–Puritas. Not surprisingly, it has the heaviest concentration of industrial parks in Cleveland. That said, it also has 8 City parks.

After reaching a high of 21,000 in 1960, the area’s population has fallen somewhat, standing at almost 16,000 at the cusp of 2020. Roughly 50% of residents are white, 25% African-American and 15% Hispanic.

The boundary for this run was from Linndale (east) to W. 140th (west) and from I-71 (north) to the railroad tracks (south).

Map: Run 1, Run 2, Run 3

Distance This Section: 15.7 miles

Distance So Far: 469.9 miles

Emery Park (4103 W. 130th Street) is an 11.3-acre park that features a baseball field, playground and several basketball courts. It's a popular place for youth sports team practices and music events.

Planet of the Vapes (4200 W. 130th) is a vape store with very strong reviews and probably should get an award for one of the most clever business names in Cleveland. Their 'Welcome To Cleveland' mural with a giant screaming ape (just to the left in this picture) is awesome.

This non-descript building is Wizard SounDesign (4257 W. 130th Ave), an audio visual repair store which has been in business since 1975.

Depot Train & Hobby (4342 W. 130th) is a model train and hobby store operating out of a non-descript house on W. 130th. From Google Reviews: "I have been looking for a local hobby shop after wanting to restart my model railroading. The guys at Depotland (sic) were courteous, attentive, and friendly. On the whole great customer service. They carried a wide range of products. The upstairs is all modeling that is non-railroad related as well as science toys and the downstairs is all railroad related modeling as well as modeling supplies."

A 'Reimaging Cleveland' community garden lot on Sobieski Ave that has fallen into disrepair.

These little light industrial buildings on dead end streets where the railroad tracks have cut through neighborhoods are common throughout the eastern portion of West Park.

B&M BBQ (12626 Bellaire Ave) is a small but quaint restaurant serving up a basic but wide variety of southern BBQ classics. The inside of this place is pretty nice and the owner was even nicer. They have three locations in the City.

Fire Station No. 38 (12631 Bellaire Road) was built in 1954 and is home to Engine 38, a 2014 Smeal S450 for you gearheads.

Bellaire Gardens is a CHMA-owned, two-building high rise featuring over 260 units of affording housing. Both buildings were built in 1970. It also features a 5-star day care program (Dori's Learning Garden).

The Big Creek Chevy Branch snakes right through the neighborhood. This signage talks about a restoration project led by Cleveland Water Pollution Control.

Brookfield Park (12517 Guardian Blvd) is a 3-acre park which features a nice, new pavilion (built in 2019) with several grills for neighborhood cookouts.

This historic marker is located inside Brookfield Park and discusses West Park's notable African American heritage.

This "unofficial" sign posts identifies the border of Cleveland and Linndale.

Quan Am Temple of Buddhist Culture (11921 Bellaire Road) is a Buddhist temple which opened in 2004 and has one of the most notable displays in the City.

Second Calvary Baptist (12017 Emery Ave) is a longtime religious institution in the neighborhood. It was pastored by Rev. Dr. Roland Crowder for 48 years. He retired in 2014 and the road immediately north of the church is named after him.

The wide and expansive brick-paved Puritas Ave.

Gilmore Park is 6-acres and features walking paths, playground, baseball field and two basketball courts.

VFW 2133 Dugan-Nugent (4435 W. 131st Street) was founded in 1995 and is an active event hall.

One of the cooler homes I found on this run.

Many streets in the neighborhood lacked tree canopy but not Belleshire Ave.

Christ Lutheran Church (13812 Bellaire Ave) has existed as a parish since 1889. The first church was located on W. 43rd & Robert Ave in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood and moved to this location in 2015.

Cleveland Public Library - Rockport Branch (4421 W. 140th) is one of the busiest branches in the Cleveland Public Library system. It opened in 1964 and is 9,200 square feet in size. It is also home to the Best Buy Teen Tech Center, an interactive, state-of-the-art learning center for teenagers.

This display is located at the bus shelter near W. 140th & Bellaire Ave.

Birchwood School of Hawken (4400 W. 140th) is a Pre-8th grade private elementary school founded in 1984 and serves 250+ students. The current school is a result of a 2016 merger between the Birchwood School and Hawken Schools. It has remained high-performing school, with students scoring in the 90th percentile statewide.

Bard High School Early College (13501 Terminal Ave) is a four-year public school that provides students with the opportunity to take a two-year, tuition-free college course of study in the liberal arts and sciences following the 9th and 10th grades. Through the partnership between Bard College and Cleveland Metropolitan School District, students can earn both a high school diploma and up to 60 transferable college credits and an Associate's degree from Bard College within four years.

The award for most random but coolest garage decor.

St. Paul AME Hunger Center (4118 Brookside Blvd) is a food shelter that's part of the church. Volunteers prepare food for 800 individuals monthly. It opened in 2015. Here are a few photos from that event.

Artemus Ward (4315 W. 140th) is a Pre-8th grade elementary school built in 2009 and serves 500+ students. It is named after a general in the American Revolutionary War and later congressman in Mass.