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<Our Vision>
• At The Victorian Condominiums, the vision of its residential occu-pants is to welcome and maintain a diverse community of citizens from both the City of Cleveland Heights and its surrounding environs. We want our residents to be creators of their community, living where they feel they are among friends, both safe and secure, and cared about and comfortable, in their homes.
<Our History>
- I. Sukenik, purchased two parcels of land from the Euclid Avenue Christian Church of Cleveland. They had “A Remarkable Concept in Gracious Living" in mind which would become known as The Victorian, the first apartment buildings in Cleveland Heights to be built as condominiums.
- Their selection of land for the project was a remnant of land owned by Charles L. Pack who lived in Cleveland from 1871 to the early years of the 20th century. Pack was famous philatelist with a published collection of stamps featuring Queen Victoria, and a pioneer in forest conservation and forestry education. The properties across the street were the Milliken and Severance estates. These were sold for the development of Severance Center in the mid-60's. The proximity to the new mall with its upscale shopping and dining, anchored by Cleveland's historic Higbee and Halle department stores, made this property a highly desirable location for The Victorian.
- For the project, independent contractor, Ralph Robbins, joined as another property developer. Well-known local architect, Irving Robinson, designed the building and notable industrial and interior designer, O. J. Honohan, the model suite floor plans and guided The Victorian decor of the lobby and party room. Wives of the developers were also involved in the project. Gloria Fine, with the assistance from Ms. Robbins, selected furniture and decorated the lobby and party room.
- When The Victorian was still a concept on paper, Will Sukenik stated why the decision was made to go ahead and build the first condominium in Cleveland Heights: "No other condos were in the area. The first condo and a maximum one was intriguing! It was named "The Victorian" in honor of the "gracious living of that era." Furniture was a representation of its name. It was a remarkable concept in gracious living - maximum living convenience and maximum luxury for maximum people."
- In the planning and implementation stages of development, the challenge for Will Sukenik always was "... anytime someone said NO." He also found what was most satisfying in his work: "... the reward of developing a first-class condo that far exceeded expectations!"
- The cleaning of the Strauss chandelier in the lobby was the final portion before the furniture arrival for the lobby. He remembered cleaning the chandelier himself, "one crystal at a time" as he said. It took him several hours on a very high step ladder. "That was the most taxing part of the buildout," he lamented. He was used to the construction, but cleaning every crystal was a chore. However, as did the building, it gleamed when he was done.
- The developers clearly had the hallmarks of well-designed buildings in mind when they embarked on their project. In planning, The Victorian began as "A Remarkable Concept in Gracious Living" and when completed in 1971 their driving concept was brought to elegant fruition, one of warmth, elegance, spaciousness, and excellence matched by few buildings anywhere.
<Building and Sustaining Community>
- The concept of building and sustaining a "Community" has long been a subject of fascination and study within the field of social sciences, as it encompasses the complex web of relationships, shared values, and collective experiences that bind individuals together. "Community" dressed in its most basic garb is begot through the association of individuals and matures through the daily proximity of the individuals forming and living it. The relationships, shared values and collective experiences of the residents of a "Condominium Community" form the sustenance contributing to its growth. A "Condominium Community" doesn't simply permit, but its residents actively encourage, the development of connections between and among its members. In the context of building and sustaining "Community," the factors identified as critical contributors to the formation and maintenance of strong, cohesive "Condominium Communities" include the development of "social capital," the construction of a "shared sense of place," and "the creative responses to the issues of diversity and demographic change."
- "Social capital" in this context refers to the networks, norms, and trust that enable individuals to live and work together more effectively. Research has shown that communities with high levels of social capital tend to have better physical and mental health, stronger economies, and more effective systems for educating and caring for youth. Similarly, other research has highlighted the foundational role of "bonding" social capital, which refers to the strong ties and trust within a community, as well as the importance of "bridging" social capital, which involves the "formation of connections across diverse communities."
-- END OF "ABOUT THE VICTORIAN" --
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~THE COMMON AREAS~
The Courtyard
The Party Room
The Courtyard
The COURTYARD sits in the "well" of our U-shaped building design and offers during the warmer months the relaxing experience and stunning view of well-landscaped flower gardens. A paved sidewalk tracks its perimeter and offers residents a leisurely stroll around the Courtyard in good weather. There are several judiciously placed benches for the stroller to "take a load off his/her feet" and just sit and listen to the rustling of the leaves on the pear trees and the melodic singing of our northern Ohio song birds.
The Foyer
The Party Room
The Courtyard
Welcome to The Victorian. The building's FOYER, its main entrance, was designed to speak to all who entered that we residents extend to you and your guests the spirit of a warm welcome and genuine hospitality. That sincere welcome and hospitality originates from the spirit that we residents have nurtured here in our home. The Victorian, through the design of its foyer was to be, and for those of us residing here, still is "A Remarkable Concept in Gracious Living."
The Party Room
The Party Room
The Party Room
Community entertaining at its best. That's what the PARTY ROOM in The Victorian Condominiums provides for its residents and their guests. From its outstanding open floor able to accommodate large dining tables to smaller card tables, its wet bar and full kitchen facilities, any celebration becomes an event for the whole family and the residents' guests to remember. The Party Room also serves as the venue for the Victorian Book Club which meets monthly within its walls and for the weekly game of majohn. Finally its floor also serves as rehearsal space for a senior citizen music group calling itself Hum & Strum. For the privilege of using the room as its weekly practice venue, members of Hum & Strum show their gratitude to The Victorian by giving two concerts per year, one over the winter holidays and the other to welcome the return of spring.
The Library
The Game Room
The Party Room
The Library may be short on books, but it's not short on space, with an 8-seat meeting table and padded folding chairs for whoever holds a meeting around it. A resident of The Victorian uses some of the Library's space (see shelves with boxes next to the door) to gather books for all ages that will be distributed to whoever takes them from one of the five Little Free Libraries she maintains.
The Game Room
The Game Room
The Game Room
Finally, a room set aside solely to play games and have other kinds of fun and recreation. The Game Room is that place in The Victorian, and it holds a pool table, a convertible puzzle table, and other games that can be played in a game room. It still has room for a couple more favorite games: how about a game such as darts, or hippy jig saw puzzle or some cardsl
The Mail Room
The Game Room
The Game Room
The Mail Room not only collects your mail in a post office-like box, but it also provides a central space for residents to find out all the local happenings. Like a "Town Crier" two large bulletin boards, maintained by a resident, hang on adjoining walls, decorated with the latest local news happenings and other information important for a resident to know.
The Garages
The Storage Units
The Storage Units
What's in a garage? When the garage is completely indoors there's no more dashing to avoid the downpour that timed your return to the Victorian just perfectly. There's the special bay that's available for washing and waxing your car after the snow has finally stopped. Most units receive as part of purchasing a unit two parking spaces in one of the two covered garages.
The Storage Units
The Storage Units
The Storage Units
Another amenity that a resident receives with the purchase of a unit at The Victorian is a walk-in storage locker in which a resident can store any large items used only sparingly throughout the year or even smaller items kept for that special holiday or family celebration.