Halfway between Boardman and Downtown Youngstown sits the once vibrant Uptown District, which has been in a state of idleness for several decades now. For those who were not around to witness its peak, it is almost impossible to imagine that this three block stretch of Market Street was once the center of retail, dining, entertainment, and nightlife for the entire South Side and beyond. But for over half a century, this was the bustling Uptown district’s reality. In this article, I will cover the rich history of Uptown and why it is so important to Youngstown’s history and culture. In part two of this article, which will hopefully be released some time in the near future, I will detail the steps we can take to re-imagine Uptown as a modern and vibrant entertainment destination on par with the many popular newly-revitalized urban neighborhoods in cities across the country.
Like all parts of the city, Uptown has experienced many drastic changes throughout the years. When the neighborhood was first incorporated into the city, Uptown was just a small farming hamlet known as Kyle’s Corners. But within just a few short years, this once tranquil countryside village had been engulfed by the rapidly expanding industrial behemoth around it; the City of Youngstown. As urban development boomed in the South Side, a new commercial center was needed besides Downtown; therefore, the Uptown District was born. As the 1920s rolled on, the corner of Market and Indianola began to evolve into a rather large neighborhood business district. Nationwide department stores, such as Sears, Krogers, and Woolworths, opened their doors to capitalize off of the newly established population of Youngstown’s South Side. It was during this time, in 1926, that the iconic Uptown Theater, once dubbed as “Youngstown’s Luxury Theater,” welcomed its first patrons. As the decades rolled on, Uptown continued in its upward trajectory. Classic Youngstown dining establishments such as Mr. Wheeler’s and The Colonial House thrived. New nightclubs and bars began to pop up, adding to the numerous entertainment options in Uptown. Famous rock acts such as The Raspberries and Youngstown's own, The Human Beinz, could be heard performing live at the popular Mickey’s Bar. However, as the 1970s dawned, Uptown, along with the rest of the city, began to take a turn for the worst. As the steel mills closed their doors, the city began to fall into poverty. To make matters worse, the suburbs, namely Boardman, became much more desirable places to live; those with the means to do so began to flee the South Side.
The Human Beinz performing a cover of "My Generation" by the Kinks in 1966 live at Mickey's Bar (Source: Youtube)
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The local rock band, Poobah, performing at Mickey's in the 70's (Source: Facebook)
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Though Uptown remained a popular destination through the mid-1980s, it’s rough and gritty side began to take precedence over its more welcoming aspects. The neighborhood’s many grand department stores and fine dining establishments were now being replaced with dive bars and “adult novelty stores.” The neighborhood began to acquire a negative reputation as a raucous and dangerous place to be. Crime and general unruliness reached an all time high; theft, rape, and the presence of lawless motorcycle gangs became common occurrences up and down Market Street. This growing uneasiness came to a climax on June 3, 1979 when a young woman was kidnapped behind the Beachcomber bar and was later found to be raped and murdered in Mill Creek Park. But despite the ever-increasing threat of violent crime in the Uptown District, its bars remained packed every weekend with young people looking for a fun night out on the town. Perhaps it was the sense of uncertainty and adventure that attracted high school and college students to the gritty Uptown District. Or perhaps more likely, it was the neighborhood bars’ notoriety for serving alcohol to minors which they found so appealing. In order to combat this downward trend, the Youngstown Police Department opened the Uptown Substation with the goal of keeping the entertainment district safe. Though the program was initially regarded as a success, the substation was eventually shuttered due to budget cuts, therefore ending the first attempt at revitalizing Uptown.
By the dawn of the 1990s, Uptown was nothing more than a shell of its former grandeur. The neighborhood’s centerpiece, the Uptown Theater, had closed its doors for the last time as a movie theater. In the early 1990s however, Uptown experienced a brief resurgence when the vacant Uptown Theater was leased by Easy Street Productions. As theatergoers flocked to see the plays at the Uptown Theater, businesses began to reopen to cater to these new customers. Some stakeholders in the district even had visions of turning Uptown into a walkable entertainment district comparable to Akron’s Highland Square or Cleveland’s Coventry Village. Things were just finally starting to look up when it all came to a crashing halt. In 1994, Easy Street Productions unsuccessfully attempted to purchase the theater, but the owner refused to sell, causing them to relocate to a new location in Downtown. Almost immediately, the neighborhood’s new spark was extinguished. Twenty six years later, the theater remains closed.
Perhaps what is so special about Uptown is that it perfectly encapsulated all parts of the Youngstown experience. The good, the bad, and the ugly. It was a starting point for many notable Youngstown musicians, such as Maureen McGovern and The Human Beinz of “Nobody But Me” fame. It was the location of the billionaire and nationwide shopping mall developer, Edward DeBartolo’s, first commercial development project. And perhaps most famously, it was the location of Youngstown’s most infamous mob hit.
Located on the corner of Market and Indianola is the Colonial House, a once prestigious eatery which was frequented by the city’s elite. The restaurant was opened in 1948 by none other than Vince DeNiro, a notable associate of the Cleveland Mafia, which was in a gruesome war with the rival Pittsburgh Mafia for control over the Youngstown rackets. Though DeNiro and Sandy Naples, a Pittsburgh mob soldier, were originally business partners, a devastating fallout soon occured. In response to this, DeNiro left the Colonial House and opened his own upscale Italian restaurant directly across the street, known as Cicero’s. On a warm summer night in July of 1961, DeNiro exited his restaurant and started his car for the last time. He was killed instantly by a car bomb planted by the Pittsburgh Mafia. The blast was so powerful that it was felt up to a mile away and blew out the windows of businesses and homes within a three mile radius. This ruthless assasination, dubbed the “Youngstown Tune-Up,” led to a decades long turf war resulting in hundreds of car bombs and deaths across the city, including the assisination of Sandy Naples, who was almost certainly behind the car bombing at Cicero’s.
Located on the corner of Market and Indianola is the Colonial House, a once prestigious eatery which was frequented by the city’s elite. The restaurant was opened in 1948 by none other than Vince DeNiro, a notable associate of the Cleveland Mafia, which was in a gruesome war with the rival Pittsburgh Mafia for control over the Youngstown rackets. Though DeNiro and Sandy Naples, a Pittsburgh mob soldier, were originally business partners, a devastating fallout soon occured. In response to this, DeNiro left the Colonial House and opened his own upscale Italian restaurant directly across the street, known as Cicero’s. On a warm summer night in July of 1961, DeNiro exited his restaurant and started his car for the last time. He was killed instantly by a car bomb planted by the Pittsburgh Mafia. The blast was so powerful that it was felt up to a mile away and blew out the windows of businesses and homes within a three mile radius. This ruthless assasination, dubbed the “Youngstown Tune-Up,” led to a decades long turf war resulting in hundreds of car bombs and deaths across the city, including the assisination of Sandy Naples, who was almost certainly behind the car bombing at Cicero’s.
No matter your experience with Uptown, it is undeniably a central part of Youngstown’s history and culture. If you ask anyone about their memories of Uptown in its prime, they will likely light up with joy as they tell you about their memories of seeing blockbuster films at the Uptown Theater, catching a bite to eat with their friends after a football game at The Oven, or seeing their favorite local bands perform at Mickey’s. Though these memories seem like a world away, the buildings and streets on which they occurred are still standing today, vacant, and waiting for someone with a vision and passion to bring them back to life. It is not too late to save Uptown, even with many of the buildings reaching the end of their lifespans due to neglect. With the news of renovations beginning at Uptown Theater, now is a better time than ever, and perhaps our last chance at saving Youngstown’s most iconic neighborhood. In Part 2 of this article, I will discuss the importance of saving Uptown and some of my ideas for how it can be re imagined as a modern, vibrant, and walkable entertainment district that has the potential to attract people from all over the Mahoning Valley once again.