For almost two centuries, the historic Tremont neighborhood has rested on a bluff overlooking Cleveland's industrial valley. The sleepy farming community was transformed in 1867, when Cleveland annexed it. Factories attracted thousands of emigrants from Europe, and industrialization gave rise to a class of wealthy businessmen. After the city prospered as a manufacturing center during World War II, deindustrialization and suburbanization fueled a huge population loss, and the neighborhood declined as highways cut through. The 1980s marked the beginning of the rebirth of the cultural treasure Tremont became. Author W. Dennis Keating chronicles the challenges and triumphs of this diverse and vibrant community.

W. Dennis Keating is an emeritus professor of urban planning and law at Cleveland State University. He is co-author of Revitalizing Urban Neighborhoods and other publications on cities, urban policy and housing.