Shaker Square, the nation’s second oldest planned shopping center, was originally developed by the Van Sweringen brothers and opened for business in October, 1929. Patterned after Amalienborg Square in Copenhagen, it includes 12 Georgian-style buildings arranged with trees, hedgerows, and grassed areas, making it one of the country’s most attractive and architecturally distinguished shopping areas. Passing through the middle of the square, the first Shaker Rapid, which opened in 1920 with trolley cars, provided a convenient transportation link to downtown Cleveland. Today, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority owns and operates the service and provides customers and residents with a 12-minute commute to and from downtown Cleveland. The Shaker Square Historic District is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
