A Suburb Looks Nervously at Its Urban Neighbor
David Ahntholz
The New York Times
By CHRISTOPHER MAAG
Published: January 17, 2008



Luiz Coelho, left, Ken Kovach and Tom Chelimsky in front of Mr. Chelimsky’s house, where a neighbor was found severely beaten.


The New York Times
David Ahntholz for The New York Times
Mr. Chelimsky, left, his wife, Gisela, right, and Margaret Carlson gave a flier to Kevin Bowie about a neighborhood meeting.

SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — A week after six black teenagers nearly beat her husband to death, Marybeth McDermott looked out her big living room window at the neighborhood she loves, pursed her lips, then looked away.
Part of the Ludlow neighborhood is in Cleveland, the other part is in Shaker Heights
She has found great friends here in the Ludlow neighborhood, one of the first places in suburban America where blacks and whites came together to live as neighbors. But for the first time in 19 years, Mrs. McDermott has thoughts of leaving.

“For now, I think we’ll stay put,â€