MayDay

^Pffft - imagine my surprise when I saw one of my photos (not so subtly cropped to remove the copyright watermark) being used at one of the new restaurants out at Hopkins - *without* my permission. Yes, oh yes - they'll be hearing from me. :evil:

Don't worry folks, this "windbag" just gave MyTwoSense a day off. When he returns, *I* demand that he stop being confrontational and stays on topic.

You good people didn't think THAT was it, did you? ;-) Industrial Valley in the foreground, suburban office towers of Independence in the background: Power plants and highrise residential along the eastern Lakefront: These happy fellas live (and feast - as I saw the leftovers) up here among the clouds: The highrises of Cleveland State University, the odd mix of old and new lowrises to the east: The small pile of rubble in the center foreground - site of the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Transit Center; in the background, the horrifically auto-centric gas station/fast-food corridor of Carnegie Avenue: Most of the Cleveland Clinic's campus - center: Some of the many warehouses that make up the live/work arts district: Dead center - a shoutout to Josaphat Arts Hall (formerly St. Josaphat church) http://www.josaphatartshall.com/introduction/ Icons of Tremont - steel mills, the onion domes of St. Theodosius, the Gospel Press Building (under renovation) and the ubiquitous townhomes with rooftop decks in Tremont Ridge: If you work for Cargill salt, you arrive here, take an elevator ride 1/4th of a mile down and then go out into the two to three miles of tunnels carved out under Lake Erie. I know none of these interest you, but I might post some more in the near future ;-)

Yes, I was aware of a forumer's presence ;-) Yep, the "steel mill" is some sort of facility (I'm sure someone will know), just east of downtown Lorain.

Alright folks, check it out now :-)

Alright, as promised - some photos from a not often seen vantage point - the 43rd floor of 200 Public Square (built in 1985 as the SOHIO building - get it, "So High Oh"?) Special thanks to Kathleen and Sam from Harbor Management Group. This helped me achieve a goal - I've now been to the top (or darn close to) of all four of Cleveland's buildings over 500 feet. To everyone viewing this - these photos are not posted to be a "free for all" stock photography source. It's fine to use one as your desktop background, but using ANY of these photos for any other non-personal use constitutes violation of federal copyright laws. I hate to sound like a crabby b@stard, but a lot of people don't seem to understand the severity of copyright violation. That said, hope you enjoy - there are captions and even more pics to be added later but I have to take a breather. Some music to set the mood: The original two teaser pics, from the corner of Hinckley Industrial Parkway and Schaaf Road: 200 Public Square: Model of the building in the management offices - note the faded arrow, that's where the following images were taken: What better way to start than with the Terminal Tower? Of course, Key Tower isn't too shabby either: West Bank of the Flats, including Stonebridge Downtown Lakewood on the left, Rocky River in the middle (pinkish building and white church spire) Lakewood's Gold Coast on the right and heavy industry way off in the distance near Lorain: West 14th Street, main artery through the Tremont neighborhood: The soon-to-be rehabbed/replaced Innerbelt bridge in the foreground, Tremont in the middle and the Industrial Valley in the background: Five of the bridges along the Cuyahoga and the Goodtime III sightseeing boat: The tippy-top of the Terminal Tower: Midway up, crews are restoring the masonry: Thermal heating plant in the foreground, Lorain-Carnegie and Innerbelt bridges in the middle, Tremont and Industrial Valley in the background: The Stockyards neighborhood - southwest of downtown: St. Michael's Church and MetroHealth Medical Center in the foreground, Old Brooklyn and Deaconess Hospital in the background: Landmark Office Towers in the center: Terminal Tower, with Ohio City in the background: I tried to bundle the "ugly" shots - the long-underdeveloped Scranton Road Peninsula: Parking lots (at various times slated for development, but thanks to the economy, who knows) in the heart of downtown: The Warehouse District and the mouth of the Cuyahoga in the background: Straight down from the 43rd: Public Square: The Group Plan - the greenspaces are Mall A, B, and C (from foreground to background): The Cuyahoga County Courthouse and Cleveland Browns Stadium: The Group Plan, with North Coast Harbor in the background: A portion of Mall B (currently displaying a public art exhibit) and Mall A with the War Memorial Fountain: Quicken Loans Arena, dead center AT&T Huron Road building and Progressive Field: Blast furnace at Arcelor-Mittal: More Industrial Valley: Eastern Tremont and the Industrial Valley: Central Tremont - St. John Cantius church and Tremont Elementary School: Eagle Avenue bridge, locked permanently in the "up" position: AT&T Huron Road building World Headquarters of the United Church of Christ: 668 Euclid, being renovated into apartments: The Marcel Breuer-designed Cleveland Trust Tower - another development project being hampered by the current economy: Aerial view of Euclid Avenue, home to the Healthline (BRT route), with University Circle in the background: University Circle: Hough and East Cleveland: Fifth-Third Bank, the Superior Building (neoclassic with dish on roof) and Eaton Center: One Cleveland Center (silver chisel) and the Tower at Erieview: 1211 St. Clair, the condo tower component of the Avenue District development: The southeastern CBD: Northeastern CBD: A little more north: The cylindrical building is the Louis Stokes wing of the Cleveland Public Library - in the lower middle is the glass skylight of the Arcade: The War Memorial Fountain:

"So you don't believe in the concept of predatory lending? Or think the financial industry's fee/profit driven cliff dive into subprime, interest only, stated income and all the other wacky mortgage instruments are part of the problem?" Initially, it all boils down to every person being accountable and responsible for their own finances - I am reaaaaally right-brained and bad with numbers. However - I was raised with the mantra of "don't live beyond your means", and "if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is", so any time anyone approaches me involving finances, my eyebrow shoots up and my inner skeptic goes batsh!t. But I think it's a statement about our society that so many people (like the author of the article) simply dismiss reality because maybe they thought for a second that they could have that place they dream of and see on HGTV. A few years ago, I had considered buying a modest condo in Cleveland so I could stop paying rent and "throwing money away". Granted, my math skills are bad but I did a lot of calculating so I had a rough idea of what I could afford. I found a place in a good neighborhood that needed some fixing up priced in the high $50s. Everything I number-crunched with my salary/debt/etc. seemed to jive with that, without putting me in too much of a bind. So many people my age own a home, a lot of people in the circle I run with place value on material things, and some would ask me "when are you gonna stop throwing money away?", so I figured geez, let's just check it out. I scheduled an appointment with one of the local banks in Cleveland - I wanted to gather some info, not sign a loan right away. Lo and behold, the loan officer - a friendly go-getter type a few years my junior assured me that if I wanted, I could get a loan for up to three times the price of the condo I spotted. Me, a graphic designer (a field that doesn't pay well) with a decent (not stellar) credit score and modest savings should be looking for something around $180K??? On what f'in planet?!? Wellllllll... I never did get that condo, and let's just say this particular bank has been in the news lately for not being up to par according to industry standards.

^As I have said time and time again, those who should be taking a leadership position simply aren't. How many times do you see (well, I know I do) an event being held and the only thing mentioned about transportation is "Ample parking in _____ lot/garage"? I'm talking about the groups that are the go-to people when it comes to sustainability issues. They'll happily add "Please consider the Earth before printing out this page" to emails, but they can't say "Please consider the Earth - take RTA to our event"? If we can't get the "green" people on board, how can we expect anyone else to get it? A few groups *are* starting to get it more and more - I got an invite from an event at the library, co-sponsored by Cleveland Public Art which says "The event is accessible from RTA (www.riderta.com)". Short, simple, and lets people know that the option exists. I know I'm broken record, but the real kick in the rubber parts was an eco-friendly gardening seminar at the Botanical Gardens which was co-sponsored by GreenCityBlueLake (who, aside from this flub-up - do amazing work). The opening text on the event website said "Go Green - start in your own backyard!" and then "Ample parking in our garage!". I sent an email to the folks at GCBL and to their credit said it should have been fixed. Still, the more people see things like "Our event is adjacent to the East 18th Healthline station" - the less people will say "that was a waste of $XYZ dollars". We just need to get awareness is raised; those in charge need have it hardwired into their brain to mention public transportation options, and eventually I think more people will be comfortable utilizing it.

"Almost every bar/club, downtown and in the burbs, i see purses left all alone. I dont know what mindset these girls are in where they think it is ok to leave a purse unattended for an extended period of time." Same thing happens at fitness centers - at least where I go. Almost without fail, I'll open a locker without a lock on it and voila - some guy has put his stuff (cell phone, wallet, gym bag, etc.) in a locker and figured it'd be safe there. I'm half tempted to print out a leaflet saying "Your items *could* have been stolen - please use a lock!" and leave it in every locker like that. It irks me, because I just want to put my stuff in, lock it and get on with my workout but I usually have to open three or four lockers to find an empty one. Getting back on topic, I believe 19 has been doing the "Dirty Dining" segment for a while - focusing strictly on downtown might be new, but that segment's been around (and as long as they balance it with a few "clean" spots I don't mind; THAT is investigative reporting).

I saw that and while it's absolutely horrible that these women have had their purses snatched, I can't believe they would leave their purse at their seat and walk away to hit the dancefloor? It's like someone said - treat your purse like a wad of cash; aka don't let it out of your sight. Most of my galpals will have a "club" purse which is more or less a change purse with a light sling/strap that holds keys, ID, a card or two, cash and that's it. That or they drop their purses on the dancefloor right where they're dancing. It's terrible but it seems like it might have been preventable in a few cases. :-|

The ice cream place was likely the Sugar Bowl - if you've ever read the comic strip "Family Circus", *that's* the place where they always get ice cream (the artist of "Family Circus" is from the area).

Keep your sick tranny fetish projections out of this! Wendie is all woman. :roll:

Don't make me stab you in the name of Wendie Malick. I will CUT a b!tch! :whip:

" “Everyone is so quick to blame the absentee father, but let me tell you something: it’s casual wear that’s ruining this society.” Nina Van Horn - 'Just Shoot Me' I can't talk - I absolutely dread the thought of re-entering the mainstream job field and having to don anything other than denim and a black t-shirt.

^^Aside from pockets in and around downtown Phoenix, Scottsdale is the closest thing to a walkable neighborhood that Phoenix has to offer. It's nothing compared to dense areas of eastern cities, but compared to the sprawling h#ll of most Phoenix 'burbs, Scottsdale is a pleasant surprise.

Wellll, my last days at Kent were in 1996. Barcode means nothing to me - my recollection is: McNastys > Shark Club > Screwy Louies > Palomino > (unremarkable sh!tpit name) > (second unremarkable sh!tpit name). Btw, waaay too old-school folks shouldn't use terms like "rawk" ;-)

Spent some time with the in-laws last weekend out in the Valley of the Sun: Flying out, I see some snow-capped mountains which I think are around New Mexico: Sprrrrrrrrrrrawl once near Phoenix proper: Cardinal Stadium in Glendale- looks like Richfield Coliseum gone Jetsons in my book: The antenna farm on South Mountain (which actually looks really cool at night): Downtown Phoenix from Sky Harbor (their skyline has improved over the years): The Valley Ho hotel - a funky place with a lot of history http://www.hotelvalleyho.com Main entrance (love that font!) An interior veranda (looks like someone went to town with a Design Within Reach catalog): We hopped on the Scottsdale Trolley which took us through Old Town Scottsdale: The Scottsdale "Waterfront" district - the water part (the Central Arizona Canal) makes me chuckle, but the mid-rise development around it is admirable. I know some cities that could use some of this: On Thursday nights, Old Town Scottsdale gets lit up for their Art Walk: At one of my favorite galleries, the Rima - these cuties are there to greet visitors: But it was a long day, so we had to cut the art walk short. The next day, it was a day trip up to Sedona. Before you ask - no one in my group (especially me) is into the New-Agey "vortex" crap that Sedona is known for - we just wanted to see some kick ass natural scenery: It's about 2.5 hours from Scottsdale to Sedona - the equivalent of Cleveland to Columbus. It's also about 10 to 15 degrees of temperature difference, so we left 105F in Phoenix for 80ish in Sedona: We aren't off the highway for too long when we see why Sedona is so well known for the red rock formations: This elicited a "what in gay hell is that?!?" from me: There's a somewhat chintzy commercial strip between the highway and the heart of the rock formations: And what the heck, what better place to stop for brunch? But soon enough, it gets back to nature - like the Grand Canyon, this is a great place to visit if you need to realize just how insignifcant and temporary a human life is - not trying to be morbid, but these amazing things have been here for thousands of years: There's some residential in Sedona - most of it is thankfully tucked away and designed to blend in: Along the roads, there's absolutely no berm to speak of, and when you look up you wonder if those "Falling Rock" signs mean these ginormous formations :-o We had hoped to check out one area but the parking lot was full, so we ended up at Slide Rock: The water carved out this area, and the algae that coats the rock makes it like a natural "Slip N' Slide": This guy decided to hold still for two seconds: But we were on an itinerary so off we went: One of the few manmade landmarks worth mentioning, Chapel of the Holy Cross http://www.chapeloftheholycross.com/ But back to Phoenix we went - around rush hour, I was reminded of why I enjoy an occasional visit but could never ever live here: Fortunately we could detour and use an HOV lane: The next day, we attended a graduation ceremony at the University of Phoenix's Cardinal Stadium (aka the Mothership): Note the misters - they're everywhere (in the stadium, at restaurants in Scottsdale) and going full blast from May to September, usually until 10pm when the temps start to dip into the mid 80s: Inside the mothership: After the ceremony, we went to lunch in this odd... well, let me put it this way. Scroll up to the third photo - see the stadium, surrounded by parking lots? Adjacent to that is a Crocker-Park-esque plaza with some townhomes but it's all in the middle of nowhere. Anyhoo, this is the "entertainment district" for Cardinal Stadium - I'll take West 6th and East 4th ANYday! Mothership, I tell ya! Enough of ex-urbia, get me back to semi-dense Scottsdale! And of course - time to get back home - a closer view of downtown Phoenix on the way to Sky Harbor: Camelback Mountain in the background: The very very linear skyline of Downtown and Midtown Phoenix: The very un-linear skyline of downtown Cleveland :clap: Pardon the size on this one folks, but you'll need to scroll - Lakewood to Beachwood: After that it was North Olmsted and tarmac - hope you enjoyed!

I think in this case, both scotts and KJP have valid points. It's difficult to grasp if you're not really familiar with the area. Sure, Youngstown is about the same size as other small cities but those other small cities haven't necessarily faced the challenges that Youngstown has (including the suburban sprawl and resulting "doughnut effect" on the central city). For example - if the OP was asking about urban living options in Akron, you could rattle off a few places like Highland Square, etc. Well - simply put, Youngstown doesn't have much that's comparable. It's not a slam on Youngstown at all, just pointing out that you can't say "well, ALL small cities of XYZ size have at least one noted vibrant, walkable area". Youngstown hasn't managed to retain/attract the quantity of residents to have an area like a Highland Square or Tremont - but they've made some enormous strides recently; but they also don't have an extensive transit network. So where does that leave someone wanting a semi-urban living option in Youngstown? As the OP said - the party in question WANTS something along the lines of say Tremont, Ohio City, Lakewood, etc. but because Youngstown is a city with a smaller population (and thus, a smaller population seeking urban living options), there's not really many neighborhoods that experienced measurable gentrification, nor are there many areas resembling dense "streetcar" suburbs. But still - the overall impression is that they want something relatively walkable and at least in easy driving distance to the amenities of the city proper. So I think the recommendations for places like Milton, Ellsworth, etc. are bordering on the absurd. They're beautiful and desirable in their own rural right, but they're not on the menu as far as the OP is concerned. I know Milton, Ellsworth, etc. and they're great for a second home for getting away from "hustle and bustle" but as a main residence for someone who has urban inclinations? No. Not a chance. Now - areas like Poland Village which are a little more tightly clustered (albeit surrounded by suburbia)? That's probably what's going to appeal to them.

Great set of photos - I can see things in Denver that Cleveland could do (the funky condos adjacent to the art museum, healthier downtown, etc.). I wouldn't mind visiting but as 8Titles said "... literally in the middle of nowhere (have to drive 9 hours any direction to find another large metro area...", it's a bit too isolated for my taste.

Kent's branch campuses are spread around northeast Ohio (as far south as Tuscarawas County; Columbiana County has two) and usually serve as "feeders" for the main campus. I'd say it also depends on the program - just anecdotal on my part but traditional majors (business/education/nursing) seem to come from northeast Ohio, but others like the journalism and fashion schools (both highly rated) have a much wider draw.

^I haven't lived in the area for a while (I was born and raised in Salem, but spent most of my time 'escaping' to the "city life" in Y-town), but I was going to suggest the northern portions of either Canfield or Poland if schools are a concern. Both have decent school systems but being located in the northern areas they'd be relatively close to the city amenities. As JRC mentioned, if there's an adjacent school district with open enrollment, that might alleviate that problem and allow them to live in the city itself. "But you will never find people who are more friendly or "real." 100% agreed - especially the latter.

Post-McNastys it was the Shark Club, then the Palomino and a few other names; whatever the case, it was taken over by the mainstream. By the 90s most of the "punk" types were going to places in Akron or just hanging out at the Town Tavern a few blocks away. Looking at google and live.com maps, the building is still there but I'm not sure how current those are.

Absolutely 100% unacceptable - you've got a week off.

First and foremost, I think you're onto something good - there are a lot of things to hash out, and I don't know that UrbanOhio should be an official endorser but at the very least - it can serve as a venue to help recruit for the effort. "At the end of the day if you just want to bash my idea then please don't post." I don't know if it's a generational thing or what, but I've noticed that sometimes a forumer will post something - sometimes idealistic, sometimes really uninformed and the moment someone steps up and says "sounds great but did you know that _______?", they get criticized for being a "naysayer" and "the reason this city sucks" when in reality they're simply pointing out potential obstacles or stark facts as to why their idea may or may not work. It's one thing if that person says "your idea's stupid - no one would support that in Cleveland"; but when someone provides statistical facts as to why there's not sufficient market demand for say, a 100-story office tower on Public Square, or perhaps gives a list of potential issues for a project like the one you're suggesting - the last thing you should do is shut out legitimate criticism.