bumsquare

I think Luxe can be hit or miss. I agree that the pizzas are awesome and they also have great cocktails. The patio would be a great place to celebrate a special occasion.

^^That's a good point.

Seven million? Yikes.

^I understand the sentiment, but 10,000 per square mile and the second-densest city in the midwest counts as urban no matter what the situation.

Lakewood is right at 10,000 per square mile. Cleveland Hts. is right at 6,000 per square mile.

^^That list only shows the 50 largest cities.

It's not as shocking considering Cleveland Hts. doesn't have any rivers, factories, or thousands of acres of vacant lots.

I would bet that most of the houses west of Pearl and south of Detroit are still standing.

I believe the building was awarded tax credits, but there's a lot that goes on between getting the award and seeing construction. Tax credits don't guarantee that the developer will be able to close on the rest of its financing.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/variety-of-unsustainable-business-models-make-up-e,19261/

Chris Perez's stats are arguably better than Wickman's (which are surprisingly good), and not even in the same awful category as Borowski's.

I think it's best generally to not consider Pittsburgh.

^^^I think Pittsburgh is obviously the most flawed contender. The Indians are winning by being average at everything. Pittsburgh can't score any runs (23rd) and can't strike anybody out (29th). Milwaukee also has problems. They can't field and they're a team of mashers who aren't scoring runs at a much better clip than the Indians.

^^^http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~officer/Clev1906Streets.html. Beyond this, I don't think the numbered streets are meant to be consistent so that there would be only one E. 113th, etc. They more represent a position on the grid.

I think that Wonton Gourmet is also a specific kind of Chinese restaurant. I haven't tried any of the more "standard" Chinese dishes (Pepper beef, General Tso's, etc.). I've actually heard that they don't do these dishes particularly well. I think if one sticks to ordering of the wall, where the Hong Kong specialties are, the chances for success are greater. I would actually be interested if anybody knows of any good Chinese near Detroit Shoreway. I used to go to Long Phung, which billed itself as a Vietnamese restaurant but actually did the standard Chinese stuff really well. Unfortunately it reverted to being the Big Egg (which I wouldn't mind if it was the Big Egg of my youth, although I think that one is largely a figment of my imagination). We have enough greasy spoons on the west side to choke a health inspector (literally), but not so much in the way of Chinese.

It's awesome! I do think mystery meat is kind of par for the course though. I ordered the spicy shredded pork maw earlier this week. It was delicious, although the meat seemed a bit tough and was odd looking. Turns out it was stomach. But it tasted good! I've had a couple vegetarian dishes from there that were also excellent. I highly recommend the Szechuan Eggplant and the Braised Mushrooms with Bamboo. Both had flavor profiles that you generally can't find at other Chinese restaurants in town. Ordering there can be a bit overwhelming, but I would highly suggest taking the time to look at the pictures that line the walls of the restaurant. The staff is very friendly and more than willing to talk you through the four menus they have (I think one is for downtown lunch types, one is a general menu aimed at Chinese expats, another focuses on soups and noodles, and the last covers the walls of the restaurant, which I believe consists of Hong Kong style specialities.)

^^I'm very proud to live in the Cayuga valley!

I couldn't find anything on the Allerton (Parkview Apartments) but Carter Manor received a LIHTC allocation in 2004. There is a thread on Parkview, but I didn't see anything about financing, just a lot of complaints about how the mayor should have turned it into 34 mansions.

Short term contracts (1-5 years) are often the case with contract renewals. I believe, generally, when there is an ownership change or the project goes through tax credits, a 20-year contract is the norm. If Carter Manor and the Allerton went through tax credits, there will be a 15-year compliance period regardless of contract status. The market rates are determined generally by MSA. The 2011 FMR for Cleveland for a two bedroom is $720. I'm not entirely sure how that compares with the realities downtown. It's hard to argue with the almost guaranteed occupancy that section 8 affords, though.

^But they may still have Section 8 contracts with HUD, and they remain lucrative, like McCleveland said. ^^ClevelandOhio, you make the same amount renting Section 8 as you theoretically would for market rate. HUD makes up the difference between what the tenant can pay and a predetermined "market rate". I work for a developer and manager of affordable housing. Our properties are practically never under 90% occupied. If you can get a HAP contract, there is very little incentive to switch it to market rate.

I'm not sure if all of these buildings were converted using the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. But there's a good chance. Any buildings redeveloped this way are subject to a 15-year compliance period. I'm pretty sure Carter Manor is one such property, and probably the Allerton, since it recently underwent renovation. Most also probably have HUD HAP contracts, which are project based section 8 contracts, that can run up to 20 years.

That's definitely a swallow.

I know it might look dangerous/offensive, but I live in the neighborhood and it's really an awesome event. It brings the whole neighborhood together and it's an unforgettable spectacle. It also strikes me as distinctly Cleveland-ish.

Yep

It seems like everybody knows what they're doing at that particular event. Lots of fire and police around too.