metrocity

Office Revolution Expands into Columbus, Ohio Largest Teknion Dealer in Midwest to Expand into Columbus Market Chicago, IL (October 29, 2018) – Office Revolution, a leading contract furniture dealer for commercial environments, today announced its expansion into Columbus, Ohio. With locations in both downtown and suburban Chicago, Office Revolution is the largest Teknion dealer in the Midwest and the second largest in the United States.

Canal Fulton is on that route, but its growth and health is definitely is driven by Akron/Canton/Jackson Township sprawl. The towpath trail though has also helped tremendously at putting it on the map. I have a friend that owns the Canal Boat lounge on the towpath, her and her husband get tons of business from the trail...they love Ralph Regula (despite being blue blood dems). To the west and south of there is mostly Amish country small towns, which seems to create a healthy micro economy of its own (kind of like Mexican enclaves in Chicago do). I have been visiting my folks at a lake for 4th of july near Mt Gilead for a few years now. From Chicago, I have been taking Route 30 instead of the Turnpike for the last 3 years, and taken a few detours to explore nearby towns in NW Ohio. Some of those small towns don't seem that bad off, like Van Wert, Bucyrus, Galion. I was surprised. Lima and Mansfield however seem too small to attract jobs and too big to be cute and quaint and are pretty rough.

Most exurban suburbs in Ohio would be embarrassed by such cheap infrastructure. No sidewalks...ok it happens...but no curb or regular storm drains in a core city or inner ring burb! WTF! That place is gross. The race to the bottom is getting fierce...I'm glad Ohio is losing that race. Funniest quote on UO this year IMO

You could say they are more connected now than then because of sprawl. I-77 wasn't connected to Cleveland's Willow freeway until the Valley View bridge was built in 1975. Painesville, Mentor, Avon Lake..etc probably weren't considered suburbs of Cleveland either in the 60's. Akron is not a suburb, but the urban boundries have been blurred a lot since the 60's. There used to be a lot more rural area and way less freeway connection between them. https://case.edu/ech/articles/w/willow-freeway

^It's actually really small, and the displays seemed geared toward the systems furniture, like Kitchens, Media Centers and closets...where you would design and plan it. They did have a good amount of staff to assist in that though. I guess the stand alone pieces you just look at pics in the catalog or online and order. I must say, that mall is super busy, and the stuff looked really beat up from the wear and tear. That's not normal residential usage of course and we know it's not commercial grade, but it didn't give a good impression for buyers. The hinges start to sag, finishes get scatched...etc.

I was in Cleveland over labor day weekend, and did notice that they weirdly just close off sidewalks for construction projects, and the only option is to cross the street. No protected areas to walk around it using the street. There was a lot Downtown. It was especially annoying coming off the Red Line at Little Italy where you are pretty much forced to jaywalk across Mayfield to continue into Little Italy. To legally use a crosswalk would send you the opposite way toward Euclid Ave. In Chicago, it seems more the norm to have a devoloper provide safe ped access around a construction site on the same side of the street...especially Downtown. They place Jersey barriers around the path into the street.

^There is this at Westfield Stratford City in London https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/29-august-4-september-2016/ikea-rolls-convenience-store-concept-westfield-stratford-city/

Thanks! I was having a hard time finding info on what to do, this is a big help!

Question, I would like to ride the Towpath trail from Canal Fulton to Downtown Cleveland next weekend for Labor Day. Does anyone have tips for navigating the trail where it stops and starts again south of Downtown Cleveland? Thanks!

^Haha...thanks for the heads up. ;)

That was a good movie, thanks for sharing. If it was shot in Painesville, does that mean it meant that is geographically where it took place? Like that would be the norm at the time even in a supposedly liberal northern state...which Ohio used to be at that time. Or maybe big cities like Cleveland were liberal but the hinterlands were not?

^HAHA! Seriously, those greedy conniving amish! Although...maybe the amish stuff can be tousist traps. Hmmm?? If that's the worst Ohio has, that's not so bad.

Cincinnati's urban fabric should be a national treasure.

Saw this walking home from the store today. It was taped to an empty storefront window in the Pilsen neighborhood, Chicago on Cermak Ave near Wolcott.

^Is Lancaster a commuter exurb of Columbus at this point? It is 33 miles away, same as Medina from Cleveland. I had to google it because I thought the same thing, but didn't realize it was so close to Columbus. It's a beautiful restoration.

That sucks. I enjoyed Feaglers commentary. Maybe conservative and old fashioned, but he and his wife surprisingly became big allies for the LGBTQ community, and he was Grand Marshall of the the CLE Pride Parade 2004.

^Seriously, how can L Brands not have a PINK store at OSU! Or freakin Bath & Body or Victorias Secret. Henri Bendel might be a stretch though ;)

^I feel like St Louis is worse, they went crazy with Urban Renewal funds and horrible freeways on stilts. I only say worse because St Louis had some really beautiful well made brick buildings and east coast style row homes, higher quality than the stick built stuff in Cleveland. Probably Detroit too. Viceland's "Abandoned " series had a nice documentary on the beautiful old St Louis Schools that are crumbling.

Anybody go?? 'Pride' coming to Sandusky this summer SANDUSKY — Organizers are proud to announce a new, all-inclusive event endorsing equality while targeting togetherness. The inaugural Sandusky Pride festival takes place June 21-24. In short, all festivities revolve around raising awareness for LGBT — shortened from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender — issues. Still in a development phase, Pride committee members want to host events underscoring unity and uniqueness. Among some activities planned include a drag queen kickball game, a beauty pageant and a street fair-style party complete with vendors and merchandise retailers. Most events should occur from areas in and around downtown. http://www.sanduskyregister.com/story/201801300014 https://sandusky2018.com/event/sandusky-pride-festival/ https://www.citylab.com/life/2018/06/new-lgbtq-pride-parades-2018/563513/

^Thought so too...matches the decor

^Ugly on the outside (I hate mansard roofs), but cool on the inside if you strip away the awful 90's interior "updates". The bones (kitchen cabinets, stair railings, fireplace, brick wall) look cool and untouched except for paint. Is this a Jewish neighborhood? I'm only curious because most of the good 60's and 70's mid mod stuff in NE Ohio is.

Interesting cheesy video in this article...with Michael Stanley of course. A 1990s Preview of a ‘Gateway’ for Cleveland MARK BYRNES JUN 22, 2018 A local celebrity, dark backgrounds, smooth jazz, and a mysterious set of eyes surely sold the region’s corporate class on what’s now known as “The Q.” Welcome to the latest installation of “Public Access,” where CityLab staffers share their favorite videos—old and new, serious and nutty—that tell a story about place. After playing 30 miles away in Richfield for two decades, the NBA’s Cavaliers returned to downtown Cleveland in 1994 as part of the city’s Gateway Complex—a ballpark, arena, and shared outdoor plaza downtown. https://www.citylab.com/life/2018/06/a-1990s-preview-of-a-gateway-for-cleveland/563420/

I went to private schools in NE Ohio, and we received transport, via the public school bus, and had textbooks stamped with the local public school system logo. That makes sense to me since my parents paid taxes for those items. And it ensures the State Of Ohio that I was taught from textbooks that follow the approved public curriculum. I think low income kids still got tax funded lunch/milk money aid as well. If my parents felt like I needed to go to a non-public school, that's their choice, and they paid for it. The subsidy they got for books and transport was fair. No vouchers beyond that IMO.

^I can see what you mean, there are some boarded up homes across the street in Cleveland proper, but going down the east/west side streets (Saywell, Castlewood, Forest Grove, Chesterfield) toward 123rd in Cleveland, it really doesn't look that bad honestly on Google maps, there are a lot of well kept homes, and few empty lots. The commercial streets are pretty decimated, I'll give you that...but they usually are anyway, even in better neighborhoods.

A lot of those homes around there look new including the one blown up, and the neighborhood looks tidy. What a shame.