Map Boy

anyone read the great article on the allure of Whole Foods markets to urban condo buyers in the Wall Street Journal this morning? They're booming here in New York and apparently elsewhere across the country, but I haven't seen them do any exciting/inspiring projects in Ohio as of yet. Didn't they move into Shaker Square for like 6 months and then cut out early? Constantino's would be a much smaller version of Whole Foods, but Cleveland is a much smaller version of New York (a gross oversimplification)...so I wonder how much the new market has helped sales and rentals in the WHD. I know it makes a world of difference to me! Also, in the plans for the new East Bank development, there's a significant commercial component. Does anyone know if another grocery has been discussed?

awesome! nice to see some progress... I knew we could count on you, MayDay!

now that's the real dirt! thanks ya'll this will give me some fodder for weeks to come!

that's great! I'm going to go get that one ASAP!

Ok, so Deer Hunter I knew of, but there isn't really much in Cleveland, right? And mentions of Cleveland? Not really what I'm looking for! I know, I'm hard to please...but I'm looking for movies that capture the true feeling of Cleveland. I feel like Telling Lies does a great job of this...as do parts of American Splendor and Stranger Than Paradise. Woody Allen captures his version of New York better than anyone I can think of. Spike Lee does the same with Brooklyn. Wong Kar Wai is the expert on Hong Kong and Tom Tykwer is fabulous with cities in Austria. Either way, this is a fun convo...keep it up!

yeah, that's one of those optimist projection sort of things that doesn't really have an grounds in reality...they've probably been saying 10,000 since 1985. Of course I'd love to see it, but we all know there are some big time hurdles to get over before that golden number is reached!

I've been an expatriate Clevelander for almost 10 years now and to make up for time and distance, I've been casually collecting movies that are filmed in, or contain major focus on Cleveland. More and more keep coming out of the woodwork, but I don't feel that I've given a good enough effort to find them all. So, all of you out there...what movies do you know of that fit the above criteria??? Here's my short list: Major League (duh), Telling Lies in America, Welcome to Collinwood, Stranger Than Paradise, American Splendor, Antoine Fisher, Against the Ropes, Battle of Shaker Heights... What else?

Yeah, I'm for that...knock down the 4-story one. I like AT tower, damnit!!! Knocking it down would just be silly

I was very happy to read this article in this morning's PD! I'm curious to see what these "pocket park" look like, but I know from my experience in other cities that these types of additions (plantings, pocket parks, etc) can do WONDERS for a neighborhood's feel both to residents and visitors. Another thing I'm curious about is that this comes at the same time as Downtown business/property owners are considering establishing a Business Improvement District. Greening and streetscape improvements are typically projects that BIDs engage in, so maybe this will set a good example of what a neighborhood BID can provide. Also, BIDs have traditionally provided clean-up and maintenance crews that could be responsible for tending to various green elements of the Downtown area...a bit more glamorous than just sweeping up litter!

[should this be merged with http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=1621.0;topicseen?] I don't know that I understand the language...are we talking about demolishing the existing structure or just seriously renovating it, PLUS adding a new structure? I doubt they'd buy the site, just to knock down the existing tower. I'm glad to hear that this is the frontrunner, as I think most of us expected it would be. I think the other two will take care of themselves once the EC project is wrapping up... And the notion of taking out the Tower City Cinemas to build MORE parking at Tower City is ludicrous!

anyone have photos? was this completed in 2005 or earlier, as this article states?

Here are a couple more nice images from www.futureheights.org Apparently, this is due to begin in August 2005! It seems that our inner 'burbs are doing quite well on spurring mixed-used developments in their already dense urban districts...(Lakewood and Shaker are the others of note to me)

yer bummin me out KJP! come on...couldn't I make it there in 5 minutes if I really hustled??? It looks so close on the map!

I agree with your concern, X. The convention center debate has been going on for nearly a decade now (as far as I know) and nothing has happened. The most recent years have proven how volatile this debate is and how apparently undecided our region is on this being a priority for public funds. I'm not concerned about the inner-belt or Euclid Corridor losing attention, since they are both already receiving hefty state and federal funding and will go forward either way. Where I see us suffering is in initiatives and "framework" plans like the lakefront plan and all of our neighborhood development plans that will be pushed to the back burner. These, too, seem like the real quality of life projects that will make our city more livable in the long run. They could also see much more substantial gains from much smaller monetary allocations. We're not going to increase the everyday Clevelander's quality of life by building a money-sapping convention center or realigning of a tiny stretch of Downtown interstate. Don't get me wrong...I want these things to happen...I just think our priorities are a little off.

I can't believe no one has brought this up before on this site! www.rockportsquare.com This one's just two blocks from West 117th and the City of Cleveland...an easy 5-minute walk from the Red Line! here's just a taste:

any links to the Rosewood or Rockport developments? How close are these to W. 117th?

Ok, so the meeting is officially over and you've all had enough time to commute home...so, how'd it go? I feel like I've heard this conversation for years, though, and I can't really envision this administration (Bush/Taft) being the ones to push it forward. I'll try to stay optimistic, though!

so wait, where do you live now?

yeah! spy-tech!

oh boy, Kellen Winslow's done it again! http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2051653 it's a long season when your marquis players are injured before training camp even opens...

Chris, 26, born in the Heights and fell in love with Cleveland during my winter soirees into the city to see Bruce tha Spruce and Mister Jing-a-Ling and gaze wide-eyed into the window displays around Public Square and Euclid. My childhood crush turned into a legitimate love affair (complete with lots of heartbreak and pain) during my five years traveling to-and-from St. Ignatius in Ohio City via the RTA. (No, I didn't go to high school for five years...there was a summer program for Junior High kids!) I spent four lovely years in Cincinnati at the University of where I got my Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies and have lived in Portland, Oregon and Brooklyn, NY ever since... but stay tuned, as I'm heading back to Cleve-o in three months for grad school!

Happy Birthday MayDay!

I'd start by putting in the rest of the windows and moving people in already!

Hmmm...seems kind of odd that they haven't done this already...seeing as they've been building at a massive clip for the past several decades! I'm interested to see what they come up with, but why would they wait until 2005 to see the need for a "comprehensive" master plan?

yeah, those signs have been up for a while now. I'm assuming that they're just ideas...an attempt to envision and entice people to the block, whether or not there are any actual investors behind those signs.