clvlndr

In the pre-Tower City days, we also used to transfer to the "Cleveland Rapid" from the Shaker Rapid at E. 55 when heading to the Airport. We did so to avoid the crowds and get a good seat, esp with bags. But indeed it was a PITA because you had to go out of the Shaker station, onto E. 55 street, walk over the tracks and then reenter the Red Line station. This was a holdover from when the CTS and Shaker Rapids were separate agencies and collected fares separately. For some reason, we never used E. 34 -- it just seemed in a more desolate, unsafe area (although E. 55 wasn't great shakes, at least it was a busy traffic area anyway).

I thought the PD article was rather useless. The headline was negative and misleading and FCE's Corsi got an opportunity to justify why the company is investing elsewhere and not its hometown... save the Van Aken TOD project, apparently.

^So let me understand again, Quincy will be closed to car traffic so you will no longer be able to connect between the 2 streets (E.105/OC and Quincy)? But there will be a ped bridge where the current Quincy is connecting to the existing RTA Rapid headhouse ... kinda like what was done on the West Side at W. 65 where the old Madison Ave. bridge was replaced with a ped-only bridge? Is this correct?

^Where were the traffic engineers? Was CPC simply asleep at the switch on this one?

^OK thanks, that helps ... I understand that funding is not in place for the RTA extension to Northfield Rd...yet. I'm surprised this project has gone this far without this funding; demolition of the Starbucks at the end of the Blue Line has already occurred. KJP notes that the conceptual planned development addresses the already existing Farnsleigh station rather than the one planned on the extension...I thought RTA chose the rail extension as the locally preferred alternative. Does this mean Farnsleigh could be the new Blue Line terminal?

I like the new office development, but wish it were a little taller. It has that dreaded suburban-ish, campus look to it -- still, I'll take new offices at that location ... I do concur about not liking the driveway in front of the new RTA station, but I'm just not sure where it would go. QUESTION: wasn't this where the Mayfield Lofts building was to go? If not, will there still be space for it? Is that project alive or dead?

Last night's win (finally) over pesky Ghana was sweet... I'd really like to beat Portugal... Germany's going to be a load, however.

Innovation Square looks interesting... I hope it comes to pass... As for Van Aken, I can't really conceptualize where things will be... It certainly looks nice, esp. with the E. 4th-esqe dining 'alley' and the parking deck on top of the retail -- which is where it should be.

Cleveland's becoming Biker big city, USA... I think it's great.

Clifton's the most beautiful, grand main drag on the West Side ... for me, it's not even close... I sure hope this project maintains the integrity of this street... I'm a little nervous, though.

I second the excellence of Paul's pics... I too hope the "Samsel corridor" of buildings gets rehabbed for mixed use (res+restaurants+retail) along Old River Rd... Those buildings, esp the old, yellow Arhaus Furniture building are very attractive ... redeveloping them would create a nice segue from the modern, new FEB development into an interesting, narrow corridor unique old buildings ... I'm still hoping another restaurant will go in the old Watermark spot, which we loved. It appears that the old redbrick, Victorian-looking building on the south end of this block, right before Old River Road crosses the Rapid tracks, is being/has been refurbished for something ... I'm guessing offices, but am not sure.

Minny/St. Paul's Green Line has way to many street crossings to be effective for my tastes… It’s really a streetcar as opposed to true LRT.

This 'study' is an ongoing information-skewing campaign of the Atlantic, which has been reliably pro-BRT, anti-rail (esp. light rail) in recent years….I still read the Atlantic, but liked a lot better before it came under the control of more conservative interests.

One of the things that makes an truly urbanized city exciting is the mix of old and new architecture. The old architecture, esp the narrow streets and the tight configurations (along with the high population density), makes Little Italy exciting. It's true of ALL similar neighborhoods... Look at Tremont; Look at Ohio City; Look at Detroit-Shoreway... And of course, look at Chicago, with its brownstone rows, brick "flat" walk-ups, shoe-horned next to ultra-mod flats and apt buildings, ... even a few mid and high-rises, makes the city feel funky and alive -- the old buildings give it character, but the new, sometimes wild, buildings, make it feel alive and contemporary... Under the old, (thankfully) discarded 50s-60s "urban renewal" approach, the idea was to bulldoze older buildings and replace them with blocky new ones... If this was the approach in LI, I'd be dead set against it... But it's not -- the Chicago approach was taken -- [note- that's my term and not meant, in any way, to imply we're we should try to be Chicago, but rather, a unique Cleveland]... Buildings like Casa d'Angolo mixed with the quaint older buildings are, in part, why LI is one of the hottest residential tickets in the region.. And the fact that developers are squeezing more and more new, funky/creative structures like this in this already tight neighborhood -- which will soon get even better transit access -- all the better. ... and as Clueless' instructive photo-essay notes, ... look around, this is already in full swing in LI...

Hey Jerry, I really didn't expect this discussion to go off the tracks (so to speak) in to the name of the new LI station. I just mentioned it because frankly 12 syllables is difficult to verbalize on a routine basis. And lets face it, unless RTA implements a total GPS station-announcement system by the time this new station is built, I don't have a lot of confidence in RTA motormen to communicate it effectively, esp since they often mumble the simpler stop names the Rapid already has -- Red, Blue and Green Lines included... KJP's suggestion: UC-Little Italy, works much better... ... moving on...

^I like it. I stand by that... It's aggressive architecture, no doubt. Ugly? no... at least not imho... It's certainly an upgrade over Primo Vino (not the restaurant function, but it's appearance), which is just a blank, windowless wall (partially faux brick) with now windows... It's a facade over a very old mixed-use building. Little Italy lies adjacent to, and is itself, an arts district -- architecture is, in fact, an art form ... Even LI's older buildings are a hodgepodge, so I think Casa d'Angolo will fit right in... And of course, having an upscale, multi-unit condo replacing Primo Vino is a plus. It only burnishes LI's "hot" status as a place to live.

Actually I like it where it is, because it's at the end of the retail strip where Mayfield Road begins climbing toward the Heights ... I understand an apt has been planned for the Club Corbo location, which is great, but I hope it's at least mixed-use since it's more toward middle of the retail strip. Plus the planned Case d'Angolo units will face off architecturally with the still new-iish Villa Carabelli townhouse complex across the street which will be kinda cool.

On a lighter note, I hope RTA comes up with another name for the Little Italy station ... The "Little Italy-University Circle" station is a mouthful of syllables. Good luck hearing all that flow from the mouths of your friendly, neighborhood Red Line motormen and women. UC-Little Italy, or Little Italy-UC works much better.

With the east Red Line and Mayfield both closed until late June, you'd think RTA should make a ton of headway with the new station... KJP's 2nd photo shows how close the old E. 120 station is to the new site... Amazing what a difference a couple hundred feet will make. I have no doubt this station will be an instant hit -- which will have has much to do with its new/better location as well as simply having an attractive, safe, open place to board the trains. btw, in the 6th photo, that Victorian-era redbrick mansion shown from the side, just in front of the terrace homes, is the Cozad-Bates House; a major stop on the Underground Railroad during the Civil War... People are working to restore this beautiful building and turn it into a museum which will only further strengthen this great, diverse neighborhood.

^Thanks. You put a smile on my face.

Really!? Thistledown IS staying put? I missed that one. The last I read (PD) was that, though the Thistledown racino was financially doing well, Gilbert/Rock was mum on a possible relocation to Akron/Canton. I'm thrilled if the racetrack/casino is staying, the Warrensville Hts/N. Randall area really needs it. Do you have a link?

^Good for Schwartz!... His concerns are on the money... I just wish this project had been subject to this level scrutiny BEFORE it had been hustled through and Federal monies granted.

^I like it.

Kittredge notes: "The Transit Oriented Development piece is huge. RTA is now looking at those Rapid stops — at 79th, there's two stops — and saying there's no ridership, and no ridership means it doesn't make sense to invest." Did RTA really say this? And does she mean both E. 79th stops (Red and Blue/Green)? Also, despite Kittredge's flowery statement about TOD, there is neither question nor answer about All Aboard Ohio's recommendation for an E. 89th/Woodland/Buckeye relocation of the Red Line's E. 79th's Red Line stop that could better facilitate TOD growth. I realize Angie Schmidt, despite my agreement with her in general principal, has opened herself up to criticism as a result of her weak, scortched (Cleveland) earth, Roldo-like shoot-from-the-hip journalism. But rather than simply attacking her, I think there needs to be focus on the still many gray areas that are not being addressed regarding this roadway, and transit and TOD is a key one. I hope the Ms. Kittredge and pro-OC faction are pressed on these issues, despite being victorious in winning the federal grant for this roadway.

^OK now it makes sense. UF was busy, but I wondered why nobody was sitting outside, even though tables and chairs were set up out there.