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^ I would certainly think the heavily used bus shelters in downtown, Ohio City and, say, University Circle should have heat lamps. Most of the HL stops should have them, especially since they area already electrically wired for the fare machines. For the first time I noted, in Tower City, an entrance to the auxiliary track. Perhaps the door is new ... or simply newly marked.

^Feeling a wee bit of pressure from the Heinen's comp, ey?

Steve's Lunch (building) as of last summer: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.47752,-81.721339,3a,75y,302.23h,96.93t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sluuBoSY1Bm302ytzGzEkPw!2e0!6m1!1e1

^Hard to believe the place was totally uninsured.

I was really saddened by this -- grateful, though, no one was hurt... We used to go by Steve's for late-night dogs years ago. I never paid attention to the building, primarily because we always went there at night... it had this hole-in-the-wall authentic feel about it - it was pure Cleveland, esp pure West Side Cleveland... I just read, though, the building was built in the 1860s!!! I had no idea it was THAT old.... The Google Street Views photo (from last summer) shows it's old, early Victorian appearance and also clearly shows the recent rehab... Damn, what a cool building; a terrible loss just from a historic architectural POV. I sure hope Steve's rebuilds, or at least relocates, to a nearby space.

^I think some folks are a little harsh on Town Hall. I find it a fun and interesting place -- the food can even be decent-- and I love the fact that it attracts such a large crowd to OC most hours it's open. The place is always buzzing and his really brought W. 25th's mid-block to life.... I'm sorry but the memory of wads of trash blowing along empty W. 25th during non-WSM hours is too fresh in my mind to scoff at places like Town Hall. Plus any comparison with the rowdy joints in the WHD is a real stretch as most of those really rowdy joints feature live bands and, to my knowledge, TH does not. ... TH is a large restaurant and micro-brew sports bar. I like the semi-self serve general store next door/attached to the main restaurant where, frequently, you have to take a number for a table...In any place that attracts large crowds, there can be issues, but I think it's unfair to imply that TH attracts this kind of trouble. I have seen occasional public drunkenness on W. 25 at night, but I've seen that even before TH opened... It seems in Cleveland we just can't strike a comfortable balance with some folks. Like with the Flats, we loved it's fun and excitement, ... it just became too exciting for some... Knuckleheads are in every city's thriving entertainment district. Other cities deal with it, so I hope we here in Cleveland mature as a really "hot" spot so we can do the same and not freak out.

^It would be nice, for once, that the City consider its rail system with regard to long-term planning. Connectivity of transit modes along with the bridge, lakefront and convention center would be a major step, but I'm skeptical city planners have that kind of vision.... Hope I'm wrong.

I'm both not surprised and surprised by your story. Not surprised by he reaction of the chef co-owner. I know SOHO's owner and have met her husband. She is awesome and he seems like a great guy (they met in culinary school) -- he's the kind of decent sort who would step up to the plate as you said he did. I don't know the exact detail of what happened, but obviously chivalry isn't dead among certain guys, and that's good to know. I am surprised at the setting. I'm not just putting SOHO on a pedestal because of my relations with these good folks, but it is the least likely venue for that kind of behavior. SOHO stands out on the W. 25th strip (like Mitchell's Ice Cream for other, obvious reasons) because it's such a small, homey, anti-bar type place: more of a true sit-down restaurant- I mean SOHO is their humorous play on the words: SOuthern HOspitality. I used to playfully chide the owners because, for more than a year into their operation, the flat screen TV over their little bar wasn't even hooked up to cable, so they kept it turned off. It didn't really matter much, because the restaurant is so much more a low-key, classy place that emphasizes service, good food and good relations with their customers, it's not a pick-up kind of place where guys (and women) drift in to watch sports (that said, I'm glad they finally hooked up the TV :) ... But it goes to show that incidents like this can happen anywhere and I guess given SOHO's locale at the epicenter of Ohio City's thriving strip, maybe it shouldn't be all that surprising. It's also good to know that some guys, like the co-owner/chef will stand up to drunken fools like the ones you and your friend unfortunately suffered, especially these days where such intervention comes with considerable risk... ... too bad it happened, but I'm glad it worked out as it did and the 2 of you went on to enjoy your friend's short visit, and that it even enhanced her obviously already high opinion of Cleveland.... Thanks for sharing.

^Disruption this morning!? The weather is pleasant esp compared to a week ago.

OK, I see what you're saying.

^Could it be that the patio either was either supposed to be, or was moved, to the 6th floor from the first? It looks like there's a setback on the Lakeside side on the 6th floor.

^Cavs definitely need an enforcer to protect LeBron otherwise this crap's just going to get work, esp in the playoffs. Dion Waiters was that guy, but of course he's gone now. The only other 2 are (probably) Mozgov -- maybe because he's so big and, stereotypically, I'm probably attributing some of that cold, harsh Russian mentality too him (and it may not be true; Z was born in the old Soviet Union -- Lithuania -- but, of course, is a sweetheart of a guy), and of course, Perk... Problem is, this stuff is often/usually happening in 4th quarters when both these guys are on Blatt's bench (Mozgov why all the time, is beyond me) and, of course, the punishment for leaving benches during fights is very steep -- at least a suspension and heavy fine. I do believe, therefore, in some quiet, but stiff, retaliation. There are ways to get the message across: mess with The King and you'll have hell to pay... In the playoffs, that may not manifest until the next game... but it WILL happen.

^ New dance has emerged... the Calabrese 2-step.

btw, ditto the welcome, MrCoffee... thanks for the post; good stuff.

^Interesting... is that a wading pool at the bottom?

NOTE: I see in Pepper Pike's profile in today's PD, that among transportation choices, public transportation was listed at ZERO. I wonder if that's just the fact that there are no bus or train lines within the city? I'm certain there are a number of Pepper Pike residents who drive into the Green Rd. Rapid station for the trip into downtown. Pepper Pike, Ohio, demographics, other city information http://places.findthehome.com/l/75485/Pepper-Pike-OH#businesses&s=3ooT7h

Thanks JetDog; very interesting... Isn't Track 7 a non-revenue through track? It sounds like the plan is to put an auxiliary platform along this track, no? ... I'm just glad to see those ancient Tower City cracking/peeling retaining walls of those tunnels and tracks finally get fixed.

I missed this when posted over a month ago... It's good stuff to know and, hopefully, a starting point to educate local pols about As and Bs of transit funding circa 2015. Apparently they either don't get it or, sadly, it's just not important enough for them to take it seriously... To the contrary, though, I've read and heard, hear and there, folks in Lorain county griping about the I-90 commute into downtown, traffic-wise, and screaming why there aren't sufficient express buses into the County to connect with RTA... From a quick glance at the RTA map, all western bus lines end inside the Cuyahoga County line... IIRC, that means the only bus into Lorain County from Cuyahoga is the shuttle from Hopkins to Oberlin College, no? It would be nice if there were more strong progressive transit voices like the lady who retired a few years ago, Ms. (Betty?) Blair...

^It caused me wonder when RTA last summer created and posted those 66-R, 67-R, 67A-R, "replacement" bus stop signs near Rapid stations -- no doubt, at considerable expense... Now we see why. RTA telegraphed their intentions literally planning for these (and others) train and track equipment failures and service interruptions rather than proactively working to prevent them... This is totally unacceptable and, hopefully, once the City gets through this bad weather season, there will be (a) hearing(s) and/or some accountability demanded from RTA brass. ... and as an unfortunate veteran of Green Line replacement buses several years ago, I know how poorly trained and poorly coordinated these buses are... and this was in warm weather... I can only imagine what passengers are dealing with in the snow and cold... ... again the word is: unacceptable.

It's bad enough masses are being inconvenienced by this poor, non-responsive/proactive maintenance, but there's a terrible accident ahead if this crap isn't nipped in the bud. Thank God people are ONLY being inconvenienced (and getting somewhat chilled) by these RTA follies, because serious injury ... or worse, is in the offing if these issues are not addressed.

Yeah, LeBron missed the FT's but yesterday was on a lot more than just LeBron.... Where were our guards, scoring-wise? Where was Kevin Love in the 4th quarter (3 shots; missed all 3 including a CRUCIAL layup that Harden took the length of the floor for an almost and-1 ... he missed the FT)... Mozgov played only 18 mins, none in the 4th quarter, and no Kendrick Perkins, when we really needed an enforcer in such a dirty game from Houston... David Blatt choked as much as anyone.

^Even though Thompson was great yesterday, esp in the 4th, it puzzles me that Blatt seems still reluctant to use Mozgov in the 4th quarter. Motiejunas is smaller and more mobile than Howard, but I still like Mozgov at blocking the rim... Blatt did wisely move LeBron over to Harden because The Beard was burning Shumpert to a crisp... but we saw how that punk reacted when LeBron locked him up D-wise ... he kicked him in his nuts.

I believe we were watching a potential preview of the Finals... I think Houston has a better chance of getting there than the 3-point reliant Warriors. I also think we were hurt a lot more by missing Kyrie than Houston was without Howard. Motiejunas, unlike Howard, has an outside shot which stretches the defense whereby, with Dwight in there, the D can pack it in tight underneath ... It was a rough and fun game, even though we lost. Clearly there was playoff intensity. You won't see LeBron clank FTs like that again... Love really came up small in crunch time, and our guards couldn't throw the ball into the ocean... and we STILL should have won... ... btw, James Harden should have received a Flagrant-2 and tossed out for kicking The King in the balls... A very dirty play. He should receive a hefty fine.

I don't know as much about the area west of W. 117. I do know that, east of W. 117 all the way to Ohio City, Lorain Ave. is pock-marked with these ugly, small used-car dealerships. Was there any discussion about getting rid of any of these? Until these lots are consolidated, relocated or put out of business, Lorain can never generate the density and feel of a true urban, walk-able street. Right now there are islands of urbanity along Lorain, but not the true connectivity the street sorely needs. Detroit Ave, while it has it's holes, is in much better shape than Lorain.

This.