cle2032

I wouldn't say the CTA is any better or worse than the RTA aside from the fact that trains service more parts of Chicago. As often as busses run late here, they run just as late-if not later b/c they actually have traffic. And the trains are put to to shame by any rapid transit system outside of America. I think we think the CTA is much better b/c of the activity centered around many stations. If we embraced TOD, our few lines would become corridors to/from/through the "cool" parts of the city. Megabus isn't bad but if it's only a diff. of $70+/- to fly, I'd spare myself the torture of western Ohio and Indiana.

I wouldn't call the Clinic an "urban cancer". Despite some of their decisions to set back buildings and create lawns along Euclid and Carnegie, they remained in the heart of the city and have spurred much development and will probably continue to spur even more development for years to come. Let's not forget their attempt to spread the CC brand throughout out the world. We have to hope and push for the subsequent developments to help negate some of the Clinics urban planning moves.

Ok I'm serious, does anyone think that by letting TC hit rock bottom, this will allow it to rebound? If Panera can't cut it, then I highly doubt the random perfume shop or leather store or fashions by whoever will make it. It sucks thinking about an EMPTY TC b/c even though it's not what it was 15 years ago, it's never been empty but maybe this is a good thing in the long run. I'm hoping this is the case... Oh, and does anyone else think it's funny that there isn't one streetfront McDonalds or DD downtown? I mean these are staples in any downtown setting and whether or not you eat there, it adds some activity and color to the streetscape.

I was at work all weekend and wanted some Panera for lunch on Saturday but it was gone! :-o Maybe/hopefully there's a conspiracy going on to make everyone leave so that they can rent all of the spaces out to new stores-such as the ones mentioned early in this thread!!! :wink: One could only hope! Just think if they move fast, we could have the reborn Tower City ready for the '08 holiday season! :clap: :clap: :clap:

Uh, Trader Joe's isn't expensive! It's cheaper to shop there than Giant Eagle especially when you're looking for something 'different'. Even a Whole Foods might do fine since it's way easier for 1/2 of metro to get there than to South Euclid/Univ. Hts. but anyways... Please come!

Quebec and Cleveland! Quebland!

What a joke! I absolutely hate when "traffic" is used as an excuse in this city for ANYTHING! We don't have traffic! A couple accidents during rush hours don't count either! Has anyone EVER been stuck on the Shoreway or any freeway for the matter during the off-peak hours? And by stuck I mean more than twice a year? NO! Hell, you can go to/from downtown/Strongsville during rush hour in the direction of rush hour traffic in 35 minutes easy. I've commuted from B-tucky to downtown when I interned over summers and winters and only a handful of times was it "bad". It doesn't take 90 minutes to go to Hopkins from downtown during rush hour OR 45 minutes to reach the end of the West Shoreway on a daily basis! Why does ODOT care if it's 35 mph? How will this really affect them down there? This is just like the Innerbelt in that projects meant to heal the divides created by massive infrastructure projects loose sight of the original intent!

OMG if fry shacks opened up all over Cleveland like they exist in Amsterdam, we'd be even fatter than we already are! :wink: Oh, and Bar Cento's pommes frites come with curry, chili, and garlic mayos and ketchup.

I thought we banned the mention of Br*nstucky on this forum?! :wink:

Hey, it's late Jan/early Feb!!! Please Jesus Please! :clap:

Continental may not bring in any widebodies (yet anyways...) but you're right KJP!

I like the Cleveland Design Competition winners' park themes. Keep it all open since it offers amazing views of the city and build as much as possible on the west side of W. 25th. Mini-Lakeshore Drive and continue it along Detroit where the north side of the street is relatively open to the lake. That'd be nice...

Come on mild winter!!! Let's hope Mr. Groundhog doesn't see his shadow!

sorry, I wasn't referring to your post directly! :-) While I'd really rather see TC stay as it is than go outlet, my reference to outlet mall was directed more along the lines of maybe not Gucci or Prada flagships in TC, but something that isn't at Beachwood or Parmatown.

FYI there have been numerous posts regarding the departure of many of the upscale stores--many internal corporate issues AND the dynamic of OC/Tremont and Downtown is much different today than 17 years ago! We were still shaking the rust off! There was no E.4th/WHD/Gateway, Indians/Browns shared a crappy stadium isolated from downtown with no amenities nearby, the Cavs played 30 miles away, Playhouse Square was "brand new", CSU was a commuter college to a T, and were OC/Tremont as "cool" as they are now? "Cleveland" will have its 3rd Sephora opening soon (Southpark). Now, Sephoras are everywhere and they don't make or break cities but it shows that we're looking for more options-in terms of service, quality, ATMOSPHERE than what you'd find at CVS or Walmart. Point being, we've seen a handful of retailers enter the market (at a slow pace) recently going to show that this isn't 1980s/90s "muni stadium" Cleveland. Our tastebuds have changed and we're becoming quite notorious for hot dining spots in North America. I don't think we'll surpass Paris, Milan or NYC in terms of fashion but we're not outlet mall material either.

Ann Taylor and the Body Shop would have done just fine if they weren't the only main stream stores! Not that I know anything about the retail business but if we filled TC with stores that don't exist here between NYC and Chicago (don't even mention Somerset :whip:), I'm sure we'd get some people from Westlake, Strongsville, Beachwood AND Pittsburgh and Columbus too. A decent amount of people work downtown and an even more decent amount of people who want more selection and quality than the stores MayDay listed above live downtown/OC/Tremont and other nearby neighborhoods. I know we're all preaching to the choir but when does the point come where FC or whoever comes along and says, "hmmm...Young professionals-or professionals for that matter-or the very eclectic groups of individuals who work/live in our cool neighborhoods might not like shopping/window shopping at Brooks Brothers or Forever 21 or a tacky 1990's furniture store or so and so's fashions or a dollar store ALL OF THE TIME..." Gee, I wonder why we're forced to drive to the suburbs... Combining an upscale or even middle class mall with a public transportation hub will probably present some 'problems' but it's nothing that a security guard in each store couldn't handle. Shops all over Europe have guards--even in the nicest neighborhoods. I don't get it...That space is so beautiful and would kick any malls in downtown Chicago @ss. If we had a dime for every person that works/live in/near downtown saying, "I wish TC had nicer/relevant shops b/c I'd always shop there", I'm sure we could franchise (or w/e the correct term is) a dozen right now! Even if stores closed at 7, I'm sure it'd be packed on lunch hours and weekends. I know we'll probably see an influx of retailers in the next few (fingers crossed) years but the entertainment and restaurants need their retail counterparts to really make downtown a destination and make the inner city self-sustaining. It's the biggest missing puzzle piece and most obvious yet...

it's funny/sad how the WSM is packed on saturdays but on W 25th you'd have no idea (ESPECIALLY during winter). That damn parking lot hurts the street activity but then again, that's probably what convinces a lot of people to drive into the city...

I'm so glad Atlanta wasn't on there! No Indian cities either? It is very Euro-centric!

I haven't eaten at the Market Cafe yet but I absolutely love that they 1. did what they did to the space and 2. decided to go there in the first place!!! It's great to see the faith and optimism that exists within the entrepreneurs of this city and that there's more investment in this city than E. 4th or whatever the media tells us. In the grand scheme of things, of course the magnitude of Wolstein's/Stark's/Zaremba's is much greater than one little restaurant but the fact that these people have successfully brightened their corner of a rather stagnant street gives hope and inspiration to the other vacant or misused storefronts along E.9th and all of the city for that matter. There are so many BIG things about to begin in the city but as we see they take a very long time to come to realization. We can't discount these small ventures as they show the city's progress on a daily basis. Sorry I went on there but I remember running downtown one day after work this fall and seeing this bright corner on E.9th and it really caught me off guard! Oh, and I glad so many of you have had great Bar Cento experiences! Business has been increasing everyday since we opened and Mondays are busier now than our first few weekends! Tuesday is the kid's pizza night and Thursday's are becoming their own special night with new themes/events each week. Make sure to frequent BC/BM often as the food menu is updated every few weeks or so in addition to a nice rotation of draft beers. I've also heard that the wine list at BC is going to be updated soon. I normally host Thursday and Sat. evenings but that's always subject to change! Just ask for Tom!

Slap away! Honestly, it's happening all over the world and it's not as bad some corporate names. The pictures are great! I don't know if you're shorter than I am or the cold air had an effect but the city looks really great. It looks like the lighting made the buildings glow.

Mahatma Ghandi's "You must become the change you want to see" is up there too!

Exciting news! Thanks!

I walked by CVS on Euclid/E.9th yesterday and saw that a Strickland's custard is going in the City Club Bldg. Nothing exciting but new nonetheless.

And it's quicker to drive to ORD/MDW (ok, well not during rush hour and Fridays), CLE and DTW than deal with layovers.

I wish Unibroue would open up a U.S. brewery in Cleveland! The world's best beer by far!