Vulpster03

Any recs on finding cool but cheap local art? I'd like to get some original art, but i have a very low budget - I also prefer more modern or post-modern art.

^ Sherwin Williams already has a chain of stores, and has had them for a while.

This new building would look a lot better if it was red.

I think the reason for the Solon development is because Stark is ambitious, and has a genuine interest on being Greater Cleveland's "new urbanism" developer. He expresses interest in those types of projects now whenever they come up. Remember Stark pitching plans for Shaker Heights and University Circle. And I don't think this has been in the press anywhere, but he was clearly courting Chagrin Falls officials when I saw him taking them on a tour of Crocker Park. Stark is clearly all over the place, but he's definately sticking to mixed-use developments.

They should install a line of removable posts in the roadway to block automobile traffic. It would look a lot nicer. I've seen it done before. And if an event ever calls for automobile traffic down east fourth, they can easily take them out.

i love dogs, but dog parks are too funny. I hope I never see one downtown.

I spent over a month in Vienna, and made it to Krakow and Prague. Eastern Europe is definately worth a trip. The cities are amazing, less touristy than Western Europe, and you never worry about the price of things. I'm a big fan of short trips. You could do something like Budapest, Vienna and Prague in 8 days.

If you are trying to plan a rail itinerary anywhere in Europe, then use the German Railway's website http://bahn.hafas.de/bin/query.exe/en. Even if you aren't traveling in Germany, their website is the best for planning. All European railways, including local or limited train services are in their system. It will help you get a feel for timetables, trip durations, connections, cost, etc.

I guess I was just wondering if there was any link between the PR and increased ridership.

No. I'm apartment hunting as well and just came across the listing for the building at http://www.3streetsnorth.com/

Don't know if there's availablity, but this might be an option Bender Building 2519 Market Street Cleveland, Ohio 44113 1 bedroom - $650 216-325-0500

"The recent jumps in Amtrak ridership on the rescheduled eastbound Lake Shore Limited train, which departs Cleveland at 7 a.m., should come as no surprise to anyone. It shows there is unmet demand for convenient train services." Or could it be that the Plain Dealer featured the eastbound Amtrak route from Cleveland in their travel section? - which I thought was great, by the way. Does anyone know if the positive PR and free marketing might have been responsible for increased ridership?

How is Sapell's, really?

I've been scouting for apartments (I'm 90% sure I'll be a Lakewood resident in a couple weeks!) and noticed last week that Rockport Square looks very nice and much further along than I expected

Would these make good tenants? http://www.dynamit.us/ http://www.kernacopia.com/ I know they're small, but doing very well and growing. Plus, they really need to upgrade their locale if they're serious about being a creative/tech firm. And if Brulant in Beachwood is serious about their future, they really need to be in Tyler. A friend of mine turned down a job there even though its a great company, because it was in Beachwood. The suburban location made her question the company's commitment to younger creative people. Instead she took a job in downtown Seattle.

Okay, so here's how the urban sprawl in Lorain County is playing out - companies and people are sprawling outward to inconvenient places, i.e. places without retail, services, adequate etc. They choose to move there and then all of a sudden are demanding things like hospitals (Cleveland Clinic), retail (Avon Commons, Crocker Park, and then on top of that are begging the government to build them infrastructure. Henkel (formerly Manco) used to be located in Cleveland on W.117th and Berea - close to downtown, the airport, and rapid station. The moved to Westlake for more room and then Avon. They should of thought about the lack of infrastructure out there before they moved there. Wouldn't it have been great if they simply bought up property around them on Berea and W.117th. They wouldn't be asking for all this infrastructure in Avon and probably would have gotten brownfield credits if they had stayed put. The whole thing is just terribly ignorant, selfish and wasteful.

cle2032 and mytwosense: I am pro-civic center site for the same reasons. The Civic Center is a unique place with the Mall, near the lake, harbor, and a great opportunity to get the Lakefront plan excelerated. From Merchadise Mart's perspective, however, I can see where Tower City seems to be a better and easier choice with room for a new convention center and a medical mart, and Forest City as a partner. It makes sense to a certain degree, but it still leaves the question, what is going to happen to the current site? I'm glad that it is being offered for film production, but that still isn't enough to do with the site. But maybe now with the sales tax increase, Forest City doesn't have as much influence.

I find that photoshop picture amusing; "Cleveland Civic Center". umm, we alreading have a civic center.

If there is a casino in Port Stanley, I'd bet people would do it.

I was planning on attending the meeting, but I can't make it. I wanted to share my thoughts as a young (but lifelong) Avon Lake resident. Who should I send an email to in order to express support? Berner? I might be able to make the second half of the meeting. Would that be worth it or even appropriate?

CTownsFinest216 -Perhaps a lot of your frustration stems from the fact that we believe in "grass-roots" solvency; (I don't mean to speak for everyone, but this is my perception). If we generate a positive spin and "can-do" attitude on the internet, then things will start to trickle out and eventually up. Also, another key rule of politics is "don't run a race against an institution you expect to be working with." It may help some politicians get elected, but it makes their goal even more difficult to achieve once they're in office. Ultimately you're going to have to work with the real people already in the system to get anything done. Railing against them isn't going to make you're job very easy. So if you're going to be critical about the leadership and status quo and want to make an impact, then its important to offer positive reinforcement to steer them in the right direction.

I was glad to see this article. As a strong proponent of regionalism I of course enjoyed the positive press on the topic. But I'm dying to know what the next step is. When are people going to get together and start drafting a charter for a new metropolitan government?

I smoke indoors at my place of employment. I'm not the only one. There are even ashtrays. The smoking ban hasn't even been mentioned by anyone in the office. No one seems to care; the smokers and the nonsmokers.

Not sure where to put this, but there was a delegation from the "City of Chagrin Falls" being taken through Crocker Park by Bob Stark himself. I saw it today on Main Street Westlake.

I went to Bar 2 in Lakewood last night for the first time where Niko's used to be. Its a pretty nice addition to the Lakewood bar scene. Me and my friends from out of town had a great time there.