OompaLoompa

I don't remember seeing any definite opening date for the Bang & Clatter, but I just saw this audition notice for their first show in the new space, so it looks like they will be opening by March 14, 2008. http://www.fredsternfeld.com/thisishowitgoes.htm

I'd like to be there, but I would have to leave around 6 pm, so I could only do a daytime meet.

Does anyone know when E. 4th will reopen to traffic? I thought the patio fences were supposed to some down after October and the street would reopen until the spring. Or has that changed?

Maybe it's proof that there is a demand for new retail space in Lakewood. Lakewood has so much retail space, but much of it is older and probably lacking the modern amenities that higher-end businesses want. Maybe it bodes well for the future retail development of Rockport Square and any other future retail construction. I love the old mom-and-pop stores in Lakewood, but there probably needs to be a better balance and mix of old versus new retail spaces. (As long as the new spaces don't end up being the type of stuff they are building along 117th...) Or maybe the older spaces just need renovation to become more competitive.

I ate at a new sushi place on Shaker Square tonight, Sasa Matsu, which is next to the movie theater in the old Sushi on the Square spot. Everything we had was good, excellent martinis and the shrimp dumpling appetizer was especially delish.

Very well, thanks. The audiences are really having a good time.

I don't think JamieC was necessarily advocating the Clinic / UC location, but just opening it up for debate, as in, (in my best Linda Richman / Coffee Talk accent) "If the Medical Mart ended up being built near the Clinic, are there any potential upsides to that decision? Discuss."

Anyone know what they are building next to the new Aldi's on 117th near Madison? It looks like another Quik-E Lube type place or some equally attractive structure to add to the strip of ugliness that stretch of road has become...

Yes, the restaurant is going to be Bricco. They are scheduled to open in January. This is their second location, the other is in downtown Akron, and it will have the same menu. http://www.briccoakron.com/ Their kitchen is adjacent to the E. 14th Street Theater and they cater We Gotta Bingo. At one time there was a restaurant that took up the entire space that is now broken into the theater and the Euclid space they are renovating, it must have been a very large place. I have to say that the highlight of my week is Saturday nights when we do two shows back to back and the chef makes us all dinner. None of the dishes he has whipped up are even on the menu, he just creates something for us, and it's always been great. Hopefully they will be able to draw customers aside from just theater patrons. I know well from working at Star that if there was no theater, no one came for dinner to that nabe, we often didn't even bother to open on non-theater nights.

Awesome! Now if someone could just donate some money to renovate the E. 14th Street Theater. We've got makeshift dressing rooms in the upstairs office space (cuz the actual dressing doom only fits four people) and the audience seating area is less than ideal (giant pillars in the middle of the room that interfere with sight lines, etc.). I believe it used to be a restaurant once upon a time, hence the awkward layout.

I wasn't sure where to put this, so feel free to move this thread if it seems better located elsewhere. (I really should be sleeping right now, FYI...) Okay Cleveland UOers, I have an idea I'd like you to critique. I have been thinking for a long time (over a year) about undertaking a project, and I now have the time to do it, but I hate to waste hours of time on anything that is unneeded or doomed to fail. I would like your input as to whether this seems like a worthwhile idea. Those of you who don't know me, I don't post all that often because I am not in planning or architecture so I don't often have the inside scoop on what's going on about town, but I read the board religiously and am a big Cleveland booster. As all of you probably do, I often ponder what I can do to influence more people to visit, move to and stay in Cleveland. I've noticed that we often get new Clevelanders or visitors who stumble onto UO, looking for answers to housing and other questions. I wonder how many more people are out there with questions but never find UO. And UO, though friendly to anyone considering a move, probably doesn't want to turn into a full-time helpline for every new Clevelander. I've been thinking that it possibly requires a forum and an organization of it's own. The forums on Cleveland.com as we all know, are horribly inadequate. There aren't a lot of resources for those new to Cleveland to meet other new Clevelanders, make friends and form the kinds of social bonds that will keep them here, as many on this forum have lamented. I have mentioned the groups on meetup.com, which I do recommend, but that site does have its limitations, my thoughts on which I could go into, but won't right now. So my idea is to create a website/forum similar to this one but which is designed specifically for those visiting, considering a move to or recently moved to Cleveland, where they could chat, ask questions and network, and which would incorporate regular events geared towards helping members meet and create a new social network in their new hometown. I would not be doing this to make money, if I could get advertising to cover my costs, I would be happy. I do not wish to duplicate the efforts of other websites, including this one and many others, which already have excellent information about neighborhoods, local events and so on. But I feel an intelligent, moderated forum that can help connect new residents to information, resources and people would be a positive thing. FYI, I have a background in creating php forums and websites, I also have background in marketing, PR and event planning, I've worked as a historical docent/tour guide and currently I am a performer who specializes in interactive theater which is all about helping people to have fun and feel welcome and included. All these factors I think make me well suited to take on this project, but first and foremost I want to feel out whether this site/group would be utilized before I put hours of time and energy into it. I created two previous forums, one of which was extremely successful and is still in use today, (though I am no longer the webmaster) www.clevelandswings.org, and one of which was basically a failure, www.artscleveland.com. So that's why I am opening this up for a wider opinion before I start anything. Your comments/ideas are welcome.

Man, I hate when they ask me this question at job interviews, cuz I'm usually thinking, "My goal is to get something better ASAP so I don't have to work at this place for any longer than is absolutely necessary..." (You're a lot less likely to get hired if you say that out loud I've found.) But I'm pretty happy right now, finally performing full time with We Gotta Bingo at Playhouse Square and the Martini Show at Pickwick, etc. and hoping it will last as long as possible so I don't have to get a real job. See how I managed to plug myself as well. Hey, I refrained from posting web links at least. :-D

My show doesn't finish up until 7:00, but I will try to stop by afterwards. Hopefully people will be there for a while...

I'm a little late to this discussion. I won't comment on whether it's more difficult to date in Cleveland than in other cities, because this is the largest city I've lived in so far, so I can't really compare from personal experience. I did however read an interesting book about a year ago called "Unhooked Generation" about why so many seemingly normal attractive single people are having such a hard time finding and sustaining a relationship today. There were numerous reasons why it's just harder now, growing up with divorce and poor role models for healthy relationships, transience (constant moving from city to city and job to job), contradictory gender roles, too many choices including online dating which creates this unwillingness to "settle" becasue there might be someone better around the corner, and a "checklist mentality" whereby everyone has a checklist of qualities that they are looking for, and anyone who doesn't meet even one item on the list is immediately dismissed from consideration. It definitely struck a chord with me as I was reading it. The author surveyed singles from 6 large American cities (I can't remember exactly which ones) and interestingly, in every city, the singles cited the dating culture in their city for a big part of the reason why they couldn't find a lasting relationship. Approx. the same percentage of singles in every city said, "It's this city, no one commits here" or "everyone is already coupled off here" or "its hard to meet people here" etc. So anyway, I didn't post because I have any great answers, if I did, I guess I wouldn't be single. :roll: But I do find the easiest way to meet people for dating or otherwise is to just participate in activities you're interested in. I meet a lot of people through theater and performing, because that's what I'm into. If you like sports, you might try www.clevelandplays.com , they have all kinds of sports leagues you can join, I know people who have made good friends that way. I've mentioned the groups on meetup.com, I made some good friends through the New In Town meetup when I was new to Cleveland, and there are groups for all sorts of interests. Oh, and if you're a straight guy, I can tell you that your personal style has a huge impact on your dating success. I'm not sure guys know how important this is. And it's not as much about projecting monetary success as it is about projecting confidence, self-esteem and (dare I say) sexiness. If you are not the best looking guy in the world you can really improve your chances by dressing right, smiling and projecting confidence. I can say in absolute honesty that if I walk into an event and have a choice between talking with a super hot guy who dresses like a total slob in a ratty Coors t-shirt with a questionable haircut like a mini-mullet, or a guy who is overweight and balding but is dressed stylishly and looks like a cool person to talk to, I will want to talk to the second guy over the first. I can't speak for every woman on earth, but I think most of us clue in to a guy's style to tell us whether we will have something in common, whether he likes himself, etc. The first things I look for are haircut and eyewear, because at a formal type event like a wedding or business thing, all the guys will look pretty well dressed, but the hair and glasses never lie. I personally like glasses on a man, I think they can be very sexy, but only if you get a nice modern style. You'll be wearing them every day, so be willing to invest some money into a nice pair. Warning: the Harry Potter look, not sexy. Also, the big square styles that cover half your face, just reminds me of my dad and grandpa, also not sexy. Hairstyles: just be aware of what image you are trying to project and who you're trying to attract. If you like liberal, educated women, stay away from mullets and crew-cuts. Comb-overs are always bad. As far as how to dress, that's a whole thread in and of itself...

Awesome pics! I love Peninsula, used to work for the Summit County Metroparks, so I did a lot of hiking down in that area. Hey, thanks for posting a pic of the billboard for my new show at Playhouse Square, We Gotta Bingo! (P.S. That's not me in the picture, just FYI...)

The very picture of sweet innocence... :roll:

I think I can come. I have a new show opening at Playhouse Square that weekend, but should be done by 7:00 Sunday. Someplace downtown would be good for me, or on the west side.

It's so weird I found this thread, because I came here to post a question about hi-speed internet as well. I am still using dial-up believe it or not, mostly because I too have an electronic entry system here that requires a land line, so I figured as long as I have to have it, why pay extra for some other connection? But I rarely buzz anyone in, and I was thinking I could cancel my land line altogether, and just post my cell number on the call board downstairs for deliveries and whatever. But I still have to find some way to get on the internet. Now, this is going to make me look pretty stupid, but I don't even know how the hi-speed thing works. Does it go through my regular phone line? If so, do I have to pay for service through Ameritech like I currently do now and then hi-speed service on top of that? Do I have special hardware installed or anything? Like I said, I know these are ignorant questions, I'm stuck in the 90's. FYI, I live in Lakewood on the east end near 117th. Right now, I use AOL (yes, I said AOL. You can stop laughing now. :roll: I've just had it for years and everyone has that email so I've never felt like changing it.) I suppose I could get service through them. I probably wouldn't get it through my cell company, if they even offer it (Virgin Mobile), it's a phone someone else bought me, and I don't know if I will keep it, it's not great. And I don't have cable or satellite. Keeps me from watching too much TV. Any advice for an ignorant techneophyte would be welcome...

Have Snickers and Cheddars merged and become simply Cheddars? I drove by there tonight and noticed Cheddars seemed closed and the sign said to enter next door. The Snickers portion now has signs in the window reading "Cheddars". :?

I stopped by the Capitol Theatre last Sunday when it was supposed to be open to the public for viewing prior to renovations, but it was locked up tight. Did anyone get in to see it?

I'll be there, and I'm bringing a friend, so be nice! :)

Sweet! I expect to be at that Starbucks quite often starting in October. I think they've always had an upstairs that's just been closed off, hasn't it? Maybe business is picking up to the point where they finally need the space. Does anyone know whether the Euclid corridor renovations leave more sidewalk room on that side of the street allowing for a patio too?

Will the decor of the restaurant have an auto theme? I'm thinking you could have a lot of fun serving appetizers from hubcaps, converting old tires into some kind of seating, etc. Maybe your wait staff could be on roller skates like the old time drive-in restaurants... just brainstorming different possibilities for making the place unique...

So is she looking for volunteers? Any idea what she needs people to do? I'm curious and potentially interested.

Hi Gilgi, I am also a single female in my 30s, I live in the same neighborhood as KJP and I can recommend it. I rent though, don't know much about the housing costs, but there seem to be plenty of homes available. Tremont and Ohio City are a bit more "happening", eclectic and diverse and I like to go out in those neighborhoods a lot. Lakewood has mostly casual neighborhood corner bars that I don't generally frequent, but convenient access to everyday amenities (I can walk to get my groceries, pharmacy, hair salons, several coffee shops, dry cleaning, restaurants, etc) and transportation and all the amenities KJP mentioned. I walk and bike a lot and feel very comfortable in my neighborhood, and there is plenty to see. I come home late alot from work and never feel unsafe walking back to my apartment even at 2:00 am. None of the neighborhoods mentioned here are what I would call unsafe, but I do feel a bit more comfortable walking around my neighborhhod than I sometimes do in parts of OC or Tremont or Detroit Shoreway. I realize it's subjective and I don't mean to disparage any neighborhood because I love OC, Tremont and Detroit Shoreway, but I agree with rockandroller, it's a different experience as a female, every time you get harassed and/or stared down by some weirdo, it's more than just annoying, it's scary. You have to listen to your instincts and live somewhere you feel comfortable walking around on a daily basis. And you have to weigh what amenities are most important to you. Anyway, I am happy with my choice, it was a good fit for me, but truly all the places mentioned are great neighborhoods and good places can be found in all of them. Best of luck to you!