jamiec

Holy cow! My mom and dad bought their first house worth more than $200,000 five years ago when they were both nearly 50 years old!

There's no time on that invite! And they left off the public transit directions!! :shoot: :shoot: :shoot: :shoot: :shoot: :shoot: Thank you for posting, though :)

Would it hurt them to give a date and time, or do I need to show them my tax return?

I get frustrated by these sorts of things, but then I think about it some more, and I realize that I am probably expecting too much of institutions and systems. They have an impact on culture, obviously, but "we the people" really are the ones who set agendas and create our society and community. My second frustration is the fact that I can't figure out how I can go from passively adding my 2 cents on the Internet to actually doing something. In my head, I see massive neighborhood makeovers all over Cleveland and the inner-ring. When I was walking around Manhattan again, specifically the East Village, for some reason I kept thinking: Wow, this reminds me of Cleveland in spirit. I just think that in many, many neighborhoods in our city, the true "neighborhood" can still work where you have all the things you need within walking distance an it is vibrant and UPLIFTED not destitute. My personal challenge on all of these things is figuring out how to take my extremely limited resources and big ideas and doing something.

^^ Patience is a virtue. I suppose. I have no information whatsoever, but you'd have to think that after being late last year's media cover boy, he'd have to have something brewing. But then again, maybe it's Maybelline.

I'm not a graphic designer, but I noticed a lot of people in NYC like to have fun with their subway routes, so I tried my hand at it locally! http://clevelandada.blogspot.com/2007/03/whats-your-color.html

ICK ICK ICK. I apologize. I have said this a million times, but the term "young professional" makes me gag! I'm a straight white guy, and I have about as much in common with these guys as a millipede. I'm sure they are fine, well-intentioned people, of course, but they, for the most part, don't share my interests or concerns. This highlights my fundamental frustration with how "the establishment" works here, although I suppose this is how it works everywhere. The whole system feasts on machine-like institutionalism. It's astounding in a city like Cleveland, no black people are ever brought into these discussions. When you look at a conference room full of white people, doesn't someone ask: Are we missing anyone? Just a few months ago, I ate lunch with a 30-something black woman who said when she graduated college, she was leaving this area because she didn't feel welcome. As I sit here in my apartment, I have no idea how to make things more attractive for her. I'd have to ASK!!!!!!! In terms of this regional advertising. I'm going to wait and see what comes out. I have no idea what to expect. I'm a little fearful because CityLiving writes: "It may take a little time to "catch on" (i didn't care for it at first either), but its a pretty neat concept." I'm not an advertising expert, but can you really expect an audience to acquire a taste for your marketing? Now I'm being Debbie Downer, and I'm a positive thinker, DAMN IT!

I'd like to see this video. Put that shat on YouTube, GCP!

^ Hanging banners from the Rotunda like the Met does in New York? Now that would be some world-class signage ;)

Anything new here? I remember a place called Wonder Bar and perhaps a burrito joint were mentioned previously. Any truth to these rumblings? I'd <3 a burrito place.

^ The concept is weird to me. I'm a road biker, so I'm not so familiar with mountain biking. I thought mountain biking culture was all about the mountains like in Portland and Colorado. Are mountain bikers now bring their style of sport to urban areas like BMX and skateboarders? The one thing that could make this cool, especially with how close it is to the Agora, is to sort of make it an alternative sports neighborhood. You could have the mountain biking park and maybe add-on parks for other related sports. Then the entire area could attract sport-related retailers, hotels, eateries and other businesses. The big issue is, the park HAS to be kick ass, otherwise it won't make a difference. They've got to create an environment that when people from around the country who like this sort of thing think Cleveland, they think of this park. In that regard, it can't be like the lil' baby parks popping up all over.

I suspect I just have a low tolerance for buses. Rather be on a subway 100% of the time.

Fantastic public transportation trip -- From Lakewood to midtown Manhattan. All it cost me was like $8! p.s. MTS, I'm not so sure, but I'm thinking getting on the M60 at 31st in Queens might be the fastest route. ;)

Thought you all might enjoy what my Frommer's NYC book says about taking public transit to the airport: For the most part, your best bet is to stay away from MTA when traveling to and from the airport. You might save a few dollars, but subways and buses that currently serve the airports involve multiple transfers, and you'll have to drag your luggage up and down staircases. On some subways, you'd be traveling through some undesirable neighborhoods. Spare yourself the drama.

I hate to say it, but that's my blog! I'm just trying to spread the love and things I learn on here. People really seem to be receptive to these things when you package it the right way.

^ I think this might be it, in addition to the over abundance of apartments in Lakewood, which I think is hurting real estate values. I called on an apartment near Little Italy that cost the same as mine, and there wasn't even any available on-street parking.

^^ Where? I think I'm getting charged "Gold Coast" prices for my place. The girl across the hall is paying more than $700 for her 1BR. My apartment is actually pretty big. I don't know what's up with the kitchen or if the building wasn't meant to have individual kitchens. My dad thinks it was a hotel. Maybe a Lakewood historian can illuminate me :)

For comparison's sake, I live in Lakewood and pay $650 for a 1BR on Lake and Cove. I pay for electricity and have window A/C. This rent also includes an off-street space in the parking lot outside the apartment. My kitchen is definitely very, very small - about the size of a walk-in closet. I read online the average rent for a 1BR in Metro Cleveland is $600, so I'm a bit above that. I think anything less would not include AC or parking and a better kitchen and ammenities would push the rent up to the 700 and 800s.

Yeah, that tower is a TILF! OK, that might be inappropriate but I couldn't resist ;)

There are a few small urban parks along E. 9th that have been bothering me. The one is across from the cathedral, I believe. It's a little patch of green. This, to me, could be better utilized/gardened. Does anyone know who controls those sorts of things? I am almost positive one of the garden clubs in the suburbs would be interested in adopting a small patch of garden downtown if they could put up a little sign. That'd be regionalism! Also, what's up with the weird park/eating area outside of McDonald's Financial (I believe) that features fantastically zoo-like fencing on the sidewalk? It's oppressive and unfriendly.

I think this is pretty right on. I almost think alternative groups need to be formed to totally uproot the system. Unfortunately, when it comes to marketing a place, I guess you have to play ball because #1., there's only so much money to go around and #2., it doesn't make sense have 8,000 different messages. Unfortunately, our marketing strategy seems to be painfully conservative, as proven by those new newspaper ads that were posted in another thread. I just came up with this TV marketing campaign in five minutes: Cleveland: The New American City TV ad concept: Have an elderly woman sitting with a granddaughter saying: "I never go to Cleveland. There's nothing there, and it's dangerous." Then you can show the 20-something girl out pounding the pavement and having fun in the city. The contrast should be funny, but I'm not patient enough to write jokes right now. TV ad concept #2: Have text on the screen say: "Why you live here" and then show emotional, personal images, like a dad and sun at a Browns game and a couple going to the symphony and another showing a kid with his face to the glass of a Rapid train in wonderment because public transportation is so cool. edit: This could be expanded. I don't really want to write a whole marketing campaign with a theme, but you could use street teams in colleges around the country. Create a Web site with Web 2.0 thinking, i.e. user-generated content and interactivity. In my opinion, it's the in-region people who need the slapping around. They are handicapping this whole process.

Thanks, KJP. That's what I thought. I suppose the time I pull my butt out of bed will decide if I'm waiting for a bus or running down W. 117.

OK, I'm a dummy. I'm going to NYC Friday and am taking the Rapid to get to the airport at 6:30 a.m. So, am I right when I say the 804 circulator bus cuts up Cove and will dump me you off at the Rapid station after going west to Winton Place and then back east, correct? I for the life of me can't figure out this route. Every other bus, no problem. The 804 baffles me. The different loops should have different numbers. http://www.gcrta.org/schedules/rt804wk.html

Not to restate the obvious, but I walked from the Theater District to the Chase bank on E. 9 today at lunch and there were people EVERYWHERE. Crossing the streets on the corner felt almost, dare I say it, Manhattan-like. OK, that's a bit of an overstatement, but there were quite a few people. I was crossing with at least 12 people each time.

Good post. I think it'd help to see some sort of concept of what people are talking about. A destination facility is probably different than the dirt pit with bumps that some may be envisioning.