8ShadesofGray

Two videos about Dredger's Union, with some references to the future of downtown retail. The second one is part of GoMedia's great "On the Map" series. the Dredgers Union OTM - Dredgers Union

Welcome to Shaker Square and the Cleve :) I lived there my first four years in Cleveland and had a terriffic experience in the neighborhood. I've never had any direct experiences with Montlack as a renter. For me, it was less their reputation and more that their price point was a little higher than in some buildings I would consider comparable. While they do operate a number of buildings in and around the Square, there are quite a few other management companies about. I lived in two different apartments, both under Capital Properties Management: One north of Larchmere along North Moreland (http://www.shakerparkeastapts.com/) and one directly across from the RTA station (http://www.shakerhouseapts.com/). Both were nice units, although Shaker House and Shaker Town House sound like they fit what you're looking for better ... right off of the Square with a door-to-rail commute of about 5 minutes. At Shaker Town House, I had a really lovely one-bedroom on the top floor for $570. At Shaker Park East, we paid about $800 for a large 2-bedroom. It looks like the rates are about the same now ... one- and two-bedrooms in the $500 - $800 range. I had really great experiences with Capital Properties until I tried to get out of my lease, but I think that's understandable ... I was trying to break the lease :) One of the joys and annoyances about living in a 20s-era building is that each of the units, even within the same building, is pretty unique ... My last apartment was laid out sort of like a hexagon. That means you'll undoubtedly find something to your liking, but it also requires a little more investigation on the front end. My honest recommendation would be to go through and get the numbers for several buildings and try to schedule multiple tours over a half-day. And take notes, or the apartments will run together ... Both times I've moved in, I was baffled that I had confused details about another apartment with the one I actually ended up taking :) I'd also inquire about whether there's a rooftop deck. Sounds like a frill, but being able to go up and hang out or have dinner/drinks on the roof was one of the biggest joys of living over there. One more cautionary note ... Living directly on the square, the rail noise can take getting used to. During peak hours, you have a train coming through every 5 minutes or less. That's not to dissuade you from living right on the square ... Just took me some adjustment living right across the street from the station, until it eventually became background noise. Best of luck with your search - it's a really great neighborhood.

It really is beautiful on the inside, and has a really intriguing history (from theatre to metal to wrestling??). The theatre includes a number of storefronts as well as a number of upstairs apartment units that open into the stage area ... how cool would it be to have an apartment that opens onto the balcony of a performing arts space ... Like permanent box seats :) The area immediately around the theater (around Lorain and W. 118th) is relatively intact, although much of the area along Lorain in both directions and along W. 117th has been gobbled up by big box, gas stations, etc., which I think would make this a more challenging place to truly capitalize on a theater district concept like in Gordon Square ... Which is a real shame, given relative proximity to the Antique District and Kamm's. Still, breathtaking building. Really hope both this and the Moreland over in Buckeye take off.

^ I was under the impression that it is all black (with the exception of the eastern-facing wall, which is glass), just highly reflective. It looks to me like the variation in color is just showing that the upward facing panels will catch a lot more light and will appear lighter as a result.

That might be a good strategy. I think another promising strategy would be to treat small storefronts like that as incubator space for fledgling boutique businesses. A smaller storefront, and presumably a proportionally smaller rent rate, might be the perfect space for something akin to the dozens of pop-ups we've been seeing floating around the past couple years. Perfect for a first-time entrepreneur, artist, city nerd, etc. who wants to try on a store concept for a year; if it's successful, DCA or the city or someone helps them find a larger space elsewhere downtown or in an adjacent neighborhood. Hold a contest where you give 1, 1-year, $1 lease away as a marketing gimmick. Have an organization like COSE come in and do some periodic capacity building / business training for the tenants. Provide some centralized services, like accounting, payroll, marketing and special event coordination, etc. That's what I would do :)

^ I have to imagine the black has to still be the game plan. I would think a major change in the color or reflectivity of the material would require design review, and surely one of us urban nerds would have caught that on an agenda :) I'm anxious to see the final product, too!

^ Murray Hill, the slash at the end of your post is making it a bad link.

Looks like the official announcement is at 10:30 at the Gothic Building in Akron ... Which is probably good news for that building :) Round 7 Award Announcement Thursday, December 22, 2011 10:30 a.m. Gothic Building 102 South High Street (High and Mill Streets) Akron, Ohio 44308 The Ohio Department of Development and the Ohio Historic Preservation Office invite you to join Christiane Schmenk, Director of the Ohio Department of Development and other guests for the announcement of the approved Round 7 Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit projects. The Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit assists in the redevelopment of historic buildings across Ohio. The Ohio Department of Development and the Ohio Historic Preservation Office reviewed 17 applications for 26 buildings in Round 7 of the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program. Together, the applicants requested a total of $26.6 million in tax credits with planned investments of more than $185 million in the state. For those who are not able attend, information will be available through a press release issued shortly after the announcement. http://www.development.ohio.gov/Urban/ohptc/

^ That's definitely valid. Again, my surprise is not that there isn't an LGBT Cultural Garden but that there hasn't been more of a discussion of that possibility, particularly in advance of the 2014 Gay Games. The same could be said about a Seniors Garden in advance of the 2013 Senior Games, perhaps one built around innovations in universal design principles. Just see some opportunities for synergy here (unintended pun, Synergy Foundation :)). As for whether gardens support states, nations or cultures, I would concur that there's a clear focus on the "nation" concept, although the Cancer Survivors Plaza adjacent to the Cultural Gardens does provide one example of extending the concept of culture. I could similarly see other gardens outside of the official cultural gardens footprint, but nearby like the Plaza, honor cultures that are not nation-related.

^^ and ^^^ I'm absolutely pushing for autonomy from the British :) Particularly since the British Garden is really the Shakespeare Garden anyway ... As the very first of the gardens, it only became the British Garden after the Cultural Gardens strategy solidified in the 1930s. ^ Actually, I didn't speak to a need for an LGBT cultural garden, just expressed surprise that no one had advocated for one, particularly given the increasing focus that will likely play out on LGBT contributions to greater Cleveland between now and the 2014 Gay Games. But technically speaking, these are the cultural gardens and not the national gardens. I think we would be equally hard-pressed to find the nations of Hebrew, African America, the American Legion or Cancer Survivors (technically a plaza outside of the Gardens but adjacent to them). But these are all cultural groups with prominent roles in Cleveland history, and I'd say all of them, deserve a site of historic reflection, particularly given the financial support and man hours to build out and maintain their respective gardens. I don't see why the same wouldn't be true of Cleveland's LGBT community if they had the capacity to do the same.

^^ I'm also disheartened by the lack of a Scottish garden. Not only has one not come together, but the plot that I thought had been set aside for that purpose (next to the Irish Garden) is now listed as "Future Garden Site". I'm also surprised that there hasn't been a proposal for an LGBT garden.

... and another ... Good week for the Cultural Gardens! Russian Cultural Garden News December 20th, 2011 | Post Author: Bill Jones The Russian Cultural Garden is joining the international family of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. Svetlana Stolyarova, Founder and Principal Broker of the Local-n-Global Realty, along with Boris Vinogradsky, MD and Sergio Lebid, EVP, Co-Founder at NanoSpire, Inc., has taken the initiative of creating the Russian Cultural Gardens, a non-profit organization, that will facilitate the project for the historical Russian Cultural Garden (RCG) located in the most beautiful part of the Rockefeller Park on the Martin Luther King Drive ... ... More at http://blog.culturalgardens.org/index.php/2011/12/russian-cultural-garden-news/

... and another ... Turkish Cultural Garden preliminary design unveiled December 17th, 2011 | Post Author: Bill Jones Suat Aricanli, primary delegate of the proposed Turkish Cultural Garden, unveiled the preliminary design for the Turkish Cultural Garden at the Cultural Gardens Federation’s Holiday Dinner on December 13, 2011. Developed in conjunction with McKnight Associates of Cleveland, a popular Garden designer, and eminent Ottoman Garden authorities in Turkey, the design incorporates many aspects of Turkish cultural history ... ... Designs available at http://blog.culturalgardens.org/index.php/2011/12/turkish-cultural-garden-preliminary-design-unveiled/

^ Video walkthrough of the design: Looks great!

Local furniture designer makes MSNBC list of gifts for the computer-tethered ... 10 gifts for people who sit in front of a computer all day Look like Bono, pet your cat and make office-supply weapons, all without leaving your desk ... Kickstand Desk In case you haven't heard, sitting can kill you. That's why a lot of office dwellers are moving to standing desks. If you happen to know a cyclist, it's also possible to get desks that are custom made to accommodate a bicycle. Kickstand Furniture designs adjustable desks that can do just that, making it possible to mount a bike on a trainer and cycle as you work. $1,499-$1,650 — Kickstand Furniture ... Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45344179/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/t/gifts-people-who-sit-front-computer-all-day/

Local writer makes Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Gift Guide ... Rock & Roll Gift Guide The best audio tech, gadgets, box sets and books for the ultimate music fan ... Put the Needle on the Record: The 1980s at 45 Revolutions per Minute, Matthew Chojnacki A collection of more than 250 of the most iconic and colorful sleeves from seven- and 12-inch singles from the 1980s. Interviews with the musicians and the photographers and graphic designers tell the stories behind these memorable images. ($40) ... Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/photos/rock-roll-gift-guide-20111122/0318486#ixzz1gXJXAFX4

New video from LiveCLEVELAND:

This discussion reminds me of a quote from one of my favorite Cleveland movies, Oh in Ohio, where the main character has a TeamNEO-esque job selling the city from a corporate marketing perspective. "... From a decaying industrial town into a vibrant, world-class metropolis. What was once 'the mistake by the lake' is now 'the roar by the shore.' Do you know how many times I've typed this letter?" :)

Just had to comment on this. I've been riding the Rapid since I moved to Cleveland in 2002 and have comfortably gotten off on stops like W. 65, E. 93, E. 105, E. 116 and Windermere. But I've heard over and over (and over) how unsafe the E. 120th stop is and had never used it until about a year ago. Every time I went to University Circle, I would get off at the Cedar stop, which typically extended my walk by about 15 mins. (Little Italy and Case campus generally). So when I finally decided to give E. 120th a chance, with some trepidation, I was truly confused what the fuss had been about. Outside of being an open-air stop (which Cedar currently is anyway), I don't see the big deal. Found it to be adequately lit, and IMHO, smells a lot better than the Cedar station :) As Uptown and MOCA and CIA consolidation and townhomes on both sides of the station go up, and with more "eyes on the street" generally, it strikes me that this stop actually could be really bustling in its current location with a) some mainly cosmetic improvements and b) a concerted effort to refute people's concerns about safety of this particular station. Still think siting between Uptown and Little Italy is better, but honestly, the current site is pretty well-positioned.

Not that it helps for the drivers here, but outside of WJCU, my contemporary music needs are being met by Grooveshark, Pandora, The Wild Honey Pie, Paste and streaming versions of radio stations (check out Indianapolis' WTTS for a station that has succeeded for years with almost the exact same format WNVW failed with).

Booo. That's too bad. Good station. WJCU still provides a nice fallback for hearing Decemberists-esque music :)

Also on the horizon ... A new one-stop website for local artists ... A single site where artists can find out information about space, insurance, training, employment, calls for artists, etc. Targeted date for going live is in February. Stay tuned :)

Latest round of Creative Workforce Fellows announced. Our research suggests that this is the largest publicly funded artist award program in the country. In just four years, the program has made more than $1.7 million in funding and support available to 86 Cuyahoga County artists. 20 Northeast Ohio artists will each receive $20,000 grants Donald Rosenberg, The Plain Dealer Friday, December 09, 2011 Playwright Michael Oatman, choreographer Mackenzie Clevenger and Plain Dealer reporter Joanna Connors are among 20 Cuyahoga County artists who will receive $20,000 awards from the Creative Workforce Fellowship program operated by Cleveland's Community Partnership for Arts and Culture ... ... More available at http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2011/12/20_northeast_ohio_artists_will.html

8ShadesofGrey--Hey congrats on the new book---will check out a full copy as soon as I can. I'll try to make it to the launch party if I can. Looking forward to reading it. I noticed you got it on bn.com---that's excellent! Just a point of clarification ... I'm not the author of the book, but another forumer is :)

Check out the latest and greatest grassroots marketing effort for city living ... New to Cleveland. A Guide to (re)Discovering the City: http://www.newtoclevelandbook.com/ It's really beautiful and informative and includes info of particular interest to students, artists, professionals, retirees and those who want to live car-free or car-light. Something tells me the author knows his way around urbanOhio ;)