8ShadesofGray

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 ;)

Cycling enthusiasts plan bicycle track on former Cleveland hospital site By Thomas Ott, The Plain Dealer Tuesday, November 29, 2011 CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A group of cycling enthusiasts plans to open a banked oval bicycle track next year on the former site of St. Michael Hospital in Cleveland. The nonprofit Fast Track Cycling Inc. hopes the track eventually will grow into an $7.5 million complex that will provide exercise for adults and children and bring cyclists to the Slavic Village neighborhood from across the country. Cleveland City Council voted Monday to give Fast Track Cycling a two-year lease with an option to buy. The company will rent the property for $1 a year ... ... More at http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/11/cycling_enthusiasts_plan_bicyc.html

Lots of great suggestions floating around and sounds like you have some great ideas of your own. As far as evening stuff goes, don't think you'll have any problem there. As I'm sure happens at Cornell, too, Clevelanders will be out in full force in most of the neighborhoods people have mentioned after a prolonged winter hibernation :) I wouldn't sweat specific programming until a few weeks out and then looking at event calendars. Since you're this far out, you might also check with Terry Schwarz (www.cudc.kent.edu) about whether there will be any Pop Up City events happening at that time (http://www.popupcleveland.com) ... Or even about the potential to coordinate one if there's not ... Definitely think that would be of interest to planning students. Otherwise, pretty much any bar-type establishment downtown or Ohio City should be hopping. I think your focus on medicine and bioscience is a good one, but to get a true sense of the "Cleveland model", there's also large-scale focuses on local food, alternative energy and definitely the arts, as well as some really fascinating developments around alternative business models (microenterprise, worker-owned cooperatives, etc.). Regarding programming, I would definitely consider setting up meetings with: - Lillian Kuri at the Cleveland Foundation (also a city planning commission member) (http://www.clevelandfoundation.org/About/Staff/ProgramStaff.html); Ted Howard or Atlee McFellin of the Democracy Collaborative (www.community-wealth.org); Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (http://www.cudc.kent.edu/); Downtown Cleveland Alliance (www.downtownclevelandalliance.org); Global Cleveland (www.globalclevelandinitiative.com); Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (www.cacgrants.org); and Historic Gateway/Historic Warehouse (www.historicgateway.org) downtown. - Neighborhood Progress (www.neighborhoodprogress.org); Ann Zoller and Greg Peckham at LAND studio (http://www.land-studio.org/); Eric Wobser at Ohio City Incorporated; and Paul Neundorfer of Refugee Response (www.refugeeresponse.org) in Ohio City (www.ohiocity.org); Both the West Side Market and the Ohio City Farm (brilliant, large-scale, cross-purpose urban farm ... http://www.ohiocityfarm.com/) are must sees, but there's a great deal of urban planning working happening in this neighborhood. - Councilman Matt Zone (http://www.clevelandcitycouncil.org/ward-15.aspx); Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization (www.dscdo.org); and Cleveland Public Theatre (www.cptonline.org) in Detroit Shoreway. - Chris Ronayne at University Circle, Inc. (www.universitycircle.org); Chris Coburn at Cleveland Clinic Innovations (http://www.clevelandclinic.org/innovations); and Baiju Shah at BioEnterprise (www.bioenterprise.com) in University Circle. All of these neighborhoods are train-accessible. The good news about Cleveland is that virtually anywhere in the city of Cleveland is accessible by public transit. The bad news is that the vast majority of our public transit is bus-based, and it may prove difficult to coordinate getting 30 students onto a single bus. If you are open to attempting that, some other neighborhoods I would consider would be North Collinwood, Asiatown and Tremont. If you'd be interested, we'd be happy to show you the relatively large-scale work we're doing to repurpose vacant and foreclosed space for artists in North Collinwood, but that would require a ride on the 39 Flier bus :) I'm car-free, and there are a number of forumers that are rail advocates and transit agency employees, so once you get into the logistical stage, I'm sure you can get plenty of assistance with that. Best of luck with your planning!

Bon Bon (http://www.bonboncleveland.com/) is a really nice buildout and digging the menu (the burger I'm eating right now is awesome, and the turtle cupcakes I bought look like they're going to be tremendous). AND the pricing is reasonable ... $22 for an upscale burger and 4 pretty swanky cupcakes (at just $2.25 a pop!). Definitely worth a look-see.

^Nationally.

Cross-reference from the "Cleveland & Its Artist Pioneers" thread (http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,25429.msg542984.html#msg542984) ... Airs tonight. PBS to Air the Documentary ARTISTIC CHOICE: Preserving a Legacy in Cleveland Exciting News! PBS will be airing the mini-documentary Artistic Choice: Preserving a Legacy in Cleveland THIS FRIDAY, November 18th. This 16 minute film explores our innovative arts funding structure in Cuyahoga County. Cuyahoga County has become one of the nation’s largest local public funders of the Arts and communities everywhere are taking notes on our unique way of preserving and growing our arts and culture. The documentary features many local voices, like Santina Protopapa from Progressive Arts Alliance, Tom Schorgl from Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, and our very own Karen Gahl-Mills. The documentary airs immediately following another fantastic feature, Women Who Rock, which airs at 9pm. Please share this with everyone--people are excited about what is happening in our home town on a national level! http://www.cacgrants.org/news.php?id=87 http://www.cacgrants.org/file_uploads/file361.pdf

Pretty effing awesome ... Airs tonight. PBS to Air the Documentary ARTISTIC CHOICE: Preserving a Legacy in Cleveland Exciting News! PBS will be airing the mini-documentary Artistic Choice: Preserving a Legacy in Cleveland THIS FRIDAY, November 18th. This 16 minute film explores our innovative arts funding structure in Cuyahoga County. Cuyahoga County has become one of the nation’s largest local public funders of the Arts and communities everywhere are taking notes on our unique way of preserving and growing our arts and culture. The documentary features many local voices, like Santina Protopapa from Progressive Arts Alliance, Tom Schorgl from Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, and our very own Karen Gahl-Mills. The documentary airs immediately following another fantastic feature, Women Who Rock, which airs at 9pm. Please share this with everyone--people are excited about what is happening in our home town on a national level! http://www.cacgrants.org/news.php?id=87 See some of the people they interviewed and places they visited at http://www.cacgrants.org/file_uploads/file361.pdf

Work is moving ahead with launching the Artists in Residence program in North Collinwood. We're slated to officially launch in early January. Stay tuned for details about: - A $150,000 low-interest loan pool for artists wanting to do rehab work in North Collinwood not typically covered by traditional mortgages (e.g. soundproofing for musicians, a garage-to-studio conversion, etc.). - A $100,000 small grant pool for Collinwood artists to support community-based art projects that address neighborhood issues like safety, vacancy, youth engagement, etc. - A grassroots national marketing effort to communicate to artists about North Collinwood and Cleveland as a whole. - Financial literacy offerings for artists looking to purchase space. - ... And some other odds and ends. This is all in addition to the exciting work Northeast Shores has already been doing around rehabbing vacant houses for artists ... Artists can buy a "raw" house for $5,000 and do the rehab work themselves. Or artists can buy a completely rehabbed, energy-efficient house (and can have some say over floor plan and finishes) in the $70,000 to $100,000 range. Response is great so far, without any concerted marketing effort ... Fielding calls from as far away as New Mexico ... Northeast Shores has already recruited artists from Brooklyn, Nova Scotia and Australia. If you'd like more info about the initiative, call Northeast Shores at 216.481.7660.

Forgot to post this ... Executive summary of the study available at http://www.cpacbiz.org/ftp_file/11-12/RemixClevelandExec.pdf ... Includes some great case studies of what music is doing for greater Cleveland. Music rocks the Cleveland economy, according to a new study from Cleveland's Community Partnership for Arts and Culture Steven Litt, The Plain Dealer Wednesday, October 19, 2011 CLEVELAND, Ohio — Attending a rock concert at The Q or an opera at Severance Hall is a way to thrill the ears, stir the soul and enjoy an art that makes life worth living. It’s also a way to boost the local economy. A new study to be released Wednesday by the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture shows that music in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County is an industry with a 2009 payroll of $115 million and 2,718 workers in “core” positions in performance, promotion, recording and related disciplines ... ... More available at http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2011/10/music_rocks_the_cleveland_econ.html

Hopefully :) Not saying the city is facing any affordability threats or that CDCs don't provide substantial (and substantive) service to low-income residents. What I'm saying is that few have expressed the deep level of commitment to maintaining mixed-income affordability that DSCDO has ... Whether because they don't think it's likely to be an issue any time soon or income sensitivity is just literally not a top priority for them. But I can't think of anyone that's maintained the sheer quantity of CDC-controlled apartments as low-income units that DSCDO. Or started a fund to mitigate the fallout of any gentrification that might occur. Or codified it in their statement of values. My main point not being to pick on other Cleveland neighborhoods here, nor people who would prefer not to live in mixed-income settings ... My main point being that regardless of what you think about the issue, DSCDO's track record suggests that that's not a priority that's going away anytime soon, so if I wanted to avoid a neighborhood where a CDC is active in the development of mixed-income units, I'd probably avoid Detroit Shoreway altogether.

I can see the reason for worry, but I actually feel like there might be something really value-added that we're not hearing all the details of yet ... I dunno, call me an eternal optimist, but I think the educational focus actually sounds interesting and potentially very promising. With 37 "educational concept" tenants and potential tenants, we're talking about a focus that must extend well beyond CSU, Tri-C and UH. I'm intrigued. From the Scene article referenced above: "Filling up the med mart is moving along at a swifter pace for MMPI. Of 60 prospective tenants, 13 of MMPI's top educational picks have signed or are in the process of signing leases. Leases are also being signed or reviewed by 24 tenants that MMPI considers among the second-most-important for the new educational concept ... ... As for who the other tenants will be and how they will contribute to the educational theme, Casey isn't ready to say."

OMG, truth. Although I don't think this is just a north-side-of-the-street problem ... I've gotten gooped plenty on the other side of Mayfield, too. It is really a ridiculous problem to have go on year after year. Particularly if we're hoping to see more pedestrian traffic between MOCA/Uptown and LI!!

I think that one important note here is that, regardless what you think of mixed-income housing, DSCDO has a very long-standing mission of revitalizing the neighborhood as one that is not income exclusive ... I would not expect that to change anytime in the forseeable future, regardless of what the market dictates. All moves by the CDC around housing, organizing and Gordon Square rebranding have showcased a desire to make the neighborhood more appealing to private high-income investment but to balance this against the ability to continue to serve the needs of low- and moderate-income residents. And I think that the majority of high-income residents that already live in the neighborhood LIKE that philosophy. I would describe the existing community as being very social justice in nature ... You don't get anchors like WSEM and the LGBT center and Cleveland Public Theatre without engendering some sense of socioeconomic responsibility. And for those who are not drawn to this philosophy, which I can completely understand, there are many, many Cleveland neighborhoods and many, many CDCs where income sensitivity is a far lower priority. These places would probably be a better fit, and I seriously don't mean that in either a sarcastic or derogatory way.

I'd be interested to know how MOCA's reacting to the Bidwell/CMA partnership around contemporary art in Ohio City ... There didn't seem to be much of a weigh-in from MOCA in Litt's recent article. I'm pleased as punch that CMA is getting serious about contemporary art, and I'm hopeful that there's enough appetite for contemporary that both buildings will do quite well, but it could be an interesting wrinkle.

I totally, totally heart the moonball. I just hope we can figure out how to make it drop at New Year's :D Re: The Transformer Station being too far away from all the surrounding action, as 3231 points out, it's about a three-minute walk from Detroit. It's also worth noting that it's about a block from the Intermuseum Conservation Association, the oldest regional art preservation organization in the country. Inside their giant facility, they're restoring presidential curtains, a large-scale mural from a Pittsburgh suburb, panels from a Coney Island carousel and a whole lot of other art. The organization is increasingly focusing on outreach about their work, so these two together could be some great anchors for a little artisan node in this section of Detroit. Although I do hope my gay brethren don't lose their debauchery row right there ... This little section of Detroit is the closest thing to a walkable gayborhood that Cleveland's got (the closest contenders are Edgewater and Asiatown, where gay venues are much more spread out). I'd actually love to see this built upon instead of priced out, particularly if the senior LGBT housing plan is ever reignited.

From what I can gather, it was shot in Collinwood (not sure if just South Collinwood or both North and South Collinwood), Slavic Village and downtown. The only two specific locations I've seen referenced were Taft and 131st and Broadway and 55th.

Saigon Grille, the new Vietnamese place next to Number One Pho, also serves Bahn Mi. I don't believe the new place in Asian Town Center, Pho99, does. And I'm not sure about East 30th Street Cafe, which is the only other place I can think to check.

Waterloo Road to court artists with money to buy, fix homes By Thomas Ott, The Plain Dealer Sunday, July 24, 2011, 10:05 PM CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Waterloo Road area long ago rolled out the welcome mat for artists. Now it's also dangling cash. A new $500,000 program will provide small loans to help artists buy and renovate homes in the growing East Side arts and entertainment district. Artists also can receive grants for neighborhood projects. The Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, a Cleveland advocacy group, received half of the $500,000 from New York-based Leveraging Investments in Creativity. The national, foundation-backed initiative seeks to build support for artists and strengthen their contributions to society. The partnership, which will raise the balance of the $500,000, then picked Waterloo in a citywide competition among nonprofit neighborhood development groups. Data showed other areas had higher concentrations of artists, artists by neighborhood (pdf), but judges saw a chance for Waterloo's proposed Artists in Residence program to "play a transformative role," said Seth Beattie, the partnership's strategic initiative director. Waterloo, an area that straddles East 156th Street just north of Interstate 90, used to draw its energy from the one-bustling Collinwood Railroad Yards and the several thousand workers based there. Boarding houses, saloons and pool halls dotted the neighborhood. More recently, painters, musicians, other artists and people who want to be near them have moved in. The Northeast Shores Development Corp., representing Waterloo and other parts of Collinwood, decided to go with the vibe. "We were pushing that because people who have lived here 20, 30 years were pushing for it," Executive Director Brian Friedman said. The Slovenian Workmen's Home, founded 85 years ago, is old Waterloo. It's known for fish fries every Friday and polka dances that draw from as far as Michigan. Pat Nevar, vice president of the home, greets the new arrivals with open arms. She said they have replaced drug dealers who used to frighten away visitors. "It's really brought the neighborhood to what it used to be," she said. "People are coming back." R.A. "Rafiq" Washington, a poet, author, guitarist and drummer, is new Waterloo, moving in two years ago from the West Side Tremont neighborhood to be with a circle of friends. He likes the mix of older ethnic residents, minorities and suburban expatriates. "It's been a pretty cool incubator," said the 36-year-old Washington, who lists punk as his musical genre. "It kind of reminds me of a New York borough." Washington rents half of a duplex but hopes to buy a house through another Northeast Shores program. He is excited about Artists in Residence, hoping the assistance and Cleveland's affordable housing prices will woo friends from larger markets. The field of artists eligible for money is wide, ranging from furniture and fashion designers to architects, musicians, painters, dancers and writers. Loan details are still being worked out, but the sponsors have discussed setting the maximum at $2,500 to $5,000, Friedman said. Repayments will be used to make more loans. For further information on Artists in Residence, call the Northeast Shores Development Corp. at 216-481-7660. http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/07/waterloo_artists_can_get_money.html

And shame on Zack Reed for casting the lone "no" vote.

Not gay marriage per se ... Not sure if there's a better thread for this, but I didn't see one ... Cleveland approves domestic-partner insurance coverage By Thomas Ott, The Plain Dealer Wednesday, July 20, 2011 CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland will extend health care benefits to the domestic partners of city employees, a move that might be more symbolic than financial. Under a proposal approved Wednesday by City Council, only employees and partners who signed up for Cleveland's domestic partner registry before May 1 can get coverage at the city's expense. Other couples would pay nearly $8,000 a year to add the partner. City officials estimate that only 15 couples would qualify, and that number may be high because those who signed up for the registry did not have to state their occupations. Some common names could fall off. The couples could upgrade to family coverage for an annual cost of $630 each. Based on the estimate of 15 couples, the city would pay a total of $101,155 ... ... More at http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/07/cleveland_considers_domestic-p.html

^ Haha :) But you could have said the same thing about Coventry 30 years ago. Not that I think Waterloo has any inclination to gentrify into something like the Coventry of today. I don't know ... I think that the low costs of launching a storefront business in Cleveland, and in neighborhoods like Collinwood, is pretty compelling. Having some space to test an "unsustainable business model" and see if you can make it sustainable ... Well, that's just not a luxury you enjoy in a lot of faster growth cities, where the rent pressures could mean less entrepreneurial experimentation. And if this new initiative is successful, and we can get artists to take an ownership stake in the neighborhood and develop a demand-side market for distressed housing and take the passion and creativity of artists and apply it to addressing community issues, all the better :) ^^ I unfortunately don't know. I would put a call to Northeast Shores ... Probably the Real Estate Development Director or the Commercial District Manager. 216.481.7660.

And if you haven't gotten an opportunity to see up close and personal what art and artists are doing for Collinwood, check out Walk All Over Waterloo, this Saturday from 4 p.m. to late in the eve ... featuring the 2011 Ohio State Yo-Yo Contest, Music Saves' 7th Anniversary, an old car show and music and video tributes to The Clash :) http://northeastshores.blogspot.com/2011/07/waow-this-saturday.html The district has really started to fill in this year. I only mention this because I feel like I'm there relatively frequently and still didn't realize how much is going on along the corridor: - Slovenian Workmen's Home, 15335 Waterloo, 85-year-old Slovenian cultural association; fish fry and Sunday polka dances and whatnot - Fotina's Family Restaurant, 400 East 156th, restaurant where Cleveland Magazine says you can get a "top-notch breakfast" - Azure Stained Glass Studio, 15602 Waterloo, specialize both in repair of historic glass pieces and in contemporary stained glass design - Arts Collinwood, 15605, neighborhood-based nonprofit art gallery and cafe - NEW Cloud9 Boutique, 15613, Clothing boutique, specializing in local and regional independently designed fashion - The Head Shop, 15615, they put the bong in ... wait, what was I saying? - Rebel City Tattoo Shop, 15701, tattoos, silly - Beachland Ballroom, 15711, beloved indie music venue - This Way Out Vintage, 15711, vintage clothes with a rock-and-roll flair; in the basement of the Beachland - Music Saves, 15801, great indie music store specializing in indie rock - Star Pop Vintage + Modern, 15813, Interesting little vintage store, with a focus on 80s toys and 80s memorabilia (I just bought a "Cleveland is a Plum" pin!) - Native Cleveland, 15813, eclectic shop featuring independent local designers and crafters - Cleveland Yo-Yo Club, 15813, crazy yo-yo tricks, silly - Blue Arrow Records & Boutique, 16001, record store with an impressive and eclectic vinyl collection - Zaller Gallery, 16006, an alternative art gallery - SS&W Boardwalk, 16011, neighborhood bar with quite a bit of live entertainment and good chili - Waterloo 7 Gallery & Studio, 16006, art gallery with a focus on sculpture and metalwork - NEW No Problem Printing & Design Studio, 16006, indie graphic design and printing group ... that also has a gallery space and a skate shop

Waterloo Receives Major Pilot Inititiative Partners to Invest $500,000 in Cleveland’s Waterloo Neighborhood CPAC and Northeast Shores Launch Artist Community Development Initiative CLEVELAND – The Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC) and Northeast Shores Development Corporation have announced a partnership to launch Artists in Residence, a two-year initiative that will explore what artists can do for Cleveland neighborhoods, and what Cleveland neighborhoods can do for artists. The two-year, $500,000 pilot program will focus its efforts on this relationship in Cleveland’s Waterloo Arts District. The initiative will include: * A micro-loan program for artists buying or rehabbing dwellings within the neighborhood, * A micro-grant program to support artists’ work in carrying out community-based arts projects within the neighborhood, * The development of a number of artist homeownership services, and * A coordinated local and national marketing campaign on behalf of the program. Through these activities, Artists in Residence will increase artists’ access to homeownership within the city of Cleveland, while also addressing issues like reducing vacancy and abandonment rates and increasing opportunities for resident leadership development. The neighborhood was selected by a panel of arts, community development and planning experts through a competitive proposal process. Thirteen Cleveland-based community development organizations submitted a letter of interest to host the pilot program. Five neighborhoods were asked to submit a full proposal before the panel selected Northeast Shores based on judging criteria. Artists in Residence is made possible through a $250,000 Creative Communities Challenge Grant from Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC). The Creative Communities Challenge Grant program was a one-time competitive grant program open to 15 “Creative Communities” nationwide, made possible through support from the Kresge Foundation. The Creative Communities program is a nationwide network of organizations working to make improvements in the well-being of American artists. LINC has invited local partners in 15 communities across the country to identify and address issues that affect artists of all disciplines. For more information, please visit www.lincnet.net. CPAC is a nonprofit arts and culture service organization dedicated to strengthening and unifying greater Cleveland’s arts and culture sector. Since its founding in 1997, the organization has accomplished this through a range of programs and services within its core competencies of capacity building, public policy and research. For more information, please visit www.cpacbiz.org. Northeast Shores Development Corporation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to create a better North Shores Collinwood to live, work, and visit. They serve the area by increasing homeownership in the neighborhood and helping entrepreneurs bring their business ideas to market. Over the last 10 years, their activities have resulted in over $42 million in neighborhood investment. For more information, please visit www.northeastshores.org. http://northeastshores.blogspot.com/2011/07/waterloo-receives-major-pilot.html

North Collinwood wins $500k arts-based development grant Lee Chilcote, Fresh Water Thursday, July 21, 2011 The Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC) announced Tuesday that it has selected North Collinwood for its Artists in Residence Program, an effort to use artist-based development to help revitalize one urban neighborhood. The two-year, $500,000 pilot program will provide a small loan program for artists buying or rehabbing homes in the target area, a small grant program to support artists' work in carrying out community-based projects, and artist home ownership services such as credit counseling and saving programs. A panel of arts, community development and planning experts selected the target neighborhood through a competitive process. Seth Beattie, Strategic Initiative Director for CPAC, said the panel was impressed by the grassroots, arts-based approach of Northeast Shores Development Corporation, the nonprofit that serves the neighborhood. A total of 13 community development corporations from various Cleveland neighborhoods applied to the program ... ... More available at http://www.freshwatercleveland.com/devnews/artistsinresidencecollinwood072111.aspx

North Collinwood wins $500k arts-based development grant Lee Chilcote, Fresh Water Thursday, July 21, 2011 The Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC) announced Tuesday that it has selected North Collinwood for its Artists in Residence Program, an effort to use artist-based development to help revitalize one urban neighborhood. The two-year, $500,000 pilot program will provide a small loan program for artists buying or rehabbing homes in the target area, a small grant program to support artists' work in carrying out community-based projects, and artist home ownership services such as credit counseling and saving programs. A panel of arts, community development and planning experts selected the target neighborhood through a competitive process. Seth Beattie, Strategic Initiative Director for CPAC, said the panel was impressed by the grassroots, arts-based approach of Northeast Shores Development Corporation, the nonprofit that serves the neighborhood. A total of 13 community development corporations from various Cleveland neighborhoods applied to the program ... ... More available at http://www.freshwatercleveland.com/devnews/w83rdstreetproject072111.aspx