8ShadesofGray

I couldn't agree more. This reminds me of Reagan's "myth of the welfare queen", where he successfully used isolated anectdotes of a welfare mother driving around a luxury Cadillac to turn public opinion against those receiving welfare, the underpinnings of very dramatic reform from Reagan through Clinton. For every speculator controlling 12 properties or driving a luxury car, I bet you have 20 senior citizens who were sold ballooning home equity lines, reverse mortgages, etc. Without a doubt, some of the blame rests on the lack of responsible borrowing by buyers, but I think there's plenty of blame to go around beyond the greed or ignorance of these isolated anectdotes ... and I'd start by looking at government officials and lending institutions. Again, I absolutely agree, but this does beg the question ... if the blame rests primarily on state government, why has the foreclosure crisis been so much more pronounced in Cleveland than in other areas in the state? Is it simply a by-product of our decline in manufacturing jobs and declining population, coupled with this state policy? Was Cleveland specifically targeted by the banking industry in ways that other Ohio cities were not? Was our housing market more volatile than in other Ohio cities? Or were there additional mistakes made at a municipal level that compounded inaction at the state level?

Did you guys ever pick a logo?

I love it! One (minor) thing I did notice that at least one of the albums was mislabeled. All of the photographs in the Payne Sterling neighborhood album (in the Cleveland section) are actually photographs of Midtown, the neighborhood to the south and east of Payne Sterling. Sorry, really not trying to quip ... it is an amazing format for displaying all of Ohio's great urban assets.

In other news, the Living in Cleveland Center has launched their new website, a portal for individuals interested in living in the city proper: www.livecleveland.org

Attended a discussion at Levin this morning about how we can better market Cleveland neighborhoods. Among the strategies that the panelists recommended: - Marketing to clearly defined niches of potential buyers and renters, such as artists and immigrants, with considerable attention to the preferences and needs of these niches. - Better communicating Cleveland offerings to HR directors, particularly for organizations that are setting up shop, expanding or recruiting considerable numbers of people from outside the region. The Living in Cleveland Center is going to be doing a lot more of this it sounds. - Providing more information to individuals who play a role in steering locational decisions, such as realtors and lenders. CNDC sounded like they were interested in this. - Collaborating with multiple partners to make sure that marketing efforts are broad and not siloed. It sounds as though CNDC and the Living in Cleveland Center are getting ready to greatly expand their level of collaboration. Positively Cleveland is also sitting down with CNDC and the Living in Cleveland Center this week to talk about strategies for better marketing the neighborhoods to tourists as well.

^^ With a number of the eastern suburban routes, RTA could reroute riders to a Silver Line station in University Circle, which will give the people the option of numerous stops along the corridor in Midtown and downtown and still in 20 minutes.

Haven't been in this building, but it was developed by Dave Perkowski. He also manages a couple of properties in Tremont and is probably best known for his renovation work at Tower Press (E. 19th & Superior) and Hyacinth Lofts (in the Slavic Village neighborhood). He's currently working on the Bloch Building (Superior and 24th-ish), a commercial building geared toward creative businesses. I work out of the Tower Press Building, and it's a pretty amazing facility. I would imagine the Erie Building is of similar quality.

I had actually heard from a very reliable source that the PD writer was definitely taking a "let's tear down these hazards" angle when interviewing ... the story was skewed from the beginning. The individual spoke to the reporter regarding the hundreds of artists who have moved into these warehouse spaces and was hoping that the tone of the story would change some. Unfortunately, it obviously didn't. I wouldn't at all be surprised to see a "tear them down" editorial board within the next week. As for Cleveland, I live about half a mile away from where the fire took place, and my census tract has the lowest reported crime rates citywide. Crime rates in my neighborhood are considerably lower than in many of the suburbs you recommend people flee to ... but I also have all the amenities and quality of life that come from living in a vibrant urban neighborhood ... something that can't be replicated in the big boxes and gated communities of exurbia. You're entitled to live wherever you want, but it does a disservice to me and the other residents of my neighborhood to suggest that we're on the verge of some criminal apocalypse when quite the opposite is true. Let's stick to the facts and let people make their locational decisions based on rationale and not unfounded fear.

^ I think a vintage-type store is slated to open in your local commercial district shortly ... and then you'll be able to get go-go boots to your heart's content.

^ Berea approved the ballot measure in a previous ballot issue, I believe. Now all three partners have a voter mandate to roll.

Nice maps! We haven't done anything that robust in Cleveland, although I did do a location quotient and shift-share analysis of creative business (using NAICS classifications from the BLS) to compare Cuyahoga County's concentrations in various fields to the 50 largest counties. Some interesting stuff emerged ... such as that we had the 3rd highest concentration of employment in sports and cultural promotion and the 4th highest concentration of musical artists. Quick question - As you used SOC data, is this showing concentration by place of employment or place of residency?

Oh, as an alternative to Kenneth Cole (which is definitely a good brand to try out), keep your eye out for other easily attainable, "young but sophisticated" labels ... Calvin Klein, Ben Sherman and Zara all come to mind.

You'll likely get a better deal at Nordstrom's. I'm not familiar with the Kenneth Cole in Chi-town, but typically, "label" stores are selling what's in season and charge appropriately. Department store clothing can be equally appealing, but is likely off-season or even previous season. This can save you some bucks. Keep in mind, too, that you'll be dressing for LA, where temperatures are hovering in the mid-to-high 60s right now. Don't get swayed toward seasonal clothes ... the majority of Chicago clothing outlets are going to be selling winter wear right now. You may even luck out on prices on more summer-oriented formal dress. At 34, remember to look for suits that are young. Assuming you're of average or lower weight, choose a slim silhouette. I'd also recommend a lighter material but not something so light that it's not going to travel well ... you don't want to be crying over the myriad of tiny wrinkles in your linen jacket. Going with lighter colors will make you look a little tanner. For my blue-eyed brethren (which MayDay indicates you are), I recommend a white, cream or very light blue as a way to class up a darker suit and not make your Great Lakes coloration look like you're an L.A. mortician. Some final words, I agree with MayDay ... no pleats. It's actually kind of sad that that still warrants mention in 2007. Who is making all these effing pleated pants, and who's buying them? Other obvious lessons ... - No ... braided ... belts (in my best Joan Crawford voice)! - Be careful with monotone outfits. Nothing's more distracting than someone wearing a black suit, black belt and black shoes ... in three different shades of black. When in doubt, pair a mid-brown with a khaki color (instead of trying to approximate the mid-brown) or black with a charcoal or heather (instead of another black). - Save a fifth of your budget to visit a tailor. Paying to have shirts darted in the back, sleeves shortened, pants hemmed to appropriate lengths, etc. can polish up your off-the-rack look. - Have your eyebrows waxed, but make sure you indicate that you don't want to look like a drag queen ... just a little shaping, not pencil-thin. Most importantly, choose clothing and grooming that you will be happy with ... half of your impression will be how you carry yourself. So if you're usually a sweater and chinos guy, avoid anything that makes you feel fake or pretentious ... half your charm as a Midwesterner is your authenticity and lack of airs :wink: Even if that means breaking some of my shopping rules ... but not the braided belt one.

That's good ... particularly helpful to know that you can in fact take your bike out of Tower City via the elevator ... I never knew that. As a cyclist, my only question there would be by what criteria an operator would make the call on whether my bike could be reasonably accommodated. That information wouldn't need to be on the sign, per se, but since I've had a number of incidences where the decision to keep me from boarding appeared pretty arbitrary, I would want some relative assurance that I wouldn't be waiting in perpetuity for an operator who was "bike-friendly".

^ If nothing's going on with it, let's buy it!

69th and what? Having a hard time picturing this location. On an unrelated note, does anyone know if there are any firm plans to redevelop the old Watterson-Lake school building at Detroit & 74th? This is an absolutely breathtaking building in an amazing location. Definitely my favorite vacant building of late.

From Crain's CWRU secures $6.37M grant By SHANNON MORTLAND 3:23 pm, November 6, 2007 Case Western Reserve University’s medical school and University Hospitals Case Medical Center have received a $6.37 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to find new ways to treat psoriasis. The five-year grant from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Skin Diseases will support the creation of a Center of Research Translation, under which a group of doctors, scientists, nurses and community clinicians from different specialties will be assembled to work on psoriasis ... ... More at http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20071106/FREE/71106020/1007

^ Pope, I looked at every single effing page of this thread and didn't find the map you are referring to. I seriously, seriously hate you :wink:

... you ain't got no al-i-bi. Still a $35 million capital campaign. I was kind of hoping that financial shortfalls were the reason they had hacked the original design (which was still pretty damn ugly, imo). But no ... apparently, money was not the reason for building this monstrosity. Perhaps most importantly, that building looks horribly diswelcoming to the public, which is a real shame ... this was an opportunity (and still is, I suppose) for Tri-C to really increase joe-schmo traffic and raise the visibility of their campus.

Did they decrease the number of stops as a component of the planning process? By my count, the original map (http://www.euclidtransit.org/maps/Map_FINAL.pdf) has 33 stops. But that's also with stations going all the way to the Windermere station, which is actually more like 6.5 miles from Public Square. It seems like a lot to me, too. In lower Manhattan, the 1 Line has 20 stops between South Ferry and 103rd, just under a 6.5 mile distance. And that's of course, with a much higher density of people and a more prevalent use of mass transit. That being said, comparing NYC rail to Cleveland BRT might not be the best "apples to apples" comparison. Compared to our local transit infrastructure, it really doesn't look all that extreme to me. The eastbound red line already has 9 stops along a similar route (and that's without the obvious connections to downtown, Midtown & the Clinic and lower University Circle to justify additional stops). The blue line has 12 stops between Shaker Square and Warrensville Center, roughly a 3.3 mile route ... double that and you end up with 24 stops, which means that the ECP route is pretty comparable to that existing rail service. And keep in mind that a sizable portion of ridership is coming from people who previously rode the 6, which made umpteen-million stops over the same route.

I'd be curious to find out what happened to the removed materials, whether they were salvaged or sent to the dump. With so much emphasis on sustainability, I would hope the commissioners would have the foresight to retain all of that marble and glass; even if it can't be reconstructed (and it very much sounds like it can't), it could be retained for smaller local construction projects or incorporated into a public art project that honors Breuer's architectural legacy.

Cuyahoga County selling downtown Ameritrust complex at East Ninth and Euclid Tuesday, November 06, 2007 Joe Guillen, Plain Dealer Reporter The downtown site Cuyahoga County bought two years ago for a new administration building is officially up for sale. Bidding for the old Ameritrust complex at East Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue will open at $35 million, equal to the amount spent on the project so far, officials said Monday ... ... More at http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1194341996241540.xml&coll=2

^ Of particular note, SPACES annually holds ArtMart, where members get a certain amount of wall space and can do with it as they please. That occurs in March of each year. Also keep an eye out for holiday sales ... Art House, for instance, is having a Holiday Art Sale on Saturday, Nov. 17, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. I can't believe I forgot to mention them, but Zygote Press (http://www.zygotepress.com/gallery_schedule.html) is an awesome place for inexpensive art. Located on the western border of Asiatown, it's a fine print facility. Prints run as low as $25-ish. A lot of the work is really quite good, too. Plus, it's a really nice facility. They have weekly gallery hours and have a Holiday Open House Friday, December 7, 6-9 p.m.

Meanwhile, from the live cam, it looks like they're starting on the sixth story of the loft.

According to Strange Brew (see previous page), the construction won't start until they have pre-sales on 40% of the second building's units. To the best of my knowledge, they haven't opened up sales in this building. That's awesome! Particularly as your last estimate was 50 at the beginning of October. Moving fast!