8ShadesofGray

My guess is they mean something along the lines of this prefab "box" that showed up in Dwell. See some other cool ones that ReadyMade promoted (http://www.modulardwellings.com/flash_content.html), as well as the DIY box that ReadyMade says you can build for $1,500 (http://readymademag.com/feature_10_shack.php).

Interesting concept. Could it work in Cleveland? From the St. Clair-Superior Blog ... Buy a Box In the St. Clair Superior neighborhood there is a vacant lot ready for development. A new concept recently emerged through thought leadership by a few great people, including Keith and David at PURE (http://www.progressiveurban.com/). Build boxes. Simple, square boxes. Clean, edgy, customizable, inexpensive, industrial-vibe, Dwell Magazine-esque, and again - inexpensive. It is new construction, with new plumbing, new windows, new electrical, but you would get that old Cleveland warehouse feel. What if you could buy a basic box for $100,000? Two years later, you could bi-sect your space vertically by adding a second floor and stairs, or by adding walls for bedrooms. I described the vision to one guy last night & he said “you had me at Dwell-o”. He is on our potential buyer list. Would you buy a box? Contact Jamie at St. Clair Superior Development Corporation - http://www.stclairsuperior.org/ http://stclairsuperior.blogspot.com/

Saigon, loves it. But they best not pull out of Asiatown ... lest I be down on E. 4th with my protest sandwich board.

Slightly back on topic, I did think Rosentraub's sense of urgency seems a little peculiar. I could be wrong, but wasn't he quoted in a similar article a few years back about how a) Census estimates may prove inaccurate and b) that our city should be more concerned about smart decline than about trying to stem the decline altogether? God, as much as I'm a data geek and love the information access that places like the Census Bureau, the GAO and the BLS afford, it's tough to counter negative perceptions of the community when the naysayers are inundated with negative data on what seems to be a quarterly basis.

Yes, it has scrolling information, ticker-style.

From The Onion sh!tty Neighborhood Rallies Against Asshole Developer June 23, 2007 | Issue 43•25 CHICAGO—Residents of the Carney Gardens neighborhood on Chicago's South Side are opposing an effort by asshole real-estate developer Royce Messner to build a godawful $45 million strip mall and condominium complex in the crime-ridden sh!thole they call home. http://www.theonion.com/content/news/sh!tty_neighborhood_rallies#email_this

^^ Out of curiosity, why are the neighborhoods south of the airport being consulted? Traffic concerns? Construction noise? The fact that my house might not rumble if the airshow isn't there anymore?

I'm not sure why, but it seems like some of the older apartment complexes (particularly with those with steam heat) in Lakewood, the Heights and Shaker Square are some of the warmest places I've ever been during the winter. Getting a unit in a taller building also keeps ya warm, as you can "steal" heat from all the floors beneath you. Last winter, I was on the seventh-floor of a midrise building on Shaker Square ... I am a total cold baby but still had to keep my windows open a lot during the winter. The downside to being in a place where someone else decides when the heat first turns on and when it turns off is that landlords tend to keep it off until they start getting complaints ... meaning frigid Octobers and almost painfully toasty Decembers.

A boulevard about to blossom A budding hot spot, Larchmere is stepping into its own (Cleveland) Plain Dealer Friday, May 25, 2007 Once a struggling, soulless street in the shadows of nearby Shaker Square, Larchmere Boulevard is reinventing itself as a destination strip for the hip, trendy and ubercool to shop, dine and live on Cleveland's East Side. Here's a selection of interesting spots ... ... More at http://www.cleveland.com/friday/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/friday/1180030547208120.xml&coll=2

Experts fear more attacks on homeless Incidents rise during summer Diane Suchetka (Cleveland) Plain Dealer Reporter Friday, May 25, 2007 The recent spate of attacks against the homeless in Cleveland doesn't surprise national experts. They have watched assaults on the homeless soar 65 percent between 2005 and 2006. But they are worried. Summer hasn't started yet. And that's when most attacks against the homeless occur ... ... More at http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/118008218734110.xml&coll=2

Okay, maybe this is elsewhere in the thread and I missed it, but what time does the meet start?

^ Good points. There are also two Cleveland police officers whose sole job is to deal with issues of homelessness (basically serving as ombudsmen for complaints about the homeless or for complaints from the homeless).

Unless I somehow missed it, we don't seem to have a Cleveland homeless thread ... to date, it appears that our homeless population only comes up in threads discussing how they'll impact downtown developments and how aggressive the panhandlers are :-P At any rate, here's a disturbing article, with some definite relevance to http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=12488.0. Ugh, ugh, ugh. Hate motivates attacks on homeless Diane Suchetka (Cleveland) Plain Dealer Reporter Wednesday, May 23, 2007 Bands of young men wielding baseball bats and pipes have beaten at least six homeless people on Cleveland's West Side since February. And homeless advocates, who have no way of knowing if the assaults are connected, say they appear to be hate crimes motivated by a dislike for those who have no place to live. Two victims described their attackers as young, short-haired men driving a black Trans Am ... ... More at http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/117990940684830.xml&coll=2&thispage=1

^ I don't know how accurate it is, but I remember in grad school discusssions about federal requirements requiring that central cities provide water services to suburbs. As the story went, Columbus chose to forego some substantial federal funds and subsequently was able to negotiate annexation in exchange for basic services. Cleveland and Cincy both chose to accept the federal funding and were prohibited from using water services as a bargaining chip for annexation. Again, not sure how accurate this is, but it always sounded pretty interesting. I'm sure that political willpower has a lot to do with it. Interested in what some of the other persectives are on how Columbus and Indy and Louisville have successfully annexed when municipalities in Northeast Ohio spend years weighing the pros and cons of even small consolidations of fire departments.

2003 Specialized road bike. It's deep blue and it's my baby :)

The welcome mat will remain out Council keeps tax-break program for houses built in Cleveland Tuesday, May 22, 2007 Olivera Perkins and Susan VinellaPlain Dealer Reporters Cleveland City Council voted Monday to keep 15-year, 100-percent tax breaks for houses built in the city, but added a couple of catches. Starting in 2010, developers must use energy-efficient designs to qualify their houses for tax abatements. Also, buyers could lose tax breaks on their homes if they fail to maintain the property or fall behind on taxes for the land beneath the house. The tax breaks do not apply to land ... ... More at http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1179823076246080.xml&coll=2

But having the right to fire someone solely based on whom they choose to have sex, that's sensible? Ummm ... I think anyone with even a cursory understanding of civil rights law knows that the door typically swings both ways. The same employment protections afforded to homosexual employees could also be availed by any heterosexual worker who felt they were dismissed solely on the grounds that they liked the opposite sex. Granted I'm a gay man, but honestly, even if I wasn't, these are some terribly crafted arguments. I just want to pat the Christian Right on its pretty little head and say "There, there". All I can say is thank jeebus that Ohio is finally back to a point where a moderate Democrat is electable on the state level.

^ Has anyone tried this trail segment? Bill Callahan rather slams it in his blog: http://www.callahansclevelanddiary.com/?p=264. Does anyone know what happens on the southern end of the site? What "riverside roads" will get me from this leg down to the Towpath proper (Jennings)? I'm a little disappointed that the article doesn't reference specific routes for the missing 3/4 mile stretch, and more than a little disappointed that neither the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission nor the Steelyard Commons websites have updated their sites to reflect the trail progress (though thank you, Cleveland Planning Commission, for your updates).

^ You know, I don't recall if they did. I don't think so. Although you can get some mean little sandwiches at Superior Pho. They had fish nuggets, quarter chickens and chicken satay - that's all I can recall. I believe, and this may reflect my general ignorance of cultural distinctions, that the menu of this particular cafe, is Taiwanese-inspired, whereas Banh Mi is far more common at Vietnamese restaurants. But again, take that with a MAJOR grain of salt ... my expertise is limited to knowing that all people should partake in Bubble Tea.

^ I echo all of the sage advice offered by my Asiatown brethren above. The real estate market in Asiatown is very much owner-organized. I would definitely recommend checking out some of the live/work options available. You might also put in a call to St. Clair Superior CDC (www.stclairsuperior.org)... their staff is really quite helpful, and if you explain exactly what and where you're looking (as well as price range), they might be able to put you in touch with some rental opportunities. I would highly recommend the area E. 30th to E. 40th, both in terms of safety (it's an unusually quiet neighborhood, actually) and proximity to transit (the 55 is accessible from, I believe, E. 14th or so on ... your VM roommate would be able to walk down Superior to catch a bus over or could catch the 326 right from Superior and either transfer downtown or ride it all the way to Lakewood ... along Superior and St. Clair, you are also extraordinarily close to Shoreway access). And, as an FYI, you'll have ample grocery options, with Dave's at E. 33rd and Payne, the grocery in Reserve Square relatively close at E. 13th and Superior and about 5 Asian groceries if you're feeling more adventurous or looking for specialty items. If not Asiatown, I'd definitely recommend either Edgewater or Detroit Shoreway. As X noted, wherever you're looking, a 3-bedroom for $600 is going to be REALLY tight. I live with two roommates, we got an unbelievable deal because our landlord is AMAZING, and our space would still not be in that price range. I have a good friend who has a 3-bedroom in a house in the 90s along Clifton, and it runs her and her roommate $750/month. As a final note, many of the live-work spaces on the Near East Side are surprisingly affordable, but utilities are very rarely included. Keep in mind that industrial spaces (as well as many older homes) are quite drafty in the winter ... in our space, our rent is very reasonable, but our utilities spike up toward $500 in January and February. Good luck, and hope to see you in Asiatown!

Sorry if this has been posted already ... I've been out of the UO loop the last few weeks, but I didn't see it elsewhere. After long delay, Sweethearts Cafe is officially open on Superior & E. 35th-ish (next to China Merchandise Exhibit and directly across the street from Tyler Village). It's not quite the Asian candystore that some of us thought ... it's a little difficult to nail down but their focuses seem to be on ice cream and asian-inspired drinks. They do have a food menu, but I've only had Chai and Chai Smoothie my first two times. The intereior, again, is difficult to nail down. Basically, it appears that their branding strategy is to not have a brand. The interior is kinda a sapphire blue color with some weird artwork in the entranceway, some Tiki inspired touches and a light-up faux palm tree with an Asian Winnie the Pooh perched in it that says "Hello. Welcome" as you come in. If you're a fellow kitsch addict, you'll love the atmosphere at Sweethearts.

Not sure if this really belongs here, but I didn't feel like it warranted a new thread (plus, this thread deserves a bump :wink:). Someone recently turned me on to www.bikejournal.com. It's a really cool site where you can keep track of everything from distance traveled to average speed to calories burned to descriptions of the rides. The most prominent use is to track distance traveled by bike over months and, for many users, years. You are ranked against all users in terms of bicycle distance traveled in 2007 (e.g. my piddley 59 miles in the last few weeks earned me a ranking of 4,591 of 5,445). And for those of you who take spinning classes, the data can be broken down so that you can see all riding or only your "real" road riding. Definitely worth checking out if you're even a novice cyclist. Now, has anyone come up with new favorite recreational routes? :-)

I sent an e-mail inquiring about why there were reporting differences. Here's what BioEnterprise had to say: In comparing data gathering techniques with Dow Jones (we have not yet been able to have a similar conversation with Thomson Financial, the data company behind the PWC Moneytree report), we have noted a couple of differences that allows our report to have a more complete picture of the Midwest activity. First, Dow Jones gathers information from national business wire services for new deal information. They do not capture deals reported in Midwest dailies or business journals. This leads to missing a lot of venture-funded companies who only announce things with a local media story/press release. Second, we also contact sources across the Midwest that are aware of confidential deals that the investors or the companies are not willing to share with national data sources. Each quarter, we call on bioscience intermediary organizations and venture firms in every Midwest region covered to ensure we have a full list of data and ask them to review all of the information in our list. This captures a considerable number of transactions, many small but even some large financings, that are not a part of the national list. For those deals, Dow Jones will now include the names of companies if revealed to add to their national database. In terms of deal inclusion criteria, each database is different in defining what are "venture" deals and which are not, and the criteria are not always consistently used even within a database. For example, Dow Jones will say angel funded deals are not a part of their database, but at the same time, they include a number of such deals from across the country in their data. Also, the blurring of lines between venture capital, growth equity, private equity, venture "debt" (debt structured like equity), corporate funding, and private placements is handled seemingly differently on a deal-by-deal basis depending upon the company. If the company has "venture" heritage, such financings are always included, or if the firms that back the company have "venture" in their names, the transactions are typically included. But this inevitably is handled on a case-by-case basis by the national data sources. Our system is also case-by-case: we include all of the angel/venture/growth financings of private companies in our data; we do not however include traditional private equity transactions (e.g., recent acquisition of Dental Care Partners by MSD Capital and North Peak Capital of New York) in the data. If we are unsure, we ask the regional data source for their opinion and use that to make a judgment. Finally, we include companies in the Midwest data that have a substantial presence in the Midwest but may not have their headquarters here (e.g., there was a large specialty pharma deal in Michigan last year that is organized as a French company but is substantially co-located in Ann Arbor as the management team was recruited from Esperion). Our objective is to provide the most complete deal activity information for this sector and financing type for the Midwest. In 2006, I think the PWC Moneytree data for Midwest health care investments only captured about 50% of the deals actually completed in the Midwest. Of course, the Dow Jones Venture Source data for 2005 forward is now almost a mirror image of our data as they source the information from our report.

I'm in ... unless my closing show at the gallery the night before is rowdier than expected :lol:

^There was actually very similar signage designed by artists and neighborhood children during the construction of the new library on Lee Road.