ITakeTheRapid

The idea of the Capitol Theater is perfect- Funky old neighborhood theater with beer and a quirky layout. As a theater experience it totally sucks compared to any modern spot. The lower theater seats are unbearable, it’s dirty, empty, the concession stand closes before the movie is half over, and 2/3 screens are the same size as my home. I think it’s better off redeveloped as a neighborhood bar that shows flicks with rentable areas for parties and stuff.

The site is perfect for this stadium imo. Realistically what else would ever go there? And it’s still walkable to the core and parking. It seems a 10k stadium fills a void that we currently don’t have. Especially for smaller events and outdoor shows. Personally I’m excited that it could be expanded. If we ever get a big team, this location is great. I hope the footprint and quality will be consistent for a 20k stadium.

Impressive build (appears to be single family). This small corner of the neighborhood changed quick.

Today. These guys are cookin

I totally agree. I think it can become a long-term classic. I know there are always elements to optimize and new trends but I’ve been to a ton of stadiums and ours still stacks up well. The overall shape is great and the concourses (maybe other than behind the bleachers) are just fine, especially compared to classic parks. But the location- especially with the renaissance in Ohio City is just fantastic. You have plenty of parking options and easy access to the center of downtown. I make the trek over the Lorain Carnegie bridge all summer with my $49 pass. And this past summer the hoard of fans walking over after even weeknight games made it impossible to navigate a scooter. Pretty darn great atmosphere.

Starting to feel impressive as a pedestrian. It’s a wind tunnel though.

I cut through that stretch of Hancock pretty often when I’m wandering around and I don’t really think there needs to be a connection there with this project. The project seems to have good access from the other 3 sides and that road doesn’t really get you anywhere faster. Between these apartments and Voss I’m so excited. West 26th has been so sketchy for that stretch. A couple years ago I had an interaction back there where I really thought I was getting robbed, luckily it ended up ok.

Well said. This is exactly how I feel as well. Let’s be honest with the Super Bowl tonight. - Traveling to a warm destination and partying outside looks great in the shots from this weekend. Even if the league bent the “rules” Cleveland is a tough sell tonight. Brook Park, tho, is absurd. The logistics of such an event would be terrible.

Really not trying to be a jerk here and I’ve lived in the neighborhood for almost a decade. I’m one of its biggest fans. I said/meant “close”. As is in close to closing. I honestly go to these places pretty regularly and walk by even more. But I also travel a lot. And hot spots always have demand. Of course some cities are a lot easier. But if you’re lived here for any amount of time and you think Hansa is doing well (even compared to like a few years ago) I don’t even know where to start.

At the risk of coming off as a nut job I just walked by all 3. Hansa had 6 people at the bar with the rest of the restaurant dark. The front area of Proof had 2 at the bar and one 4 top. Choolah had 5 people talking at a single table all with sealed to go bags. I hope Boris at Hansa owns the building. The other 2 spots just had big buildouts- and in my personal experience this costs hundreds of thousands of dollars that they are paying for one way or another. There are plenty of places packed around town right now (Townhall sure was). At a minimum, a place like Choolah totally overestimated their store size. and back to SoHo- I didn’t stop in there tonight but they’re usually packed for Chicken Pickin Wednesday. They do a good business. I have experience doing a private event with them and their buyout price is impressive but fair. Chipotle, obviously, is willing to pay more for that space but the jobs they provide and what they bring to the neighborhood will be very different.

In Banter’s closing announcement they said their friends are creating an “amazing and unique concept”. So I think it’s something new. I wonder about the Tremont Taphouse space though.

I walk by Choolah multiple times a week and it’s rare to see more than one table occupied. I’m sure they’re doing some takeout (I usually do) but it’s dead compared to the others I’ve been to. And in the days when Karen Small’s rent across the street was going up to 11k I don’t know how they make that location work. But it seems the fast casual chains (or wannabe chains) are happy to go all in. Build the Pho, Greens Salad, now Chipotle…

Soho has magical vibes in that space. So many awesome memories there. It’s sad chipotle couldn’t get the project across the street done. Heck, if I were them I’d wait on Choolah- that place is always empty. I have loved living in the neighborhood but the food scene needs help. Black Pig, Flying Fig/Pearl St, Alea’s “temporarily” closed, Hansa and Proof seem close. I hope SoHo stays nearby. Aside from Amba new additions have lackluster, and definitely not the kind of places that raise up the food scene.

Mainly the reviews have been absolutely terrible since the reno and rebrand. The lobby and restaurant looks great imo but, to me, the rest of the building still feels old and stale. The rooms and layouts are average. The place is massive but it just feels like the Reno money didn’t do enough imo- at least in the rooms. I’ve been to so many cities where the beautiful old hotel bar is THE place to stop a grab a cocktail. And so many autographs just feel iconic and fresh. Hopefully they can get their operations in order. But the recent reviews, especially compared to all the other hotels downtown, are sad to see.