asher519

^^^^^^^^ I'm going to have to agree with StrapHanger's assessment of Cleveland's "liberalism" and NEO in general. I certainly get the sense that the area (personally, I'm more familiar with Youngstown than Cleveland) is fairly blue dog with relatively liberal representation. And there are definitely healthy pockets of progressive viewpoints and ideas (as there are endlessly healthy pockets of conservatism). Also, just to clarify, though the Episcopal Church has two openly gay bishops (in the dioceses of New Hampshire and Los Angeles), Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori's husband may disagree with her classification as a lesbian.

I ate at David's Place while visiting a friend a couple years ago... some of the best Ethiopian food I've had. It's one of many little cosmopolitan surprises Iowa City offers. [And I certainly did a double take the first time I saw a Kum & Go :lol:] Thanks for the pics!

I walked past the site the other day: the section of parking lot where the new building is going has been ripped out and foundation work has begun. Also, the entrance to the current building has been partially demo'd and a banner hung that states it is open during construction. I would've snapped a pic but I didn't have my camera with me.

The Youngstown Vindicator opined -- very bluntly, I might add -- today about Kasich's stand on the 3-C line. Gov-elect Kasich is wrong on use of federal rail funds Published: Sat, November 27, 2010 @ 12:00 a.m. The Obama administration has told Ohio’s next governor, Republican John Kasich, in the clearest language possible that the use-it-or-lose-it rule applies to the hundreds of millions of dollars in passenger rail money from the federal government. If Kasich stands firm on his campaign promise to halt the development of a rail system linking Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Dayton, the U.S. Department of Transportation will take back the $400 million. Full opinion piece at: http://www.vindy.com/news/2010/nov/27/gov-elect-kasich-is-wrong-on-use-of-fede/

Damien Jurado - Ohio This is from the musical, The Last Five Years:

The cupola of the Ohio Statehouse; about a year ago. Ohio Statehouse Cupola by asher519, on Flickr

I couldn't find the Randy Newman original, but this is Harry Nilsson's cover of "Dayton, Ohio - 1903"

Blighted neighborhood may sprout 'food campus' Thursday, October 21, 2010 02:55 AM By Mark Ferenchik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH A year-round farmers market, dozens of community gardens and a restaurant selling locally produced food might be coming to an impoverished neighborhood near the Ohio State University campus. Weinland Park, already the focus of a number of efforts to transform its crime-ridden, blighted image to one of stability, also could get a food-processing center and business incubator. The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission received an $864,989 federal grant yesterday to plan those projects. The plan includes detailed building and landscaping designs, plus marketing and business plans that will be finished in the next two years. It would be urban redevelopment based on a food-production system, a "neighborhood food campus" that the planning commission's Jerry Tinianow said would be unique in the United States. Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/10/21/blighted-neighborhood-may-sprout-food-campus.html?sid=101

The Market Street video is mesmerizing! Considering the reactions of many of the passersby, I can only imagine how large and noticeable that old camera mount must've been. I also found it funny how many people seemed to not notice a streetcar passing until it was right in front of them; I wonder if this had more to do with distractions in what must've been a noisy setting, or simply the expectation that it would slow down and not hit them. One other observation, it's interesting to see how aggressive drivers of the horseless carriages were already becoming over 100 years ago... Amazing footage, both that and the subway video that started off this thread!

Artists' haven saved, perhaps now for good Operator's mother buys century-old school in Milo-Grogan for $125,000 Monday, October 18, 2010 04:49 AM By Mark Ferenchik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Milo Arts remains alive in a neighborhood struggling to regain vitality. After a year in which its existence was very much in doubt - again - Rick Mann's urban enclave for artists in the century-old Milo Elementary School is surviving thanks to an infusion of cash from his mother. Failsafe Ventures LLC, run by Mann's mother, Dorothy Mann, of Granville, bought the building on Oct. 1 for $125,000. Franklin County's appraised value was $325,500, and the previous owner - IB Property Holdings - had paid $280,000 for it at an April sheriff's sale. Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/10/18/artists-haven-saved-perhaps-now-for-good.html?sid=101

This cliff has a big nose :-D

What do you think his motivation is to say what they quote? My guess -- and this is 100% conjecture -- is that Rufolo takes issue with the fact that it can't pay for itself... subsidy-phobia. Most of the line is within Fareless Square (and the fare boxes are out of order half the time anyway) so it feels free. I know I never I paid when I lived there (in my defense, however, I usually had a Tri-Met pass which is also good on the streetcar). Even with sponsorship deals with local businesses, nearly 60% of its operating budget comes from Tri-Met and another 33% from the City. If you look at his stats, he's trained as an economist and his specialties include (not surprisingly) State & Local Finances and Urban Economics. It's impossible to deny the massive amounts of development that have occurred along the line since its inception that have greatly benefited the city, so maybe he's simply one of those people that will always think streetcars are a waste. I wonder what his thoughts are on MAX? Regardless, I couldn't imagine Portland without its streetcar, and I have a feeling that Cincinnatians will quickly feel the same about theirs.

Portland's core also has two Safeways (one downtown proper and one in the Pearl). Also, both stores--along with the Whole Foods--are on the streetcar line. Hmmm... I could certainly see a similar synergy occurring in Cincy between the OTR Kroger and a downtown grocer.

Thanks for the pics. I like to see the happy exuding from my hometown :-D

Portland also has these delightful "remember to be careful" signs all around downtown along the streetcar and MAX routes. I would think Cincinnati will invest in a few for their line.

I moved to this neighborhood nearly two months ago to be closer to campus, and love the convenience of it. I get around on foot 98% of the time so the proximity to so many food options and cafes, with a few quirky shops thrown in, makes my life easier. There's also excellent access to Tuttle Park and the Greenway (I'm on the west side of High), and it's only a 10-15 minute walk to the Giant Eagle just north of the neighborhood. Also, little known tidbit: at Faye's, they run a dollar store out of the backroom. If it's not open, just ask... Thanks for the pics!

David, I have to agree with you about Dogville. I have it on dvd and, though I don't watch it often, am always given new thoughts on the human condition when I do. My personal favorite, however, is Schindler's List. Once in a blue I grab a bottle of brandy, put the movie in the player, and have a sobfest...

I have a soft spot for Youngstown (my brother and his family live there and I stayed with them for a few months when I returned to Ohio last year). It makes me so happy to see these positive developments!

I heard this song on Radio France a few weeks ago and have been listening to it compulsively ever since. "C'est dit" by Calogero: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj2MbQFH4KA

Miamisburg, where I grew up, has a cozy, little temple downtown on Second Street. Completed in 1869, it was originally an Episcopal church and had a cupola on top. That was removed and the front facade was added in 1901 when the Masons took possession of the building.

Dayton - Steele High School (demolished late 1940s)

The new place to be Renovated, expanded Battelle Grand is ready to host gatherings amid upscale surroundings in the largest ballroom in the state Sunday, January 17, 2010 - 3:40 AM By Marla Matzer Rose, The Columbus Dispatch Before there was a Nationwide Arena or a Value City Arena, there was Battelle Hall. Built in 1980 as part of the Ohio Center, it was the place to be for arena football, basketball games, rock concerts, business gatherings and cheerleading contests. And in recent years, it was starting to show its age. Now, after a $32.5 million face-lift, the newly christened Battelle Grand is ready for its coming-out party. Those who remember the "old" Battelle Hall will be in for a surprise. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2010/01/17/battellehall_redo.ART_ART_01-17-10_D1_TFG9US8.html?sid=101

Thanks for these pics Robert! I went to school for a few years at Valpo and was a member of the Chapel's Kantorei (the Chapel of the Reverberation, we called it). I have cherished memories singing there, especially during Advent/Christmas Vespers when the space was always filled beyond its 2000-person seating capacity. I really need to swing through someday as much construction and a redesign of traffic flow on campus have occurred since last I visited (the library groundbreaking happened several months after I graduated). On a side note, the old library--which sat where the new student union has been built (4th pic of the Christopher Center set)--was an excellent example of prairie-style architecture through a 1950s lens. Though it was impractical for the purposes of a modern-day collegiate library, I wish they had re-adapted it instead of demolishing it, and simply built the new union on the site of the ugly, old one (which still stands).

On my walk home from work today, I noticed that both Take 2 Apparel at 668 N High and Luxe de vie at 720 N High have "Store Closing" signs in their windows. On their website, Take 2 claims the expiration of their lease seemed like a good time to pursue other interests, while Luxe makes no mention of their impending closure. Hopefully neither of these spots--both are core Short North--will be empty for too long

That's good to know as I'm heading down to Dayton tomorrow to spend Tofurkey Day with the folks. There were still a ton of barrels all over the place last time I was down that way.