Avogadro

Corner Alley could account for one bar and one restaurant.

But, you can have one or two good parents, but if their children are surrounded by other children who are not committed to learning, then their peers will pull them down with them. At least, that is what I have observed first-hand. I do think that there needs to be a push not just from a parental level, but also from the schools in an attempt to create a full environment (within the school, at home, and during the between-times when so much damage can be done) that gives kids a fighting chance to succeed. Sorry, back on topic.

Oh! And Canterbury Golf Club in Shaker Heights is hosting this Senior PGA Championship this weekend. Fun times in Cleveland-town everyone, indeed.

The Larchmere Sidewalk Sale (http://www.larchmere.com/) is taking place this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Good venue for antiques, home to one of the finest used bookstores anywhere (Loganberry books: http://www.loganberrybooks.com/) and the always splendid Vine and Bean Cafe (http://www.vineandbeancafe.com/). Also, just one long block south is Shaker Square, which will have its weekly North Union Farmers' Market (http://www.shakersquare.net/farmersmarket.htm) from 8 a.m. to Noon. It is a must visit if you have any interest whatsoever in eating well. So, if you are staying downtown, hit the subway tour at 9 (call to see if you can enter from the east-end of the Detroit Superior Bridge- this has been possible in the past), get on the Blue or Green Line around 10:30 towards Shaker Square to hit the tail-end of the Farmer's Market, meander up to Larchmere for the Sidewalk Sale, then take the Rapid back downtown and then get on the 81 or 23 (LeBron's Bus) down to Tremont for a night of Greek carousing. WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT? I just planned your whole damn Saturday for you!

The weather is going to be brilliantly beautiful this weekend, with only a slight chance of passing storms. That said, I have been on the tour while it was raining, and I actually found it to be a better experience. Being under the bridge while a fine mist is coming in sideways is actually quite thrilling. There is some other splendid stuff going on this weekend, which is being discussed yonder: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,19208.0.html

That sounds splendid. I think that a whole passel of us would be happy to help the press kit go viral.

Certainly the onus is on companies and event planners to do much more (if anything at all) to promote mass transit. However, I wonder if RTA has a standard set of website "buttons"* that website developers can place on their contact/location pages that would basically send visitors to RTA's "how to ride" page or the pertinent transit route serving said location. *(Not sure if this is the right term. The analogue would be the small images at the bottom of weblogs that say "Powered by Moveable Type" or somesuch.)

Well, that was some polemic. My question was specifically for somebody who had a preference for living in Youngstown, in the city or other urban area. So, the rural suggestions were Right Out an answer to my query. However, I did also call for general advice, so I suppose that scotts and kjp are both right. Simmer down, brothers.

True enough, but there will always be somebody making excuses for why any team won a championship. The best way to combat that is for the Cavs to win multiple championships in multiple ways. :)

I too am occasionally bothered by the stupid sterotypes, but I oftentimes feel like we're swimming upstream. But, I am tired of playing defense (which I think that the PosCle contest might be doing, as laudable an effort as it is). I'd rather play offense by initiating Good Damn Stuff, including marketing the city, rather than respond to every two-bit snub. That said, if I ever meet Mike Polk (not that I or many others would recognize him), I'd seriously consider punching him in the junk (not really).

I hate to say this, but these particular friends don't seem to have well-developed senses of humor. Then again, maybe I don't either, inasmuch as I would have responded: "well, maybe you shouldn't visit."

In Cleveland: Eastman Reading Garden, CPL, Downtown Grumpy's Cafe- Tremont Prosperity- Tremont Great Lakes Brewing- Ohio City West Side Market balcony- Ohio City Whiskey Island On my damn stoop, drinking a beer- Tremont

Mary Oliver! She is utterly brilliant, and hers is a must-attend event.

I would add to this that it's best to not do business with any out-of-town entity. Most everybody (with a very few exceptions) who bought troubled property while living elsewhere was looking to flip their "investment." Stay far, far away from these folks. Far better to purchase from a local, although this provides no guarantee, either. Second piece of advice: Partner with a CDC in the neighborhood where you want to invest. Better yet, find a good CDC first (regardless of the neighborhood) and then find the house. Hayward is right when he advises building a relationship with a CDC. They have folks who make a living helping folks like you. For the kinds of property that you seem to be seeking, I'd check in with the eastern Cleveland CDCs: Northeast Shores CDC (covering Collinwood), Burten Bell Carr CDC (Central), St. Clair Superior, Slavic Village, or Fairfax Renaissance. Have a sit-down with the real estate/development directors of these places and get to know them. They'll be tons of help. (EDIT: Just read what you said regarding CDCs. They aren't usually "bureaucrats." In fact, they are there to help cut through the red tape.)

Try telling that to Marius Pontmercy!

Thank you both for your thoughtful responses; this is going to be really helpful when I have that conversation with my friend in recruiting her to Northeast Ohio. Fortunately, she and her husband have experience with "fixer-uppers" in homes and in cities. I hope to see more recruiting take place for Youngstown, even while the population contracts. It isn't as if there is only out-migration from northern cities; sometimes, we get folks coming in as well. :-) (Edit: I'm not familiar with Youngstown neighborhoods: is the upper North Side defined as being north of Gypsy Lane?)

I have a friend who is may be moving to Youngstown* for a potential job at Youngstown State. Looking through the archives, I was shockingly unable to find a guide to help potential new Youngstowners find their happy new home. So, now's your opportunity to pimp your town. Specifics regarding my friend: She and her husband are professionals in their early thirties, with one 7-year-old. They're midwesterners who have lived mostly in mid-sized college towns. They don't need all of the benefits of the big city, but like living in older homes within walkable, historic neighborhoods. Any help with their specific situation would be more than welcome, but general impressions of the City, including favorite neighborhoods/suburbs, interesting districts, etc. would be just ducky. *(No, it's not me: I'm happy in Cleveland. I really do have a friend who is considering the move to Y-town.)

I don't have a lot of time right now to go into detail, but I will agree that it is the primary responsibility of City Hall to do code enforcement, etc. The reality is that code enforcement is done on a complaint-driven basis. Also, when new projects are proposed, while City Boards review the projects, they also take into consideration what is said by neighbors, esp. block clubs. The aforementioned Aldi's meets the basic code, but if you want something to exceed code, you need for the neighbors to demand it. Even primarily commercial areas have residents nearby. Again, the aforementioned Aldi's is within a couple of blocks of several residential blocks. What the residents there have to say about the project can sway City Boards, but they need to be organized to know what development is about to take place and to do something about it. In areas with good block clubs, it is an expectation on the part of developers to present their projects to the block club, knowing that they will need their approval in order to get their project passed by the City. Developers who want to build something in an area that has a block club but who go to the City for approval without presenting to the block club are oftentimes informed by the boards that they need to go to the clubs first.

Several years ago, I encountered somebody who was about to jump off of the Detroit-Superior Bridge as I was biking back to Ohio City from Downtown Cleveland. There is a tall fence that lines both sides of the bridge, so the only way to jump off is to begin at one side of the bridge, climb on the "wrong" side of the fence, and gingerly walk towards the center of the span until you get to a place that is high enough over the valley to make a "successful" jump. It takes time to get there, and in that time, I was able to see this fella making the long walk. When I saw him, he had probably been walking for a couple of minutes, but wasn't at the peak yet. I stopped, talked to him a bit, and a motorist saw the two of us talking, called the cops, then came over to the two of us. We had enough time to stall him until the cops came (closing off the bridge, 'natch) and a few of us could convince him to walk back to the end of the bridge where he started from. If there wasn't that tall fence, he could have strolled on the sidewalk to the center, and made a quick leap. Granted, this is just one example, from which no real conclusions may be made, but it did help in that instance to have enough time for folks to notice and intervene.

One of the most committed Block Clubs I know of is in the decidedly non-gentrified part of Tremont. They work like hell to keep their corner of the neighborhood safe and well-kempt, and their section is decidedly blue-collar in the best way that can be expressed, with folks who have lived there for generations (and who didn't "choose" to move there). In Fairfax, the Block Club that covers E. 115th south of Woodland also is a model for what can take place by committed residents. I don't know what you mean by "umph", but City Hall works with block clubs, not instead of. City Hall can't be on the ground everywhere, so you need the clubs to provide the eyes on the street. It's not enough to push this all off on the City.

When we say "current residents" and "constituency", I think that it is important to remember that individuals alone have little time, gumption, or ability to effect the kind of change that keeps "crap" from being built or blight from taking place. You really need an effective block club structure to keep folks vigilant and to provide the support structure needed to either create good new spaces or keep good neighborhoods from turning bad. While I was being flippant in my earlier comment about driving on the left and passing on the right (granted, it still drives me to distraction), I am utterly earnest when I tell you that what I would do to improve Cleveland is to make sure that Block Clubs cover every square foot of the City. Block Clubs help neighbors to know one another better, provide eyes on the street, make recommendations to the Board of Zoning Appeals that BOZA actually listens to, and advocates for one another. Tremont is Tremont because of its residents, and the residents get stuff done through Block Clubs.

I pretend that I'm French. Actually, if I don't have time to shower at work (and I usually don't), I do a 2 minute sponge-off before putting on the work duds. It's not always really convenient, though.

I live close enough to Downtown (Tremont) that I frequently bike in my work attire, including suit. But, when it is too warm to do this comfortably, I neatly fold my shirt and suit and place them in a pannier. It might be easiest for you to keep your dress shoes at work. Much of this depends on how far your commute would be, but it can be quite practical. I wouldn't wear pants over your dress pants (it will be quite warm), but if you do, Columbia makes a nice semi-breathable pair of rain pants that have velcroed cuffs. You can get them at Dick's or some other place.