MuRrAy HiLL

Check out this OU sponsered trip...C-Dawg Njaim, you coming??? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.herald-dispatch.com/homepage/x1924855497/OU-Southern-sponsors-bus-trip-to-Cleveland OU Southern sponsors bus trip to Cleveland Jun 25, 2008 @ 12:32 PM Herald-Dispatch.com IRONTON — Ohio University Southern will sponsor an “Education On Location” fine arts study trip to Akron and Cleveland, Ohio, Friday through Sunday Aug. 8-10. Hosts will be OUS faculty members Steve Call and Pat McCoy.

I know it's been a while for this thread, But... An office supply store? Seriously, I walked around Tower City for about an half hour an ended up having to buy my emergency office supplies for the day at the FedEx on E. 9 and Chester. Am I missing something?? This seems to be a huge stake in the market that is currently untapped. I must be missing something with the 100,000+ office workers downtown.

An interesting read: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=92156&catid=3 Urban farmers growing profit in Cleveland CLEVELAND -- There's produce and profit growing in a Cleveland vacant lot that used to be filled with garbage. It's an upside to the economic downturn in the city. Dozens of inner city residents are becoming urban farmers and turning a barren landscape into profitable growing spaces. Margaret Armstead is a child care worker, but she spends part of her time digging in the dirt, weeding and feeding mustard greens, radishes and herbs. Barbara Strauss is a librarian. She's also part of Eco Village, a neighborhood collaboration that's bringing the community together for a common goal. "We're trying to feed the neighbors through sales, improve the economic well-being of our partners and provide an economic development model for Detroit Shoreway and I think we've been successful," Strauss said. The foreclosure crisis that crippled many inner city neighborhoods also forced several grocery stores to close. Leaving residents with little transportation and a difficult time in finding fresh fruits and vegetables. Now more than 180 vacant lots have been transformed into fertile community gardens and farms. It took the members of Eco Village three years to turn their quarter acre into a blossoming garden. The soil couldn't be used because it was full of garbage and demolition debris. The farmers collected coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable peelings from local restaurants and started composting their own soil. They then used it to build garden boxes on top of the land. They've planted various herbs, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, squash -- almost everything you can find in the produce section of the grocery store. Now, Eco Village hopes to reap $5,000 this season from what they've sown. They sell their goods at local farm markets and to local restaurants. Urban agriculture is catching on. Morgan Taggart is with the Ohio State University Extension. She helps teach growers not only the tricks of successful planting, but also how to cash in on the fruits of their labor. Seventy-five people have already taken the class and there's a waiting list for the next one. "If they're going for high-end restaurants and are growing very specific niche crops, they can make a lot of money," Taggart says. She says research shows, with the right crops, urban farmers can earn $68,000 on a half acre. "We have thousands of vacant lots in the city and are looking for new strategies on how we can turn these into productive spaces," Taggart says, "It provides income for the neighborhood and it also provides healthy food." The Cleveland Health Department is also involved in the project for that reason. The project fits in with the Steps to a Healthier Cleveland initiative, which promotes healthier lifestyles, diet and gardening is great exercise. Taggart adds that urban gardens save the city money because they don't have to maintain vacant lots. Residents believe they cut down on crime because neighbors have an interest in making sure they're successful. The City of Cleveland now offers grant money to urban farmers who want to start a business. It's called Gardening for Greenbacks. Contact the city's office of Economic Development for details, (216) 664-3622. To learn more about urban farming click on the link. To find locally grown fruits and vegetables, check out the Farmer's Markets below. Downtown Farmers' Market1278 West 9th Street (at Constantino's)Mondays from 4:30-7:30 pm June 5 through October 30 Kamm's Corners Farmers' MarketWest 168th and Lorain Ave.Sundays 10:00 am- 2:00 pm Tremont MarketCorner of Starkweather and ProfessorSundays 10:00 am - 2:00 pmJune 22 through October 26 Ward 17 Farmers' MarketCorner of West 65th and West ClintonSaturdays 9:00 am - 1:00 pmJuly 5 through September 27

Some neat news from mlb.com: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080623&content_id=2990453&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb Cleveland to host SABR convention Diverse interests of baseball fans brought together during event By Justice B. Hill / MLB.com Members attending the SABR convention will catch the Indians-Reds game at Progressive Field on Friday night. (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images) CLEVELAND -- John Zajc can't quite exhale yet. Maybe in a day or two though, because at that point all Zajc's work on the baseball convention he's helped bring to Cleveland will be behind him. The convention comes here without too much residual damage to Zajc, at least none of it shows on his face. Two years ago, he'd mentioned to his wife that the Society of American Baseball Research, the organization that Zajc works for as executive director, was bringing its convention to the city. She wondered if their marriage could survive the grind. "No, no," he assured her. "It won't be any more work than I'm already doing." Zajc can laugh about that conversation today. As he sits in a cafe seven floors below the SABR headquarters on Huron Road, he can happily say his marriage remains intact. Any doubters can look at his left ring finger and see his wedding band still in place. And the SABR convention that has occupied his life? Well, the convention, which the Indians have played a role in supporting, can count the time to its opening ceremonies in hours, not days. For at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, SABR members from around the world will gather at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel in the heart of the city's downtown. Zajc had projected a total of 575 conventioneers. His projection, however, has missed the mark. The total has raced past 600, and Zajc isn't ruling out those whose registrations will arrive late or who will register at the convention site itself. Few of these baseball junkies, which SABR appeals to, have let the annual event sneak up on them, despite the unsettled nature of the U.S. economy or bloated gasoline prices. "They already budgeted for this expense," Zajc said. "So the marginal extra cost that they might not have budgeted hasn't been enough to make them cancel." And once the convention does open, Zajc and his team of volunteers have put together an event that will appeal to the broad interests of the 7,000-plus SABR members. "We have over 7,000 members, and I'll bet if you ask 7,000 members, you'll get 7,000 answers to what SABR does," Zajc said. People who have heard elevator talk about the organization might see it as an organization for "numbers guys." But to pigeonhole SABR that way is akin to calling every person who has ever played the game "Babe Ruth." SABR does have its place for numbers geeks, but it prides itself on having members who conduct significant research into the history of baseball. The organization boasts a membership list that includes attorneys, doctors, mathematicians, English professors, accountants, PhD students, former ballplayers, insurance salesmen and journalists. While the term "sabermetrician" blossomed from the mathematical aspect of what many members like Bill James, Rob Neyer and Matt Souder did, the term doesn't fit baseball authorities like Dave Smith (retrosheet), Dave Vincent (home runs) and Leslie Heaphy (Negro Leagues). SABR, essentially, is a community for baseball fans of all stripes. Their annual convention, No. 38 overall, reflects their diverse interests. Besides a Friday night visit to Progressive Field for the Indians-Reds game, conventioneers can sit in on research presentations such as: • "Not just a hit and a giggle: Women's baseball in Australia," by professor Anne Aronson of the Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minn. • "Smoke and water: Joe Wood in Cleveland," by professor Gerald Wood, dean of humanities at Carson-Newman College in Jeffersonville City, Tenn. • "Marvin Miller and free agency: The importance of 1969," by David Bohmer, director of the Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind. • "The 3,000 hit club: How they got there and who may join them," by assistant professor Gilbert Martinez of Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas • "What factors influence free agent salaries," by Vince Gennaro, a baseball consultant, CNBC commentator and instructor in the Graduate Sports Management Program at Columbia University But plenty of hard-core, numbers-driven statistical analysis will be on display at the convention as well, Zajc said. When looking at SABR, the media finds the numbers stories the easiest ones to tell. They usually feature the most newsworthy components, too. Zajc insisted that a perception of SABR and its yearly convention as merely a get-together for sabermetricians would be downright inaccurate. The convention, which ends on Sunday, is about baseball -- and about people's unvarnished love for the game and its rich history. "I know one member has said several times, 'It's the one week a year that I feel normal,'" Zajc said. "That always tickles me, and I totally understand it."

Great to hear this building will finally be marked. Almost another mini attraction for University Circle: -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/06/cozadbates_house_honored_with.html Cozad-Bates House honored with historical marker Posted by Brian Anthony Hernandez June 25, 2008 19:21PM Historians now can write the final chapter in the tale of a decade-long battle to save the historic Cozad-Bates House, the only surviving pre-Civil War structure in University Circle. The Ohio Historical Society unveiled a freshly planted state historical marker Wednesday, signifying the end of a hard-fought struggle for community leaders to renovate the red brick house...

Man, love this article: ---------------------------------------------------------------- http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/06/mayor_frank_jackson_says_he_ba.html Mayor Frank Jackson says he, Barack Obama share vision for cities Posted by Henry J. Gomez June 23, 2008 18:46PM Sen. Barack Obama told the the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Miami on Saturday that if he becomes president, he would appoint the first White House Director of Urban Policy to help them cut through federal bureaucracies. AP Photo/Alex Brandon Mayor Frank Jackson endorsed Barack Obama in the thick of the presidential primary season four months ago, based largely on his belief that Obama would do more for Cleveland and other urban areas. Jackson, a Democrat, said he was not disappointed Saturday after he listened to the presumptive Democratic nominee tout cities as "the building blocks of strong regions."

Glads in the Playoffs: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Gladiators complete turnaround, earn AFL playoff spot with 47-35 victory over Columbus Posted by Dennis Manoloff [email protected] June 21, 2008 23:13PM Karon Riley celebrates a Gladiators touchdown with the fans during the second quarter Saturday night at Quicken Loans Arena. Brynne Shaw/The Plain Dealer The Gladiators' 47-35 victory clinched a playoff berth for the team in its first season in Cleveland. Before the season, Gladiators President Bernie Kosar said he expected his team to make the playoffs. It was a bold statement, given that Kosar had gutted a roster largely responsible for a 2-14 record in Las Vegas last year. Kosar's called shot came to fruition Saturday night. The Gladiators, needing a victory to make the playoffs, disposed of the Columbus Destroyers, 47-35, at The Q in the regular-season finale. The Gladiators franchise clinched its first postseason berth since 2003. Cleveland (9-7) could host a postseason game if New York were to lose to Philadelphia on Sunday. Full story at http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/06/gladiators_reach_afl_playoffs.html

I know this thread dosen't make sense with the title....but: How about them apples?? -------------------------------------------------------------------- June 18, 2008 Case Western Reserve football team picked preseason No. 10 The Case Western Reserve University football team will begin its 2008 campaign ranked No. 10 in the nation by the Lindy's 2008 College Football Preseason magazine. The Spartans, who report to camp on August 12, kick-off the season September 6 at Kenyon College. In 2007, the Case Western Reserve had its most successful season in school history, as the Spartans finished the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record and earned the program's first-ever bid to the NCAA Division III Playoffs. In Case's first playoff game, quarterback Dan Whalen hit wide receiver Jeff Mayer in the end-zone in the final seconds for the a thrilling 21-20 victory over Widener University at Case Field in Cleveland. The Spartan's perfect season came to an end against Wabash College in the second round with a 38-23 defeat. Lindy's Division III Preseason Top 25: 1. Mount Union 2. Wisconsin-Whitewater 3. Bethel (Minn.) 4. Mary Hardin-Baylor 5. Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) 6. Wesley (Del.) 7. Wabash (Ind.) 8. Capital 9. St. John's (Minn.) 10. Case Western Reserve 11. Wittenberg 12. Wisconsin-Eau Claire 13. Wartburg (Iowa) 14. North Central (Ill.) 15. Central (Iowa) 16. St. John Fisher (N.Y.) 17. Ithaca (N.Y.) 18. North Carolina Wesleyan 19. Trinity (Texas) 20. Salisbury (Md.) 21. Rensselaer (N.Y.) 22. Muhlenberg (Pa.) 23. Redlands (Calif.) 24. Linfield (Ore.) 25. Occidental (Calif.) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Some other talk on the nationally ranked men's soccer, women's cross, and football teams from previously: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,943.240.html http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,935.msg237842.html#msg237842

My advice is visit cleveland many times...use the year to have fun in the different neighborhoods, then decide. You have a chance to "try out the neighborhoods" in a way. Welcome!

Some more positive new coverage on the progression of Gordon Square -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=91922&catid=3 Cleveland's latest hot spot Dave Summers 13 hrs ago CLEVELAND -- At a time when the economy looks sour in many places, some sweet development is taking place on Cleveland's west side. It's the eight block stretch of Detroit Avenue, between west 61st and 69th streets, called the Gordon Square Arts District. Marlin Kaplan is the chef, wine wizard and creator of Luxe Kitchen and Lounge. "There's a real vibrancy, old, young, ethnic backgrounds here," Kaplan said. "It's what the fabric of Cleveland is all about." Luxe is the latest edition to the 24 shops, art galleries and restaurants that call the Gordon Square Arts District home. The restaurant is trendy casual, the fair is affordable and the wine is not in the cellar, but instead a bank vault. In the 1920's this was the Central Savings and Loan. "Our intention is to own and operate a really nice little neighborhood restaurant," Kaplan said. Like the other businesses, Kaplan was drawn here by the development of three theaters. They are the Pinta, Nina and Santa Maria of the new world of economic development. This is not your tax dollars at work, but the work of three nonprofit organizations. "This is really authentic Cleveland," Joy Roler, the Executive Director of Gordon Square, said. "That's what makes the Gordon Square Arts District great." Artists who have shown their work world wide have found a home and a following here. "It's so diverse. There are so many different people coming through the area," artist April Nemeth said. "It's more of an up and coming neighborhood," artist Sara Hoover said. Gordon Square's popularity is growing right out in the street. The next project is widening sidewalks and creating new parking lots. [huh???]

Here's a map that labels the construction: http://www.csuohio.edu/aboutcsu/campusmap.pdf EDIT: Lot Z isn't marked as "construction" in the link yet

Mad Money’s Jim Cramer praises a green Cleveland Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 05:19:55 AM Rebecca Meiser This man is not nearly as obnoxious as originally thought.You may not realize this, but Cleveland is way ahead of the green curve. So says Grist.org, a Seattle environmental group that ranked Cleveland one of the 12 most green cities in the country. Seems we have more community gardens than most, and most of our new housing has been deemed “energy efficient.” We’re second only to Los Angeles in the number of new construction units that are officially certified as “green” by LEED-ND, a non-profit that rates new homes on their eco-sustainability… For more, click the link http://blogs.clevescene.com/cnotes/2008/06/mad_moneys_jim_cramer_praises.php

A news story featuring some stuff on Denver: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25212564#25212564

I took some pics today (on my cell phone) Let me see what I can do.... EDIT: A few quick crappy images...then my phone was capped out of memory.. And then across the street from the University Lofts Bookstore/Brothers Printing:

Some cool articles from the Avenue District website: http://avenuedistrict.blogspot.com/2008/06/costs-of-commuting-part-one-tracking.html

Read more at http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/06/city_officials_make_pitch_to_r.html City officials make their pitch to revive lakefront IRL race for 2009 open-wheel season By Elton Alexander June 11, 2008 18:33PM In a quiet, yet high-powered, round of presentations and meetings, Indy Racing League officials heard from Cleveland political and civic leaders Wednesday afternoon about the importance of putting the Grand Prix of Cleveland back on the open wheel racing calendar for 2009. Since the IRL and Champ Car merged in February, many races -- including Cleveland -- were bumped off the schedule. But the IRL also said 2009 will offer a chance for several events to get back on the slate. Cleveland is among a number of cities trying to make the cut, including Toronto, Portland, Houston and Mexico City.

Another bump from ONN. http://www.10tv.com/live/content/onnnews/stories/2008/06/10/portofcleveland.html?sid=102 Cleveland Port Relocation Project Proposed Tuesday, June 10, 2008 7:52 AM CLEVELAND, Ohio — Community leaders on Ohio's North Coast continue public talks about relocating the Port of Cleveland. The area port authority is working with the Army Corps of Engineers to determine if the proposed new site will work. A port relocation could begin to make visions of a thriving Cleveland lakefront reality, ONN's Brian McIntyre reported. ...

http://www.cpnonline.com/cpn/content_display/regions/midwest/e3ifd5bab0845dffef8d0b1f661981ef9de HRPT Finalizes Cleveland Office Complex Acquisition June 10, 2008 By: Dees Stribling, Contributing Correspondent HRPT Properties Trust has closed on the acquisition of the 877,000-square-foot North Point office complex in Downtown Cleveland, Ohio. All together, the two-building property sold for $123 million, or about $140 per square foot...

What we've been waiting to hear! (with hopefully more news to come...but this is definitely a start.) http://www.newsnet5.com/sports/16561096/detail.html Congress Secures Money To Restore Cleveland's League Park POSTED: 3:21 pm EDT June 10, 2008 UPDATED: 3:28 pm EDT June 10, 2008 CLEVELAND -- The Ohio House of Representatives approved $150,000 for the restoration of Cleveland's historic League Park. The ballpark, most of which was demolished in the 1950s, was the former home of the Cleveland Indians and Cleveland's Negro League teams. All that remains of the park today is the ticket booth and part of a wall. The goal is to rebuild the park as a sports facility and a museum. It would also be a Hough neighborhood center. The Ohio Senate must first approve the bill before it goes before Gov. Ted Strickland.

There are a decent amount of "Green" threads on here...so I'll pick this one. From MSN: 12 unexpected urban areas that are doing good green stuff http://green.msn.com/galleries/photos/photos.aspx?gid=207&GT1=45002&page=2 "Cleveland also ranks second only to Los Angeles in the number of projects per capita seeking certification under LEED-ND, an expanded version of the notorious green-building guidelines that applies to entire neighborhoods."

^The article is not from NEO. The website is based out of California

A very touristy article on this project--I like it! From franchising.com: ----------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.franchising.com/pressreleases/7189/ Hotel Indigo Coming to the Heart of Downtown Cleveland FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 09, 2008 140-room conversion property to open in historic building June 09, 2008 // Franchising.com // ATLANTA - IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)], one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms, today announced that a Hotel Indigo is coming to downtown Cleveland. Construction is expected to begin this fall on the adaptive reuse of the mid-century landmark Breuer Tower, with an anticipated opening in spring 2010. The Hotel Indigo will be located at the intersection of Euclid Avenue and East Ninth Street, in the epicenter of downtown Cleveland, and is owned by The K&D Group.

Yes and new storefront

Man, love the attention to this great neighborhood. ;)

Amazing pics UncleRando...glad you enjoyed your time in Cleveland. Glad you got to see Little Italy and the Garfield Monument.