justine

Examples of housing in the area

Here are some recent photos of the Variety Theater, some of the housing nearby, the Pizza place to open soon.

Thanks for letting me know, KJP. I didn't know about this.

Hi All, Here is an Article that appeared in the Sun. The next post is photos I took of the new developments in the area. The area has a lot of interesting things happening lately. Variety Theater is at heart of revitalization area in Cleveland Published: Friday, April 27, 2012, 10:43 AM By Ken Prendergast, Sun News CLEVELAND Lorain Avenue, between West 110th and West 130th streets, has a number of pieces of the revitalization puzzle that are starting to fall into place at the same time. At the geographic heart of this commercial district is the 85-year-old Variety Theater, 11815 Lorain, which is undergoing a slow renovation due to limited funds. The 1,900-seat theater closed about 25 years ago, after having served as a vaudeville house, movie theater and stage for rock concerts. It is owned by the Friends Of The Historic Variety Theater Inc. A dozen apartments on the theater’s second-floor were renovated, and now two new stores have come to the theater’s 10 storefronts. READ MORE AT: http://www.cleveland.com/sunpostherald/index.ssf/2012/04/variety_theater_is_at_heart_of.html

I also looked last fall because I really wanted to be part of a credit union. I used to be a member of the teachers credit union in Michigan and it was open to everyone. I took the bus to the "downtown" location of the Firefighters Credit Union on a Saturday morning only to find it closed on Saturday. I looked into the one near Metro Health which is open to people who live or work in Cleveland but their locations weren't that convenient for me. There is the Ohio Education Credit Union which is open to certain occupations/industries beyond teachers and may be worth looking into. There is a location near Cleveland State University and one in Lakewood as well as others. The St. Coleman's Credit Union is open to those who have some connection to the parish.

I was there. Took RTA both ways. Had a wonderful time.

Clvndr, yes I did plan ahead on my trip. I think it's really important to plan the trip back before venturing out, too. I've often thought that we need classes or one on one instruction for using transit like we do for driving. No one would just expect a teenager to get in a car and drive without someone with them giving them tips. How cool would it be to have transit mentors. So many times people tell me that they don't take RTA because it's not reliable. They forget all the trips to the mechanic for their car and sometimes they go out and wait for a bus without looking at a schedule.

Last week, I went to the Cedar Lee theater for a movie. I had to go to Shaker Square earlier so I decided to take the Shaker line to Lee and walk up Lee since it was a nice day. After the movie, I took the Cedar bus to the University Circle Rapid station then after a five minute wait, I caught the rapid and went back to the W. 117th and Madison Rapid station near where I live. I couldn't believe how fast RTA got me home. It was a five minute wait for the Cedar bus and only about a ten minute ride on the bus. The rapid was about a 22 minute ride. Instead of dealing with traffic, I could read and relax on the RTA. I did have a bunch of schedules with me and had planned my route going back based on the time the movie got out. I had an alternative route planned in case I needed it. (Lee bus to the blue or green, then downtown and transfer to the red line west.

There's a new coffeehouse on Prospect downtown. It looks great and is open late, called Nexus.

Thanks for the suggestion. I looked at the website. A friend from Detroit said there's been quite a bit of redevelopment in the downtown area of Erie. Has anyone been there and seen that?

Hi, I want to explore the city on the Great Lake in PA. Besides the state park what is there to see and do in town on a weekend? I would like a few suggestions.

I've been doing a little more research on this topic. I talked to a naturalist at Cleveland Metro parks who told me about two upcoming native plant sales. Both are next Saturday. One is at Shaker Lakes Nature Center and the other is at South Chagrin Metropark. Both are wonderful places to visit also. One of the recommendations I've seen for a sunny yard is Wild Geranium. It is also native which has many benefits for the environment - no fertilizer or pesticide needed, non-invasive.

I think in ranking transit we should consider frequency. For example, more points if the nearest transit stop is a 24 hour bus or rapid stop. I wouldn't give high scores for transit that runs every 40 minutes and stops at 9 p.m. I think a neighborhood park is pretty important for health and well being. I agree that necessities like grocery stores and pharmacies rank higher than an area with a lot of bars and restaurants.I really don't get why certain neighborhoods have a lot of restaurants but lack even a medium sized grocery (like Tremont). I think Steelyard commons is too far by foot to count in the walkability for groceries.

According to the article, the employee at the St. Clair Superior group saw a film about a city in Brazil that uses sheep to "mow" the grass. The movie is called "A Convenient Truth". Most likely a lot of people on this board have seen it. I think it is a wonderful and inspiring film about a city that embraces many sustainable practices with sheep grazing on public lands being one of many. They also educated the children about recycling, improved transit, etc.

I personally am tired of seeing photos of unoccupied buildings in blighted areas and I will try to explain why. I am originally from Detroit and it was sad to see a once thriving city suffer so much. For some of us it's personal. Would I post pictures of a relative dying? Would this be considered insensitive? I realize it is part of the city and for those with an interest in urban planning, it may be interesting, but there is a certain segment of the population that focus on the decaying and blighted neighborhoods to the exclusion of the rest of the city. It's a bit like people that stop and gawk at auto accidents. Are they helping by stopping and looking?

The size of the yard (front and back is really small, maybe 30 feet by 30 feet for each. Since it's on a corner, there is two tree lawns to maintain. All areas are very sunny so I don't think Ivy would work for us either. I can see for kids to play on it probably is best to leave some areas as grass since it is so soft. We seem to have a lot of clover growing wild among the grass. Thanks for the tip about the pebbles. Our neighbor who did it on the tree lawn did put plastic down first.

I just had a friend visit and I gave her the grand tour. This is what we did: First Day: I gave her the east side tour! We went to University Circle, walked around the pond, then on to Coventry and walked around, then drove through Shaker Heights and walked around Shaker Square. We stopped for a snack at Phoenix cafe in Coventry. Then we went to Little Italy and walked some more then ate at Mama Santos. We finished the evening listening to some great music at Barking Spider. Second Day: I gave her the west side tour: We started out at Clifton Diner then on to Edgwater Park to see the magnificant view of the downtown and beautiful Lake Erie, then on to Tremont where we walked all over and went into art galleries, a brief stop at West Side Market to see the architecture, then to Carnegie library to use the internet and read the magazines. Then on to Luchitas for great Mexican food and finally finishing the evening hearing a great band at the Screaming Rooster in Lakewood. Third day: Rock and Roll museum. This tour was tailored to the interests of my friend and might be different for someone else. Her impression of Cleveland was extremely positive.

Thanks for the website JRC. I think that's just what we are looking for. Also, Heights 121, the ground cover you suggested looks like a good alternative to grass. I'm not sure about using a nonnative plant though. I have been told that it's important for the environment to find native plants since they do better in this climate and need mimimal watering and care. www.ohioprairienursery.com is a website recommended for seeds and seems to have a lot of native grasses. Lawns are a big drag on the environment with all the chemicals, fertilizer, watering, cutting, etc. What about pebbles and stones? Has anyone used these for part of their yard? Is there any downside to using pebbles and stones? I've noticed some people replacing their tree lawn with pebbles and I wonder how they remove the leaves in the fall or maybe they just leave them there. Is anyone familiar with the Brooklyn Center naturalists group? They are redoing their yards to attract animals, birds, etc. I don't really want to take on that big a project though. How about fences? We are on a corner and it is pretty busy. Is there any good, inexpensive fencing around?

Anyone know of a low maintenance alternative to a lawn? (other than concrete or patio). I have heard of native decorative grasses and found a resource for them. It is called Ohio Prairie Nursery and they sell seeds online. We are looking for something that is a ground cover that doesn't need a lot of water or weed killer and preferably doesn't need much mowing. Also, we don't want to get a ticket. I've looked into Myrtle but someone told me that it is inavasive and it might go into our neighbors yard. We don't need to walk on the grass much since we have a deck. With energy prices going up and the benefits of native plants, I'd like to find something that would work on a small sunny lawn. I am hoping to find out other's experiences with it before investing in a lawn alternative. I don't want high wildflowers because I know people who do that and they get lots of complaints from their neighbors.

I take the Greyhound from Cleveland to Detroit frequently and it is fine. Always on time and a quick ride. I don't think I would pay extra for premium service since there is already enough leg room, and I am content to read a book. I've taken Greyhound to Chicago also and took it to Boston and back a few years ago. I didn't have any problems traveling at night. I did sleep but it was a little uncomfortable, okay for one night though.

I have talked to so many people who say they have been helped by Kucinich's office here. I think he and his staff do a good job of helping individuals. They are both Democrats but I really like the way Kucinich stands up to the big banks. I attended a hearing on the "gassification" plant proposed in Cleveland and Kucinich was there and spoke out against it due to the enviromental impact. I really like his energy. I think that it will depend on turnout. If people in Cuyahoga county get out and vote, I think he can win.

What is involved with the service advisory board? Is it the same as being involved with the transit advocates? I am interested in applying but would like to know a little more about it.

I signed up with ATT Uverse Internet Service and want to rid myself of them as soon as I can. Due to rebates, etc. I've been stuck with them until they are finished crediting my account. I have a split line with the telephone since I don't have cable. My service is wireless (when it works). Any suggestions for a good, basic and inexpensive internet service (Other than AT&T)? Their sales pitch was very misleading and I have had to spend hours on the phone with them over incorrect billing.

I am really disappointed to see Fat Fish Blue close. It's not only a restaurant but a great club to hear Blues music at with a reasonable cover. Also, you can take the Rapid and not have to walk far in the freezing cold or rain. I love the food also. It is always a happy place and I'm surprised they are closing. They also have a location in Toledo but it is out at a suburban mall. Does anyone know if they plan to reopen somewhere else? If so, I hope they keep their downtown presence. As far as the Twisted Kilt does, it sounds absolutely disgusting, the type of place that appeals to the worst common denominator. The casinos haven't helped Detroit and I doubt they will help Cleveland.

We moved to the West Park area and would like to find a vet that is good with cats. I had one in Shaker Heights that was good but now we are on the west side. I need to take my cat in for a check up. She is an older cat. Any suggestions for a good and reasonably priced vet?