Oldmanladyluck

^^Nope... thats a surface lot now. Thats progress.

Hope I'll be able to make it!

^^Great news for the region- I wish this would happen more often.

Looks good!

^Could be another Dollar General... those seem to be the only new construction going up retail wise on much of the east side right now (there is a grocery store across the street on E. 123rd). Just joining in on the optimism...

Building looks fine from the outside, and that area of the city has lost more than it's share of frontage along main corridors.

Two things you don't see in the suburbs on Valentines Day: 1) Scantly clad women in front of the Soldier's and Sailor's Monument bringing awareness to PETA: 2) Marriages done in Tower City

^Congrats- Euclid is still a good place to live (regardless of the "perception" of those who live further east). Where's your house? There's an Aldi's on Babbit & Lakeshore (along with a Dave's behind it, and a Marcs a little bit east along Lakeshore), a Save-A-Lot on Neff & E. 185th with another at Euclid & E. 272nd.

^Nice! And of course I'll add pics when I can- maybe from a different angle if there will be a webcam soon.

Live from the Justice Center (over the last couple of days... and sorry for the reflections)

^Or it could be that the Midwest has a greater awareness of the problem, with more calls coming in due to awareness than in other parts of the country. Statistics often don't tell the whole story (in Cleveland, for example, there's been many public meetings about the issue along with a County Bed-Bug Task Force which has been created; all increasing awareness. With greater awareness, more calls are made). You never know...

Detroit's on there. Under Beta. Ahh... Beta- (same as Cleveland). Missed it the first time, though I looked for Detroit like 5 times before I originally posted and didn't see it. Guess I was expecting Detroit to score higher.

One American city which is glaringly off the list (no matter how much negative publicity the city has received since the recession/financial crisis)- is Detroit.

Correct. Thanks- and I thought it was a safe assumption for this thread... but if this is in Conwell's ward, then I digress. What difference does it matter how much he is paid? Do you have any idea what his or any council members' day-to-day schedule is like? You can criticize him and others for their judgment, ethics or whatever, but you cannot criticize any of them for the amount of work they do. Spend some time with a council member and then tell me what you think. Maybe volunteer to answer the phone for a council member for a day. I suspect you will answer more calls for them in a day than you get at home in a year. KJP- I respect your viewpoints on many issues. But... for serious? ;-) I think I've had some experience with council members... maybe just a little... while empowering residents as a direct-action community organizer at a local non-profit. Whether it was the demolition of 40 vacant and derelict properties along with the condemnation of close to 100 properties in the Mt Pleasant and Union-Miles area between E. 116th and the E. 140s, the arrest of drug dealers and the removal of guns off the city's streets, or the public humiliation of slumlords on the southeast side... working with council members and appointed officials and holding them accountable is something I believe in. They get paid to represent the citizens, and to find solutions to issues which arise in the city. So my question was in regards to a business waiting over three weeks for an occupancy permit; however, since it was in Conwell's ward, I guess it doesn't matter for this thread (though his office phone should be blowing up by now about the issue). A bottleneck at city hall regarding occupancy permits is not a good thing, obviously, and affects business openings in Uptown (and Downtown). What's the reason for the bottleneck? Should someone be held accountable? Is waiting three weeks for an occupancy permit in one of the hottest areas of the city acceptable? It doesn't seem like it should be. But if folks think it is, then we'll just have to...

Has anyone contacted Joe Cimperman? He gets paid $70,000+ a year. What does his office have to say about the hold-up?

And the beat goes on... Greater Cleveland sheds more jobs than any large metro area in the country -- yet again By Olivera Perkins, The Plain Dealer Email the author | Follow on Twitter on January 07, 2014 at 2:00 PM, updated January 07, 2014 at 3:30 PM CLEVELAND, Ohio - First they hold their breath, then they cringe. This is how the people who follow local jobless numbers have greeted the Labor Department's release of metro unemployment figures in recent months. They hold their breath hoping the Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor metro area won't yet again lead the nation in job loss. Then they cringe when the find out the local metro area is still No. 1. November's figures released Tuesday brought reason for much cringing. For the seventh straight month, the Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor metro area lost more jobs than any big city metro area in the country, based on year over year comparisons. The local metro area had 8,100 fewer jobs, or a 0.8 percent dip in employment, in November 2013 vs. November 2012. And yet again, Greater Cleveland was the only one of 37 large metros - those with employment levels above 750,000 - to post a decrease in jobs. The report looked at 372 metro areas of varying sizes. More at: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/01/greater_cleveland_sheds_more_j.html#incart_river_default

AWESOME thread! I can't believe I missed it all these years!

^Not so fast... these lists are crazy altogether.... Study: Cleveland One of the Worst-Run Cities in U.S. Posted on: 8:49 pm, January 4, 2014, by Monica Volante A review by 24/7 Wall Street concluded that Cleveland is one of the worst-run cities in the country, according to the Huffington Post. The study reviewed the 100 largest U.S. cities by population and then examined factors such as economy, job market and crime level. Cleveland ranked #7 due to its poverty rate, long-running population loss and crime. The study also shows that Cleveland had the second-highest rate of vacant homes in 2012, trailing only Detroit. http://fox8.com/2014/01/04/review-cleveland-one-of-the-worst-run-cities-in-u-s/

^Agreed- maybe this could create a push for the parking lot at E. 4th and Prospect for a new hotel build someday (or residential/mixed-use).

I would keep the existing uses and build NEW construction for housing. The complex is still technically unfinished and has parcels which are build-able. A nice 40 story apartment/condo building could go on the side where the Sherwin Williams mural is located. Another 30-40 story apartment could go in the parcel at W. 3rd and W. Prospect. Building on these parcels would command the highest rents in the region- and would be worth the coveted $2.50 per sqft that developers say is needed for new construction. At least in my dreams they would...

Walked to Tower City today and saw the preperation going on for tonight- as cold as it is, I'm still glad a group in the city put this together. An outdoor celebration, even in Cleveland in January, was long overdue.

Awesome!!

Its the gas prices which are making teens say "no thanks" to driving. I couldn't imagine working for $7.50 an hour and having to spend over $3.00 a gallon for gas. I'd much rather get on the bus and keep my hard earned money in my pocket if i were a teen today.

Great photos! And love the fall colors!

Cleveland police have a tiered system when responding to crime. If you think 4 hours is long, you should try 8 or more in some of the east side neighborhoods. Residents along Kinsman told us of police responding literally to break-ins the next day. When the crime already occured and there is no eminent danger to the public, they will respond to the more serious crimes before coming out to respond to break-ins.