I was fortunate that I had a few days off before I start my new job (which is back downtown, woohoo!) so I took one day to do - yeah, you know the drill. I went out with camera in tow.

 

Yeah, the same view so many of my threads start with:

 

First stop of the day, University Circle. I wanted to see the exhibit on Sicilian antiquities at the Cleveland Museum of Art http://www.clevelandart.org/events/exhibitions/sicily-art-and-invention-between-greece-and-rome. If you're a member of the museum, you have free admission and you would be stupid to miss this. If you're not a member, it's worth the admission fee. Anyway, I had an hour before the museum opened so I did a little wandering.

 

I like the Gehry-designed Weatherhead building at Case Western Reserve - I know not everyone does:

 

For those who prefer a more traditional approach to brickwork:

 

This stretch of Euclid used to be so bleak, and now look at it:

 

The Museum of Contemporary Art anchors the intersection at Euclid and Mayfield:

 

Phase II of the Uptown development on the right:

 

The Museum of Contemporary Art is a fun building to photograph:

 

Phase II of Uptown again:

 

The utility boxes in the area got a lovely artistic treatment:

 

Over to Hessler Street and Hessler Court, one of the more charming areas in University Circle.

 

 

Hessler Court - it's only 60 yards in length but it's paved in wood blocks, which is very rare:

 

Back over toward the art museum:

 

Inside the new-ish atrium at the art museum are these oversized sculptures of the Chinese Zodiac:

 

The atrium is larger than a football field but it does a great job orienting visitors to the different galleries and even though it's huge, it somehow has a comfortable/intimate feeling whether its a handful of people or a few hundred during special events:

 

Let's keep the locker room humor to ourselves, shall we?  :lol:

 

As with all special exhibits, photography is prohibited in the Sicilian exhibit but in some areas, photography is permitted (without flash). I'm a proud member of the museum, and I would highly recommend a visit for anyone who hasn't been - keep in mind, viewing the artwork in the following images is free. Very few museums of Cleveland's caliber can offer this:

 

 

Armor Court:

 

Armor Court:

 

John Singer Sargent:

 

Louis Comfort Tiffany:

 

 

 

 

 

Those would be emeralds, pearls and rubies:

 

And they're but a small part of this:

 

Back through the atrium to the Asian galleries:

 

 

 

 

Adjacent was an exhibit on textiles from the Islamic world:

 

 

Art of the Americas are also adjacent but I didn't spend too much time:

 

On the lower level, an Islamic prayer niche:

 

 

Works from the medieval and Renaissance eras:

 

 

 

Over to the art of Africa:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ancient Greece, Italy and adjacent:

 

 

Seeing this was a hoot - my book was published by Arcadia Publishing 10 years ago and the gift shop at the museum is selling it:

 

Alright, enough art for now - the under-construction Tinkham Veale student center at Case Western Reserve University:

 

Museum of Contemporary Art - my next stop, after I snag a slice of pizza and coffee from Presti's in Little Italy:

 

Grabbed a table for lunch and had this lovely view of the Holy Rosary Church, *the* landmark and heart of Little Italy:

 

One of Cleveland's best neighborhoods and also one of the best arguments for buried utility lines:

 

Finally over to the Museum of Contemporary Art:

 

There are two stairwells to take - one that's open, and one that's enclosed. The outer staircase had moments that inspired vertigo, and the interior had an installation going on - different colored lights with relevant music playing. The yellow section had "Mellow Yellow" playing - quite rightly  :-D

 

 

MOCA currently has an exhibit of local artists including Dana Depew and Jeff Chiplis:

 

 

 

 

There are some great views to be had from MOCA:

 

 

Like I said - vertigo-inducing but cool:

 

Time to head downtown, but not without a few more shots:

 

 

The Global Center for Health Innovation on the left, the Justice Center courts tower in the center and on the right, the site for a new convention center hotel:

 

The War Memorial Fountain:

 

I sometimes forget how much of a beast Key Tower is:

 

Federal Building with its new 'encapsulating' facade underway:

 

It looks shabby now, but hopefully the proposal to convert the May Company building into residential use pulls through:

 

Euclid Avenue with the former Cleveland Trust Tower in the background - it's being converted into a mixed-use complex:

 

A lot of people know about the famous Arcade, but there are a few smaller but beautiful arcades - this is the Euclid Arcade:

 

And adjacent is the Colonial Arcade - together they're now known as the 5th Street Arcades:

 

Speaking of THE Arcade, here is the Euclid side:

 

As quiet as it is in these pics, I've seen it worse:

 

 

Running out of time, I snap a shot of the rotunda at Cleveland City Hall:

 

Onto East 9th, the former East Ohio Gas building is slated to be converted to residential:

 

The Oswald Companies recently bought naming rights to the office tower at the other end of the block:

 

This stretch used to be home to burlesque, vaudeville and all kinds of nightspots - not so much nowadays:

 

Over to Euclid and East 9th, one of the most active spots for construction and renovation - the Schofield Building is being converted to a Kimpton Hotel:

 

1010 Euclid is being converted to residential use:

 

The former Cleveland Trust Tower is being converted to a hotel and residential use - the rotunda (in the foreground) is being converted to offices and an upscale grocery store:

 

Looking down Euclid Avenue - the building in the center is the former Atrium Office building; it's now fully occupied residential:

 

The P (Previously) N (National) C (City) tower:

 

Adjacent to the Cleveland Trust tower is new construction of the 8-story Cuyahoga County Administration Headquarters:

 

View from the adjacent parking garage:

 

 

 

An often overlooked gem - the United Church of Christ headquarters:

 

Signing off from Parafine Avenue in Tremont - hope you enjoyed!

Great shots MayDay, and congrats on the new job! 

I must say, Mayfield Road in LI may be the only street I don't mind above ground power lines.  Kind of gives it that old fashioned charm. JMHO I guess.

 

Thanks for the tour.  The wood block street photo was great!

Downtown Cleveland has come a long way...

So exciting to see the revitalization of Downtown captured in the photo tour.  These photos really hammer home what is happening in the city core.

 

Great showcase of UC...I hope to move back to that hood again one day soon.

Great pictures, as usual. 

 

I recall a party or few at the FIJI house.  I thought they had moved all the fraternities off Bellflower.  WWBITD it was fraternity row.

 

That 12 story  building at Euclid and Ford, is that offices or residential?

Great pics!

 

That 12 story  building at Euclid and Ford, is that offices or residential?

 

Residential......

http://www.universitycircle.org/locations/commodore-place-apartments

 

Speaking of which, MayDay, your picture reminds me of 1920s-era postcards (minus the cars and Gehry).....

 

Fantastic set; Cleveland is blessed.

Beautiful set!

Great pics!

 

That 12 story  building at Euclid and Ford, is that offices or residential?

 

Residential......

http://www.universitycircle.org/locations/commodore-place-apartments

 

Speaking of which, MayDay, your picture reminds me of 1920s-era postcards (minus the cars and Gehry).....

 

 

You can tell it's residential from the windows, which are like a Hollywood squares of tacky window treatments.

 

Awesome pics!