Posted September 25, 201410 yr In May of this year I visited Cleveland for the first time. Unfortunately it was a short trip and I only saw a fraction of the city. Hopefully I'll be able to make another visit yet this year. Here are some of my highlights The City That Rock Built by Eridony, on Flickr 5th Street Arcade by Eridony, on Flickr Flannery's Pub by Eridony, on Flickr Tower City Center by Eridony, on Flickr FirstMerit by Eridony, on Flickr Cleveland Wall Art by Eridony, on Flickr Landmark Office Towers by Eridony, on Flickr Cleveland Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument by Eridony, on Flickr Key Tower by Eridony, on Flickr Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument & Terminal Tower by Eridony, on Flickr Rockefeller Building by Eridony, on Flickr Downtown Cleveland - West 6th Street by Eridony, on Flickr LF&S Burgess Grocers by Eridony, on Flickr The Hoyt Block by Eridony, on Flickr Grand Arcade Condos by Eridony, on Flickr Worthington Square by Eridony, on Flickr Cleveland Warehouse District by Eridony, on Flickr 1374 West 9th Street by Eridony, on Flickr Ernst & Young and Port of Cleveland by Eridony, on Flickr I love the windows here! Bradley Building by Eridony, on Flickr Cuyahoga County Courthouse by Eridony, on Flickr Tom Otterness art Cleveland Otterness by Eridony, on Flickr 5th Street Arcade Interior by Eridony, on Flickr 5th Street Arcade Shops by Eridony, on Flickr Winking Lizard Flatiron Cleveland Flatiron by Eridony, on Flickr The Rose Building by Eridony, on Flickr C'Mon Get Happy by Eridony, on Flickr The 9 by Eridony, on Flickr Chester Avenue Cityscape by Eridony, on Flickr I know a lot of people don't like the new chandelier, but I wouldn't have seen Playhouse Square if I hadn't see the chandelier from a street over World's Largest Outdoor Chandelier by Eridony, on Flickr Playhouse Square by Eridony, on Flickr Lindner Building by Eridony, on Flickr Playhouse Square BRT Station by Eridony, on Flickr Playhouse Square by Eridony, on Flickr Amazing all the redevelopment on this stretch of Euclid Coming Soon: Windows by Eridony, on Flickr Great old bank building Heinen's Market by Eridony, on Flickr Schofield Building Renovation by Eridony, on Flickr Oswald Centre & Perk Park by Eridony, on Flickr Former Allerton Hotel Parkview Apartments by Eridony, on Flickr Very rare to see one of these Greyhound stations Cleveland Greyhound Station by Eridony, on Flickr Public Safety Central by Eridony, on Flickr Moving onto University Circle... Across Wade Lagoon by Eridony, on Flickr Severance Hall by Eridony, on Flickr Epworth-Euclid UMC & Judson Manor by Eridony, on Flickr Smart Police Smart Police by Eridony, on Flickr CMA by Eridony, on Flickr Cleveland's Thinker by Eridony, on Flickr Cleveland Museum of Art by Eridony, on Flickr I had lunch at the art museum and was pleasantly surprised how good the food was! CMA Atrium by Eridony, on Flickr Cleveland Museum of Art by Eridony, on Flickr Wade Oval by Eridony, on Flickr Wade Oval by Eridony, on Flickr Cleveland Botanical Garden by Eridony, on Flickr Glidden House Glidden House Hotel by Eridony, on Flickr I wasn't really that happy with my pictures of the Lewis Building. I wouldn't get the whole thing in one shot Peter B. Lewis Building by Eridony, on Flickr Haydn Hall by Eridony, on Flickr The Tink by Eridony, on Flickr Seidman Cancer Center by Eridony, on Flickr University Circle by Eridony, on Flickr The Tinkham Gap by Eridony, on Flickr Future Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center The Temple-Tifereth Israel by Eridony, on Flickr Back downtown Great Lakes Science Center by Eridony, on Flickr Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Eridony, on Flickr Cleveland Steamer Museum by Eridony, on Flickr View Down Eastside Avenue by Eridony, on Flickr FirstEnergy Stadium by Eridony, on Flickr Modern Cleveland by Eridony, on Flickr Captured from my car Bridgeview Apartments & MTA Train by Eridony, on Flickr Center Street Swing Bridge Swing to Me by Eridony, on Flickr Center Street Swing Bridge by Eridony, on Flickr Goodtime III by Eridony, on Flickr City on the Cuyahoga by Eridony, on Flickr I Have It On Good Authority That This City Rocks by Eridony, on Flickr The Lady Rosie The Cleveland Streetcar by Eridony, on Flickr The Flats by Eridony, on Flickr Superior Viaduct by Eridony, on Flickr Center Street Swing Bridge by Eridony, on Flickr Cleveland Skyline by Eridony, on Flickr Former fire station Cleveland Fire Station 15 by Eridony, on Flickr East Bank Flats Construction by Eridony, on Flickr That's all for now. The Sixth City by Eridony, on Flickr
September 25, 201410 yr Good stuff. Thanks! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 26, 201410 yr I really enjoyed those. A few that stick out to me: -1374 West 9th -Port of Cleveland -CMA building -the thinker- if you look at it right it looks like the base of the statue is levitating -1st swing bridge photo
September 26, 201410 yr For a short trip, you managed to get some great shots - mind if I ask what you shoot with? clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
September 26, 201410 yr And next time...THE ARCADE! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 26, 201410 yr Thanks for all the feedback everyone! For a short trip, you managed to get some great shots - mind if I ask what you shoot with? I just have a Canon Rebel T3i with the standard 18-55mm lens.
September 26, 201410 yr wow - this is about the best all-purpose cleveland thread i have seen. you got the crooked arcade and the new chandelier (looks better at night), some of my favorite quirks of the city.
September 26, 201410 yr Lots of familiar place that you've got me seeing in a new light. Thanks for posting!
September 26, 201410 yr You know its good when no one's commenting that it was taken on a weekend morning, i.e. lack of activity (im pretty confident that it is a weekend - -or Holiday , Memorial Day? -- morning) Yes the Bradley Bldg and adjacent Root-McBride Bldg are terrific. The danger of them being taken out ~ 1980 led to the efforts to save the Warehouse District, at least what remained. Great pic of the Buckeye Bldg which has become onne of my favorites
September 27, 201410 yr You know its good when no one's commenting that it was taken on a weekend morning, i.e. lack of activity (im pretty confident that it is a weekend - -or Holiday , Memorial Day? -- morning) Yes these pictures were taken on a Saturday. There were a good number of people out in the Flats when I took the later shots, but my pictures normally focus on the buildings and not the people.
September 27, 201410 yr Wonderful pictures. It's always nice to "view" Cleveland through another persons eyes. Sometimes we take for granted how beautiful our city (region) really is. The picture that stood out most was of the Old Third District Police headquarters. This area is ripe for new apartments/lofts and condos.
September 27, 201410 yr You know its good when no one's commenting that it was taken on a weekend morning, i.e. lack of activity (im pretty confident that it is a weekend - -or Holiday , Memorial Day? -- morning) I noticed -- but I didn't want to sound like a broken record. :) I've said my piece many times that including people in city photos is like including art in art museum photos. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 28, 201410 yr ^True, i try to include people shots but i can also understand the guys coming in from out-of-town just doing a city's building inventory/highlights. Thanks! Love that Lindner building. Purely anecdotal here... this building (i know it as the Bonwit-Teller Bldg, anyway not important) is the one building that i've overheard being commented on most frequently by people walking by it from across the street. It helps that it is midway between the Wyndham Hotel and Starbucks....some hotel guests walk over to Starbucks for A.M. coffee. With the morning sunshine on it , as in Eridony's pictures, i've heard more than a couple times..."wow, that building's beautiful"
September 29, 201410 yr I think this is my all time favorite Cleveland thread! The city is really looking great. I love how successful the Euclid BRT has been, and all of the renovations that are happening around it. Also love the shots from the art museum. The expansion is really impressive! I can't say I love all the Playhouse Square signage, though. I like the vertical sign, ala the Chicago theatre, and I think the big sign in the more old time-y font is OK too. The chandelier and arched sign, coupled with all the other signs is just a bit much, IMO. Maybe if they all said something different it would be better, but I mean how many times does someone need to read that they're in Playhouse Square to get the point? Great shots, Eridony. Hope you continue to share more of your work.
September 29, 201410 yr I was in Cleveland for the first time in a year with a friend from NY that's never been and she was very impressed. From my view, the changes downtown are extremely palpable. I thought the additions to Playhouse Square fit the neighborhood well...over the top is a better description for Time Square. We went to the Vault at the 9 and that would easily fit well here in NYC. I was even able to hail a taxi to take us there. If there were one negative thing that is noticeable to us, It's was the large surface parking lots. Walking from the Warehouse District to E. 4th felt out right desolate. I hope developers connect the dots to neighborhoods soon. That being said, even the most negative Clevelander or outsider would have to admit the city is clearly on the upswing. I hope locals are excited by the momentum.
September 29, 201410 yr Eridony - you have a talent. This was one of my favorite Cleveland photo threads of all time, right up there with a few of MayDay's. That said, I don't know if anything will ever top PeterGriffin's masterpiece - http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,16950.msg314256.html#msg314256
September 29, 201410 yr I agree, that Lindner Building facade is awesome. Very well done. I've never been there to see it but just googled it and found: This was the Linder Company department store. It was constructed in 1915 and was designed by Robert Kohn. In 1949, the Lindner Company merged with Sterling & Welch Company and the W.B. Davis Company to form Sterling Lindner Company. It moved one block west opposite the Halle Brothers store. The bulding became a branch of New York's Bonwit Teller department store in the 1950s. It is on the National Register #78002040.
October 20, 201410 yr This is really a great photothread. Today, I rediscovered this set...and it put me in a good mood. :D
October 27, 201410 yr I was in Cleveland for the first time in a year with a friend from NY that's never been and she was very impressed. From my view, the changes downtown are extremely palpable. I thought the additions to Playhouse Square fit the neighborhood well...over the top is a better description for Time Square. We went to the Vault at the 9 and that would easily fit well here in NYC. I was even able to hail a taxi to take us there. If there were one negative thing that is noticeable to us, It's was the large surface parking lots. Walking from the Warehouse District to E. 4th felt out right desolate. I hope developers connect the dots to neighborhoods soon. That being said, even the most negative Clevelander or outsider would have to admit the city is clearly on the upswing. I hope locals are excited by the momentum. this kind of thing is great to hear. you know the one thing about the parking lots that is kind of a saving grace is that it is so easy to see they did not used to be mere parking lots and what happened. so i don't think that is so held against the city as it once was. that is, i think people are pretty much 'post-teardown/parking lot aware,' because that happened in a lot of places around america. as long energy and efforts are visible around downtown, which of course they very much are in cleveland, then those lots just turn into nothing but potential in the minds of people who know and care about cities.
October 27, 201410 yr Great thread and thanks for sharing! You captured a lot of good spots. I did my first trip to Cleveland in about eight years a few weeks ago, and while I did notice a lot of new holes where buildings once stood (looked like a lot of demolitions or arsons in the neighborhoods), Downtown itself looked fantastic. I don't ever remember Downtown Cleveland being that good. On trips there as a kid, it felt mostly dead outside of game days. It doesn't feel dead at all anymore. The transformation has been remarkable and there is clearly a new energy. It also seems like it is now growing faster than most other Rust Belt downtowns I've visited recently. Cleveland's transit infrastructure is why I feel it's Ohio's best long-term investment opportunity. Though Uber will explode there, the Red Line seems like it has big growth potential that won't be touched by ride-sharing. I envision lots of TOD along that line in the future. Further down Detroit Avenue, Lakewood also looked really good. Though I know it has lost some population, it still looks dense and intact to me. Architecturally, Cleveland, like other Great Lakes cities, is excellent. The bang-for-buck on housing is incredible and matched only by other cities on Lake Erie. From a national perspective, when looking at housing, Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland, and Buffalo by far have the best deals in America. They are not touched by any other cities when you look at the combination of location, freshwater supplies (assuming Lake Erie is cleaned up again), amenities, and historic architecture. The prices blew my mind! I'd bank on Cleveland's Downtown and West Side entering a major boom phase within the next 5-10 years. What's happening downtown now is just a trickle of what's coming in the future torrent. This is just the beginning since there is too much solid property there for saltwater people to ignore. If there were one negative thing that is noticeable to us, It's was the large surface parking lots. Walking from the Warehouse District to E. 4th felt out right desolate. I hope developers connect the dots to neighborhoods soon. That being said, even the most negative Clevelander or outsider would have to admit the city is clearly on the upswing. I hope locals are excited by the momentum While someone from a denser, more intact saltwater city would notice this, I don't think Cleveland's situation is any different from its cousin cities. Detroit, Toledo, Buffalo, etc. suffer from the same problems. And further away from Lake Erie, every current and former Rust Belt city suffers from demolitions and surface lots. It sucks that so many great buildings were lost, but that is the cold hard economic reality of losing 60% of your urban population and having sprawl in a stagnant or declining region. What's crazy is that despite its losses, Cleveland still has way more to work with than newer Southern Sprawlers like Charlotte, Atlanta, etc. Though it's not nearly as big as it used to be, enough survived from the glory days to give Cleveland that big city "feel." Hardly anything survived in those Sun Belt cities, and they were smaller to begin with. I expect a reverse migration to the north soon since the Great Lakes cities have so much more to offer, and for less money. But, unfortunately, it could be a while until those empty lots are filled. There needs to be more of a city-wide population and economic boom. I think Cleveland, like other Rust Belt cities, should focus on saving abandoned historic properties first. That's its greatest selling point- architecture. Surface lots should be filled after the vacancies are taken care of. As much as I'd love for all surface lots to be filled, it is a slow process in the Rust Belt due to the glut of abandoned housing, office, retail, and warehouse space. To me, the historic stuff is more important since the new stuff doesn't look as good or have as much long-term investment potential. A restored late 19th-century or early 20th-century mid-rise is going to be worth a lot more in 10 or 20 years than a newly-built structure with the same square footage. The detailing on the old buildings is what people want.
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