Erin go bragh and all that rot. I wasn't able to catch the whole parade but I got a good chunk of it. Enjoy these, taken about 3 hours ago.

 

So I walk to Starbucks at Key Tower, and at 8:30am, I see this and I know it's gonna be one of those days:

 

 

 

 

Interesting headgear:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oddly enough, I remember the orange-tanned girl on the right from last years photo thread:

 

 

 

 

 

My "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" instinct was on overload - this was but a few people in need:

 

Channel 5's chopper:

 

The young "rainbow tribe" contingent:

 

Kids growing on trees:

 

 

Goooo Skyfox again!

 

 

 

Dignitaries and sh!t:

 

The arrow points out Mayor Frank Jackson:

 

 

 

 

 

The firefighters - a personal favorite :-)

 

 

 

 

Sigh... all the good ones are taken...

 

For you gentlemen:

 

For "my people" (a little young for my taste):

 

 

 

 

Went to the Arcade for lunch - what a madhouse!

 

Signing off from Ohio's tallest:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Definately Ohio's trashiest city.  And these pics proved it.

 

Congratulations Cleveland

 

what was your estimate of the crowd?  I'm hearing 350-375k came out.

arcade looked wonderful.  great set, way fun in Cleveland.  Thx!

Thanks for the photos MayDay!  I figured you'd be out there with your camera...

 

I spent the afternoon Downtown, but after trying to catch a rapid from W. 25th, it became clear to me what kind of crowds I was going to have to deal with (people pissing in the station and what not).  I ended up taking a bus on 25th, as the platform at the rapid station was full (seriously, close to 100 people) and trains just kept whizzing by, packed to the gills!  I skipped the parade altogether and just went straight to the Film Festival at Tower City. 

 

That place was a madhouse from top to bottom, inside and out!  There were drunk teenagers (and older) everywhere, side-by-side with families and well-behaved parade-goers.  The scene wasn't a whole lot better inside the film festival.  I was pretty disappointed in how they were managing their own, more civilized crowd.

 

The film (Measures to Better the World) was great.  I wandered out onto Prospect afterwards for some grub.  There were people everywhere!  In a way, it was invigorating, but there was also a very visible contingent of rude, "I come Downtown once-a-year" types, which I tend to dwell on.  I chose to walk home and hit up a medium-sized Ohio City joint (the old agle) instead of trying to deal with Flannery's, Harp or Great Lakes (they all had lines out the door!).  The crowd there was just plain happy...people singing, a jig here and there.  A nice table asked me to join them, since I appeared lonely, sipping my stout all by my lonesome.  It was a nice cap to a beautiful day!

I recognized that man with the dirty pants...he was standing near the end of the route, right? We could not believe that! This is the first time I participated in Cleveland St. Pats (have been out of town the last three years) .  We walked from the flats and only lasted an hour before we headed beck to the Flats to the Flat Iron, which was serving Guinness in plastic--for shame!  Then on to the Harbor Inn where a teenage mother was juggling an infant with a cigarette and beer. suddenly I felt pretty virtuous. In sum, it was as if a State Fair, the set of the Jerry Springer show and a trailer park collided over Cleveland. Can someone who is from the area tell me where on earth these people came from?

I recognized that man with the dirty pants...he was standing near the end of the route, right? We could not believe that! This is the first time I participated in Cleveland St. Pats (have been out of town the last three years) .  We walked from the flats and only lasted an hour before we headed beck to the Flats to the Flat Iron, which was serving Guinness in plastic--for shame!  Then on to the Harbor Inn where a teenage mother was juggling an infant with a cigarette and beer. suddenly I felt pretty virtuous. In sum, it was as if a State Fair, the set of the Jerry Springer show and a trailer park collided over Cleveland. Can someone who is from the area tell me where on earth these people came from?

 

Ireland!  DUH!!  :wink:

 

God lord its a parade!  A cultural celebration!  I shutter to think what you would say about the PR, Caribbean or Gay/Lesbian parades?!  Who are you to "categorize" the people in attendance, based on the actions of a few???  If you thought the "teenage mother" was a danger to herself/child, did you do the right thing and call child protective services?? Instead of doing the right thing and looking out for the child welfare, you made a self righteous post here.  :x

 

I personally have never been in the parade, however, I've watched the parade from my office many times.  People of Irish decent from all over the world, seem to be having a GREAT time and SPENDING MONEY in the heart of our great metropolis.

 

 

Thanks for the photos MayDay. I was tempted to lurk downtown today, but I've been fighting an eye problem and the sun was just too painful for me. It kept me from my planned trip to Florida this week, and instead have been in and out of doctor's offices every day since Monday.  :cry:

 

Glad to see the photos and that we Irish drunks (or, in my case, a recovering one) made good use of public transit. When the sun went down, I strolled down Clifton to the bank, restaurant and a store, and got to see a few very full buses go by and more than the usual number of taxis out and about.

 

Maybe I'll make it downtown next year....

Great photos, MayDay ... thanks!!!

 

Cincinnati's parade was last week? Don't ask!? I think Irish is the second largest (Caucasian) nationality in Cincinnati to German. How is the Irish decent in Cleveland ranked?

God lord its a parade!  A cultural celebration!  I shutter to think what you would say about the PR, Caribbean or Gay/Lesbian parades?! 

sorry I don't know how to get peoples quotes...but my 2 cent- I have been at at all the above type celebrations (Gay, Puerto Rican, African, Greek, any I get the chance too-As I love food and culture)all over the world and as in tune with my general life philosophy, I had no judgement at these events and places.  Furthermore I had a far better time and got a better picture of the culture being honored (so sorry you are not going to pigeon hole me on this)as far as the women in the bar with a kid, that was one of about 25, and law enforcement was in there to witness it all. Short of DuIs, law enforcement was turning a blind eye.  sadly I used to work in child protective services, and what she was doing was not a crime...until she dropped the kid, or some drunk did something to it, then her behavior would be used against her....that all said I reread my post and it goes off as snobbish and judgmental against lower class people with alcohol problems... and I should be more sensitive to that (and I am honestly saying this w/o sarcasm)  thanks for making me think!

IRISH EYES ARE SMILING

Marching route changes, but spectators find their places

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Michael Sangiacomo

 

Plain Dealer Reporter

In the walloping start of a new tradition, organizers said a record 375,000 people attended Cleveland's St. Patrick's Day parade Friday on its new route down Superior Avenue to Public Square.

 

"That's the most people we've ever had," said Walter "Mickey" McNally, the parade's executive director, who got the crowd estimate from police. "And it's a beautiful, sunny day. What more could we ask for?"

 

The previous record was 325,000 set in 2002. This year's parade ran smoothly, even though the march changed from the familiar Euclid Avenue route.

 

People grumbled, but most understood that reconstruction for the Euclid Corridor makes it difficult for a parade to maneuver.

 

"People don't like change," McNally said. "People complain that they have been standing along Euclid Avenue for 50 years. Well, I'm sorry, but it's time to start a new tradition."

 

"I've been here every one of the 48 years of my life except last year when I had to go out of town, and that hurt," said Edward Sullivan. "Every year our family comes in from all over the area and meets up at 14th and Euclid. We were scattered this year, but from now on, it's 14th and Superior."

 

Sullivan said this parade had particular significance because he and his family just returned from a trip to Ireland.

 

"We brought back dirt from County Mayo, from the home of out great-great-grandmother Elizabeth Cassidy Sullivan, and we poured it on her grave in Ashtabula last week," he said.

 

As usual, everything about the parade was green: green hair, green clothes, green blankets to ward off the chilly breeze, green floats and even green horses.

 

Police said there were few problems and the crowd was well-behaved. Police made three arrests for drunk and disorderly conduct. EMS Capt. Marge Moore said her crews took about 13 people to hospitals for treatment of alcohol overdoses.

 

McNally said the parade, with 14,500 marchers, was bigger than ever - 500 more than last year, and represented 207 groups. Units included 14 high school marching bands, seven bagpipe bands and three Irish-American organizations.

 

Jackie Rinaldi of Macedonia was born the day after St. Patrick's Day and every year she and her family stand along the parade route to celebrate her birthday.

 

"We prefer Euclid Avenue, but this is wonderful," said Rinaldi, who declined to say which birthday she celebrates today. "Just look at this. Everyone is happy. Who would not want to be here?"

wow!  record breaker!  nice! 

 

what's the general feeling of those of us on here...is Superior a suitable replacement for Euclid?

what's the general feeling of those of us on here...is Superior a suitable replacement for Euclid?

 

too me it doesn't make a difference as long as there are hundreds of thousands of people downtown.  Every parade should follow the same routing.

 

Althought, I wouldn't mind seeing  St. Clair used as its a wide street and goes past the malls and would provide great views.

 

Its nice to see the city so active with the NCAA Women's Regional championships next weekend and spring starting.

Definately Ohio's trashiest city.  And these pics proved it.

 

Congratulations Cleveland

 

ok not sure If I am using the quote thingy correctly..yes these pics are awesome , and I am thrilled people are downtown, but that said the parade revelers do not and should not give the total picture of Cleveland to an outsider...Come to Ingenuity Fest or any other event other than a Browns game to see Clevelander's shine.  At Ingenuity Fest you will see a downtown with a more diversity (in every way...mind, body, interests etc) than the parade party.   I hope no one will yell at me again, but I am not from Cleveland ie not childhood memories of the event, so I  don't have need to defend the whole thing. now that I have seen it, I don't need to go again, everyone that goes have fun, and you won't hear from me next year about it!

It seems, to me, completely idiotic for people to not expect the "parade" crowd to be out there partying!  Come on people, it is St Patty's day!  This wasn't a wine and cheese party or an artwalk (which are fine as well)...it is a once a year blowout party...lighten up and have some fun!  I was ELATED as I was marching in the parade to see such a wild crowd having fun!  If THAT makes Cleveland Ohio's "trashiest city"...then I am glad to have that title!  I guess people need to be more subdued in order to maintain a better image for that day?  I ran into a girl in one of the bars from Columbus and she asked me why people would call off work and go to a parade to celebrate that day.......funny thing was, about an hour later she slipped and fell in her friends vomit upstairs at the Velvet Dog......damn us Clevelanders are trashy!  lol   Hey, good for Cleveland...it was a hellava party...if you can't run with the big dogs...stay on the porch!

 

For you gentlemen:

 

That middle girl needs to buy a pair of jeans that fit.  I bet she has a pretty face LOL  :-D

 

Thanks for the pics MayDay.  Looks like a fun day.  I had never seen the inside of the Arcade.  What an amazing structure.

"Who are you to "categorize" the people in attendance, based on the actions of a few???  If you thought the "teenage mother" was a danger to herself/child, did you do the right thing and call child protective services?? Instead of doing the right thing and looking out for the child welfare, you made a self righteous post here.  "

 

MyTwoSense honey - you need to lighten up a little and unclench the booty a little bit. I don't think peabody99 was declaring that all of Cleveland or all of humanity was nothing but Appalachian white trash, but simply making an observation based on the people she happened to see. Having walked around the parade route a bit, I have to agree with her assessment - and coming from Appalachia, I'm allowed to point it out when I see it. Not everyone fit the bill but I saw my share of people who have interesting tastes and levels of hygiene.

 

Anyways, it was a lot of revelry that we don't see downtown and maybe it would be too much on a regular basis but it was nice to actually have to fight pedestrian traffic in downtown for once  :wink:

From what I understand, a good deal of Appalachian people have Scottish/Irish backgrounds.  Hence all the references to Highland(s) in Kentucky and Ohio.

 

By the way, MayDay, I forgot to mention in my earlier congrats on the photo spread:  Great views of crowds downtown!

 

I rag on fellow UrbanOhioans for taking pictures moreso of buildings and streetscapes, without making much of an attempt to capture the other thing that makes a city a city: people. That's why I don't go out in July to take photos of snow scenes. It's also why I don't go downtown on Sunday mornings to take pictures of downtown -- only the inanimate part of it will be there. Unless, of course, my intention is to convey a message that downtown is desolate (the extreme opposite message comes from St. Patrick's Day pictures, which says downtown is bursting at the scenes). I think we all know the reality lies somewhere in the middle. Sometimes, it really is feast or famine.

Thank you - when I first started taking photos of downtown Cleveland (eek, it's been at least ten years), I would focus strictly on buildings as that's always been my first love. Over the years, I've tried to take "people" pics which are a lot more challenging.

 

There have been a few photographers on skyscraperpage.com's forum who do an AMAZING job with people pics and it's only been recently that I've even tried. Now that I have a lens with a higher zoom, it should be a little easier  :-)

preservationrestoration

 

The highlanders are what I guess what could be considered a subset of "Irish". They are originally Scottish people, but then England kicked them out and forced them to settle the northern areas of Ireland. They became Northern Ireland, the protestant Irish, versus the atypical catholic Irish. Then these scotts-irsh/highlands predominantly were the “Irish” people that immigrated into the south areas, like Kentucky, whereas the “real” Irish were the ones that settled in the northern cities.

 

The more you know...

The parade this year was great! I think I like it a little bit better on Superior, but overall it doesn't matter what street it is on. This was the happiest St. Paddy's day i can remember. Everybody i ran into all day long, whether downtown or strongsville or parma- were all in great moods. The beer helps, of course, but there was something alittle different about the day. Maybe cause it was a Friday. I already can't for next year's parade. If its OK weather, there could be 500,000 people there cause it's on a Saturday. Next drinking holiday on the docket: cinco de mayo. can't wait.

I was also downtown, but I stayed around the Great Lakes Brewing Company during the parade because the beer was just calling my name.  I have to say that I wish downtown was like that all the time, or maybe a little less busy.  My girlfriend lives in NYC because she's doing musical theater, and while I personally like living in Cleveland better, I wish we had some sort of street life that would mimic New York on a regular basis instead of just special events.  But, I guess every city wishes they had the street life of New York so what am I talking about?  All in all this has been a great year for Cleveland and it seems as if more people are starting to realize that the city in fact isn't a rotting cesspool that turns "dark" at night and becomes a gang and drug war zone after 5 pm.  It was also fun to see all of the high school kids puking before getting on the rapid.  We really know how to party!

It was also fun to see all of the high school kids puking before getting on the rapid.  We really know how to party!

 

I didn't think much of those people when I was in high school and I still don't now.  I guess I just don't appreciate people treating public spaces (and private property) with outright disrespect...i.e. peeing in the rapid station that a lot of us use every day. 

 

There is obviously a compromise involved...can we accept the downsides of holidays and special events in order to get the upsides?  Imagine Mardi Gras or SXSW... a boon for the economies of New Orleans and Austin, but locals who don't directly benefit do sorta get pissed on (hopefully not literally).

 

 

^I was thinking the same thing.  There are definite trade-offs with events such as St. Patrick's day. Heck, some cities riot when they will a pro championship.  In the end, the events are definite plusses for the city.

Oh I totally agree with both of the responses, I was just saying that I wish the city had people that really wanted to be downtown on a regular basis.  I was also being sarcastic about the kids puking at the rapid station, my buddy and I couldn't get over the complete idiocy and complete lack of respect those kids had.  I use the rapid as much as I can, eventhough I still have to drive there from Berea, and I found it sad that the kids didn't care about it, and half of them didn't even know it existed before they found out about it as an easier way to get downtown!  So, I'm sorry if I confused anyone with my response.  I forget that dry commentary doesn't really translate well in print.

^I don't think you bothered anyone.  Welcome to the UO!

hey very nice shots, it looks great as always. what a crowd this time. friday and half decent weather is a "perfect storm" for this parade.

 

some friends and i were thisclose to getting in a car and driving to the cleveland parade to join up with the relatives, esp since several always get a hotel room at the renaissance. ugh, i had to work. instead we went to bay ridge, brooklyn which has its own 'lil parade -- even tho we missed that too. so all i got out of st paddys day is a shot of a few irish ex-clevelanders in bay ridge -- heh. i'll have to pass this thread on to them:

 

 

Nice pics, MayDay.  I too was down there as well as over in Ohio City (the Old Angle, where the crowd was more civilized).  Rapid trains, both light and heavy rail, were stuffed to the gills. The scene was pretty rowdy, and we saw 2 people barf on the sidewalks, w/ several more passing out. 

 

I think Superior turned out to be, well, er, the superior venue for the parade.  It is wider and more majestic, it has fewer buildings and those it has, are set back further from the curb (meaning, of course, wider sidewalks than Euclid).  And because many of the buildings are classic and institutional types from Dan Burnham's original mall plan, they have fewer windows to break.  I just think the parade (which has taken on a life of its own here in Cleveland) can 'breathe' better on Superior.

 

BTW, I'm sure I'm not the only one who longs for the day we can regularly get half the St. Paddy's crowds downtown when there is not a special event.

Although I agree people could have been a little more well-mannered, we should be grateful that we didn't have incidents like they did in Kansas City. Look at the photo - the cop is holding a LOADED Tec-9 gun that the kid was carrying and that's only the start...

 

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=1948721

The link just took me to a page that said that I am not authorized to view that thread.

Here is the article (and photo) about the incidents in Kansas City:

 

Violence returns with gunfire, beatings, arrests

 

 

MATT CAMPBELL and CHRISTINE VENDEL

The Kansas City Star

 

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade was again marred by gunfire and violence Friday, two years after mayhem prompted efforts to impose more order.

 

Shots were fired, and a family was brutally attacked by youths in a parking lot near 16th Street and Grand Boulevard.

 

Police broke up at least 10 fights, tackled a gunman and nearly shot a juvenile who had a toy gun. They arrested two men for aggravated assault, one for narcotics possession, and one man for carrying a concealed weapon. In addition, seven persons were arrested for city violations.

 

“I don’t recall anything like this last year,” said police Capt. Mark Francisco. “It seemed really rowdy. There was certainly more violence than you think you’d need at a parade.”

 

In one attack Friday, a Kansas City Star employee and his family were kicked and beaten toward the end of the parade in one of the newspaper’s parking lots. A witness and Star security officials said one youth shot a gun into the air. The employee, 37, who works as a floor supervisor in the packaging and distribution department, attended the parade with his wife, three children and other relatives. He said a youth approached him and made a comment he did not understand.

 

“The next thing I knew I had 10 to 15 guys on me,” he said. “My wife was on the ground getting (beat), too.”

 

He said that his attackers included women, and that his 16-year-old daughter was hit in the stomach. The man had a gash on his head and was treated in a hospital for a possible concussion. The man has worked 20 years at The Star. He said this was the first time he was off work for St. Patrick’s Day.

 

“That’s the last time my family goes to that parade,” he said.

Eric Patton, head of safety and security for The Star, said the newspaper would review its security videotapes of the violence. Mary Nestel, lead organizer of the parade, said later she was shocked and upset to learn of the violence. Neither her staff nor the police had reported any serious incidents to her, she said.

 

“We are doing something good for Kansas City, and that was a very family-focused event,” Nestel said. “It’s a shame that a bunch of kids, or whoever, ruined it.”

 

Nestel said parade organizers and the police had invested money and effort into addressing the problems of two years ago. The parade now starts earlier than before, and the route has been shortened. The presence of police and liquor-control officers was beefed up.

 

Police said they had about the same number of officers working this year as last year. They said that although more mayhem occurred Friday than last year, the problems were not as great as two years ago when two bystanders were shot and police nearly lost control of a crowd. That year they arrested 17 persons.

 

Police speculated that violence might have escalated because the parade was on a Friday and because it started an hour later than last year.

“I think we were adequately staffed,” said Capt. Rich Lockhart, police spokesman. “Every year, after the parade, we look at what we did and how everything went so we can make adjustments if necessary.”

 

The first 40 minutes of Friday’s parade were uneventful for police, but as the clock ticked toward noon, trouble broke out.

One of the first fights reported in the crowd occurred at 11:55 a.m. at 17th Street and Grand. Witnesses reported seeing a man with a gun leaving the scene. Police never found him.

 

A steady stream of fights followed about every five or 10 minutes at different locations along Grand, mostly on the east side. At 12:30 p.m., police at 18th Street and Grand pulled a string of barricades out into the street to make more room for the crowd.

 

“It was a choke point,” said Capt. Ron Fletcher, who worked the parade. “People were panicking.”

 

About 15 minutes later, some parade-goers told police they heard gunshots on Grand between 17th and 18th. Police looked but did not find the man described as the shooter.

 

Police did, however, arrest two men with guns at the parade. One man was carrying a weapon police described as a TEC-DC9, with a magazine containing 30 rounds. Another man allegedly pulled a revolver on a police officer, who tackled the gunman and disarmed him near 16th and Grand.

After the parade ended, someone told police three youths were roaming with guns near 13th Street and Grand. Officers found the youths near 13th and Oak Street and stopped them. The officers drew their guns and told the youths to put their hands in the air. Two youths complied. A third youth stalled, with his hand in his pocket. The officers yelled at him to put his hands up, and he eventually did. The officers found a black air pistol in his pocket that looked like a real gun.

 

“It had a working slide and everything,” said Fletcher. “If he had pulled his hand out with that gun in it, we would have shot him.”

 

The youths were released to their parents.

the difference between the expressions on the faces of the two kids on the right and the woman on the left is pretty remarkable.  one one hand, there's amusement, while on the other, sheer terror...

That is quite a shame.

 

I did find this quote somewhat amusing, however (yes, I have a sick sense of humor):

“I don’t recall anything like this last year,” said police Capt. Mark Francisco. “It seemed really rowdy. There was certainly more violence than you think you’d need at a parade.”

 

How much violence do we think we'd need at a parade?

I have a friend that was in Annapolis for St Patrick's Day, and he saw a story on the news about the top 5 places in the country to spend that day, and believe it or not, Cleveland was in the top 5!  NYC, Boston, Chicago, and Savannah were among some of the others mentioned.  I decided to try to find out more on this but could not to any info.  Then, to my dismay, I read some info that made "me blood boil" (in an Irish accent!).  I read an article out of Pittsburgh stating that their parade was the SECOND LARGEST behind NYC.  I find that hard to believe since they claimed to have spectators of up to 200,000, while Cleveland this year had an estimated crowd of 375,000!  I also find it hard to believe that cities such as Boston and Chicago would be smaller than Pittsburgh in this department.  Cleveland had a huge crowd this year but has genreally had large crowds all along....but not only the size makes it special, the tradition makes it special.  It was the 139th anniversary of the parade, which not only makes it the oldest parade in Ohio(by far) but one of the oldest in the country.  I guess I am trying to get the ole Pittsburgh/Cleveland rivalry going....again.  Any info would be interesting, thanks.

They'll just lay down a Super Bowl slam on us, and we'll have no choice but to climb back into our bottles of Crooked River Ale. Bastards.  :finger:

I'd love to see the Chicago River turned green.  Maybe we could do something similar here in Cleveland, like have the steel mills belch out green smoke or something.