This tour serves as a follow-up to the recent bike ride over the Detroit-Superior Bridge.  This time, me and my lady took a walk down under...through the Flats and back. 

 

Leaving Ohio City, via 28th & Clinton

 

One of our faves, Halite:

 

Don't forget!  This Saturday!

 

A little house on Washington Ave:

 

Another oldie a little further downhill:

 

A glimpse of the new Stonebridge construction (phase 5), along with the County Engineer's offices on the right and the city beyond.  I hope they do up all the streets down here with those nice street lamps.

 

McCarthy's, on the West Bank's Elm Street:

 

In the same building, lofts available:

 

Looking across the mighty Cuyahoga, you catch a glimpse of Old River Road and the Warehouse District beyond:

 

Watermark...nice patio...this place should be buzzing on a day like this... is it still open?

 

More Old River Road and Warehouse District:

 

Looking across the river and Settler's Landing, up W. 10th Street into Downtown Cleveland:

 

Some older apartments on the Viaduct...each has a unique wrought iron balcony, different from the next:

 

Looking back up the hill at the impressive number of new units that make up Stonebridge:

 

The view from the Center Street Swing Bridge up the Cuyahoga towards Riverview (this provides a reference for the hillside that may become a park...being discussed elsewhere on this site):

 

Also from the bridge, looking east towards Downtown:

 

Now on the East Bank, looking back towards Stonebridge:

 

 

A bend in Old River Road where the rapid runs through at the top of Settler's Landing:

 

Peek-a-boo!  That's phase 5 poking up behind the ampitheater and the Powerhouse:

 

Part of Old River Road that is not included in the Wolstein plan:

 

Housing density...conversions galore!

 

A rapid runs through it:

 

An architecture firm at the W. 10th base of Bridgeview:

 

Looking up the hill of St. Clair:

 

Another hill, W. 10th:

 

We put the camera away, hiked up the hill, and had a lovely sidewalk lunch of sushi and key lime pie outside Constantino's Market on W. 9th.  What a day!

Mmm... sushi and key lime pie...

 

 

Speaking of Halite - go there on Tuesdays when you have $20 to spare. You get an appetizer, entree, AND dessert all for $20! Not a bad deal at all!

 

Oh, the Watermark has been closed for a while now. I could be mistaken but they might be open for catered events.

Beauties!

great pictures!  The buildings are gorgeous but its sad that there no street activity.  :-(

Nice shots/great essay.  I love the route you took down and over the Center Street bridge -- it's one of those unique and quirky aspects that make Cleveland, Cleveland.  I've been advocating for some time that the City and/or Flats-Oxbow spruce it up w/ signage, lighting and pavers.  It's dark and dank and somewhat scary at night, now, and people kind of follow their noses back 'n forth across the river.

 

MayDay, I think you're thinking of Sammy's, which still does catering and special events.  As far as I know, the Watermark is totally kaputsville.  Hopefully, the structure can be preserved and a new quality eatery can open at this fine location.  The Watermark was one of my fave Cleve restaurants and it still hurts to see this unique and classy joint vacant.  When it went, I knew the East Bank was dead, as we knew it.

 

 

MyTwoSense, agreed; we need to get people on our streets.  The pretty buildings look lonely.  Hopefully, the positive signs on the Flats West Bank will be duplicated on the E. Bank post Wolstein Development.

 

 

Nice!

Great pictures.......

 

Yeah, Watermark's been closed for several years.  Kind of embelic of the Flats as a whole.  Enjoy the empty streets while you can.  Something tells me that in 5 years or so, those streets will start bustling due to the housing going in downtown.

its so fun and photogenic down thar.

Very interesting bldg here on the corner.....I enjoy its architectural elements.

 

thanks for posting these. I too am often amazed there is not more activity. However as summer rolls on, the Flats get a lot of street activity. Not just young drunks but a wide cross section of drunks of all ages (just kidding) seriously I think there is a lot of promise. Here are some interesting observations this weekend regarding suburb folks visiting the city. On Sat night my hus and I returned home from a dinner party (in Detroit Ave lofts...has anyone seen those? very cool. Right behind Union station/Bounce) There were a lot of people there- very fascinated with the area, lots of questions. Anyway,we got home and took a walk out on the viaduct.  There were  people sitting out on the patio of Ponte Vechio (sp?) the Italian place and taking an after dinner stroll to check out the city lights. There was a large party of 20 somethings cooking out,listening to music and playing some game where you throw a bean bag in a hole.   I am guessing some of the party live in Stonebridge. the viaduct was jumping! Last year, we always had it to ourself-while nice to have the best back yard in the city, it is better to share.  Yesterday, I had a friend visit, and she brought some people from the burbs (all native to Cle) we walked down to Shooters. For one they were blown away that Stonebridge existed, I guess they had not been into the city for a while? But they were very fascinated that there were people out walking , jogging, riding bikes and walking dogs. apparently before my tenure in Cleveland, you just came  into the flats to get drunk and get the hell out.  so I say things are looking up. I cannot even imagine what it will be like when the east bank project is done.

Thanks for those observations Peabody!  It's true that more people are choosing to live Downtown these days for those very reasons.  And we'll all invariably have friends living in the suburbs, so when they come in for dinner or drinks or a festival or something, make sure they notice that the crowds and activities aren't all just the "drink and get the hell out" set.  We're residents and we love our neighborhoods! 

 

I think we're going to see this getting more and more prevalent.  Gen-X-ers and others have moved away and seen the world and have come back to roost.  We love our city, but we want to incorporate some of our favorite elements that we've experienced elsewhere.  The market will demand it and we'll make it happen!

Speaking of eateries that have bitten the dust, am I wrong, but from a distance (the East Bank) it appears that the patio restaurant at the Powerhouse has called it quits.  If I'm right, that would be bad news -- I've counted on the West Bank to stay reasonably viable while the East Bank gets straightened out.  This past Memorial Day Saturday evening it was shuttered and there were no outdoor tables at all.  Anyone got in poop on this?

on the west bank, I believe you are speaking of River Walk Cafe. They started doing the seasonal thing. I tried to go last fall and they were closed but indicated they would open for the summer. So I am sure unless something has changed, they should open any day now. I did notice they were closed Memorial day weekend (for shame!). They get a huge summer crowd, often I think some of it is private parties. they used to have  a good happy hour ($5 martinis!).

I just talked to someone that worked there last summernd she said that they were closed.  She now works at Shooters.

what a bummer, such a great spot, something must have happened I did not hear about. The food was only average there, but shooters'  food doesnt look that great and they are packed. oddly I lived in a condo on the river by a shooters (same people) in Fort Myer Fl...and it was the same, warm expensive beer, eeeeech food. But great river views. BTW Ft Laurderdale had (maybe still has) a shooters on the inter coastal waterway.  fun times there too!

how is Shooters doing these days?  I worked there in the summer of 94, but it seems so 80s now.

what a bummer, such a great spot, something must have happened I did not hear about. The food was only average there, but shooters'  food doesnt look that great and they are packed. oddly I lived in a condo on the river by a shooters (same people) in Fort Myer Fl...and it was the same, warm expensive beer, eeeeech food. But great river views. BTW Ft Laurderdale had (maybe still has) a shooters on the inter coastal waterway.  fun times there too!

 

the shooters in ft laud is going fine far as i know. i was down there two years ago sailing around the intercoastal and in ocean with some friends who live there and we stopped in. both are nice and fun of course even despite so-so food, but the cleveland shooters has much better views.

 

 

Shooters is very 1980's early 1990's looking crowd. I asked my local friend this. was the crowd always for one, this age (late 30's on on up) and second,  dressed really out of style? They indicated that back in the late 80's and 90's it was a much younger crowd...maybe they grew up remembered the glory days and dressed and styled the hair the way they did back then? or maybe they are just from Parma?

speaking of shooters, if the casino goes in it could be toast, as Jacobs owns the land. UNless they see some value in keeping it...

Shooters is very 1980's early 1990's looking crowd. I asked my local friend this. was the crowd always for one, this age (late 30's on on up) and second,  dressed really out of style? They indicated that back in the late 80's and 90's it was a much younger crowd...maybe they grew up remembered the glory days and dressed and styled the hair the way they did back then? or maybe they are just from Parma?

 

no, you are right it was always a bit older and unhipper crowd. seem like the same today. sure, i'd take visitors there in a heartbeat, but i much prefer the harbor inn - heh.

 

 

Actually on Sunday nights it is a much younger crowd....usually full of the clubby types and off duty strippers!