There is an exciting new enterprise called CityProwl that was featured in today's PD. The article was rather lengthy and featured in the print edition on the front page of the business section, but I'm having trouble accessing it from cleveland.com. These audio tours are downloaded to your portable music device where you can hit the streets and learn about the city's architecture and history. I listenned to the file from my computer and can't wait to download it and listen to it again on the streets. It is much more interesting than I expected.

 

http://www.cityprowl.com/

 

There is only one tour available now, but apparently there will be more to follow.

Episode 1:  Lower Prospect District, 30+ min. 

Here's the article.

 

Walk through city's history

Architect creates free audio downloads for tours

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Emily Hamlin

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Jennifer Coleman loves a good story.

 

Especially if it's about architecture.

 

She knows hundreds of tales about the history of Cleveland's buildings - interesting tidbits that only a few people are aware of.

 

"There are stories all around us, really great things that usually get lost in the sauce," she said.

 

So Coleman - architect and founder of CityProwl Cleveland - is digging them out, cleaning them off and sharing them for free.

 

CityProwl offers digital walking tours of Cleveland's neighborhoods that you download to your iPod, MP3 player or cell phone.

 

Sponsorships and advertisers on the Web site - www.cityprowl.com - pay the bills so listeners don't have to.

 

 

More at cleveland.com

That's a great idea!

The best ideas are the ones which seem so obvious, you're pissed you didn't think of them yourself.

Fantastic! And I'm pissed I didn't think of it!

It would be great if CityProwl got in touch with the Chagrin Falls based Findaway Company: makers of Playaway devices. Playaway is an easy-to-use portable product that allows for listening to digital audio files such as books or music albums. The Cleveland Public Library already lends audio books on Playaway. It would be great to pick up a Playaway with these tours on them at the library or maybe the new walk-in visitor center on the Higbee Street Level. The Convention and Visitor Bureau is moving their offices there by next Spring.

 

Here is the website for Playaway: http://www.playawaydigital.com/index_flash.aspx

^that is a great idea!  I know a person at the civic innovation lab and playaway (who happen to be engaged), and will e-mail them about this tonight. . .

I've been in love with this idea ever since it popped up on the Civic Innovation Lab website! I know it makes me an uber-geek, but I definitely cannot WAIT to do a self-led tour through Gateway! And how incredible will it be when we have equivalent tours in the neighborhood?! I have to say that I think the best element of this program is the engagement of authentic neighborhood voices. Instead of listening to a single narrator, we can hear from the people who are engaged in the neighborhood on a grassroots level. Definitely love this concept!

Did anyone else listen to the tour yet?

I tried to download the mp3 but it kept coming up as a broken link.

I listened to it - she did a great job  :-)

some really interesting information...

The second episode has finally arrived!

 

CityProwl Cleveland: Episode Two - Cleveland's Arcades - The Diamonds of Euclid Avenue

October 16, 2006

 

The second episode of CityProwl Cleveland features a stroll through the 3 downtown arcades: the Old Arcade, the Colonial Arcade and the Euclid Arcade. Cleveland stands alone among US cities for having not 1 but 3 of these building types, and the Old Arcade is admired around the world for its beauty, gigantic scale and cutting edge technology. Find out more about arcades in general, how Cleveland happened to build these jewels and their current status. The prowl lasts about 25 minutes. Meet in the Old Arcade, in front of the 1980 Coffee Shop, which is located under the stairs near the Superior Avenue entrance.

 

Interviewed in this podcast are:

Bill Gunlocke, Exec. Editor, Manhattan Media and former Old Arcade tenant

John Hawkins, Doorman, Hyatt Regency Hotel

Susan Berndt, Owner of Cleveland and Beyond store in the Old Arcade

Tom Yablonsky, Executive Director of The Historic Gateway Neighborhood Development Corp.

 

Listen to it here: http://media23a.libsyn.com/podcasts/a39e1703d5bb96a5f33d6a9bac13e2dc/45365eae/cityprowl/CityProwl__Episode_2.mp3

I think and hope that City Prowl gets connected with both the Travel Cleveland website so visiting folks can download her tours as well as the Digital Airport Initiative as a content provider.

 

I agree, the tours are well thought out and feature a fun, quirky production.

There is a possiblity that these audio tours will be available at the new walk-in visitor center openning in the Spring.

^maybe on a playaway?  this would surely show some synergy between different innovative things going on the region. 

^I actually interned at the CVB over the summer. That was exactly the pitch I made to my boss. They liked the idea a lot, so we'll see.

Hello All!

Jennifer from CityProwl here - I just found this forum and am delighted to see the positive response to the audio tours. I am working with Findaway to put the tours on the Playaway units - I actually have some prototype units now with the first tour loaded onto them. When we have about 4 - 6 tours done, hopefully early this spring, they will be available on the units. CVB is interested in putting them in their new visitor's center.

Jennifer, welcome to the forum! That's great to hear that the CVB is working with you - as others have said, you have a great concept and I imagine there would be a lot of interest for your tours. I had a few people ask me about your tours when I was at the Breuer Tower forum at Levin College and I referred them to your site. Keep up the great work! :)

I checked out her website and her most recent entry is from April 2007. I hate to say I'm getting one of these great ideas rotting on the vine feelings.

 

I'm gonna drop her a line, just to see what's become of it. If she no longer has the time available or interest (as people's lives take them different places), I wonder if some here would be interested in taking up her cause. Again, assuming it's kosher with the Civic Innovation Lab and all other concerned parties, and if there is any interest in helping.

 

Maybe she's still out there and interested in doing it, but either way, I think it is still too good and to easy of an idea too just let slip away.

^ Her photo is in the latest Live Cleveland marketing booklet, along with her husband (also an architect, with City Architecture) and young child.  The new addition to her family may be the reason for the lack of recent activity.

 

I'd assume that the Civic Innovation Lab would push for some kind of product at this point.

I might be interested in working on this.

I wrote the civic innovation lab for an update, but have yet to hear back about what's going on. I'm sure the baby has really changes around her life (how could it not?)

 

^Oompa, you might want to drop them a line yourself, as well as anyone else interested, just to let them know there are people out there with knowledge and motivation that might want to contribute to this project.

 

BTW, congratulations on your new site. Looks like a promising start!

I might be interested in working on this.

 

Great job on the site!  I've signed up and hope to contribute.

Hello all-

Thanks for hanging in there and keeping your up enthusiasm for CityProwl! While it seems that nothing has been happening for awhile, lots of planning has been done behind the scenes. I completely retooled my business plan and have come up with a strategy to make CityProwl both sustainable and scaleable, as well as distinctive in the growing market of audio tours. I am very excited about the direction the company is headed and can focus  back on completing the first group of 5 downtown tours, 3 of which are in production now. I've hired writers for 3 scripts, which should be complete in 2-3 weeks. I will start recording the 2nd week in July and post production occurs by the end of the month. The tours should be uploaded to the website the first week in August, if all goes well. Wish me luck! I am hoping to then do tours of some neighborhoods if funding comes through and then a few more downtown prowls.

Jennifer

By the way, that 'baby' turned 6 years old the beginning of June! Not so new an addition, but he occupies more time now then he did as a newborn. Speaking of which, time to pick him up from camp.......

Great! Welcome back Jennifer and glad you're still working away and am looking forward to the new tours!

Hello all -

I have a question that hopefully one of you can answer. There is a canon on the NW quadrant of Public Square, across the street from the Old Stone Church. The plaque on it is missing, but I hear it might be from the Civil War. Does anyone know anything about it? I want to include mention of it in the Public Square prowl. I'll give the first person with solid information a shout-out in the recording!

Not quite the civil war...

 

VISCAYA CANNON, located on the northwest quadrant of PUBLIC SQUARE is a 14 cm. rifled piece which was part of the armament on the Spanish Cruiser Viscaya. The Viscaya was engaged, along with other ships of the Spanish Fleet commanded by Admiral Pasqual Cevera, with the American Fleet commanded by Rear Admiral W. S. Schley at Santiago, Cuba, 4 July 1898, during the SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. The Viscaya made a successful run out of Santiago Bay but was chased down by the U.S.S. Brooklyn, Oregon, and Texas. The U.S. ships pounded the Viscaya mercilessly until it was forced to run ashore at Aserraderos. Wounded Spanish sailors were rescued by the U.S.S. Iowa and torpedo-boat Ericsson. Fires reached the forward magazine of the Viscaya, causing an explosion and fire reportedly seen 15 miles away. The cannon is clearly marked "Viscaya" on top of the breech. On the top of the breech rim is marked "14 CMER," and beneath: "ASTILLEROS DEL NERVION-BILBAO-1894." On the left trunnion, "4262" and the letters "KG" or "KC" can be discerned.

Good to hear from you!

 

Re: the cannon, is this it?

 

http://library.case.edu/digitalcase/BrowseObjects.aspx?Letter=V&ContentType=All&Page=4&ItemsPerPage=5&PID=ksl:ech#0

 

Title: VISCAYA CANNON; The encyclopedia of Cleveland history; Alternate title: The dictionary of Cleveland biography

Creator: Grabowski,John J.; Van Tassel, David D. (David Dirck), 1928-

Date: 6/20/1997

URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2186/ksl:ech-vc

 

Summary: VISCAYA CANNON, located on the northwest quadrant of PUBLIC SQUARE is a 14 cm. rifled piece which was part of the armament on the Spanish Cruiser Viscaya. The Viscaya was engaged, along with other ships of the Spanish Fleet commanded by Admiral Pasqual Cevera, with the American Fleet commanded by Rear Admiral W. S. Schley at Santiago, Cuba, 4 July 1898, during the SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. The Viscaya made a successful run out of Santiago Bay but was chased down by the U.S.S. Brooklyn, Oregon, and Texas. The U.S. ships pounded the Viscaya mercilessly until it was forced to run ashore at Aserraderos. Wounded Spanish sailors were rescued by the U.S.S. Iowa and torpedo-boat Ericsson. Fires reached the forward magazine of the Viscaya, causing an explosion and fire reportedly seen 15 miles away. The cannon is clearly marked "Viscaya" on top of the breech. On the top of the breech rim is marked "14 CMER," and beneath: "ASTILLEROS DEL NERVION-BILBAO-1894." On the left trunnion, "4262" and the letters "KG" or "KC" can be discerned.

HA HA... I beat Mayday by 4 minutes. :wave:

Yeah, but I'm STILL an Admin, neener neener!!! ;-)

 

AND I can cite my sources!  :-P

I didn't realize that citing sources was a requirement for being immortalized in city prowl  :wink:

Touché! ;-)

You guys rule! I'll cite you both. But can you tell me how it ended up in Cleveland? Hmmmm?

It's all good, I gladly defer my share to McCleveland - he deserves it. And how it ended up in Cleveland...

Hello all, I'll be recording downtown this week - in the warehouse district, Public Square and around Huntington, NCB, Fed Reserve, Ameritrust & Society for Savings (Key). It your in the area & see me, come say hello!

(McCleveland, with an assist from Mayday, do get a shoutout in the Public Sq prowl)

Horray! The tours went live this morning. I need to add a map for the Warehouse district, but the Warehouse District, Public Square & Bank Lobby tours are officially launched. Hope you like them!

This is a very, very cool thing. What types of things are you working on, Jennifer, so that people know more about these tours? Does the CVB have this info? Also, what about the new visitors' center in University Circle? Just curious.

Hi jpop. Right now, I am gearing up to do some tours of Cleveland's neighborhoods, actually those close to University Circle. There are some more downtown tours I'll get to when I find some sponsors for them.  CVB (that's Positively Cleveland) has a bunch of links to CityProwl.com on their website, which brings a lot of traffic. I'll be chatting with UCI soon, but need to catch my breath first! There should be some more PR coming from an upcoming article in the PD Friday magazine in a few weeks and I'm talking with Findaway and a hotel chain to offer the tours on a player to hotel guests.

Hi jpop. Right now, I am gearing up to do some tours of Cleveland's neighborhoods, actually those close to University Circle. There are some more downtown tours I'll get to when I find some sponsors for them. CVB (that's Positively Cleveland) has a bunch of links to CityProwl.com on their website, which brings a lot of traffic. I'll be chatting with UCI soon, but need to catch my breath first! There should be some more PR coming from an upcoming article in the PD Friday magazine in a few weeks and I'm talking with Findaway and a hotel chain to offer the tours on a player to hotel guests.

 

Wow .. awesome. Very exciting stuff. I didn't mean to stress you out more. I was just wondering. :)

Oh, no worries! Just a big week, here in CityProwl-land.

Congratulations on the press!

 

Walk the walk and let your Cleveland CityProwl iPod tour guide talk the talk

by Sarah Crump/Plain Dealer Reporter

Friday September 12, 2008, 12:00 AM

 

CLEVELAND -- Jennifer Coleman never told her mom she once saw a movie at Cleveland's old Hippodrome Theater. A blaxploitation movie wasn't one of the activities Elaine Coleman would have endorsed for her elementary school-age daughter.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/goingout/index.ssf/2008/09/walk_the_walk_and_let_your_cle.html

Hi UrbanOhio-ers!

I'm working on 3 neighborhood audiotours right now, of Buckeye, Fairfax & Wade Park. I've got a question: Does anyone know who the 'Moreland' is of Moreland Courts, Moreland Roads, Moreland School, Moreland Theater and Shaker Square's predessor, Moreland Circle?

Hi UrbanOhio-ers!

I'm working on 3 neighborhood audiotours right now, of Buckeye, Fairfax & Wade Park. I've got a question: Does anyone know who the 'Moreland' is of Moreland Courts, Moreland Roads, Moreland School, Moreland Theater and Shaker Square's predessor, Moreland Circle?

 

http://www.morelandcourts.org/

http://www.shakersquare.net/history/index.htm

http://blog.cleveland.com/pdextra/2007/08/shaker_square_is_really_a_clev.html

http://blog.cleveland.com/pdextra/2008/08/a_moreland_courts_timeline.html

 

 

Every Shaker neighborhood, is named for the school in that area.  Moreland School, is located in the "Moreland" Section of Shaker. IIRC, Moreland School, was closed and the school districts to the south and east redrawn.  The school became the Shaker Heights Main Library.

 

I can't for the life of me remember why Moreland was renamed Van Aken, IIRC the Shaker section of Kinsman was changed to Chagrin at the same time.

 

The Moreland Theatre was a theatre, built by the Hungarian community on buckeye which is now going to renovated.

 

Moreland was renamed to Van Aken?  I thought Moreland always ran in the same path it does now?  (Straight north/south through the square.)

Moreland was renamed to Van Aken?  I thought Moreland always ran in the same path it does now?  (Straight north/south through the square.)

 

South and North Moreland have never changed. Only Moreland Boulevard to Van Aken.

 

Where is Clvlndr when we need him?

Hmm now I'm lost.  Do you mean that Moreland Boulevard was Van Aken, or that it ran into Van Aken from somewhere else?

 

Also, when did N. Woodland change to Larchmere/Fairmount and S. Woodland to Buckeye?  I assume that way back in the day, N. Woodland ran from Pepper Pike (where parts of it still exist) down Fairmount to Larchmere, then onto what is now just called Woodland.  S. Woodland turns into Buckeye, which in turn meets up with Woodland, so I am guessing it was called Woodland from that point into downtown, and N. and S. Woodland for everything east of there.

Hmm now I'm lost.  Do you mean that Moreland Boulevard was Van Aken, or that it ran into Van Aken from somewhere else?

 

Lawd..........N & S moreland street names have never changed.

 

Moreland Boulevard is today's Van Aken.  Same street, just a name change. 

 

Also, when did N. Woodland change to Larchmere/Fairmount and S. Woodland to Buckeye?  I assume that way back in the day, N. Woodland ran from Pepper Pike (where parts of it still exist) down Fairmount to Larchmere, then onto what is now just called Woodland.  S. Woodland turns into Buckeye, which in turn meets up with Woodland, so I am guessing it was called Woodland from that point into downtown, and N. and S. Woodland for everything east of there.

 

the "Park" and "woodland" streets have always puzzled me.  South Park for instance is 3 different streets.  Click this then click street view. [South Park Three way]

   

• West Park is West, but runs N-S.  :?
  
• South Park runs East and West and at the same time runs North-South.  It runs parallel and also intersects with Shaker Blvd.  :wtf: :wtf:
  
• North Park, dead ends by my parents.  But then continues just starts near the intersection of Shelburne.
  
• North Woodland turns into west woodland at the intersection of South Park and West Park  :wtf: :? :wtf:  Shelburne is the most ridiculous street in Cleveland Hts. &  Shaker Hts. it stops, starts and weaves in various directions
  
• The "loop" street that you find in Shaker are very confusing along with 4 way street crossing on Van Aken.  Example:  Kenmore, Van Aken, Glencairn and Ingleside.  What light to I take???  Which right turn do I make?  Does that driver have the right-of-way or do I?  :?  :wtf:  :wtf:  :? 
  
• Byron starts at Warrensville & S. Woodland but ends on Green and Shaker?  WTF?
  

Then there are the reminents of the street that ran onto Shaker Blvd. from Kemper and Cormer.  Have you ever notice how Cormer dead ends into a parking lot next to Moreland Courts.

 

If you don't live in between South Park and Fairmount, you can easily get lost.

 

 

 

I am used to those streets, but it definitely took a while.  The least confusing of those is probably North Park, because I'm assuming it connected (right by where it makes a sharp curve to the right and goes over the creek and becomes Park Dr.).  I have gone down to the end of the easter segment of North Park and tried to figure out if there are any remnants of pavement or grading where it used to connect but I couldn't see any.  It seems as if some of the houses may have been on this missing segment (if it ever even existed) and then their driveways were moved to the alley (North Park Place I believe it's called) at the top of the hill.  Byron Rd. in Shaker Heights, and Wimbledon Rd. in Shaker Heights/Beachwood both behave exactly the same way.  Both are cut off my the ovals, and continue through the Y following an overall southwest to northeast pattern.  I never pay attention to the names of the streets in that area.  I just "know where I'm at" from going through there a lot.

 

The one street that's always intrigued me is something that connected North Park to Fairhill in the vicinity of where Kemper meets Fairhill (or just east of there).  If you take a walk through the paths in and around the ravine, you can see the footers of an old, large bridge that used to be there, and it seems that a road must have connected the two at some point.  Do you have any idea what it was called and when it was built and torn down?

I am used to those streets, but it definitely took a while.  The least confusing of those is probably North Park, because I'm assuming it connected (right by where it makes a sharp curve to the right and goes over the creek and becomes Park Dr.).  I have gone down to the end of the easter segment of North Park and tried to figure out if there are any remnants of pavement or grading where it used to connect but I couldn't see any.  It seems as if some of the houses may have been on this missing segment (if it ever even existed) and then their driveways were moved to the alley (North Park Place I believe it's called) at the top of the hill.  Byron Rd. in Shaker Heights, and Wimbledon Rd. in Shaker Heights/Beachwood both behave exactly the same way.  Both are cut off my the ovals, and continue through the Y following an overall southwest to northeast pattern.  I never pay attention to the names of the streets in that area.  I just "know where I'm at" from going through there a lot.

 

The one street that's always intrigued me is something that connected North Park to Fairhill in the vicinity of where Kemper meets Fairhill (or just east of there).  If you take a walk through the paths in and around the ravine, you can see the footers of an old, large bridge that used to be there, and it seems that a road must have connected the two at some point.  Do you have any idea what it was called and when it was built and torn down?

 

I just thought that was rements of the park.  IIRC, Ambler park had boats or something way way back in the day.  So I think that could be from the water mill and boathouse.

 

The paths you see on eastern north park, between beaumont school and courtland, lead to the other houses on north park, they have a psuedo private park that connect to each property.  People that live in Cleveland Hts. are over the top rich.

 

Now im going to have to walk over to fairhill. 

Hmm now I'm lost. Do you mean that Moreland Boulevard was Van Aken, or that it ran into Van Aken from somewhere else?

 

Lawd..........N & S moreland street names have never changed.

 

Moreland Boulevard is today's Van Aken. Same street, just a name change.

 

Also, when did N. Woodland change to Larchmere/Fairmount and S. Woodland to Buckeye? I assume that way back in the day, N. Woodland ran from Pepper Pike (where parts of it still exist) down Fairmount to Larchmere, then onto what is now just called Woodland. S. Woodland turns into Buckeye, which in turn meets up with Woodland, so I am guessing it was called Woodland from that point into downtown, and N. and S. Woodland for everything east of there.

 

the "Park" and "woodland" streets have always puzzled me. South Park for instance is 3 different streets.   Click this then click street view. [South Park Three way]

 

• West Park is West, but runs N-S. :?
  
• South Park runs East and West and at the same time runs North-South. It runs parallel and also intersects with Shaker Blvd. :wtf: :wtf:
  
• North Park, dead ends by my parents. But then continues just starts near the intersection of Shelburne.
  
• North Woodland turns into west woodland at the intersection of South Park and West Park :wtf: :? :wtf:   Shelburne is the most ridiculous street in Cleveland Hts. & Shaker Hts. it stops, starts and weaves in various directions
  
• The "loop" street that you find in Shaker are very confusing along with 4 way street crossing on Van Aken. Example: Kenmore, Van Aken, Glencairn and Ingleside. What light to I take??? Which right turn do I make? Does that driver have the right-of-way or do I?   :?   :wtf:   :wtf:   :?  
  
• Byron starts at Warrensville & S. Woodland but ends on Green and Shaker? WTF?
  

Then there are the reminents of the street that ran onto Shaker Blvd. from Kemper and Cormer. Have you ever notice how Cormer dead ends into a parking lot next to Moreland Courts.

 

If you don't live in between South Park and Fairmount, you can easily get lost.

 

 

 

 

I equate driving in some parts of Shaker Heights with driving in Pittsburgh :)