November 4, 20195 yr ^ Great article. Change of course happens and this is a good change but it's a little bittersweet. I do miss that Bi-Rite, so convenient to walk to. When I moved to Lakewood there were still babushka-clad ladies all over Birdtown. That store was like walking into a foreign country with their European chocolate and desserts I'd never heard of, numerous jars of food that normally don't come in jars and several varieties of cheap-as-hell Baltika beer to try out. In later years it was the Asian guy (owner) behind the lunch counter charging you for a pound but giving you two pounds of sliced meat or cheese, old people paying their bills, obsessed instant lottery hawks and the friendly check out girl who lived upstairs, illegally, in the old dance studio. Every now and then when I'm back in Lakewood I'll see some random elderly man, dressed up in an old suit for some church event or funeral and just slowly walking through the neighborhood and checking out everything new and old. End of an era! Edited November 4, 20195 yr by surfohio
November 4, 20195 yr On 11/2/2019 at 8:11 AM, KJP said: The Days Inn, 12019 Lake Ave., is for sale and a candidate for redevelopment. Might be a little less cheaper to buy now after a fire last night at 11:30 pm. I overhead one of the firefighters say that everyone got out safely. But it's going to be closed for a while. Looks like they're still open! Only 1 room caught on fire. Apparently someone left a lit cigarette in a room. Minimal damage to the property
November 7, 20195 yr For those who live in and around the "Hilliard Triangle" neighborhood, I have a small update on Wagar Park. I exchanged a few emails with Michelle Nochta (City Planner), who said she expects to have the project under contract by January, with construction starting soon after. She didn't provide a specific construction timeline, but did say that the work would not be completed by summer 2020. I appreciated her timely and thoughtful responses even when dealing with a grumpy taxpayer (me). https://www.cleveland.com/community/2019/07/lakewood-plans-1-million-wagar-park-renovation-seeks-local-artist-for-social-seating-area.html ^This was the last update on the park, not sure if it was previously posted upthread. This is at least the fifth iteration of a timeline I have heard, and the park is a dump, so I'm glad that things are (hopefully) moving forward.
November 11, 20195 yr On 11/2/2019 at 8:11 AM, KJP said: The Days Inn, 12019 Lake Ave., is for sale and a candidate for redevelopment. Might be a little less cheaper to buy now after a fire last night at 11:30 pm. I overhead one of the firefighters say that everyone got out safely. But it's going to be closed for a while. Looks like they're still open! I'll have to check-out the old neighborhood next time I'm in CLE. I haven't been to Lakewood since I moved out of my Lake Avenue condo in the '80s.
November 20, 20195 yr The Mews of Rockport moving along. Love seeing the infill density happening across Lakewood. Lots that have been vacant for decades are getting new construction all over town.
November 20, 20195 yr Another cool addition to Lakewood! Immigrant Son, Lakewood’s First and Only Brewery, to Open this Spring https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2019/11/20/immigrant-son-lakewoods-first-and-only-brewery-to-open-this-spring%3fmedia=AMP%2bHTML
November 20, 20195 yr Doesn't the BottleHouse Brewery on Madison near Bunts qualify? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 20, 20195 yr 16 minutes ago, KJP said: Doesn't the BottleHouse Brewery on Madison near Bunts qualify? Do they brew on site? I thought they were an outpost of the East Side location.
November 20, 20195 yr 8 minutes ago, freefourur said: Do they brew on site? I thought they were an outpost of the East Side location. My bad -- I was thinking of Western Reserve Distillers (14221 Madison) which isn't a brewery at all. They distill rum. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 20, 20195 yr 6 minutes ago, KJP said: My bad -- I was thinking of Western Reserve Distillers (14221 Madison) which isn't a brewery at all. They distill rum. Rum, whiskey, bourbon, gin, and vodka. Great food and setting too. One of my favorite newer places.
November 20, 20195 yr Didn't Beer Engine brew small batches of their Buckeye beer on location? I can't remember. They had some good stuff. Bottlehouse is pretty sweet. Nice to have another brewery in the Wood.
November 21, 20195 yr It's frankly amazing that Lakewood doesn't have at least a few breweries yet. Maybe because the spaces available are so small for the most part.
November 21, 20195 yr If Birdtown Brewery ever opens that’d make 3ish. I believe BottleHouse produces Mead in Lakewood, not beer.
November 21, 20195 yr 1 hour ago, marty15 said: If Birdtown Brewery ever opens that’d make 3ish. I believe BottleHouse produces Mead in Lakewood, not beer. They appear to sporadically work on the new adjacent structure. I don't think they've updated their FB page in months.
January 18, 20205 yr Also, The Ohio Inn on the east end should be opening in mid to late February. They have all the permits and DOH requirements. Just finishing up the menu and hiring and training staff.
January 22, 20205 yr https://www.cleveland.com/community/2020/01/a-first-in-lakewood-immigrant-son-brewery-planning-spring-opening.html?fbclid=IwAR2he3I2Y1VCCLkVHzCzYH2Fu0r-56RooODds1T7j6tPwn_tz122xk3ZK1c A first in Lakewood, Immigrant Son Brewery planning spring opening For a city that has so many bars, it’s ironic -- and, well, downright egregious -- that Lakewood doesn’t have its own brewery. That’s all about to change with the expected spring opening of Immigrant Son Brewery, which is currently planned for the former Constantino’s Market location at 18120 Sloane Ave. The visionary behind the full-service brew pub is Lakewood resident Andrew Revy. In addition to offering its initial four Immigrant Son Brewery flagship beers – an IPA, a saison, an English pub style ale and an American pilsner -- the bar will have lagers and pilsners on tap along with seasonal beers. “Our head brewer is Cara Baker, who is of award-winning fame,” Revy said. “Many people in Northeast Ohio are very familiar with her and her work. I’m very excited to give her the opportunity to make some great beers for Immigrant Son Brewery.” On the food side, Revy said the 200-seat venue, which includes a 15-seat bar as well as high tables, will transform obligatory brew-pub options into something special.
January 22, 20205 yr ^ Seems like a great mix of old and new. I predict this place will be quite a popular spot.
January 22, 20205 yr 2 hours ago, surfohio said: ^ Seems like a great mix of old and new. I predict this place will be quite a popular spot. I hope so! Andy is a great guy .... And we used to love Manja on Madison back in day (the 90s) ...
January 22, 20205 yr 57 minutes ago, dergon darkhelm said: I hope so! Andy is a great guy .... And we used to love Manja on Madison back in day (the 90s) ... Ha, I think I wore out a path going back and forth from Manja and Capsule.
January 22, 20205 yr Capsule! That's it ... I was struggling to think of the name of that place earlier today.
January 22, 20205 yr 23 minutes ago, surfohio said: Ha, I think I wore out a path going back and forth from Manja and Capsule. Was Andy involved with Manja?
January 22, 20205 yr Yeah. He was a co-owner Then left the food/bar biz to run the family business (Constantinos) for a long while
January 23, 20205 yr Manja is still going. Somehow. I never see anyone in there. And Capsule! How revolutionary was that at the time?! And those cool orange seats!
January 23, 20205 yr 2 hours ago, marty15 said: Manja is still going. Somehow. I never see anyone in there. And Capsule! How revolutionary was that at the time?! And those cool orange seats! From what I understand there was a falling out between co-owners at Manja, maybe a divorce? Well I can't remember exactly. But the bartender once told me that the remaining owner "didn't want the place to be crowded with the old customers." Very strange. And they succeeded lol. No more events, sporadic hours, closed for days at a time, etc. etc. I think a foosball table is their "draw" for the 3-4 people that still go there.
January 23, 20205 yr 3 hours ago, marty15 said: Manja is still going. Somehow. I never see anyone in there. And Capsule! How revolutionary was that at the time?! And those cool orange seats! Capsule was insanely cool! Ya know it's really about time for a retrospective on that era. It's interesting from an urban planning perspective, how the hood rose up so organically, only to fade out. I mean there appeared to be zero public support....no fancy streescape improvements, no bikelanes, no outward civic organization (that I'm aware of), a perception of crime and seediness, actual seediness lol. But all in all a really great time to experience. "The Village on Madison" Edited January 23, 20205 yr by surfohio
January 23, 20205 yr 6 minutes ago, surfohio said: Capsule was insanely cool! Ya know it's really about time for a retrospective on that era. It's really interesting from an urban planning perspective, how the hood rose up so organically, only to fade out. I mean there appeared to be zero public support....no fancy streescape improvements, no bikelanes, no outward civic organization (that I'm aware of), a perception of crime and seediness, actual seediness lol. But all in all a really great time to experience. "The Village on Madison" I loved the neighborhood back then. First place I lived when I moved to the Cleveland area was at Madison and Magee. Madison was still 4 lanes of traffic. Almost hard to imagine now. Back then, the Green Room bar was across the street from where I lived. They’d open at 5am for all the 3rd shifters and legit had bands blaring first thing in the morning . A great life experience back in 2000-2001. Edited January 23, 20205 yr by marty15
January 23, 20205 yr 8 minutes ago, marty15 said: I loved the neighborhood back then. First place I lived when I moved to the Cleveland area was at Madison and Magee. Madison was still 4 lanes of traffic. Almost hard to imagine now. Back then, the Green Room bar was across the street from where I lived. They’d open at 5am for all the 3rd shifters and legit had bands blaring first thing in the morning . A great life experience back in 2000-2001. Green Room was beloved. And now it's almost like never existed. Try googling it....maybe you'll have better skills because I found nothing. At least Capsule was immortalized by this yelp review. https://www.yelp.com/biz/capsule-lakewood
January 27, 20205 yr Conceptual drawing for the redesign of Wagar Park at Hilliard and Madison avenues..... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 27, 20205 yr ^^^ Wagar Park construction work out for bid today, construction to begin in March. https://patch.com/ohio/lakewood-oh/wagar-park-renovation-begins-search-contractor
January 27, 20205 yr Lakewood plans extensive update of commercial and residential construction design guidelines Updated 12:31 PM; Today 5:43 AM By John Benson, special to cleveland.com LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Eliminating contractor and resident confusion while expediting the construction process is what Mayor Meghan George is hoping to accomplish with the city beginning an update to its architecture and design guidelines. https://www.cleveland.com/community/2020/01/lakewood-plans-extensive-update-of-commercial-and-residential-construction-design-guidelines.html
January 27, 20205 yr On 1/23/2020 at 2:42 PM, freefourur said: ^ where was Green Room. I don't remember it at all It was next door to Thai Kitchen. Same building. Thai Kitchen has since expanded into that space.
January 27, 20205 yr I forgot about this project. https://www.cleveland.com/community/2019/10/liberty-development-partnering-with-st-clement-church-to-build-madison-avenue-townhomes.html
January 27, 20205 yr I don't think anyone has posted the site plan yet for the St. Clements townhouses so here you go:
February 3, 20205 yr More... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 3, 20205 yr ^ It would have been cool to preserve the school for housing. But these townhomes will be a nice addition to Madison Avenue.
February 8, 20205 yr Two Lakewood project updates..... AND Edited February 9, 20205 yr by KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 9, 20205 yr Hotel operator joins Lakewood megaproject Lodging developer and operator Ceres Enterprises LLC has agreed to pursue constructing a $15 million hotel as part of Carnegie Management & Development Corp.'s proposed One Lakewood Place mixed-use project in Lakewood. The 90- to 100-unit inn could rise as high as six stories and use the two-story Curtis Block building. Khouri said he is in talks with a major out-ot-town insurance company that is considering moving its national headquarters to about 88,000 square feet of the project https://www.crainscleveland.com/real-estate/hotel-operator-joins-lakewood-megaproject There appears to be a new rendering with the hotel added in. Also anyone know what insurance company they are trying to attract?
February 9, 20205 yr Already posted in the One Lakewood Place thread. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 10, 20205 yr The Solove Barry Buick project is being presented at the BBS/ABR meeting this Thursday. At one point, I know there was opposition about the amount of parking available and some other typical NIMBY nonsense. Hoping this plan will quell their fears about the lack of parking at least. A lot more surface parking than I expected. Images taken from the meeting agenda: http://www.onelakewood.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BBSARBAgenda_021320.pdf.
February 10, 20205 yr ^Ugh I don't know what to think about this. We are losing an ugly parking lot fronting Detroit (Yay!) but gaining another, slightly prettier parking lot fronting Detroit (Boo!). I know the building coming down on Detroit between Orchard Grove and Northland isn't necessarily the prettiest or most historic, but it is street fronting and could be renovated quite nicely.
February 10, 20205 yr Its funny, i just drove by this area and was wondering what was going on with this project. I am going to go to the meeting and see the presentation. I like most of the design, except that new parking lot.
February 10, 20205 yr 2 hours ago, G00pie said: Its funny, i just drove by this area and was wondering what was going on with this project. I am going to go to the meeting and see the presentation. I like most of the design, except that new parking lot. I agree, the design is appealing and as a nearby resident I am thrilled to see something happen with this somewhat barren stretch of Detroit. I would prefer no parking lots fronting Detroit Ave, but ultimately would be totally content if this were approved as-is. I am a little disappointed in the apparent lack of retail space (this is still being called mixed-use), but I understand the market drives this decision and there are definitely some vacant retail spaces nearby.
February 10, 20205 yr I bet if it's successful they make a push to fill that surface lot on Detroit, though.
February 14, 20205 yr On 2/10/2020 at 12:00 PM, G00pie said: Its funny, i just drove by this area and was wondering what was going on with this project. I am going to go to the meeting and see the presentation. I like most of the design, except that new parking lot. Any news from the meeting?
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