Superior has long been my favorite downtown street, by far the grandest and most beautiful.  I feel the most relaxed strolling this great street (and I stroll rather than hustle the way I do elsewhere downtown, esp on Euclid) with its wide boulevard and gracious sidewalks; love looking at all the landmark architecture old and new.

But It constantly surprises me as to how little attention it gets.  I know Euclid’s our main commercial thoroughfare, and that will never change.  But does it have to be our key shopping district.  Even in its heyday, even with the graceful Bonds at East 9th, Mays and other grand stores, Euclid was never the most beautiful street.  In fact, it doesn't even rank in my top 5 downtown beauty streets (Superior, E. 9th, St. Clair, Huron, E. 6th, Lakeside, Ontario – and others -- all beat Euclid beauty-wise imho).

 

 

Superior's width and grandeur echo Chicago's Michigan Avenue – that Magnificent Mile, sans all the shoppers, of course.  It’s worth noting that the “pretty” Arcade was kept -- albeit slightly defaced by Hyatt -- as opposed to the homely Art Deco rebuild on the Euclid end. But the potential is there to be a Magnificent Mile, Cleveland style (of course, it's noteworthy that Hyatt picked the wider, more beautiful Superior side to claim as its entrance rather than the busier, less-pretty Euclid side).  Superior has historically not been our shopping district, obviously.  But if memory serves, neither was Michigan Ave until, what, 40 or so years ago.  Wasn't State Street inside the Loop where shopping originally was before stores, shops and hotels began gravitating to North Michigan Ave?  (Maybe UO’s Chicago area natives/residents – Jeff?  Rob? Andrew?-- can help out on my, perhaps, muddled Chicago history) 

The core of a Superior-Mag Mile is already in place from Public Square to E. 12th.  Avenue District, to the East, and Pesht, to the West, stand to stretch and enhance the Superior Mag Mile.  Obviously, the great institutions in my plan – the Federal Reserve and our awesome Library-plus new addition, would stay put and enhance The Mile. 

 

There are already a healthy number of hotels along this strip – yes, more would always be welcome – but Superior's not doing bad as is… But obviously, stores would need to beef up the district.  Pesht would certainly bring some to the Western end but, of course, the strip will always be bifurcated by Public Square, and that’s OK.  But there’s plenty of room for stores, shops and restaurants, esp along the south side of Superior and esp in the modern office buildings like BP, 5-3rd Bank and the recently-purchased vacant East Ohio Gas building at 9th.  The nearby lovely though-struggling Galleria could both contribute to and be enhanced by such a Superior Magnificent Mile...

 

Doable?

 

No.

 

If anything, Superior reminds me of Park Avenue South and a couple of other streets in large urban cities.

Mag Mile is what it is because it has the population and tourism. You're just not going to find anything that comes close in Ohio.

No.

 

If anything, Superior reminds me of Park Avenue South and a couple of other streets in large urban cities.

 

Not me.  Park Street South, at least the portion in my mind's eye, has a mix of sterile office buildings and some grand residences leading into Grand Central Terminal... I don't think of Superior at all here.  But, call me crazy, but Michigan and Superior are almost carbon copies in the core area -- again, sans the huge shopping throngs of the Windy City.

OK, here's some photos of the real thing I snapped last summer:

I recognize Chicago's Chicago and Cleveland's Cleveland... But there are some similarities to the 2 streets.  And there is some light buzz along Superiror as it exists, now.  Imagine if this were enhanced.

 

I think that the uses along Superior will keep it from becoming more energetic. I agree with you that its an awesome street. Between Public Square and E.9th, there are some amazing buildings. These buildings, however, don't generate the type of foot traffic that will make Superior a livelier street. Example-Federal Reserve--its beautiful and huge, but its a black hole as far as foot traffic is concerned.

 

Moving into Asia Town, there are some awesome old brick warehouses that, if renovated, would make for a very interesting vibe.

Unless some heavy demolition takes place on Superior, it will never be Michigan Ave.  Between the Courthouse, libraries, Fed. Res., 5/3, Key(brick one), 200 PS, and the Mall, the buildings are fortress like and very retail space exists except for a couple of storefronts in the Arcade and the building with Dominos.  I'm not ripping on Superior but Euclid, Prospect, Huron, and WHD streets are more condusive to flourishing retail.  It's the civic/institutional grandeur of Superior that makes it beautiful. 

Whoops, sorry to reiterate 3231...

 

I agree that east of downtown has the feel what is now the south loop in Chitown.

^ I agree, those 'institutional' buildings, though architecturally splendid, do do much for foot traffic  -- other than rush hour... I like what's happening in Asia villiage, esp w/ the live-work factory/warehouse conversions.