Posted June 9, 200817 yr I took my bike out to two of my favorite spots in the South Hills part of Old Brooklyn - the Treadway Connector and Benjamin Franklin Community Garden. The Treadway Connector opened in Fall 2007 as a City of Cleveland park, and is the first neighborhood connector to the Towpath Trail at Old Harvard Road. There's more information about it, including a map, in the Old Brooklyn thread. That's the Jennings Freeway (I-176) in the distance. The entrance to the trail is on Crestline and Jennings Roads, just about a mile south of Steelyard Commons. Bollards in front of the trail entrance. Going downwards towards Jennings. Harmody Park. It's a nice meandering path coming from Harmody Park near Mayview Road and South Hills Blvd. More views from the top. It's not too bad to bike up, thank goodness. These guys were pretty stupid. They're holding young kids in one arm and biking downhill. Not only is it hazardous to them and the kids, but it's dangerous to everyone else using the trail. Here's Jennings. More needs to be done to make the transition to the Towpath more bike-friendly. Jennings is pretty industrial and the traffic is a little fast for families. Cool topography. Green retaining walls. It's a really f-ing shame when the park is less than a year old and virtually everything is graffitied by some young punks. They've written on the signage, benches, path, and rails.
June 9, 200817 yr Very nice set of photos - is there parking available at either end of the trail? I looked at the map in the Old Brooklyn thread but it didn't really show any. Also, is it an easy enough ride for little kids?
June 9, 200817 yr ^ There's one or two spots on Crestline at the bottom of the trail, but it's pretty desolate down there. I'd recommend parking on the street by Harmody Park. I've walked it before, but this is the first time I biked it. It didn't seem too steep, but it might be a little difficult for kids to bike uphill. But it isn't that long of a walk, though.
June 9, 200817 yr good stuff CD! I'll have to get down there sometime soon. It looks like this trail can accommodate all bicycle types, as it's asphalt. When you get to the Towpath, IIRC, it's a loose stone at certain points, am I right?
June 9, 200817 yr ^ You are correct. I believe that gravel starts a little south of Rockside Road. People with the skinny tires usually take Canal Road as an alternative.
June 10, 200817 yr ^ MB, I drew on a map for a little perspective. Say you're at Steelyard Commons. South of the highway ramp near Target, Steelyard Drive turns into Jennings Road. About a quarter of a mile from there is Old Harvard Road (where there's a Cleats and Zeleznik's Tavern). Old Harvard, of course, is where the current Towpath terminus is. To my understanding, the Towpath is to pick up directly across from the current terminus. I don't see anything going on over there, but I guess that it'll meander behind the industries and connect to the back of Steelyard Commons. There's quite a gap between Treadway and the Towpath, and as I mentioned, it's not the best ride. Jennings was recently redone, but is industrial, traffic is a fast, and there's a lot of debris in the gutter lane. Old Harvard is chewed up and has a bunch of railroad tracks that aren't a smooth ride. So I guess you can say that Treadway is a connector, but not a direct connector.
June 10, 200817 yr To my understanding, the Towpath is to pick up directly across from the current terminus. I don't see anything going on over there, but I guess that it'll meander behind the industries and connect to the back of Steelyard Commons. It will. Design is taking place presently, with construction commencing in 2010. Because of the topography and the need to span the river while weaving through the railroad bridges, the design phase is taking a while. http://planning.co.cuyahoga.oh.us/towpath/ http://planning.co.cuyahoga.oh.us/towpath/maps.html
June 10, 200817 yr I apologize...the Treadway Connector comes out on Crestline Road, NOT Valley Road.
June 10, 200817 yr Fantastic! Cleveland seems to be loaded with hidden parks and woodlands (per many recent threads).
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