Lastly, where are all these so called independent and progressive films I heard where to be a main feature ala Cedar Lee?

 

Right now, 2 of the 3 movies they are showing are also at the Cedar Lee, although they are 2 of the more mainstream movies the Cedar Lee is showing.  I did expect them to show more independent films.

I'm a fan of the "Shaker Square" approach.  I like to watch all different kinds of movies and if I can watch a Hollywood blockbuster in an elegant setting it's a plus.

re: indie movies at the capitol.

 

The distributors of movies decide where their movies will be screened; not the theater owners.  Therefore, the Capitol must prove to distributors that it can turn-out big crowds for indie films.  Thus far, the only exclusive (to Greater Cleveland) that the Capitol has screened was an brit flick called Fish Tank.

 

in short:  if you want more indie flicks at the Capitol then you need to get yourself and all your friends to see any and all indie movies on opening weekend (this is how crowds are measured)

I'm a fan of the "Shaker Square" approach. I like to watch all different kinds of movies and if I can watch a Hollywood blockbuster in an elegant setting it's a plus.

 

I do like Shake Square's theater.  Unfortunately, it seems like its never busy.  The last time I was there was on a weekend and there was hardly anyone else there.  Is this normal?  (I don't go there very often.)

I personally am very hap with Capitol's programming of mainstream/Hollywood films.

 

I wanted a neighborhood Movie Theatre to keep me from having to drive to the 'burbs.....that's what I got :)

I'm a fan of the "Shaker Square" approach. I like to watch all different kinds of movies and if I can watch a Hollywood blockbuster in an elegant setting it's a plus.

 

I do like Shake Square's theater. Unfortunately, it seems like its never busy. The last time I was there was on a weekend and there was hardly anyone else there. Is this normal? (I don't go there very often.)

 

Depends on the movie showings and release but it does fluctuate from being packed to some nights being a trickle.  I remember when they came out with the digitally remastered Star Wars and I saw it with my dad at the Colony 5 BIG SCREEN before they chopped it up into all the tiny theatres it is now.  The BIG SCREEN was huge.

Have you ever experienced the infamous "a rat just ran across my feet!" problem?  The bottom floor of Tower City is infested with rats and the popcorn that falls onto the floor is basically a buffet for the critters.

 

I'm not a huge fan of Tower City Cinemas due to the types of crowds it can draw and the occasional technical difficulties (sound too loud, too soft, poor image, etc), but I do go there a lot since I live downtown and have never experienced rats or any other types of critters.  Never really struck me as dirty, either.

The distributors of movies decide where their movies will be screened; not the theater owners. Therefore, the Capitol must prove to distributors that it can turn-out big crowds for indie films.

 

I would think they'd want to be on as many screens as possible.

They also want to make as much money as they can per screen per showing. Unfortunately, indie flicks do not generally do that.

 

I have gone to a couple CIA cinematheque film nights that they have had there. The first film I saw there was hardly anyone in attendance. The second time I went the film sold out and there were so many people there that didn't get in, they had an impromptu second screening of the movie.

 

I've now gone to theatre multiple times for numerous movies / events and have been generally impressed. I think the digital projection is really nice. I have sat in every theatre and have no real complaints about any of them. I mainly go to movies at the cinematheque and cedar lee, so my expectations aren't quite as high as maybe someone used to megaplex theatres.

 

That being said, there are multiple craftsmanship issues I've seen with the project's contractors. Probably the best example is that Marous put a sprinkler head in the middle of the die-cast letters for the sign in the lobby... that says 'Marous Brothers Lobby' or something of that nature. I think it looks really bad, but its probably something most people don't / won't ever notice.

 

Unfortunately, the curse of being a designer is ALWAYS noticing that type of crap.

 

Re: Tower City

 

I've gone to a lot of movies there at the film festival and also end up going there a couple times throughout the year. I've never had a real problem there. I don't think the kids there are any worse then anything I've encountered at any suburban megaplex. 

 

I think if TC was that much of a hell hole, the film fest would go somewhere else. There are a lot of people that come to CIFF from out of town, and given CIFF's reputation, I don't think they'd have it if everyone that came thought the venue was a dump.

CIFF takes of TCC, it's not quite the same as going their to see the latest Hollywood schlock.  I don't go there anymore because of the noise, either.  When I'm watching schlock, I want to be able to follow the lame plot.

Rockitect - I know exactly what you're saying about that sprinkler head location and other details in the Capitol.  It's hard to be really "wowed" by many projects anymore when you critique them for a living.

 

The budget for the Capitol theater rehab was pretty thin from the beginning and I think it is only about half as nice as it could have been.  Not really a reflection of Marous Bros quality of work, just a reflection of cutting alot of corners.  Certainly not complaining though, as I can walk to the theater and love seeing the added traffic on the sidewalks and drawing new people into the neighborhood...

Looks like the new Indian restaurant across from Minh Anh will be called Indian Delight. There is also a place in the Galleria food court called Indian Delight. Probably the same owners. Anyone eaten there?

I'm excited about this place - Indian is my favorite cuisine.

Good times for Gordon Square.  Here's a link to a nice little recap of the past 3 years, including some of the strides made with all the redevelopment:

 

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Clevelands-Gordon-Square-Arts-District-The-Art-of-Economic-Development-1145094.htm

 

Not sure that it's been mentioned yet (maybe I missed it in another thread), but the new bus shelters have been installed, and man, do they look great. I do use "shelter" pretty loosely, though. As has been mentioned before, the design is aesthetically really nice ... but in terms of functionality, I don't think it will serve as much of a windbreak, and the perforated metal is probably going to get you as wet in a rainstorm, and potentially wetter, than if you were standing in open air. But really, really nice looking ... and definitely an improvement over the nothing that was there a couple weeks ago :)

^ Perforated metal?  Please tell me you're not describing the roof...

you can see them here:

 

http://www.robertmaschke.com/Pages/projects.htm

I'm sorry, but that bus shelter is just ridiculous. Definitely a preference form form over function there.  I'd rather stand in the middle of an empty parking lot than use that in the winter.

Oh right, now I remember the design, gracias.  They don't look like they'd provide the best protection against the elements, but they are kind of cool looking.  Looks to me like the roof isn't perforated so not as bad as I feared.

wow those shelters fit in very nicely with the artsy character of the district!

 

Hi everybody!  I live in Gordon Square and have been admiring these 'shelters' for a few weeks now.  They are absolutely stunning! Form definately gave function a swift kick  in the nuts on this project, but they fit the Detroit/65th intersection perfectly. Not a good model for other bus shelters throughout the city, but perfect for Gordon Square.

The team that took over ABC Tavern on West 25th is taking over the old Perry's Family Restaurant at 6421 Detroit Ave next to Cleveland Public Theater.  The new neighborhood tavern will open in the fall and be called....  XYZ Tavern.  Clever.  Read more here:

 

http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/bites-randy-kelley-and-linda-syrek-power-food-couple/Content?oid=1893017

 

There's also a great article on Alan Glazen, one of the guys behind the project here:

 

http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/alphabet-scoop/Content?oid=1893041

 

He talks about being a part of bringing the city back and looking for locations in Cleveland's neighborhoods to do so.  "He hopes to seed his beloved city with upward of 20 new small businesses..."  Great article about a great guy.

 

The definitely look good.

 

The provide no shelter, well maybe from the sun except that metal will probably get hot.

 

I also found that due to the sloping nature of the upright, only 1 person (maybe 2 children) can sit at a time.

 

No doubt those are great looking bus structures, but sure don't look like they'll protect from rain, wind, or snow.  +2 for the design, though.

They should be called "benches" instead of "shelters" but they are cool!

They should be called "benches" instead of "shelters" but they are cool!

 

I agree with that. I just saw them for the first time last night when I dinner at Stone Mad.

 

There should a spatula within arm's reach from the bench, because on a 95-degree day, that's the only way you're gonna be able to pry your frying ass off that thing.

The team that took over ABC Tavern on West 25th is taking over the old Perry's Family Restaurant at 6421 Detroit Ave next to Cleveland Public Theater. The new neighborhood tavern will open in the fall and be called.... XYZ Tavern. Clever. Read more here:

 

http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/bites-randy-kelley-and-linda-syrek-power-food-couple/Content?oid=1893017

 

There's also a great article on Alan Glazen, one of the guys behind the project here:

 

http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/alphabet-scoop/Content?oid=1893041

 

He talks about being a part of bringing the city back and looking for locations in Cleveland's neighborhoods to do so. "He hopes to seed his beloved city with upward of 20 new small businesses..." Great article about a great guy.

 

 

I just read these this morning, very interesting.

 

That Mr. Glazen sounds like a hero and puts his money where his mouth is.  We need more people like him. 

Why can't we have a shelter that's elegantly designed and actually provides shelter?  And maybe for more than one person?

I just read these this morning, very interesting.

 

That Mr. Glazen sounds like a hero and puts his money where his mouth is. We need more people like him.

 

Like Drew Carey?

 

Sorry, had to. :)

if they doubled the width of the shelter and had something solid inside, preferably light colored it would help a lot.

 

2 people could sit and it might stop the wind/driving rain.  and reflect some of the sun.

 

Drew opened a restaurant. kewl, glad to see him contributing something positive to his old home town.

 

 

 

 

Wow These bus shelter/art installations are completely awesome and I agree that they fit perfectly into the charachter of DS. I say congratulations to the people who are making things happen in this neighborhood. They obviously are not worried and prepared to take on critics by installing these. The video link on the architects site explains what they were thinking when they came up with the design. Truly makes a big statement. I can't wait to see what's next for this area.

Those pieces of shiny public art CANNOT, by definition, be called a shelter.

 

Even in Arizona.

The team that took over ABC Tavern on West 25th is taking over the old Perry's Family Restaurant at 6421 Detroit Ave next to Cleveland Public Theater.  The new neighborhood tavern will open in the fall and be called....  XYZ Tavern.  Clever.  Read more here:

 

http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/bites-randy-kelley-and-linda-syrek-power-food-couple/Content?oid=1893017

 

There's also a great article on Alan Glazen, one of the guys behind the project here:

 

http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/alphabet-scoop/Content?oid=1893041

 

He talks about being a part of bringing the city back and looking for locations in Cleveland's neighborhoods to do so.  "He hopes to seed his beloved city with upward of 20 new small businesses..."  Great article about a great guy.

 

 

 

Randy and Linda are good people. :)

 

Had dinner at the ABC the other night ...was simple and yummy (pulled chiken sandwich for me, hommous-wich for dergon_gf) . Looking forward to having them even closer to us!

I'm putting this here b/c I couldn't find another thread for it, didn't want to start a new one, and it's technically in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood...

 

I attended the dedication of the M/V Put-in-Bay yesterday at the Great Lakes Shipyard and came away pretty excited about the work they are doing there.  The M/V PIB had a 40 ft middle extension added, along with a complete repowering of the engine equipment.  I knew all about the project; what I didn't know about was the shipyard itself...even though its less than a mile from where I live.

 

[Add:  The M/V Put-in-Bay is one ship in the Miller Boat Line Fleet, the ferry service running from Catawba to Put-in-Bay and Middle Bass Island.  They extended the boat to 136 ft to allow for 8 more cars or more large delivery trucks or construction vehicles.  They offer round trip passenger service to PIB for $13.  And if you're looking for somewhere to enjoy the waterfront, there's nowhere better than PIB.]

 

The Great Lakes Towing Company operates a full service shipyard and drydock specializing in marine construction and repairs for vessels - large yachts, tugboats, supply boats, ferries, barges, etc.  They recently completed Phase I of their expansion, building new office facilities and fabrication shops.  They are in the middle of Phase II which will feature the largest mobile hoist on the Great Lakes with a capacity of 700 metric tons and excavated boat slip.  This will allow for work to be done on up to 10 boats at a time, from USCG, government vessels, research ships, barges, and the like.

 

They have also acquired 2 acres of waterfront property for a future phase III, where they plan on building a 65,000 sq ft all weather facility to permit year round production.  The building plans have been approved by the City of Cleveland and a $500,000 grant has been awarded by the federal government.  Also incorporated into the design are new office and warehouse facilities to be used to support the Case Western Reserve Wind Energy and Control Systems Center for monitoring, maintaining, and operating wind turbines.  Phase III is expected to be completed next year and should allow the shipyard production to grow, required an additional 100 employees.

 

The shipyard has also partnered with the Max Hayes vocational school whose course of instruction includes welding and diesel engine mechanic training, all skills needed for in a shipyard.

 

Here are a couple pictures I took with my cell phone.

 

 

Cool pics! Thanks for the info too!

Does this mean there will be ferry service available from cleveland to the Lake Erie Islands?

Great vessel! Now if we can just get some passengers to stop flicking cigarette butts into the water...

GSAD getting more and more press:

 

Gordon Square Arts District among winners of Cleveland Arts Prize

By Julie Washington, The Plain Dealer

May 03, 2010, 5:30AM

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In a rare move, a Cleveland Arts Prize has been awarded not to a person or an organization, but a neighborhood.

 

Gordon Square Arts District -- a collection of theaters, restaurants and galleries clustered around West 65th Street and Detroit Avenue -- and its leaders are being honored for having the vision and influence to revitalize a Cleveland neighborhood using the arts as an economic engine.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2010/05/gordon_square_arts_district_am.html

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

It's only intermission for renovations at Cleveland Public Theatre

By Tony Brown, The Plain Dealer

May 01, 2010, 11:59PM

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Our Lady of Perpetual Renovation.

 

That's what Cleveland Public Theatre staffers call their main facility, two buildings near West 65th Street and Detroit Avenue.

 

The company, formed in 1981, took over a former, second-story dance hall in 1984. A motorcycle club renovated it into the Levin Theatre in exchange for legal representation from CPT founder James Levin, a lawyer. In 1995, CPT acquired the 1912 Gordon Square Theatre next door. The Storefront Studio opened in the dance-hall building in 2007.

 

Total investment through 2009 on those buildings: $1.5 million.

 

 

http://www.cleveland.com/onstage/index.ssf/2010/05/its_only_intermission_for_reno.html

 

 

 

 

Does this mean there will be ferry service available from cleveland to the Lake Erie Islands?

 

No, they just had the work on the ship done in in the shipyard here in Cleveland.  It's a 5 hour ride from Cleveland to the dock on PIB via that ferry.

 

I found a flickr photo page : http://www.flickr.com/photos/millerferryputinbay/

 

and a brief article:  http://marinelink.com/news/article/great-lakes-shipyard-reconstructs-put-in-bay/334090.aspx

 

 

Did anyone catch this in yesterday's article about school demolitions?

 

"South and East high schools are on the demolition list. So is a dilapidated section of Watterson-Lake Elementary, which will remain in operation."

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/05/cleveland_school_district_want.html

 

I am afraid this refers to the lovely old school building at the intersection of Detroit and W. 74th. Anyone have any further information? That building should be saved; it could provide awesome loft-style apartments in an area that is burgeoning and could easily absorb additional market-rate rental options.

^Yup.  Being lamented here: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,7006.msg483578.html#new.

Did anyone catch this in yesterday's article about school demolitions?

 

"South and East high schools are on the demolition list. So is a dilapidated section of Watterson-Lake Elementary, which will remain in operation."

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/05/cleveland_school_district_want.html

 

I am afraid this refers to the lovely old school building at the intersection of Detroit and W. 74th. Anyone have any further information? That building should be saved; it could provide awesome loft-style apartments in an area that is burgeoning and could easily absorb additional market-rate rental options.

yeah...there is a dedicated thread

I heard along time ago from the Director of the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Org that the old section of Watterson Lake kept getting passed on by developers due to extensive asbestos throughout the building. 

I'm told there are ongoing discussions between neighborhood leaders and CMSD about saving this building (or at least its facade). Will keep everyone posted with anything else I hear.

Looks like the new Indian restaurant across from Minh Anh will be called Indian Delight. There is also a place in the Galleria food court called Indian Delight. Probably the same owners. Anyone eaten there?

I'm excited about this place - Indian is my favorite cuisine.

Has this opened?  When will it open?  Any updates?  Thanks.

Any word from anyone on Toast Wine Bar and its status?

Toast Wine bar.

 

3rd hand info.....Being held up by the Church next door and one of the Neighbors possibly objecting to the liquor license.

 

Stopped all construction until they get it cleared up.

The Indian restaurant on 54th will be called Indian Delight. I talk to the guys that work in the food court in the Galleria and they said they were hoping that the final inspection would be completed by the end of last week(the 14th). They were looking at a May 20th opening. I eat at the one in the Galleria almost daily and it is very good. I'm a huge fan of Indian as well. They also told me that the one in the Galleria will close at the end of May or end of June at the latest. I guess thay haven't done the greatest at the Galleria.

Toast Wine bar.

 

3rd hand info.....Being held up by the Church next door and one of the Neighbors possibly objecting to the liquor license.

 

Stopped all construction until they get it cleared up.

 

I heard the same nearly a year ago (and I think may have posted it earlier in this thread). Then they proceeded with some of the renovation, so I thought it was cleared, but there has been no obvious progress on the location is a LONG time.

 

In other DS news, keep an eye out for a new deli likely hitting the area soon. The work that's being down on the corner of Detroit Ave. and W. 59th will be the (hopefully) be the home of Herman Park Deli, although that might not be the final name.

 

Also, I heard the Westside Housing Center will be having their 1st Annual Block Party on Wednesday May 19th from 5pm-7pm behind the Gordon Square Arcade.

Frank's Falafel House W.65 & Franklin) is planning to open in early June.    Somewhere on Detroit Ave, between W. 74 & W.53, an ice cream and chocolate shop will be opening.

Don't forget...  a food co-op with a goal of a 2011 opening. I have atended a few meetings and will go to the next.