PARK(ing) Day: Cleveland, 2009

September 18, 2009
Various(?) sites around the city

The Cleveland Chapter of Architecture for Humanity is partnering with Green City Blue Lake and the only member of LAUNCHcleveland who survived the great "freeze tag game of aught-8" in attempting to once again raise awareness that CITIES ARE MADE FOR PEOPLE.

Utilizing the international PARK(ing) Day craze and the power of the internets we are attempting to coordinate multiple "parks".

If you are interested in any way please fill out this Google online form. We will be (hopefully) mapping out the locations by early next week.

Right now we will have something around East 4th and Prospect and hope to support another park by Gordon Square in connection with the Rust Belt to Artist Belt conference/event/happening.

Feel free to pass this along and if you want. You can either drop by one of the parks or host your own. All we ask is that you let us know so we can map it so people in the neighborhood can know and drop by.

See you on the streets.

Lake Erie. Just sayin', don't take it for granted.

I remember when a friend visited me from KC, Missouri and we went to Headlands Beach (at the time I lived in Fairport Harbor). When I was in the KC he would get sick of me complaining about being "landlocked" and "missing the sound of waves crashing" and would inevitably shove me in his old Honda and we would go to one of the "lakes" that Missouri has to offer.

To me, if you can see the other side, it isn't a lake.

Well, that point was made pretty clear when my buddy first stepped onto the sand, squinted against the sun and pointed off to the horizon asking "So...what's over there?"

"Canada."

"Yeah, so this is a Lake."

Later on I would have a discussion with a research librarian about why the Great Lakes aren't considered inland seas. I don't remember the reason much anymore. I think it had to do with whether it let out into the ocean and was surrounded mostly by land (lake) as opposed to being salty due to ocean inlet access (sea) although there are exceptions.

Anyway, living on Lake Erie is pretty dang neat-o and it is probably the greatest resources Cleveland has. Going there is free, the view is usually pretty amazing and sometimes just sitting down and watching the world do its thing for a bit is exactly what any good doctor would order.

Yay, Cleveland
-end cheerleading

Detroit Ave. not quite as sexy as Euclid Ave.

I noticed these new articulated buses along bus line #26 about a week ago and tried in vain to capture the image of the articulated older style bus (not quite as fancy and streamlined as those new numbers cruising up and down Euclid Avenue, strutting like they own the place) on my cell phone but darned if those guys aren't too quick to capture. All the photos I have of them on my phone, and I have quite a few, are all cropped in strange places like the bus was streaking out of frame, which in essence it was.

Is this news? I don't know. Gas prices seem to be down and everyone and their mother got $4.5k to put down on some "fuel efficient" jobby (even though the mpg ratings aren't what I would consider efficient, most of the people I know have cars that were too efficient to qualify. Where is our cash money?) . Sure the ratings for walkable cities have been tied to Real Estate values and it is easier to walk when first traveling to an area by bus than by car (since you can hop back on the bus along your path instead of having to backtrack) but is GCRTA really that in tune? Especially as they are planning to cut Circulator Routes and raise fares?

I ask these questions because they haven't been addressed in the weekly RTA emails I get (but don't read too closely so maybe it WAS in there) and I would like to hear reasoning such as "strengthening the main corridor lines to service more people with more efficient vehicles that get not only better mileage but due to passenger capacity and layout can get more people off and on quicker so that funds can be shifted to bringing back heavily used circulators or routes that had to be changed/removed inconviencing the riders who most rely on GCRTA".

That is what I would like to hear or even read. Soon or something.

Electric Roller Disco Tech - Friday, Aug. 28th

Electric Roller Disco Tech
Friday, August 28th, 2009
Leff Electric building, 1163 East 40th St., Cleveland, 44114
7-10pm

...for a night of music, fun, dance and rolling -- all with a view of Lake Erie. Bring your roller skates, roller blades, and heelies. Don't have wheels? No problem. Just bring yourself and a desire to see an old space in a new light.

Electric Roller DiscoTech will include local art, DJs from Progressive Arts Alliance, dancing, a RetroPop Bar and a "wheel-in-theatre".

This event is a partnership between the Cleveland Executive Fellowship, Pop Up City and St. Clair Superior Development Corporation.

Rollerskating

Roll out on your skates, blades, and heelies!

Dancing

Progressive Arts Alliance spins retro music, featuring Disc Jockey Santina Protopapa.

Retro Pop Bar

Popping the tops off of your fizzy 80's favorites.

Outdoor Lounge

Take a break and get some fresh air as you relax in front of Leff Electric.

Wheel Art

Make a one-of-a-kind work of art with paint and wheels. 7-8pm.

Wheel-in Theatre

An 80's movie and popcorn at dusk.

Sunset

Over the downtown skyline, as seen from the West windows of Leff Electric.

Flyer - pdf

2009 Cleveland Urban Harvest Garden Tour

Urban Harvest Garden Tour - 2009
Saturday, August 15th
9am - 2pm

Celebrate local food, community, and culture as we highlight 13 community gardens and urban farms in Greater Cleveland during this year’s Urban Harvest Garden Tour. Bring your family and friends and discover what community gardeners and urban farmers are doing to transform our neighborhoods and our lives.

There are 3 ways to go about checking out all the local urban gardens...
Lolly the Trolley (FREE!)
a sweet Bike Tour (sponsored by OCBC!)
or a self guided tour in which you can use the google map or these printable maps (big 4.7 meg pdf)!

It will be a great warm up to Burning River Fest.

mmmmmmmmm, foooooood

Check out all the gardens!

Burning River Fest this Saturday (the 15th of August)

Burning River Fest
Saturday, August 15th, 2009
Old Coast Guard Station (on Whiskey Island!)
4-11pm

Its this simple.

Every year we celebrate how amazing the grassroots effort to "green" Cleveland is (and we don't mean "green" in the typical throw up some solar panels and proclaim how amazingly progressive we are as I mean that a bunch of people get together to celebrate and share what a sustainable, low impact type lifestyle we can really achieve). There is local food, music, people sharing ideas and information, groups looking for volunteers and contractors looking to help you, etc.

This year we are having the honor of being able to wander around the old Coast Guard Station on Whiskey Island, an amazingly beautiful Modern/Art Deco building that has been undergoing some limited renovation in preparation of a new use (and the jetty of land on which it resides).

I don't really look forward to all that much, I like to keep my expectations low so that I can be pleasantly surprised, but I admit I am really looking forward to this.

See you there.

Waterfront Response '1'

I have had a bit of time to look over the waterfront proposal. As it is I remind you that I have not gone to the formal presentation and therefore a lot of these questions/issues may have been answered, however without knowing this for sure I thought I would bring up the two most obvious queries/suggestions that come to mind.

1. Injecting a neighborhood/development of this scale with only 3 vehicular access points may severely minimize the possibility of success. However if an attempt to create more cohesion and integration into the surrounding neighborhoods was undertaken than perhaps a stratification of the region could be avoided. Illustrated in the diagram is simply a pair of railroad crossings tying the proposed neighborhood into the flats east bank development area (along Old River Road and Main Ave). This would allow the flats neighborhood to stretch through to the lakefront, create alternative entrance points circumventing downtown public square (alleviating traffic, etc) and strengthen the development along the rivers edge by cementing it to the lake access at the north. Oddly enough this would also allow for differentiation of development type based upon proximity to water and elevation above the lake, whereas the flats and lakefront area would be of a smaller scale/density and based more upon residential development downtown would remain a distinct "downtown" commercial district. In some regards restricting height of development upon this lower elevation would preserve views from downtown, but would also preserve wind patterns (Tokyo suffers from tall development along the harbor which restricts fresh and cooling air from reaching the center of the city). It also makes a bit more sense to center taller/denser development along stronger access and transportation routes.

2. The second 'suggestion' would be utilizing this development as stimuli for moving the Amtrak station adjacent to the Convention Center (Mall C) and install a bridge system to allow not only access to the station from the waterfront side but also from the city side. This construction could fulfill two functions. It would grant visitors to the city a grander entry and more proper front door through the new Cleveland Convention Center/Med Mart but would also allow pedestrian passage to the Waterfront near the Stadium (enclosed and on surface grade via the Mall). In essence the new passageway would extend a portion of the Mall over the tracks to the Football Stadium and Science Center. This suggestion may actually be able to capitalize on the 3C stimuli monies being sought to tie major cities together via rail and would bode well for the city to make the most out of such an investment.

Again, these comments are made in the vacuum of only seeing the pdf of the presentation and such topics may have already been discussed or are being considered by the design team.

Background image from Port of Cleveland Presentation.

Waterfront Development Community Dialogue part 3

Cleveland Waterfront Community Meeting
Thursday, August 13, 2009
St. Ignatius High School, Father Sullivan Gym, 1911 West 30th Street, Cleveland, Oh 44113
5.30 - 8pm

There has been quite a bit of brouhaha regarding the plan to develop Cleveland's waterfront between West 9th and East 9th Street (you know, that huge chuck of land around the football stadium where the Cleveland Port Authority does stuff). These plans (and other variations) have been the main topic of "revitalizing Cleveland" for quite some time now but it appears that this plan, in some variant, may be pushing forward as the Port Authority swears that they are indeed going to be moving to East 55th Street.

To be completely honest, being able to get to the Lake through downtown doesn't really get me too excited since I can already do it via Voinovich Park. I wouldn't mind some more little neighborhoods to visit and some places to eat right on the lake would be a nice amenity to have.

My greatest concern is that any development will price itself right out of the hands of the sort of boutique shops, restaurants and residents that would make the neighborhood INTERESTING. There isn't much to do about that though, these interjected little communities go through their own cycles and unless there is a very strong willed community group watching out for their own good this little area could turn into another one of those ridiculously sterile tourist traps that probably make enough money to justify their existence but really don't do much for the betterment of the city. They may attract some people from out of town but probably not enough to get out of towners interested enough to franchise or move to Cleveland.

Of course the good news is that the Waterfront Plan is slated to move rather slowly so it may actually grow organically enough to develop as a neighborhood should, instead of all at once which typically leads to catastrophic failure as the novelty wears off.

Regardless, the proposal is interesting and looks quite a bit more cohesive than the 2004 plan which may have worked on a much smaller scale (think 2 city blocks) but was too broad stroke for such a large geographical area. This should be an intriguing series of events.

Find out more at the Port of Cleveland website.

Upcoming RTA Informational Meetings

I have a question I suppose I wouldn't mind knowing the answer to, and it may actually prove somewhat useful in continuing these discussions. How much would the RTA have to charge on a typical fares in order to be self sustainable. I don't think the public has any idea who much is subsidized by taxes and grants and that information may help reasonably frame these arguments especially as the cost of car ownership rises (insurance and fuel).

Upcoming RTA Informational Meeting...no particular order I guess:

RTA Informational Meetings

Circulator Neighborhood Location Date Time

Lee-Harvard 801 Harvard-Lee Library Aug. 24 10 to 6
16918 Harvard Ave.
Cleveland

Southeast 802 Southgate Transit Center Aug. 10 10 to 6
5400 Warrensville Center Rd.
Maple Heights

St. Clair-Hough 803 Cleveland Pub. Library-Addison Aug. 18 10 to 6
6901 Superior Ave.
Cleveland

Lakewood 804 Lakewood Public Library Aug. 17 10 to 6
15425 Detroit Ave.
Lakewood

W. 117th Rapid Station Aug. 14 10 to 6
11631 Madison Ave.
Lakewood

Slavic Village 805 Cleveland Pub. Library-Fleet Aug. 19 10-5:30
7224 Broadway Ave.
Cleveland

Euclid-Euclid Beach 806 Euclid Library Aug. 20 10 to 6
631 E. 222nd St.
Euclid

Tremont 807 W. 25th St. Rapid Station Aug. 11 10 to 6
2350 Lorain Rd.
Cleveland

West Shore 808 Westgate Transit Center Aug. 12 10 to 6
21159 Center Ridge Rd.
Fairview Park

Kamm’s Puritas 809 West Park Rapid Station Aug. 13 10 to 6
14510 Lorain Rd.
Cleveland

St. Clair /5 Points 820 Cleve. Pub. Library- Collinwood Aug. 21 10 to 5:30
Branch
856 E. 152nd Street
Cleveland

University Cir/ Hts 821 Cleveland Hts. City Hall Aug. 20 10 to 2
40 Severance Circle
Cleveland Heights

Southwest 822 Westgate Transit Ctr. Aug. 12 10 to 6
21159 Center Ridge Rd.
Fairview Park

For more details and updates or to leave comments
• Call (216) 781-4299,
• Go to rideRTA.com/community meetings
• public-comment@gcrta.org

via The Sound of Ideas

Creative Cash Monies - CPAC Creative Workforce Fellowship (CWF)

Creative Workforce Fellowship

Artists work hard to secure financial resources. CPAC's Creative Workforce Fellowship (CWF) program, made possible through the generous funding of Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, is designed to add a new source of financial investment for eligible Cuyahoga County artists. CWF's purpose is to:

• invest in developing and sustaining professional artists,
• establish a supportive environment for artists that nurtures creativity and innovation, and
• increase awareness of Cuyahoga County artists through their professional contributions within the creative workforce.

There are two cycles of CWF, each awarding a maximum of 20 fellowships. The first cycle is open to eligible Cuyahoga County visual, media, craft, design, and mixed-media artists. The second cycle of CWF includes music, theatre, dance, literary, and interdisciplinary artists who live and work in Cuyahoga County. For its one-year duration, every fellowship offers:

• a $20,000 financial award,
• a membership with the COSE Arts Network,
• a full tuition waiver for CPAC's Artist as an Entrepreneur Institute, and
• inclusion in the publication of Fellows' work.

Learn more about the CWF and eligibility requirements by clicking Creative Workforce Fellowship overview. If you'd like to receive email updates on the CWF process as they become available, please join our online community.

From the Comunity Partnership for Artrs and Culture website

Upcoming Workshops:

Workshop 3: Saturday, August 8, 2009

9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Pilgrim Congregational Church (Tremont)

2592 West 14th Street

Cleveland, Ohio 44113

map

Workshop 4: Monday, August 10, 2009

6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Cleveland Heights Public Library

2345 Lee Road

Cleveland, OH 44118

map

Workshop 5: Saturday, August 15, 2009

9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Baldwin-Wallace College

Strosacker Hall College Union, Sandstone III

120 East Grand Street
Berea, OH 44017-2088

map

Book Review: Fresh Food From Small Spaces

A couple of days ago I recieved my copy of Fresh Food From Small Spaces by R.J. Ruppenthal. For a couple of years I had been growing small things like herbs and chili peppers in small containers with some amount of minor success. I had even built hanging "window" boxes to start sprouts of lettuces and tomatoes to little avail. They sprouted but either were killed by my ineptitude or by my laziness. I didn't really understand what I was doing but the idea of growing some of my own food was extremely intriguing to me.

This year as I may actually get a tomato and tomatillo yield and my struggling chilies are producing like mad, I am eager to expand. Granted I finally have some decent porch space and solar exposure to exploit but as I have recently become aware that wasn't my entire problem.

It was my technique.

Fresh Food From Small Spaces provides step by step instructions for not only starting your small gardens (broken up by sun type, vertical/horizontal and seasonal) but keeping your plants alive and productive. There are techniques for building your own containers and tips for prolonging your growing season, even through winter with the use of some small solar boxes and careful plant selections. You can find information on yogurts (and other fermented foods), some tips on beekeeping or raising urban chickens (worst band name ever), growing mushrooms and composting to build your own fertilizer.

It was a quick read and since it is laid out like a reference book with resource links and notes, it will function more as a guide than just a good evening read.

Despite some of the chapter headings there really isn't much doomsday talk but there is some information regarding the true cost of food. The issues of creating a sustainable food system are raised although not to an level that would be found annoying, instead it serves as a gentle reminder that some foods may be economically cheap but the hidden costs are important.

I enjoyed the book immensely and have already started planning for my post tomato planting and harvest (I'm thinking peas) and am considering how best to execute a winter garden on my porch (maybe make a pitched glass tent and insulate the heck out of my earthbox - it was a gift from a long time ago).

tomatoes trying oh so hard and chilies coming in like mad!

So....8 weeks later and the HOJO still stands? Amazing.

The city of Cleveland had begun the demolition process in June. The current owners complained they weren't given proper notice and a judge offered a 3 week injunction. However the owners (Lakeview 2006 LLC) recently were given until August 20 to provide some sort of proof that they had been in the process of rehabilitating the site as per the sweet rendering sign that has been posted.

Sure the building is pretty dilapidated and probably didn't even function well as a hotel. Condos though seem to be the quick fix all band-aid to any problem (pre 2008), but with the new housing market I think people are catching on. However the current state of the structure is highly questionable and may not even be fixable which may leave the city in a questionable position if the property owners are proven in the right.

Also, City Council members are Not Pleased.

Prarie Avenue Bookshop facing Closure

I find the lacking of a decent architectural/design bookstore in Cleveland abhorrent. The national chains typically have the same bland stuff derived mostly of books destined for coffee tables or fans of Frank Lloyd Wright. Granted Visible Voices in Tremont has some respectable titles (both books and magazines) and I haven't yet been to Horizontal Books on West 25th however one can hardly fault a proprietor from not wanting to open a specialty niche shop during these economic times in our roughshod town.

This was stewing about my head when I first heard that Prarie Avenue Bookshop in Chicago is facing closure if not purchased by a new investor/owner soon. Prairie Avenue was an amazing place to visit whenever I was in Chicago. The used/classic section was always amazing and it was a truly wondrous experience to browse shelf after shelf of eye-candy and thoughtful extrapolation. I was usually quite, well, poor (not that I am affluent by any means now), and hadn't a chance to purchase much but I always looked forward to the newsletter to see what new titles were on the shelves.

One could spend hours lounging about exploring the shop, striking up a conversation with fellow patrons, shop owners or employees who were all sure to share a common interest/infatuation with design and the printed word.

I don't know if the store will be saved and I admit to being crestfallen at the prospect of losing another source of fine books. While the Internet has its uses you can't get the same tactile experience you can from books and magazines, (or, if you are like me) dog ear pages and make notations in the margins (blasphemy, I know!).

All in all another sign that the times are changing. A touchstone for the design community slips away as architecture/design becomes more commodified and the intrinsic value of good design becomes harder to sell as corners are cut and sacrifices are expected. It will be a sad day indeed.

cite yer source

St. Cecilia's Last Neighborhood Fair

St. Cecilia's "A Fair to Remember"

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2009
10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M.
ST. CECILIA CHURCH
3476 EAST 152ND STREET
CLEVELAND, OH 44120
Need more information 216-921-3310

I know a few of you may be struggling with my promotion of a local parish that is being closed down as it could be construed as some sort of religious evangelism which I assure you isn't the point. My main concern is that a neighborhood is only as strong as its constituents. Removing a shared space where people can gather and share pleasantries harms the intrinsic sense of community which weakens the neighborhood.

I admit I have a personal attachment to this particular church however I find we should celebrate all our community centers, especially as our modern isolated lifestyles have disconnected us from our real communities making them seem at times less controlled and more unsafe.

We should all lament the dissolution of these vestiges of community, especially though whose focus on the less fortunate for they may truly indicated the ruination of our neighborhoods, in Cleveland our older neighborhoods, which form the backbone of our urban core. I am sure the parishioners of St. Cecilia's and the other affected churches will find new homes to practice their faith, however they will be relocated from their own neighborhoods, the neighborhoods they have established connections with and work to the betterment of, to do so.