Playing tourist in my own city

People claim the real world sucks, but so far I have absolutely loved my taste of the 40 hrs/wk gig. Mainly because I can actually fit everything into one day, and even better- I have free time. Time that was not pressured by some overhanging concern like homework or a project was virtually unheard of in the past year with school. Actually, now that I think on it, I really never have had this much free time in Cleveland, ever. Luckily it is summer, and there are actually lots of fun things to do to pass the time. Sadly, I still need all these events to keep entertained, unlike being at home, but that's another story.

Two weekends ago was Parade the Circle. Quite the untraditional parade, it circled around Wade Oval. Forget your traditional assumptions of marching bands and people waving from floats. Instead we had stilts, costumed dancers, musicians, and all manner of artistically themed entries. It was a riot of color and music. Aside from the actual event itself, one of the highlights for me personally was the bike valet parking. Not only does the free service ensure the safety of my bike, but they gave it a quick once-over before I left. Now when was the last time your car valet checked your engine for you?

This past weekend we were entertained by the Larchmere Porchfest. Based off an event in Ithaca, local residents of the Larchmere neighborhood volunteered their porches as stages for musicians. I unfortunately only managed to get to hear one band on a porch; after a long bike ride in the morning, a nap was in order for me. It was quite a novel experience to sit on a stranger's yard to listen to music, but it was really nice. The headliner bands played on Shaker Square. The quality of music was mixed, but I especially enjoyed the final band- I believe their name was goodmorning valetine.

Last night we explored the Tremont neighborhood. This hip, trendy neighborhood on the near-west side is still rather foreign to me. We visited some neat places, including a bar with a tree in it. Tremont is an interesting neighborhood because it is essentially almost entirely residential with commercial scattered about. It seems like most other neighborhoods in Cleveland tend to have a main street area or a group of blocks where the commercial activity is concentrated, but not Tremont apparently. It was neat to wander the streets and experience the area.

This upcoming weekend is what sounds like a really cool event called Made in the 216. I have no particular affinity to anything made in this particular area code, but I'm sure some of my cronies do, so we are off Saturday evening to explore the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood, see some things made by Clevelanders, and enjoy some live music. Hopefully I will remember to bring my camera!

Nom nom, rust belt city: on cities as donuts

Today, a local economic development entity likely made another donut-inducing decision about a major Fortune 500 company relocation project here in this rust belt city. Why the donuts? Not only do I want to eat a tasty fried snack to feel better, but it furthers the donut-shaped phenomenon that some cities are experiencing as the center cities become less and less relevant in favor of the exurban sprawl near highways.

This project involves a mind-boggling sum of money given to this Fortune 500 company so they can relocate from a downtown location out to a suburban office park near a freeway exit. The point of this entry is not to assess whether this move is a good idea; rather, it is to question the validity of heavily subsidizing sprawl. It also sets the precedent that any company could follow in their footsteps and ask for enormous sums of money so they, too, could move to their dream suburban campus. I get why the company wants to move to these locations- easy access, cheaper construction, etc. What I don’t understand is why an economic development supposedly committed to Cleveland is bending over backwards to assist them with moving out from the downtown.

This is a terrible precedent. More and more buildings sit empty in our downtown. More and more small businesses like flower shops and delis that support the big companies are folding up. I personally see few people during the day out on the street, even on a bright sunny day during lunch. Our downtown was declining, is still declining, and will continue to do so if we keep losing to our suburban cousins. But what do they have to offer? Fine cultural institutions? Distinctive locally owned restaurants? Historic architecture? I hardly think the movie theater at the mall or the Applebee’s in the parking lot can substitute for a world class museum of art or a bistro in an Art Deco building.

There is a general consensus in economic development (or at least what I’ve studied/experienced of it) that one of the keys to revitalizing a downtown is attracting the young professional crowd. I now count myself among that crowd. We’re mobile, educated, waiting longer to have families/settle down, and want a distinctive urban experience. We don’t want a bland office building in a sea of parking lots with unwalkable & unbikable streets. We don’t want an empty downtown devoid of life and relevance. We want a crème filled donut with frosting and sprinkles on top, not some cheap donut with powdered sugar that keeps blowing off and leaving a mess.