9/5-9/10 Weekly Arts and Urbanism Roundup

Pittsburgh 

Downtown finally gets bike lanes. (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

New community ideas for the August Wilson Center (Essential Pittsburgh)

Meet the performance artist who "married Pittsburgh"  (Essential Pittsburgh)

Steeltown Anthem visits Carnegie Coffee Co.  (Steeltown Anthem)

National Forum in Pittsburgh focuses on art's role in improving education (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

In Pennsylvania, buying beer out of state makes you a bootlegger. (Pennsylvania Independent)

Cleveland 

Beachland Ballroom and Space"ROCK Gallery celebrate 50th anniversary of Beatles landing with concert and photo exhibition.

RTA introduces Ohio City Connector, making it easier to travel between downtown and Ohio City. (Freshwater)

Northeast Ohio Skate Parks attract skaters and bike riders of all ages (Cleveland.Com)

Interview with owner of Cleveland's Upcycle Parts Shop (Cleveland Scene)

Johnny Manziel racks up 10th trademark filing with Johnny Cleveland. (Cleveland Scene)

Cleveland Rock and Roll half marathon cancelled. (Cleveland Scene)

The New York Daily News will no longer publish, The Cleveland Indian's Chief Wahoo logo.

Richmond Times Dispatch travel writer tours Cleveland's quirky side. (Richmond Times Dispatch)

Columbus

Downtown's population growth slowly attracts restaurants and shops. (Columbus Dispatch)

Other Ohio News

Hocking Hills Zip Line makes USA Today list of best zip lines in America. (USA Today)

Storming the beach at Conneaut: (Belt Magazine)

West Virginia and Appalachia News

Will legal pot end Appalachia's biggest cash crop?  (The Revivalist)

Carrie Williams, West Virginia's little known civil rights hero (The Revivalist)

Other Arts, Architecture and Urbanism News

Extensive archive of avant-garde and modernist magazines available online.  (Open Culture)

Why walking helps us think (The New Yorker)

New Orleans' Afterschool scene has a transportation problem (Next City)

Are we approaching peak land use control?  (Planetizen)

It's OK to build transit oriented development before transit (Streetsblog)

Here's what Silicon Valley can learn from good old Midwestern Values.

Should you say you are from the city if you live in the suburbs? (article3)

What smart cities can learn from Denver. (Pop City)

Pinterest accidentally congratulates single women for getting married. (New York Magazine)

Under the radar revival of Cleveland's downtown and near West Side neighborhoods

The macro population drop in Cleveland has been so bad, most people don't notice the significant growth in the downtown population to almost 10,000 residents. also underplayed are areas like Ohio City and Tremont which are actually attracting people in the 25-34 age group.

Two good posts on Rust Wire

Signs of Resurgence in Central/Near West Cleveland: A Demographic Analysis

A Nascent Brain Gain in Cleveland’s Urban Core

I left some comments on both posts.

Anyone who went, want to share a post about Cleveland's Brite Winter Fest?

This is a time sensitive request. If you went to The Brite Winter Fest, in Ohio City and have pictures, video or thoughts about it, you can share, it would be much appreciated. Cross posting is fine.

Email: diggingpitt@gmail.com

Eat Your Heart Out, Pittsburgh: Cleveland's West Side Market Celebrates 100 Years

Warning--this video is not for vegetarians.

Why is it so hard for a Pittsburgher or Clevelander to acknowledge one great thing about the other city? Just admit this is pretty great.



A whole bunch of celebrations are planned.

From Cleveland.com

A traffic-stopping street festival is planned for Oct. 7, a rare Sunday that the market will be open, and will include food by local restaurants and celebrated food trucks, as well as a parade with costumes created in workshops led by the Cleveland Museum of Art's Parade the Circle organizers.

The market's actual birthday is Nov. 2, a Friday. The gala event will be celebrated Saturday, Nov. 3 (billed as the first day of the market's next century), featuring homeboy restaurateurs and award-winners Jonathon Sawyer and Michael Symon -- along with a dozen or so of their nationally renowned chef friends. Tickets will be priced at three levels, with the most expensive providing the closest access to chefs. The Great Lakes Brewing Co. will be releasing a centennial brew.

If You Live in Cleveland, You Might Want To Check Out This Co Working Space in Ohio City

Say hello to Cowork Cleveland from Cowork Cleveland on Vimeo.

One thing that bothers me about urbanist discussions is that many people feel it's just a lifestyle choice. Many people, particularly the self employed see real economic value in collaborative environments.

Ohio City, Tremont and Detroit Shoreway are becoming great places for small business people and the self employed.

From Freshwater Cleveland

"McDermott and Veysey visited similar coworking spaces in other cities, including Chicago, before they decided to launch Cowork CLE. “This is something that’s become popular in bigger cities,” says McDermott. “We chose Ohio City because it is an artisan neighborhood. We believe our clients are creative, independent artisans who are yearning for a collaborative environment."

The owners of Cowork CLE hope that the space will function as a kind of entrepreneurial incubator. By developing relationships in a shared work environment, their customers will be able to share useful information, help each other grow and eventually even refer business to one another, they say.

“We’re hoping people will make connections,” says McDermott."

You might want to check this place out if you live in Cleveland.

Run Down Of Cleveland's Holiday Pop Up Shops In Freshwater

Freshwater Cleveland posted a big list of amazing looking pop up stores and holiday festivals to buy unique gifts around Cleveland.

A high percentage of these seem to be on the West Side. Ohio City, Gordon Square etc, but there are some in other places, Downtown and Midtown.

Once again, places like The 78th Street Studios and Tower Press buildings are the focus of energy.

Ex Cleveland Ad Man Tells Us Why He Thinks The City's Neighborhoods Have So Much Potential

From Freshwater Cleveland

OK this guy, Alan Glazen seems smarter, harder working and more creative than average by a long shot. He's now in the Avertising Hall Of Fame! Still, his take on how Cleveland neighborhoods like Ohio City, Tremont and Detroit Shoreway offer a great stage for authentic craft businesses rings very true to me.

He's now taking his thinking to the bank by starting a second career involving himself in new local restaurants and other ideas.

"It's the same story now. Shoppers are growing tired of soulless big box stores and contrived "lifestyle centers." These places lack any ties to the community. They have no local personality. There is no desire for excellence; no quest to be the best; no locally sourced foods. If you opened a Friday's or Applebee's in Ohio City, it would be a ghost town."

Like me, Glazen sees parts of Cleveland that remind him of Brooklyn.

"The question of which neighborhood was easy: Detroit Shoreway. Having lived in Brooklyn, I felt right at home. Detroit Avenue was just like Smith Street in Carroll Gardens, where many New York chefs were opening indie bistros."

As he says--only come with an A game. This isn't about what's in the place already, as much as about what you are willing to bring to the table.

"And I assure you -- there is money to be made. You can absolutely make a living in these urban neighborhoods and others. Just do ordinary things extraordinarily. Offer exceptional things accessibly. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Why should you open your bicycle repair shop in a Cleveland neighborhood rather than in a suburb like Solon or Westlake? Because you share a spirit with the bike messengers and people who ride to work each day instead of drive."

A Few Images Of St. Ignatius High School In Cleveland

My apologies to those just following the blog for Pittsburgh stuff and also those who already know these places in Cleveland well. Many do not.

Pittsburgh is often described as the "best kept secret city", or the "unknown gem", but at this point most people who see it that way are really out of touch. Cleveland is really unknown--and has lots of fascinating places and assets most people don't know about.

Anyway, I meant to get in a lot more shots of Ohio City and did take more which somehow didn't get on my camera or got deleted. St Ignatius High is an architectural gem--but also a key living breathing elite institution of learning on Cleveland's West Side--now celebrating it's 125th year.

The school was opened on September 6, 1886, by German Jesuits from Buffalo, New York, who responded to an invitation from Bishop Richard Gilmour to provide advanced schooling for Cleveland's Catholic young men. Known as Saint Ignatius College, it was modeled after the German Gymnasium and French Lycee. Students were admitted after six years of grammar school and received a bachelor’s degree after a six-year course of studies. There was no distinction between high school and college. The first A.B. degrees were conferred in 1894.

In 1902 high school and college departments were established, and the high school program was extended to four years. In 1923 the college department changed its name to John Carroll University and in 1935 was moved into new buildings in University Heights. Saint Ignatius High School remained at the original location.

•In 1985 Saint Ignatius was named a National Exemplary School. In 2009, it was named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education.

•Saint Ignatius students consistently receive academic recognition from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation Averages for the last several years: (20 Semifinalists, 24 Commended Students); the National Achievement Program (One Referred Student ), and the National Hispanic Recognition Program (One Scholar).

•The Speech and Debate Team placed first in the State of Ohio in 2001.

•Saint Ignatius won the Ohio Math League Competition for the State of Ohio in 2002 and 2003.

•The Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) averages are well above the national averages.

•Almost one hundred percent of the students go on to a four-year college or university within one year of graduation.

•More than fifty percent of the teachers have been at the school ten or more years, and almost forty percent of them are Ignatius graduates who have returned to the school to support and continue its reputation for academic excellence. Eighty percent of the professional staff hold advanced degrees.

•The College Board recognizes Saint Ignatius as one of the top one hundred high schools in terms of the number of advanced placement examinations taken by students.

•The Society of Jesus has recognized the school’s Arrupe Neighborhood Partnership program as a Model Project Building Just Communities in the United States.

St. Ignatius is not in a suburb of Cleveland!

Recently, the owner of The Cleveland Browns who lives on Long Island, decided he would be moving back to Cleveland--into the city near the school.

"This has nothing to do with the Cleveland Browns or my role with the Browns,'' said Lerner. "I couldn't be happier with the professional management team in place. My spending more time here is to support my son, who's made the decision to attend St. Ignatius.''

Images Of Cleveland's Amazing/Interesting Tremont Neighborhood

OK, I can finally admit that until last weekend, I had never been to Cleveland. We did get there and spent an active weekend. Sadly, the weather and need to see Cleveland Museum and Rock Hall impacted some of my ability to explore. We also planned this trip last minute and didn't scope out a local guide.

Here are some images from the beautiful, strange, historic neighborhood called Tremont on Cleveland's West Side. The diversity of building types is stunning. The deep handcrafted ways people are adding and preserving the place in many small ways, come across. This is not a wealthy area, or a place the city seems to have shown much care for. Tremont, reminds me of Polish Hill, in being both centrally located and yet isolated.



FYI, we were rushing around without much clue--few formal city guides or handouts at the hotels point out this place. Actually, getting a good guide or map to much beyond just the downtown/Stadium/Rock Hall/Business district and University Circle area was hard. Lucky for you, the locals have placed many wonderful plaques and maps around the area.

There were also many nice shops, cafes and the like that I didn't capture. Tremont and nearby Ohio City are great places for eats.

"Originally settled by Eastern Europeans, Appalachians, Greeks, Polish and African-Americans, Tremont is one of Cleveland’s oldest neighborhoods with architectural gems evoking its rich cultural heritage.

Tremont was once named University Heights in tribute to the hosting of the city’s first institution of higher learning - Cleveland University - which operated in the neighborhood from 1851 to 1853. The current street names “Professor,” “College,” “University” and “Literary” are remnants of this period.

The name of the neighborhood was changed later to Lincoln Heights to commemorate the area’s role as the site of two Union Army camps during the Civil War.The small town character fostered by the isolation created by the development of the interstates along with the unique mix of architectural styles and proximity to Downtown, has spurred a renewed interest in urban living in the neighborhood."

More neighborhood Info

Restore Tremont

Tremont Art Walk

Tremont Gardeners

Tremont Oral History Project

Tremont Wikipedia


View Larger Map

Pop Up Stores Storm Cleveland: Great Story on Freshwater

The headline is a bit exaggerated, but it looks like the pop up movement may be making a significant impact on Cleveland's retail scene.

Hopefully this recession is making people rethink many of the stereotypes that underlie our economic thinking.

Old School

That the world doesn't change.
That long leases are always a safe bet
That only big chains make good tenants
That only a small percent of the population is economically valuable
That only a small number of big companies are economically valuable
That landlords and experts can tell who they are
Only big budget, formal advertising works
There's no harm in leaving a place empty till the right big tenant comes along

New School

Landlords and retailers must adapt to change
Almost all people are of potential value
You can't guess the next big idea
Small companies and individuals can be of great value
Social media is very important
Empty spaces are very damaging and discouraging

"Cities across the U.S. are using pop-up stores as a transitional strategy in a weak market," explains Schwarz. "But in places like Cleveland, they may need to be part of our permanent toolkit." (Actually they are and should be part of any cities toolkit--comment mine)

While the shop itself is fleeting, the positive effects of a successful event can extend well after that final sale, organizers say. Often, these short-term shops are just what's needed to help young startups flourish and grow. "There's a multiplier effect," says Okey. "People grab your business card, and vendors find they get a flood of orders through their websites after the event."

DeBoe cites as an example Made in the 216 vendor Small Screen Designs, which enjoyed sales growth following pop-up venues across town. "They became known through pop-ups," notes DeBoe. "And now they're selling their work in other states."

As the story says, Pop Ups mostly work in places that already have decent retail traffic potential.

A very well done piece---Kudos.

Some upcoming Cleveland area Pop ups and short term projects.

Pop Up Pearl

Collective Upcycle

Cleveland Furniture Fair

Bazaar Bizarre

Made in the 216

Extensive, Updated, Cleveland City Guide on Design Sponge

Design Sponge has an updated city guide to Cleveland, posted by a young store owner who knows it well. It's broken down by neighborhoods with a few nice photos.You could spend a day looking at everything and it looks like a good few weeks checking it all out in person.

Many here, who want nothing to do with the so called "mistake on the lake", should consider the harm done by advertising Pittsburgh as the best house in a slum neighborhood. Especially, since most of us really don't know Cleveland.