Below is a picture of the Crooked River Skate Park and it's right behind Merwin's Warf in the flats. Even though I don't skate and have almost killed myself doing so twice, I do love the fact that this is here. There should be more in the city. There's one in Brookpark and in Lakewood but to my knowledge this is Cleveland's only one. Shouldn't there be one on the East Side somewhere? Make that happen rich people.
On our way there we took the new leg of the Lake Link Trail that goes over Scranton, under the Lorain-Carnegie bridge, and ends at the Columbus Rd lift bridge. It's a beautiful addition and helps us get quickly by foot to great places like Brick and Barrel. Plus there are great and unique views of the city to be had! Round of Applause to everyone involved.
So I've started to work downtown a day or 2 a week. It's nice because sometimes it's hard to make it downtown after work as much as I want to during the week. This way I'm already here...and right above the casino...just sayin'. The Hilton on the Mall is coming along nicely. All glassy and reflective and whatnot. It looks so beautiful now, I can't imagine what it'll look like when it's done. Sounds like what a creep says about HS girls.
Nothing beats Cleveland on a warm summer's day. This is summer day number 5 this year I think so my scale is solely based on the Haley's Comet scale of awesomeness. Not a cloud in the sky. I had to walk off my Noodlecat lunch. Holy crap that's lot of steam bun for $10! Mmmm pork belly. Pork belly is quickly becoming my favorite edible animal belly. It's like a bacon gummy bear.
I feel bad for people who decided to come to Cleveland on vacation this year...but not why you think losers. There's so much here that's under construction! This seems like the year where everyone's eyes are closed tight like a kid on xmas day. Holding their breath anxiously awaiting the big reveal which really doesn't come until next summer. There will be so many new things here in the city by the RNC that you may need to come back again to enjoy and experience all of it. It really is amazing how much is going up or being renovated in our little slice of heaven here and somehow it still doesn't seem like it's enough.
With that being said, and this may not be popular at the moment given his...entertainingly inflammatory comments as of late, BUT there should be a Trump Tower in Cleveland. Not tomorrow but someone needs to call him after his Presidential bid fails and ask him about investing in Cleveland. He'll have been here for at least one debate. He's gonna need to make some money after being fired from everything. He can bulldoze abandon buildings without having to evict anyone. One less thing to worry about! I'm just saying, I don't care if he lives in it or whatever as long as his money builds it.
I'm starting to hate Blossom...not the 90's show although Note to self: Google what Six looks like now...the music venue. I'm not in love with the idea that the Rock and Roll capitol of the world's most popular music venue is a whole 45 minutes away. Sure they mostly do country garbage but every once in awhile they get things like Van's Warp Tour which should most definitely be downtown since...well...it's not a $hitty country festival. I looked at the lineup and haven't really heard of most of the bands or performers but it's the idea of the whole thing. Someone in this city should be trying to steal these types of things away from the suburbs and point them in the direction of the birth place of...well the birthplace of whatever their derivative of Rock is!
Am I saying that Cleveland should try to put this place out of business though dirty tactics and by flexing it's historical and financial muscle? Sort of...look Blossom can keep its country music venue status. We don't want that stuff up here. You can keep the Jimmy Buffet type jam band things too because those take on a type of Woodstock setting feel by nature. You can also borrow the Cleveland Symphony every once in awhile so suburbanites can get some culture and not really have to see anyone darker than eggshell white but when it comes to Rock, the idea should be that you're spitting in the face of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles if you play in some field in Cuyahoga Falls or wherever the hell Blossom is. The Eddie Money's and J Geils's and Slip Knot's should all have a home to play at here in the city. We get the best sports teams in the region but we're an awful sports town (championship-wise). We get the best comedians in the region but no one is more depressed in America than a Clevelander (except someone from Detroit). We get the best plays and conventions and hospitals... but we're not the Garden of Eden of those things. We're the birthplace of Rock & Roll. Let's take the power back! Have pride in your history Cleveland and exploit the past for future gains. We may not be able to get the factories back but this city needs to again be built on Rock an Roll. Now I need to hear that song...dang-it!
Below I've marked 8 purple areas in and near downtown where Vans or a similar type of outdoor music festival could have stages. You could also do Lincoln Park in Tremont, if you have the proper transportation set up. You don't need to play on all of them and if you get a big enough act you could also do both of our outdoor stadiums. Lord knows nothing else exciting is going on there:
- Cleveland Mall Stage
- Public Square Stage
- E 9th St Pier Stage
- Jacob's Pavilion Stage
- Wendy Park Stage
- Rivergate Stage
- CSU Stage
- Gateway Stage
This brings me smoothly to my next topic and probably my biggest pet peeve... If you mean "Strongsville" or "Mayfield" say "Strongsville" or "Mayfield". DON'T SAY CLEVELAND! Oh hell don't even say "Greater Cleveland". Say your city's stupid name and be done with it. If you say (or scream in a smoker's voice) "Cleveland's Home of Rock and Roll' but you're in Independence, say you're "Independence's Home of Rock and Roll". Don't F*cking lie and claim you're banging the lead singer when you're really blowing the guy who collects tickets at the venue. #1 you don't have the good business sense to be downtown during this great renaissance. #2 you are actually destroying the city of Cleveland (whom you claim to be so proud of that you take their name in your tag line) by not paying taxes to the city or creating jobs in the city. #3 You're not Rock. Rock is gritty and hardcore and dirty. Sex, drugs and rock and roll isn't suburban wine drinking, cul de sac's, and Luke Bryan. And that's just my radio station example! All sorts of companies do it and it's wrong. The top restaurant's in Cleveland list makes me page through stupid suburban restaurant entries. Best lunch deal - Friday's at blah blah mall!...what the shit people. It's like plagiarism. I can't say I work for Microsoft because I use some of their software. I can't say I'm Leigh Gallagher because I read her book. You can't say you're Cleveland's Home of something or best something when you're a god-damn business is in Westlake!
Oh and one more thing. The fact that there are 3 casinos in this area is another Columbus lead coup to try to make Cleveland fail. Our 1 casino downtown is enough. Move the other 2 to far off places in this state like Dayton or Mansfield or Van Wert. Nowhere else do you see such a saturation of casinos and the failing casino profit headlines than right here in NEO. The suburban thinking of the Columbus elite and the state government has to stop. The groundswell of defiance against highways and malls is growing stronger by the day and someone needs to champion the fair fight for proper urbanism in this state.
If someone tells you one week to focus your efforts on something because it will be best suited for you and then the next week votes to have that opportunity removed completely...that person will never be trusted again. Except now they're in charge. I don't know if I can follow my dream here in this neighborhood anymore. Not only have I lost 3 elections in 1.5 months, my "people I trust" list has been cut in half. It's hard to feel unneeded and that's what it feels like here. Everything is fine in this neighborhood I guess and no more help is required. Time to start finding a place that truly needs my help....
You'll never bring down an institution, urban pioneers, by chipping away at the drywall. You have to swing a sledge at the main supports. It's harder work but it's worth it.
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