We know we need infrastructure work, but one of the repeated points made here is location, proximity to other markets (one days hauling abilities, for example).  All the more reason why we need to keep our infrastructure sound and innovative. 

The answers are very diverse as well, and include a nice portion of NE Ohio companies while also giving us a perspective on other areas.  Truly a great series of interviews with pretty revealing answers.  To me, it’s a case of hearing why our State works, not the problems we get every day!  Anyway, hope you enjoy it.   Peace Out – 3C

The owner of the building was/is amazing himself.  He’s a fabulous metal/bronze sculptor named Ron Dewey of Light Sculpture Works.  He is responsible, for example, for the beautiful bronze of the Stefanski’s at the Third Fed Headquarters.  If you click the above link it takes you to his site at the point of some of his commissioned work. 

I haven’t been this excited about something happening in Cleveland in quite some time!    3C

Cleveland Design City - they do a good job of coverage architecture (new and historical), art, transportation, etc.  Most of us try to keep up, but are too busy working to do the kind of coverage this site provides.

Green City Blue Lake - soft spot in my heart for them.  They were the site that first got me interested in The Ohio Hub and all things passenger rail in our area. They are still covering it well.  They were also one of the first sites covering all things sustainable and green. 

The second Sustainable Cleveland 2019 Summit was held last week. I could put sites here that talk about it, but to really get the day to day energy people are putting into this effort, to see what is transpiring from groups that formed last year, to see how many businesses are on board now, you really need to friend them on Facebook. 

Another topic close to my heart has to do with how to practice Smart Shrinking, which is really just good planning for a community like ours that now has the chance to reinvent great uses for vacant property land in our neighborhoods.  Reimagining Cleveland   has rolled up their collective sleeves and started some good ideas.

Creative Class Blog starts out with this on their page about revitalizing rust belt cities:

 How to revitalize America’s great industrial cities? How to balance people- vs. place-oriented policies? And why mega-projects and bailouts don’t work, but organic, community, bottom-up efforts do.

Gets to the correct point, yes?

You know I always like to feature people who don’t live here but love something about Cleveland. We know we are gaining tons of National recognition for being a prime food hub. Chow Hound  got excited about three eateries this past May.  They loved their road trip!

This week there is a National education conference batting around ideas. I listed to WKYC news tonight at six and was impressed with a teacher who stood up at the Conference and talked about what her kids needed and how she didn’t want the individual school admns or unions getting in the way with anachronistic rules that need to be changed.  Cleveland has a great school program in conjunction with Cleveland State University.  You may have read about it in the Plain Dealer as the school year was beginning.  It’s called Campus International School.  This portion of CSU’s website talks about the unique school.  For example, they are teaching K-2nd graders mandarin Chinese.  What a great way to get students ready to have the possibilities of international jobs that require this language.  Here is also a ‘take’ on this School and the CSU program from UB Buzz blog.

Now even if it rains tomorrow browsing these sites should make you feel good lol.  Peace Out – 3C

From Wednesday, August 11, 2010 through Wednesday, August 18, 2010, the West 25th Rapid Station will be closed to allow for replacement of the stairway. While the Red Line will continue to travel through this location, passengers will not be able to enter or exit through this station during the stairway construction project.

Customers who need to access this area of Ohio City have several other RTA alternatives available:

• Traveling to the area of West 25th and Lorain, transfers can be made from the Red Line at Public Square/Tower City Station to the following bus routes:
  #20, #22 and #35 (board on Superior Avenue at West Roadway)
  #51, #79A/B, and #81 (board on Ontario at Superior)
• Traveling from the area of West 25th and Lorain, ride any of the following bus routes to Public Square and board the Red Line at Tower City Station:
  #20, #22, #35, #79A/B (board on Lorain and W 25)
  #51 (board on Gehring and Lorain)
  #81 (board on Abbey)

Regular rail service to West 25th Station is expected to resume at the start of service on Thursday, August 19, 2010.

(The above info is from the RTA website)

You can read about it in The Toledo Blade  (written by reporters Patch and Provance).  You can read up on the latest developments in all sorts of rail efforts on the Ohio Rail Development Commission’s website.  The site includes, in pdf form, the final report from May 2010.  You can access different categories without having to download the whole report.

Regardless of how long it takes to get us going, I like the idea of getting a rail car and rail track company in operation here in Ohio.  Good jobs, yes?  Peace Out – 3C

Life in real estate in Cleveland since I blogged has changed.  The tax credit allowed tons of people who were waiting for the right time to buy their first homes, to do so. It also allowed a number of people to buy a new home and still get a tax credit of their own.

Some of the changes are small but significant to me.  I live in zip code 44111. Home buyers have finally resurfaced for this area. My partner Melissa and I had several buyers and listings and sales in the past four months. We even had a listing in 44111 sell after the tax credit.  Since home sales are one of the benchmarks of a vital neighborhood, this made a lot of us breathe a sigh of relief.

I’ve developed a keener sense of the neighborhood compositions. Cleveland is not like some of the other cities where people move in and out. Our neighborhoods are full of people who grew up here and want to stay here when they go out of their parent’s nests and  have a place of their own.

I spent some time going over home transfer records in all of Cleveland proper.  I started doing it because I wanted to see where people were coming from, when they purchased a home in a particular neighborhood.  As it turns out, many homes are ‘willed’ to relatives.  Many people move five or six or ten streets from their childhood homes. Some communities have developed a strong community based on their country of origin.  That is pretty cool too, and is also a traditional way for population placement, since they began keeping records. 

And I still feel lucky to be involved in real estate.

The weather has kept people in a good mood, at least that is my observation. Since I last posted in January (!), we dodged a serious winter, and have basically enjoyed warmer than normal temperatures. As I walk the dog every day, I notice how wonderful the weather has been to the flowers. Hydrangea’s are in their splendor this year.  One of my neighbors has Columbines lining a six foot flower bed.  They were bedazzling. 

Now, if only LeBron had stayed here.  I am not mad at him.  But I am sad and not sure it was the best decision for him.  But, he’s the only one who can make the decision.  The Cavs will have a tough time rebounding.  But it does get back to my long standing belief that a city can’t afford to put all their eggs and hopes in one basket…sports.  I’m happy to see the tech world growing here, the medical community thriving (including the medical neighborhood expansion around The Clinic). 

I’m impressed that we have not lost our creative spirit here in NE Ohio.  We can survive without LeBron.  Oh, and we do have some Independent candidates for the new County positions. 

Regular posts to resume before you know it lol

Peace Out – 3C

Update: Per the US Labor Secretary, we are in fact getting the 400 million dollar grant to get started on the Cleveland to Columbus to Cincy passenger rail system.  ODOT says it will become the best rail service in America. The goal is to have these trains up and running by the end of 2012.

First up, thousands of jobs created to lay rails, upgrade and service trains, among other things. 

The fare to get from Cleveland to Cincinnati could be $26 — not bad, agreed?  We are actually going to have passenger rail!  I’m giddy!

The surprise to me was the second most congested highway because it was in Honolulu ! So much for paradise!

Whenever people discuss what is important to them when buying a house, it always intrigues me to hear the differences discussed.  Some people are happy with a 30 minute commute. Some consider it down time, quiet time, time to listen to a book on tape or iPod, time to enjoy talk radio. Decompression time.  Others want a five minute commute and no traffic congestion.  Some don’t mind I-480 traffic, some love the I-90 route along the lake.  All my life I’ve heard that our differences make life more interesting and I definitely agree with that.  For me, commuting any more than 15 minutes to work every day would drive me stark raving mad.

Not that I haven’t done it.  I managed a store in Gaithersburg Maryland while living in Greenbelt Maryland.  About a 30 mile drive on the Capital Beltway and I-270.  How to describe it.  If you’re looking at a map, paint a smile around Washington DC.  I worked on the left side of the smile and lived on the right side. I did it for  awhile, and that was fine.  Now? No way!

We don’t have the same congestion issues here but I know people who have to go through the Richmond Road/Chagrin Road intersection during rush hour might disagree.  Let’s just say we didn’t have any highways driving commuters crazy, at least according to this Daily Beast article.

Number One went to a highway in LA. The length of the bottleneck? Over 70 miles.   Oy.

Peace Out – 3C

For me, it would be noon before I was hungry but the trip to NYC is long enough to warrant a meal at some point during the trek. And for those of you who like steak and eggs (or breakfast at least), both are on the menu.

Peace Out – 3C