Empty Space: 2

Well I had a special place for the first installment for 'A City Reborn', but the gate was closed and had a lock on it. I guess I'll just have to contact Buzz to get me some exclusive photos. So onto my second place. This empty void filled with overgrown invasive species is located at the alley behind W. 9th Street bars including: Anatomy, Map Room, and the Water Street Grille. It is also near The Pinnacle.

                                                     

                                                  Here is a photo that shows the General location.

Another thing that I have been thinking about is the perception that Cleveland is a scary place. I actually almost believe this. I don't want to, but think about it. I thought about how I would like to ride my bike more.  Imagine the commute from W.6th's Dive Bar to Bar Cento in Ohio City. You don't want to, at least I don't. Both are great places, but the commute between the two, while possible, is full of stereotypes.

So cleaning up this space, along with its connectors is also crucial. Take this picture for instance.

                                                        

                                    This is the alley, or as my girlfriend calls it 'Scary Alley'. 

                                               This is the short cut to W.9th from W.6th. 

    

       

Here are some pictures into the space. It looks like a building was once here, torn down and forgotten.

A City Reborn

After living in the cleveland area for most of my life, I have come to love the city. Ask why? I too am not so sure why. I guess I've always had an eye for hidden potential. 

Growing up in the remote east side, my brother and I used to enjoy going to old abandoned houses and imagining what they used to be.  This is the way I feel about Cleveland. I like to imagine what buildings used to occupy cleveland and what people did in these now vacant spaces. It's not only ideas of what used to be there, but how could the spaces be used now. 

Ideas that provoke me to feel this way stem from landscape architecture installations that I learned about during my schooling at Ohio State. Ken Smith and his "Glowing Topiary Winter Garden", Michael Van Valkenburg "Radcliffe Ice Walls" or Christo and Jeanne-Claude "The Gates". These are just a few; there are many more.

I believe that these are great ways to develop design ideas for the city. These; in comparison, are great ways to exploit and explore areas of the city for future development. They may help define areas for entertainment, art, or culture. 

Cleveland seems to label certain areas as being such without first exploring what they truly are. 

There are several areas that I would like to explore during the next few weeks which include bus stops and spaces between buildings.