Creating Jobs in Ohio City

July 27, 2010

Making Progress at Ohio City Farm

June 19, 2010

Breaking Ground at Ohio City Farm

Ohio City Farm: June 30 2010

Public Square Forum

A few weeks ago, my friend Mary and I attended the Public Square forum to show 3 different design schemes on how to make Public Square more of a destination. The forum was a follow up to the article in the Plain Dealer the previous month.

Public Square is the transportation location of the city. Originally meant to be located near the Convention Center in accordance with The Group Plan by Daniel Burnam the Director of Works for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This all changed when the Van Sweringen brothers built Terminal Tower to include a train station. Now major RTA bus stops are located near Terminal Tower. Needless to say public square is full of loitering people waiting at bus stops for the full schedule of routes. Public Square is formed by four quadrants, 3 of which are ill conceived, two of which have historical significance. It is a concrete jungle with trees out of scale to their surroundings. Currently this part of town is honestly scary at night. Personally, I avoid it because I think it is unsafe, so I would agree that something needs done. The different design schemes were completed in a collaboration of Field Operations and The Kent State Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative. The designs and intent were presented by James Corner of Field Operations.

When I attended The Ohio State University Landscape Architecture Program, James Corner spoke about The High Line and Fresh Kills. His work and design skills are quite impressive. However, I feel he missed the mark in Cleveland. However, I do commend Parkworks on obtaining a great name in the field of Landscape Architecture and believe it will be great for people to better understand the field. While in the program, my professors taught us to design with context. How would our designs fit into the surrounding context? Also to include ideas about the cities history and characteristics of the area. Interestingly enough, I thought this was only done in scheme 2 'Forest it'. Cleveland is known for being the 'Forest City' with local businesses adopting this name, such as real estate giant 'Forest City Enterprises' and local yacht club 'Forest City Yacht Club'. Scheme 1 'Frame it' seemed similar to the Wexner Center for the Arts, but Peter Eisenman, who designed the scaffolding exterior to be just that, scaffolding. In an effort to say that art is always changing. In scheme 1 this scaffolding or 'Frame It' as it was described was to hold the four quadrants of public square together. Various plantings, lighting schemes, and media could be suspended or interact with the 'Frame it' structure. Scheme 2 'Forest it' created 2 large rectangular spaces by permanently closing Ontario. It created unique spaces by using trees to frame spaces. The trees would also be located along the streets and extend into other districts within the city to tie them all together. Scheme 2 also featured large lawn spaces for outdoor concerts. (This is my personal favorite) Scheme 3 'Thread it' was meant to be iconic. It incorporated design principles from Fredrick Law Olmstead's Central Park with pedestrian and vehicular traffic separate. It also created an urban park that was similar to the Cleveland Metroparks. Its location and impact within the city with hillsides and changing topography make it Iconic. Small stores would also be located within the hillsides to support cost and attractiveness of the area. Interestingly enough, Tower City is all the 'Iconicness' from Public Square that I need. This structure defines Cleveland and commends hard work and dedication. I understand the thinking of designing something to attract people to the city, but why does it have to happen smack dab in the middle of the city. Look at Millennium Park, Central Park, or Bryant Park. These great urban parks are not located in the center of these cities. However, all are great Iconic parks. To me, the warehouse district seems like a better location for an iconic park. It would be away from major traffic and could be much larger. There is a lot of vacant space that is currently used by private parking companies. Incorporate themes from the parks listed above and turn this property into something iconic.

Garbage

With all the work tearing apart the kitchen, I managed to fill up all of our garbage cans (one reserved for actual garbage). I'm pretty sure that our garbage man hates me. I might actually get them a card next year. Each one of these are full of crumbled sheetrock. So a good hundred pounds or more... enjoy!

Plumbing 101

Well it has been a busy week of dismantling the kitchen. This week, I've was able to rip down all of the soffits and electric. Next week I will begin to rip down the existing plaster and lathe. 

But first, I need to take out the kitchen sink and temporarily remove the dishwasher. This is the job I decided to tackle today. In order to begin, I needed to turn off the hot/cold water. The hot was easy, unfortunately, the cold not so. After turning many valves in the basement, I determined that there was no direct shut off for the cold water, except for the main shut off to the house. There had been in the past, and presently are, but they have ceased to work. This poised a problem. 

So i determined where I needed shut off valves. I would need 2, one main shut off valve to make the shut off valve to the kitchen sink and one more to even begin this work and to make future work easier. So I went to the local hardware store and they helped me with everything. Problem solved. 

I went home and installed one in the basement and one under the kitchen sink. Which consequently we were given quotes of like $500.00 from Home Depot's contractors to move the shut off valves from the basement to under the sink. Outrageous! It seriously only took me about 15 minutes and cost me a total of $35.00 for all the parts. So now all I have to do is the hot.

Tomorrow is pretty busy, so I guess that leaves Monday to finish taking out the sink. I've also determined that throughout our kitchen remodel, we will be able to use our dishwasher. Major props for that. I might build a platform with wheels for it so we can move it around easier. 

Cooking in the Basement

Well for the past two weekends, we have been doing some work in our basement. With help from Molly and electrical help from Charlie, we now have a kitchen that we can use in the basement.  When we went to the Kraftmaid outlet during in the Autumn, we bought a pallet full of doors and trim. We took down the old cabinets and left the 'bones'. Then we used materials from Kraftmaid to add a finished and clean touch to the cabinets

Here is a before and after picture of our progress. Not too shabby.  

                                                          

Now after work for how ever long it takes we will be focussing on finishing the long over due remodel of the upstairs kitchen. 

A new look for Chevy

Dare i say it, but the new 2011 Chevy Aveo RS actually looks pretty cool. However, why is it that every Chevy car has about the same interior and same front clip. They find it so necessary for brand identity to put the same grille on every car, except of course the corvette and camaro. Here is an update i made to the car. Not bad looking for about 5 minutes of Photoshop.

Look-a-likes

This is obviously a departure from my typical blogs. I've noticed lately that some people from tv look a like. 

Sean Algaier and Susan Boyle

Adam Lambert and Kelly Clarkson

Also, i just noticed Tracy from the biggest loser looks like Molly Shannon.

Winter Beer

From time to time when i visit close friends, I like to bring a 

new beer. This time I brought Indigo Imp Winter Solstice.  

The occasion, doesn't matter. There doesn't have to be a 

reason. Most of the time i try them out. This time I didn't; 

I just knew that it would be a good beer. I've had their beer 

before and I'm all about local beer. The first beer I had 

of theirs was the Blonde Bombshell. I like their signature 

of wax on one of their bottles in a 6 pack. Its nice to see 

something different, something that grabs your attention. 

First its the look, then when you get home, it's the beer.  

I know this time of the season, everyone like to bring 

Great Lakes Christmas Ale, but I wanted something 

different. Sometimes, GLB tastes the same. Same 

base flavor with a twist of something different.

Since I'm on the topic of Winter Beer, I just so happen to be 

enjoying a new one. 12 Dogs of Christmas, by Thirsty Dog, 

Akron Ohio. I was fortunate enough to hear about this beer 

from my friend Derek. We went out Thursday night and 

Friday night. He asked for it at both places we went and 

they didn't have it.He claims that it is the original recipe of 

Great Lakes Christmas Ale from 3 years ago. That is when 

I first had it, and haven't had it as much since, only because 

of the effects after drinking it.

Well after writing this post, I think that Thirsty Dog, has 

matched that batch of GLB from 3 years ago. I have a pretty good buzz.:)

Beer of the Week

Honestly it could probably be beer of the day. I can dream...right? I first had this beer at work. The work environment is pretty laid back. Sometimes beer helps to get the ideas flowing. Anyways, our office manager brought a few of these in, so i tried one. I instantly liked it. It has a clove ..y taste and amber color. Not overpowering though. It is called Pumpkin Ale from Buffalo Bill's Brewery. I found this beer at the Miles Market. I'm sure Heinen's or your local specialty grocery store will have this. Next week's beer of the week is a good one. I had it on Tuesday. It was smooth, delicious, and local.

A new ride..compliments of the Government

A month and a half late, I'd like to show off my new car. Of course i'd have to thank the government and the American People for their tax dollars. After 5 years of driving my 1999 Ford Explorer Sport, I decided it was time to trade her in. About a year ago my dad suggested that I put it up for sale for about $1,500. Glad I didn't because I got $4,500 for it a mere year later. My explorer was my daily driver even at 226,749. I trusted it every time i went out. It did; however, need some work, more work than the car was worth. The suspension was shot which was evident at every bone jarring pothole, needed serpentine belt, rear brakes soon, had rusty tailgate amongst other places, no a/c. Still this thing was a beast in the snow and there was nothing stopping it. Giving it up was hard and i still miss it, but I feel it was a good way to let it go. Euthanization as i call it. It could have in and out of the repair shop for the next year, but this way was quick and painless. Below is a series of pictures with the Explorer and my new car. A 2010 Mazda 3 i touring, manual of course.

Partial week at a Glance

Here's the scoop. It's friday work should be over. I'm a little hungover from last night, but came to work and had a very productive day. And why you ask am i still at work? Well the delivery driver for some garden containers got my company confused with one on E. 84. So he is about an hour or so away. Great news for me. Tired and hot and have no desire to be here. And the icing on the cake, i could have left at about 4 and was half way home at that point. But i guess, when can you ever trust the delivery guy...sigh... Side note... Last night was great. My friend....uhhh code name...Mar was invited to the 2019 Sustainability Summit in Cleveland and it was interesting to hear all about it. Here seems to be about the whole jist of it. Cleveland (the rust belt... sounds so exciting) needs industry and since we don't really have anything going for us... Let's be green. Start manufacturing industries for an industry that has not quite taken off. For Cleveland to be the mecca of the industry or a pioneer. Housing, buildings, all tailored to the industry. Almost like a prototype. Sounds great right? Well my only kwam with this is that Mar was telling me about the groups and how there we set up. This was supposed to be a brainstorming summit of minds from all walks of life. Professionals, students, and citizens. Here is where they screwed up. They mixed everyone together. Well we've all worked in groups before and typically they don't work. In her group there were some professionals who imediately shut ideas down and said, " that won't work" or "that is too expensive". Those who voice that opinion while the though might be candid, it is not necessary. Those thoughts and voices prohibit great ideas. The groups should have been set to have people from similar backgrounds. That way , you would get a whole range of ideas and people get think " wow, I really like that idea, I'd like to incorporate it into my idea" Yes cost is a problem, but that is where grants and donations, and luck come into play. And really all this is a gamble. Why Cleveland? They can't do this half way if they want to be the leader. Cleveland is going to have to spend some money. Yep, I said it. The citizens are going to have to invest. Also, they are going to have to be motivated. I firmly believe that ideas are better off and more efficient if set up from a grass roots perspective. You can't put a Coach Store in the ghetto and expect great business. Same goes for Cleveland. There has to be a demand for it and people are going to have to pay more sometimes. It's like stores in Tremont may be pricey, but you know what they are niche and some people like stores like that, and if more people go, they will stay in business. The point I'm getting at is, yes things are going to cost money, but if you want it to become successful you are going to have to invest some capital. Oh yeah, and do it quickly. Though plans should be well thought out, don't do what you are doing with the Medical Mart. Please!!! That process is taking way too long. What's stopping another city from putting one in before we do? Nothing. Same goes for the idea of 'Green Infrastructure'.

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. 

Eating Healthy

Last summer, i challenged myself to eating more healthy and i managed to lose about 15 pounds. It didn't really take too long. I joined weight watchers (ww) and the pounds seemed to just fall off. I joined the core program. I didn't require me to control portions or count points. I began making all or most of my dinners and it really paid off. Unfortunately, for this summer, i have to make this challenge again. I think i've had too much bread and too much beer. Both of which don't fit into the ww plan. So my plan is to cut back on the bread and beer. I think this will really help. I also want to start running again. Two summers ago, i completed my first and last marathon and have hardly ran since. I also want to make eating a little more fun. I want to push the limits and create healthy unique dishes. Not all that unique or healthy, last night i got a salad from Chipotle. I ate the salad and was still hungry. I had some mini pretzels and dipped them in the dressing..yummy. Slightly weird, but oh so delicous.

Get out of the Kitchen!

Well this may be sentiment that most guys get. After many disappointing college cooking experiences and eating boxed dinners, I dared to go back in. I wanted to teach myself how to become a better cook. After many failures and a few surprises, I now consider myself pretty good. Really all it took was an imagination, creativity, and patience. For the past year or so, I've been cooking exclusively for myself. This is good and bad. Bad because I often made enough food for 3 or 4 when it was only me eating, but good because when I failed to produce an edible meal, it was only me that to eat it. So go back in the kitchen and try things out. Cooking is definitely worth the time and patience, you eat three meals a day.. you should enjoy them.

Is Spring Finally Here?

Well after giving it some thought, I may rename my blog. Initially, when I started blogging cooking was all i could think about. Everyone I knew that blogged happened to like cooking and named their blogs accordingly. Before I went to bed last night I thought about it and I don't blog about food very often. I mean seriously, I haven't created any type of menus. Initially, when I thought about the title, I thought of a menu as more than cooking. I thought of it as daily or weekly things I do, more of a list. But i was being creative...menu sounded better. And as for second sun, well technically I am the second son. Even though I am a twin, I was pulled out second. Turns out I created a name for a blog that I am not yet ready to write. The new name that I thought of comes from thoughts on how people view each other. Who are we to judge other people and their actions. What makes us right and them wrong? It is often a series of events in our lives that lead us to believe that we are doing something right or wrong. And when we see someone do one of those things we judge them on how we would have done it. I am guilty of this as well. I've even blogged about it! I hate TMZ and entertainment gossip, yet some of it intrigues me too. Like the octuplet mom. I think in hind sight she would do it all over again, the opposite way. We see her is selfish for wanting to have these kids. But mostly because she can't afford to have them and doesn't have a stable residence or consistent income to support them. We are aware of this from raising our own families and supporting ourselves. Unfortunately, she didn't think about this, all she could think about is having kids. And the thought of giving life, is very generous. So where am I going with this? The new name I am considering is 'Perspectives'. I haven't checked to see if anyone else has it, but I'm not too concerned. I think this name will better fit this blog. It often is the subject of which i typically write about. I also am in the design field and approach things was different points of view. This will also give me a better opportunity to share some of my photography. So where did the title of today's post come from? Well as you all know, today was an absolutely beautiful spring like day. So after work, i came home and went for a run. I only ran for about 15-20 minutes, but it was good to be outside. So anyways, i came home and took a shower. Well right before i got into the shower, a yellow jacket came from somewhere and flew onto the shower floor. I have no idea where it came from (this kind of scares me). I thought that it possibly came from my hair from being outside, but i was definitely unsure. Regardless, a bee is a good sign that spring may be here to stay!

I got a Snuggie!!!

Well tomorrow is my birthday and I already got a present. I got a Snuggie! Don't worry my friends aren't that mean, I got it for myself. This weekend we are having a Snuggie Bar Crawl to celebrate Food 'n' Such, Ruby's, and my birthday. I got it from Bed Bath and Beyond and got a sweet deal. I got three for a little over 30 dollars. And as an added bonus I got that 'robot' like booklight. I guess that while your being lazy you my as well read than watch tv. Anyways, I was all ready to wear it out to a soccer game or to cook marshmallows on the fire....well this was until I put it on. I must not be your standard couch potato because it basically fell right off. Nothing on it fits. I could probably put my legs through the arm holes and it would still be loose. I kind of figured that this would be a problem. So that is why I bought them early. I am going to sew buttons on the back to make it fit better. I will probably wear the Snuggie backwards too. More like a jacket. In form this thing is relatively pointless. I guess if you are laying around all day and have your back pressed against something it makes sense. But a blanket with sleeves and buttons in the front makes more sense. Be sure to keep posted to see pictures of our ridiculous bar crawl.

Just a follow up to Fondant fun

Well after experimenting earlier in the week with fondant and somewhat unhappy with the results, I decided to try a new recipe. This recipe came from the Food Network. The fondant was much easier to roll out, but did crack once it was applied. I would; however, try it again, but I would do a few things differently. First, it recommends that the fondant be placed in an airtight container for about 8 hours. Well, unfortunately I couldn't find one, so i wrapped it in cling wrap and covered it. Also, it said to add more confectioners sugar if it was sticky. Well if you add too much, the fondant will crack ..well at least it did for me. Another thing I would do differently, is add my color when you are supposed to add the flavor. You'll see from my pictures that this would probably be a good idea. The food coloring wears off rather quickly depending on the color. My nails though, still have some blue on them.I also made the mistake of cutting the cake into shape of the fish prior to to placing the fondant. However, afterwards and thinking about it now, I'm not sure which way is better. Then I also forgot to put some frosting on the cake prior to placing the fondant. So would I make a cake with fondant again. Yes, but really I think these cakes are made for show rather than taste (of which I should work on both). This weekend I was looking at a book that Food n' Such had gotten from her sister(s) and those cakes in there looked far more delicious than any fondant cake I've ever seen. Sorry Charm City Cakes. Here is a picture of my cake. Not too bad, but I could definitely use some more practice.