downtown living…
All the rage in Cleveland these days is downtown living. Other than the fact that there are no grocery stores immediately in downtown (sorry, the two Dave’s in Chinatown –E. 33rd and Payne — and in Ohio City — just west of West 25th and Bridge–don’t count) , there are other reasons why downtown isn’t as appealing a place to live as it should be.
Some might think that the dearth of parking is the biggest knock here. I would have to disagree because larger cities have greater runs on parking. The biggest deterrent to getting around is that for its density, downtown is not yet a walkable neighborhood. Isn’t the appeal of urban living being close to those things that you need to get to? Other than the grocery store conundrum, there are things such as drugstores (the ones downtown close early), laundromats (there are none), freestanding bookstores…things that give a neighborhood personality and make them comfortable. If all you do is dance and get loaded, you’re all set though.
Also, the RTA is at fault. Why do the Loop buses which serve downtown stop at 7 PM and have no weekend service? Regular line service runs through downtown 24 hours a day, seven days a week but that doesn’t help someone getting from one part of downtown to another. Even something as minimal as a loop that goes from the East Side of the Flats to the West could be nice and cost-effective (read: not hemorrage money…like the Waterfront Line). Sure cabbies would be pissed but RTA’s mission should be public service, not appeasement of the few.
I won’t even get into the rents…
The inspiration for this post goes to Cool Cleveland and Century Cycles. Here (from Corpmeetings by way of CoolCleveland) is the paragraph that caught me:
“Discover the joy of bicycling and rediscover your inner child with Century Cycles. With four locations: Rocky River, Peninsula, Solon and Medina there’s a Century Cycles near you. Offering a professional, experienced and friendly staff, they provide you with a great bicycle buying experience and unparalleled customer service. Free estimates, great selection, professional assembly, tune-ups and custom fitting, are just some of the services that Century Cycles offers. With the purchase of a bicycle, you save 10% on accessory purchases for one full year. As a leader in cycling advocacy, they’re socially and environmentally aware within the communities that they serve. Century Cycles also sponsors dozens of area rides and local causes. Stop into any of the four stores for a free calendar of Ohio cycling events.”
Century is promoting an event to cheerlead downtown living. I don’t think that Rocky River, Peninsula, Solon and Medina are close to downtown Cleveland. Two of them (Peninsula and Medina) aren’t even in the county and one(Solon) borders another county. Why don’t they have a location in Ohio City, Tremont or St. Clair-Superior or any other Cleveland neighborhood?
Crazy….