Cleveland: Rock and roll, steel, and deserted streets

[ganjavih]

Cleveland was another stop along our mini UT tour. Like many American cities, it had a very attractive downtown core with little sign of life. As usual, my pics emphasise the architecture. Enjoy!

Welcome to Ohio... no Canadian coins please.

"Hope ya had a pimp-tight time in Cleveland, mutha f$cka..."

 

[billy corgan19982]

You actually make Cleveland look decent in these pictures.

 

[spmarshall]

We took the subway east to Windermere. The one-car subway passes through some really rough areas, and past abandoned lots, burned-out buildings. But then we took the old Shaker Heights RT and found a nice, economically and racially integrated streetcar suburb.

The downtown has some life in the weekends (though it is no Toronto) - inside the Terminal Tower is a healthy downtown mall, which has the subway/light rail station as well.

The last time I was in Cleveland before this year (1995), I found the inner part of Cleveland to at least look much nicer than many of the other US cities I've been to at that point.

 

[TdotTrickyRicky]

Some very nice looking architecture monument to a more prosperous age I guess.

 

[building babel]

Nice detail of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument.

 

[tudararms]

Easy to tell that it must have been an important place at some point. I love those old style monuments.

 

[Ed007Toronto]

Birthplace of the US oil industry. Rockefeller started here.

 

[Observer Walt]

must have been an important place at some point

As with your Buffalo pics, these hearken back to the 1920s to 1950s, the glory days of the big Northern cities in the U.S. Manufacturing was king.

Nice architecture, going back to when public buildings in particular were monumental, largely modelled after old Greek and Roman styles. Thank you for posting these.

 

[alklay]

Great pics and thanks.

I am amazed (in comparison to our city) how well maintained the sidewalks and streets are (and no wood hydro poles!!).

 

[ronald1987]

Great pictures. The building in picture 3 reminds me of London's Chrystal Palace, which was built for the 1851 Expo (but burned down in the 1930's).
They got some mighty scrapers there in Cleveland! The downtown area looks quite well-maintained too!

 

[officedweller]

Great pics!

 

[Christopher DeWolf]

I am amazed (in comparison to our city) how well maintained the sidewalks and streets are (and no wood hydro poles!!).

when nobody uses the sidewalks, they're easier to maintain...

 

[Bogtrotter]

Nice pics. Did you guys get to Pittsburg on your tour?

 

[spmarshall]

I'd love to check out Pittsburgh, and that would certainly be a road trip I'd like to do. I'd want to check out the inclines, the long LRT tunnels, the old steeltowns (like the one you see in The Deer Hunter), and Fallingwater.

Naw, no time to do Pittsburgh.

 

[wyliepoon]

*****

Now that you bring up Pittsburgh, I've got a question: is it possible to visit Pittsburgh and Cleveland in a two-day weekend by car? What kind of trip itinerary would you propose for such a trip?