Cleveland Ohio Skyline (Cuyahoga River West Bank View)

The weather has been outstanding here in Northeast Ohio as of late, so it was a perfect time to head to downtown Cleveland to take some photos and videos. Here’s one short video of the Cleveland skyline, taken from the west bank of the Cuyahoga River.




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All Things Cleveland Ohio, here.

Cleveland: The Sports “Curse” Is Alive And Well

Last night, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost what may have been their best chance EVER to nab the NBA championship, but the team, with the most valuable player in the NBA (LeBron James) just plain blew it. My response – snore. There is a reason I don’t get too excited about any Cleveland sports team, no matter how well they are doing. It’s because we haven’t won anything major since 1964, a pre-Super Bowl year, when the Browns were the NFL Champions. Everybody in the Cleveland area knows one of the city’s mottos is “Maybe next year…” and that the city has reportedly been cursed when it comes to their sports teams.

There are a few web sites that focus on Cleveland sports teams (and our dismal performances) such as cursedcleveland.com and waitingfornextyear.com to name just two. But, if you want to dig deep into the details of what makes Cleveland sports fans feel cursed, you have to read the book “Curses! Why Cleveland Sports Fans Deserve To Be Miserable” by Tim Long. It speaks to all the horrific sports memories that long time Clevelanders would rather forget, such as the Browns’ “Red Right 88”, the Cleveland Indians trading Rocky Colavito, and Browns owner Art Modell moving the team out of Cleveland. It’s a great read and even after reading about all the history of sports misery in Cleveland, you may not feel so bad. OK, you will feel bad for the city and the fans, but then again, maybe like me, you will chose not to let it bother you anymore.

As for the Cleveland Cavaliers and their loss to Boston last night, well, all I can say is, “Maybe next year…”


Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information, All Things Cleveland Ohio, here.

Cleveland’s Galleria Reborn As A “Garden Under Glass”

Photo copyright Allthingsclevelandohio.blogsot.com

View of Galleria Glass Roof from the Tower At Erieview

Part of Cleveland’s Tower at Erieview complex includes The Galleria, a large, two-story, glass covered shopping and dining arcade, opened in 1987. Years later, as The Tower City complex drew shopping closer to the core of downtown Cleveland, many retail tenants left The Galleria. After many comings and goings, all that remain are a few niche businesses, one large bank office, and the food court – and empty spaces. I used to work in the Tower at Erieview and it was very sad to see such a beautiful space as The Galleria go to waste.

But now The Galleria has a new purpose in life, and it’s surprising no one thought of it sooner. As the Galleria looks like a giant greenhouse, it was only a matter of time before someone thought of using the space as just that - a greenhouse. And that person was Vicky Poole, head of marketing for The Galleria, who, along with Jack Hamilton (manager of Artist Review Today magazine and gallery in the Galleria) won a grant from Cleveland's Civic Innovation Lab to set up the greenhouse project in The Galleria. The project is called ”Gardens Under Glass” which their website describes as “a sustainable urban Eco Village.” It goes on to say that

“At the project’s root is an urban farm that will use a system called re-circulating greenhouse hydroponics to grow produce such as; tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, herbs, peppers, and flowers.

From the Gardens will stem opportunities for urban-based businesses traditionally considered rural. Green-Minded opportunities will include:

•Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants
•Renewable Energy Companies
•Natural Health Food Store
•Garden Supply Store
•Retail specializing in Recycled Products
•A Year-Round Indoor/Downtown Farmers Market

This facility will also serve as an educational center to inform the public on the importance of Urban Gardening and harnessing alternative natural energy resources such as Solar, Wind power and rainwater.”

It sounds like a great use for such a wonderful space!

If you want more information, stop by the ”Gardens Under Glass” website or if you are in the area, stop by and check out the project for yourself at:

The Galleria At Erieview
1301 East Ninth Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44114

Aerial image from Google

Street image from Google

Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information, All Things Cleveland Ohio, here.