Great Lakes Green Pages

I really like that Cleveland took part of the Detroit Shoreway bridge and made it a pedestrian and bike friendly through-way. Part of what has been missing from the overall plan for Cleveland’s green future has been to add access to those who are not using a car. In case you did not know, there was originally a trolley line that ran under that bridge. It came up onto the street somewhere by the Van Roy coffee building (near 28th and Detroit). There was a major station that was housed at each end of the bridge. The bank building on 25th and Detroit (where Massismo restaurant is housed) has a beautiful entrance that is still in great shape. Under the bridge, most of the rails still exist as do several other entrances. The tile work is still in great condition in much of the space and with some minor work could almost be made usable again. Let’s face it though, that is not likely to happen.

The underside of the bridge is open to the public at least once a year to walk. If you have not been, then watch for your next chance. The views are great and the columns of the structure add a great ambiance to the overall experience. This weekend was the Bridge Project. The folks who bring us Ingenuity Festival every year decided to expamd on their concept and bring us a little art and culture in September. This time, they held it on the bridge. This was a great way to esperience the mile long expanse of bridge. In the past, it has just been a walk and and gander, but this time I was excited by all sorts of sights, sounds and smells.

There were great exhibits of local artists. My favorite was a Main Street made from toys (like Polly pocket houses and Weebles tree-house) all lined up. They were all boarded up, though to say a little something about the state of the economy in regions like NE Ohio. I say some great drawings and paintings. This type of venue is perfect for struggling artists to get their work out to the public, so you see some truly interesting stuff. There were several bands that played and music varied through out the 2 day event. I hope the organizers felt it was a success, as this is a great way to get more interest in our downtown.

We made the trip with our friends the Purdums. Check out Prasti’s blog here for some great pictures. They have 3 kids, so I was thrilled to see this type of event with little hands and eyes along. It was really a family friendly experience and a great way to expose young minds to new and interesting arts. If they do this again, do NOT miss out!

The space is so interesting, and rarely used, that it makes me wonder why we can’t put together a local market that is open every Saturday during the summer. I love our local farmers markets, but one issue that i see is that there are so many that they tend to be small and fragmented. If we could tap into the energy of the West Side market experience, and bring many vendors together in one place, then we could make something truly incredible happen. The one complaint that I have about the West Side Market is that so few of the vendors are selling anything from Ohio. Most are selling the same produce that is available at Giant Eagle or Dave’s, imported from Chili, New Zealand or California. Farmers markets, on the other hand are full of local (and thus healthier and tastier) produce. Why not expand on it too? Every arts or street fair in Cleveland is packed with people. Why not bring some of these local arts and artisans to one place, mix them with food and farmers, add a little music and voila! The Cleveland Urban Market. The venue is already available. It is currently unused. The costs of having a booth would easily offset the marketing and restroom set up…Know anyone who would like to make this happen? Would you go?