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So.... What's cool about Cleveland?

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01:18 / 25.07.05

I'm not sure if anyone here is from Cleveland (or even from Ohio) but I'll give this a shot:

Here's the thing... I get two weeks of vacation time, the first of which will be next week. In the past, my family and I would go on these 5 day trips: When we were kids it was our aunt's summer cabin at the lakes of Maine, as we grew older it was mostly Canadian cities, such as Toronto and Montreal. However, we're all getting pretty old for this sort of thing, so it was decided that this would be the last year for awhile. My parents planned this giant 6 day trip that would involve us stopping at Niagrha Falls, Montreal, Cleveland, and so on. It sounded like a lot of car time and hotel switching to me, so I opted out, wanting to relax and get some writing done after the stress of Harry Potter week.

However, a few weeks ago one of my brothers strained his foot pretty bad playing basketball, which limits his walking time a bit until it fully heals. Add to that a lingering virus that's been ailing my mother for weeks, and the 6 day plan was scrapped for a new one: 3 days at Cleveland, Ohio. My dad wants to go to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, my brothers to some amusement park over there, and... I decided to go. After all, Frater Nema DID recieve the Book of the Feather in that state.

If I'm going there, at the very least I should get some shopping done. Any nice stores up there? Places that have a wide variety of alternative CDs/DVDs (the CD stores in RI prety much suck so when I go on vacation I'm not buying anything mainstream that I can get around where I live... You would not believe how much cash I blew on Residents CDs in Toronto last year). Any good book stores? New Age/Occult book stores? Things like that I can check out while I'm down there. Thanks.

Solitaire Rose as Tom Servo

02:43 / 25.07.05

Well, from what I hear, Cleveland Rocks.

13:52 / 25.07.05

i'm in Ohio (Cincinnati area), but don't know a lot about Cleveland, They do have a pretty decent Art Musuem that's worth checking out.
I found this site that had some alternative type shopping places on it.
Hope it helps,

13:55 / 25.07.05

Lebron James

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14:08 / 25.07.05

Ha! The Cavs didn't even make the playoffs (big surprise).

17:07 / 25.07.05

I couldn't warm up to the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, myself—it takes itself far too seriously, presenting a dummy clad in a Bay City Rollers stage outfit as if it were a fragment of the True Cross. There were layers upon layers of irony there, flying straight over everybody's head.

Also, the retail section (it's too large to just be called a "gift shop") racks its collection of vinyl LPs and 45s in a location where they're bathed in blistering direct sunlight through the windowed facade for 6 to 8 hours a day. Way to be all about the music, guys.

However, if you do go to the Hall of Fame, get a package ticket and swing by the Great Lakes Science Center, right next door. The Body Worlds exhibit is running through September 18th. Eerie, beautiful, and strangely moving.

17:14 / 25.07.05

Also: Haunted Cleveland tours!

rising and revolving

18:06 / 25.07.05

You should have come to Montreal. We could have had a meet!

I know nothing about Cleveland, though. Bet it's less French, though.

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00:49 / 26.07.05

Last time I went to Montreal was two years or so ago. I've actually been there about four times now!

I have no intention of going to the Rock & Roll hall of fame. I don't really like rock & roll all that much, especially if it's classic.

Keith, like a scientist

03:17 / 26.07.05

i live and work in Cleveland (well, the much cooler suburb of Lakewood, 5 minutes to the west, to be more precise).

what's cool? ME. Aw yeah.

er...kidding. although, surely willing to meet up. friends and i are usually out on the weekend.

not the night life downtown, that's for sure. lame music and very sparkly attired people.

The Tremont neighborhood is cool: Galleries, restaurants (Southside, Parallax), our favorite nightspot "Lava Lounge" (good dj on friday nights).

right next to Cleveland downtown proper is Ohio City, which also has nice restaurants (Halite, Fulton, Johnny Mango's) and some more interesting clubs (Garage). a quarter mile more west than that is almost in Lakewood.

If you are looking for a gallery to visit, the nicest, most interesting one is 1300 Gallery, which is co-owned by Derek Hess.

And Lakewood is a nice suburb with lots of smaller bars, fun little restaurants, and a nice walking around atmosphere.

Shopping. Tower City downtown has nice shopping. Westlake on the west side has Crocker Park, which is one of those large village type shopping areas with all the usual suspects, urban outfitters, plus restaurants and stuff.

not the great town to visit, but it's a pretty swell town to live in, i think.

Keith, like a scientist

03:20 / 26.07.05

oh, hell, completely forgot. BENT CRAYON, 11600 Detroit Ave. in Lakewood is the best undergound record store in the city. lots of experimental, electronic, and indie rock CDs and TONS of vinyl. certainly the hippest store. this is about 10 minutes west of where the Rock Hall is.

NABICI downtown is the most fashionable and interesting clothing store.

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15:37 / 30.07.05

Thanks for the tips, Keith. I'll definetly have to look into that Bent Crayon place, it sounds cool. Unfortunetly I'll be with my family the entire time (and we'll only be there for 2 full days) so a meet-up is out of the question, but... If you happen to spot some skinny guy traveling with five other people wearing a black t-shirt that depicts a tuxedo-wearing eyeball-headed guy wearing a top hat... Don't hesitate to say hello.

16:38 / 30.07.05

threadrot

After all, Frater Nema DID recieve the Book of the Feather in that state.

Nema is a woman, not a man. Her name is Margaret Ingalls. So, it would be Soror Nema.

/threadrot

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03:39 / 31.07.05

I know Nema is a woman. I just assumed "Frater" was a univeral term. You people with your cliched gender-specific terms.

Jake, Colossus of Clout

01:13 / 01.08.05

I used to live in Yellow Springs, and I went to Cleveland to see the Red Sox whenever they played the Indians. I came out with these observations:

Indians fans are the lowest form of baseball life. They're rude, profane and don't seem to actually understand any of the deeper facets of the game. Also, they're known for throwing batteries and cell phones at opposing players. Lastly, they support a team that has a racist caricature as a logo. Basically, fuck the Cleveland Indians. The best thing about them was Manny Ramirez, and he plays for the Sox now.

Other than that, the other (non-neanderthal Indian fan) people in the town were very polite, and they have some nice bars.

02:15 / 01.08.05

Cleveland is nothing but a poor man's Pittsburgh.

18:40 / 01.08.05

yes, def check out the bent crayon. you are not going to find a more complete underground record store anywhere.

cleveland indian fans are not as bad as jake "gnosis" would have you believe. a few bad eggs, etc.

and jack fear is damn right, body worlds is fantastique.

19:37 / 01.08.05

Indeed.

Jake: I was actually at a Red Sox/Indians game at the Jake last month—my first time there—and apart from a bit of gratuitous booing of Manny, I actually came away impressed with the hospitality of the fans.

Such as they were, that is: the joint was no more than two-thirds full, and from what I understand attendance has been declining for years now.

Visitors to Cleveland: for pity's sake, go to an Indians home game if you can! Jacobs Field is a beautiful ballyard, there's not a bad seat in the joint, and the Tribe is fielding a damned good team this year.

If nothing else, you can giggle childishly (as I did) every time Coco Crisp is announced at bat.

Heh. "Coco Crisp."

Jake, Colossus of Clout

16:57 / 02.08.05

I love Coco Crisp. He's on my fantasy team. And Grady Sizemore should be Rookie of the Year, in my opinion.

I haven't been to an Indians game since '99, so I don't know if they've cleaned up their act, but I stand by my previous statement. I have been to a lot of ballparks, and Indians fans are the crassest, in my opinion. Yankee fans were nicer than Indians fans. And I was fond of wearing my Pedro jersey to the Stadium.

Also, Chief Wahoo REALLY has to go.

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23:40 / 03.08.05

Just got back! It was okay... Shopping was so-so, the book stores weren't too great, but I loved Bent Crayon! Gots lots of stuff by bands like Coil, Nurse With Wound, and so forth. They had nothing by Julian Cope though. Ah well.

I didn't catch a baseball game, the rest of my family did though. However, I DID take a tour of Jacobs Filed, which was pretty aces, and I went to the zoo also, but it was kind of too hot a day for that kind of thing. I also went to the Rock & Roll hall of fame, but I wasn't too crazy about it... Although it was cool to see some vintage B-52 gear and Madonna's pointy bra.