Regional Geographic

November 10th, 2011 by Mau Lanese

More pictures of Lakewood, Warren Village and the like from my journeys with the pooch.

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Category: Miscellaneous
Location: Comment

Carl Stokes, We Hardly Knew You

October 3rd, 2011 by Mau Lanese

I know this site is supposed to hip people as to what’s happening in town, but seeing as how I’ve been the only contributor in say six months, this has become my personal blog about my life here in Cuyahoga county. With that, I’ll reminisce some more about the things I loved most about this time of year in Cleveland. These are the things I miss most from my twenties:

1. The Ghoul- The local late night horror movie host heir apparent after Ghoulardi left town. He was on channel 55 during most of my twenties. He’d make personal appearances( especially around Halloween) at local bars and sci fi convos. The show has been gone for years now and the appearances have pretty much dried up except for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Fall just isn’t the same without him.

2. Kick Out The Jams- This was the thirty year old college radio show airing on WJCU( John Carroll) on Saturday mornings. It featured nothing but guitars. Hard rock, metal, psychedelic hippie rock, garage rock and foreign heavy guitar music. It was a Saturday tradition to either lay in bed hungover from Friday, cruise around running errands, cruise around on my old dry cleaning route, or just doing household chores while Mitch Capka logged in four hours of painstakingly handpicked mindblowing broadcasting. He did it for free. For thirty some years. Purely because he loved the music. He went off the air sometime last year, and Saturdays just haven’t been the same without him.

3. The Memphis Drive In Movie Theater- Most of my friends are probably sick of hearing me moan about this place. I might have even mentioned it on here sometime. It was located in the heart of the west side at Tiedeman and Memphis. Three screens of unadulterated summer/ fall cinema sensation. Now the only drive ins left are out in the boonies at least forty minutes away. Back then we lived on the east side. After every movie there was the twenty minute drive home past our beautiful nightime skyline. Now I see it weekly coming home from Lake County on Sunday nights. But those nights at the Memphis were a great tradition. I’ve lambasted the local card company that ultimately spelled the end of this family and freak friendly love fest all over the internet, so I’ll refrain from mentioning them. But you should be ashamed of yourselves for depriving the core city dwellers of a proud institution.

4. Old Cleveland bands reuniting at the Beachland. During the 2000′s, we saw the greatest frequency of this activity. Sure we get maybe one or two a year now, but back then it seemed like every other week a long forgotten Cleveland legend dusted off their amps and got together to delight their old fans. Damnation of Adam Blessing, Glass Harp, the Choir, the Raspberries, the James Gang and Tiny Alice were some of the greats I had the pleasure of seeing. Some still play the Hessler Street Fair or the odd bar here and there. And yes they are that much older now, so playing out would be a hassle. Just glad I was there at the time.

5. The National Record Collector’s convention at the Rock Hall- It was only around for a handful of years, but was always the highlight of my summer. It usually took place around my birthday in late July and featured dealers from all over the country. Parking by the hall was even scarcer than it is now for free concerts. The place was jam packed with memorabilia, collector nerds(myself the biggest) and regular rock hall patrons who were drawn into the vinyl swapping frenzy. I don’t even go to the hall much anymore. That show was a guaranteed visit. Both days(Saturday and Sunday)! We still have the long running local record convo in Fairview Park, but that one downtown was ten times as fun.

Other things I miss are the plethora of shopping on Madison in Lakewood(where I now reside), efforts to resuscitate Euclid Beach Park, Assholier than Thou on WCSB(the best talk radio show ever), better variety of music venues(Agora, Jigsaw, etc), the old Majic 105 FM(the djs and music were so comforting, not like satellite oldies radio), and yes, even LeBron. It seemed like when that narcissist maniac was flying above the rim in Cavs colors, that everything would be alright. We had a champion. Now everything feels more abandoned and broken than ever. Just my opinion.

What do we really have going for us now? The foodie scene is taking off, people are coming back home from more expensive locales, and our medical community is thriving. That means little to a low rent such as myself. I hate to sound like a Debbie Downer, or even a Mopey Moses(Cleveland reference),but my twenties were the funnest this city will ever be for me.

Category: Miscellaneous
Location: Comment

Hayless Hayride Through Warren Village

September 27th, 2011 by Mau Lanese

I strolled the pooch through my hood this misty fall morning. Here are some pics of the most picturesque and proud corner of Cleveland city proper. Not officially recognized as a neighborhood, Warren Village gets lumped into Kamm’s Corners or the larger West Park. But this stretch of brick paved streets and European style fabric awnings has a feel all it’s own. It’s located south of I-90, north of Triskett and west of w. 140th to the Rocky River. Not hip like Tremont or Ohio City, but more suburbanish within the city limits, Warren Village is like a more affordable Shaker Heights(safer and cleaner). It’s why I bought my house one block north in neighboring Lakewood. Pictured are a sweet camo van, Impett Park, pumpkins at the tinyest Giant Eagle, a flaming golf cart, my African cab driver neighbor’s taxi and my Halloween decorations. Not traditionally how I try to sell Warren Village, these are the quirkier sights one might see out and about.

Category: Miscellaneous
Location: Comment

Open Late

September 22nd, 2011 by Mau Lanese

The pooch and I went night time cruising tonight and I snapped some pix to document Cleveland on a Wednesday late night. Not much open, but plenty of busses, transients and neon lights to keep the eye interested. First down Lorain into downtown and back down Detroit to the Clifton/117th area. We ordered some Gepetto’s and window shopped at Torso, Big Fun and Flower Child while the slop cooked. Oh, and it was only 11:30. Not really late night. But for this town it is.

Category: Miscellaneous
Location: Comment

It’s Always Slummy in Cuyahoga

September 15th, 2011 by Mau Lanese

I went for a semi-circumnavigating photo safari of the county yesterday. The dog and I dropped off the wife at work by Brookpark and 140th and headed east to my mom’s house in Lake County. Taking Brook Park down to the valley and up to the Garfield Reservation provided some very bucolic vistas of post war homes and surrounding greenery. Then came poor Maple Heights. The economically depressed Southgate Mall/ Thistledown area was a shame to behold. I remember when I was young and this area was bustling. My dad used to play pickup indoor soccer at the Force training facility in this area. I loved it there. They had a bar/eatery upstairs for post game noshing. And you could see the field from up there. That and the old ice cream parlor at east 200th and Lakeshore started my love for night time metropolitan eats and drinks.

From there we took Emery out to the Brainard/Chagrin area. Still pretty wooded and laid back out there. Brainard took us north to Lake County for a crisp fall day of dog romping and hanging with newly retired mom. What a life she leads!

At 2pm we set back out for Brook Park. We took the industrial Lakeland/freeway route(my former train graffiti stomping grounds) to the Euclid reservation to the Green/Mayfield area. This is home of Warehouse Beverage. A great beer purveyor rivaled only by Simone’s in Lakewood. I used to stop in all the time when I lived out there. From there we meandered through Shaker along Fairmount and all the giant mansions I hadn’t seen since I drove for Hillcrest Ambulance back in 2005. Down Cedar Hill into University Circle and down a very congested Carnegie into downtown. Hung a left at 55th and inched down to Woodland during what seemed like the longest traffic jam ever(I’ve driven in Chicago and LA and not been so frustrated). The day ended with a quick shot down 77 to 480 and back to our starting point. A feast for the eyes and a real jogging of the old memory banks.

Category: Miscellaneous
Location: Comment