Backwards Cleveland, or, Downtown, Part II
As Emily Dickinson said, "the truth must dazzle gradually."
Living downtown is starting to make sense.
All this time, I've been worried about the RTA-friendliness of various neighborhoods (am I going to be able to get to work? To my parents' house? To that sacred triumvirate: the library, bank, post office?) When really, I've been thinking about it absolutely backwards.
I'd been worried that I'd have to find a job downtown, because my ability to get "just anywhere" would be limited. And with limited jobs downtown, I'd been double-worried. However, if I lived downtown, I could work practically anywhere.
Some concerns.
1. De facto pedestrian-friendliness. Yes, I know there's a public square and ample sidewalkage, but Louise's comment here scared me. Especially in light of this Cleveland+ YouTube video I watched a while back (skip ahead to 1:56, and you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm not sure we should be promoting Cleveland as a place for New Yorkers with personal space issues to come and drive their cars.)
2. Food buying opportunities. I am extremely particular about where I buy food. I won't go to chain supermarkets. Locally produced, seasonal stuff is best, but failing that, the place has to be independent and locally owned. (Hey, I haven't bought a single item of clothing in about two years, I like demolition derbies and I drink onion wine - I get to be snobbish about one thing in life.)
So on that note, has anyone been to Constantino's Market? Can you tell me about it? What does the lettuce look like? How much does it cost? Do they even have produce? Do they have cat food? Do they have Weetabix?
(On the other hand, if I lived downtown, I could easily take the bus or the Red Line to the West Side Market. I could take the Blue Line to the Shaker Square farmers' market on Saturday mornings.)
3. Speaking of Saturday mornings, is there anything open downtown on the weekends? Can I buy a newspaper on Sunday? Is there anywhere to buy pastries? (Not Starbucks.)
4. The noise question. I realize that if I live, say, in or near the Warehouse District, I am going to hear street noise. I am going to hear drunk hipsters who I would probably hate. But. Am I going to hear my upstairs neighbor peeing? Am I going to hear him talking on the phone? Am I going to be subject to the constant sound of someone else's TV/stereo/daily life, or are these "trendy lofts" pretty solid? I am sick of living in cheap-ass, poorly made crapshacks that Jack the Unscrupulous Real Estate Developer built en masse next to the highway entrance.
Help?
Living downtown is starting to make sense.
All this time, I've been worried about the RTA-friendliness of various neighborhoods (am I going to be able to get to work? To my parents' house? To that sacred triumvirate: the library, bank, post office?) When really, I've been thinking about it absolutely backwards.
I'd been worried that I'd have to find a job downtown, because my ability to get "just anywhere" would be limited. And with limited jobs downtown, I'd been double-worried. However, if I lived downtown, I could work practically anywhere.
Some concerns.
1. De facto pedestrian-friendliness. Yes, I know there's a public square and ample sidewalkage, but Louise's comment here scared me. Especially in light of this Cleveland+ YouTube video I watched a while back (skip ahead to 1:56, and you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm not sure we should be promoting Cleveland as a place for New Yorkers with personal space issues to come and drive their cars.)
2. Food buying opportunities. I am extremely particular about where I buy food. I won't go to chain supermarkets. Locally produced, seasonal stuff is best, but failing that, the place has to be independent and locally owned. (Hey, I haven't bought a single item of clothing in about two years, I like demolition derbies and I drink onion wine - I get to be snobbish about one thing in life.)
So on that note, has anyone been to Constantino's Market? Can you tell me about it? What does the lettuce look like? How much does it cost? Do they even have produce? Do they have cat food? Do they have Weetabix?
(On the other hand, if I lived downtown, I could easily take the bus or the Red Line to the West Side Market. I could take the Blue Line to the Shaker Square farmers' market on Saturday mornings.)
3. Speaking of Saturday mornings, is there anything open downtown on the weekends? Can I buy a newspaper on Sunday? Is there anywhere to buy pastries? (Not Starbucks.)
4. The noise question. I realize that if I live, say, in or near the Warehouse District, I am going to hear street noise. I am going to hear drunk hipsters who I would probably hate. But. Am I going to hear my upstairs neighbor peeing? Am I going to hear him talking on the phone? Am I going to be subject to the constant sound of someone else's TV/stereo/daily life, or are these "trendy lofts" pretty solid? I am sick of living in cheap-ass, poorly made crapshacks that Jack the Unscrupulous Real Estate Developer built en masse next to the highway entrance.
Help?
posted by Christine at 8:38 PM
8 Comments:
Constantino's is a bit on the small and pricey side by supermarket standards, but it's clean and everybody there is very friendly. They have an excellent selection of prepared foods and some nifty specialty items. They've begun hosting a weekly farmers market, but it was pathetically tiny the one time I stopped by. There are rumors that Wolstein's Flats east bank plans include a Heinen's.
Hmm, a Friday afternoon farmers market. I'm intrigued.
Does Constantino's have fresh produce? I'm not too into prepared foods...I do a lot of cooking.
Heinen's in the Flats, eh? That would be good too....
If you're thinking Heinen's produce out for you to pick between, don't count on it. Constantino's is decent however. Several of my friends live downtown and I've contemplated the move also. You won't have to worry about the noise problem too much. I stumbled across your blog via Cool Cleveland. I also moved away from Cleveland then moved back.
The Flats development that Kevin speaks of is probably a good two years away at this point. They're making progress on the project but there are still a lot of road blocks in the way.
Hi Todd- thanks for the info. Luckily I've learned not to count on anything when it comes to Cleveland. I'm sure that when it's all said and done, the Heinen's in the Flats will morph into a Marc's or Super WalMart or something, just like the Euclid Corridor Project went from having a train down the middle of the street to something that (to my mind) resembles the Boulevard of Death.
There is Dave's right around the corner from the West Side Market. It's good for the average things. I'd do West Side Market for produce and meats. There's one in Akron too...it's like a little piece of Cleveland.
Downtown really does need a real grocery store but grocery stores can barely pay rent (which is why Giant Eagle has taken over)
Constantino's IS pricey but they have meat, fish, fresh veggies, pastries, a selection of everything as far as I can tell. And yes, Dave's is really right across the Detroit Superior Bridge. East Fourth Street is happening, Paul Volpe and City Architects and our Planning Dept. are working on streetscaping and pedestrian friendly elements. The Euclid Avenue Light Rail; having said all this, you will still be lacking things like bookstores and drugstores and some other service industries Downtown. (Of course bookstores are a dying breed anyway) Christine has anyone pointed out to you (and you are savvy and may already know this) the urbanohio.com site? There are awesome threads (local NE Ohio threads) that talk about what is planned for everything from transportation, new housing, shopping, for many of Cleveland's communities. I know people who have never lived here who post a question on a forum and they get terrific responses. Just a thought! And again I apologize if you already know this. :-)
There is a small grocery store tucked away inside of the Reserve Square complex, but I rarely set foot in there myself anymore, so I can't tell you much about it. Last time I was there, I ran in to pick up a 6 pack of beer (Stella) and I seem to recall produce, but I didn't scope it out or anything.
Audient- it's funny, I was just wondering where would be a good place to buy wine downtown when I read your post from yesterday about the new wine-ordering law, which was, to say the least, chilling. I'd always thought that it was uncharacteristically progressive of Ohio to let people order wine from out of state. Sigh.
Carole - thanks for reminding me about Urban Ohio. The other member of my household spends a lot of time peering at it, but I've never given it too much attention. I glanced through some of the forum topics this morning - lots of information to digest....
As for Constantino's prices: well, I once paid $1 for *one lime* in Manhattan. Don't even ask me about butter and eggs. At best I will find the prices refreshingly low, or at worst, I won't notice a thing!
Derek- you're right. I need to get my ass over that Detroit Superior bridge and to the West Side Market. And Dave's.
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