CLEVELAND - Springing and Trailing Back To Life

[MayDay]

I had hoped to get out more to take photos during the winter but with the coldest February on record and other "lovely" conditions, not so much. Ah well, it's finally getting nice out so this thread has a little bit of everything, including some Towpath Trail action.

Remember when most of the eastern US looked (and felt) like this? Yeah, I'm trying to forget This is along West 25th Street - a main commercial street in the Ohio City neighborhood:






Over at the Brite Winter Festival. We got there a little too early to see any of the bands playing - I guess a few thousand people showed up later in the evening.










Needing to warm up, we decided to get some ice cream - not sure why but I always crave ice cream in colder weather. Anyway, a local ice cream manufacturer moved their headquarters into what used to be a large nightclub (originally built at the Rialto Theater).








Over to the new Heinens grocery store in the former Cleveland Trust rotunda and adjacent Swetland Building - en route, the Schofield Building is looking pretty good - it's scheduled to be a Kimpton hotel along with apartments:


















Back outside to check out on redevelopment - in this case, The Ivory (right next to the Swetland Building)




Not everything new is old again, some it's just plain new Flats East Bank, Phase II:


The Hilton at the convention center:


View from the company lunchroom


See the ice on Lake Erie in that last image? During the Spring, it occasionally causes some fog:














A quick detour to and through Ohio City - this time along Bridge Avenue and points nearby including St. Ignatius High School:












Of course, it's not Spring in Cleveland without the St. Patrick's Day Parade:


























Oh yeah, the Towpath Trail - took a little walk on the Scranton Flats section; not as scenic without the wildflowers in bloom but still pretty cool views. A few weeks after I took this, they installed new pedestrian bridges which will take the trail further north:




































Another Spring tradition - the Tribe's home opener... and here's hoping they start to improve










And on to the next part of the Towpath Trail, the Harvard section of the Ohio and Erie Canal. En route, a little bit of Pittsburgh in Cleveland - Holmden Avenue in the Tremont neighborhood:


Demolition is underway at MetroHealth Hospital for a huge redevelopment of their facilities:


Here we are - the first section of the trail isn't terribly scenic. It's hemmed in by the Alcoa plant, truckyards, etc. but it gets pretty cool - once everything blooms and there's more greenery it'll be more enjoyable. Of course, part of the Towpath's charm *is* the variation in scenery from deep forest in the southern sections, to small former canal towns and then through the larger cities:




To their credit, Alcoa has a small display showing some work the Cleveland plant has done:
























In the distance is the Short Line railway bridge; about 140 feet tall, built in 1907 and gets plenty of use:










In addition to amenities and facilities the vistors center has some interesting artwork displayed:




















And time to wrap it up and head home.


Hope you enjoyed!