“…talkin’ baseball… baseball and the Tribe…”
“Talkin’ Baseball” – Terry Cashman (2008)
Today is Major League Baseball’s Opening Day in many cities across America (and Canada!) The hopes and dreams of October championship baseball are alive and well for fans of every team!
Today in Cleveland, the Indians play their chilly home and season opener against the Boston Redsox with David Price the starting pitcher for the Sox, and Cy Young Award winner, Cory Kluber taking the mound for the hometown good-guys. First pitch at Jacobs Field is scheduled for 4:10 PM.
Pictured above: The 28-foot neon sign that adorned the 74,000 seat Cleveland Municipal Stadium at Gate D for 32 years. The old stadium was demolished in 1996 with the Tribe’s new home, Jacobs Field, opening on April 2, 1994.
Some time ago, I wrote a post about the inspiration and reason behind the “Indians” team name. The cartoon mascot “Chief Wahoo” has caused controversy among some, but to me Chief Wahoo is simply an emblem representing my baseball team!
Today the Chief Wahoo sign has been preserved and is on display at Cleveland’s Western Reserve Historical Society (as seen in my photograph above, taken December 30, 2014.)
“…you’ll see a smilin’ face… a fireplace.. a cozy room… a little nest that’s nestled where the roses bloom…”
“My Blue Heaven” – Frank Sinatra (1950)
[10 Photos]
A very unassuming, almost hidden piece of urban property at 4806 Euclid Avenue in midtown Cleveland…
Built in 1898 as an extended-stay housing option for visiting business executives from other cities, “The Esmond” also served as the ideal turn-of-the century “swanky” bachelor pad for single businessmen working in the hustle-bustle world that was Cleveland, Ohio in the early 1900’s.
The building was designed by architect John Eisenmann, who also co-designed with fellow architect, George H. Smith, the Cleveland Arcade. Eisenmann is also credited with designing the official flag of the State of Ohio that flies today in the buckeye state (and He was a graduate of the University of Michigan, of all things!)
Through the years The Esmond has continued to serve as a fashionable apartment building, and still offers extended-stay bed and breakfast suites to visitors to the city.
Photos taken October 31, 2014
“…come along with me misery loves company… you’re welcome at the home of the blues…”
“Home of the Blues” – Johnny Cash (1958)
At E. 4th Street and Euclid Avenue, in downtown… one of the many concert venues that this town offers… And from the interior of the Cleveland House of Blues, a picture I took a few years ago, and posted here!
Photo taken August 9, 2014
“There’s no surf in Cleveland U.S.A…”
“There’s No Surf in Cleveland” – The Euclid Beach Band (1978)
The Beachland Ballroom on an absolutely perfect summer day!
Located in the North Collinwood neighborhood on Cleveland’s East side… in the heart of the Waterloo Arts District. The Beachland is a concert venue and tavern but was originally built in 1950 as a Croatian social club called the “Liberty Home.”
Today the facility is home to eclectic musical performances, a sizable yet laid-back tavern, and a record shop in the basement that sells all kinds of cool popular culture items from days gone by, including a collection of old concert tee shirts… About a half-mile north of the Beachland is Euclid Beach–once home to the world famous Euclid Beach Amusement Park, on the shores of Lake Erie… and unfortunately, no… there is “no surf in Cleveland USA…”
Photo taken June 23, 2014
“She drew out all her money out of the Southern Trust.. and put her little boy aboard a Greyhound Bus…”
“Bye Bye Johnny” – Chuck Berry (1960)
“Bye Bye Johnny” – The Rolling Stones (1964)
The Greyhound Bus Terminal, located on Chester Avenue in downtown Cleveland, between East 17th and 13th streets, was the largest bus station in the United States when it’s construction was completed in the Spring of 1948.
Designed by architect William Arrasmith, the station was built at a cost of $1.25 Million, in “Art Moderne” architectural style (also called “Streamline Moderne,” a derivative of the “Art Deco” movement.) The aerodynamic look of the building fit into the Bus Company’s marketing focus of streamlined and effortless travel.
The Cleveland Greyhound Bus Station Building was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1999. In 2000, it was restored and modernized, while preserving it’s historic relevance and beauty.
Photo taken February 24, 2014
“I’ll get down in any neighborhood I swear that my friends will take me…”
“Funky But Chic” – David Johansen (1978)
On Cleveland’s near-east side, at the southeast corner of E. 36th Street and Euclid Avenue, near the central downtown area… Hatton’s, in existence since the 1920’s, was the first deli establishment to make the claim, “Best Corned Beef in Town” when Duane Hatton affixed the neon sign to the building in 1965.
Photo taken December 13, 2013
“…and I’m a skinny little boy from Cleveland Ohio, come to drink your women and chase your beer…”
“Skinny” – Alex Bevan (1976)
The grand daddy of local breweries in Cleveland, The Great Lakes Brewing Company was established in the Cleveland west side neighborhood of Ohio City, across from the West Side Market, in 1988. Today, the vastly expanded brewery is a favorite brew pub and restaurant night spot, where connoisseurs and happy-hour partiers can hang out, drink and eat. In 2011, The Great Lakes Brewery was the 18th largest craft-brewery in the United States. The beer is phenomenal! In the warm months in Cleveland, the establishment’s sidewalk patio along Market Avenue is THE place to be!
Photos taken November 14, 2013
“Starry, starry night… Paint your palette blue and gray…”
“Vincent” – Don McLean
Located at 182 South Main Street, in Downtown Akron, Ohio—The Akron Civic Theater is one of only five remaining “atmospheric theaters” in the United States. The theater was built in 1929 by Marcus Loew from a design by famous theater architect John Eberson.
The interior décor of the Civic is a lavish combination of Mediterranean and medieval elegance. A patron to the theater will be awed by a specially designed twinkling star-lit sky ceiling with periodic clouds moving across the horizon. It is absolutely beautiful, and the mood enhancing experience is complemented by authentic European antiques and Italian alabaster sculptures throughout the theater. Hidden beneath the stage of the Civic Theater is a grand, full-sized organ which rests on a special elevator, which rises and lowers during performances.
Photo taken October 6, 2012
Ramification Photography 