about Lorain Avenue

Ohio City was a separate municipality from Cleveland, with the Cuyahoga taking the role of the Danube for Buda and Pest. When the highways cut through neighbourhoods, and social discontent, economic shocks, and ethnographic change all hit to create an amalgam of decay in Cleveland, Ohio City was impacted heavily. In recent years there has been an element of gentrification, and rebuilding, alongside continued poverty.

Skipping past the food and beverage popularity on West 25th between Lorain and Bridge, the campus of St. Ignatius Jesuit High School has increased. A couple of Catholic charity endeavors operate on Lorain. A few artsy places exist because of low rent and slightly bohemian callings.

Beyond that, there are failing businesses and resale shops (euphemistically calling themselves antique stores), and institutional buildings on the street. Some demolition is occurring to produce expensive apartment living, and entertainment outlets (beer, squash, shuffleboard) for younger adults.

July 14, 2016

This building is abandoned and boarded up on the corner of West 44th & Lorain.

December 3, 2016
For a short time, this mural was painted on the 44th Street side.

December 11, 2019

The building owner had the mural painted over (as well as one on the opposite side facing a small parking lot, which had a rat riding a motorcycle, a part of the building sold motorcycle equipment). Since then a series of worthless graffiti has come (and gone), like dog piss on telephone poles.

late December fotos

Kangaroo mascot of University of Akron joins over 650 tubas for Akron's 40th Tuba Christmas.

Musicians are encouraged to come in costume, and to add colour to their instruments.

wrought iron on closed doors of Holy Trinity Lutheran Akron

sunlight hitting Advent decorated pulpit at St. Colman Cleveland

2019 Miscellany #12 — music, art, movies

Emeka Ogboh. Ámà: the Gathering Place. 30 November 2019. Atrium of Cleveland Art Museum. 

In the distance is a fabricated iroku tree with akwétè cloth, substituting for bark. The sculpture is better in fuller sunlight. Closer to the camera, is a miniature forest of bamboo. Foto is taken from an escalator. The next day, was the last of the installation.

December is a time for Christmas music concerts.  Early Tuba Christmas, on December 1st, at First Baptist Shaker Heights. Much smaller than Lorain's, and very much smaller than Akron's (both this upcoming weekend); more classical composers, playing to an older audience with older performers.

Edsel, Ford, Ford Falcon van, Dodge, Chrysler Imperial, Mercury, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Chrysler Newport

Sunday,  December 15th. W. 65th by St. Colman's.

The two days prior, a movie was being filled about the "extrajudicial" killing of Fred Hampton in Chicago, December 4th 1969. Hampton was chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, and deputy chairman of the national party. He was being monitored by the FBI, Chicago Police, and Cook County police.  In a pre-dawn armed attack, he was shot in his bed, and then shot point blank in the head twice,

Do you like the prototype of the new Cleveland streetlights? An earlier film, A Christmas Story, was filmed on W. 11th. In the last few years, it has become a tourist stop.

Burning River Brass had its first concert (1996) at Pilgrim Congregational on West 14th Cleveland. Since then, they have played annual Christmas concerts. They also add humour, Trumpeter down.