I saw a write up on this a while ago - Scene or Free Times. I've been hanging out at Tower Press and the area all round there - between Chester and the lake from E 9th all the way to the 40s - lots of big old commercial buildings spread all over - all interesting relics from the first "suburban" blast from the past that have very little appeal for anything, to anyone, except as little historic blips, in a sea of little blips. This is what the suburbs will feel like in 20 years - when everyone leaves the suburbs because the blips out there are far part, and uninteresting to begin with. At that point, all the people around here will have moved back into the city - first to the human scale areas that exist today (already happened - Tremont, Ohio City, warehouse and gateway developments) - and then into planned urban community developments (the "new urbanism" stuff Wolstein is wedging into the flats, and highrises and condos with a golfcourse on the Lakefront, ala Carney and Stark) - but under the radar the action is in areas like where the bath house is going - which will probably lead to a relocation of much of the gay communty now maturing around Detroit and Ohio City. In this case, a neighborhood can be crafted out of largely worthless commercial buildings, offering secure subcommunities within - this is like the development around the Mission district, and that is the direction this neighborhood may take. The presence of a growing Asian community around there offers an excellent secondary economic dynamic that is very opportune - not likely any kingpins will take this neighbirhood over ever, but lots of innovative property and business owners will thrive. Hot future here.

Yes, this area is taking off naturally, without "developers" and planners and big bucks, banks and 502c3's. Josaphat Hall is a great adaptive reuse, activated within the past year on East 32nd (?) just north of Superior. The Town Fryer is picking up traction, MTB is having the bloggapalooza there in July. The restaurants continue to proliferate. The prices are right for everything, and it's all on the buslines.

The other day Evelyn said she wanted to tour the new Flex bath house, but "Faggoty-Ass Faggot" beat her on the blog... I'd never heard of this blog until I saw a link to the review of Flex on BFD, and the blog and review are a riot... about this clever blogger "His loafers are light, his tongue is acid"... "What, haven't you been paying attention? Oh, all right then. I'm a confirmed bachelor residing in a well-appointed bungalow in the elegant suburb of Lakewood, Ohio. Hmm? Oh darling, a gentleman never reveals his age. Now off with you, it's time for afternoon cocktails. If you want to know the rest, you're just going to have to keep up."...

About Flex... read Faggoty-Ass Faggot yourself, and note the comments posted there already show Flex will be a global new economy draw for NEO... perhaps Stark should try to recruit one to Crack'er Park??!?!

Disrupt IT

I recommended the E4S contact them about the Solar Challenge http://www.e4s.org/content/eventdetail.asp?id=112, but it looks like they have other plansd for their rooftop. Maybe they can find space for it though. They are going to use plenty-o-hot H20...