Jun 25 2016

Crop Rocks and the East Bank of the Flats

Brent

Crop Rocks Cleveland East Bank

The Flats East Bank project has brought many great restaurants to downtown Cleveland. One of these is Crop Rocks. Here is information from their website:  “Crop Rocks is celebrated local Chef Steve Schimoler’s casual vintage bar concept. Located on the Flats East Bank, Crop Rocks is a unique gathering place for Flats veterans & newcomers alike; that you truly won’t find anywhere else in the city.
Guests can enjoy a casual menu featuring comfort foods ranging from our Al Green Salad to Phish and Chips, our signature Buffalo Springfield sandwich or our take on BBQ Ribs; Bone Thugs and Hominy.
In addition to an amazing collection of priceless music memorabilia, a Vintage 1977 VW Bus and outdoor bar seating; We also house a curated record collection of over 15,000 records in our Vinyl Library. Guests can browse the vinyl and, play music through our vintage 1959 jukebox or sit back and enjoy the most comprehensive soundtrack in the city! Guests DJs will make appearances often, spinning everything from Miles Davis to Madonna, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath and even Amy Winehouse”.

For more info: http://www.croprocks.com/

All photos are copyright of  Brent Durken – www.brentdurken.com

To purchase a digital download of this photo for your website or blog please visit: https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-zRG6xB/

Purchase a print of this photo: Brent Durken Print Sales

http://brent-durken.pixels.com/


Mar 16 2016

Sunset on the Cuyahoga River

Brent

Burning River

Info on the Cuyahoga River from Wikipedia: “The Cuyahoga River is famous for being “the river that caught fire,” helping to spur the environmental movement in the late 1960s. The name “Cuyahoga” is believed to mean “crooked river” from the Mohawk Indian name “Cayagaga,” although the Senecas called it “Cuyohaga,” or “place of the jawbone.” At least 13 fires have been reported on the Cuyahoga River, the first occurring in 1868. The largest river fire in 1952 caused over $1 million in damage to boats, a bridge, and a riverfront office building. On June 22, 1969, a river fire captured the attention of Time magazine, which described the Cuyahoga as the river that “oozes rather than flows”.

The 1969 Cuyahoga River fire helped spur an avalanche of water pollution control activities, resulting in the Clean Water Act, Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, and the creation of the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA). As a result, large point sources of pollution on the Cuyahoga have received significant attention from the OEPA in recent decades. These events are referred to in Randy Newman’s 1972 song “Burn On,” R.E.M.’s 1986 song “Cuyahoga,” and Adam Again’s 1992 song “River on Fire.” Great Lakes Brewing Company of Cleveland named its Burning River Pale Ale after the event. Water quality has greatly improved and, partially in recognition of this improvement, the Cuyahoga was designated one of 14 American Heritage Rivers in 1998″.

More info:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuyahoga_River

All photos are copyright of  Brent Durken – www.brentdurken.com

To purchase a digital download of this photo for your website or blog please visit: https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-zRG6xB/

Purchase a print of this photo: Brent Durken Print Sales

http://brent-durken.pixels.com/

 


Feb 3 2016

Flats East Bank

Brent

Flats East Bank Cleveland

The Flats East Bank Project is quickly becoming a hotspot along the river in Downtown Cleveland. Here is some more information about this project from the Flats East Bank website: Flats East Bank redevelopment is a partnership between The Wolstein Group and Fairmount Properties driving $750 million in waterfront redevelopment with an 18 story office tower, trendy hotel, state of the art fitness club, and a range of local restaurants.  Fall 2015 marked the completion of Phase II with even more amenities to the growing riverfront district as it added 241 unit high-end residential, restaurants, entertainment venues, and extensive riverfront boardwalk. The late Bert L. Wolstein and his wife, Iris S. Wolstein, started Developers Diversified Realty, which grew into a successful national real estate development company. They later opened Heritage Development. Bert and Iris have long been generous to Cleveland – having donated more than $40 million to local hospitals, colleges and other institutions. Mr. Wolstein worked for more than 25 years to transform the rundown Flats East Bank into a first-class, vibrant, accessible riverfront. After he passed, Iris, along with her son Scott, executive chairman at Developers Diversified Realty, as partners in The Wolstein Group, continued to pursue Bert’s vision. In 2005, after they rigorously worked with multiple parties to assemble land and financing, Iris and Scott unveiled their ambitious plans for this landmark development and even after the project was precipitously slowed by the Great Recession, Iris remained determined to see the development occur. The future of The Flats East Bank is looking very bright. “This isn’t just another entertainment district – it’s a catalytic neighborhood that’s going to place this city on the map as an urban waterfront destination,” Scott Wolstein said of the revitalization of the area. “The redevelopment of the Flats East Bank was my father’s dream but he never got to see it materialize. We knew the potential was vast, but now to see the blood, sweat and tears of the last few decades come to fruition is very gratifying,” said Scott. Driving more people to live, work and play, downtown, will only benefit the city.  “I want Greater Clevelanders to be excited about this project and what it means for the future of Cleveland.”

For more information on the Flats East Bank please visit: http://www.flatseastbank.com/

All photos are copyright of  Brent Durken – www.brentdurken.com

To purchase a digital download of this photo for your website or blog please visit: https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-zRG6xB/

Purchase a print of this photo: Brent Durken Print Sales

http://brent-durken.pixels.com/


Dec 21 2013

Greater Cleveland Aquarium

Brent

Greater Cleveland Aquarium cleveland Aquarium Greater Cleveland Aquarium
In today’s photo blog I wanted to share some photos from the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. If there is one place you should visit with your children over winter break this is it!  I was fortunate enough to visit and photograph the aquarium last week and I was very impressed with it. Not only is it much larger than I expected but there are tons of things to see and do! You can pet rays or maybe even scuba dive with sharks! The aquarium itself is housed in the old powerhouse near the Nautica Entertainment Complex which includes the Windows on the River, Trolley Tours, the Sugar Warehouse with Shooters on the Water, the IMPROV Comedy Club and Restaurant, and Jacobs Pavilion.  

Here is a little about the Aquarium from their website:

 “Consider the Greater Cleveland Aquarium a portal; a portal that will take you all over the world without ever leaving Cleveland. Visit Australia, South America, Africa and the Indo-Pacific; discover aquatic life native to the lakes and rivers of Ohio, and exotic aquatic life native to the Red Sea, Eastern Asia, Indonesia, Fiji and Hawaii. Learn about our animals, how we care for them, when they eat, what they eat and the personalities each one has developed during their time spent here with us. Located in The FirstEnergy Powerhouse, which is considered an historical building, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium spices up the old brick building with fresh colors and playful aquatic creatures with a fun and educational setting”. 

For more information on how you can visit the Greater Cleveland Aquarium please follow this link: http://greaterclevelandaquarium.com/


Mar 9 2013

Shipping on the Cuyahoga River

Brent

cuyahoga river

“The Cuyahoga River was a retreat from the last glaciers ever seen in the United States. It is called an “infant glacial river”, because it is young compared to all of the other rivers formed by glaciers. The river was formed about 13,000 years ago, but the Cuyahoga Valley has been there even longer. The Cuyahoga River also had a great influence on the Native Americans. The Native Americans named it “Cuyahoga” meaning “crooked river”. The Cuyahoga River also had a great influence on the Native Americans. They came as early as 200 B.C. to the Northeastern part of what is now the Ohio Valley. The Indians used the river mainly for food and transportation. They built canoes and fished along the river. The river had an abundant supply of fish as well as plants. Also, large game settled near the river. These resources made it very easy for the Native Americans to live. As the War of 1812 ended, Western settlers displaced the Indians off the Cuyahoga Valley. The Cuyahoga River was becoming a place which was rich and plentiful. Moses Cleveland founded the township of Euclid at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River in 1796. Benjamin Franklin and George Washington thought that the Northern part of what is now the Ohio would be of great importance. They knew that the Cuyahoga was the prime spot for the continental divide passing directly through and for the mouth coming out at the Lake Erie”.

For more info:

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/fenlewis/History.html

Today’s Quote: Concentration is my motto – first honesty, then industry, then concentration. – Andrew Carnegie


Jan 26 2013

The Cleveland Skyline

Brent

Downtown Cleveland Skyline

Today’s photo of the Cleveland Skyline! Did you know that there are a whole bunch of famous Clevelanders? Here is a list of some of them from the Positively Cleveland Website:

Halle Berry – Actress/producer – the first African American actress to win the Oscar for Best Actress

Drew Carey – Creator/producer and star of ABC-TV’s “The Drew Carey Show” and host of “The Price is Right”

Traci Chapman – Singer/songwriter

Tim Conway – Comedian/actor

Ben Curtis – Graduate of Kent State University and the 2003 PGA British Open Champion

Dorothy Dandridge – Actress – First African American woman to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress

Phil Donahue – Talk show host and winner of 19 Daytime Emmys

Alan Freed – D.J. who coined the phrase “Rock n’ Roll”

James A Garfield – 20th US President

Arsenio Hall – Comedian/Actor – The first African American host of a nationally televised late night talk show

Patricia Heaton – Actress

Anne Heche – Actress

Langston Hughes – Poet

Bob Hope – Actor/Comedian – Winner of 5 Special and Honorary Oscars

Sammy Kaye – Band leader – Kaye had more than 100 hit records from 1937-1953

Don King – Boxing promoter

Henry Mancini – Composer of “Moon River,” “The Pink Panther” and many more memorable melodies. Winner of 20 Grammys and four Oscars

Toni Morrison – Winner of 1993 Nobel Prize for literature

Paul Newman – Actor, director, race car driver and Oscar Winner for Best Actor

The O’Jays (Eddie Levert & Walter Williams) – Popular R&B group

Jesse Owens – Olympic track star

John D. Rockefeller – Standard Oil founder

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster – Creators of Superman

Molly Shannon – Actress and cast alumni of Saturday Night Live

Henry Sherwin – Founder, Sherwin Williams

Don Shula – Football coach

Tris Speaker – Baseball player

George Steinbrenner III – Former owner, NY Yankees

Vernon Stouffer – Founder, Stouffer Foods

Joe Walsh – Singer, songwriter, guitarist and member of the “James Gang” and the “Eagles”

Archibald Willard – Artist, painted “Spirit of ’76”

Tom Wilson – Cartoonist, Ziggy

Debra Winger – Actress

Cy Young – Baseball player

 

For more info on visiting Cleveland:

http://www.positivelycleveland.com/


Jan 21 2013

Clevelands Nautica Entertainment Complex

Brent

Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica

“Nautica Entertainment Complex in Cleveland, Oh invites you to experience exceptional dining and exhilarating entertainment in a dramatic setting where you can see giant lake freighters maneuver the Cuyahoga River. Since its opening in 1987, the Nautica Entertainment Complex has attracted millions of people annually. Anchored by two dramatic jackknife bridges, the distinctive character of the Flats is accentuated by Cleveland’s finest entertainment venues.

Nautica Entertainment Complex includes the FirstEnergy Powerhouse (home to the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, Windows on the River banquet facilities and Trolley Tours); the Sugar Warehouse with Shooters on the Water, the IMPROV Comedy Club and Restaurant and Great Lakes Watersports; Jacobs Pavilion (a 5,000 seat outdoor amphitheater); the Nautica Queen dining/cruise ship, and the Apartments at Nautica building with McCarthy’s Downtown and the Nautica Charity Poker Festival At the Cuyahoga River’s edge is the half-mile long Nautica Boardwalk offering special views of boats on the river and Cleveland’s resurgent skyline.”

For more info- http://www.nauticaflats.com/venues/a/jacobs-pavilion-cleveland-concert-event-venue

Todat’s quote: Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. – Voltaire

 


Dec 24 2012

Christmas in Cleveland

Brent

Cleveland Skyline Photo

Today’s Cleveland photo is of the Cleveland Skyline from the Superior Viaduct. I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season.

Today’s Quote:

“To the American People: Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.” ~Calvin Coolidge

 


Nov 17 2012

Cleveland Skyline in Black and White

Brent

Black and white cleveland skyline

This photo of downtown Cleveland was taken from the Columbus Rd. Bridge. From Wikipedia: “Cleveland obtained its name on July 22, 1796 when surveyors of the Connecticut Land Company laid out Connecticut’s Western Reserve into townships and a capital city they named “Cleaveland” after their leader, General Moses Cleaveland. Cleaveland oversaw the plan for what would become the modern downtown area, centered on Public Square, before returning home, never again to visit Ohio. The first settler in Cleaveland was Lorenzo Carter, who built a cabin on the banks of the Cuyahoga River. The Village of Cleaveland was incorporated on December 23, 1814.  In spite of the nearby swampy lowlands and harsh winters, its waterfront location proved to be an advantage. The area began rapid growth after the 1832 completion of the Ohio and Erie Canal. This key link between the Ohio River and the Great Lakes connected the city to the Atlantic Ocean via the Erie Canal and later via the St. Lawrence Seaway; and the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River. Growth continued with added railroad link. Cleveland incorporated as a city in 1836”.

Today’s Quote: “Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe”. –  Voltaire


Jun 8 2012

Shipping on the Cuyahoga

Brent

boat ore shipping Cuyahoga River

From Wikipedia: “The lower Cuyahoga River has been subjected to numerous changes. Originally, the Cuyahoga River met Lake Erie approximately 4,000 feet (1.2 km) west of its current mouth, forming a shallow marsh. The current mouth is man-made, and it lies just west of present-day downtown Cleveland, which allows shipping traffic to flow freely between the river and the lake. Additionally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers periodically dredges the navigation channel of the otherwise shallow river to a depth of 27 feet (8.2 m), along the river’s lower 5 miles (8.0 km), from its mouth up to the Mittal Steel Cleveland Works steel mills, to accommodate Great Lakes freighter traffic which serves the bulk (asphalt, gravel, petroleum, salt, steel, and other) industries located along the lower Cuyahoga River banks in Cleveland’s Flats district. The Corps of Engineers has also straightened river banksand widened turning basins in the Federal Navigation Channel on the lower Cuyahoga River to facilitate maritime operations”.