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According to Google Transit at the RTA home page, you can to Steelyard Commons from Tower City in 24 minutes this Saturday morning using RTA.
Yes I know but I believe someone asked if other cities did as well so that's why I mentioned that Portland did. It's relatively new to their downtown. Of course the yuppies all complained about it going in.
There is a Target in the Westlake Mall that's only about a twenty minute bus ride for me. Straight shot, no transfers.
That's a new bash that I've never heard before, whereas I've seen all of the other bashes about Tower City many times over the years.
The point is that for a downtown area with only 15,000 residents, Tower City does offer some retail outlets not found in the downtowns of other cities of comparable size. E.g., downtown Columbus retail has been eviscerated by Polaris and Easton Town Center.
As the downtown population of Cleveland and surrounding neighborhoods continue to increase, Tower City also offers a significant amount of upside potential.
That's a new bash that I've never heard before, whereas I've seen all of the other bashes about Tower City many times over the years.
The point is that for a downtown area with only 15,000 residents, Tower City does offer some retail outlets not found in the downtowns of other cities of comparable size. E.g., downtown Columbus retail has been eviscerated by Polaris and Easton Town Center.
As the downtown population of Cleveland and surrounding neighborhoods continue to increase, Tower City also offers a significant amount of upside potential.
There is literally something to complain about for everything for some people. How pampered we are. Some will never ever be happy with anything.
Can you imagine some of these complaints on these forums NOT being laughed at by our parents and grandparents? Unreal.
See, my point exactly; you're going by perspective. You've lived on the Coasts most of, if not, your whole life. You're suffering from a complete culture shock. The Midwest lifestyle is very different from the Coasts lifestyle. The Coasts is more about flash, excess, glamour and glitz, Midwest is more about hard work, grit and simplicity. Those cities on the revolve around industries that have massive office workers such as the tech industry, finance, etc. Cleveland revolves more around the biotech and healthcare industries. Plus, in those cities you see more shoppers with more disposable income to shop downtown as opposed to Cleveland. Plus, those cities on the Coasts benefit from most of the residents hyping it up as well as the national media. Most Cleveland residents talk negatively about the city, and being the national media's whipping boy for everything that's gone wrong with America for the last 50+ plus years. You say you didn't like hipsters. What was wrong with the hipsters in Seattle?
This is an apt description I can relate to. I lived half my life in the Midwest and half in the PNW. I visited LA and Seattle a lot when I lived in the latter.
There is this difference you point out. When I first moved to Portland in the 70's it was more like the Midwest but over the years both it and Seattle became more like California in their culture. More of a West Coast feel which in the past did not exist. In fact back in the day, if anyone referred to the PNW as the West Coast they would immediately be corrected. When I returned to the Midwest area, I had to get used to the vibes and sights all over again. There is definitely a difference and you can't really compare them because there is such a difference.
I've known people who moved to the PNW larger cities from the Midwest and just couldn't adapt. They moved back. I'm sure it's the same way here in reverse. I see signs here though that point to Cleveland's becoming more "urbane" due to people discovering it's really a good place to live if the differences can be overlooked.
I can't speak for the hipsters in Seattle but in Portland they consisted largely of Trustafarians who really changed the culture of the city. They don't dominate now so much since Portland, and I suspect Seattle as well, are leaning more towards accommodating the well-to-do crunchy, Yuppie types.
All cities are experiencing a turndown in their retail stores these days. I would be surprised if a large department store like Macy's ever returned to downtown Cleveland. It's time has come and gone. I went to Tower City for the first time after I stood and watched the wonderful figure skating show in Public Square with gold medal skaters. I thought Tower City was fine. I had a nice lunch and walked around a bit. I can see where more stores would be great but then what city isn't having the problem of filling empty mall stores? I'll skip Crocker Park, too big and spread out. One visit was enough for me. It reminds me of the shopping mall in Beverly Hills. Legacy Village and Beachwood Place are okay but again pretty large and sprawling. I haven't explored the Great Northern Mall yet but it's on my list of places to check out. I think they have some stores I want to go to.
Growing up with the great downtown Chicago shopping area, I never really did get used to the malls. I love the little Ma and Pa stores here. Especially the bakeries. The real authentic European bakeries. Just like in Chicago. The only one in Portland near me (or anywhere else in the city I think), a German bakery, closed about five years ago because after being there for thirty years they could no longer afford the rent. I'd rather have an older, a little bit worse for the wear looking city where the small business person is still thriving than a bunch of West Coast chain stores.
Cleveland gets good press in foodie circles, medicine, entertainment and sports. When people visit here they seem to be surprised there is so much to do. It does appear old because it is old. Much older than the Western cities. Slowly that appears to be changing and becoming more in tune with the larger cities both east and west. It can never have the new-ish patina of the newer western cities but the old buildings especially those that have been re-purposed and updated have a charm all their own. And the multiple metro parks are fantastic.
Location: Cleveland, OH USA / formerly Chicago for 20 years
4,069 posts, read 7,313,636 times
Reputation: 3062
Quote:
Originally Posted by october2007
Well..saw these on Yelp as well as others similar regarding TC:
1.0 star rating 1/26/2016
Tower City, I remember you from my childhood, what has happened to you?
Like most of us, tower city has aged, gained weight, and had some rough relationships that it would rather forget.
It has gone downhill immensely over the past few years, which is really a shame.
Wanna hot shopping destination? Get outta Cleveland
1.0 star rating 1/8/2017
Tower City needs to be put out of its misery. A dilapidated, hollow shell where police officers in full body armor carrying assault rifles outnumber actual customers. Chain retail shops understaffed by employees who would rather be anywhere else, and who could blame them?
Please tear this place down and give something, anything else a chance. The eyesore to end all eyesores. Whoever had a hand in managing this place should be embarrassed and be forced to change careers
2.0 star rating 1/30/2017
Tower City is one of those bucket list places I've been wanting to check out for years and just finally got around to visiting for the first time... where to begin...
It is unique and beautiful as evidenced in the attached photos, but still seems to appear sort of run down at the same time. My first impression was that this probably USED TO BE a really nice space. Some of the stores are ok, some are really bad - almost flea market like. The mall kind of has this dirty smell to it, not as bad as the parking garage, but still smells strange.
The one thing that really stuck with me was the feeling of not being safe. I felt this way nearly the entire time I was there. LOTS of unsavory looking characters that may have wandered in from the square and seem to be up to no good. I wouldn't return just for this reason alone.
It would also be nice if they actually told you where to park on their website... seems like an obvious major oversight. Sadly, many of the items I have mentioned were mentioned in other peoples reviews seven years ago.
Not a fan.
As someone who remembers when Tower City first opened (early 1990s), I can tell you that although the place is not at all truly wretched today, it's a far cry from what it originally was.
The early Tower City boasted quite a few upscale retailers like Fendi, Gucci, etc. Apparently that was a downtown Cleveland experiment that really didn't work out so well.
And nowadays, whenever I'm downtown, I see lots of ghetto-looking people milling around in front of Tower City's Public Square entrance. It doesn't really faze me and I just walk past them, but I can see how some might be put off/intimidated by their presence.
Even sadder is The Galleria, several blocks north and east. When it first opened in 1987, it was billed as Cleveland's answer to Chicago's Water Tower Place. How shocked I was, returning to Cleveland in 2015, to find that the place had nearly emptied out.
How I miss Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Not to mention the very upscale Oak Street boutique area around the corner from it. Now that's downtown shopping as it ought to be. But I suppose that would never work in Cleveland, even on a smaller scale. <sigh>
Location: Cleveland, OH USA / formerly Chicago for 20 years
4,069 posts, read 7,313,636 times
Reputation: 3062
Quote:
Originally Posted by bjimmy24
There is literally something to complain about for everything for some people. How pampered we are. Some will never ever be happy with anything.
Can you imagine some of these complaints on these forums NOT being laughed at by our parents and grandparents? Unreal.
So? Our parents and grandparents lived in different eras, where different expectations applied.
Heck, when my dad was a boy, my grandparents had no refrigerator yet -- only an icebox for which you had to constantly purchase ice. And no washing machine -- not even the old wringer variety yet... my grandmother washed all clothes by hand, using an old-fashioned scrub board.
That's a new bash that I've never heard before, whereas I've seen all of the other bashes about Tower City many times over the years.
The point is that for a downtown area with only 15,000 residents, Tower City does offer some retail outlets not found in the downtowns of other cities of comparable size. E.g., downtown Columbus retail has been eviscerated by Polaris and Easton Town Center.
As the downtown population of Cleveland and surrounding neighborhoods continue to increase, Tower City also offers a significant amount of upside potential.
I'm afraid I can't take credit for the observation of the strange smell (it was the Yelper) but I did know what they meant. I was in there today though and didn't notice it so either it's gone or I'm used to it.
This is an apt description I can relate to. I lived half my life in the Midwest and half in the PNW. I visited LA and Seattle a lot when I lived in the latter.
There is this difference you point out. When I first moved to Portland in the 70's it was more like the Midwest but over the years both it and Seattle became more like California in their culture. More of a West Coast feel which in the past did not exist. In fact back in the day, if anyone referred to the PNW as the West Coast they would immediately be corrected. When I returned to the Midwest area, I had to get used to the vibes and sights all over again. There is definitely a difference and you can't really compare them because there is such a difference.
I've known people who moved to the PNW larger cities from the Midwest and just couldn't adapt. They moved back. I'm sure it's the same way here in reverse. I see signs here though that point to Cleveland's becoming more "urbane" due to people discovering it's really a good place to live if the differences can be overlooked.
I can't speak for the hipsters in Seattle but in Portland they consisted largely of Trustafarians who really changed the culture of the city. They don't dominate now so much since Portland, and I suspect Seattle as well, are leaning more towards accommodating the well-to-do crunchy, Yuppie types.
All cities are experiencing a turndown in their retail stores these days. I would be surprised if a large department store like Macy's ever returned to downtown Cleveland. It's time has come and gone. I went to Tower City for the first time after I stood and watched the wonderful figure skating show in Public Square with gold medal skaters. I thought Tower City was fine. I had a nice lunch and walked around a bit. I can see where more stores would be great but then what city isn't having the problem of filling empty mall stores? I'll skip Crocker Park, too big and spread out. One visit was enough for me. It reminds me of the shopping mall in Beverly Hills. Legacy Village and Beachwood Place are okay but again pretty large and sprawling. I haven't explored the Great Northern Mall yet but it's on my list of places to check out. I think they have some stores I want to go to.
Growing up with the great downtown Chicago shopping area, I never really did get used to the malls. I love the little Ma and Pa stores here. Especially the bakeries. The real authentic European bakeries. Just like in Chicago. The only one in Portland near me (or anywhere else in the city I think), a German bakery, closed about five years ago because after being there for thirty years they could no longer afford the rent. I'd rather have an older, a little bit worse for the wear looking city where the small business person is still thriving than a bunch of West Coast chain stores.
Cleveland gets good press in foodie circles, medicine, entertainment and sports. When people visit here they seem to be surprised there is so much to do. It does appear old because it is old. Much older than the Western cities. Slowly that appears to be changing and becoming more in tune with the larger cities both east and west. It can never have the new-ish patina of the newer western cities but the old buildings especially those that have been re-purposed and updated have a charm all their own. And the multiple metro parks are fantastic.
I enjoyed reading your post and you make some great points. I think the Tower City building is gorgeous inside and outside and the Starbucks is situated nicely. I like it when they play old music from the 30s40s inside the mall.
I can remember going to visit family in Massachusetts and feeling sort of the same way...missing the PNW style which is sort of Californian, Asian, light, upbeat, upscale. I'm sure I annoyed my family!
As someone who remembers when Tower City first opened (early 1990s), I can tell you that although the place is not at all truly wretched today, it's a far cry from what it originally was.
The early Tower City boasted quite a few upscale retailers like Fendi, Gucci, etc. Apparently that was a downtown Cleveland experiment that really didn't work out so well.
And nowadays, whenever I'm downtown, I see lots of ghetto-looking people milling around in front of Tower City's Public Square entrance. It doesn't really faze me and I just walk past them, but I can see how some might be put off/intimidated by their presence.
Even sadder is The Galleria, several blocks north and east. When it first opened in 1987, it was billed as Cleveland's answer to Chicago's Water Tower Place. How shocked I was, returning to Cleveland in 2015, to find that the place had nearly emptied out.
How I miss Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Not to mention the very upscale Oak Street boutique area around the corner from it. Now that's downtown shopping as it ought to be. But I suppose that would never work in Cleveland, even on a smaller scale. <sigh>
This is an apt description I can relate to. I lived half my life in the Midwest and half in the PNW. I visited LA and Seattle a lot when I lived in the latter.
There is this difference you point out. When I first moved to Portland in the 70's it was more like the Midwest but over the years both it and Seattle became more like California in their culture. More of a West Coast feel which in the past did not exist. In fact back in the day, if anyone referred to the PNW as the West Coast they would immediately be corrected. When I returned to the Midwest area, I had to get used to the vibes and sights all over again. There is definitely a difference and you can't really compare them because there is such a difference.
I've known people who moved to the PNW larger cities from the Midwest and just couldn't adapt. They moved back. I'm sure it's the same way here in reverse. I see signs here though that point to Cleveland's becoming more "urbane" due to people discovering it's really a good place to live if the differences can be overlooked.
I can't speak for the hipsters in Seattle but in Portland they consisted largely of Trustafarians who really changed the culture of the city. They don't dominate now so much since Portland, and I suspect Seattle as well, are leaning more towards accommodating the well-to-do crunchy, Yuppie types.
All cities are experiencing a turndown in their retail stores these days. I would be surprised if a large department store like Macy's ever returned to downtown Cleveland. It's time has come and gone. I went to Tower City for the first time after I stood and watched the wonderful figure skating show in Public Square with gold medal skaters. I thought Tower City was fine. I had a nice lunch and walked around a bit. I can see where more stores would be great but then what city isn't having the problem of filling empty mall stores? I'll skip Crocker Park, too big and spread out. One visit was enough for me. It reminds me of the shopping mall in Beverly Hills. Legacy Village and Beachwood Place are okay but again pretty large and sprawling. I haven't explored the Great Northern Mall yet but it's on my list of places to check out. I think they have some stores I want to go to.
Growing up with the great downtown Chicago shopping area, I never really did get used to the malls. I love the little Ma and Pa stores here. Especially the bakeries. The real authentic European bakeries. Just like in Chicago. The only one in Portland near me (or anywhere else in the city I think), a German bakery, closed about five years ago because after being there for thirty years they could no longer afford the rent. I'd rather have an older, a little bit worse for the wear looking city where the small business person is still thriving than a bunch of West Coast chain stores.
Cleveland gets good press in foodie circles, medicine, entertainment and sports. When people visit here they seem to be surprised there is so much to do. It does appear old because it is old. Much older than the Western cities. Slowly that appears to be changing and becoming more in tune with the larger cities both east and west. It can never have the new-ish patina of the newer western cities but the old buildings especially those that have been re-purposed and updated have a charm all their own. And the multiple metro parks are fantastic.
For being a mall, Tower City is still one of the best urban mall in terms of how it is set-up and integrated into an old train station with the atrium view of the Tower and the riverfront, it's a pretty unique place/setting. It needs a better tenant-mix though; perhaps Gilbert will finally do some upscaling of the place. Downtown's growing residential population should help and a growing employment base downtown as well would really turn things around.
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