Cleveland, Lake, Lorain, Medina, and Geauga metroparks news (Euclid, Bedford: neighborhood, beach)

[216facts]

^^ Bedford and Hinckley are 2 of the best parks, large forested areas, rock ledges. Definitely check out Wordens ledges in Hinckley, Bridal Veil falls in Bedford, Great Falls of Tinkers Creek near downtown Bedford.

[SlideRules99]

Originally Posted by cavsfan137

I do think that is something which sadly Cleveland hasn't pursued in the sense of a "central park" type city thing (the metropolitan/regional parks Cleveland holds down as well or better than anyone, and even the ones within the city that have been restored are amazing)-that point was hit home when I was in Savannah recently. Forsyth Park really is an incredible space, and even certain sunbelt cities (Hermann Park-Houston, and Piedmont Park-Atlanta), really have a kind of signature park space, that I feel like could be the combined Rockefeller Park and Wade Park, with some good planning and investment-the bones of what is already there is great, but I just feel like that could be something more, in the sense of taking some cues from traditional, Olmsted style landscaping, perhaps altering the land use of the block north of the Maltz PAC and south of Rockefeller Lagoon into park, generally adding more trees and paths in the area, and perhaps Pedestrianizing, burying or re-routing the stretch of MLK between Chester and Wade Park Ave, and perhaps then making part or all of Chester starting there and over into a bikeway with street trees lining it to create a really good park link connection between UC and Downtown-one can dream, lol.

I don’t claim to have any urban planning chops, so take this as an amateur opinion.

Considering Cleveland was modeled after a New England style village layout, it seems unfortunate that Public Square was situated in a spot that was pre-destined to be over-run by commercial and development interests (given its proximity to the river and the lake). Not surprisingly, steel and concrete now envelope that spot, relegating the space to that of an “urban plaza” instead of a “central park” type setting. Not to mention it’s too small, at 10 acres.

Contrast that to your example, Forsyth Park, 30-acres set comfortably back from Savannah’s downtown (yet walkable at about a mile…), with historic homes, tree lined streets, and sidewalk cafes surrounding the idyllic park. (Obviously not a New England design…just referencing your example).

Other parks (like Boston Common) use sheer acreage to maintain a buffer from the steel and concrete of downtown, and retain historic charm and a “park like” feel.

The green spaces in and around University Circle are awesome, but don’t serve the “central park” type function as you note. It would seem difficult to retro-fit that, although IMO your ideas are good ones. Another downside is they are situated too far away from the city center.

Maybe if Cleveland’s original New England style village green were put further east, like where CSU is now, this might have evolved differently.

On the plus side, the Metroparks here are among the best in the nation, so I’ll take that trade-off.

Feel free to shoot holes in my observations.

[bjimmy24]

Being a New England design still doesn't explain why they decided to put traffic through Public Square. This is not the case at Boston Common or the Public Garden in downtown Boston. Same with Bushnell Park in Hartford. Cities like Providence and New Haven benefitted from having Brown and Yale respectively set up in their centers.

[216facts]

I think we need to turn Burke Lakefront airport into a park, at least ~80% of it, the rest could be developed. That would go a long way towards creating a Chicago - style lakefront park system that connects Edgewater to the d i k e 14 Nature Preserve.

[WRnative]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=qO0T87RKjcE



<<Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) yesterday, Tuesday, March 22 kicked-off a long-term project to expand the zoo’s popular 140,000-square-foot RainForest attraction to create what will be the Primate Forest—a larger indoor destination that will transform and expand the zoo and create a new home for the gorillas and orangutans, as well as other animals....


While the project is in its beginning stages, both with budget and project details, Kuhar says the goal is to have the project completed by 2032—the zoo’s 150th birthday. The budget and time frame are still being worked out. He says they hope to break ground by the end of 2023....


The initial expansion will be centered around the two-story CrossCountry Mortgage Forest Gallery, a new entranceway to the Primate Forest that will immerse guests in the wonders of the natural world through interactive technology, multi-story play structures and more.>>


https://www.freshwatercleveland.com/...est032322.aspx


https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/...untry-mortgage



This is badly needed. I've always felt sorry for the limited spaces available for the orangutans, even in the RainForest, and especially the zoo's gorillas.


<< Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has one of the largest collections of primates in North America.>>


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Metroparks_Zoo


According to the above Wikipedia article, the current RainForest building has over 87,000 square feet (8,100 square meters). The 144,000 square foot Primate Forest will expand the complex by 165 percent.

[bjimmy24]

Great news for Garfield!

CLEVELAND METROPARKS BEGINS RESTORATION PROJECT AT GARFIELD PARK RESERVATION
https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/...ion-project-at

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

Great news for Garfield!

CLEVELAND METROPARKS BEGINS RESTORATION PROJECT AT GARFIELD PARK RESERVATION
https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/...ion-project-at

Thanks for the link. Sorry, can't give you more cred.


Has anybody ever explored this reservation. I never have hear of Mill Creek Falls, and didn't know it was the tallest waterfall in Cuyahoga County!


https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/...falls-overlook


This is a centrally located reservation, e.g., within 20 minutes of downtown Cleveland, Parma and Shaker Heights. It should be a great destination for a hike during fall colors!

[bluecarebear]

Originally Posted by cavsfan137

Enjoying all the updates on the parks. Was just in Nashville this weekend for the stadium series, and on Sunday I went to Percy Warner Park (perhaps called joined Warner Parks) and was thinking throughout my 2 mile or so walk there... man, I miss this. This is what a functional, solid, well-maintained, terrain and feature filled regional park (of 3,000 plus acres, etc.) should look like. The visitor numbers list was funny to me haha-I do not doubt its overall somewhat accurate but I liked how they had 2 listed at 1 million and 1 at like 999K on the dot.

Good to hear about some of the upcoming projects and when I'm up there for longer, I want to check out some of what I've missed.

Shamefully, I still don't think I've ever been to Bedford Reservation-that is a gaping hole in my Cleveland Parks awareness, as is not yet having been to Hinckley Reservation.

I agree with you about the city parks component, and I do think that is something which sadly Cleveland hasn't pursued in the sense of a "central park" type city thing (the metropolitan/regional parks Cleveland holds down as well or better than anyone, and even the ones within the city

The metro parks may be the best in the country. We have never encountered a larger system or one so well maintained.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Thanks for the link. Sorry, can't give you more cred.


Has anybody ever explored this reservation. I never have hear of Mill Creek Falls, and didn't know it was the tallest waterfall in Cuyahoga County!


https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/...falls-overlook


This is a centrally located reservation, e.g., within 20 minutes of downtown Cleveland, Parma and Shaker Heights. It should be a great destination for a hike during fall colors!

I was at Cataract Falls/Mill Creek Falls yesterday. It's definitely pretty cool that it's there, was a big source of the growth of Newburgh way back in the day before Cleveland was the dominant city. However, I was pretty underwhelmed by the spot. There isn't much of a viewing area, or paths, you can't get down to the ground level. Just seems really like a wasted potential. A waterfall in the middle of the city, and it's like it isn't even there.

[216facts]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

I was at Cataract Falls/Mill Creek Falls yesterday. It's definitely pretty cool that it's there, was a big source of the growth of Newburgh way back in the day before Cleveland was the dominant city. However, I was pretty underwhelmed by the spot. There isn't much of a viewing area, or paths, you can't get down to the ground level. Just seems really like a wasted potential. A waterfall in the middle of the city, and it's like it isn't even there.

You can hook up with a paved walking trail that takes you into the Garfield reservation, but I agree it is kind of isolated. It is nice they preserved it though. BTW, there is another park that will hopefully one day hook up with Mill Creek Falls, it is coming up from Bacci park in Cuyahoga Heights. That is a really nice paved trail along Mill Creek.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.4257...4818,15z?hl=en