Lunchtime Party

Hints of sunshine and blossoms on the trees remind us it's time to part from our desk and eat lunch outside.

Make midday a celebration with weekly Walnut Wednesdays, starting tomorrow through Sept. 25 at the up-and-coming NineTwelve District at  East 12th Street and Walnut Avenue.

From 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. this week, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance brings food trucks, including Umami Moto, Fired Up Taco Truck, DonutLab and more to the district as local band Faction plays covers from a wide range of musical genres.

Samantha Severo, DCA marketing and public relations specialist, sees the events as a way to bring some added excitement to the city's central business district. "We want to show that neighborhood and that side of town that there is foot traffic," she explains.



And on May 16, don't miss the first of four once-monthly Pop-Up Parties taking place in Perk Plaza. Delight your ears from 5-8 p.m. with the sounds of Justo Saborit Latin Soul as you dine on food truck treats and sip local brews from Great Lakes Brewing Co. This year's after-work parties feature a new element: shopping. Treasures from Cleveland Handmade and other local artisans will be available during a sidewalk sale with a flea market feel.

The E-Line trolleys now have extended hours in the NineTwelve District, making it even easier for Clevelanders to get their weekday lunch fix.

Walnut Wednesdays and Pop-Up Parties give the downtown workforce something to look forward to this summer while bringing new energy to the neighborhood surrounding renovated Perk Plaza. "You can see people who pour out of these buildings," Severo says, "just showing how lively it is."

The Dredgers Union: Reviving Downtown's Shopping Scene

The Dredgers Union on East Fourth Street has the hip feel of Urban Outfitters, the sophistication of Banana Republic and the flair of Cleveland.

Various vignettes of apparel, accessories and home goods — what owner Danielle DeBoe calls “narrative merchandising” — greet visitors. “They’re supposed to tell a story,” she says.

It's a story about the past being the key to the present. DeBoe cites the Victorian era and the Industrial Revolution as inspirations for Dredgers’ ambiance. There’s a hint of the past within the scattered odd gifts of old-fashioned shoe polish and drawer knobs, but then I’m brought back to the future as I browse through skinny jeans with Vampire Weekend playing overhead. That fits. Dredgers is a breath of new life in downtown’s once-booming, now nearly nonexistent retail industry.

DeBoe, who owns The Dredgers Union with Sean Bilovecky, says business has been booming since the store’s soft opening June 17. “It’s just been bananas,” she says animatedly. “We didn’t have super high expectations before the soft opening. But we’ve had a tremendous surge of people coming in.”

Dredgers offers men’s, women’s and kids' apparel, as well as home items such as bedding and cooking utensils. Prices for men’s and women’s shirts range between $30 and $90, and jeans go for an average of $110. Like Urban Outfitters, Dredgers stocks an array of gift ideas, such as paper airplane pendant necklaces and globe paperweights. Some of the merchandise is surprising, from the cutesy hammers made especially for women to candles that smell like men’s cologne. The store stocks items from more than 110 vendors, including American-produced brands that are scarcely seen in the Cleveland area.

The brand that stands out is the store’s private label, designed by Bilovecky and women’s designer Dana Hardy right here in C-town. Though Dredgers' merchandise is a bit pricier, Clevelanders will feel good knowing they’re supporting their hometown. “It’s a very difficult thing for retailers to carry a ‘made in the USA’ label these days,” she says.

The women’s clothing at Dredgers is a bit more summery and bright than the men’s, but both have an urban-chic edge. “We did not want an overtly feminine store,” says DeBoe. “We wanted to create a space where both men and women would feel comfortable.”

The store’s next big thing is its grand opening on July 8, which coincides with DeBoe’s Made in the 216 event — a celebration of Cleveland-based designers. The event will be a circus-themed party with music, beer, cotton candy and about 50 Cleveland-based vendors.

DeBoe says she hopes Dredgers will encourage other retailers to set up shop downtown. “I want to keep the creative endeavors in Cleveland,” she says.

To read Colleen Smitek’s profile of Danielle DeBoe in our June issue, click here.

Hanna Theater: 10 Days and Counting

Fences block off the sidewalk on East 14th, spilling over onto the street; a sign that the renovation of the Hanna Theater isn't just about making the inside look like 15 million bucks (see our previous post). The Hanna marquee was painted this week a vibrant purple and yellow, adding new life to a drab street of parking lots and garages. New lights are to go up on the marquee in the coming days too.

Tom Einhouse, VP of the PlayhouseSquare, says this is just the first step in renovating East 14 Street. Future plans according to Einhouse include widening the sidewalks (more space for the Hanna Deli patio) and adding brickwork as an extension of the Euclid Corridor project. I envision another East Fourth Street close to home!

And those fences I mentioned are scheduled to come down in just 10 days, when the Great Lakes Theater Festival is to take over the space. An electrician on his lunch break outside assures me that it will be done on time.

Hello Dahling

Nice juxtaposition, eh? A few of us at the office got a glimpse of the disemboweled innards of the Hanna Theatre today, and while she may not look like a million bucks just yet, Tom Einhouse assures us that when the Great Lakes Theater Festival takes over the space in three short weeks, she'll be all cleaned up and looking like 15 million bucks — the cost of the renovations and upgrades. Einhouse, VP of the PlayhouseSquare real estate group, is clearly tickled about one upgrade in particular: He pointed out the future location of full-service bars that will overlook the stage, thus providing patrons with the option of watching, oh, say, King Lear, while kicking back with a brewski. It's going to usher in a brand new day for the theater. Look for Macbeth to open on the stage Sept. 24.
*Photo courtesy of Greg Terepka

New Place to Park

Come this November Public Square will have more people milling around town thanks to the Park Building. This historic nine-story landmark is currently being converted into luxury condos with great views of downtown. Refinished hardwood floors, granite kitchen countertops and dark oak molding and trim are standard with each unit. But if you’d like something specific, don’t be afraid to ask. One of the soon-to-be-new tenants purchased two condos and is combining them to include a library and walk-in closet. Also, a 10th floor is being added to allow for two-story penthouse suites that will have bedrooms overlooking the kitchen and living areas. Of course, you’re wondering how much a place like this will cost: One- and two-bedroom suites start at $100,000, while three-bedroom suites start at $300,000. With the rising cost of gas, its looks like a good deal, especially when you can go down the street to grab a bite at Lola or head out to West Sixth for a night out on the town — and of course, walk to work.