Yesterday, the king of all Cleveland Cuisine, Michael Symon, announced that the former La Strada space, on E. 4th, will be replaced with Mabel's barbecue. It sounds like my dream of a restaurant and I can't wait to try it.
(http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2014/07/24/michael-symon-to-unveil-new-restaurant-concept-for-clevelands-e-fourth-street)
But, with Butcher and Brewer opening soon (they've said that for awhile, but they defintely are making progress in the space), it feels like E. 4th is entering an identity crisis phase. With Flannery's, the restaurant at the bowling alley (I think it's called the E. 4th bar and grill, and it's basically that unique a place too), and the House of Blues well-established, E. 4th isn't exactly the higher, more cultured dining experience it was supposed to be, or at least always seemed.
Lola and Chinato aren't going anywhere, and Society is a gem. But it's supposed to be the bastion of Cleveland's elevated plates, not W.25th downtown.
I'm not complaining really. In fact, I think Mabel's will soon become one of my favorite restaurants in the city. It might even be a good thing- E. 4th has always struggled with its image given its proximity to Progressive Field and the Q. Indeed, La Strada, even though it had a much more "fine dining" feel, was pretty terrible at almost everything (save for dessert and cocktails), and tragically overpriced for the quality. I'm glad to see it replaced with somewhere I want to eat.
But it does make me wonder if instead of a gentle eclecticism tending toward up-scale, E.4th will soon be just a microcosm of every other restaurant district in Cleveland- some very nice places (like Crop and Soho on W. 25th) but mostly beer halls with a lot of meat (even if it's great meat). W. 25th itself just lost the Light Bistro- one of the most upscale places on the west side. I just hope, if E. 4th becomes more and more like W. 25th, there's still space for something a little different, a little more refined. Thankfully, Lola should be fine, and Greenhouse is just bar-crawl friendly enough that it shouldn't be in trouble any time soon.
But that's the trouble with urban planning. At the end of it all, we'll organically decide what stays and leaves. It's probably for the best in the end. Cleveland will choose what Cleveland wants to be, and, personally, I'll probably spend more time at places the specialize in beer and meat, just like everyone else anyway.
It doesn't meant we can't pause a little and think about what we could be losing though. Given how much Cleveland has last over the last 100 years (see yesterday's post), it's the least we can do.
-Zack
Friday, July 25, 2014
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Paved Paradise
Lost Cleveland
The above link is a slideshow from cleveland.com. It's been making its rounds through Cleveland social media over the last 24 hours. If you're looking for something striking, beautiful, and thought-provoking, take a look through it.
I didn't live in Cleveland when basically any of the places presented were operational. I wasn't even alive for the majority of them. But Cleveland is my home, and looking at what was: Euclid Beach, Bond's, Luna Park, Central Market, still invokes a longing and sentimental mood in me.
I know where all of these places were. I walk by many of them at least weekly. Most of them are parking lots now.
People always complain about big cities lacking parking. That's never going to be a real problem in Cleveland, at least anytime soon. We have more parking spaces per capita than any city of our population probably. I feel like I might have read that statistic somewhere, but even if I made it up, it's got to be close.
And why do we have so many spaces? So people can drive downtown. Enough people work down here that most lots are moderately full during the day. If you don't mind a bus or trolley ride though, it's never challenging to find a spot- it's just a question of how much you're willing to walk or pay.
That's something that makes living outside of Cleveland a little too simple. In my opinion, far too many people can drive downtown far too easily. It lets people stay in the suburbs and cherry pick their downtown experience. When you absolutely can drive right up to your destination, that destitnation is all you'll experience. I drive to work now, so I'm part of the problem, I know. But it's a triangular problem and something has got to give.
1. We need less parking. It would get people walking downtown instead, which would bolster business across the area.
2. We need more non-personal car transportation. The RTA is solid, but if you're going off the healthline or rapid corridors, it's dicey, at best. It also has a bad reputation among many suburbanites, but so does the city itself. They're both wrong and the very reason they're at all right about both downtown and public transportation. Everyone in New York takes the subway. Sure, it's got issues (more than RTA, trust me), but everyone still does it because they don't have a choice.
3. We need the parking lots/garages that exist right now to be replaced by destinations, housing, and places to work. Shopping, restaurants, theaters, you name it. Things that will draw people downtown and simultaneously replace the parking lots. That's a win win to me.
We're currently experiencing a rapid increase in downtown living. Hopefully inevitably, this means businesses will continue to move downtown too. Right now, we have a ton of space occupied by nothing more than asphalt for 16 hours a day. That's a waste of our best space. A huge waste.
By having so much parking, we're just catering to people who want to take their money out of town at the end of the day. But something has to give. If we bolster the RTA but keep the parking, will it prove untenable? If businesses move downtown at the expense of parking, does that mean no one can come to give them business?
It's a tough question, but I'd rather take a bet on Cleveland. Give them something they can't get in the suburbs, and they'll come to get it. That's what Chicago and New York do. We're neither, sure, but that's a good thing. We're Cleveland. Let's be more than a parking lot. Even if people still live in the suburbs, by being forced to park elsewhere and take a train downtown, etc., they'll also be forced to walk past businesses, be forced to walk through tower city, be forced to stay downtown before the Indians game and meet their spouse, instead of running home first. All of those are revenue generating. Having so many places to park might make people come to Cleveland that wouldn't, but right now, there are so many it encourages people to spend the minimal amount of time and money here. That's the opposite of what we want.
In 50 years, I'd prefer if Cleveland.com didn't post a slideshow of all the places I love to go now, reminiscing about how great they were or how beautiful the buildings had been.
-Zack
The above link is a slideshow from cleveland.com. It's been making its rounds through Cleveland social media over the last 24 hours. If you're looking for something striking, beautiful, and thought-provoking, take a look through it.
I didn't live in Cleveland when basically any of the places presented were operational. I wasn't even alive for the majority of them. But Cleveland is my home, and looking at what was: Euclid Beach, Bond's, Luna Park, Central Market, still invokes a longing and sentimental mood in me.
I know where all of these places were. I walk by many of them at least weekly. Most of them are parking lots now.
People always complain about big cities lacking parking. That's never going to be a real problem in Cleveland, at least anytime soon. We have more parking spaces per capita than any city of our population probably. I feel like I might have read that statistic somewhere, but even if I made it up, it's got to be close.
And why do we have so many spaces? So people can drive downtown. Enough people work down here that most lots are moderately full during the day. If you don't mind a bus or trolley ride though, it's never challenging to find a spot- it's just a question of how much you're willing to walk or pay.
That's something that makes living outside of Cleveland a little too simple. In my opinion, far too many people can drive downtown far too easily. It lets people stay in the suburbs and cherry pick their downtown experience. When you absolutely can drive right up to your destination, that destitnation is all you'll experience. I drive to work now, so I'm part of the problem, I know. But it's a triangular problem and something has got to give.
1. We need less parking. It would get people walking downtown instead, which would bolster business across the area.
2. We need more non-personal car transportation. The RTA is solid, but if you're going off the healthline or rapid corridors, it's dicey, at best. It also has a bad reputation among many suburbanites, but so does the city itself. They're both wrong and the very reason they're at all right about both downtown and public transportation. Everyone in New York takes the subway. Sure, it's got issues (more than RTA, trust me), but everyone still does it because they don't have a choice.
3. We need the parking lots/garages that exist right now to be replaced by destinations, housing, and places to work. Shopping, restaurants, theaters, you name it. Things that will draw people downtown and simultaneously replace the parking lots. That's a win win to me.
We're currently experiencing a rapid increase in downtown living. Hopefully inevitably, this means businesses will continue to move downtown too. Right now, we have a ton of space occupied by nothing more than asphalt for 16 hours a day. That's a waste of our best space. A huge waste.
By having so much parking, we're just catering to people who want to take their money out of town at the end of the day. But something has to give. If we bolster the RTA but keep the parking, will it prove untenable? If businesses move downtown at the expense of parking, does that mean no one can come to give them business?
It's a tough question, but I'd rather take a bet on Cleveland. Give them something they can't get in the suburbs, and they'll come to get it. That's what Chicago and New York do. We're neither, sure, but that's a good thing. We're Cleveland. Let's be more than a parking lot. Even if people still live in the suburbs, by being forced to park elsewhere and take a train downtown, etc., they'll also be forced to walk past businesses, be forced to walk through tower city, be forced to stay downtown before the Indians game and meet their spouse, instead of running home first. All of those are revenue generating. Having so many places to park might make people come to Cleveland that wouldn't, but right now, there are so many it encourages people to spend the minimal amount of time and money here. That's the opposite of what we want.
In 50 years, I'd prefer if Cleveland.com didn't post a slideshow of all the places I love to go now, reminiscing about how great they were or how beautiful the buildings had been.
-Zack
Monday, July 21, 2014
The Taste of Tremont: wherein we determine exactly what percentage of the Greater Cleveland Area's population fits onto a narrow city street
For, I can't believe it but its true, the 4th consecutive year, we made itout to the Taste of Tremont yesterday.
As always, it was among the most can't-miss of can't-miss Cleveland events. It's probably the closest thing to a single snapshot of where old Cleveland and new Cleveland come together. That's probably because its in Tremont, which is exactly that too.
A few thoughts:
1. How many Cleveland-themed t-shirt companies can our city support? I know they all have some excellent stuff, but there's got to be a limit right? Does New York have more than the I "heart" NY shirt and its variations even? About a year ago, there were maybe 2, 3 if you counted the burgeoning fresh-brewed tees. Now, there were at least 5 big enough to have stands at the ToT, and there are more out there. I love Cleveland t-shirts as much as the next guy, but if you factor in officially licensed sports clothing too, we might be heading toward a Cleveland-wear bubble. Or not. I'm being dramatic. But the market for clothing about our city has exploded in less than 12 months (at least visibly).
2. If you're not going to enforce the beer-carrying rules, at least make beer easier to obtain. I'm no enemy to letting people carry their containers throughout the festival, but there's no good reason to not, in light of that, allow the bars to sell "to-go" cups, the stands to sell cocktails, etc.
3. The more things change... Our first year at the ToT, we went right around lunch and it was about as crowded as it was yesterday, when we went right near the end. The event has grown exponentially. It probably extends 2 or 3 more blocks than it used to.
4. The more they stay the same... The lines are still long, some of the food is needlessly overpriced, it's hard to move more than single-file, and scoops, even though their store is *right there* still doesn't know how to make enough bananas ahead of time. But it's all 100% worth it.
There's nothing quite like the civic spirit that embodies these sorts of events. It feels like all of Cleveland has come out, just to celebrate Cleveland. It's, of course, Tremont focused, but Tremont might be the most important part of Cleveland. It used to be where the steel-mill workers lived. It's an old neighborhood that could have died. But it's the spot where the resurgence started to build. If there weren't a Tremont that became cool, would there be an Ohio City that is cool, or a Lakewood that can apparently support an infinite number of restaurants on a rotating basis? Tremont is where the Westside revolution started. One each year, it's like we all come back to it to remember that.
I already can't wait for next year.
-Zack
As always, it was among the most can't-miss of can't-miss Cleveland events. It's probably the closest thing to a single snapshot of where old Cleveland and new Cleveland come together. That's probably because its in Tremont, which is exactly that too.
A few thoughts:
1. How many Cleveland-themed t-shirt companies can our city support? I know they all have some excellent stuff, but there's got to be a limit right? Does New York have more than the I "heart" NY shirt and its variations even? About a year ago, there were maybe 2, 3 if you counted the burgeoning fresh-brewed tees. Now, there were at least 5 big enough to have stands at the ToT, and there are more out there. I love Cleveland t-shirts as much as the next guy, but if you factor in officially licensed sports clothing too, we might be heading toward a Cleveland-wear bubble. Or not. I'm being dramatic. But the market for clothing about our city has exploded in less than 12 months (at least visibly).
2. If you're not going to enforce the beer-carrying rules, at least make beer easier to obtain. I'm no enemy to letting people carry their containers throughout the festival, but there's no good reason to not, in light of that, allow the bars to sell "to-go" cups, the stands to sell cocktails, etc.
3. The more things change... Our first year at the ToT, we went right around lunch and it was about as crowded as it was yesterday, when we went right near the end. The event has grown exponentially. It probably extends 2 or 3 more blocks than it used to.
4. The more they stay the same... The lines are still long, some of the food is needlessly overpriced, it's hard to move more than single-file, and scoops, even though their store is *right there* still doesn't know how to make enough bananas ahead of time. But it's all 100% worth it.
There's nothing quite like the civic spirit that embodies these sorts of events. It feels like all of Cleveland has come out, just to celebrate Cleveland. It's, of course, Tremont focused, but Tremont might be the most important part of Cleveland. It used to be where the steel-mill workers lived. It's an old neighborhood that could have died. But it's the spot where the resurgence started to build. If there weren't a Tremont that became cool, would there be an Ohio City that is cool, or a Lakewood that can apparently support an infinite number of restaurants on a rotating basis? Tremont is where the Westside revolution started. One each year, it's like we all come back to it to remember that.
I already can't wait for next year.
-Zack
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
The Splash
As we all come back to Earth, it's still hard to believe that, in less than a week, we, as a city, earned the Republican Convention in 2016 and the rights to hundreds of millions of dollars in our economy, just because another person from North East Ohio decided he couldn't bear to be away any longer.
About two years ago, I wrote about how I couldn't blame LeBron for leaving if I wasn't going to blame everyone else who left Cleveland to find success- for 50 years, it's been the thing to do. It hasn't just been about getting out to that nice home in the suburbs: it's been about getting out of the city, the county, the region, even, often, the state. It's not white-flight or gentrification when it's a mass exodus (though let's be real, there are plenty of both in Cleveland).
But LeBron is coming back to the place that, in his own words, made him who he is. I don't know if other people give this part of the world that sort of credit most of the time. There's a running line about millienials/hipsters/lazy post grads, that they pick rust belt cities because a modicum of success makes you a king and high roller in places like Detroit and Cleveland. But I haven't seen that. There are plenty of those types around here, but they're almost always from here. They're just determined to not make the same leaving-home mistakes the past generation made. For those of us/them that aren't from these places (and I'm kind of one- Cleveland, as much as its my home, is not where I'm "from") the line is typically about investing in places that need it most- you know, making decisions for the benefit of something much bigger than themselves or their immediate family. That, and there are plenty of people my age who have made the trek to New York. Some are doing fine, some aren't. I'm in Cleveland almost by accident if you look at it in some ways (or else divine intervention). What brought me here, and what brings/keeps everyone here is and will be secondary to what we're actually doing here.
It's been something of a constant euphoria around most Cleveland haunts since last Friday. Even if you don't care about sports, it's hard to deny how big of a deal "The Return" is. But LeBron said it himself- "there's not going to be a party: it's time to get to work." At least in his essay, as contrived or not as it is or isn't, he made it clear that getting here is only the beginning. We need people to visit Cleveland, to realize that it isn't what they think. But we need a lot more than good thoughts out there. We still need investment. We need as much good will as we can get, but we need jobs and infrastructure more.
The scads of millenials making Cleveland home right now, for all their good will in coming here, are much more useful for their life-long investment here, if they make it. Maybe it is easier to get established and thrive in Cleveland. LeBron himself acknowledges that getting one championship here will be like surpassing Jordan's 6 elsewhere. But Cleveland isn't starting from the same place. 50 years of bad karma or whatever you'd like to call it, doesn't die easily.
But I'm starting to come around to the belief that a Cavs (or otherwise, but let's be realistic) championship might do more than just give us all some warm feelings for awhile. Maybe, just maybe, it would be the point at which we all know Cleveland's a legitimate place again, in more than just our own minds. Maybe it would be the impetus for creativity and investment that really does change something here.
We're all just trying to do our part, for good or for ill, what more can we do?
I don't know. But there's the hope there, that the light is coming. And no matter how far along we get, no matter how much money pours into Cleveland, hope will always be our greatest asset.
-Zack
About two years ago, I wrote about how I couldn't blame LeBron for leaving if I wasn't going to blame everyone else who left Cleveland to find success- for 50 years, it's been the thing to do. It hasn't just been about getting out to that nice home in the suburbs: it's been about getting out of the city, the county, the region, even, often, the state. It's not white-flight or gentrification when it's a mass exodus (though let's be real, there are plenty of both in Cleveland).
But LeBron is coming back to the place that, in his own words, made him who he is. I don't know if other people give this part of the world that sort of credit most of the time. There's a running line about millienials/hipsters/lazy post grads, that they pick rust belt cities because a modicum of success makes you a king and high roller in places like Detroit and Cleveland. But I haven't seen that. There are plenty of those types around here, but they're almost always from here. They're just determined to not make the same leaving-home mistakes the past generation made. For those of us/them that aren't from these places (and I'm kind of one- Cleveland, as much as its my home, is not where I'm "from") the line is typically about investing in places that need it most- you know, making decisions for the benefit of something much bigger than themselves or their immediate family. That, and there are plenty of people my age who have made the trek to New York. Some are doing fine, some aren't. I'm in Cleveland almost by accident if you look at it in some ways (or else divine intervention). What brought me here, and what brings/keeps everyone here is and will be secondary to what we're actually doing here.
It's been something of a constant euphoria around most Cleveland haunts since last Friday. Even if you don't care about sports, it's hard to deny how big of a deal "The Return" is. But LeBron said it himself- "there's not going to be a party: it's time to get to work." At least in his essay, as contrived or not as it is or isn't, he made it clear that getting here is only the beginning. We need people to visit Cleveland, to realize that it isn't what they think. But we need a lot more than good thoughts out there. We still need investment. We need as much good will as we can get, but we need jobs and infrastructure more.
The scads of millenials making Cleveland home right now, for all their good will in coming here, are much more useful for their life-long investment here, if they make it. Maybe it is easier to get established and thrive in Cleveland. LeBron himself acknowledges that getting one championship here will be like surpassing Jordan's 6 elsewhere. But Cleveland isn't starting from the same place. 50 years of bad karma or whatever you'd like to call it, doesn't die easily.
But I'm starting to come around to the belief that a Cavs (or otherwise, but let's be realistic) championship might do more than just give us all some warm feelings for awhile. Maybe, just maybe, it would be the point at which we all know Cleveland's a legitimate place again, in more than just our own minds. Maybe it would be the impetus for creativity and investment that really does change something here.
We're all just trying to do our part, for good or for ill, what more can we do?
I don't know. But there's the hope there, that the light is coming. And no matter how far along we get, no matter how much money pours into Cleveland, hope will always be our greatest asset.
-Zack
Friday, July 11, 2014
Levitate #Lebron
"In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given, everything is earned. You work for what you have"
-LeBron James
23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
-Luke 15:23-24
And with that, weeks of speculation end. LeBron's coming home. All is somehow right in the world again.
That's not actually true. But it's impossible to be down in Cleveland right now. It's not just that the best basketball player in the world is coming to our team. It's that one who was lost is found. It's that one who had turned away has returned for redemption.
It's the stuff of legend. It's better than any movie.
It's proof that you can come home again, and people can actually want to be in Cleveland.
Maybe we'll win a championship. Maybe we won't. I will care more about that later. What I care about right now? Throwing off 4 years of bitterness. It feels like everything is as it should be again. That's the best feeling in the world. Welcome home LeBron. Maybe more importantly, welcome back Cleveland.
-Zack
Waiting for the Sky to Fall #Lebron
Today is one of those days that remind you why you live in Cleveland after the type of winter we just had. It's right around 70, not a cloud in the sky, just a slight breeze to keep it fresh.
But it's also one of those days that remind you why you live in Cleveland: because we're still waiting on LeBron to make a decision. It's the second time in 4 years we've gone through this. LeBron, himself, aside, we've been waiting for a championship for 50 years. That's what we're really waiting for and the reason it matters so much.
I've followed the Packers my whole life (since the Browns left right when I got into football). So I know, to a degree, what it means to see your team win a champsionship. It's great for awhile, and it's something you never forget. But it doesn't really change your life.
I think though, that it would be different in Cleveland. Actually, I know it would be. It's not just that we'd finally have one and we'd get the same experience everyone else does. It's that we will finally feel like our most visual city representatives are the best at something.
Cleveland's got a pretty wide inferiority complex, mostly generated by the percieved, real, and ongoing treatment the city recieves from national media. For the same 50 years we've been waiting on a title, we've fallen from the fatest growing city in the US to one of the smallest metropolitan areas with 3 sports teams. We went from a top 5 city in the country to not even being the biggest city in our own state.
Cleveland has fallen a long way. We're rebuilding. We've been rebuilding amidst the fall. In two years we'll be at the heart of the heart of the presidential election, hosting the Rupublican National Convention. There's a lot of good press out there about Cleveland now, and I'm thankful for it.
But that illusive championship is still out there. It's like we've been prepping for a coming out party that just keeps getting postponed.
In so many ways, this LeBron has been a two-week long distillation of 50 years. Heck, even if LeBron does return, that's not even a guaranteed title.
But at least it would prove, once more, that Cleveland is more relevant than the rumors would suggest.
We all know why we love Cleveland. We might not even all agree on why we love Cleveland. But we don't feel like anyone else understands. Most of the time, I'm sure they don't. If LeBron came back, more importantly, if we won a title, we feel like everyone would actually believe Cleveland is back.
I don't know how well that would actually happen. A Championship won't, on its own, fix economic problems. It won't change crime rates or poverty levels.
I'm not even sure how important nationwide respect is for actual change to take place in those areas. But at the same time, people like to confirm their biases. I'm not sure what national people could do for Cleveland, but as long as they believe it's a hopeless place we'd all do better to move away from, they'll never do whatever little they could.
Respect is important. Cleveland rarely gets any of it outside Cuyahoga county (and let's be real- most outer-rim suburban people treat Cleveland like a necessary evil they'd like to avoid, so you don't have to go far). Maybe a champsionship will help. I don't know. But I know it won't hurt.
And so yeah, I want LeBron to come back. I don't know if he will. I'm just hopeful. That's the only thing you can be if you actually want to survive in Cleveland.
-Zack
But it's also one of those days that remind you why you live in Cleveland: because we're still waiting on LeBron to make a decision. It's the second time in 4 years we've gone through this. LeBron, himself, aside, we've been waiting for a championship for 50 years. That's what we're really waiting for and the reason it matters so much.
I've followed the Packers my whole life (since the Browns left right when I got into football). So I know, to a degree, what it means to see your team win a champsionship. It's great for awhile, and it's something you never forget. But it doesn't really change your life.
I think though, that it would be different in Cleveland. Actually, I know it would be. It's not just that we'd finally have one and we'd get the same experience everyone else does. It's that we will finally feel like our most visual city representatives are the best at something.
Cleveland's got a pretty wide inferiority complex, mostly generated by the percieved, real, and ongoing treatment the city recieves from national media. For the same 50 years we've been waiting on a title, we've fallen from the fatest growing city in the US to one of the smallest metropolitan areas with 3 sports teams. We went from a top 5 city in the country to not even being the biggest city in our own state.
Cleveland has fallen a long way. We're rebuilding. We've been rebuilding amidst the fall. In two years we'll be at the heart of the heart of the presidential election, hosting the Rupublican National Convention. There's a lot of good press out there about Cleveland now, and I'm thankful for it.
But that illusive championship is still out there. It's like we've been prepping for a coming out party that just keeps getting postponed.
In so many ways, this LeBron has been a two-week long distillation of 50 years. Heck, even if LeBron does return, that's not even a guaranteed title.
But at least it would prove, once more, that Cleveland is more relevant than the rumors would suggest.
We all know why we love Cleveland. We might not even all agree on why we love Cleveland. But we don't feel like anyone else understands. Most of the time, I'm sure they don't. If LeBron came back, more importantly, if we won a title, we feel like everyone would actually believe Cleveland is back.
I don't know how well that would actually happen. A Championship won't, on its own, fix economic problems. It won't change crime rates or poverty levels.
I'm not even sure how important nationwide respect is for actual change to take place in those areas. But at the same time, people like to confirm their biases. I'm not sure what national people could do for Cleveland, but as long as they believe it's a hopeless place we'd all do better to move away from, they'll never do whatever little they could.
Respect is important. Cleveland rarely gets any of it outside Cuyahoga county (and let's be real- most outer-rim suburban people treat Cleveland like a necessary evil they'd like to avoid, so you don't have to go far). Maybe a champsionship will help. I don't know. But I know it won't hurt.
And so yeah, I want LeBron to come back. I don't know if he will. I'm just hopeful. That's the only thing you can be if you actually want to survive in Cleveland.
-Zack
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
An oddly plausible theory on LeBron's return #illuminati #lafamilia
As I walked back to work from Walnut Wednesday today, I put on the old iPhone. I'm not too embarassed to admit that I have a potential LeBron's return pump up playlist. It's mostly music from the LeBron era in Cleveland that I associated with the NBA and Cavs games (for instance "Put On" by Young Jeezy- the intro song they played at the Q back then). Among them is "Run this Town" by Jay-Z, featuring Rihanna and Kanye. There's a line in the first verse I had to relisten to, and it made me rethink the whole song. Context determines meaning friends, and this song has a new meaning for me today.
Pause though. Before I jump into the song itself, there was a little uproar when twitter realized this:
As far as I've been able to tell, those are the only three NBA player twitter profiles with La Familia on them. It's kind of a stretch, but we're talking about the game of shadows that is NBA free agency. Every clue is a lead and every lead is a leak.
Back to Run this Town: Near the end of the first verse, Jay-Z says "This is la familia, I'll explain later, but for now let me get back to this paper." You'll see that it doesn't make a ton of sense in that context either. Whatever it means, it seems our only hope for an explanation is Jay-Z's eventual story.
Whether or not Jay-Z does indeed explain later is immaterial. In the context of Run This Town it seems that La Familia is talking about the way a group of people do things to "run this town" and "get back to runnin circles round these (expletive omitted)"
LeBron and Jay-Z have something of a relationship. Whatever it is is fairly unclear, but you can be certain LeBron's a fan of the music. I'm sure he's heard "run this town" plenty of times.
Could he have adopted the thinly veiled "code word" from Jay-Z (who, it should be said, features two of his most prominent label mates in the song. Kanye and Rihanna are the two most readily described as the "we" in "la familia")? Could LeBron be telegraphing something based on "Run this Town?" It's possible. I don't know if its probable. But LeBron's had a well-documented longing, establishment, and loyalty to his family and friends. He wrote a book about it. His twitter profile and website drip with it.
I don't know if its far fetched or a little bit genius- Run This Town turned 5 years old two days before the NBA draft. Who remembers a throwaway Jay-Z line from one of his worst albums? LeBron would, if he's longing to get back to Cleveland and join la familia.
This is all probably hogwash. But the best part about all of this is that some people might think it's true if LeBron comes back. Half of us get to be right no matter how much we're making up.
That's the best and worst thing about NBA free agency and twitter.
-Zack
Pause though. Before I jump into the song itself, there was a little uproar when twitter realized this:
As far as I've been able to tell, those are the only three NBA player twitter profiles with La Familia on them. It's kind of a stretch, but we're talking about the game of shadows that is NBA free agency. Every clue is a lead and every lead is a leak.
Back to Run this Town: Near the end of the first verse, Jay-Z says "This is la familia, I'll explain later, but for now let me get back to this paper." You'll see that it doesn't make a ton of sense in that context either. Whatever it means, it seems our only hope for an explanation is Jay-Z's eventual story.
Whether or not Jay-Z does indeed explain later is immaterial. In the context of Run This Town it seems that La Familia is talking about the way a group of people do things to "run this town" and "get back to runnin circles round these (expletive omitted)"
LeBron and Jay-Z have something of a relationship. Whatever it is is fairly unclear, but you can be certain LeBron's a fan of the music. I'm sure he's heard "run this town" plenty of times.
Could he have adopted the thinly veiled "code word" from Jay-Z (who, it should be said, features two of his most prominent label mates in the song. Kanye and Rihanna are the two most readily described as the "we" in "la familia")? Could LeBron be telegraphing something based on "Run this Town?" It's possible. I don't know if its probable. But LeBron's had a well-documented longing, establishment, and loyalty to his family and friends. He wrote a book about it. His twitter profile and website drip with it.
I don't know if its far fetched or a little bit genius- Run This Town turned 5 years old two days before the NBA draft. Who remembers a throwaway Jay-Z line from one of his worst albums? LeBron would, if he's longing to get back to Cleveland and join la familia.
This is all probably hogwash. But the best part about all of this is that some people might think it's true if LeBron comes back. Half of us get to be right no matter how much we're making up.
That's the best and worst thing about NBA free agency and twitter.
-Zack
Monday, July 7, 2014
The Return?
4 years ago, well, nearly 5, I wrote this post: http://dulacian.blogspot.com/2010/12/and-back-again.html#!/2010/12/and-back-again.html
I thought it'd be pertinent to revisit it, on what's looking more and more like the eve of LeBron's return.
I can't say I ever thought I'd see the day- there's proof right there of that.
http://dulacian.blogspot.com/search/2012/01/recognize.html
About two years ago, I wrote the one above.
And now it's all coming back to something new, different, and yet, old.
Or maybe it's not.
I'm not even sure how I'd feel. I'd be happy. Cleveland would be contending. A prodigal son would return a grown man. Winning without him would always have been the way we wanted to do it- but if he comes back now, it's so largely going to be because of his family. That's a big part of what it means to be Cleveland- family.
I've never been to Miami. The closest I've been is Savannah, Georgia geographically, and New York City metro-size wise. I don't think you could just combine the two and get Miami, so I have no context.
But I've lived in Cleveland for 3 years and Ohio my whole life. Forgetting where you came from isn't an option, and I don't think it ever was for LeBron either.
But he's not officially back yet. I'm not sure when or even, yet, if he will be.
I'll be elated, but things won't be what they were when he left. Nothing's ever going to take us back to those days.
And maybe that's a good thing.
-Zack
I thought it'd be pertinent to revisit it, on what's looking more and more like the eve of LeBron's return.
I can't say I ever thought I'd see the day- there's proof right there of that.
http://dulacian.blogspot.com/search/2012/01/recognize.html
About two years ago, I wrote the one above.
And now it's all coming back to something new, different, and yet, old.
Or maybe it's not.
I'm not even sure how I'd feel. I'd be happy. Cleveland would be contending. A prodigal son would return a grown man. Winning without him would always have been the way we wanted to do it- but if he comes back now, it's so largely going to be because of his family. That's a big part of what it means to be Cleveland- family.
I've never been to Miami. The closest I've been is Savannah, Georgia geographically, and New York City metro-size wise. I don't think you could just combine the two and get Miami, so I have no context.
But I've lived in Cleveland for 3 years and Ohio my whole life. Forgetting where you came from isn't an option, and I don't think it ever was for LeBron either.
But he's not officially back yet. I'm not sure when or even, yet, if he will be.
I'll be elated, but things won't be what they were when he left. Nothing's ever going to take us back to those days.
And maybe that's a good thing.
-Zack
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)