Is my neighborhood safe?

[Mark Mraz]

I use to live on Belle,right over the traintracks and loved my neighborhood alot,very peaceful(minus the occasional train). Well because my roomates all decided to live on their own I now live on Robin St...which is like a while a whole different world...just curious if anyone lives on that street,knows of any strange happenings,crime,etc. Weird inquiry but I thought Id ask...

[Jim O'Bryan]

I use to live on Belle,right over the traintracks and loved my neighborhood alot,very peaceful(minus the occasional train). Well because my roomates all decided to live on their own I now live on Robin St...which is like a while a whole different world...just curious if anyone lives on that street,knows of any strange happenings,crime,etc. Weird inquiry but I thought Id ask...

Mark

I would say the biggest difference is that anyone in your new neighborhood has a reason
to be there, where Belle had a lot of transits, and out-of-towners going up and down it to
Lakewood Park. Should be quieter, unless you are near the Rapid Train lines on Plover.
LEAF has had two gardens in the neighborhoods for three years and have not heard much
about any trouble there. Got the best burger in town, and damn good breakfast at the
end of your street.

Last year I used to walk "Bird Town" about twice a month. Good people, a couple punk
kids, nothing to worry about.

Drew Siley and students from Kent State just finished a wonderful plan for the area, and
I do believe one or two blocks were just made an arts district. In this city that would
make it a SUPER art district because Lakewood Is Art.
http://media.lakewoodobserver.com/media/docs_1267245500.pdf

Check out the Coffee Pot, Mahal's, bela dubby, waterbury beverage, Thai Kitchen,
Winchester, Sugar Bears(best soft serve in Lakewood), lunch at The Shamrock,
at any of those places ask for a MAMA's Business Directory. Great guide to the
businesses on Madison and in Birdtown.

BUT - in this day and age it pays to be aware.

I am due to walk the area with Councilwoman Madigan, interested in joining us?

Thanks for staying in Lakewood.

.

[Mark Mraz]

Hey Jim,


Thanks for a quick response. All your information is helpful and interesting to say the least. I always like outside opinions. What is making you and Councilwoman Madigan walk the area,just curious? Ive only been in Lakewood a year and really like the people and businesses. I wish I would have stayed farther west in Lakewood like I orig was but I can always move when my lease is up next summer. But I do like Lakewood. And I just hope my neighborhood stays as crime free as possible....

[Gary Rice]

Mark,

Welcome to the 'Deck and welcome to this quirky little rectangle that we call Lakewood. When my family first arrived here, we were met by a lovely lady in a station wagon, wearing white gloves, (the lady, that is, not the station wagon ) who presented us with gifts, and many helpful facts about Lakewood.

I wish that we still had someone like her.

Lakewood is a true city, and yet there is very much a small-town feel to the place that really seems to be unique. True, each suburb of Cleveland, and indeed, the various Cleveland neighborhoods, each seem to have their own distinctive character- but Lakewood? Yes, we have a pretty special place here.

Still, yes, it is indeed a city; with all of the warts that come with that descriptor. At the same time, I've been here more than half a century, and am as pleased to live here, as I would be anywhere else. You have all of the advantages of city living, along with the many, many advantages of being in a small town. Our government, city services, schools, libraries, and social and religious support systems are all still working, and for the most part, working well.

As far as walking neighborhoods go, I think you'll find that even the Mayor does that on a regular basis. It's important to keep the "pulse of a city". As a matter of fact, I've written something like 100 columns under that particular heading for the Lakewood Observer paper.

This little ol' rectangle of ours has a lot going for it.

Welcome home.

Back to the banjo...

[Jim O'Bryan]

Mark

I live and work in Lakewood, those these days find me outside of Lakewood more and more.
The nice thin is I appreciate it more and more everyday. The best way to keep your corner
of the world safe is walking around, sitting on porches, meeting neighbors, etc.

There are three activities I refer to generally coffee, at one fo the great coffee houses in
Lakewood that are evenly spread out through the city. bela dubby(Uptown) up by you, The Root Cafe(Downtown) in the center of town, The Beck Cafe and Blackbird Bakery in the far
West (Emerald Canyon Historic District.Scenic Park).

Field Trips, generally trips that go outside of Lakewood by end up back here comparing
notes. These are often done with various "professionals" so that some of us can better
understand what is working there and if it could be applied here. This month we are
touring the other "Mainstreet" cities. Our Mainstreet won an award for being the BEST. So
we thought it would be good to look and record some of the other ones.

Walking around. Grab a neighborhood and walk it, talk to people, sit on porches, eat food,
share drinks, stories and generally get a feel and deep drill down into the neighborhood.
One of the things that have to be seriously considered is the actual psyche of the area.
How do people feel? Safe? Happy? Frustrated? etc. Normally it takes one glass of ice tea
or a beer to get past the sound bites into what they really think. As some of these have
become infamous, the lodge often gets requests from people to go along, and there is
an open invitation to all, or better yet, have your own. Mary Louise Madigan the heart and
soul of Lakewood City Council asked if I was ready to go walking, and I assured her in
the next couple weeks I would be willing to walk Ward 4 and get a cone at Sugar Bears.

Anyone can put a dress on a pig and call it an improvement. AOOTOOTSC, prefer to not
frost cakes that are not baked, drill down see and get a handle on what is going on. We
would actually see if the pig is better off, or for that matter, was it worth the $$$$$ and
effort?

I was just on Robin seeing a friend, we walked to bela, seems pretty normal there.

.

[Stan Austin]

Mark--- Jim is just blowing smoke. He likes strolling around the neighborhoods with attractive and smart public representatives like your good councilperson Mary Louise Madigan.
Stan Austin

[ryan costa]

the trashy folks are more annoying than dangerous.
most of the time, they are only dangerous to property values.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Mark--- Jim is just blowing smoke. He likes strolling around the neighborhoods with attractive and smart public representatives like your good councilperson Mary Louise Madigan.
Stan Austin

Mark

I am not blowing smoke though Stan is right. I enjoy spending time with the heart and soul
of city council, Mary Louise Madigan. But I also love walking Lakewood, its neighborhoods,
and sitting down and meeting my fellow residents and businesses. You see many talk
walkable, very few actually do it. Many talk neighborhoods, but when was the last time
you saw a "civic leader" in line at Sugar Bears? Dancing at the Winchester, or Phantasy?
Swimming at Madison Pool, bowling at Mahall's, drinking coffee or beer ANYWHERE on
Madison Ave. or for that matter on Detroit after 5 pm unless they are getting paid for
their time to direct volunteers?

But back to the question at hand, is it safe. I think yes. Last week I left my camera on the
front stoop of my steps for almost 15 hours with no one around. When I finally went looking
for it It was right where I left it and I am sure over 400 people walked or drove by it. Both
in daylight and darkness.

Last year I left my ipod, police scanner, cell phone on top of my car for 9 hours in the muni
lot behind Rozis where many people walk and drive through every hour of the day. No one
touched it. These would be black items on a white car!

Last summer I was walking the incredible "Snake Pit" area of Lakewood. I was told, "Are
you nuts?" by some local authorities. What I found was, an old man sleeping in a chair with
his ipod sticking out of his top pocket, and his cell phone next to him. You women and old
women walking the tracks home, and people outside talking. Two invites for dinner and beer.
These are generally signs of a safe neighborhood.

One could argue I was very lucky, and I was. But it would also underline that even crimes
of opportunity are not being seen with a frequency that should cause concern. Lock doors?
Hell yes. Worry? No.

The single most important thing we can all do to keep this city safe is walk the streets,
sit on our beautiful porches, allow children to play, form block watch clubs that are active
not just meet once ever 3 months, actively use our city parks. And LIVE IN THE CITY not
just sleep or hide here.

But that is just my opinion.

FWIW

[Stan Austin]

Hey Jim--- next time you leave your stuff laying around, can you give us a heads up, a secret alert?

[Brad Hutchison]

The Snake Pit?

[Jim O'Bryan]

The Snake Pit?

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=41.485133,-81.770304&spn=0.00172,0.003318&z=19&layer=c&cbll=41.485133,-81.770193&panoid=UbNowHH5JjcUzMkGwzza8A&cbp=12,322.8,,0,5

South Lane and North Lane off of Hird. This would also include the train tracks to

Hidden Village

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=41.486415,-81.771498&spn=0.00688,0.013272&z=17&layer=c&cbll=41.486585,-81.771495&panoid=evpT1se38G1VLkEj66JnMw&cbp=12,292.99,,0,8.21

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=41.488229,-81.771712&spn=0.001712,0.003318&z=19&layer=c&cbll=41.488315,-81.772076&panoid=k29CC8I_uSz_Pnj6QCRTAQ&cbp=12,211.68,,0,6.02


Was walking the area today with Ken Warren. We found the pool in the snake pit open
and in use by residents that loved being able to cool off in this hot weather.

We found the blackberries on the various bushes to be small and tart, and the young
adults interesting to say the least.


Myself on the left and Ken Warren on the right in the Snake Pit recreating (kind of)
a picture we took in earlier in our friendship.


An image from a New York, Manhattan, New Jersey, Gloucester field trip. Ask Ken
about his fascination with Bears.

To return to the subject...

The Snake Pit was given the name by law enforcement that will tell you about the crime,
drug dealing and bad people in the area. They are not wrong, I think a lot of it is how you
approach those people.

A couple years ago we had heard some information coming in from many sources, and
as we processed the information it was somewhat interesting. Catholic Charities were
bringing Somalis into Lakewood. Well when Minneapolis got Somalis they got a bunch of
trouble. Let's not forget that many Somalis are warlords or violent people. So when we
heard ours were here, we ran over to "The Snake Pit" to speak with them.


That is Ken Warren to the far right speaking with some of the residents and tribal fathers,
as I spoke with and took photos of the women and kids. This lead to two things. One
is getting invited back to a feast of rice, blood and goats milk, which is a story
for another day, another place, talk about parties!

and this


One of my favorite Lakewood images. Of a wonderful family.

This is why I often question so many of the civic leaders that know Lakewood. Do they?
How well? What are their guidelines? Membership in some club? Sunsets over concrete
slabs as needles and condoms wash up? OR do they know the wonderful people, and their
hopes, dreams, lifestyles, thoughts, ideas, or plans for their neighborhood? Is our
civic leaders interest in diversity merely their stock portfolio, or do they care what good
it can do in a community street by street.

Lakewood is a wonderful place.

We are lucky.

.

[dl meckes]

mmmmm.... Sugar Bears... It's like heaven for pennies.

Did Jim mention the real blueberries in the blueberry pancakes at the Coffee Pot?

Don't hesitate to check out Joe's if you like breakfast or corned beef sandwiches.

The Winchester has a fascinating list of entertainers. Have you gone back in time at Mahalls?

Any neighborhood can be safe or unsafe and sometimes you can't tell by driving through.

[Mark Mraz]

WoW. You guys are great. Thanks for all the responses and pictures. I feel better now about my decision to stay in Lakewood.

[sharon kinsella]

Just don't go to the Prado, that's where the dungeons are. I swear.