The Observation Deck

Here is interesting information. I was at a barber shop yesterday. Two other guys were talking about Cleveland. One of them mentioned thousands of vacant or abandoned houses sitting on the East Side. The popular thing to do there is ransack them for metal pipes, siding, wiring, etc, and sell it.

Three ghetto strippers at a bus stop also mentioned how abandoned houses are good places for drinking and kickin' it. It was the stupidest conversation I'd ever heard. I stood 20 feet from the stop to hear less of it. But they spoke too loudly. So I left before the bus got there. For similar reasons I can't be within earshot of teenagers on cell phones at the mall.

So I did some research. According to this website, there are 215,816 housing units in municipal Cleveland. 25,218 of those are Vacant! The circumstances may soon be right for opening a used brick factory and outlet store.

there are 215,816 housing units in municipal Cleveland. 25,218 of those are Vacant! The circumstances may soon be right for opening a used brick factory and outlet store.

Before too long, Lakewood should be able to supply this outlet store.

Three ghetto strippers at a bus stop also mentioned how abandoned houses are good places for drinking and kickin' it. It was the stupidest conversation I'd ever heard.

ryan, they're "ghetto strippers" what did you expect out of them? an intelligent arguement?

Ivor Karabatkovic wrote:

Three ghetto strippers at a bus stop also mentioned how abandoned houses are good places for drinking and kickin' it. It was the stupidest conversation I'd ever heard.

ryan, they're "ghetto strippers" what did you expect out of them? an intelligent arguement?

They were just prattling on about what can best be likened to office politics and their social lives. There was a broad overlap between the two.

Maybe Cleveland should move 25,000 Russian emmigrant famliies into these vacant houses. Most of them are highly skilled engineers or mechanics back in Russia, but their credentials mean nothing here. They can fix the places up themselves cheaply. Even if the houses don't line up perfectly with electrical and plumbing codes, there is minimal risk they will burn down. The increase in property quality and prosperity will outweigh the cost of whatever few houses do burn down.