music - art - events - words - about us - site map
©2004 ClevelandWeirdness, Marence New Media, John Walsh Audio, and all other individual copyright holds. All rights reserved, and demanded.
Edgewater Park - a photojournal review by Mary the Webmaster  |
|
Driving west on the Shoreway from downtown Cleveland , the industrial heritage of Cleveland is apparent in the cranes and barges on the shore of the lake. A little further west, the salt mines under the lake are marked by the factory buildings above it. Once under the old grey stone bridge, to the right are boats - yachts, really - in dry dock. The next exit is Edgewater. Bike riders and rollerbladers are flashes of bright color on the miles of paved path, and fitness enthusiasts in sweats jog between the stations of the parcourse. |
|
 |
If it’s a warm spring day, from the exit you can see the kites. Parents will be helping their children learn the art of getting wood and plastic to fly, watching in awe as the serious kite-flyers guide fanciful birds in flight, pilot swooping dragons and soaring box kites larger than many of the fascinated kids.
|
| Park in the lower parking lot, near the fishing pier, and watch anglers of all ages and types try their hand at landing some walleye or perch. Scattered along the pier, romantics watch the light sparkle on the water when the sun breaks through the clouds, and huddle together against the wind that whips up the waves into jeweled froth. | |
Walk towards the beach, and the turbulence in the surf is recognizable closer up as overly enthusiastic dogs retrieving driftwood sticks tossed over and over by patient masters. Couples walk hand in hand along the shore, pausing to gaze at Lakewood’s Gold Coast, looming at the west end of the crescent-shaped bay, or the skyline of downtown Cleveland, to the east. |
|
 |
For an even better view of the skyline, climb the rustic wooden steps to Upper Edgewater, or take an easier stroll up the multi-purpose path. The breathtaking view from the bluff is postcard perfect, and has in fact been used for postcards, calendars, and promotional pictures for years. At the top of the bluff, the smell of barbequing overpowers the senses, as picnickers take advantage of the grills near the restored pavilion, surmounting the park like an ancient Greek temple. The oldest memorial monument in Cleveland is located here, its bronze face inspiring curiosity about Conrad Mizer, the “ Founder of Public Park Concerts,” who gazes out from under the gabled top over a long-missing fountain. |
|
Stroll back down to Lower Edgewater as the sun sets behind you, taking in the sharp tang of the lake, the joyful squeals of children, the whoosh of a passing bike, and the lights of downtown beginning to define the nighttime skyline. And thank the city fathers of antiquity who decided to set aside this land almost 150 years ago for our enjoyment today. |
|
