The Grandeur of the Bush White House: a Memoir

So I stumbled upon a surprisingly intimate and personal look at the White House under George W. Bush.

That statement could be followed by anything from, say: 'I was reading the memoirs of the Secretary of Defense'.... or, 'on the news they interviewed the White House Butler, who has worked there for 35 years'... But no.

In actuality, that statement is followed by: a gay dude from Yale who is drinking buddies with Barbara Bush (the daughter, not the first lady) gets invited to the White House for dinner, and proceeds to have a perfectly lovely evening that in retrospect sounds absolutely bizarre.

Interested? I thought you might be. Click here.

If you haven't taken the jump yet and are still reading, I'll say this: I find the memories and impressions of this particular person a rather insouciant but telling peek into the world of Bush that we rarely see. Behind the Secret Service and pre-arranged photo ops, even dismissing the grandeur of the most famous residence in the world, he is a common man. Typically, this is a 'salt of the earth' sort of compliment, but that's not what I mean. I mean he seems frightfully disinterested and intellectually challenged, which I guess is actually a slight on 'common men' everywhere... and for that, I apologize.

Babe Ruth played at East 66th & Lexington?

The short answer is 'yes'. The slightly longer answer is 'yes, and he hit his 500th home run there also'. So where the heck is East 66th & Lexington? Well, currently it's a ramshackle corner within a run down neighborhood on Cleveland's East Side. But once...

Once upon a time... it was home to a Major League Baseball park in every way the equal to it's similarly aged counterparts Wrigley Field and Fenway Park. Yes, League Park was a testament to the strength and vitality of Clevelanders and their love of sport.

A "neighborhood park", so named because as opposed to today's sprawling commercial behemoths with parking for miles around, the Park was built literally in the middle of a neighborhood, with existing trolley lines to service crowds coming and going from the afternoon games. It opened in 1891, and Cy Young was the starting pitcher for the then home team Cleveland Spiders.

Unfortunately, an auspicious beginning did not herald a lasting success. As home not only to Cleveland's professional baseball clubs (the Spiders and the 1920 World Series Champion Indians), but Cleveland's first professional football team, the Cleveland Buckeyes, the legendary Negro League Baseball team, and other major sporting events, League Park was a gem for a city on the move.

Seating increased from 9,000 to 27,000 to accomodate increasing demands, but when space ran out (a neighborhood block can only contain so many spectators), plans were drawn for the cavernous, and equally legendary, Cleveland Stadium on Lake Erie.

As increasingly crowds and events were drawn downtown, League Park withered. The final Indians game to be played there was in 1946, and only as a token reminder of games past, and the bleachers were finally torn down in 1951.

Today, the shell of the once magnificent cathedral of baseball remains. To get to my long-winded point, there is a non-profit group, the League Park Society, who have drawn up plans to renovate the stadium for use as a neighborhood (or high school, or AAU, or...) baseball field in the heart of Cleveland's East Side.


The group is collecting signatures here, and if you're in any way interested, why not sign? We've lost too many landmarks in Cleveland to neglect, and a signature on an online petition takes hardly any time at all.

Artist rendition for new League Neighborhood Park

On a personal note, I remember running a 5k with my Dad from League Park to the as-then yet to be built Gateway complex downtown. I was amazed when he told me the stories that Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Cy Young and others played there. To me, at the time, it looked like an absolute lost cause in a city of absolute lost causes. Today, I am realizing that it is only apathy that makes causes lost.

Bistro-iffic

Despite the forty mile an hour winds that seem to be becoming commonplace this year, we were able to take advantage of an evening and dine at Tremont's newest establishment, Bistro on Lincoln Park. What we found wasn't exactly a surprise, but certainly a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Situated in the old Sage Bistro spot on the corner of West 11th and Kenilworth Avenue, the paned windows emit a warm glow that has been sorely missed.

Stepping inside, customers are greeted in a modern, minimal, but appealing bar area. Their decision to limit access doors to one not directly in the path of the weather outside was a wise one. The place was nearly deserted, with empty glasses and lone candles marking votive hopefulness on the part of the chef, staff, and management. We were treated to a choice window table, and were promptly greeted by an attentive server. The hardwood floors enhanced the warm eminance of the incandescent lighting, and the linen tablecloths and napkins added much to the casual chic vibe.

We were pleasantly surprised to find some brew choices not found in most fine dining establishments, notably: Chimay (Red) and Duvel, among the more traditional domestic and import offerings. Prices for drinks remained on the low side, with Chimay going for a mere $5. Martinis were $9 across the board. In a kind and much appreciated gesture, Chef Pete Joyce prepared for our party a wonderful amuse, a sweet/savory spoonful of duck and... sorry... I was so excited for the bite that I missed the description.

For dinner, I could not pass on the siren call of the Duck Confit; deliciously succulent on the bone preparation with "Crispy Truffled Potatoes, Bacon Lardons, and Wild Mushroom Fricassee". On the whole, this meal achieved much greater flavor than what the sum of its parts would have been assumed, with the lardons providing just right amount of salty indulgence paired with the potatoes and mushrooms. The duck was rich, dark, and fall off the bone delicious. See the Menu here.

And granted, it was a Monday evening after a major holiday, but the lack of business was troubling. With the economy in the tank, it's understandable for people to cut back, but should you get the urge for something new, you could do considerably worse than this...

Variety is the Spice of Life

Great news from the PD today as they report that the now silent Variety Theatre at Lorain and West 118th will be refurbished by Westown CDC and reopened as a movie house! First Detroit-Shoreway, and now this!

A glimpse of the theatre today

On my (ever-less frequent) runs, I always passed this place with a feeling of sad nostalgia. Not an uncommon emotion while passing through much of Cleveland, I suppose, but a theatre especially evokes a feeling of 'how things used to be'. Built as a vaudeville stage and movie house in 1927, the Variety served the neighborhood ably for decades.

Lorain Ave. & the Variety Theatre in 1953

But, as the economy worsened, the neighborhoods changed, and the area slowly decayed. The theatre, by then a music venue (which actually hosted bands like Metallica and Motorhead) closed in 1986.

Now, with the promise of a renovation and a (huge, 118 page) master plan for the area, local residents and CDC's are stepping up their efforts to bring some style, sophistication and substance to the area. A welcome change indeed.