Monday, April 19, 2010

Sundays in My City: Monday Edition

Unknown Mami

I'm a bit behind this week, but apparently there were some Linky problems, so maybe it's a happy accident. Anywho...


The building in the center of this picture is the one most Clevelanders think of when they think of Cleveland – the Terminal Tower. When it was built in the late 1920s, Cleveland was in its heyday (it was the 5th largest city in the US in 1920 and the 6th largest in 1930), and the Terminal Tower was the tallest building in the world outside New York City. It remained so until the early 50s, and stayed the tallest building in the US outside New York City until the Prudential Center in Boston was finished in 1964. These days, the Key Tower is taller, but it's not as emblematic of the city.

The "Terminal" in the Terminal Tower was the Union Terminal train station. The main remnant of that is now a rapid transit station. Actually, part of it always was a rapid transit station, as the Tower was designed by the Van Sweringen brothers (Oris and Mantis — no, I don't know what their mother was thinking!), who developed the rapid transit lines.

However, these days, and especially at this time of year, folks outside of Cleveland may be more familiar with the building at the side of the above picture:

That would be The Q, where LeBron and the Cavs play. (You can see Progressive Field, where the Indians play, reflected in the windows.) (This picture was taken around the corner from the first — and it was taken a couple of weeks ago, so I'm sure the trees have leaves on them by now!)

Thanks to Unknown Mami for sharing her city, San Francisco, with us, and giving us a forum to share our cities. For more virtual travel, visit her site!

2 comments:

  1. Interesting.

    Oris and Mantis?! Think they every got beat up?haha

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't think I have ever heard the names Oris and Mantis before. Thank you for the tour.

    ReplyDelete