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Monday, April 03, 2006 Brownstone   Cleveland and Moab are similar in that there's brownstone everywhere. In Moab, brownstone cliffs, spires, and arches are protected and revered like consecrated remnants of a once holy cathedral, which is kind of what it feels like to be there. Here in Cleveland the brownstone is a reminder of better times. Shortly after the turn of the century, that is the twentieth century, the moneyed class built many of these old brownstone houses in our neighborhood as vacation homes, intending them to be quiet "countryside" retreats from the rapacious industrialism that was growing near the lake. How times change. Once icons of affluence, most of these old brownstones are now owned by the middle class, and require annual tuck pointing to avoid a slow collapse to rubble. It's not only houses, but schools, churches, and commercial buildings of every kind around here are made of brick 'n mortar and one hundred year old lathing. You have to travel to the modern suburbs of affluence to experience new construction.    The University down the street is an exception. There are some old brownstones on campus, but many of the the buildings are much newer, like the school of medicine where Master spends his days. Or the Weatherhead building, which is sort of an architectural amalgam of the old and new, whose roof looks like it could double as a decent skateboard park.    That, I'm afraid, is where the similarity between Moab and Cleveland ends. 9:44:52 PM    Comments disabled © Copyright 2008 Rufus. Nonsense, distribute widely and freely! Last update: 7/26/2008; 10:57:36 AM.			Readers Amused       Home About Me Airedale Philosophy How this all got started       FAQ What's an Upright? Upright: noun : a by and large bipedal companion, also referred to as a human being. What's a Cheechako? Cheechako: noun : a person new to Alaska who has come with the intention to live here. Who's Master? Master: pronoun : just the finest upright on the face of the earth, that's who! To read him is to love him. What's Dogdom? Dogdom: noun : Life's venue from a dog's point of view. What's a Sourdough? Sourdough: noun : A long time Alaskan who has an automatic suspicion of cheechakos. What does Outside mean? Outside: noun : A provincial reference to somplace other than Alaska; usually the lower 48. What's Breakup? Breakup: noun : A uniquely Alaskan season between winter and spring when the snow and ice begins to melt for good. Where is SquareBanks? SquareBanks: slang : A self-evident euphemism for a place widely known as Fairbanks, AK. Where can I read the Houston Trip? Houston Trip: vignette : Here What digital camera do you use? Camera: hardware : Canon Powershot A80 (4.0 MP) Who's Mom? Mom: Hottie : Have A Look What's a Squeakamunka? Squeakamunka: noun : your ordinary gray squirrel which can be seen everywhere in our Cleveland neighborhood! « Alaska Blogs »  Stories Fiction Boy Wonder Bat Girl Objects in Mirror Are Larger Than They Appear Used To Be Fish Skin Deep Essay Life Is Good Desert Nostalgia A Voice of Reason Fictional Four Realms of Darkness Poetry Lucky Chain  The Cycling Pages 1999 Canadian Tour 2000 Tour of Alaska "Yooper" : 2001 Tour of WI/Michigan UP 2001 Spine of Italy Tour 2002 Tour of New England 2004 Tour of New Zealand (coming soon!) 2005 Tour Of Nova Scotia Conways Game of Life (needs java plugin) Sometimes Interesting Billy Greg (Hiatus) Virginia Postrel Wendy McElroy Samizdata Atlantic Monthly Reason No Treason Slashdot Derke Lowe Heather Champ (Photo blog) T.C. Boyle Liquid Generation Improved Clinch Exquisite Corpse, A. Codrescu Fred On Everything Assymetrical Information The Daily Ablution (Hibernation) Lileks Frank Kelly (Hiatus) Up In Alaska