Bouchercon Report, Day 0
The drive to Cleveland went well. The alternate route around Toledo turns out to be the officially-marked route to get to the turnpike, and nicely avoids the interchange roulette that made our last drive through the area unnecessarily fraught. And the drive into Cleveland proper was stupidly easy.
We're staying at the Cleveland Hostel. It's a bit basic, but it's clean, functional, and in a fabulous location. (Not to mention half the price of the convention hotel.) About ten minutes from downtown by train, it's also basically next door to the West Side Market, a giant farmers-market type thing and a local fixture. The neighborhood is full of classic old buildings with little boutique shops and bars and ethnic restaurants in the ground floors. It's got that vibe of a once-prosperous business district that hit bottom and is now working its way back up. Very cool, and very friendly. We are half a block from a promising-looking coffee shop, and the RTA station is just around the corner. Also, there's a Penzeys across the street from the market; the housemate is in spice-junkie transports.
The hostel has a rooftop deck, and as I type this, I'm staring out at the Cleveland skyline, with the downtown towers all funkily lit and the stadium glowing like a flare. The moon's half-visible behind the clouds, and the Goodyear Blimp has swung past for a visit. The clock tower of the market is spotlit above the warm glow of the street. Off to the side, there's the Great Lakes Brewery and a verdigris-tipped spire. We picked up sandwiches for dinner from the local grocery, and ate them up here.
I think I'll get in a little writing before bed. My characters would love this place.
We're staying at the Cleveland Hostel. It's a bit basic, but it's clean, functional, and in a fabulous location. (Not to mention half the price of the convention hotel.) About ten minutes from downtown by train, it's also basically next door to the West Side Market, a giant farmers-market type thing and a local fixture. The neighborhood is full of classic old buildings with little boutique shops and bars and ethnic restaurants in the ground floors. It's got that vibe of a once-prosperous business district that hit bottom and is now working its way back up. Very cool, and very friendly. We are half a block from a promising-looking coffee shop, and the RTA station is just around the corner. Also, there's a Penzeys across the street from the market; the housemate is in spice-junkie transports.
The hostel has a rooftop deck, and as I type this, I'm staring out at the Cleveland skyline, with the downtown towers all funkily lit and the stadium glowing like a flare. The moon's half-visible behind the clouds, and the Goodyear Blimp has swung past for a visit. The clock tower of the market is spotlit above the warm glow of the street. Off to the side, there's the Great Lakes Brewery and a verdigris-tipped spire. We picked up sandwiches for dinner from the local grocery, and ate them up here.
I think I'll get in a little writing before bed. My characters would love this place.