US Route 20: Cleveland Ohio at East 9th Street

Here are two photos of US Route 20 (Euclid Avenue) at the corner of East 9th Street in downtown Cleveland Ohio. The first photo is looking west (toward the Terminal Tower). The second photo is looking at the actual intersection of US20 and East 9th Street, with the Cleveland Trust Rotunda on the southeastern corner. (The Ameritrust Tower, designed by Marcel Breuer, sits behind the rotunda).

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US Route 20 in Cleveland Ohio: Decked Out for the Holidays

To celebrate the Christmas and winter holiday season, here are a few photos that I took last weekend from the vantage point of US Route 20 at Public Square in Cleveland Ohio.

On US Route 20, facing the Terminal Tower

On US Route 20, facing Key Tower

On US Route 20, from Public Square, facing the Terminal Tower

On US Route 20, facing the Huntington Building

On Public Square, facing US Route 20

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The US Route 20 Blog homepage can be found at usroutetwenty.blogspot.com

US20 in Ohio: Police Chase

And now for something completely different…Here is a video of a police chase (dashcam video) that took place in part on US Route 20 (Mentor Avenue/Euclid Avenue) in Willoughby Ohio.

The police chase began when police, driving on US20 Mentor Avenue eastbound over the Chagrin River bridge, saw the driver traveling at 65 mpg in a 35 mph zone. The police car turned around and headed westbound, towards the intersection where US20 changes from Mentor Avenue to Euclid Avenue. The police car turns left and begins to travel through downtown Willoughby (Euclid Ave.), veers off a few side streets temporality, and eventually turns right and gets back on US 20. The car stays on US20 for quite some time, until the police car makes a hard right on to US 91.

Enjoy the ride!

(If you can’t view the video here, it can also be located on the WKYC website at this link.)





The US Route 20 Blog homepage can be found usroutetwenty.blogspot.com, here.

US 20 In Ohio: The Dunham Tavern and Museum in Cleveland

Located on Euclid Avenue (US Route 20) in Cleveland, on the stretch between University Circle and downtown Cleveland, is the Dunham Tavern and Museum . It is the oldest building in Cleveland.

Built in 1824, it is a clapboard building that served as a stop along a stagecoach route between Detroit MI and Buffalo NY. At the time, the stretch of US 20, (now Euclid Avenue) midway between Doan's Corners (East 105th Street) and Public Square where Dunham’s was located was also known as part of the “Buffalo-Cleveland-Detroit Road.” The modern day Route 20 follows that same stagecoach route.

Dunham Tavern Postcard
Dunham Tavern was the home of Rufus and Jane Pratt Dunham, who were early settlers to the Western Reserve. As their home was along the stagecoach route, they decided to make their home a tavern, and it remained this way until 1857.

In the 1930s, the house was a studio for artists and printmakers, and later the Society of Collectors worked to restore the house, opening it to the public in 1941. It was named a Cleveland Landmark in 1973, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 25, 1974.

Today, the museum is filled with many period antiques, and the Heritage Trail and gardens also make for a nice outdoor stroll and a peaceful respite from the surrounding industrial and urban neighborhood.

Dunham Tavern and Museum is located at 6709 Euclid Avenue (US Route 20) , in Cleveland, Ohio. More information can be found at the website for Dunham Tavern and Museum. .



The US Route 20 Blog homepage can be found here.

US 20 in Ohio: RTA Healthline on Euclid Avenue

Last July, I wrote here about the Euclid Corridor Project , which was a complete reworking of US Route 20 (Euclid Avenue) in Cleveland, Ohio, from the Terminal Tower east to University Circle.

The work is done, and an official “grand opening” of the new and improved Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland will be held on October 24-25, 2008. American Idol winner Jordan Sparks will perform on October 25th at a concert in downtown Cleveland as part of the grand opening.

The corridor will also be christened with its new name, the RTA HealthLine. No, it’s not a phone number to call for medical information. It gets its new name from a partnership with the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, and of course, Cleveland’s Regional Transit Authority.

The improvements to US route 20 include a special rapid transit vehicle (RTV) that will move passengers through 59 stops, beginning at Cleveland’s downtown Public Square and ending at University Circle. The vehicles will help make the ride a little “greener”, since they are powered with hybrid technology. All 59 stations are equipped with a fare vending machine, generous seating, and 24 hour lighting; 19 of the stations have an interactive kiosk to keep travelers informed and even entertained during their short wait. There were also 1,500 new trees planted on the route to beautify the area. Special bike lanes have also been added.




It’s interesting to note that the area where this new line runs is in the same area as where Cleveland’s Millionaire’s Row was once located. It was reported that the Euclid Corridor project itself cost $200 million for the 7.1-mile stretch of Euclid Avenue where the HealthLine will run.


For more information, check out the RTA HealthLine web site.


Here is an overview of the Euclid Corridor Project when it began.





The US Route 20 Blog homepage can be found here.

US 20: More Route 20 in the Movies

There was so much press about Ang Lee’s movie “Taking Woodstock”. which recently did a lot of filming on US Route 20 in New Lebanon, NY that I thought I’d go back to see what other films may have been filmed on, or very close to, the country’s longest road.

One that seemed to jump out was the 2006 filming of “Spiderman 3” which had some scenes filmed in downtown Cleveland Ohio, which is only about 25 miles from my home. Route 20 (Euclid Avenue) acted as “stand in” for New York City for precision driving stunts, car crashes, smoke effects and other stunts. Someone was able to get some nice action shots of the filming, and you’ll find that video below.

One famous baseball movie was filmed near US 2o at a now famous location in Dyersville Iowa. That movie is “Field of Dreams” which starred Kevin Costner. The baseball field which was the movie site is still there and is open for tours. It’s very close to US 20 and just 25 miles west of Dubuque, Iowa.

The 1993 comedy “Housesitter” with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn has a scene filmed at the Grist Mill on the grounds of the Wayside Inn on US 20 In Sudbury Massachusetts. A more recent film, the 2008 release “The Women” also had a scene shot on US 20 in Sudbury at the Bosse Sports & Health Club.

Another movie with some scenes filmed near US 20 was the Sci-fi film “Starship Troopers” which did some filming at Hells Half Acre in Powder River, Wyoming.

I am sure there are probably more movies out there that have been filmed on US Route 20, but it seems that information on this topic is scarce. If anyone would like to add a movie to the list, please feel free to add it to the comments below.


Spiderman 3 Filming Starring US Route 20 (Euclid Avenue, Downtown Cleveland)





The US Route 20 Blog homepage can be found here.

US 20 in Ohio: Millionaire’s Row

Samuel Andrews Mansion

I just published an entry today in my blog, ”All Things Cleveland”, about Cleveland’s Millionaire’s Row, which I felt was also appropriate to share with fans of US Route 20. Millionaire’s Row was a stretch of US 20 (Euclid Avenue) in Cleveland where, in the later 1800s and early 1900s, some of the wealthiest people in the city and the nation took up residence. Mark Twain, in a 1868 letter, said about Euclid Avenue:

“Cleveland contains one of the finest streets in America -- Euclid avenue. Euclid is buried at one end of it -- the old original Euclid that invented the algebra, misfortune overtake him! It is devoted to dwelling-houses entirely and it costs you $100,000 to "come in." Therefore none of your poor white trash can live in that street. You have to be redolent of that odor of sanctity which comes with cash. The dwellings are very large, are often pretty pretentious in the matter of architecture, and the grassy and flowery "yards" they stand in are something marvellous -- being from one to three hundred feet front and nine hundred feet deep! -- a front on the avenue and another front on Lake Erie.”

Many rich industrialists lived on Euclid Avenue in Cleveland. The most notable was industrialist and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller. But Rockefeller made sure that his house was demolished after his death, preferring that to its eventual deterioration.

Due to over industrialization of the area and urban decay, only a few of the original mansions are still standing today.

One thing I didn’t include in my original blog entry was a link to a excerpt from a book “Showplace of America, Euclid Avenue 1850-1910” By Jan Cigliano which includes segments of the book which are available through Google Book Search. While the complete book isn’t online, there are many pages viewable which give a very interesting view, in both text and pictures, of how Euclid Avenue looked when lined with mansions. The book looks like a fitting tribute to a once grand stretch of the longest road in the United States.

If you’d like to see more information on Millionaire’s Row, check out the links below.


Additional reading
”All Things Cleveland: “Cleveland’s Bygone Millionaire’s Row” (includes links to pictures of some of the mansions and list of those still standing)

Euclid Avenue's Million-dollar Legacy

“Showplace of America, Euclid Avenue 1850-1910” By Jan Cigliano, book excerpts from Google Book Search




The US Route 20 Blog homepage can be found here.

US 20 in Ohio: Euclid Corridor Project Wraps Up

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Euclid Corridor Project, which is a complete reworking of US Route 20 from the Terminal Tower, east to University Circle, will be completed soon. I was just in downtown Cleveland yesterday and snapped a few pictures and video clips of the work in progress closer to the Terminal Tower. While it still looks like quite a mess, there are many things already in place that indicate this will be a great help to moving cars, buses, and pedestrians on Euclid Avenue. I took a short video of the construction area (below).


Short Video of Construction Area



Here’s the story from the Cleveland Plain Dealer with a full update on the project’s completion.

Euclid Avenue construction nears completion
Posted by James Ewinger July 16, 2008 23:30PM
Updated at 11:30 p.m.
Chris Stephens/The Plain Dealer

Mike Lang stands behind an improbable but well-stocked bar, amid oceans of exquisitely tailored clothing.

The new bar and a line of women's apparel are in response to an 80 percent drop in his business since the Euclid Corridor project started taking shape outside his expansive windows at East 12th Street and Euclid Avenue.

"It's been horribly distressing, but I understand that instead of putting icing on a cake that's rotten, they have to do the infrastructure first," Lang said.

A part of the infrastructure that's been closed since October is to reopen by noon today.

Traffic is expected to be restored on Euclid Avenue between East Ninth and East 14th streets, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority announced Wednesday. The leg from Public Square to East Ninth is to reopen July 28.

The road construction is part of RTA's Euclid Corridor project, a $200 million effort that's remaking Euclid Avenue into a bus-rapid transit system.

"Lower Euclid Avenue is at the very heart of Cleveland, and having traffic restored there will enable thousands to move around the city easier and enjoy all the improvements the project has made," said Joe Calabrese, RTA's CEO and general manager.

Elliot Azoff, an attorney with the law firm of Baker & Hostetler in the downtown National City Bank building, welcomes the completion.

"If they ever get it finished, I can cross the street without feeling like I'm going through a battle zone," Azoff said. As a motorist, though, he's less enthusiastic about the project because he found it difficult to drive Euclid Avenue even before the construction.
The heaviest work remains at the eastern end of the project between East 86th Street and the East Cleveland line, with an expected grand opening by Oct. 25.

For all of his trials and tribulations, Lang calls the corridor project a spark for public and private investment, a rising tide of retail and residential development.

The Bonfoey Gallery, a 115-year-old art gallery at the corner of East 17th Street and Euclid Avenue, lost its on-street parking but felt a "minimal" drop in business since the corridor began to take shape, said general manager Olga Merela.

But "our business is very different from others," Merela said. "Our clients are more geographically diverse and foot traffic coming through our door is not the bulk of our business."

Bonfoey president Richard G. Moore is happy with results from the Euclid Corridor project, saying traffic flows freely and the new extension of East 17th Street south makes the store visible to a stream of cars that didn't exist before.
But at the westernmost end of Euclid Avenue, Dan Krasny has given up on any traffic until the project is completed.

He shut down his Vivo's restaurant in the Old Arcade on July 1, and laid off 35 employees.

"They forced me to close my restaurant. You couldn't even walk in my front door," he said.

"Our plan is to reopen when the street is finished, but that could change in 10 minutes," he said. "People need to be told."

RTA spokesman Jerry Masek said the sidewalk by the Arcade will reopen by late July along with the street itself.

"We realize our construction has caused some merchants great inconvenience but that is the price of progress. . . . Businesses have been closing on Euclid Avenue for years, and they were not that noticeable because there was not a multimillion-dollar project outside their door. If we weren't there, businesses would still be closing."

Masek said the transit authority hopes Vivo's reopens "because it's a good restaurant."



The US Route 20 Blog homepage can be found here.

US Route 20 and Google Maps “Street View”

A view of Cleveland's Public Square from US 20 Google Maps Street View

It was recently announced that Google Maps has now made their “Street View” available in the Cleveland Ohio metropolitan area. What this means for US Route 20 fans is that one can now travel almost the entire length of US 20 in all of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, which includes downtown Cleveland. (Currently, US 20 (Euclid Avenue) in downtown Cleveland is undergoing a major reconstruction and facelift, which is obvious on many of the views.)


View Larger Map


Google Maps Street View has been available for a while in other major US cities. Another city where US 20 fans may want to make the virtual trip is the city where US 20 begins, Boston, near Kenmore Square.


View Larger Map


So if you’re bored, or if you’re simply looking to check out an area of US Route 20 where you may be planning a trip, check out Google Maps
and see if the Street View is available. A virtual trip down US 20 may help in your plans.




The US Route 20 Blog homepage can be found here.