*Check out Cityscape Pt. 1 before continuing*

Cleveland, Ohio. The stomping grounds of LeBron James, one of the greatest athletes of all time. Today is the day after the NBA Finals, the day James brought the fabled trophy back home, like he promised. The city was covered in wine, navy and gold colors to symboilze their unity. Flags waved in the breeze, and the citizens all wore their favorite player’s basketball jersey. We happened to be in the area, sort of, and decided to explore the city of champions instead of another Detroit excursion.  After roughly three hours of sleep, we hit the road and set our sights on Cleveland.

We arrived in the city around the afternoon and immediately set out onto Euclid Ave. The five of us decided to stop and try a local restaurant, which brought us to the Winking Lizard. For anybody who happens to be in the area, drop by and grab some of their wings, beers and enjoy the great service. Here the buildings stretch high into the sky, but not in an imposing way like the skyscrapers of other major cities. Many of the structures are made from brick, which came as a surprise to someone who is used to steel edifices. Along the walls rested marble statues; soldiers loading cannons and women carrying children and documents. These streets have a rich history, one that is filled with guitar riffs and busted amp machines. The last remnants of burnt jerseys are all but gone now and instead have been replaced with joyful faces of winners. The legendary Quicken Arena sits right on the edge Ontario and Huron street, across from the Cuyahoga River. I imagine these streets being lined with fans, anxiously awaiting to step foot into the basketball arena on game nights. We continued our stroll around downtown, stepping foot into Rocket Fizz, which is a dream to any ten year old or candy addict (our group contained both). The walls were lined with sweets, treats and also 50’s comic book graphics. After quenching our sweet-tooth, we decided to hit the road back home. I never once thought I would step foot in Cleveland, yet here I was, holding this camera once more. A chance opportunity, coupled with the adrenaline rush of a championship steered us to this pit-stop.

 

“Dirty Treasures”

All cities are dirty,

that much is universally true

Sidewalks are survivors of the plagues

While skyscrapers have booth feet in the grave

There is more here on the ground than leftover trash

What about the discarded?

The four-toothed junkie

Who begs for dollars

Or the woman with five children

Who’s only desire is to watch them swim

Risking the rules of trespassing just to baptize her babies.

These beautiful stains that humanity has tried to eliminate

With a system that is 99.9 percent ineffective,

These specks of cosmic dust still remain

To remind us

That the city is also

Where man’s trash transmutes into treasures.