c/cleveland-west-side-living

Remember when West Side Market was open past 4pm on weekdays?

I used to hit the West Side Market after work at 6pm pre pandemic. Grab produce from the Hungarian guy at the back. Now I'm lucky if I get there on a Saturday before the crowds ruin it. Anyone else miss the old hours?

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veramiller•2h ago

Just realized my neighbor was right about the garden hose trick for the driveway

My buddy Mike (he lives over on W. 117th) kept telling me to run a soaker hose along the edge of my concrete driveway to keep the weeds down. I thought he was crazy, like why water the weeds on purpose? But after pulling crabgrass for the third time this summer (June, July, and again in August), I finally tried it. I ran the hose for about 20 minutes every other day for two weeks, and honestly the weeds barely came back. The heat and moisture actually made the seeds sprout and then die faster in the sun. Has anyone else used this trick for their driveways or sidewalks around here?

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paule53•3h ago

Took me 3 months to fix a simple sidewalk trip hazard on my property

Everyone told me it'd be a quick job. Just jack up the concrete slab and pour new mud underneath. Yeah right. First I had to find a contractor willing to do such a small job, which took 2 weeks of calling around. Then the city permit process held me up another month. The actual work took one afternoon but the concrete took 3 days to cure before I could walk on it. Ended up costing $450 for something I thought would be a $150 Saturday project. Anyone else deal with a small fix that turned into a huge headache on the west side?

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spencer_chen6•1d ago

My landlord said to just pour bleach down the basement drain for the smell...

Big mistake on Franklin Ave near the river. That old guy Ron who owns the hardware store on Lorain warned me not to do it. He said bleach just masks the smell and eats away at old cast iron pipes. I didn't listen and now my floor drain is leaking rust water into the sump pit 3 weeks later. Plumber says the bleach ate through a pinhole in the pipe elbow. Has anyone else had a landlord give them terrible repair advice like this?

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michael_bennett11•1d ago

That $600 concrete driveway seal I got last fall was a total waste

I paid a crew from over near Lakewood to seal my driveway back in October. The guy guaranteed it would hold up through winter salt and plows. Well after just one real freeze and a couple scrapes from the city plow, it's already flaking off in chunks. I should have just saved the money and let the concrete be. Has anyone else around here had bad luck with those sealant companies that come door to door?

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angela_allen53•1d ago

Spent $200 on a snowblower last January and finally understand why my neighbor swears by his

I always thought snowblowers were a waste for our little driveway on the west side. Figured a good shovel and some elbow grease was fine. Then that lake effect storm hit back in January and I was out there for two hours, back killing me. Bought a used Toro off Facebook Marketplace for $200. First use was the next storm. Took me 15 minutes. I was mad at myself for all those years of shoveling. Has anyone else caved and bought one after swearing you never would?

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wendy72•2d ago

Tried the West Side Market on a Tuesday instead of a weekend

I always thought weekends were the only time to go for the full experience. But last month I had a Tuesday off and figured I'd see what the hype was about with quieter days. Way less crowding at the produce stands, and one of the meat vendors actually took time to explain how to pick a good roast. I was skeptical it would feel dead, but it was still lively just more manageable. Has anyone else noticed certain vendors are more chatty on weekdays?

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benk26•20d ago

Hit 10,000 steps in Rocky River Reservation last Saturday without even trying.

I was just walking my dog like usual and suddenly my watch buzzed to congratulate me. Anyone else accidentally hit fitness milestones while doing normal stuff around here?

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tyler492•20d ago

PSA: I hit 50,000 miles on my car and everyone told me to trade it in - I'm keeping it

I just rolled past 50,000 miles on my 2019 Honda Civic last week and every person I mention it to acts like the thing is about to fall apart. My buddy at work keeps telling me I'm crazy for not trading it in while it still has value. But here's the thing - I've done nothing but oil changes and one set of tires on this car. It runs perfect, gets me from Lakewood to my delivery routes all over the west side without a hiccup. Meanwhile the same people telling me to trade it are the ones with $500 car payments and check engine lights. I get that 50k is a milestone but it's not like the wheels are gonna fall off at 60k. Am I wrong for thinking modern cars can go way past 100k easy or is everyone just hooked on that new car smell?

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jason524•20d ago

Finally got why everyone raves about Great Lakes Brewing after sitting at their bar last Friday

I always thought it was just hype but the guy next to me explained their seasonal Dortmunder Gold recipe change and after tasting the difference I finally get it, has anyone else had a similar moment with a local spot?

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ericb66•22d ago

The way I shovel snow has completely flipped in 5 years

Used to go out with a big aluminum shovel. Tried to clear the whole driveway in one go. Now I use a lighter plastic one and do small passes. This winter on West 117th, I finally figured out it saves my back and takes the same time. Anybody else change up their snow routine?

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paule53•23d ago

My dishwasher flooded the kitchen after a cheap seal gave out

Woke up last Saturday to water all over the linoleum near the sink. Turns out the rubber gasket on my 5 year old Whirlpool cracked and let everything drain out onto the floor. Spent $45 on a new seal from the parts shop on Lorain Ave and had to mop up for an hour. Anyone else had luck with those universal gaskets or should I just buy the exact OEM part next time?

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karen_hart•24d ago

I finally tried Detroit-style pizza after years of ignoring it

I have been a loyal supporter of Ohio City's edge-to-edge thin crust spots for ages, basically thought thick crust was a waste of time. Last month my buddy dragged me to this place on Lorain near 44th, I think it's called Crust or something, and I ordered a square just to shut him up. Man, that caramelized cheese crust on the edges was something else, it was like the perfect mix of crispy and chewy. The dough was airy too, not like that dense pan pizza you get at chain places. I still love a good thin slice but now I get why people drive across town for the Detroit style. Has anyone else been sleeping on a pizza style locally then finally gave it a shot?

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kareng27•25d ago

The guy at West Side Market who told me my knife was dull changed my whole kitchen routine

I was at the West Side Market a few months back buying peppers and complaining to a vendor about how hard it was to slice them. He just looked at my knife and said, ‘That blade is a butter knife, lady.’ I was annoyed at first, but he pointed me to a stall that sharpens knives for $5 each. I took in my old chef knife and a paring knife, and after I got them back, it was like using a whole different tool. Now I take my knives in every 6 weeks or so and I can zip through onions and tomatoes in half the time. Has anyone else had a random stranger call them out on something obvious?

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barbara84•25d ago

Just checked my property tax bill and found out my neighbor pays $800 less a year for the same sized lot

I was looking through the county auditor website last night after a friend told me to double check my assessment. I live on W 117th and my neighbor two doors down has an almost identical house and lot. Same square footage, same age. But they pay $800 less every year. How is that even legal? I called the auditor's office this morning and they said it could be an old assessment from before values went up. Anyone else notice big differences in what neighbors pay around here?

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dakotacraig•26d ago

Hit 10 years at my West Side Market stall last Saturday

I was just counting up the seasons and realized I've been selling my pierogies at the West Side Market for a whole decade now. It caught me off guard because I still feel like the new vendor sometimes. Has anyone else had a milestone like that sneak up on you?

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janab82•27d ago

Found out my garage slab was a half inch off after ordering a new workbench

I waited 8 weeks for this custom steel workbench from a shop down in Parma. Went to bolt it down and realized the slab slopes toward the door way more than I thought. Took me 3 days and two bags of self-leveling concrete to fix it right. Anyone else find weird issues in old Cleveland houses that just domino into bigger projects?

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theawest•27d ago

My whole life I've been closing my storm windows wrong (the top latch trick)

I've lived in my 1920s colonial in Kamm's Corners for about 6 years now. Every fall I'd wrestle with the old combination storms, pushing up on the bottom sash until my arms ached. Last week my neighbor Bob (the 80 year old guy two doors down) saw me struggling and walked over. He just reached up, unlatched this little metal tab at the very top of the frame, and the whole window slid down like butter. I had no idea that top latch was even there. I'd been forcing the bottom mechanism the whole time. Has anyone else missed an obvious feature on their old west side house?

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mason847•28d ago

My neighbor said I'd regret not sealing the driveway myself

He told me to save $300 and do it myself last fall, but now there's frost heave cracks everywhere and I'm looking at a full repave next spring - anyone have a decent paver they trust on the west side?

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bettywilson•28d ago

Paid $200 for a 'premium' garage parking spot near W. 25th and it was a disaster

I decided to rent a reserved spot in a new lot off Detroit Ave for $200 a month. Figured it would save me from hunting for street parking after work. Turns out the gate broke down three times in the first month and they took forever to fix it. I ended up parking on the street anyway while still paying for the spot. Learned my lesson about trusting flashy new lots around here. Anyone else get burned by one of these overpriced garage deals?

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drew906•1mo ago

Hit 100 miles on the West Side towpath trail last week

I started biking the towpath from Ohio City down to Brooklyn last spring just to get out of the house. Last week I added up my rides and realized I'd passed 100 miles without even trying. Has anyone else noticed how the trail conditions change depending on whether you go north or south of the Zoo?

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james_ramirez•1mo ago

Neighbor told me I was overwatering my lawn and she was right

I moved to Cleveland a year ago and I've been watering my lawn every single morning during the summer. My neighbor came over a few weeks ago and said I was drowning the grass and wasting water. She showed me how to check the soil with a screwdriver and now I only water twice a week. Has anyone else had a neighbor call them out on something that obvious?

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patriciacarr•1mo ago

Warning: That whole foods hot bar keeps raising prices with less selection

I used to grab lunch from the hot bar at Whole Foods in Rocky River every Tuesday for around $9 a pound, but last week I paid $14.50 for a smaller container of the same stuff. They switced the containers too, the bigger ones are gone and now it's just the small clamshells that barely hold enough. Has anybody else noticed this creeping up or is it just my timing being bad?

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troy_scott•1mo ago

Talked to a city worker about the leaf pickup schedule, had no idea how it really works

I was out raking leaves last Sunday morning and a guy from sanitation pulled over to grab a coffee at the shop next to me. We got talking and he told me the city actually prioritizes certain streets based on tree density, not just first-come-first-serve like I thought. He said my block on West 117th might not get a second pass until late November because we're considered low priority. That explains why last year my piles sat there for almost three weeks after I set them out. He also mentioned they hate when people mix in branches or dog waste because it jams the machine and slows everything down. Now I'm wondering if anyone else has gotten screwed by the timing on their street, or if there's a way to check when they're actually coming through?

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dakotacraig•1mo ago

Overheard a dude at the Coffee House on Clifton talking about street parking

I was always against paying for the city parking permits, thought it was a waste of $50. But this guy was explaining how the lack of permits makes our block a nightmare for snow plows and emergency vehicles. He said 'the street turns into a slalom course for fire trucks every February' and that honestly hit me. Now I'm thinking about getting one. Anyone else change their mind on these permits after seeing what happens in winter?

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