Customer Reviews

Cleveland Then and Now (Then & Now)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been a Cleveland history buff for years and have taken plenty of "Then and Now" pictures on my own. I have been waiting for a book like this to come out for a long time. I have other then-and-now books for other cities and I'm glad one had finally come out for cleveland.
The old photos used are not the same tired photos you find in other Cleveland history books or in the papers. While some of the angles in a couple of the pictures are not quite right, this book provides an excellent perspective on how busy some of Clevelands neighborhoods used to be as well as what was lost through development, urban flight, and "progress". I think this book unintentionally helps demonstrate how disposable American society is and makes one grateful for the preservationists who try and preserve what is left. Newer isn't necessarily better.
The only fault I could really find with this book is that it could have been twice as thick in order to cover the West Side and other neighborhoods better. If your a Cleveland / history buff, this book is a must for your library.

I've been in Cleveland now for about 10 years, having moved here permanently to be with my wife. I'm always learning new things about this interesting and often vexing area. Even though I don't especially like living in the Cleveland/NE Ohio area today (this area has been hit hard economically, and it shows), this book has enabled me to learn much more about the glory, grit, and history of this interesting American city, in words and pictures. Cleveland proper was once the 5th largest American city, and the grandiosity and urban landscape and feel has been captured perfectly with the many turn of the century black & white classic photos of the downtown area, or 'Millionaires Row', just to name 2 geographical areas cited in this book! The 'side by side' juxtaposition of many of the classic 'then' pictures to the 'now' pictures, with many structures and/or buildings still standing, is eerily fascinating to say the least. If you live in NE Ohio, or go there often, this book is a MUST. You won't be able to put it down, and you will be mesmerized by Cleveland's humble industrial beginnings that helped mold NE Ohio into what it has become today! Also, looking at all the photos of people that existed 100 years ago makes you feel your own mortality as well. What is considered 'modern' today will be 'classic' or 'retro' tomorrow!

After seeing this book sitting on a coffee table at the local Crate&Barrel in Cleveland, I was absolutely drawn into the pictures of what Cleveland, my hometown, used to look like. I never realized the transformation the "Comeback City" had made over the years. Seeing the early construction of Terminal Tower and pictures including Millionaire's Row, Public Square, The Gateway, The Mall and the Lakefront changed my opinion of what our downtown actually contains. Seeing the age of what some remaining buildings in downtown showed how historic Cleveland is, and made me want to go downtown and explore. After doing that, I saw so many new things that I never knew were in Cleveland. I strongly suggest this book to anyone who loves Cleveland or would like to find out more about the history of the "Comeback City." One of the best coffee table books you will ever find! The other six books in the series (New York, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, St. Louis and Los Angeles) are just as amazing and I strongly encourage everyone to read them all!

John J. Grabowski is synonymous with chronicling the history of Cleveland as co-editor of The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History and writing other books on various aspects of the city.

Working on this project with Diane Ewart Grabowski has yielded a unique view of the city through its architecture from the dawning of the 20th Century to the beginning of the 21st Century.

Using archival photographs from back then and through commissioned works now, the focus is on the downtown area and some residential neighborhoods. There is text that accompanies the various photographs that adds valuable insight on the city.

What makes the book especially interesting is a person can literally "map out" a walking tour of the portions of the city chronicled to get an even better appreciation on how some areas have had remarkable change, while others have roughly remained the same.

While the book should be of particular interest to northeast Ohio residents and schools, Cleveland Then and Now is a history of the visions of developers & political leaders and - most importantly - the people who made the structures teem with activity during work hours and in the neighborhoods with family & friends.

This is a book I know Drew Carey would enjoy since he speaks highly of his hometown! If you are a resident or perhaps planning to visit Cleveland then this book will introduce you to the city's past and present. Great pictures as well. Nice tribute to this great city!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. Mr. Grabowksi's choice of subject matter made the book interesting, and the "now" photography is beautiful. How lovely were Superior and Euclid Avenues in the past; modern structures today, in my opinion, pale against the architecture of the old mansions... I enjoyed the glimpse of seeing how people dressed and where they shopped. When is the last time you've been in a "dry goods" store? With a spot on the street to tether your horse? This is a must-have piece of history for Clevelanders and history buffs alike.

This is a wonderful gift for anyone from the Cleveland area as it goes into so many fascinating developments of the region over time.

I really like the book; the pictures are really interesting and intriguing specially since they show the old sites and then the new change of the same sites, just like the title of the book says ="then and now". I already decided that I will buy the books as Christmas presents for my children, because is a great book to have.

I purchased this book not too long ago and I must say that this book was a joy to read and look through, it gave me a new found appreciation of Cleveland Ohio, where I was born and raised and still here to this day. Every page was exciting, to learn the "then" and "now" photos and information was amazing, I've been here all my life and still didn't know a lot of the things that Cleveland was going through and have to offer, all I can say is that it's very interesting and very educational!!!! I couldn't put the book down. If you want to know what Cleveland was and is about, I highly recommend this book!!!!!!!!!!