Dan Crissman

CLEVELAND IN 50 MAPS is a delightful combination of history, geography and sociology. I saw a review on line and borrowed it from the library. After I read it, my husband did as well. We then bought a copy for our coffee table. It’s that good.
Through the use of maps, author Dan Crissman and cartographers Evan Tachovsky & David Wilson show the changes in various aspects of the Cleveland area since soon after the city was established until the current decade, both positive and negative. It covers the growth and diversity of the area over the years and mentions the organization, purposes, some of popular spots, and the reasons for many of the changes. It also shows the Metroparks, flood zones, Lake Erie ice coverage, and rivers.
There is a map that explains the street plan of the city: because of its layout along the southern shore of Lake Erie, Cleveland spreads from east to west. Streets travels north to south, avenues from east to west.
While Cleveland was formerly known as the Forest City, a map shows its more recent tree coverage.
It mentions problems such as foreclosures, opiod-related deaths, and barricades as well as automobile accidents, and bridges.
There are maps showing institutions ranging from breweries, the growth of Cleveland Clinic, clubs and music locales, and religious institutions. Two show that most NFL players and common pleas judges come from a handful of high schools, mostly Catholic.
Others show changes in commuter rail lines and how close people live to libraries, supermarkets, and parks. They also show the Metroparks locations, flood zones, Lake Erie ice coverage, and waterways.
One of my pet peeves about Northeast Ohio is the excessive number of noise barriers. (I live within a quarter mile of one. I never heard the highway noise until the barrier was built.) The book notes they “often cut...off neighboring communities from each other while doing little to block the noise.”
The copy is brief but informative. The maps vary from simple one-issue information to more complicated ones that offer many areas to explore. This wonderful book puts Cleveland back on the grid. Even if you've never been here, there is much to gain from about the area in CLEVELAND IN 50 MAPS unique view of greater Cleveland.… (mais)