The Chainlink Towpath

I thought you all might like a peek at the newly opened section of the Towpath Trail running through Stripmall Steelyard Commons. Click on the picture for a short slideshow…
 

The pictures were taken walking south from the rear of Home Depot to the rear of Target. As you can see, this is basically a long, narrow chainlink tunnel with the Mittal railroad yard on one side and, um, the back of a brand new strip mall on the other side. So lucky Towpath visitors can now glimpse Cleveland’s recent industrial past juxtaposedwith the symbols of our postindustrial future — prefab architecture, loading docks, dumpsters, the whole exciting World Class Retail package.

(Soon, I’m sure, the view through the chainlink will include 21st-century Clevelanders grabbing a smoke on their break and watching other 21st-century Clevelanders root through the dumpsters.)

It’s hard not to admire such a compelling representation of Cleveland’s modern economic history. And though the new stretch of Stripmall Steelyard Towpath may seem isolated and constricted — maybe even claustrophobic — it isn’t really that unfriendly; the eight-foot fences aren’t topped with razorwire. You can get over that sucker if you really need to.

But it sure seems a long way from the canal.

Update 5/7:  There’s been some debate about this post in comments at BFD.  My friend Laura says I’m being a curmudgeon and wonders where I buy my underwear.

I reply at curmudgeonly length.

If you’re unfamiliar with Stripmall Steelyard Commons, here’s a recent panorama.  Here’s a closer view with the mills behind it. And here’s one of the Towpath tunnels that Adam and Phil were talking about.