They added a whole boardwalk through the wetlands off the main trail, and I saw a pair of blue herons standing right next to the path - has anyone else spotted more wildlife out there since they opened it last month?
I thought it would help the cardinals but the base split open after the first hard freeze out here in Westlake. Has anyone found a model that actually survives a Lake Erie winter?
Took the back roads from Lakewood to Avon on Tuesday. Saved 10 minutes but hit every damn pothole on Detroit Road. Anyone else finding new routes just to avoid the construction on 90?
I swear I remember 10 years ago when I could walk into Deagan's on a Friday night and actually get a table, now it's a 45 minute wait even on a Tuesday. Meanwhile they're building those new apartment complexes on Detroit like there's no tomorrow, but nobody's widening the roads or adding parking. Am I the only one who thinks we're trading neighborhood charm for density too fast, or is this just what a popular westshore suburb has to look like in 2024?
I was sitting down to pay my bills last night and noticed a line item called 'Stormwater Utility Fee' on my water bill from the City of Bay Village. It's been there for years, and I always just paid it without thinking. But this time I actually looked it up on the city website. Turns out the fee is based on how much hard surface you have on your property, like your driveway and roof. My neighbor's house is half the size of mine but his lot has less pavement so he pays almost $20 less per quarter. I had no idea it was calculated that way. It makes sense when you think about runoff and drainage, but it was a surprise to me. Anyone else look into how their stormwater fee is figured out?
I've been running the Lakewood section of the Shoreway path for about 6 months now (just a mile or two at a time). Yesterday I finally pushed myself to the Rocky River bridge and back, and my watch showed exactly 150 total miles since I started. That's more than I'd done in the whole 5 years before that living in Westlake. Anyone else tracking their miles on this path and surprised when they added them up?
I planted a couple of Better Boy tomato plants back in May, just kind of hoping for the best. I've never had much luck with gardening, honestly my black thumb is kind of a joke in my family. But I watered them every day and used some of that cheap tomato fertilizer from Home Depot on Rocky River Drive. Yesterday I went out and found this huge red tomato hiding under the leaves, must have been almost a pound. I sliced it up for lunch with just salt and pepper and it tasted nothing like the ones from Giant Eagle. Now I'm wondering if I should try peppers and zucchini next year, or am I just getting lucky with tomatoes? Has anyone else in Westlake had good luck with raised beds vs just planting in the ground?
I was going over my escrow statement last night and noticed my tax bill went up like 15% compared to last year. Called the county auditor's office this morning and they said it's because of a city-wide reassessment they did back in March. Nobody sent me a letter or anything about it though. Has anyone else in the Westshore area seen a similar bump or did I just get unlucky with my specific street?
Last Tuesday I went to leave for work and my garage door just sat there when I hit the button. Turns out one of the torsion springs snapped clean in half, and that thing sounded like a gunshot when it went. Anyone know a good local company in Westlake that won't charge an arm and a leg for spring replacement?
My golden retriever was constantly getting muddy and stressed at the crowded dog park by the water treatment plant, but after trying the wooded trail with fewer people and more smells, he actually listens off leash now - has anyone else found a quieter spot for their reactive dog out here?
Totally spaced on the street sweeping schedule last Tuesday in Lakewood. Parked my truck on Detroit Ave right where I always do. Came out that afternoon and had a bright orange $150 ticket on my windshield. Didn't even see any signs up on that block. Called the city and they said the signs got knocked down by a storm last month. Still gotta pay it though. Anyone else get popped by the Lakewood street sweepers lately?
I was just browsing around the Cuyahoga County auditor site looking for something else and saw my home's assessed value jumped like crazy. Nobody sent me a letter or anything. I called a neighbor and she said hers went up too but way less. Anyone else get hit with a big jump this year? What are you guys doing about it?
I used to just set my sprinkler timer back in June and let it run every morning at 6 AM no matter what. But after that dry spell in July where my neighbor's grass turned brown while mine stayed green, a guy from Bay Village told me I was wasting water and actually hurting my lawn. He said I should only water when the soil feels dry an inch down and skip days after rain. Now I'm out there every evening poking my finger in the dirt like a crazy person. Has anyone else switched from auto-timer to manual watering and noticed a real difference in their yard?
I've been riding from Bay Village to Rocky River almost every weekend since April, and my phone finally ticked over to 1,000 miles total this morning... didn't even realize I was close until I checked. It surprised me because I just started biking to clear my head after work, not to keep score. Anyone else track their miles along the path and get a kick out of hitting random milestones?
Everyone kept telling me to go to the one on Detroit in Lakewood. I thought it was just hype, you know, like another overpriced scoop shop. Finally stopped in last Saturday and got the buckeye flavor. Now I get it. That stuff is legit. Anyone else take forever to finally try it?
I circled the lot 4 times before I realized there was a whole overflow section I never knew existed behind the rec center. Anyone else discover something obvious way later than they should have?
I was at the Westlake garden center last Saturday and the owner told me I was planting them in too much sun. Swapped them to a shadier spot near my patio and they actually look happy now. Anyone else have a plant that just refused to cooperate until you moved it?
I changed my mind about trusting my old Zoeller pump after it died during that heavy rain two weeks ago in Westlake. The basement took on about 4 inches of water before I got a replacement from Lowe's and swapped it out at midnight. Anyone else had a sudden pump failure right when the weather turned?
Planted a 4 inch basil starter next to my Better Boy hybrid in late May and by mid July it was 3 feet wide shading out the tomatoes, so now I'm wondering if anyone else has had aggressive basil run wild and if there's a trick to keeping it contained?
I was backing out for my shift at the plant when the whole door just slammed down and got stuck halfway. Took me 20 minutes to muscle it up enough to get my truck out. Called a guy from Rocky River who fixed it same day for $180, but now I double check that thing before I even start the car. Anyone else have a random morning disaster that threw off their whole week?
I drove to Crocker Park last Tuesday to grab lunch and hit 3 different road closures that weren't on Google Maps, then waited 20 minutes for a parking spot. By the time I got out, someone had side swiped my bumper in the lot and drove off with no note. Anyone else feel like the construction around Westlake is getting out of hand?
I was standing near the grill talking to my neighbor Tom when a woman walked up and said she just moved here from Strongsville and asked if the lake effect snow is really that bad. Tom looked at her and said 'only if you park facing the wrong way' which made zero sense at first. But then I got to thinking about how so many of us have these little unwritten rules for living near the lake that nobody tells you about until you mess up. Has anyone else had that moment where a local tipped you off to something obvious you never would have figured out on your own?
I was down at Around the Corner last Thursday grabbing a burger and watched three cars circle for 15 minutes before giving up and leaving because the new 2 hour limit kicked in at 6pm. How are shops supposed to survive when people can't even sit down for a proper dinner without worrying about a ticket?
Spent 3 months debating which community to join for playgroups and library programs. Bay Village's rec center programs were way more organized and cheaper by about $150 a year. Anyone else find one westside suburb just clicks better for your family?