What a great evening! The streets of Downtown, Uptown, and the Warehouse District were full of life during this month’s Art Walk. With visual art featured indoors and performance art on the streets (mostly!), you couldn’t get away from it. Rather than actually walking, D., J., and I rode our bicycles from spot to spot.

There was something about the above piece (@ Sur-Saint Clair Gallery on Summit Street) that really caught my fancy. Maybe it was the popsicle?

Anyhoo… next month’s Art Walk is the last of the year so set the date in your calendars! September 23! Visit the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo for more details.

It was one great weekend. Favorite OWE fest ever, regardless of the weather. Above is some of the video D. shot during festival.

Toledo’s Historic Old West End Association

Old West End to Ottawa Tavern / Toledo, Ohio / Summer 2009 / Music by Toledo artist GOLAB

Old West End/Ottawa Tavern Thursday strikes again! A group from the OWE met up and rode our bicycles for a bit, and met up with other cyclists at the Ottawa Tavern for food, drinks, and music.

The camaraderie inside the Tavern was great but I was really impressed by the camaraderie outside…

…beginning with this wonderful coupling.

Sweet handlebars.

Nice groupshot!

And more…

Parking permitted, this side of sign!

Adult tricycle! I feel like I’m in Florida.

Thanks to the Dirty Damn Band for tonight’s entertainment.

The plan was meeting everyone on the patio at Manhattan’s and later riding our bikes to the Art Walk. We showed up, bicycles in-tow. And that’s where we remained. Subsequently, we missed the Art Walk. All of us! Oh well… next month.

Manhattan’s | 1516 Adams St | (419) 243-6675

Saturday was the Toledo Bicycle Extravaganza, a Toledo Green Drinks event helping promote bikes as an alternative to the gas-guzzling norm. Groups of people in neighborhoods all over the city met up in differing spots and rode their bicycles to the Toledo Farmer’s Market downtown. A bunch of Old West Enders met in The Commons.

Most of our route was straight down Monroe Street, as it’s probably the smoothest ride to get Downtown.

Upon arriving at the Market we shopped for local veggies, cheese and bread.

It’s still pretty early in the year, yet there were some great finds.

There was an eccentric collection of bicycles, as well…

Including this little yellow number…

And one powered by electricity for when the owner tires on long rides.

At the noon hour we hopped back on our bikes and headed to Manhattan’s, where a lunch buffet was hosted and accompanied by live music.

I really enjoyed the “Fairly Handsome Band” which played what I would somewhat expect to hear at a luau. There was a little bit of rain at that point so the ride home was damp. But our spirits were far from dampened. Great afternoon!

Toledo Farmer’s Market | 525 Market St | Downtown

Manhattan’s | 1516 Adams St | (419) 243-6675

OWE/OTT was great fun. A group met up in the Old West End for a bicycle ride down to the Ottawa Tavern.

M. brought Z. and they rode a tandem!

It was an easy ride for the most part, so we kept riding… past the OT, through Downtown, down to the river, and back.

At Ottawa Tavern we all had something to quench our thirsts. And were met by friends sans bicycles. Jeff Stewart, local musician extraordinaire, was performing when we arrived.

May is National Bike Month, but events like this will be happening throughout the Summer and I will make sure to attend as many as possible.

Upcoming:

Toledo Bicycle Extravaganza

This Saturday, May 16th — Bike with your neighbors and friends to the downtown Toledo Farmer’s Market. Around Noon there will be a group ride from the market to Manhattan’s for a lunch buffet and live music! A group of Old West Enders are meeting at The Commons [Bancroft & Robinwood] at 9:30 am. Check out this PDF flyer and map for more details.

While out and about today we dropped by Wersell’s to pick up a new addition to the family.

There was a good deal to choose from.

In the end, there could only be one.

There remain plans to build another bicycle “from scratch” at the Toledo Bike CO-OP. In the meantime, D. has something to ride that is a bit faster than our cruisers.

Wersell’s Bike and Ski Shop | 2860 W Central Ave | (419) 474-7412

Toledo Bicycle CO-OP | 2272 Collingwood (St. Mark’s Episcopalian Church) | (419) 386-6090

D. and I pulled the bikes out Friday afternoon and rode downtown. The city was full of activity, including a MudHens game.

We closed the night with a couple manhattans… at Manhattan’s.

Saturday was the second Artomatic 419! weekend for ’09, so we spent our day with several hundred fellow Toledoans enjoying local visual and performing arts.

Artomatic has been a complete success… so do come out next Saturday for the final day (May 2nd).

Post-Artomatic activities included dinner at the Oliver House, more bike riding, and cocktails with friends on the back patio of Wesley’s.

D. started his Sunday with a visit to the Toledo Bicycle Co-op!

They have a gazillion bikes ready for you to claim and ride away with.

Next up…

The Ice Cream Social!

Thanks to everyone who came out, supported a great local business, and enjoyed some ice cream! I had a really great time celebrating the 1st birthday of this little Toledo blog with all of you.

… and this entirely pleasant dog! An extra special thanks to Marcia and co. at Lickity Split!

A few hours later had us enjoying R.’s birthday BBQ in the Old West End. A popular dish was the red hot sausages, but they frightened me a little so I declined.

All said and done, it was a great Toledo weekend–we have so many more to come!

Manhattan’s | 1516 Adams St | (419) 243-6675

Artomatic 419! | 201 Morris St | 419-254-ARTS (2787)

Wesley’s | 1201 Adams St | (419) 255-3333

Toledo Bicycle CO-OP | 2272 Collingwood (St. Mark’s Episcopalian Church) | (419) 386-6090

Lickity Split | 2021 Glendale Ave | (419) 382-3285

On a whim, we took a midnight bicycle ride tonight. We were careful — kept our front and back blinkers on and stayed mostly on the sidewalks. It was a very warm feeling 50-something, so I grabbed a light jacket and scarf and we rode. I didn’t feel like bothering to take a photo but I am reminded of The Triplets of Belleville so I am grabbing a screenshot from a favorite film that captures the spirit of this post. It was a wonderful ride.

Rent it, Netflix it, Amazon it, or just borrow it from the Toledo Public Library. It’s a French film but you need not know a lick of French or worry about subtitles. Trust me.

Once more, I will make note of Toledo’s importance in bicycle history because it is just that… a piece of history.

Pretty soon (or too soon) the streets will be covered with snow, sleet and ice. Take advantage of the weather while it lasts and visit downtown on your bicycle. Did you know Toledo used to be the bicycle capital of the world? Well… if not capital of the world it certainly was very important in the late 1800s taking credit for a good deal of modern bicycle innovation. The everyday metal wheel spoke was invented in Toledo! Ride your bike downtown after 5pm, when all the worker bees have gone home, enjoy the quiet streets, and own the city.

Last night saw the 8th Meet & Greet event merge with the Arts Zone Third Thursday Art Walk. There was a bus loop going between aprox. 8 different stops, including the Parkwood Gallery, Collingwood Arts Center, UT’s Center for the Arts, and the Toledo Repertoire Theatre. Eleven galleries were open (to walk or bus to) and we started with Space 237 which had the Toledo AIGA’s “Design What?” show up.

We choose to ride our bikes rather than take the bus, which was a lot of fun and J. joined us. Biking downtown at night was pretty great with little-to-no traffic and breezy weather.

We ran into the great Toledo ambassador, John Henry Fullen at Erie Street Market. He was hosting 2 newcomers to Toledo, Kalpak and Lars (L to R. Kalpak, Jody, John Henry, Lars).

20 North is showing a tribute/retrospective to Joe Ann Cousino right now and I totally recommend you check it out. There is some great sculpture, photos, and news clippings exhibited.

D. got a treat when walking into the Blue Heron Gallery (@ The Oliver House). A watercolor in the hallway clearly showed his grandmother’s house/spa in Grand Rapids, The Kerr House. It was obviously before the renovations that happened in the late 70s. The artist, Jim Brower, was in attendance and D. was happy to meet him. His watercolors will be showing through September 29th.

Before making our way to the after party at The Blarney, we strolled down to the Morris Street Studios. There was live music outside the studio and also at the Blarney, which was packed full of people inside and out. Again, a great night out in Downtown Toledo.

Third Thursday Arts Walks | Every third Thursday through October | Live Work Create Toledo Arts Zone

Meet & Greets | Twice a year | Various locations in Toledo

We rode our bicycles down, which was a blessing considering the crowded streets and mass exodus at the end of the night. There was a nice spot under a tree towards the south end of the park so we tossed down a blanket and setttled in.

The fireworks show did not dissapoint. I really loved the glittery sparkle ones that fall down like a big glowing shower.

The finale was bonkers… when’s the last time you saw a lense flare in the middle of the night?

4th of July Fireworks | Promenade Park | Downtown

We rode our bikes downtown again Saturday to pick up some food from the Farmer’s Market. Check out the amazing purple asparagus as part of the booty (top left).

That asparagus, likely picked that morning, ended up on a skewer with other veggies marinated in Garlic Expressions — you know… that amazing locally-produced salad dressing that you can pick up just about anywhere in Toledo?

Everything tasted great, including the slices of pumpernickle I toasted up last minute. We picked that up at the market, too, from Country Grains Bread Co. (based in Sylvania).

Toledo’s Farmer’s Market | 237 S. Erie Street | Downtown

Friday afternoon I happened upon news that the Paddle Boats on the Maumee were scheduled to start that day. I briskly walked ran into D.’s office and asked/pleaded/begged that we go. It didn’t take much because he was just as excited as I, so we biked down to International Park just in time to see Robert Russ, the paddle boat king, setting things up.

The paddling was a bit of a workout (needed) but so much fun. I let D. steer but played my fair share of “backseat” driver. We must go back with more people soon and have a paddleboat race. I was happy my cute moccasins didn’t get wet.

Afterward we talked a bit with Robert who mentioned he had come back to Toledo from California to visit his ill father and ended up stayin — very cool. I think there are plenty of people in town who could use some paddle boat time… and I hope he does well.

Dinner at The Docks was a great end to the night. Cheers!

Think Young Paddle Boats | International Park on the East side of the Maumee