Cleveland Then & Now (Then and Now Series)

Rating:
Summary: Really opened my eyes!
Review: 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!

Rating:
Summary: My How Things Change........
Review: 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.