Old and new scooters lined up outside

There are defining moments in a city’s development. Some are good; some are bad. Lakewood has been enjoying a pretty good summer in 2007. On the public side we have a new Library designed by a top architect, the largest new school building program in the state, the L.E.A.F. Community, residents developing ways to deliver farm fresh healthy foods to Lakewood tables, the Lakewood YMCA and Lakewood Hospital.

And there are private developments, too, that speak to Lakewood’s opportunities and qualities.

Over the past year or so, more and more independent entrepreneurs see the city's potential and the loyalty that can be leveraged from the local customer base and built environment into the region.

When Matt Fish opened The Melt, he declared "Tremont is over, Lakewood is the new spot.” India Garden moved from the Crocker Park area to Lakewood to be in a better location, and then opened a second store, India Food Emporium. The ex-President of Oberlin College, retiring to Lakewood, tells people, "I love Lakewood; engaged, walkable community, nice stores especially food stores like India Food Emporium."

Perhaps the most vital development in Lakewood’s mix will be the arrival of Pride of Cleveland Scooters.

Phil Waters and his wife Meredith, have moved into the Wilderness Shop/Mattress Warehouse with the top Scooter store in Ohio. This is a transportation dealership moving into Lakewood. A successful dealership that has chosen Lakewood because it is the perfect spot for their business. A business with a large variety of good products that average 70 miles per gallon. Scooters are not just vehicles but part of an ever growing lifestyle to which many groups in Lakewood are claiming to reach out arts, green, with representatives across the board.

Today's scooters are not the scooter of Les Nesmann on WKRP Cincinnati. The Scooter has become "the vehicle" of the new millennium. Many of my friends with large motorcycles own at least one scooter. At a cost between $1,800 and $6,950, it is not only needed, but perfectly situated for the future and for Lakewood. At a time when gas prices are $3.00 a gallon and soaring, Scooters and Lakewood just make sense.

"Being in Lakewood on a beautiful shaded street with cobblestones under my feet is the perfect location for Pride of Cleveland Scooters, it is just what my wife and I had looked for. This is our piece de resistance!" said Phil. Pride of Cleveland Scooters is not corporate it is the quintessential mom and pop shop. They sell nothing they do not believe in, or would not sell to a friend.

Pride of Cleveland started as a scooter club, North Coast Scooters, in the early 90s. "There was Sam Locke, Tom Duchovich, and myself riding around on scooters. We ran into a guy named Robbie Pryor from the eastside who was a scooter celebrity. We all got together and thought, wow, we have a club! It was on a long run to a scooter rally in Georgia that we came up with the name "Pride of Cleveland." This is fitting as my family has ties with the old P.O.C. (Pilsner On Call). Then my hobby got wildly out of control, as people would come to me to fix their scooters," Phil explained.

Fate intervened when Phil was laid off from work. Talking things over with his partner and wife Meredith they decided to open POC Scooters on Lorain and West 122nd. Under Gold's Gym, it was so small the joke was Pride of Cleveland Scooter. Phil, a scooter visionary, realized that the lifestyle was growing, and the closest scooter shop 60 miles away. Pride of Cleveland Scooters became the first scooter shop in Cleveland in over 25 years.

POC then moved to West 25th street in a larger shop on the between trendy Tremont and Ohio City, a block south of the West Side Market. In this location the legend grew, and it is easy to see why. "We are passionate about this. This is what we love to do. I would be doing for free anyway if there was no store." said Phil, "If you can take your hobby and turn it into a successful business that is every American's dream." POC plans to keep the West 25th store going for now, but Lakewood will be the new home base and headquarters.

Not the only Vespa dealership in Ohio, it is certainly high on the list of favorites of the legendary Italian motor scooter company . In 2005 Pride of Cleveland was chosen to host the Vespa Club of America's Rally. Phil wondered if they were ready for such a large event but the Vespa Club America, assured them they were. The rally which was covered nationally and internationally in scooter magazines, offered two days of riding and fun. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Flats, the Stadium and Lakewood were all on the list of things to do. Sunday was a 75 mile rally, from downtown, through Lakewood then into the Emerald Canyon for a nice long ride through the Emerald Necklace.

Weeks earlier was a Vietnam Veteran Harley Davidson Rally, I had the pleasure of getting stopped at the light as the rally went by. I am a true motoring freak I love the sound of engines, and as a scooter and motorcycle owner, I appreciates motorcycles, the sounds and how people make them unique. Watching the Harleys go past, it amazed me how mean everyone looked; ready to kick some butt.

So when I jumped into the scooter rally with my Isetta, it was interesting to note the difference. The crowd was probably the same make-up. Executives, mechanics, punkers, classical music fans, tattooed or not, rich and poor, every color of the rainbow (seriously), and all types of backgrounds. But EVERYONE was laughing, joking and having fun. "People, that is Sccoterphiles, are very cliquey." said Phil. If you have a scooter, you are part of the group, and everyone will reach out. "Show at a guy's house in San Francisco, he'll say I can use his scooter, stay at his place; tell you to get rid of your hotel room. We take care of each other."

The scooter lifestyle is now an enlightened choice; an excellent choice for the alternative or even prime mode of transportation.

Pride of Cleveland is a large dealership, offering four brands; Vespa, Piaggio, Kymco, Genuine, While it is the Vespa, Piaggio and to some extent the Lambretta that we all noticed first in foreign films. Kymco and Geniune are coming on fast as strong brands and alternatives to the Italian scooters offered at POC.

Pride of Cleveland not only offers the newest hottest brands, but also has used and vintage scooters for sale. POC started as a club and still is, so if you do not see it on their showroom floor, ask. A new Vespa GTS 250 to a 1953 Goggo Scooter with sidecar can be found by Pride of Cleveland and their network of friends and clubs. They can build any scooter you want with more than 60 old scooters to pull parts from and in stock. If your wife wants Sophia Loren's scooter from "Boy on a Dolphin" duplicated, it is not a problem.

Another reason to buy is "Vespanomics."

*Highlights from the Vespanomics Fact Sheet*

*Vespanomics* (Vés pá näm íks)* n.*

*Meaning*: the ecological, economic, and personal satisfaction one achieves after buying a Vespa scooter./ Usage (Ex.)/ Lillian could be seen stylishly scooting around town once she discovered Vespanomics.

*Additional meanings*: 1. A feeling of total exhilaration; consistent with riding a stylish, high performance Vespa. 2. The incomparable level of satisfaction that can only come from helping the environment while also saving a boatload of money on gas.

/Origin/: A union of the words Vespa and economics./ Related words/: Vespanomic, adj, vespanomically, adv

If Americans were to switch just 10% of their total mileage to scooters, they would consume 14 - 18 million gallons less fuel per day and carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 324 million pounds per day as well. (Source ICR survey, May 2006). On a personal level, they could also reduce fuel consumption by approximately 58%, carbon dioxide emissions by 80%, and significantly reduce traffic congestion.

By living the "Vespanomics" lifestyle, consumers can help curb America's addiction to oil and preserve the environment from carbon dioxide emissions. They can also turn disgruntled drivers into fun freedom drivers who can't get enough of scooting thru traffic on their way to work, the gym, the store, wherever.

Pride Of Cleveland Scooter Club is a loose knit group of riders that prefer to ride scooters over having serious meetings. "Who wants to read the minutes of a meeting when you can go ride?" asks Phil, "One hundred yards away is the entrance of the Metro Parks, let's go ride.”