Code,911090
Subject,David Woldman
Date,7/3/2018
Interviewer,Sarah Nemeth
Abstract,"Dave Woldman recalls his experiences in the Heights during the 1960 through the 1970. He grew up in a conservative Jewish home, but later embraced the counterculture movement and the alternative lifestyles particular to Coventry Village. "
Tags,"Coventry, Cleveland Heights, counterculture, Rock Court, Jewish "
Special Notes,Intermittent thunder in background during minutes 30-50.
minutes:,
0,Sarah Nemeth introduces the interview. David Woldman born 1954 in Cleveland. Early in life and what parents did for a living. 
1,Grew up in Cleveland Heights. Attended Temple at Mayfield and Lee. At thirteen went to Coventry Rd. for the first time after hearing of the C-Saw Café shooting. 
2,"Around 1967, the C-Saw Café shooting changed Coventry. "
3,"Coventry was dirty, grimy. Like a whole new world. Explains what he did on his first visits to the area. "
4,Describes the people on Coventry. Mentions the transition from Jews to motorcyclists to becoming a haven for those trying to stay under the radar.
5,Coventry was exotic because of the stores. Compares Coventry to Shaker Heights. 
6,Compares Shaker Heights to Coventry. Socio-economic divides in Shaker Heights. 
7,From a conservative Jewish family. Biking allowed him to experience the city and life. Lists the first places he ventured. 
8,Comments on his family's beginnings in Cleveland Heights. 
9,Remarks on growing up Jewish. 
10,Remarks on growing up Jewish. Religious differences between Catholics and Jews. 
11,"Religious and racial divisions in Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights. An ""us and them"" mentality. Share shares the first time a black friend visited his house. "
12,Shares the first time a black friend visited his house. 
13,"Shares the first time a black friend visited his house. Although the community divisions were present, he tried to avoid them."
14,Mentions Mawby's on Cedar and Lee. 
15,There were a lot of Jewish deli's. Many generations were represented. Coventry was a transitional zone. 
16,Pockets of ethnic and racial enclaves. People were not necessarily friendly in the late-1960s.
17,"Compares Coventry to what Ohio City used to be  like. After the Jewish community left, those down on their luck converged in Coventry. "
18,Lists why people moved east. He explored a lot as a child. 
19,"His generation was influenced by Abbie Hoffman, Steal This Book, and The Gorilla Handbook. "
20,"Nuclear drills, fear, and Vietnam affected his generation. Believed that the government should know how the populace felt. "
21,In 1969 got hit by a car.  
22,Continues to remark on the accident. Got involved in bicycle racing. Mentions Shaker Velo Sport. 
23,Shares his experiences while riding bikes. 
24,Shares his experiences while riding bikes. 
25,Shares his experiences while riding bikes. 
26,Turned away from his community in the early-1970s to prepare for the possibility of going to Vietnam. 
27,"Involved in Boy Scouts, which transitioned into preparing for the possibility of going to Vietnam. "
28,"After High School, in late-1971, moved to Denver, Colorado. "
29,"Shares his experiences while in Denver, Colorado. "
30,"Shares his experiences while in Denver, Colorado. "
31,"Shares his experiences while in Denver, Colorado. "
32,"Shares his experiences while in Denver, Colorado. Moved back to Cleveland Heights and ventured out to Coventry as an adult. Coventry had changed. "
33,"Coventry matured while he was away. Motorcyclists lost their grip, the police moved in, and drugs were floating around. Nature of civilization seemed to be changing. "
34,"On the street things were easier. At first, Coventry was a place that no one cared about. Only after the street fairs did problems in the area become noticeable. "
35,"First street fair was 1974/75. The neighborhood was still run-down, but it had cooler stores and was more personal. "
36,"Frequently visited Irv's, Height's Pet World, Record Revolution, and Coventry Pizza. Describes Irv's. "
37,Continues to describe Irv's. 
38,Describes Record Revolution. 
39,Continues to describe Record Revolution. 
40,Describes Coventry Pizza. 
41,Continues to describe Coventry Pizza. Mentions the local Big Boys and The Flipside (a bar). 
42,"Stores on Coventry were popular because they were specific and unique. Lists some of the stores on Coventry. 1972, the theatre started showing midnight movies."
43,Describes Tommy's as a wine bar. Frequented places on Euclid Avenue. 
44,The merchants on Coventry fit his generation's lifestyle better. Tried to stay non-establishment. Coventry grew into becoming a community. 
45,1974-1975 Coventry started becoming a community and destination. 
46,It became a community that cared about each other and growing together. There was no longer a us and them mentality. 
47,"Coventry symbolized that an outcast could become successful. Coventry was called ""Commi-City."" Foraged for materials to sell at High Tide Rock Bottom for owner. "
48,Provided a living for themselves through unique interests. Shares California experiences. 
49,Shares California experiences. 
50,Shares California experiences. Compares Ohio to California. 
51,A jeweler in the basement of High Tide Rock Bottom allowed him to use jewelry making tools. 
52,Coventry was a self-created underground neighborhood. After California he rented a house on Rock Court.
53,Describes Rock Court. Mentions the Rock Court Clown ministry. 
54,An artist colony lived on Rock Court. Describes his interactions with the artist colony. 
55,Shares his experiences with the artist colony. Artist colony vs. Pick-N-Pay expansion. 
56,Artist colony vs. Pick-N-Pay expansion. Describes the artist colony. 
57,The three clap-houses were finally torn down by 1976 and the artist colony dissipated.  
58,"By 1976, the neighborhood started changing including the types of drugs popular. Started working at Carroll Drug. "
59,Describes Carroll Drug. 
60,Describes his experiences working at Carroll Drug. Coventry was constantly in flux.  
61,More significant change took place when merchants/business owners stopped working together. Change from a playground to a business area. 
62,Late-1970s the neighborhood gentrified and went commercial. Describes Louis Zipkin. 
63,Comments on Louis Zipkin. 
64,Some in the neighborhood fought to change the neighborhood from a hippie haven to something else. Comments on the many fires that swept through Coventry.
65,Questions the legitimacy of the fires. Explains where the artist lofts were located. 
66,Explains where the artist lofts were located before the fire. Continues to question the legitimacy of the neighborhood's fires. 
67,"For Woldman, 1978 was a time of personal changes. "
68,By 1978 he met his to-be wife and moved out of the area. Still frequently visits Coventry today. 
69,In the 1990s had an encounter with two punks. Mentions the installation of cameras to monitor the street. 
70,The installation of cameras signified: gentrification arrived and the 70s are over. The neighborhood changed once the original stores left. 
71,The original stores left and Coventry changed. 
72,The residents and street grew older and so too did their needs. 
73,Coventry residents were always a step more liberal. They could see past social divides. Overtime those divides found a way back into the neighborhood. 
74,"By the 1990s Coventry residents no longer shared similar mores. Before differences were heard and appreciated, but that time has pasted.  "
75,"Coventry gave a generation a space to conceive of ideas and start working them out. Describes Coventry today as a nostalgic, commercial area. "
76,"He tells people he is from the Heights, which symbolized a whole different attitude. Shares how he brought up his daughter. "
77,"The attitude of the Heights, as it pertains to parenting."
78,Shares a story of his son's run-in with the cops and his ability to see past race. 
79,"If Cleveland was a melting pot, then Coventry was where it melted. Interview ends. "
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