Coventry

A City in West Midlands (the county), UK. During the Second World War it was almost totally destroyed by bombing, which has shaped its development and reputation ever since. In particular, Coventry Cathedral was totally destroyed, with the exception of a few timbers, which fell into the shape of a cross.

The city was rebuilt soon after the war, which lead to large amounts of concrete, terraced housing, and several large and ugly office buildings (by todays standards). This has led to an image of Coventry being a dull, grey concrete jungle. This reputation was not improved by the building of a large ring road, which wins prizes for its signposting and ease of use despite being a total bastard to actually drive on.

The nearby countryside makes up for many of these negative points. Nearby towns include Royal Leamington Spa, Banbury, Warwick and Stratford-Upon-Avon. Coventry is also very near to Birmingham, the second largest city in England.

Oh, and Lady Godiva rode naked here.

A district of Cleveland Heights that is located due east of downtown Cleveland, Ohio, Coventry is my home, and the backdrop for my first confusing, hazy, drunken year after college. Coventry Road itself extends north into East Cleveland and south into Shaker Heights, but the actual location referred to when Clevelanders speak of Coventry is just the three short blocks of the street between Euclid Heights and Mayfield roads.

Who cares?

Without leaving my block I can eat burritos at Chipotle, grab a pizza from Captain Tony's, catch the game and a beer at a pub, stuff myself at Mongolian Barbecue, see Freddie vs. Jason at a movie theater, dance the night away and pick up girls at Panini's, pick up some phat tunes from a record store, see a punk show at the Grog Shop, grab some vintage clothing at some trendy local shops, rent movies, buy art supplies so as to capture the moment, have coffee at a little coffeeshop, drink wine at the underground wine cave, buy pot and hackysack on the corner with guys who have dreadlocks in their hair, worship at a unitarian church, get poison ivy while looking for baseballs you lost in the undergrowth while you were playing baseball at 2 in the morning, and park in a parking lot that costs $0.25 per 2 hours.

If that isn't enough, you could always cross the street to the other blocks.

There are zillions of places to eat, shop, and chill out around here. Of all the places to live worth living in around Cleveland, this has got to be one of the best.

Cov"en*try (k?v"en-tr?), n.

A town in the county of Warwick, England.

To send to Coventry, to exclude from society; to shut out from social intercourse, as for ungentlemanly conduct. -- Coventry blue, blue thread of a superior dye, made at Coventry, England, and used for embroidery.

© Webster 1913.