Cleveland, situated on Ohio’s “North Coast” is no longer the poster child of the Rust Belt, but instead a city that has reinvented itself, with great museums, parks, restaurants, breweries, cultural facilities, and ultra hip neighborhoods.
My roots on my mother’s side go back several generations in Cleveland. In the early 20th century, my great grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Romania, settling in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood of Cleveland. They joined tens of thousands of other immigrants attracted to Cleveland’s growing industrial economy. Many of these immigrants came from Eastern Europe, including Poland, Romania, Russia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Slovakia. Others, including African Americans, made the great migration from the south. Its location on Lake Erie as well as the Ohio and Erie Canal made it a prime manufacturing, transportation and shipping hub. It was in Cleveland that John D. Rockefeller founded Standard Oil. By 1920, Cleveland was the country’s fifth largest city.
The growth of Cleveland began to slow in the 1960’s, as people moved to the suburbs, and jobs, especially in the automotive and steel industry, moved overseas. Long the butt of jokes, Cleveland was once nicknamed the ‘Mistake on the Lake’, possibly because of it falling into default 1978, and the several occasions when the polluted Cuyahoga River caught fire. It was the poster child of the Rust Belt. Things began to turn around in Cleveland by the 1980’s, as the city diversified its economy and new office and cultural buildings sprouted up in the downtown area. The 1990’s Drew Cary Show, set in Cleveland, helped to make Cleveland cool through the theme song “Cleveland Rocks”.
While no longer the industrial powerhouse that it once was, with a population that continues to decline, Cleveland has strived to reinvent itself. The city has recently upped its reputation, touting its many museums, great restaurants and renowned chefs, cultural facilities, beautiful parks, a cleaner lake and river, and its many breweries. No longer the mistake on the lake, Clevelanders now simply call it “The Land”.
Downtown Cleveland
Cleveland Public Square and Tower City Center – In the heart of downtown Cleveland sits Public Square. This ten acre, four block park includes a statue of the City’s founder, General Moses Cleaveland, and the ornate 125 foot tall Soldiers and Sailors monument. In 2015, a $30 million renovation removed vehicular traffic, and modernized the space with new gardens, lawn areas, fountains, and space for special events and a winter ice rink.
Adjacent the square is the mammoth Tower City Center mixed use complex that includes JACK Casino. Beneath Tower City is the main rail transit station for the city’s transit provider, RTA. The centerpiece of Tower City is the 52 story Beaux-Arts style Terminal Tower. When it was completed in 1927 it was the second tallest tower in the world. The tower has been used in several movies, including “A Christmas Story”. An observation deck is located on the 42nd floor offering sweeping views of Cleveland and Lake Erie. The deck is open on weekends and tickets can be purchased online.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – In the 1950’s, Cleveland radio disc jockey Alan Freed coined the term “Rock and Roll” and promoted the new genre. Therefore, it is fitting that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was built in Cleveland. Opened in 1985, the I.M. Pei designed, pyramid shaped Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located on the shore of Lake Erie. This fantastic museum documents the history of rock music and its roots, and includes thousands of memorabilia and permanent and temporary exhibits, and also provides live music events.
Great Lakes Science Center – Located along Lake Erie next to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Great Lakes Science Center includes exhibits on science and natural features of the Great Lakes region. The center includes the NASA Glenn Visitor Center that focuses on space research. In addition, the huge William Mather steamship / freighter is part of the center and open to the public.
Cleveland Arcade – The beautiful six story, glass domed Cleveland Arcade was the first indoor shopping center built in America, and opened in 1890. It was modeled on the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, and one of its financiers was Cleveland native John D. Rockefeller. The Arcade was renovated in 2001 and has numerous stores and eating establishments. The arcade is located east of Public Square between Superior Avenue and Euclid Avenue.
East Fourth Street – Along East Fourth Street, between Euclid Avenue and Prospect Avenue, is a lively pedestrianized entertainment zone offering a variety of restaurants, breweries, shops and entertainment. Cleveland native and renowned Chef Michael Symon operates both Lola, and Mabel’s BBQ.
Playhouse Square – Playhouse Square, located along Euclid Avenue, is Cleveland’s theater district. It is the largest performing arts center in the U.S. outside of New York. Playhouse Square has ten theaters and is home to the Cleveland Ballet and the Cleveland International Film Festival. The World’s largest outdoor hanging chandelier hangs over Euclid Avenue at East 14th Street.
The Flats – Beneath a number of bridges leading to downtown, the low lying area along both sides of the twisting Cuyahoga River is known as the Flats. Originally a heavy industrial area containing iron furnaces, shipyards, oil refineries (including Standard Oil) and factories, the area today is a mixture of housing, dining and entertainment uses while retaining some industry. The East bank has a number of restaurants, Settler’s Landing Park and Rivergate Park, while the West bank includes restaurants, bars, Heritage Park, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, and Jacobs music pavilion.
University Circle Area
A few miles east of downtown is the University Circle area, home of Case Western University, and many of Cleveland’s cultural institutions. These include the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Crawford Auto Aviation Museum, and the Cleveland Botanical Garden.
Cleveland Museum of Art – This huge art museum is internationally renowned for its large collection of Asian and Egyptian art. The museum, free to the public, has more than 60,000 works of art from around the world. The museum is held within a large neoclassical building, and a large modern glass roofed atrium was added in 2012. The surrounding Wade Park holds outdoor gardens and galleries. A cast of Auguste Rodin’s ‘The Thinker’ is installed at the top of the museum’s main staircase.
Little Italy – To the immediate east of University Circle is Cleveland’s Little Italy. Settled by Italian immigrants, the walkable neighborhood has numerous Italian restaurants, bakeries, shops and galleries, mostly centered along Mayfield Road.
Lake View Cemetery – The huge Lake View cemetery is the resting place for many of Cleveland’s wealthiest families, including the Rockefellers. The cemetery has numerous monuments and mausoleums among its wooded rolling hills. Two sites within the cemetery are on the National Register of Historic Places, including the James A. Garfield Memorial (tomb of President Garfield), and the Wade Memorial Chapel. The 70 foot tall Rockefeller obelisk is where John D. Rockefeller is buried.
Cleveland Cultural Gardens – Cleveland is nicknamed “Forest City” and this is evident when driving through its many parks, including the Cleveland Cultural Gardens within Rockefeller Park. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, connecting Lake Erie to University Circle, traverses through Rockefeller Park, where 33 distinct gardens designed by cultural or nationality groups are displayed. One can spend an entire afternoon driving and visiting each of the scenic gardens.
Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights
Shaker Heights, an older, leafy garden style suburb adjacent Cleveland, has some of the most attractive neighborhoods and homes in the region. The majority of the city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is characterized by wide tree lined boulevards, many lined with mansions in various architectural styles. Just west of Shaker Heights along Shaker Boulevard is Shaker Square, a shopping and entertainment district. Adjacent Shaker Heights is Cleveland Heights, which also has many beautiful homes and shopping districts including Coventry Village. I enjoy driving the many beautiful streets such as Fairmount Boulevard, Coventry Road, and North and South Park Boulevards, looking at the beautiful massive homes.
West Side
Ohio City – This revitalized neighborhood just west of downtown is home to historic homes and many restaurants, bars, breweries, coffee shops, and galleries. The neighborhood is anchored by the bustling West Side Market on West 25th Street. The market was built in 1912, serving Cleveland’s growing immigrant population. The market’s many vendors sell a variety of international foods including Eastern European items.
Tremont – Above the west bank of the Cuyahoga River sits the historic Tremont neighborhood. Restaurants, coffee shops and bars are scattered throughout the neighborhood, but primarily along the Professor Avenue commercial district. The neighborhood has the home from the movie “A Christmas Story” which is open to the public. Saint Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral, with its 13 onion domes, was the site of the wedding scene in the film “The Deer Hunter”.
Detroit-Shoreway – This west Cleveland neighborhood is home to the Gordon Square Arts District along Detroit Avenue, featuring a large variety of arts, retail and dining establishments. Nearby, the 78th Street Studios has dozens of galleries within an old, former American Greetings card building.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo – South of Tremont is the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. The zoo is divided into several bio-thematic areas housing animals from different regions of the world, including the African Adventure, Northern Trek, Austrailian Adventure and Primate Cat and Aquatics. The RainForest is contained within a large two acre building, and has over 10,000 plants and 600 animals from different parts of the world.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Located between Cleveland and Akron is Cuyahoga National Park, the only national park in Ohio. The park features natural and man-made attractions, including forests, waterfalls, wetlands, and rock outcroppings. Brandywine Falls is the largest of the park’s waterfalls, at a height of 65 feet. Within the park is the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, and a 19th century farmhouse.
Take an Organized Tour
There are a variety of tours of different Cleveland attractions available through Viator. These include food tours of Little Italy, Tremont, West Side Market and Ohio City, guided walking tours of downtown, brewery and bar hunt tours, and admittance tickets to attractions such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
