Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio is a beautiful, vibrant city on the shores of Lake Erie. It's not just a great place to live, but there are many great reasons to visit it, too!
Recreational, cultural and educational opportunities are abundant throughout Northeast Ohio. You'll find world-class museums and cultural events, exciting professional sports and amusement parks, and more golf courses per capita than anywhere else in the United States - all in Northeast Ohio. In fact, this region ranks fifth in the nation in number of major cultural resources per one million residents.
Understand
Cleveland is the urban center of Northeast Ohio, the 14th largest consolidated metropolitan area in the United States. Throughout the twentieth century, Cleveland was ranked as one of the 10 largest cities in the U.S., but like most U.S. cities, began to lose population to suburban areas in the 1960s and 1970s. Unfortunately, Cleveland received a bad reputation in the 1970s due to a series of unfortunate events, most notably the Cuyahoga River catching fire. Okay, it didn't actually catch fire. Some debris floating on top did. Still, the name-calling continues ("Mistake On The Lake" is a perennial favorite). However, in the mid-1980s, Cleveland earned the nickname the Comeback City as the urban core experienced a dramatic revitalization process that continues today.
Like other cities in the "rust belt", Cleveland has endured growing pains as it makes its transition from a manufacturing-based economy. While Cleveland earned the reputation as the "Silicon Valley of the Industrial Age", it also developed economic prowess in the fields of health care, law, finance, insurance, real estate development, and professional services. Cleveland is not only home to early innovations in technology (such as automotive and aeronautical components, steel, petroleum, rail, shipping, electrical lighting and telecommunications), but has made some of the most profound contributions to modern medicine (blood transfusions, heart-lung machines, heart transplants, use of anesthetics during surgery and many more).
What non-locals don't often realize is that Cleveland's long history of industrial wealth has left it chock full of cultural riches as well as the beginnings of a "sustainable city" movement. For decades, the city has boasted of a "Big Five" orchestra (The Cleveland Orchestra), the second largest performing arts center in the U.S. (Playhouse Square Center), a world-renowned art museum (The Cleveland Museum of Art), the nation's first health museum (HealthSpace Cleveland), (the NASA Glenn Research Center) and a number of other first-rate attractions. During its "comeback" years, Cleveland has added the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Great Lakes Science Center and four new sports facilities in the downtown area for its professional baseball (Indians), basketball (Cavaliers) and football (Browns) teams as well as the Cleveland State University Vikings basketball team. To complete the "Hall of Fame Cycle", tourists can plan visits to the Rock Hall, Inventure Place (the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame (in Canton).
Despite the perception that Cleveland is an industrial town, just beyond the automotive and steel plants, a clean and beautiful downtown sits at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River on the southern shore of Lake Erie (often marvelled over by visitors who are surprised you can't see the other side, i.e., Canada).
Get in
By plane
- Cleveland Hopkins Airport, CLE. Cleveland's main airport is located on the west side of the city. The airport is served by most of the major domestic airlines, and it is a hub for Continental Airlines as well.
- Burke Lakefront Airport. A small airport right on the shore of Lake Erie that handles private jet traffic.
- Cuyahoga County Airport is located in northeastern Cuyahoga County.
- Akron-Canton Airport, CAK. Visitors could also use this airport which is a 45-minute drive from Cleveland.
By car
Three two-digit Interstate highways serve Cleveland directly. Interstate 71 begins just southwest of downtown and is the major route from downtown Cleveland to the airport. I-71 runs through the southwestern suburbs and eventually connects Cleveland with Columbus. Interstate 77 begins in downtown Cleveland and runs almost due south through the southern suburbs. I-77 sees the least traffic of the three interstates, although it does connect Cleveland to Akron. Interstate 90 connects the two sides of Cleveland, and is the northern terminus for both I-71 and I-77. Running due east/west through the west side suburbs, I-90 turns northeast at the junction with I-71 and I-490, and is known as the Innerbelt through downtown. At the junction with the Shoreway, I-90 makes a 90-degree turn known in the area as "Dead Man's Curve", then continues northeast, entering Lake County at the eastern split with Ohio 2.
Get around
Cleveland currently has a bus and rail mass transit system operated by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, also known as "RTA". The rail portion is officially called the Cleveland Rapid Transit, but is better known as The Rapid. It consists of two light rail lines, known as the Green and Blue Lines, and a heavy rail line, the Red Line. RTA is currently installing a bus rapid transit line, coined the "Silver Line", which will run along Euclid Avenue from downtown to University Circle.[19]
See
- Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Boulevard, Ph: (216) 421-7350, . A free art museum offering exhibits of everything from Greek and Roman statue to modern art. Closed on Mondays, open Tu, Th, Sa, Su 10AM-5PM, We, Fri 10AM-9PM.
- Cleveland Orchestra, 11001 Euclid Avenue (Severance Hall), Ph: (216) 231-7300, .
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, . Located on the Lake Erie shoreline, this distinctive building was designed by noted architect I.M. Pei and houses a massive collection of rock and roll memorabilia.
- Cleveland Museum of Natural History .
- Great Lakes Science Center .
- Museum of Contemporary Art, .
- Cleveland Botanical Garden, .
- Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, .
- Playhouse Square .
- West Side Market, .
- Lake Erie. The much improved Great Lake defines Cleveland's north border and provides many opportunities for boating, fishing, swimming and walks.
- University Circle, . University Circle is located several miles from downtown and can be reached via Euclid Avenue. The circle itself is a large open area that is often filled with frisbee-tossing college students, but its main attractions are the numerous museums and schools which surround it.
- Cuyahoga Valley Towpath, .
- The Arcade in Cleveland, . Built in 1890 and designed by John Eisenmann. The construction was financed by John D. Rockefeller, Marcus Hanna and several other wealthy Clevelanders of the day. The cost of the project was approximately $875,000 - today it would be impossible to replicate. The inspiration of the project is said to be the Vittorio Emanuele in Milan, Italy. Although pedestrian arcades exist in several North American cities, few - if any, compare to the grandeur of the Arcade in Cleveland. The Arcade was the first building in Cleveland to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The structure features a 5 story high atrium with extensive metal decorative work. The top floor features gargoyles which circle the entire atrium area. The structure includes the famous skylighted atrium as well as two 9-story towers, one each on Euclid Avenue and Superior Avenue.
Do
A wide variety of activities await you in Northeast Ohio. Whether you are looking for outdoor fun, culture, the fine arts, history, sports, shopping, clubbing and dining - Cleveland ROCKS!
Sports
Enjoy a game with the world's best sports fans and ESPN named Cleveland as the "Most Tortured Sports City".
Outdoors
Historically nicknamed the Forest City, Cleveland is a great place for outdoor activities. If you think Cleveland is just a "rust belt" city, get out to the nearest Cleveland Metropark. The parks form an Emerald Necklace around the Cleveland metropolitan area, so no matter which direction you go from downtown, you're headed toward a park. Biking, horseback riding, jogging and rollerblading are easily accomodated by the miles of trails (paved and unpaved) encircling Cuyahoga County. In the winter, visitors can cross country ski these same trails. Sitting upon the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, Cleveland also provides downhill skiers with slopes throughout the area.
No "mistake" about it! Cleveland boasts miles of Lake Erie shoreline, providing enjoyment from before Memorial Day to past Labor Day for boaters, fishermen and beach bums. Sailers, boaters, waverunners and jet skiers enjoy the lake with marinas, piers and boat launches available all along America's North Coast. Fishing is popular more than three seasons of the year with healthy populations of Walleye and Perch in Lake Erie. In the late fall and early winter, anglers pursue steelhead trout in the many rivers feeding Lake Erie up through Northeast Ohio and into Pennsylvania and Western New York.
A river winds through it. Rowing crews, canoers and kayakers enjoy the diverse scenery along the Cuyahoga (a Native American term, meaning "Crooked River"). The Cuyahoga provides a mosaic of the nightspots of the Flats (dockage at restaurants and bars), downtown's towers rising up the hill, active industrial remnants of the birthplace of the petroleum and steel industries, pastoral settings and the Ohio Canal (which in the 1800s provided the connection between the Great Lakes and the Ohio River, ultimately enabling shipping from the Atlantic Ocean (via the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Erie Canal) to the Gulf of Mexico (via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers). The Ohio Canal has been preserved as a core element of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Not amused by nature? If you prefer to step up the pace, Northeast Ohio offers world-class amusement parks including Cedar Point (1 hour drive to Sandusky), Geauga Lake (just outside of southeastern Cuyahoga County) and Memphis Kiddie Park (in Brooklyn, Ohio), a small but fun park for the little ones (toddlers to pre-teens).
Learn
Northeast Ohio offers a variety of educational institutions. Among the area's colleges and universities are:
City of Cleveland
Case Western Reserve University Cleveland State University David N. Myers College, Cleveland Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine, Cleveland Cleveland Institute of Art Capital University, Cleveland Center Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland
Cuyahoga County
Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea Cleveland College of Jewish Studies, Beachwood John Carroll University, University Heights Notre Dame College of Ohio, South Euclid Ursuline College, Pepper Pike
Summit County
University of Akron University of Akron Community Technical College
Portage County
Kent State University, Kent Hiram College, Hiram Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Rootstown
Lake County
Lake Erie College, Painesville Lakeland Community College, Willoughby
Lorain County
Oberlin College, Oberlin Lorain County Community College
Stark County
Malone College, Canton Mount Union College, Alliance Kent State University Stark Campus Stark State College of Technology, Canton Walsh University, North Canton
Mahoning County
Youngstown State University YSU College of Health Human Services
Columbiana County
Allegheny Wesleyan College, Salem Kent State University East Liverpool Campus Kent State University Salem Campus
Trumbull County
Kent State University Trumbull Campus, Warren
Wayne County
The College of Wooster
Work
Buy
Downtown Cleveland is home to Tower City Center, a large urban complex, a retail mall, hotels and the Terminal Tower. The Galleria at Erieview is another complex that includes a popular lunchtime foodcourt.
Shoppers have been flocking to Northeast Ohio since the development of several lifestyle centers have attracted upscale retailers. On the East Side, Legacy Village (in Lyndhurst) has been added to Cleveland's fashion district along Cedar Road (which includes Beachwood Place and La Place in Beachwood). Nearby, Eton Collection (on Chagrin Boulevard in Woodmere) provides even more upscale options for shopping and dining. On the West Side, Crocker Park (in Westlake) provides a mixed-use "new town" environment with upscale shopping.
Cleveland's active art community has galleries throughout the area with larger concentrations in Tremont and Ohio City (just across the Cuyahoga River from downtown). Unique boutiques abound in the inner ring suburbs of Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights and Lakewood. New England charm and "mom-and-pop" shops can be found along the public squares of Western Reserve towns (settled as the Connecticut [ Western Reserve), including Chagrin Falls, Hudson, Olmsted Falls, Willoughby, Medina, Chardon and Painesville.
Eat
Cleveland is host to a wide variety of restaurants and is culinarily much more diverse than an outsider might suspect drawing on large enclaves of ethnic neighborhoods and immigration (Ohio City, Slavic Village, Parma, Hough, Little Italy and others). Certainly, Eastern European food and Soul food are big in a city where Hungarians, Slavs, Poles, Czechs, Bohemians and Southern African Americans were drawn to the steel industry at the end of the 19th century; however recent emigres have spiced up the mix, adding many more influences including Indian, Chinese, Puerto Rican and Central American, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean.
In the mid-1990s Cleveland was in step with the resurgence of the restaurant industry, and has many restaurants on-par with their larger-city counterparts, many of which are located in the Historic Warehouse District, Ohio City, Tremont, and the Gateway Neighborhood.
Today's Cleveland is not your Grandfather's sausage and pierogi steel town.
- West Side Market, .
- Shaker Square Farmer's Market, .
- The Baricelli Inn, .
- Lockkeepers Inn, .
- Lola Bistro/Lolita, .
- The Flying Fig, 2523 Market Avenue, Ohio City (Cleveland), Ph: (216) 241-4243.
- One Walnut
- Fire Food and Drink, .
- Park City Diner, .
- Pacific East, 1763 Coventry Rd, Cleveland Heights, Ph: (216) 320-2302. (Japanese/Sushi)
- Three Birds Restaurant,.
Budget
Mid-range
Splurge
Drink
Sleep
- Wyndham Cleveland Hotel at Playhouse Square, 1260 Euclid Avenue, Ph: (216) 615-7500, Fax: (216) 615-3355, . Located in the heart of one of the nation's most dynamic entertainment districts, just minutes away from four Broadway-style theaters, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Indians' Jacobs Field, the Gund Arena, Brown's Stadium and a number of corporate headquarters.
- Hyatt Regency Cleveland at the Arcade, . The Hyatt corporation redeveloped the Arcade into Cleveland's first Hyatt Regency hotel. The Hyatt Regency occupies the two towers and the top three floors of the atrium area. The two lower floors of the atrium area remain open to the public with retail merchants and a food court. In addition, the Hyatt's lobby and offices are located near the Superior Avenue entrance.
- Comfort Inn Downtown Cleveland Hotel 1800 Euclid Ave. Tel/Fax: (216) 861-0001. Centrally located off of I-90 in downtown Cleveland - just walking distance to the Playhouse Square, Jacob's Field, and Cleveland State University. The Flats is nearby, plus, plenty of shopping and restaurants.
- Ritz Carlton Cleveland, Located in Tower City Center
Budget
Mid-range
Splurge
Contact
Read
Listen
Stay safe
Cope
Get out
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Located south of Cleveland, this park follows the course of the Cuyahoga River and the Ohio Canal between Cleveland and Akron. A number of older buildings are preserved here. The Cuyahoga Scenic Railroad, with train cars from the 1940's and 1950's also runs through the park. Pick up the train in Valley View near Thornburg Station (8111 Rockside Road), a mixed use retail, restaurant and office complex sitting between the river and canal.
- North Coast Beaches. Along the southern shore of Lake Erie are a large number of public beaches. The largest natural sand beach in Ohio, Headlands Beach State Park, is located east of Cleveland, in Mentor. Cleveland Lakefront State Park also includes a large beach at its Edgewater Park, just west of downtown Cleveland. Many other beaches are available throughout Northeast Ohio, including Huntington Beach, Euclid Beach and Fairport Harbor.
- Lake Erie Islands. Located west of Cleveland, a group of picturesque and festive islands in Lake Erie are accessible via ferry. In addition to several Ohio State Parks] located on the islands, there is plenty to do including wineries, restaurants, bars, marinas and beaches.