CITY GUIDE: CLEVELAND, OHIO

Nestled along the southern shoreline of Lake Erie and along the banks of the Cuyahoga River, which has famously caught fire on multiple occasions, you’ll find the City of Cleveland - and its 380,000 residents. The second largest city in Ohio, Cleveland was founded in 1796 in a New England style with a public square at its center - a traffic and pedestrian nightmare, but a great work of modern landscape architecture today. Given its location on the edge of the lake, Cleveland was a major port city, its growth fueled by industry, trade, and growing railroad connections - notable in its history is that it was the birthplace of Rockefeller’s Standard Oil. It may, however, be most well known as the birthplace of rock n roll where WJW DJ Alan Freed first spun the tracks over the airwaves in the 1950s.

Today, Cleveland is in a state of active and continual rebirth. The Cuyahoga River is recovering, and no longer catching fire, there’s a burgeoning arts scene and the population in the downtown area is trending younger and younger. With world class museums, including the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland offers a plethora of activities for any age group. For foodies, as we here at FTWS are, there is no shortage of creative concepts, excellent breweries, and fun spots to grab a snack and a drink. It’s also a city that’s surprisingly walkable, in pockets at least. From 4th Street Downtown to Ohio City and University Circle, there’s plenty of unique neighborhoods to explore.

The way that this trip came about is quite interesting, I know many of you are still thinking: Cleveland? And we certainly caught lots of questions on Instagram asking why as well, but the answer was simple. When our Los Angeles trip fell through, and West Coast COVID numbers soaring, we turned our attention closer to home and looked to cities in driving distance that we hadn’t been to. Cleveland popped to the top of our list - we were both intrigued by it’s grit, history, and lack of expectations we had for it. So, we snagged a rental car and were on our way, one speeding ticket later… I think I speak for us both when I say we were more than pleasantly surprised - read below for a glimpse of why!

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Museum of Contemporary Art
​This one makes our list for both the architecture and massive collection. We enjoyed wandering through the substantial exhibitions of over 61,000 pieces - renowned for its Asian and Egyptian Collections. Oh, and did we mention that it’s always free?! ​

Cuyahoga Valley National Park​
A younger National Park, only just established in 2000, the valley is formed by the winding Cuyahoga river which sets the scene for dense forests and rolling hills. Just a short drive from downtown, there are a number of scenic hikes and drives throughout the park. 

West Side Market
Who doesn't love a market hall? From cannoli at Theresa’s Bakery to jerky at Czuchraj Meats, the West Side Market is a feast for the stomach, and your eyes! Even if just taking a stroll and checking out each of the vendors, it's sure to be an enjoyable experience!

Stay

Hyatt Regency Cleveland the Arcade
You likely know Hyatt Regency as a hotel in your hometown, but there’s one thing that really sets this one apart: it’s home in an 1890’s landmark arcade. Architecture aside, which we'll elaborate on below, the sizable rooms , convenient location and good value helped to draw us in.

Kimpton Schofield Hotel
Set behind a restored 1902 facade, this hotel strikes a balance of bright, cozy and playful. Emulating the crafty, creative and humble vibes evocative of Cleveland, it makes for a great home base - with a central location in the heart of it all, this hotel should be on your list!

The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland
With a design and decor meant to evoke the history of Cleveland’s steel-working industry, this hotel offers an elevated and luxurious stay in the center of downtown. If you can swing it, its amenities are sure to offer a great temporary home, like Ian’s stay at the Guangzhou Ritz-Carlton.

Eat

Barrio Tacos
Perfect for sopping up a night of alcohol, Barrio has a unique build your own taco menu with over 30 fresh ingredients. Plus creative options like the "Stoner" Tortilla: soft flour, queso, chorizo, and a hard shell in one! Generous drinks and solid salsas wrap the meal - bring you appetite! 

Town Hall
Nondescript from the street frontage, this spot offers a phenomenal selection of healthy, but delicious options. The full menu is non-GMO and abounds with Vegan and Vegetarian choices. For brunch, we had a stellar pork belly benedict and sweet potato hotcakes with fresh berries!

Mitchell's Ice Cream
While we somehow missed it on this visit, Mitchell's ice cream was recommended to us on many accords! This local chain is know for handcrafted and small batch flavors, many made with locally sourced ingredients, as well as free samples when not in a pandemic! Definitely on the list for our next visit.

Drink

Brewnuts
​Donuts are great, beer is awesome, but together? Why doesn't this exist elsewhere? Each handmade donut is inspired by craft brews, and when you cozy up to the bar, you'll be able to choose from a selection of sixteen specially selected local craft brews. What's not to love here?

Market Garden Brewery
We love a good brewery, and this one came highly recommended. With excellent food, and hefty draft list, and an amazing beer garden - for which the brewery is named - this was a phenomenal first stop in the city. Definitely try a flight, it's too hard to pick just one beer.

Azure Rooftop Lounge
There's really nothing like sipping a nicely crafted cocktail while taking in a skyline view. Located in the Metropolitan at the 9, we strolled in just in time for Happy Hour and the start of sunset. Clearly popular, we were glad to snag a table to enjoy quite a few mojitos and mules. 

See

Peter B. Lewis Building
If you’re familiar with architecture, you probably have a good guess at who this architect was - that’s right, Frank Gehry. While the exterior is intriguing, with formal metal panels and bent brick facades, we recommend sneaking a peek at the atrium: you’ll be welcomed by striking white sculptural forms that echo the brick facade and create a striking space! ​

The Arcade
Cleveland’s “Crystal Palace” is a Victorian Arcade, and a gem of a space. Widely believed to be the first indoor shopping mall in the United States, the Arcade was the first Cleveland Building to make its way onto the National Register of Historic Places. Designed by the Detroit Bridge Company, the Arcade opened in 1890 and has since been restored in 2001.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Designed by I.M. Pei, and opened in 1995, this iconic structure is meant to evoke the energy of rock n roll using an architecture that is bold and new. Using strong forms, including a cantilevered tower meant to represent reverberation from a speaker, and punchy colors, the building has become an icon for not just Rock n Roll, but also Cleveland itself. You'll want to visit too!

Final Thoughts
As the slogan goes, Don’t F%#k With Cleveland. And I’ve gotta tell you, I stand by it. Often the butt of many jokes, it exceeded every expectation we could’ve had for it. An artsy rising up vibe with a midwestern can do attitude makes this a unique place. From food to architecture, and of course beer, I’d gladly take another trip back to Cleveland. There’s so much more to explore. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.