Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Believe it or not, with all my travel, I have not been to Cleveland in 3 years other than the suburbs or the airport for business. I keep reading about a renaissance, and wanted to check it out. I am familiar with what was going on in Tremont, Ohio City, and all the rehabs in dt like the new casino and revitalization of Playhouse Square. I have also dined in what was left of Little Italy.
How about the east side, places like Cleveland heights?
What are your favorite streets for the most impressive urban retail, and the trendiest boutiques, eateries, and coffee shops you recommend?
I remember when the flats were just developing, and have also seen the progress in the warehouse district and E 4th st. How about the areas heading east along the BRT towards the universities? Any development there over the last 2-3 years that would impress an urbanite? At last visit, Ohio City and specifically, west 25th street was really amping up.
Any other areas that are gentrifying to create the next up and coming urban areas? Any new spots in Tremont, Ohio city, or any other "trendy" urban nabe that I need to see?
How bout the west side? Seems that Detroit Ave was gaining a scene in Lakewood and Rocky River
Thanks for the recs...remember, urban, walkable, somewhat trendy, and any big housing developments or urban flippers/rehabs are what I want to see.
What was left of little italy? Little italy never really went down hill. It's pretty consistently recognized as one of the best and most authentic little italys in the United States...
But regardless, I'm in cleveland now for the first major period of time in over a year (17 days). I'm always impressed when I come back. I have only been in town for 5 days, so I haven't been out as much,but some of the things I've seen that I had no idea about and really enjoyed: platform brewery on lorain, East bank of the flats, Scranton toepath, 78th Street studios (Detroit shoreway), and I stumbled upon the Hungarian museum in the galleria whichisn't new but I had no idea it existed and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I can update throughout this week and next week if I see and do more cool stuff.
A MUST see is the new Heinen's on Euclid Ave and E.9th. The best new urban space in the city of Cleveland. A brand new Geigers has went in next door. This entire intersection is becoming a complete gem.
The swankiest new hotel is "The 9" also at E.9th and Euclid. There's a cool vault bar in the basement and rooftop bar. http://www.metropolitancleveland.com
If you haven't seen Playhouse Square recently, the entire square has been redone with the "world's largest outdoor chandelier" above Euclid Ave.
Many more breweries have popped up as well, namely:
- Platform Brewery (new up and coming area being coined SoLo... Check it out)
- Portside
- Brick and Barrel
- Butcher and the Brewery
Hingetown is a new cool hip area with a great coffee shop.
Mitchell's ice cream now has their HQ on W. 25th in Ohio City. Must visit... Arguably Ohio's best ice cream...and they have an open viewing concept where you can watch them make the ice cream. http://mitchellshomemade.com
The area being called "Duck Island", between Ohio City and Tremont, off of Abbey Ave. before you cross the bridge into Tremont is seeing some really impressive gentrification. Really nice new houses have been built all over that area. Definitely an interesting place to take a walk through.
The new Flats East Bank is worth checking out if you haven't yet. It's a really impressive development that just completed a few months ago, complete with 7 or 8 massive new bars and restaurants, a boardwalk, and expensive apartments.
On the East Side, there is the new MOCA and Uptown Development in University Circle. The Waterloo area is seeing some seeds of rebirth as an arts and entertainment district.
The area being called "Duck Island", between Ohio City and Tremont, off of Abbey Ave. before you cross the bridge into Tremont is seeing some really impressive gentrification. Really nice new houses have been built all over that area. Definitely an interesting place to take a walk through.
The new Flats East Bank is worth checking out if you haven't yet. It's a really impressive development that just completed a few months ago, complete with 7 or 8 massive new bars and restaurants, a boardwalk, and expensive apartments.
On the East Side, there is the new MOCA and Uptown Development in University Circle. The Waterloo area is seeing some seeds of rebirth as an arts and entertainment district.
The problem with Cleveland is just that....these scattered swaths of a few blocks of gentrification, separated by miles upon miles of decrepit ghetto.
I am not trying to be harsh, and I feel comfortable saying this after spending a week there and taking everyone of your recommendations and trying to see the city with "open eyes." I have been quite a few times all over the city.
Cleveland has no more going for it than any mid sized southern or sunbelt town, but the architectural and cultural vestiges are true treasures. I drove 350+ miles just in the city limits, and I biked and walked probably another 50.
What is good is the town is not dead anymore....there are nodes of activity....I think something simple like the great chandelier in Playhouse Square...that gives the community great pride. I also thought the Detroit shoreway has cleaned up in parts on the west side, and there are small pockets of viability like Gordon Square, which is surrounded by a sea of ghetto.
Same with Ohio City/Tremont. Lets combine them into one area for argument's sake, because they geographically abut. While the areas are cool, save for 5 blocks on W 25th st, nowhere did I feel like "I am in a major city." Charlotte, Raleigh, Nashville, heck, even places like Knoxville or Midwest College towns like Bloomington have 5 blocks of hip urban bars and shops. Nowhere in Cleveland will you find miles of awesome hipness like High St, in Columbus, which runs for miles. I get it, Ohio City has Loraine Ave, it has your corner hip spots, pubs and bars, but it just doesnt scream major metro. Same with Tremont.
In my mind, here is the problem with Cleveland...you have a city built for 5 million metro, and it has 2 million plus and is losing population in its metro every year.
Even the east side areas, which are separated from downtown by miles of hood, are not that impressive, from MOCA to University Circle. Downtown itself has a few nice highlights, and certainly when Public Square is all snazzied up, that will help, but still. I keep hearing about a Cleveland construction boom but I didnt see it...maybe it just seems that way to locals since the area stagnated for years?
Look, I like Cleveland. It pains me to see Charlotte, Vegas, and Orlando grow at ridiculous rates while you have a great, walkable urban city waste away. But there are Soooo many problems to fix in CLE that when you view it from the outside, you see these scattered neighborhoods of viability, separated by miles of sketchiness, do not make for a complete area. And that is too bad, because Cleveland has the bones of a major city like Chicago. Maybe one day it will turn, but that day is not soon...in the meantime it is headed in the right direction.
Well, thanks for your comments I guess. I don't think anyone really wants "miles of awesome hipness", because to many, places like High St in Columbus feel somewhat vanilla. Cleveland is chock full of hidden gems, tucked away in unsuspecting buildings. We're content, I think, to maintain our culture and our history, and forgo the "awesome hipness" in many areas. The greatness of Cleveland is mostly below the surface, and I hardly feel that we're "wasting away". In fact there's a renewed pride and optimism in our city. It's too bad you didn't dig deep enough to find it, but a week is probably not long enough to do so.
The problem with Cleveland is just that....these scattered swaths of a few blocks of gentrification, separated by miles upon miles of decrepit ghetto.
I am not trying to be harsh, and I feel comfortable saying this after spending a week there and taking everyone of your recommendations and trying to see the city with "open eyes." I have been quite a few times all over the city.
Cleveland has no more going for it than any mid sized southern or sunbelt town, but the architectural and cultural vestiges are true treasures. I drove 350+ miles just in the city limits, and I biked and walked probably another 50.
What is good is the town is not dead anymore....there are nodes of activity....I think something simple like the great chandelier in Playhouse Square...that gives the community great pride. I also thought the Detroit shoreway has cleaned up in parts on the west side, and there are small pockets of viability like Gordon Square, which is surrounded by a sea of ghetto.
Same with Ohio City/Tremont. Lets combine them into one area for argument's sake, because they geographically abut. While the areas are cool, save for 5 blocks on W 25th st, nowhere did I feel like "I am in a major city." Charlotte, Raleigh, Nashville, heck, even places like Knoxville or Midwest College towns like Bloomington have 5 blocks of hip urban bars and shops. Nowhere in Cleveland will you find miles of awesome hipness like High St, in Columbus, which runs for miles. I get it, Ohio City has Loraine Ave, it has your corner hip spots, pubs and bars, but it just doesnt scream major metro. Same with Tremont.
In my mind, here is the problem with Cleveland...you have a city built for 5 million metro, and it has 2 million plus and is losing population in its metro every year.
Even the east side areas, which are separated from downtown by miles of hood, are not that impressive, from MOCA to University Circle. Downtown itself has a few nice highlights, and certainly when Public Square is all snazzied up, that will help, but still. I keep hearing about a Cleveland construction boom but I didnt see it...maybe it just seems that way to locals since the area stagnated for years?
Look, I like Cleveland. It pains me to see Charlotte, Vegas, and Orlando grow at ridiculous rates while you have a great, walkable urban city waste away. But there are Soooo many problems to fix in CLE that when you view it from the outside, you see these scattered neighborhoods of viability, separated by miles of sketchiness, do not make for a complete area. And that is too bad, because Cleveland has the bones of a major city like Chicago. Maybe one day it will turn, but that day is not soon...in the meantime it is headed in the right direction.
The Cleveland metro has never at any point in history had anywhere near five million people. It's about as big as it's ever been right now.
Really doesn't seem like you looked very hard. University circle is a true gem in the country. Where exactly did you go and what exactly did you do? Sounds like you drove around. Please correct me if that's wrong.
The Cleveland metro has never at any point in history had anywhere near five million people. It's about as big as it's ever been right now.
Really doesn't seem like you looked very hard. University circle is a true gem in the country. Where exactly did you go and what exactly did you do? Sounds like you drove around. Please correct me if that's wrong.
No I went to alot of places. This is constructive criticsm. I really like Cleveland and if I could, I would redirect all these people from Orlando and Phoenix and send them back to CLE.
As I said, I drove 350 miles. But more importantly, I walked from Ohio City into Tremont and dt....this is where I really got a feeling of patchy emptiness. I took the BRT to CC and walked around University Circle. I rode my bike around too.
Cleveland never had 5 million and never will...but it has the BONES to support it. I had really forgot how the built urban forms with the long boulevards places like the Shoreway and Lorrain Ave, even Euclid Ave...these were once GRAND DAMES. They should look like Chicago, but appear nothing like it.
I am telling you that every midsized southern city, from Richmond and Nashville, to Charlotte, Raleigh, and Louisville, have just as much urban, hip retail and restaurants. And those cities have less blight, and are easier to navigate since their urban cores are more compact (aka smaller). Given CLE size, history, and bulit urban form, I would just expect more from it. I think it is headed in the right direction, but the gentrified areas are literally a drop in the bucket compared to the blight that needs to be cleaned up there. And the amount of urban prairie on all edges of dt is just disheartening.
Well, thanks for your comments I guess. I don't think anyone really wants "miles of awesome hipness", because to many, places like High St in Columbus feel somewhat vanilla. Cleveland is chock full of hidden gems, tucked away in unsuspecting buildings. We're content, I think, to maintain our culture and our history, and forgo the "awesome hipness" in many areas. The greatness of Cleveland is mostly below the surface, and I hardly feel that we're "wasting away". In fact there's a renewed pride and optimism in our city. It's too bad you didn't dig deep enough to find it, but a week is probably not long enough to do so.
One thing I did sense was the renewed city pride. The I "heart" CLE signs. Really to me the chandelier in playhouse square was the residents saying, this is our "home and living room."
So compared to my last extensive visit 3 years ago, the city is doing light years better. But compared to the national gentrification and built urban forms going on, even in midsized southern cities? CLE just cannot compare. There is a longgggggggggggg way to go.
But I also agree, CLE is not flashy and Vanilla like high st in columbus. And that is ok...CLE is gritty and more street corner oriented. There are just a LOT more corners to clean up! Good luck to CLE and hears hoping it roars back, and all signs are pointed in that direction. Its just that when you have 100 bad marbles, and you only put 10 new marbles in, you still notice the 90 really bad marbles.
No I went to alot of places. This is constructive criticsm. I really like Cleveland and if I could, I would redirect all these people from Orlando and Phoenix and send them back to CLE.
As I said, I drove 350 miles. But more importantly, I walked from Ohio City into Tremont and dt....this is where I really got a feeling of patchy emptiness. I took the BRT to CC and walked around University Circle. I rode my bike around too.
Cleveland never had 5 million and never will...but it has the BONES to support it. I had really forgot how the built urban forms with the long boulevards places like the Shoreway and Lorrain Ave, even Euclid Ave...these were once GRAND DAMES. They should look like Chicago, but appear nothing like it.
I am telling you that every midsized southern city, from Richmond and Nashville, to Charlotte, Raleigh, and Louisville, have just as much urban, hip retail and restaurants. And those cities have less blight, and are easier to navigate since their urban cores are more compact (aka smaller). Given CLE size, history, and bulit urban form, I would just expect more from it. I think it is headed in the right direction, but the gentrified areas are literally a drop in the bucket compared to the blight that needs to be cleaned up there. And the amount of urban prairie on all edges of dt is just disheartening.
Well, it's not a secret that Cleveland saw a level of disinvestment in the 70s-2000s that was among the worst in the country. We were a national joke, had horrible PR, corrupt city and county government, and a steady stream of bad news going on for decades. Now things are finally starting to pick up and people are excited about it. I'm sorry (not really) we're not your (supposedly) urban meccas like Charlotte, Raleigh, Nashville, etc. but there are a lot of good things happening here. There are also a lot of hidden gems, leftover from Cleveland's boom days, that you cannot find anywhere else; but you have to do a little exploring to find these diamonds in the rough.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
