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1) The Duquesne Incline, especially after dark, offers one of the very best cityscapes in the U.S. and the birth of the Ohio River, really the upper Mississippi hydrologically and by elevation. It's also the second largest U.S. river measured by its discharge volume.
Cleveland boosters will scoff at this but Louisville and Columbus offer just as much urban walkable strips and much easier to navigate because they are more compact. They also have a younger, edgier feel as college towns. Overall, CLE offers more than them but it is just spread out more and can take 45 minutes to get from one cool area to another (more like 15 min in Columbus or Lville).
Not only scoff, but laugh. Downtown Cleveland offers free bus trolleys and walking from the Rock Hall on Lake Erie to the Gateway District takes only 15 minutes even if the trolleys or Waterfront rail rapid aren't used. The rail and bus rapids offer trips to the likes of Little Italy and University Circle (15 minutes from Tower City on the Red Line). The Waterfront rail rapid connects Tower City to the Flats East Bank and the Rock Hall.
Playhouse Square is five minutes from Public Square in the heart of downtown on a free bus trolley or the Healthline bus rapid, and perhaps a 10-minute walk.
Ohio City's Market District West 25th St. station is five minutes from downtown on the Red Line, and the Hope Memorial Bridge offers a 20-minute walk (if no sight-seeing) on a pedestrian walkway on the north side of the bridge with great views of the Flats and downtown. The Hope Memorial Bridge is Cleveland's Brooklyn Bridge, and, as a bonus, offers the art deco Guardians of Traffic.
If you want cheap, college bars as opposed to adult establishments and renown restaurants, then Columbus near the Ohio State campus and Louisville definitely may top Cleveland. Although Cleveland offers some famed concert venues easily accessible on the Healthline bus rapid including the House of Blues in the Gateway District, Masonic Temple, Agora, and Euclid Tavern (the venue featured in the Joan Jett/Michael J. Fox movie "Light of Day").
Additionally, visitors to Cleveland for $2.50 can take the Red Line from the Cleveland Hopkins airport terminal station, a short walk from luggage pick-up, to Tower City with its hotels and casino without ever walking outside. An enclosed pedestrian walkway connects Tower City to Quicken Loans Arena and Progressive Field.
Not only scoff, but laugh. Downtown Cleveland offers free bus trolleys and walking from the Rock Hall on Lake Erie to the Gateway District takes only 15 minutes even if the trolleys or Waterfront rail rapid aren't used. The rail and bus rapids offer trips to the likes of Little Italy and University Circle (15 minutes from Tower City on the Red Line). The Waterfront rail rapid connects Tower City to the Flats East Bank and the Rock Hall.
Ohio City's Market District West 25th St. station is five minutes from downtown on the Red Line, and the Hope Memorial Bridge offers a 20-minute walk (if no sight-seeing) on a pedestrian walkway on the north side of the bridge with great views of the Flats and downtown. The Hope Memorial Bridge is Cleveland's Brooklyn Bridge, and, as a bonus, offers the art deco Guardians of Traffic.
You're dead-on WR... (the Red Line Rapid can even get you to Ohio City in 3 mins or less!)... Also Shaker Square/Larchmere is a charming, walkable neighborhood that's directly on the Blue and Green Line Rapids... And Lakewood's Birdtown neighborhood, just across the City limits, is an up-can-coming trendy commrecial district and old-school living area -- very walk-able and a few minutes stroll from Red Line's W. 117th station.
Little Italy, which you mentioned, and neighbor Uptown University Circle is THE most East Coast/NYC type neighborhood in Cleveland in terms of density, heave (foot and auto) traffic and walk-ability. And the newly relocated Red Line (LI/Univ Circle) station in the heart of this district -- now approaching 4-years of age -- is spawning explosive TOD growth nearby...
... once, just once, it would be so nice for Peter1948 to not come off as so dog-gone confrontational toward Cleveland (and its residents/supporters). One day maybe we can learn why he has such a humongous ax to grind with the city... maybe...
You're dead-on WR... (the Red Line Rapid can even get you to Ohio City in 3 mins or less!)... Also Shaker Square/Larchmere is a charming, walkable neighborhood that's directly on the Blue and Green Line Rapids... And Lakewood's Birdtown neighborhood, just across the City limits, is an up-can-coming trendy commrecial district and old-school living area -- very walk-able and a few minutes stroll from Red Line's W. 117th station.
Little Italy, which you mentioned, and neighbor Uptown University Circle is THE most East Coast/NYC type neighborhood in Cleveland in terms of density, heave (foot and auto) traffic and walk-ability. And the newly relocated Red Line (LI/Univ Circle) station in the heart of this district -- now approaching 4-years of age -- is spawning explosive TOD growth nearby...
... once, just once, it would be so nice for Peter1948 to not come off as so dog-gone confrontational toward Cleveland (and its residents/supporters). One day maybe we can learn why he has such a humongous ax to grind with the city... maybe...
So you are saying that Cleveland is as compact as Columbus and Louisville?
I didn't say anything bad at about CLE. Quite the contrary. However, its not superior to Louisville or Columbus and ESPECIALLY for a weekend traveler.
So you are saying that Cleveland is as compact as Columbus and Louisville?
I didn't say anything bad at about CLE. Quite the contrary. However, its not superior to Louisville or Columbus and ESPECIALLY for a weekend traveler.
The point is why I, or a lot of people, probably a large majority, would disagree with this statement, nobody -- me, WRnative, or anybody else, said Cleveland is superior ... to anyplace. But you came out with a chip on your shoulder, as you always do, either putting Cleveland down or saying other, very ordinary places (like Columbus), are superior to Cleveland -- in terms of culture, walk-ability, or whatever -- which is simply patently ridiculous. It's call trolling.
I agree. Cleveland is not above these cities when it comes to things to do.
I think most people would beg to differ, esp when it comes to I diversity of things to do; things to do involving nature and natural areas, things involving cultural activities and the arts, things involving boating or on-the-water activities, things involving a wide variety and quality of restaurants (Cleveland has oft been touted as a major American (and rising) foodie city. The other 2 places aren't even on the radar, etc, etc, etc...
Sure, if all you want to do is plop down at a sports bar downing beers and chomping on hot-wings, maybe your right, but if you want to do more ...
So you are saying that Cleveland is as compact as Columbus and Louisville?
I didn't say anything bad at about CLE. Quite the contrary. However, its not superior to Louisville or Columbus and ESPECIALLY for a weekend traveler.
Cleveland is highly compact and with excellent mass transit compared to many major cities, and much easier to visit than represented by you.
And considering just major league sports and cultural activities and quality, both Louisville and Columbus are deserts compared to Cleveland. For a visitor preferring horse racing and/or blue grass music, Louisville would be an excellent choice. For those interested in shopping, Easton Town Center in Columbus is one of the top shopping meccas in the Midwest, and Columbus is tough to beat for those interested in university sports given Ohio State's excellence.
Consider that the likely top tourist attraction in Columbus is the Columbus Zoo in Powell, which is at least a 20-minute drive from downtown and sometimes much more in heavy traffic and with no good mass transit option. Do you consider that compact??? Cleveland's University Circle, with some of the nation's top cultural institutions, is a 12-minute drive from Public Square with excellent mass transit connections.
Anybody considering a visit to the three cities should click on "Things to do" for each at tripadvisor.com, select the "traveler ranked" option, read reviews, and make up their own minds which city they would prefer to visit. Admittedly, different travelers may have different priorities.
Also, the OP eventually likely will visit all three cities. So what is most important is that he's provided with accurate information about what is available and what to expect in all three cities. I've well documented everything that I've said about Cleveland.
University Circle with nearby Little Italy is a great neighborhood to visit. It has a fantastic cluster of museums and other cultural institutions and the Cleveland Museum of Art is a real standout since it came about at a time when Cleveland was among the wealthiest cities in the world and while the art and artifacts markets were a relative free for all. It's all but impossible for a city to build such a collection today.
Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Louisville are all great metro areas but Cleveland/Cincinnati are a half tier above Columbus and Louisville. Columbus does have impressive urbanity in the North-South axis along High street but is still too much feels like a big college town. The cultural institutions are a step down from what Cleveland/Cincinnati has to offer (Though Columbus is still impressive, I did every single institution during the free 'The Big Explore' Day). The views, parks and overall vibe of the Scioto River are not as impressive compared to Lake Erie/Metroparks in Cleveland especially Edgewater beach/park. Cincinnati too beats Columbus in this regard with much more impressive green spaces along the Ohio River and the amazing views from Eden Park.
Much of Louisville's growing urban vibrancy is tied to tourist trap style attractions, which may cool to a typical suburban family that thinks Texas Roadhouse is high quality dinning but to someone coming from a big city it will seem lacking. Louisville also has the weakest waterfront connection of these 4 cities.
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