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I'd probably choose Detroit if it's just a weekend as most of the things are centralized around downtown and adjacent midtown. I think Cleveland is great, but its downtown isn't quite contiguous with its other interesting spots like Ohio City or the University Circle/Little Italy area.
I'm curious about going to Hamtramck which is a small city surrounded by Detroit and supposedly very densely developed and walkable, and supposedly managed to weather the latter half of the 20th century without having serious abandonment or decay.
ehh I stayed in Hamtramck and it was... ok. When I was in Detroit over the summer for barely any time at all, I saw two dudes fighting on the street in midtown, the girl I was with was harrassed basically everywhere in downtown/Greektown, and there was nothing there that you couldn't also do in Cleveland. Only Cleveland, for all its own problems, is not even close to as depressing and desolate to drive through.
Cleveland wins this quite easily.
If you're going to go to Michigan, basically everywhere else in the state is more worthwhile than Detroit. Would go to Ann Arbor for a weekend 10/10 times over Detroit.
ehh I stayed in Hamtramck and it was... ok. When I was in Detroit over the summer for barely any time at all, I saw two dudes fighting on the street in midtown, the girl I was with was harrassed basically everywhere in downtown/Greektown, and there was nothing there that you couldn't also do in Cleveland. Only Cleveland, for all its own problems, is not even close to as depressing and desolate to drive through.
Cleveland wins this quite easily.
If you're going to go to Michigan, basically everywhere else in the state is more worthwhile than Detroit. Would go to Ann Arbor for a weekend 10/10 times over Detroit.
What would you recommend as a weekend itinerary for Cleveland presumably arriving late morning on Saturday and leaving in the late afternoon Sunday?
I lived in Columbus and did multiple visits to both cities. You really can't go wrong with either, with proper planning.
I am a huge fan of downtown Detroit. Beautiful art deco buildings, delicious eats (Buddy's Pizza is top notch), great use of public spaces with the skating rink and all the art pieces, Fox Theater, Greektown, all the sports stadiums, and the riverfront. There are great museums in the area like the Motown, the Henry Ford, and the Art Institute, if those are your thing.
While a lot of Detroit's attractions are concentrated close to downtown, Cleveland's attractions tend to be more scattered throughout the metro. Also, I find Cleveland to be more neighborhood-based in that spending a few hours walking around in neighborhoods like Ohio City or Tremont is more of a "thing" than the equivalent neighborhoods in Detroit. The West Side Market is super cool, and the Ohio City area in general is great for a stroll. The Erie lakefront is also really nice. Cleveland's suburbs I find to be more interesting (Lakewood, Shaker Heights) than Detroit's.
I lived in Columbus and did multiple visits to both cities. You really can't go wrong with either, with proper planning.
I am a huge fan of downtown Detroit. Beautiful art deco buildings, delicious eats (Buddy's Pizza is top notch), great use of public spaces with the skating rink and all the art pieces, Fox Theater, Greektown, all the sports stadiums, and the riverfront. There are great museums in the area like the Motown, the Henry Ford, and the Art Institute, if those are your thing.
While a lot of Detroit's attractions are concentrated close to downtown, Cleveland's attractions tend to be more scattered throughout the metro. Also, I find Cleveland to be more neighborhood-based in that spending a few hours walking around in neighborhoods like Ohio City or Tremont is more of a "thing" than the equivalent neighborhoods in Detroit. The West Side Market is super cool, and the Ohio City area in general is great for a stroll. The Erie lakefront is also really nice. Cleveland's suburbs I find to be more interesting (Lakewood, Shaker Heights) than Detroit's.
While I hear what you're saying, I don't think Cleveland's attractions are any more scattered than most cities', and certainly not more so than Detroit. I mean, 2 of Detroit's more bustling lifestyle Main Street districts are in suburban Royal Oak and Birmingham: 12 and 16 miles from downtown Detroit, respectively. Belle Isle is about 3 miles out; ditto Eastern Market. If you're talking suburbs, alone, 2 of Cleveland's main 'Main Streets' are Coventry (Cleveland Heights, which has several) and downtown Lakewood: 6 and 5 miles out from downtown, respectively.
Also, you are counting the Motown museum (aka "Hitsville"), which I agree is awesome/must-see, but the Motown is in a regular neighborhood NW of downtown. The DIA is also not downtown, but in Midtown, which is a strong up-and-coming Detroit neighborhood adjacent to downtown. If you count this as downtown, it's only fair to include Cleveland's Ohio City, which at the moment, is a bit stronger, more intense than Midtown. OC's West Side Market is actually closer to the center of Cleveland than DIA is to the center of Detroit (a 10-12 min walk over one of the bridges, and a 2.5 min rapid transit ride from Public Square). It is true that University Circle is 4/5 miles east of downtown Cleveland, but is a highly concentrated, parklike (beautiful) arts and cultural district -- location-wise, U Circle is similar to Pittsburgh's Oakland cultural neighborhood.
And as for beautiful buildings to look at, as you note (correctly) that Detroit has, Cleveland has its share as well, like the Arcade, Tower City, Heinen's grocery store (formerly the Cleveland Trust rotunda) among them. SIDE NOTE: the AT&T Building (formerly the Bell Telephone tower) was the model used for The Daily Planet in the 1950s "Superman" TV show... coincidently Superman's creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, were born & raised on Cleveland's East Side (Glenville).
Detroit is better. I has more energy and things to do. The city is getting stronger and rebuilding. Detroit is also a foodie city with many new restaurants and unique cuisines. Check out these places:
I'm wondering in which ways Detroit qualifies for the ubiquitous "foodie city" designation that Cleveland wouldn't.
I don't doubt that with a knowledgeable tour guide that there would be more to see and do in Detroit.
However, Cleveland seems to be much more of a tourism-facing city. So I would say Cleveland is much better for a quick weekend in the same way San Diego would be better for a weekend than L.A.
I'm wondering in which ways Detroit qualifies for the ubiquitous "foodie city" designation that Cleveland wouldn't.
I don't doubt that with a knowledgeable tour guide that there would be more to see and do in Detroit.
However, Cleveland seems to be much more of a tourism-facing city. So I would say Cleveland is much better for a quick weekend in the same way San Diego would be better for a weekend than L.A.
Besides Detroit's varied ethnic cuisines you also have nearby Winsor (trucker protest and passports aside), which boasts its own food scene. To each his/her own.
What would you recommend as a weekend itinerary for Cleveland presumably arriving late morning on Saturday and leaving in the late afternoon Sunday?
If I personally had a friend coming this weekend for that time frame, I would have them do the following:
Day 1
- Lunch/drinks at Great Lakes
- Stroll around West Side Market
- Another beer or two somewhere else on 25th.
- Walk over Lorain Carnegie Bridge to downtown. Work off the food, great view, admire the Guardians of Traffic.
- Walk through Erie Street Cemetery.
- Matinee at Playhouse Square
- Stroll down Euclid. Check out the Heinen's dome, photos in the Euclid Arcade.
- Get a coffee at Roman Cafe and sit on the patio on E 4th street, talk and people watch.
- Get dinner at Collision Bend on the riverside patio.
- Head to the Flats for the nightlife.
Day 2
- Hit the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- Walk around Wade lagoon to Euclid Avenue.
- If Severance does tours, get on one of those.
- Quick drink at the Jolly Scholar.
- Walk up to Little Italy to Presti's for a coffee, check out some shops.
- Lunch at Mia Bella.
- Walk it off around Lakeview Cemetery, especiall Garfield Memorial and Wade Chapel.
That's probably all there is time for. That's just what I would do personally with friends of mine. Others may not think this sounds fun at all. Your mileage may vary. But I think downtown, Ohio City, University Circle, and Little italy make a great impression on visitors and showcase the variety of the city pretty well.
What city is better to stay in a centrally located area that is walkable to nice bars and restaurants? It will only be for a weekend. Which do you choose and why?
For a weekend? Cleveland. Am I partially biased-perhaps, but here’s my why:
-Public Transit: RTA connects direct from airport, which makes it pretty easy to get in/out/around without a car. Even with a car, you could still make use of the two BRT routes (east and west), as well as rail connection to Ohio City/W 25th, Gordon Square/West 65th, Edgewater, University Circle, Little Italy, Shaker Square and Van Aken Market Hall. Connects said places better, too.
-Nature: I mean this is just me and you really only mentioned bars and restaurants, but, Cleveland sits directly on Lake Erie as opposed to a river, so it has nearby places like Edgewater Park, then, it has garden style parks like Rockefeller Cultural Gardens and Lakeview Cemetery, the Towpath Bike Trail running through waterfront and for a ways south, and significant surrounding hiking esp if you have a car (Rocky River and Hinckley Reservations, and CVNP. I would want to mix in some nature with urban exploring, and I see little possibility that Cleveland loses that battle imo.
-Beer, specifically and bar hopping, I’m not sure anywhere in Detroit quite has the level of breweries or bar hopping that Ohio City has to offer. The West Side Market is also truly an institution for the city. Also, if we’re talking or prioritizing proximity, Cleveland has an Asia Town on the near east side, Little Italy on east side and other ethnic districts scattered throughout in a kind of primary radius I’m not sure Detroit has, even if it overall has more ethnic eating options spread around the metro.
-Downtown Cleveland does feel a bit safer and more compact and fully developed to me at this point, even if perhaps Woodward or parts, specifically has come further than anywhere in Cleveland individually.
You only really made mention of weekend visit in primary point. Detroit is a largely city/metro and does have certain bigger amenities as an area overall that Cleveland doesn’t, but Cleveland IMO is a more compact, traditionally urban and as a result, vibrant feeling place, and so that difference and convenience will be felt in the overall enjoyment of your trip. I do want to experience Detroit more at some point, though.
Besides Detroit's varied ethnic cuisines you also have nearby Winsor (trucker protest and passports aside), which boasts its own food scene. To each his/her own.
Here's another telling me how Cleveland "low key" (is that what the cool kids say?) has one of the nation's best food scenes and its only getting better!
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