Until a few decades ago, many people assumed that Cleveland, Ohio, could be recognized by the dreary, unremarkable color of its American football team: brown.
Suffering from post-industrial decline and attracting little international attention, this perpetual outsider seemed to live in the shadow of its more aggressive and powerful neighbors Chicago and Detroit, staying under the radar.
But when you arrive in “The Land,” as it is known locally, you will quickly realize that the city has emerged from its gloom and become an unexpectedly chic and cool destination.
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Known as the “Land of Urban Nature,” the city is close to mighty Lake Erie and the 33,000-acre Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a great place for hiking.
At Cleveland International Airport, you’ll be greeted by a gigantic Superman figure, created in 1933 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two enthusiastic local teenagers. It could be a metaphor for the city: an unassuming figure who suddenly transforms into a rising superhero.
Playhouse Square, the largest performing arts district in the United States after New York City
(Photo credit: Erik Drost)
What to do
Topping the list of things to do in Cleveland is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Opened in 1995 by Chuck Berry and Yoko Ono, the museum is in a very fitting location. It was here in Cleveland that local radio DJ Alan Freed first used the term “rock and roll” in 1951. Before anyone could say “Good Golly, Miss Molly,” it became a global phenomenon.
Housed in an impressive double pyramid on the shores of Lake Erie, The Rock Hall displays a dizzying array of memorabilia. There are more valuable items from the history of rock’n’roll inside than you can shake an auctioneer’s gavel at. All the money in the world is not enough to buy this collection.
From the jacket Michael Jackson wore in the “Thriller” video and John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics for “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” to the Cloud #2 Blue Angel guitar Prince played on “Purple Rain,” it’s all here.
What is particularly tantalising is the sheer amount of esotericism on display at the museum: everything from the Rolling Stones’ 1964 contract to compose a soundtrack for a Rice Krispies advert, to the telegram that Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren sent to Sid Vicious’s mother in 1979 to inform her of his death, to the trophy U2 won at the 1978 Limerick Civic Week Talent Contest.
Another display case contains the remains of a left-handed Fender Stratocaster, destroyed by Kurt Cobain on stage in Inglewood, California, in 1993 with a technician’s power drill. He performed the stunt to impress fellow guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who was in the audience that night.
Another great feature is The Garage, a jam room where you can join a band to play a song from the extensive playlist. The standard is extremely high. When I was there, a woman in a beanie hat sauntered up to the microphone and belted out a superb version of Aretha Franklin’s ‘Chain of Fools’.
The Hall of Fame only features rock ‘n’ roll, but I like it.
Grab the microphone at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
(Photo credit: Nathan Migal)
Home to the Cleveland Orchestra’s famous Severance Hall, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and numerous other cultural institutions, University Circle is widely considered to have the highest concentration of arts venues per square mile in the United States.
Another notable institution here is the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. One of the many amazing artifacts in this striking building, which underwent a $150 million renovation in 2022, is the fearsome “Happy” that greets you in the lobby. This 70-foot-long skeleton of a Haplocanthosaurus was discovered in Montana in 1954. Although it dates back to the late Jurassic period, 155 million years ago, it still looks like it could be eaten as a tasty canapé before dinner.
Also worth a visit is the West Side Market, which is open daily. Built in 1912, it is one of the oldest and largest indoor food markets in the USA.
The Instagram-worthy stalls reflect the city’s rich immigrant history. Polish pierogi, for example, a dumpling made of potatoes, cheese and sauerkraut, is so popular that it’s now a Cleveland specialty. The city hosts an annual “pierogi week,” and locals say gym memberships always double the following week.
Don’t leave the West Side Market without trying the hot dogs at Frank’s Bratwursts, which are made using a secret recipe. To help you find your way around, Ilse, the fourth-generation scion of the Austrian family that runs the stand, wears a turquoise basketball vest with the word “Sausage” printed on the back.
Give in to temptation at the West Side Market
(Photo credit: Destination Cleveland)
Another very pleasant experience is a stroll through Cleveland’s vibrant downtown area with Playhouse Square, the largest theater district in the United States outside of New York City.
Particularly impressive is the rotunda at Heinen’s, a historic grocery store in downtown Cleveland. This aesthetically pleasing building was built in 1908 for the Cleveland Trust Company, the bank that managed the fortunes of the Carnegies and Rockefellers.
Now a National Historic Landmark, the building features an 85-foot-tall rotunda with a Tiffany-style stained glass dome. The interior is surrounded by a striking 13-panel mural depicting the settlement of Ohio. Artist Francis David Millet had a remarkable life. After serving as his father’s assistant surgeon in the Civil War, he became a decorated war correspondent in the Russo-Turkish War at the age of just 15.
Back home, he made a career as a respected artist. He used the proceeds from the Cleveland Trust Company mural to buy a ticket on the Titanic, where he was last seen before his death helping women and children into lifeboats.
It is a life that his close friend Mark Twain could have made into a novel.
Where to stay
One of the world’s first indoor shopping centers is housed at the Hyatt Regency in The Arcade Hotel
(Photo credit: Erik Drost)
The Hyatt Regency at The Arcade is a fascinating piece of Cleveland culture. The hotel is located in the impressive gallery of The Arcade, which was built in 1890 and was one of the first covered shopping centers in the world.
Construction was financed by locally born millionaire John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil, and cost $875,000. If you wanted to build The Arcade today, you would have to add several zeros to that number.
When designing the five-story building, Rockefeller took inspiration from the world-famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, wanting to demonstrate that Cleveland could compete with other world-class cultural centers.
The top floor gallery is surrounded by a pack of fearsome gargoyle lions, likely to growl at anyone who has the audacity to suggest that Cleveland can’t hold a candle to Milan.
The hotel definitely has an innate sense of theater and presents itself with grace and grandeur. Hotels downtown start at around $150 per night.
Where to eat and drink
One of Cleveland’s most famous restaurants is Amba, located at 1430 West 28th Street, with elegant dark interiors and a spin on a pop-up restaurant that opened during the pandemic. The menu, created by acclaimed chef Douglas Katz, features sophisticated dishes infused with the layered flavors of Indian cuisine.
The name of one of the main dishes, “Spicy Sloppy Joe Keema,” might put you off at first, but don’t worry. The venison and goat curry mixed with tomatoes, serrano chilies and red onions is an inspired melange of the best of American and Indian cuisine.
Also worth a pit stop is the Larder Delicatessen and Bakery at 1455 West 29th Street.
The restaurant, with its incredible atmosphere, was set up in an old fire station that was closed in 1976. There is still a fireman’s pole, the original wooden ceiling and signs on the wall warning: “Do not block – carry.” There is even an old yellow safety vest and a red fireman’s helmet hanging on the counter.
To highlight his culinary heritage, Larder also displays a picture of the firefighters’ team that won the National Chili Cook Off Competition in the early 1970s.
Owner Jeremy Umansky is constantly on the hunt for ingredients, his motto being “if we can’t make it, we don’t serve it,” and he makes homemade deli sandwiches worth crossing several continents for.
The verdict
At first glance, Cleveland may seem off the beaten track for the average British or Irish traveller, but it doesn’t have to be. If you fly with Aer Lingus, you can take advantage of an excellent program that will allow you to “pre-clear” US immigration. This ultimately means you can walk unhindered through Cleveland airport and straight into the city, without having to endure the notorious US security lines.
Once you arrive, Cleveland offers many things you wouldn’t expect from a large post-industrial U.S. city. The city largely eschews major chains and offers many unexpected, alternative offerings.
The Hingetown district, for example, has an appealing, vibrant, progressive vibe. It’s the center of the city’s thriving LGBT+ community. In case you haven’t noticed, the crosswalks in the area are painted in the colors of the rainbow flag.
Many of Cleveland’s stores also offer an appealing, quirky feel, a far cry from the massive retail chains that dominate most of the U.S. For example, Coco’s in the Colonial Arcade in downtown Cleveland is a brilliant shop. The largest selfie museum in the U.S.—how many others are there?—features 25,000 square feet of backdrops and over 70 photo opportunities alongside antiques, relics and recycled junk. The store’s entrance is a pair of heavy wooden cabinet doors that pay homage to the gateway to Narnia in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
It’s an apt image for the city. Come in; you’ll be very pleasantly surprised by what awaits you beyond Cleveland’s gates.
James Rampton was a guest of Destination Cleveland And Aer Lingus.
