Cleveland, the city known for its rock anthem and industrial past, surprised me with its mix of charm and grit. During my first visit in more than 20 years, I tried to explore deeper than the clichés and discovered a city of contradictions. I shared with friends that I tried keeping an open mind.
But… it was difficult.
First off, let’s talk pavement. Cleveland is all about massive highways and concrete jungles, with parking lots that seemingly stretch for miles. It’s like greenery took a backseat to development. First Energy Stadium, where the Browns play, has what looks like six football fields of parking right along the lakeshore. And in the downtown core, flat-surface parking lots are everywhere.
And yeah, gentrification. It’s everywhere, including Cleveland. Revitalization is sometimes necessary, but we always lose the heart and soul of the place in the process. That’s the vibe I got in Ohio City — a neighborhood in the city that looked like it once was a cool place to visit but has since become the meme of the Edison lights, metal high-top barstools and industrial ambiance with $16 basic burgers and fries.
But hey, it wasn’t all gloom and doom in Ohio City.
I fell in love with West Side Market in the Ohio City neighborhood. I enjoyed it so much that I went back on my second day before leaving so I could get items to bring back with me.
I even found a Pittsburgh-based bread company (Mediterra) and a doughnut/coffee shop (Jack Frost) that used to have an Erie location.
Pittsburgh destroyed its building called the terminal by making it into a suburban strip plaza in the heart of the Strip District (another grossly gentrified neighborhood).
Cleveland redeemed itself with the House from A Christmas Story. Seeing the house was a blast from the past, giving me major nostalgia vibes from the movie. The home is nestled in the Tremont neighborhood.
In keeping with the “A Christmas Story” theme and my fondness for buildings that once served as not only a retail mecca for downtown centers but a gathering place where locals made memories, I walked around the outside of the former Higbee’s in Downtown Cleveland. It’s now JACK Cleveland Casino. The facade remains largely intact, and plaques mark the former department. There are no artifacts acknowledging “A Christmas Story” on the outside, sadly.
Sure, I missed out on some spots like The Arcade, but the 5th Street Arcades across the street offered a nice throwback vibe to when downtowns were the core of retail.
And let’s not forget the quirky sights, like the Free Stamp and the GE Chandelier, which, I learned when building my list of landmarks to see, was installed in 2014. The chandelier hangs from a steel structure that is 44 feet above the intersection of Euclid Avenue and East 14th Street in the city’s Playhouse Square district. (No, I didn’t see it at night. Yes, I will next time I’m there.)
As for the Free Stamp structure (art piece?), this roadside attraction is located in Cleveland’s Willard Park, at the corner of Lakeside Avenue and East Ninth Street. Though it’s near the road toward the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Voinovich Bicentennial Park, you might miss it on your way because — despite being considered the world’s largest rubber stamp — it is almost discreetly hidden behind Cleveland City Hall and several trees.
The roadside attractions might be a bit random, but they add that extra dash of personality to this Rust Belt city.
Cleveland’s a bit of a mixed bag for me. I was wowed by Detroit and thought my preconceived notions of Cleveland would have been all for naught. But, in the case of Cleveland, the stereotype rings true. But I’ll be back!
BobbyCherry.com 