Cleveland, OH
On the Southern shore of Lake Erie sits the second largest city in the Buckeye State of Ohio. Formerly an industrial powerhouse centered around steel production and manufacturing industries, Cleveland is now renowned for its cutting-edge Cleveland Clinic medical facilities, arts institutions and the nation’s second largest theater district outside of New York City.
Dream
Ritz-Carlton, Tower City: This hotel, part of the Tower City Mall complex in downtown Cleveland completed a multi-million-dollar renovation in 2018. All rooms and common spaces have been updated. Turn restaurant in the lobby serves food all day, and the standard of service throughout the hotel is first rate. This is the clear favorite for places to stay in Cleveland.
The Kimpton Schofield Hotel, Euclid Ave & East 9th: This award-winning hotel in the heart of downtown Cleveland opened in 2016 following a $50 million multi-year restoration and renovation. Located in a historic 15-story former office building dating from 1902 with a brick and terracotta façade, its 122 rooms feature modern, minimalistic design.
Dine
Turn Bar + Kitchen, Ritz-Carlton Hotel lobby: The fully renovated lobby restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a late-night menu in a contemporary setting. The menu consists of inventive, modern American plates, with recommended options including the BBQ chicken flatbread and carrot cake pancakes.
M Italian, Chagrin Falls: Upscale modern Italian fare in a minimalist setting in the quaint Cuyahoga County village of Chagrin Falls. The menu features distinctive wood-fired pizzas and delicious pomodoro meatballs.
Canteen Bar + Bottle Shop, Broadview Heights: Unusual concept restaurant serving high-quality American small plates together with hundreds of bottles of wine, stacked on floor-to-ceiling shelves, at close to retail prices. Customers browse the shelves and self-select their own bottles to be consumed on the premises.
Danny Boys: Old school pizza pies, pasta, salads, and more at this family-favorite Italian eatery chain, with a Rat Pack Theme. Locations include Broadview Heights and Rocky River.
Jeni’s Ice Cream, Chagrin Falls: Located on Main Street, this rustic chic parlor serves really great ice cream, skillfully made using high-quality Direct Trade and Fair Trade ingredients, eschewing synthetic flavorings, dyes, and off-the-shelf mixes. Flavors on offer include many unusual and interesting combinations such as goat cheese with red cherries, and brambleberry crisp. Some of the best ice cream we have ever tasted.
Do
Cleveland Museum of Art, University Circle: Opened in 1916, the museum is renowned for its collection of almost 45,000 objects including substantial collections of Asian and Egyptian art. It underwent a $320 million major expansion and renovation project during the period 2005-2013, including the opening of two new wings, increasing the museum’s size by 51%. It is one of the top comprehensive art museums in the U.S. Look out for the forthcoming incredibly popular Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors exhibition appearing from July 7 to September 30, 2018.
The Cleveland Orchestra, Severance Hall, University Circle: The Cleveland Orchestra, which celebrates its centenary in 2018, is renowned as one of the finest in the U.S.A. Its home is the spectacular Severance Hall, which opened in 1931 and features some of America’s greatest examples of glittering Art Deco design. If you cannot catch a concert at the hall, take a free tour of what is regarded by many as one of the world’s most beautiful concert halls. During the summer months, the orchestra takes up residency at the Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, for the Blossom Music Festival, which celebrates its 50thanniversary in 2018.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Downtown Cleveland: This museum of rock and roll memorabilia opened in 1995 and is housed in a distinctive building set beside Lake Erie. Designed by I.M. Pei and featuring dual glass pyramids, there are seven floors of displays and exhibits documenting people and events that played an important part in the history of Rock and Roll.
Playhouse Square, Downtown Cleveland: This is the largest performing arts center in the United States outside of New York. (Only Lincoln Center in New York City is larger.) The district has 10 performance spaces, five of which were built in the 1920s. By the 1970s all but one had been boarded up. Their restoration was seen as a major success story for the City of Cleveland.
Parks and Recreation: The Greater Cleveland area has many parks and open spaces to explore. These include the Cleveland Metroparks system of nature reserves that encircle the city, covering 23,000 acres in 18 reservations. The system includes the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and eight golf courses.
Sports, Sports, and More Sports: It would be amiss if we didn't tell you to take in a game during the Indians, Cavaliers, or Browns' season. After all, Cleveland is known as a sports fanatics town.