Districts

• Downtown - The downtown district includes the area at the heart of the city around the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, including the Flats, Terminal Tower, the Warehouse District, Playhouse Square, the East 4th neighborhood, North Coast Harbor, and the sports arenas.
• East Side - The East Side is the portion of the city to the east of the river, including the city's world-class cultural and arts complex, and contains the following neighborhoods: Buckeye-Shaker Square, Central, Collinwood, Corlett, Euclid-Green, Fairfax, Forest Hills, Glenville, Payne/Goodrich-Kirtland Park, Hough, Kinsman, Lee Harvard/Seville-Miles, Mount Pleasant, Nottingham, St. Clair-Superior, Union-Miles Park, University Circle, Little Italy, and Woodland Hills.
• West Side - The West Side is the portion of the city to the west of the river, including the West Side market and the airport, and contains the following neighborhoods: Brooklyn Centre, Clark-Fulton, Detroit-Shoreway, Cudell, Edgewater, Ohio City, Old Brooklyn, Stockyards, West Boulevard, and the four neighborhoods colloquially known as West Park: Kamm's Corners, Jefferson, Puritas-Longmead, and Riverside.

Three neighborhoods in the Cuyahoga Valley are sometimes referred to as the south side: Industrial Valley/Duck Island, Slavic Village (North and South Broadway), and Tremont.

Understand

Cleveland is the urban center of Northeast Ohio, the 14th largest combined metropolitan area in the United States. Throughout the twentieth century, the City of Cleveland proper was ranked as one of the 10 largest cities in the U.S. (from 1890 until 1970 per US Census Bureau statistics). Like most U.S. cities, Cleveland proper began to lose population to suburban areas in the 1960s and 1970s. However, in the mid-1980s, Cleveland earned the nickname the "Comeback City" as the urban core experienced a dramatic revitalization process that continues today. As its "comeback" has continued, the official moniker is now the New American City as Cleveland has rightfully earned the reputation as a model of effective public-private partnership for urban planning.

Despite the common perception that Cleveland is an industrial town, just beyond the automotive and steel plants, a clean and beautiful downtown rises at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River on the southern shore of Lake Erie (often marvelled over by visitors who are surprised you can't see the other side, i.e., Canada). Like other cities in the so-called "rust belt", Cleveland has endured growing pains as it makes its transition from a manufacturing-based economy. While Cleveland continues to play a leading role in building the U.S. industrial base, it has also developed economic prowess in the fields of health care, law, finance, insurance, real estate development, and professional services.

Another thing non-locals don't often realize is that Cleveland's long history of industrial wealth has left it chock full of cultural riches as well as the beginnings of a "sustainable city" movement. Serving as a global model for urban rebirth, Cleveland has been named one of the top 10 international visitor hotspots by Travel and Leisure magazine. For decades, the city has boasted of:

• a "Big Five" orchestra (The Cleveland Orchestra),
• the second largest performing arts center in the U.S. (Playhouse Square Center),
• a world-renowned art museum (The Cleveland Museum of Art),
• the nation's first health museum (HealthSpace Cleveland),
• R&D hub of the aerospace and aviation industry (the NASA Glenn Research & Visitors Center) and
• a number of other first-rate attractions (too many to mention here - read on).

During its "comeback" years, Cleveland has added:

• the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum,
• the Great Lakes Science Center with Omnimax theatre, and
• four new sports facilities in the downtown area - Jacobs Field ("The Jake") for the Major League Baseball Indians, QuickenLoans Arena ("The Q") for the NBA Cavaliers, Cleveland Browns Stadium for the NFL Browns and the Wolstein Center for the Cleveland State University Vikings basketball team.

Climate

Cleveland experiences four seasons, with vibrant spring blossoms, sun-filled steamy summers, breathtaking colorful autumns, and often frigid white winters.

• July, on average, is the warmest month with a mean temperature of 71.9 °F (22.2 °C); however, Cleveland summers often experience temperatures in the high 80's to low 90's °F with relatively high humidity.
• January, on average, is the coolest month with a mean temperature of 25.7 °F (-3.5 °C); however, Cleveland winters are often marked by short periods of heavy snowfall and occasionally experience windchill factors below 0 °F. Also, due to Cleveland's position on the southern shore of Lake Erie (at the point where the shoreline shifts from an east-west to a northeast-southwest orientation), the city (primarily the East Side) experiences Lake Effect snow from mid-November until the surface of Lake Erie freezes (typically by early February). The Snow Belt which receives substantially more snowfall than the West Side, begins on the East Side of Cleveland (spreading southward from the Lake for up to 10 miles in Greater Cleveland) and stretches northeast along the I-90 corridor past Buffalo, New York as far as Syracuse.
• Due to its proximity to Lake Erie, Autumn in Cleveland has some of the best weather of the year. Some years, mid-70-degree weather can be enjoyed through Halloween, without the humidity of the summer months.

Books and Guides

If visiting Cleveland for the first time (or you've lived there your whole life), these are some 'must' reads:

• Cleveland on Foot - 50 Hikes and Walks in Greater Cleveland and Beyond Cleveland on Foot (2nd Edition) - a guide to experiencing the Emerald Necklace (Cleveland Metroparks) and many of the city's other treasures.
• Cleveland Ethnic Eats - a guide to experiencing the taste of this remarkably diverse melting pot.
• Showplace of America: Cleveland's Euclid Avenue - once considered among the most beautiful and wealthy corridors in the world, read about the tightly knit community where Corporate America was born (including the likes of John D. Rockefeller).
• The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History - the rich history of Cleveland includes the story of the industrial revolution (Ohio is where most world-wide modern technology was invented or innovated), the roots of a vibrant arts and cultural mecca, and description of the proto-typical 'melting pot' of America. This is a thick book, but answers just about any question that arises - perhaps plan a stop at a Cleveland or Cuyahoga County Public Library.

Newspapers

• Cleveland Plain Dealer, The largest local daily newspaper.
• Cleveland Scene, A free weekly paper containing a lot of entertainment information.
• The Free Times, A free weekly paper.
• Sun Newspapers, community papers with a ton of different versions providing local info on every part of town and throughout the suburbs.

Tourism Packages

• Convention & Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland, 50 Public Square, 3100 Terminal Tower, Hotline 800-321-1004, 216 621-4110, 800 321-1001, Main fax: 216 621-5967, Tourism fax: 216 623-4499, Housing fax 216 623-4495, cvb@travelcleveland.com.

Get in

By plane

• Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, +1-(216)-265-6030. Cleveland's main airport (IATA:CLE, ICAO:KCLE) is located on the west side of the city. The airport is served by most of the major domestic airlines, and it is one of Continental Airlines' three U.S. hubs as well. The RTA Red Line Rapid Transit (see, below) provides frequent and fast rail service from inside the airport to the heart of downtown in roughly 22 minutes for $1.75.

• Burke Lakefront Airport. A small airport right on the shore of Lake Erie that handles private jet, business, and general aviation traffic. A short distance down E. 9th st. from downtown.
• Cuyahoga County Airport is located in northeastern Cuyahoga County.
• Akron-Canton Regional Airport, CAK. Visitors could also use this airport which is served by regional airline affiliates and is a 45-minute drive from Cleveland.

By car

Three two-digit interstate highways serve Cleveland directly.

• Interstate 71 begins downtown and is the major route from downtown Cleveland to the airport. I-71 runs through the southwestern suburbs and eventually connects Cleveland with Columbus.
• Interstate 77 begins in downtown Cleveland and runs almost due south through the southern suburbs. I-77 sees the least traffic of the three interstates, even though it is the primary connector of Cleveland with Akron.
• Interstate 90 connects the two sides (the terms "East Side" and "West Side" have deep root in defining this region) of Cleveland, and is the northern terminus for both I-71 and I-77. Running due east/west through the West Side suburbs, I-90 turns northeast at the junction with I-71 and I-490, and is known as the Innerbelt through downtown. At the junction with the Shoreway, I-90 makes a 90-degree turn known as "Dead Man's Curve", then continues northeast, entering Lake County at the eastern split with Ohio 2.
• Interstate 480 runs east-west along the southern border of the City of Cleveland and also connects the suburbs of the East Side and West Side. It intersects all three of the above highways, plus it intersects I-271, which serves the eastern suburbs, and I-480 has two connections to the Ohio Turnpike (I-80).

By train

• Amtrak, 200 Cleveland Memorial Shoreway. Ticketing and station hours: Daily: 21:30 - 13:00. The station is closed between 13:00 and 21:30. Cleveland is served by Amtrak with a station located on the north end of downtown (near Cleveland Browns Stadium). Unfortunately, most Amtrak routes serving Cleveland arrive and depart in the wee hours of the morning (like in the 1:00 to 4:00 a.m. time frame). Amtrak's Capitol Limited (From Washington, D.C. or Chicago) & Lake Shore Limited lines stop in Cleveland.

By bus

• Greyhound, 1465 Chester Avenue (On Chester Avenue and East 17th Street), +1-(216)-781-0520. Station and ticketing hours: Daily: 24 hours. Greyhound offers passenger bus service from many U.S. cities. Buses arrive and depart from Greyhound's Art Deco station in downtown Cleveland.

• Megabus, West Huron Road and West 3rd Street (Stop adjacent to the entrance to Tower City.), +1-877-GO2-MEGA. Megabus is a low-cost bus company offering service between Cleveland and Chicago via Toledo, and also from Pittsburgh.

By boat

Many boaters utilize the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway and their connection points as a travel route. There are many marinas and public boat ramps available for this purpose. Also, the American Canadian Caribbean Line and the Great Lakes Cruising Company provide cruises that include Cleveland on the itineria.

Get around

By car

Cleveland might be one of the easiest cities in the world to navigate. There are almost no one-way streets, because the city was planned to have "European Avenues" (which resulted in the foresight to make them broad enough for vehicular transportation that couldn't have been imagined in the late 1700s). Traffic is generally not a problem relative to other major U.S. metro areas. Throughout the downtown area, purple signs direct visitors to let you know where you are and what district you are in. The streets that run north-south are numbered, except for Ontario Street (the north-south street bisecting Public Square). Numbered Streets are named as "West", west of Ontario and "East", east of Ontario. The major east-west streets are generally named as "Avenues".

By public transit

Greater Cleveland is also served by a public bus and rail transit system, operated by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, also known as "RTA". The rail portion is officially called the Cleveland Rapid Transit, but is known by locals as "The Rapid". It consists of two light rail lines, known as the Green and Blue Lines (which extend to the east side suburbs), and a heavy rail line, the Red Line (which connects Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and the west side suburbs with Tower City Center downtown and continues to University Circle and beyond). In the late 1990s, RTA added the Waterfont Line, a short track specifically catering to tourists by connecting Tower City Center to the Flats Entertainment District, Cleveland Browns Stadium, Great Lakes Science Center, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Burke Lakefront Airport. RTA is currently installing a bus rapid transit line, coined the "Silver Line", which will run along Euclid Avenue, providing a direct route between Cleveland's primary tourist attractions from downtown to University Circle. A $3.50 All-Day Pass is good for unlimited rides on both the trains and the busses.

See

Architecture & Infrastructure

• Terminal Tower, the centerpoint of Tower City Center, located on Public Square, is the Terminal Tower, built in 1929 as the second tallest building in the world (now it's the second tallest building in Cleveland). The building was also constructed as the main railroad terminal in Cleveland and currently serves as the main hub of the RTA Rapid Lines (below the retail mall levels). Go to the Terminal Tower's observation deck to observe the surrounding environs (particularly, Lake Erie, the winding Cuyahoga River, and the juxtaposition of downtown against industrial uses to the south and west)(Closed since 9/11).
• Old Arcade, Built in 1890 and designed by John Eisenmann. The construction was financed by John D. Rockefeller, Marcus Hanna and several other wealthy Clevelanders of the day. The cost of the project was approximately $875,000 - today it would be impossible to replicate. The inspiration of the project is said to be the Vittorio Emanuele in Milan, Italy. Although pedestrian arcades exist in several North American cities, few - if any, compare to the grandeur of the Arcade in Cleveland. The Arcade was the first building in Cleveland to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The structure features a five-story atrium with extensive metal decorative work. The top floor features gargoyles which circle the entire atrium area. The structure includes the famous skylighted atrium as well as two nine-story towers, one each on Euclid Avenue and Superior Avenue. In the past decade, the structure was renovated as a Hyatt Regency Hotel.
• City of Bridges, particularly view the Hope Memorial Bridge (Lorain-Carnegie Bridge) named for Bob Hope's (the famous actor/comedian and native Clevelander) father, who worked on its construction. The bridge is framed by four art deco pylon sculptures portraying the evolution of forms of ground transportation. In addition to a large number of jack-knife and lift bridges along the Cuyahoga, one of the world's few remaining "Swing Bridges" is still in use, connecting the east and west banks of the Flats entertainment district.
• Key Tower, the tallest building in Ohio, and between New York City and Chicago for that matter, designed by Cesar Pelli.
• Peter B. Lewis Building, Case-Weatherhead School of Business, designed by Frank Gehry with his trademark undulating metal forms.
• Cleveland Churches, particularly visit the Tremont district (where the movie, The Deer Hunter, was filmed) and the Church Square district along Euclid Avenue between downtown and University Circle (where you can see a broad sampling of houses of prayer, many of which are currently utilized by their second or third generations of faith). There are also several monumental churches in near east side suburbs of Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights along Cedar Road, Fairmount and Shaker Boulevards.

Art

Cleveland was named a Top 25 Arts Destination by www.americanstyle.com in 2003. In addition to its museums of art, the city boasts a vibrant art community with galleries scattered throughout its trendiest neighborhoods.

• Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd, +1 216 421-7350. A free art museum offering exhibits of everything from a world-renowned Asian collection, Greek and Roman statue to modern art. The crown jewels of the museum, however, are its stunning collections of medieval armor and an original casting of Auguste Rodin's The Thinker. Closed on Mondays, open Tu, Th, Sa, Su 10AM-5PM, We, Fri 10AM-9PM.
• MOCA - Museum of Contemporary Art, 8501 Carnegie Ave, +1 216 421 8671. Hours: Tu-Su, 11AM-6PM, Thu, 11AM-8PM., Admission: $4 suggested donation; $3 suggested senior/student admission. Free to all visitors on Friday.
• Cleveland Public Art - Headquarted in Ohio City, this non-profit organization sponsors art projects throughout the city, including the spires and vegetable wall near Jacob's Field, the murals on Tremont School, and the Wade Oval gate at the Cleveland Botanical Garden.

Other Galleries

• 9th Street Studio, 2173 East Ninth St.
• ArtMetro Gallery, 530 Euclid Ave #43
• Brenda Kroos, 1300 West 9th St.
• Spaces, 2220 Superior Viaduct.
• The Bonfoey Company, 1710 Euclid Ave.
• Piccadilly's Fine Art Galleries, 2253 Professor Ave., 216-34-1800, 888-579-4300. One of the oldest galleries in the greater Cleveland area, representing nationally recognized artists, since 1988.

Other Areas of Interest

• Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, an inspirational experience for any American who is one or has descended from immigrant(s). The museum is divided into three sections: the permanent exhibits which focus on Cleveland's Jewish community, its history, and its contriubtions; a portion of the Temple Tifereth-Israel Judaic art collection; and the temporary exhibits, currently home to the "Cradles of Christianity" exhibit.
• Rockefeller Cultural Gardens, a picturesque winding road, featuring gardens representative of Cleveland's diverse and rich ethno-cultural mosaic and connecting University Circle to I-90 via MLK Blvd.
• West Side Market, northeast corner of Lorain Ave (western node of the Hope Memorial (Lorain-Carnegie) Bridge) and W. 25th St. An old world produce market directly across the Cuyahoga River from Cleveland's skyscrapers, along with an arcade area containing shops with food of Irish, German, Slovenians, Italian, Greek, Polish, Russian, and Middle Eastern descents, among others.
• Coventry Road, a funky commercial strip serving University Circle's student population. Home to Mac's Paperbacks, an independent bookstore; Tommy's, well-known for its vegetarian food and milkshakes; Strickland's Frozen Custard; Caribou coffee; and a handful of good Asian restaurants, pizza shops, sub shops and bar and grill spots.
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, downtown next to the science center on the shore of Lake Erie.
• A Christmas Story House, No, you don't need to have your eyes checked - this is the actual house used in the 1983 modern-day classic film A Christmas Story. It has since been converted into a museum dedicated to the film, meaning that most visitors come during Christmas time. "You'll shoot your eye out" will live with you forever once you've been here.

Science & Technology

• Cleveland Museum of Natural History, located in University Circle, has exhibits ranging from dinosaurs to a working observatory.
• The Great Lakes Science Center has a lot of very interactive exhibits.
• HealthSpace
• Ingenuity Festival of Art and Technology
• The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum is a great stop for anyone interested in classic cars. Connected to the Western Reserve Historical Society Museum in University Circle.
• The Cleveland Botanical Gardens Glasshouse is a huge conservatory housing a cloud forest from Costa Rica and a spiny desert from Madagascar, complete with butterflies and other indigenous animals.
• The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has monkeys, elephants, and an indoor rain forest.

Parks

• Cleveland Metroparks
• Cleveland Botanical Garden
• Cleveland Lakefront State Parks

Do

Sports

Enjoy a game with the world's best sports fans. Cleveland is home to the longest span of sold out baseball games (5 consecutive seasons in the late 1990s), the largest American League baseball attendance (72,086 on 8/9/1981) and the birthplace of Monday Night Football (9/21/1970). But given its storied sports past coupled with its weathered but dedicated fan base (ESPN named Cleveland the "Most Tortured Sports City"), terms like The Drive, The Fumble, The Shot, 2 More Outs will ring in the ears of Cleveland Sports Fans for generations to come. Win or lose, Clevelanders (obviously) just love sports.

• Cleveland Browns, 100 Alfred Lerner Way (Cleveland Browns Stadium is located in downtown Cleveland on the shores of Lake Erie, north of Lakeside Avenue, between West 3rd Street and East 9th Street), +1-(440)-891-5050 (tsales@clevelandbrowns.com). The old Browns went to the birds, but the Dawg Pound carries on the tradition of the NFL's staunchest fans!

• Cleveland Cavaliers, 1 Center Court (The Q is located in downtown Cleveland at the southeast corner of Ontario Street and Huron Road and is connected to Tower City and the Rapid via a walkway), +1-(216)-420-2200 (fax: +1-(216)-420-2298). Home to the "King of Basketball", LeBron "King" James.

• Cleveland Indians, 2401 Ontario Street (Jacobs' Field is located in downtown Cleveland immediately south of the Q at the northeast corner of Ontario Street and Carnegie Avenue), +1-(216)-420-4636. Many consider Jacobs' Field ("The Jake") the gem of the American League (per Travel World International Magazine).

• College. Horizon League: Cleveland State University. The Wolstein Center, 2000 Prospect Avenue, is located in downtown Cleveland just south of the CSU campus at the northeast corner of E. 18th Street and Carnegie Avenue.

Sports Events

• Cleveland Grand Prix, every summer Cleveland hosts auto racing on the southern shore of Lake Erie at Burke Lakefront Airport.
• Cleveland Marathon, long-distance runners gather from around the globe each spring to Rock 'n Run in downtown Cleveland.
• MAC Basketball Championships, the Mid-American Conference of NCAA Division I college basketball holds its annual championship in early March at "the Q" to determine a March Madness tournament seed.
• Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, every year Cleveland hosts major national and international sports events.

Outdoors

• No "mistake" about it! - Lake Erie. The shallowest and warmest Great Lake (with the most vibrant fishery) defines Cleveland's north border and provides many opportunities for boating, fishing, swimming and walks. Cleveland boasts more miles of shoreline than any other city in the world, providing enjoyment from before Memorial Day to past Labor Day for boaters, fishermen and beach bums. Sailers, boaters, waverunners and jet skiers enjoy the lake with marinas, piers and boat launches available all along America's North Coast. Fishing is popular more than three seasons of the year with healthy populations of Walleye and Perch in Lake Erie. In the late fall and early winter, anglers pursue steelhead trout in the many rivers feeding Lake Erie up through Northeast Ohio and into Pennsylvania and Western New York.

• Historically nicknamed the "Forest City" (due to a famous description of a highly sophisticated society amid a heavily forested environment in Alexis DeTocqueville's "Democracy in America" (1831)), Cleveland is a great place for outdoor activities. USA Today ranked Cleveland among the 10 best big cities for hiking. If you think Cleveland is just a "rust belt" city, get out to the nearest Cleveland Metropark. The parks form an Emerald Necklace around the Cleveland metropolitan area, so no matter which direction you go from downtown, you're headed toward a park. Biking, horseback riding, jogging and rollerblading are easily accommodated by the miles of trails (paved and unpaved) encircling Cuyahoga County. In the winter, visitors can cross country ski these same trails. Sitting upon the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, Cleveland also provides downhill skiers with slopes throughout the area.

• A river winds through it. Boaters, rowing crews, canoers and kayakers enjoy the diverse scenery along the Cuyahoga (a Mohawk Native American term, meaning "Crooked River"). The Cuyahoga provides a mosaic of the nightspots of the Flats (dockage available at restaurants and bars), downtown's towers rising up the hill, active industrial remnants of the birthplace of the petroleum and steel industries, pastoral settings and the Ohio and Erie Canal (which in the 1800s provided the connection between the Great Lakes and the Ohio River, ultimately enabling shipping from the Atlantic Ocean (via the St. Lawrence Seaway and the East Coast) to the Gulf of Mexico (via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers)). The Ohio & Erie Canal has been preserved as a core element of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. In Ohio's only National Park, walk or bike the Canal Towpath. The National Park starts 8 miles south of downtown and stretches for miles down to Akron. The Towpath extends from Lake Erie in Downtown Cleveland through the southern suburbs past Akron, Canton, New Philadelphia and into rural Bolivar and Historic Zoar.

• Not amused by nature? If you prefer to step up the pace, Northeast Ohio offers world-class amusement parks including Cedar Point (1 hour drive west to Sandusky), Geauga Lake and Wildwater Kingdom (just outside of southeastern Cuyahoga County) and Memphis Kiddie Park (in Brooklyn, Ohio), a small but fun park for the little ones (toddlers to pre-teens).

Tours

• Goodtime III, 825 East Ninth Street Pier, +1 216861-5100. See Cleveland by water via Lake Erie and/or the Cuyahoga River. Dining and entertainment available.
• Nautica Queen, Lakefront and river dining cruises departing from the west bank of the Flats.
• Lolly the Trolley, +1 216 771-4484. Trolley bus tours offering a variety of routes and lots of information about Cleveland, both it's history and modern landmarks.
• Walking Tours of Cleaveland, +1 216 575-1189, Various tours, some by foot, others by wheels.
• African American Heritage Trail, +1 216 921-4246, This tour provides a perspective of the experience and impact of Cleveland's African American community.

Live Music

Whether you prefer a world-class orchestra, jazz, or small local acts, Cleveland has many music venues to choose from.

• Cleveland Orchestra, A world-famous "Big Five" orchestra.
• Severance Hall, Winter home of the Cleveland Orchestra.
• Nighttown, The only club in Ohio on Down Beat's list of The 100 Best Jazz Clubs in the World.
• Cleveland Bop Stop, West-side jazz club.
• Fat Fish Blue, Downtown location with live music every night, usually blues.
• Blossom Music Center, Outdoor ampitheatre and summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra.
• Agora Theater and Ballroom, Landmark Cleveland rock venue.
• Grog Shop, Smaller touring and local acts
• Beachland Ballroom, Small eclectic acts.
• House of Blues, Right near Public Square.
• Pats In The Flats,
• Peabody's Entertainment Complex,
• Cain Park, Outdoor live music in Cleveland Heights.
• Cleveland Institute of Music, a world class music school, regularly has live performances by students. Many are free.

Learn

• Case Western Reserve University, +1 216 368-2000. Tucked inside the University Circle cultural mecca, Case houses Cleveland's premier research institutes.
• Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Ave, +1 216 687-2000. Cleveland's large state school is nestled next to the Theater District (Playhouse Square) and is a cornerstone of the St. Vincent Quadrangle District. The Levin College of Urban Affairs is ranked in the Top 10 in the US. Over the past century, CSU's law school, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, has educated many of the region's renowned judicial and political figures.
• Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, 700 Carnegie Ave, +1 800 954-8742. "Tri-C" has three campuses (downtown, East Side and West Side suburbs). Don't miss it's annual JazzFest.
• David N. Myers College, Cleveland, 3921 Chester Ave, +1 216 696-9000, 877-DNMYERS.
• Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine, 10515 Carnegie Ave, +1 216 231-3300.
• Cleveland Institute of Art, Visit its galleries and catch an art film at the Cinematheque.
• Cleveland Institute of Music, A leading international conservatory for classical music.
• John Carroll University, 20700 North Park Blvd, University Heights. The Jesuit University in Cleveland.

Work

Enjoy your visit, but you'll probably want to stay. Greater Cleveland today is a global corporate center where national and international corporations grow thanks to the area’s strong, diversified economy. In 2006, Cleveland was ranked the best city for business travel on the U.S. mainland (the lower 48 states) by The Economist in its article "The World in 2006 - Where Business is Pleasure". Fortune magazine also ranked Greater Cleveland as one of the 10 best cities for business in North America.

Five major industries have evolved to become the economic strength of the region: Health & Medicine, Science & Engineering, Biotechnology & Biomedical, Manufacturing and Education. In addition to 11 Fortune 1000 headquarters, more than 150 international companies have a presence here. Site Selection magazine ranked Ohio as first in the U.S. with the most corporate facility projects and expansions in 2007.

Fortune 1000s

The diverse business climate in the City of Cleveland includes the following Fortune 1000 headquarters (according to the 2006 list):

• 210 Eaton Corporation, Cleveland - Motor Vehicle/Parts
• 213 National City Corporation, Cleveland - Banking
• 279 Parker-Hannifin Corporation, Cleveland - Aerospace
• 311 Sherwin Williams Company, Cleveland - Paint and Coatings
• 325 Key Corp, Cleveland - Banking
• 589 Nacco Industries, Cleveland - Industrial Equipment
• 825 American Greetings, Cleveland - Greeting Cards
• 846 Medical Mutual of Ohio, Cleveland - Health Insurance
• 878 Cleveland-Cliffs, Cleveland - Mining & Crude Oil
• 888 Applied Industrial Technologies, Cleveland - Bearings
• 928 Lincoln Electric, Cleveland - Arc Welding Equipment

Health Care

World renowned healthcare providers, include:

• Cleveland Clinic Health System, 9500 Euclid Ave #F25, 216 444-2200, This cornerstone of modern medicine has treated dignitaries from all over the world, most notably King Fahd of Saudi Arabia
• University Hospitals Health System.
• MetroHealth Medical Center

Legal

Some of the world's largest law firms call Cleveland their home:

• Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue.
• Squire, Sanders & Dempsey.
• Baker & Hostetler.

Buy

Downtown Cleveland is home to Tower City Center, a large urban complex, a retail mall, hotels and the Terminal Tower. Shops range from high-end to standard mall franchises. The food court has great views of the river. Tower City is connected by walkway to the Tower City Amphitheater, the Quicken Loans Arena and Jacobs Field, and the new courthouse. Rapid Transit lines head west to the airport through the city and suburbs to the east.

The Galleria at Erieview is another complex downtown that includes a popular lunchtime foodcourt. It has recently been hosting art galleries and art events.

Shaker Square is an historic shopping center built in 1929 and connected to downtown and the eastern suburbs by two Rapid Transit lines. The Square includes some interesting shops and restaurants and serves as the center of a diverse, lively neighborhood.

Shoppers have been flocking to Northeast Ohio since the development of several lifestyle centers have attracted upscale retailers. On the East Side, Legacy Village (in Lyndhurst) has been added to Cleveland's fashion district along Cedar Road (which includes Beachwood Place and La Place in Beachwood). Nearby, Eton Collection (on Chagrin Boulevard in Woodmere) provides even more upscale options for shopping and dining. On the West Side, Crocker Park (in Westlake) provides a mixed-use "new town" environment with upscale shopping.

Cleveland's active art community has galleries throughout the area with larger concentrations in Tremont, Ohio City (just across the Cuyahoga River from downtown), and Little Italy. Unique boutiques abound in the inner ring suburbs of Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights and Lakewood. New England charm and "mom-and-pop" shops can be found along the public squares of Western Reserve towns (settled as the Connecticut Western Reserve), including Chagrin Falls, Hudson, Olmsted Falls, Willoughby, Medina, Chardon and Painesville.

Eat

Cleveland is host to a wide variety of restaurants and is culinarily much more diverse than an outsider might suspect in the Midwest drawing on large enclaves of ethnic neighborhoods and immigration (Ohio City, Slavic Village, Parma, Hough, Little Italy, Chinatown and others). Certainly, Eastern European food and Soul food are big in a city where Hungarians, Slavs, Poles, Czechs, Bohemians and Southern African Americans were drawn to the steel and automotive industries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; however, recent emigres have spiced up the mix, adding many more influences including Indian, Chinese, Southeast Asian, Puerto Rican and Central American, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean.

In the mid-1990s Cleveland was in step with the resurgence of the restaurant industry, and has many restaurants on-par with their larger-city counterparts, many of which are located in the Historic Warehouse District, the Flats, Ohio City, Tremont, the Gateway Neighborhood and along the Restaurant Row in the East Side suburbs. In fact, the area boasts of 6 AAA Four Diamond restaurants, the most between New York and Chicago.

Today's Cleveland is not merely your Grandfather's sausage and pierogi steel town.

Markets

• West Side Market
• Asia Plaza, asian market in Chinatown at the northwest corner of Payne Avenue and E. 30th Street.
• Shaker Square Farmer's Market
• Miles Farmers Market, Solon.

Budget

• #1 Pho, 3120 Superior Ave., Good Vietnamese cuisine at very good prices.
• Cafe 56 great salads in Mayfield Heights, Beachwood.
• California Salads great salads at Thornburg Station in Valley View, Beachwood and Mentor.
• Gourmé Family Restaurant, 32775 Lorain Rd., North Ridgeville. Fish and pierogies.
• Heck's Cafe, Ohio City.
• Johnny Mango's, Ohio City, southwestern fare.
• Juniper Grille, southwest corner of Carnegie Avenue and E. Ninth Street, near the Jake and Playhouse Square.
• Mama Santa's Pizzeria in Little Italy.
• Paninis, Gateway Neighborhood, Historic Warehouse District, Independence, Berea, others...
• Parma Pierogies
• Ruthie and Moe's, refurbished diner buildings in Midtown-Cleveland, southeast corner of Prospect Avenue and E. 40th Street.
• The Winking Lizard, Gateway Neighborhood, Bedford Heights, Macedonia...
• Yours Truly, Shaker Square, Beachwood, Chagrin Falls, Mayfield Village, Hudson, others...

Mid-range

• Bo Loong, 3922 Saint Clair Ave, Cleveland (216) 391-3113. This Chinese restaurant in Chinatown serves great dim sum.
• Der Braumeister on 13046 Lorain Ave., Cleveland (216-671-6220).
• Fat Cats in Tremont.
• The Flying Fig, 2523 Market Avenue, Ohio City (Cleveland), Ph: 216 241-4243.
• Great Lakes Brewing Co., 2516 Market Avenue, Ohio City, 216 771 4404, Good food, good beers, good atmosphere.
• Hard Rock Cafe, at Tower City Center.
• House of Blues, 308 Euclid Avenue, 216 523 2583.
• Hunan on the Falls, Washington Road in Chagrin Falls.
• Lemon Grass great Thai food in the Lee Road district in Cleveland Heights.
• Li Wah at Asia Plaza in Chinatown - good dim sum.
• Mallorca on W. 9th St. Excellent Spanish and Portuguese food. Ph: 216 687-9494
• Mekong River Thai food at Lee and Superior Roads in Cleveland Heights (near Cain Park).
• Nighttown, Top of Cedar Hill in Cleveland Heights (near Severance Hall in University Circle). Named to Down Beat's list of the top 100 jazz clubs in the world. 216-795-0550.
• Pacific East, 1763 Coventry Rd, Cleveland Heights, Ph: 216 320-2302. (Japanese/Sushi)
• Park City Diner, in Valley View.
• Phnom Penh, Cambodian, Vietnamese and Thai fare, 13124 Lorain Avenue, 216 251-0210.
• Pickwick & Frolics, collocated with Hillarities Comedy Club on E. 4th Street.
• Sushi Rock, West 6th in the Historic Warehouse District and Cedar & Richmond Roads in Beachwood.
• Three Birds Restaurant, in Lakewood.
• Trattoria, Little Italy, 216 421 2700.

Splurge

• The Baricelli Inn, AAA Four Diamond rating.
• Battuto, 12405 Mayfield Road, Little Italy, 216 707 1055.
• Blue Point Grille, 700 W St. Clair Ave, 216 875 7827.
• Brasa Grill, Traditional Brazilian Churrascaria. 1300 W 9th St, 216 575 0699.
• Century at the Ritz Carlton, AAA Four Diamond rating, 1515 W 3rd Street, 216 623 1300.
• Classics, AAA Four Diamond rating, on the Cleveland Clinic campus.
• Fire Food and Drink
• Ristorante Giovanni's, AAA Four Diamond rating, Beachwood.
• Johnny's Downtown, 1406 W 6th St, Warehouse District, 216 623 0055.
• The Leopard, AAA Four Diamond rating, Aurora.
• Lockkeepers Inn, AAA Four Diamond rating.
• Lola Bistro/Lolita
• Metropolitan Cafe, W 6th Street and St. Clair Avenue, Warehouse District.
• Moxie's, Beachwood.
• One Walnut, Financial District in the Ohio Savings Plaza.
• Pier W, Gold Coast, 12700 Lake Avenue, 216 228 2250.
• Sage, Tremont.
• Sans Souci, Tower City Center, 24 Public Square, 216 696 5600.
• Vivo, 347 Euclid Avenue, 216-621-4678.

Drink

• Harbor Inn Bar, 1219 Main Ave, Cleveland (The Flats), Ph: (216) 241-3232, Popular with the locals, this no-frills tavern features a huge selection of beer and excellent Eastern-European food.
• Great Lakes Brewery, Ohio City. Its Dortmunder Gold was rated the 4th Best Beer in the Country by American Heritage.
• The Grog Shop, eclectic Coventry neighborhood in Cleveland Heights.
• The House of Blues, downtown near Public Square.
• The Agora, Midtown-Cleveland.
• The Bop Stop
• Beachland Ballroom
• La Cave Du Vin
• Lava Lounge, 1307 Auburn Ave, Tremont (Cleveland), Ph: (216) 589-9112.
• The Blind Pig, Warehouse District.
• The Barking Spider Tavern, Popular college student hangout in University Circle.
• Rocky River Brewing Company, Brewery and restaurant on the west side.
• The CornerStone Brewing Company, Nonsmoking microbrewery and restaurant.
• The Brew Kettle, Microbrewery and restaurant in Strongsville that allows customers to brew their own beer.
• Willoughby Brewing Company, Microbrewery and restaurant east of Cleveland in Lake County in historic downtown Willoughby.
• Rockbottom Brewery, the Powerhouse in the Flats.
• Winking Lizard Taverns, Area chain known for its World Tour of Beer, as well as solid local food.
• Wilbert's, Live Blues music across the street from the Jake and the Q.

Sleep

Budget

• Comfort Inn - Downtown, 1800 Euclid Ave, 216 861-0001, [86]. Centrally located off of I-90 in downtown Cleveland - just walking distance to the Theatre District (Playhouse Square), Jacob's Field, and Cleveland State University. The Flats Entertainment District is nearby, plus, plenty of shopping and restaurants.
• Hampton Inn-Downtown, 1460 East 9th St, 216 241-6600, fax 216 241-8811, [87]. Located in the heart of the financial district (E. Ninth Street & Superior Avenue) and midway between the Rock Hall and the Gateway Sports Complex (the Jake and the Q).
• Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 629 Euclid Ave, 216 443-1000. Located in the renovated Historic National City Bank Building, midway between Public Square and Playhouse Square.
• Holiday Inn Lakeshore, 1111 Lakeside Ave, 216 241-5100. Close to North Coast Harbor (Rock Hall, Great Lakes Science Center, Voinovich Park) and on northern end of Financial District.

Mid-range

• Sheraton Cleveland Airport, (800) 325-3535. The ONLY hotel located on the grounds of Cleveland International Airport (CLE).
• Crowne Plaza-Cleveland City Centre, 777 St. Clair Ave, 216 771-7600. Across the street from the Convention Center and close to Public Square, the Financial District and Cleveland Browns Stadium.
• Embassy Suites-Reserve Square, 1701 E. Twelfth St, 216 523-8000, eastern edge of the Financial District and close to Playhouse Square and Cleveland State University campus.
• Hilton Garden Inn-Gateway, 1100 Carnegie Ave, 216 658-6400, easy highway accessibility and close to Jacobs Field.
• Holiday Inns of Northeast Ohio/Cleveland: Consider one of the many Holiday Inn® Hotels throughout the Cleveland area for your next visit.
• Marriott at Key Center, 127 Public Square, 216 696-9200. Located on Public Square, attached to Key Tower, across the street from the Convention Center and near Historic Warehouse District and the Flats.
• Radisson Hotel-Gateway, 651 Huron Rd, 216 377-9000. In the Gateway neighborhood, just north of the Q (arena) and the Jake (ballpark) and short walk to Tower City Center.
• Residence Inn by Marriott, part of the renovation of the Colonial and Euclid Arcade complex, originally built in 1898, that joins the Financial District to the Gateway Sports Complex. Also, midway between Public Square and Playhouse Square.

Splurge

• Baricelli Inn-Little Italy. Quaint bed and breakfast feel above fine Italian restaurant and next to University Circle (museums, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals).
• Glidden House-University Circle. Renovated and expanded mansion in University Circle (museums, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals).
• Hyatt Regency at the Arcade, [88]. The Hyatt corporation redeveloped the Arcade into Cleveland's first Hyatt Regency hotel. The hotel occupies the two towers and the top three floors of the atrium area. The two lower floors of the atrium area remain open to the public with retail merchants and a food court. In addition, the lobby and offices are located near the Superior Avenue entrance.
• InterContinental Cleveland Clinic, 9801 Carnegie Avenue, +1 216 707-4100, [89]. InterContinental, 8800 Euclid Avenue, +1 216 707-4300, [90].
• Renaissance on Public Square, 24 Public Square, 216 696-5600. Located on Public Square in Tower City Center, near Gateway Sports Complex (attached by walkway), Historic Warehouse District and the Flats.
• Ritz Carlton-Tower City, [91], 1515 West Third St, 216 623-1300. Located on Public Square in Tower City Center, near Gateway Sports Complex (attached by walkway), Historic Warehouse District and the Flats.
• Wyndham Hotel at Playhouse Square, 1260 Euclid Ave, 216 615-7500, fax 216 615-3355, [92]. Located in the heart of one of the nation's most dynamic entertainment districts, just minutes away from four Broadway-style theaters, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Indians' Jacobs Field, the QuickenLoans Arena, Cleveland Browns Stadium and a number of corporate headquarters.

Contact

Wireless connectivity

• Intel named Cleveland as one of its four "Worldwide Digital Communities" (with Corpus Christi, Texas; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Taipei, Taiwan). Due to substantial capital investment in support of this distinction, Cleveland will eventually have free wifi access throughout the entire city. In the meantime, most coffee shops offer wireless internet connection as do the campuses of Cleveland State University and Case Western Reserve. The Tower City Center in the downtown area is another spot with free wifi access.

Phone

• Area code 216 serves the City of Cleveland and the inner ring suburbs.
• Area code 440 serves the balance of the suburbs and parts of the counties abutting Cuyahoga County and is a toll-free call from the 216 area.
• Area code 330 serves the rest of Northeast Ohio.

Stay safe

Like most big cities, Cleveland is safe, day or night, for walking in the Central Business District and throughout the suburbs. In fact, Cleveland was named by Travel Smart as one of the ten "safest and culturally most fascinating cities to visit" in the U.S. When driving at night in the city, stay in your car along major urban corridors (like Euclid, Chester and Carnegie Avenues heading east and Detroit and Lorain Avenues heading west). At night, you may want to avoid inner city neighborhoods and the City of East Cleveland in its entirety (in this case, including Euclid Avenue).

East Side Driving Tip A good rule of thumb is - once an East Side suburban "Road" becomes an Inner City "Avenue", turn around and get directions to Euclid, Chester or Carnegie Avenues. Example: Cedar Road in the East Side Suburbs (where it becomes the "Fashion District") is a really nice corridor, but once it becomes Cedar Avenue in the City of Cleveland proper, you should pick one of the above mentioned roads that run parallel to its north. Similarly, Chagrin Boulevard (which connects the upscale communities of Shaker Heights, Beachwood (including Cleveland's "Restaurant Row" and the bulk of the East Side office market}, Pepper Pike, Orange Village, Moreland Hills, Hunting Valley and Chagrin Falls) turns into Kinsman Road (an "underground pharmaceutical" neighborhood) once crossing into the City of Cleveland proper.

West Side Driving Tip Again, staying on Lorain and Detroit Avenues, I-90, I-71 or the Shoreway (State 2) is your safest bet. However, driving West 25th (which becomes Pearl), State and Ridge isn't all that terrifying. On the near West Side, avoid the Public Housing Projects that abut the vibrant neighborhoods of the Flats, Ohio City and Tremont.

Otherwise, just be smart (like don't get off at the wrong Rapid stop) and as cautious as you would be in your own neck of the woods (e.g., walk with others at night and don't make a wrong turn). Cleveland is a "Tough Town" (as in "hard working" and "resilient"), but it is not unusually dangerous for a US city of its size.

Dial 911 from any telephone for emergency police, medical, and fire services.

Get out

• Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Located south of Cleveland, this park follows the course of the Cuyahoga River and the historic Ohio & Erie Canal between Cleveland and Akron. A number of older buildings are preserved here. The Cuyahoga Scenic Railroad, with train cars from the 1940s and 1950s also runs through the park. Pick up the train in Valley View near Thornburg Station (8111 Rockside Road), a mixed-use retail, restaurant and office complex sitting between the river and canal.
• North Coast Beaches. Along the southern shore of Lake Erie are a large number of public beaches. The largest natural sand beach in Ohio, Headlands Beach State Park, is located east of Cleveland, in Mentor. Cleveland Lakefront State Park also includes a large beach at its Edgewater Park, just west of downtown Cleveland. Many other beaches are available throughout Northeast Ohio, including Huntington Beach, Euclid Beach and Fairport Harbor.
• Lake Erie Islands. Located west of Cleveland, a group of picturesque and festive islands in Lake Erie are accessible via ferry. In addition to several Ohio State Parks located on the islands, there is plenty to do including wineries, restaurants, bars, marinas and beaches.
• Lake Erie Tour Route and Lighthouses. Go back to the mainland and see the shoreline. The drive (or boat ride) around Lake Erie takes you through the Working Waterfronts around Buffalo NY, Cleveland OH, Detroit MI, Erie PA, Toledo, OH, and southern Ontario and is intermingled with beautiful preservations of flora and fauna as well as the history of North America's first westward expansion, the Old Northwest Territory.
• Hall of Fame Cycle. Tourists can plan visits to the Rock Hall, Inventure Place (the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame (in Canton).