Yes. Cleveland is named after a guy who lived there for three months, then decided he’d had enough and never returned. And yes, the Cuyahoga was once the only river in America in need of fire insurance. And yeah, when somebody asked the difference between Cleveland and the Titanic, the answer was “Cleveland has a better orchestra.”
But forget the lame Cleveland jokes, as difficult as that may be for some Pittsburghers. While Pittsburgh has plenty to offer, like the Warhol Museum, a top-notch theater district, and a winning hockey team, these days the city once dubbed the Mistake on the Lake isn’t so bad either. It’s proven appealing enough to lure an increasing number of Pittsburghers to make the two-and-a-half hour Turnpike trek to get a taste of something different. The reasons include:
1Cleveland is the home of rock ‘n’ roll. Rock wasn’t invented in Cleveland, but it was popularized there, thanks to legendary disk jockey Alan Freed, who coined the term “rock ‘n’ roll,” organized the first rock concert, and helped make the music the force that it became. It’s fitting, then, that Cleveland is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This glass pyramid at the edge of Lake Erie houses more than 50 years of memorabilia, from Jr. Walker’s saxophone to Eric Clapton’s guitar to the outfit Britney Spears wore in the video
for “…Baby One More Time.”
2Cleveland is still rocking. At least it’s rocking more than Pittsburgh these days, in some respects. With the current dearth of mid-size venues here, Cleveland is often the nearest place to see many mid-level national acts. Yeah, you’ll be able to catch Jimmy Buffet and Tom Petty here in Pittsburgh, but if you’re looking for something more adventuresome, like Exene Cervenka or Little Steven’s Underground Garage Festival, you’ll have to hit the turnpike. These types of acts tend to skip Pittsburgh in favor of venues like Cleveland’s Grog Shop, Beachland Ballroom, House of Blues, and Agora Ballroom.
3Cleveland is a great place to eat. If you’re a foodophile, you can have a good time in Cleveland. Just as Downtown Pittsburgh is experiencing a bit of a renaissance with great new restaurants opening up, particularly in the theater district, Cleveland has no shortage of trendy eateries. Downtown there’s Lola, owned by Food Network star Michael Symon, who also runs Lolita, in the Tremont neighborhood. Then there’s Vivo, a popular dining spot where you might catch some of Cleveland’s local sports stars. Century at The Ritz-Carlton, Ristorante Giovanni's, The Baricelli Inn, The Leopard Restaurant and Lockkeepers all earned four diamonds from AAA this year; and the Classics earned five.
4Cleveland is home to King James. Back when Michael Jordan was still in the NBA, it wasn’t unheard of for Pittsburghers to check out a Cleveland Cavaliers – Chicago Bulls game just to see His Airness live in action. The Next Big Thing in basketball is here, and he’s playing in Cleveland 41 nights a year. And this year, Lebron James actually has the Cavs on track to make a run at a league championship.
5Cleveland doesn’t hide its rough edges. For those intrigued by the seedier side of life, Haunted Cleveland Ghost Tours offers trips around town highlighting allegedly haunted spots. Or, if you’re really in the mood for something grisly, there’s a two-hour tour of Cleveland’s most infamous crime scenes, complete with detailed descriptions of what happened. Another tour retraces the Eliot Ness-led investigation of the “Torso Murders” of the 1930s, which involved headless corpses turning up around town.
6Cleveland is secretly a part of every Christmas season. Though the perennial holiday classic “A Christmas Story” is set in Indiana, much of the film was shot in Cleveland, using a house on St. Clair Avenue. This year, that house was restored to its movie-era glory, and opened as a “Christmas Story” museum. Visitors can visit the kitchen where the Bumpuses’ dogs snatched the turkey, the bathroom where Ralphie unlocked the Little Orphan Annie Secret Code, and the backyard where he nearly shot his eye out. The gift shop even offers those leg lamps, which will make a “major award” in any home.
7Cleveland allows you to spend a day museum-hopping. The city’s University Circle may have the largest concentration of cultural arts and education institutions anywhere. This small area includes the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland Botanical Garden, Severance Hall, Western Reserve Historical Society, and Cleveland Cinematheque. In nice weather, you can walk around the Circle from place to place, though you won’t come close to seeing everything in one day. At the top of your priority list should be the restored mansion at the Historical Society, and the daily butterfly release at the Botanical Gardens. On Saturday, June 9, the area will host its annual Parade the Circle event, a massive celebration featuring giant puppets, floats and performance troupes.
8Cleveland is the easiest stop on the Steeler Nation National Tour. If you’ve ever wanted to be one of those people waving the Terrible Towel in the face of opposing fans in a hostile stadium, Cleveland is convenient, cheap, and maybe the most likely place for a Steelers’ road victory. (“Maybe” being the key word, after this season.)
For more information on what’s happening at the other end of the Turnpike, check out www.travelcleveland.com.
