Cleveland Favorites

My family just found out that next month, my sister will be moving from Cleveland to New Jersey! She’s been living in Cleveland for the past year with her husband who was completing a medical fellowship.

When I first found out that’s where they were heading, I have to admit I was a little bummed. Cleveland has a reputation of being cold and grey… and it’s far away from the east coast! But I had the chance to visit them twice during the past year, and the city absolutely surpassed my expectations.

I was surprised to find lots of nature activities, hip new shops and restaurants, and the usual friendliness and good neighborly vibes of the midwest. We’ll be happy to have them back on the east coast, but I think they’re pleased with their year in Cleveland.

So, in honor of their last few weeks in Ohio, here are some of my favorite Cleveland things they introduced me to:

1. Nature Walks at Rocky River Reservation

   The biggest surprise I found was that Cleveland has a lot of nature areas to explore. The weather might be grey a lot of the time, but the city’s parks are full of color and activity. The Metroparks system has tons of hiking and biking trails to explore.

2. Watching Games at Lakewood Truck Park

Cleveland is definitely a sports city. While we were waiting for my sister to get out of work, my brother-in-law brought me to the food truck park for a few drinks. It was a fun atmosphere with lots of young people watching games, drinking beers, and eating snacks.

3. Spotting the Cleveland Signs

There are six Cleveland signs around the city. I’ve only seen about three, but spotting them can take you to other cool locations, like this view of Lake Erie and downtown from Edgewater Park.

4. Climbing the Tower at Holden Arboretum

The Holden Arboretum is about a 30 minutes drive from the city, but I would say it’s worth it for climbing the Emergent Tower and exploring 20 miles of nature trails. The canopy walk was closed when we visited, but the leaves were changing colors which gave us an awesome view.

5. Hiking at Cuyahoga Valley National Park

I have a goal of visiting all the national parks, so of course Cuyahoga Valley was on my list of want-to-do activities. It’s one of the smaller national parks, and the hike we did was close to the road so not very immersed in nature, but I would still say it’s worth visiting if you happen to be in Cleveland.

6. Day Tripping to Chagrin Falls

We went to Chagrin Falls during both my fall and spring visit. It’s a great place to take visitors or stop for the day, with lots of shops, restaurants, and views of the falls.

7. Sunsets over Lake Erie

I haven’t gotten lucky enough yet to see people surfing on Lake Erie (or to try it myself), but the sunsets sure are pretty.

8. Vintage Shopping at Paradise Galleria

Paradise Galleria is THE COOLEST VINTAGE STORE I’VE EVER BEEN TO. Actually, it’s the coolest store I’ve ever been to! It’s kind of a big warehouse with sections for different vendors, and it’s full of amazing stuff. It has a ball pit and a slide! Wow! I could spend hours there.

9. Mediterranean Tapas at Zhug

My sister took me to lots of yummy restaurants in Cleveland, but Zhug really stood out. I love mediterranean food and all the plates were delicious and very shareable.

10. Indoor Mini Golf at Birdietown

Last but not least, indoor mini golf! We played a quick round at Birdietown and had a great time. The course is neatly designed—challenging enough to keep you interested and fun to play with friends. Plus they have food and drinks.

I guess I won’t be back in Cleveland anytime soon that I know of, but I’d be more than happy to visit again!