# Anything I shouldn't miss in Cleveland?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [June 22, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587 "2009-06-22T15:20:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/1 "2009-06-22T15:20:37Z")
Going to Cleveland, OH next week. Planning on taking in an Indians game (vs ChiSox) and seeing the Rock and Roll HOF.
Any other attractions I should experience?
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/2 "2009-06-22T15:58:41Z")
Are you bringing kids? What kinds of things do you like to do? Where are you staying?
If nothing else, do make sure you get some stadium mustard on your hot dog at the game. It’s not the yellow mustard (which they offer) but the brown one. That is definitely a “Cleveland thing.”
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### Author:  [@Gam\_Zeh\_Yaavor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gam_Zeh_Yaavor)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/3 "2009-06-22T16:23:20Z")
West Side Market!!! Great big-ass turn of the century brick edifice filled with stalls selling many smoked and ethnic meats. Nate’s Deli, an a-ma-zing little Lebanese place, is just around the corner and is great for lunch.
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### Author:  [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/4 "2009-06-22T16:27:46Z")
Yes, more info, please. Will you have a car? Exactly what days will you be coming?
Art museum is world class and JUST opened a new wing.
Unfortunately, the Cleveland Orchestra won’t be back in town, but if you will be around July 3-4, the Blossom Festival Band is unbeatable. [Page Not Found (404)](http://www.clevelandorchestra.com/html/Performance/ViewByMonth.asp?season=BlossomFestival)
There’s a wine festival downtown the 26th and 27th. If you’re up for an hour or so drive, you can do double on the Halls of Fame and head to Canton for some football.
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### Author:  [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/5 "2009-06-22T17:12:54Z")
The art museum is the only thing actually in Cleveland that’s worth the bother, at this time of year.
Outside Cleveland, Blossom is quite nice. Also, the govt made a national park out of part of the Cuyahoga valley. You can rent a bike or take a (private) train from Peninsula, OH. I haven’t done the latter, but the former is very pleasant.
Avoid the R&R HoF.
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### Author:  [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/6 "2009-06-22T17:31:35Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Avoid the R&R HoF.
It depends. I was underwhelmed, but there is a new Springsteen exhibit, and the OP may be a fan. Also, it may be his/her one and only trip to Cleveland, and it’s not the worst mistake on the lake (see Free Stamp).
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### Author:  [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/7 "2009-06-22T17:36:21Z")
You also have a Sea World nearby, FWIW, and to the west an hour out there’s Cedar Point amusement park…
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### Author:  [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/8 "2009-06-22T17:37:48Z")
No, Sea World is gone. ☹ Cedar Point rolls on.
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### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/9 "2009-06-22T17:39:16Z")
How can this question be answered without knowing a damn thing about you? If you’re expecting us to be mind readers, that’s just rude.
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/10 "2009-06-22T17:55:08Z")
Try to avoid **panache45** ’s neighborhood when you visit. He’s a cranky old man! 😉
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### Author:  [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/11 "2009-06-22T18:24:51Z")
A friend of mine and I are driving up on the 28th. We’re both in out early twenties, but the art museum will probably be a good distraction. Cedar Point is going to have its own day (June 30) to enjoy all the coasters and whatnot. We’ll be staying at a Day’s Inn in Amherst, between Cleveland and Sandusky.
Not a huge Springsteen fan, so I hope if we do decide to go to the HOF, we won’t be disappointed.
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### Author:  [@whatami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whatami)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/12 "2009-06-22T19:36:53Z")
Q. Anything I shouldn’t miss in Cleveland?
A. The flight out!
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### Author:  [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/13 "2009-06-22T20:52:50Z")
Haven’t lived in the \*Mistake on the Lake \*since med school in the mid 80’s, but back then, as I recall, the [Flats](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flats)were the place to go for entertainment of the ETOH imbibing variety. I recall a fine establishment called the [Agora](http://www.clevelandagora.com/)as being a particularly fun place to spend a few ear drum splitting hours of inebriated bliss, but don’t mess with the bouncers—they all looked like [Andre the Giant’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_the_Giant) older, meaner brothers. Cleveland had (has?) some fine delis of the Jewish variety, too. You can understand my consternation now living in North Florida, after years of gastronomical bliss eating such delicacies as chopped chicken liver, Reuben, pastrami and other mile high, fatty meat sandwiches drenched with appropriate mustards, horseradishes and other savory, runny accoutrements on real deli bread; and before that spending my formative years in and around Philly sating my appetite on olive oil and oregano drenched Italian Hoagies and grease-spilling cheese-steaks “with (onions)” slathered with copious amounts of Cheese Whiz and provolone, bursting the seams of authentic Amoroso rolls (the only roll worthy of a Philly Cheesesteak). The South may have good bar-b-cue, chicken fried steak, chitlins, grits and what-not, but they simply do not know how to make a good sandwich the likes of Cleveland, Philadelphia and many other rust belt cities—oh, they pile the meat on, to be sure…but that’s all you get, lots of dry meat and maybe a thin sliver of cheese…nothing liquidy! If my sandwich doesn’t have a variety of multihued liquids dripping from the bowels within, I want nothing to do with it!
…oh, and [Cedar Point](http://www.cedarpoint.com/) is a blast, too.
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### Author:  [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/14 "2009-06-22T21:39:41Z")
> [@kelly5078](#):
>
> Outside Cleveland, Blossom is quite nice.
And inside of Cleveland, blossoms don’t grow.
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### Author:  [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/15 "2009-06-22T21:48:26Z")
I like the Great Lakes Science Center a lot. And I’ve been to my share of science museums.
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### Author:  [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/16 "2009-06-22T22:16:35Z")
Hit up Pinky’s in Brook Park. A fine establishment for the entire family.
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### Author:  [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/17 "2009-06-22T22:19:01Z")
The Flats are not what they once were. But try Tremont. And yes, the Science Center is great. The Agora is eternal, and the Beachland Ballroom has great acts (JJ can confirm). Cleveland has a great Little Italy with excellent restaurants, and there is the Great Lakes Brewing Company if you like brewpubs.
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/18 "2009-06-23T02:08:49Z")
I’d recommend the [Beachland](http://beachlandballroom.com/) for going to a neat on-a-whim show. There’s something going on there every night, in two venues (the ballroom and the tavern) plus a cool vintage shop in the basement and a super indie record store just two doors down.
HOWEVER, the Beachland is way out east (e. 151) and you are going to be staying waaaaaaaaaaay out west (is Amherst even a suburb?) So your best bet is to concentrate on West Side goings-on. I’d suggest the [Phantasy/Symposium](http://www.phantasyconcertclub.net/index.htm) clubs in Lakewood but they seem to not have anything going on the days you’ll be in town. Huh.
Closer to downtown, but still technically in the East is [Little Italy](http://www.littleitalycleveland.com/) (mentioned), which is just a hop-skip-and-a-jump from [Coventry](http://www.coventryvillage.org/), which has a fantastic vegetarian/omivore restaurant called [Tommy’s](http://tommyscoventry.com/), a [Wine Bar](http://www.lacaveduvin.com/) and a not-to-miss awesome vintage toy store called [Big Fun](http://www.bigfunbigfun.com/). They just opened another store on [Clifton](http://fleetothecleve.wordpress.com/2009/06/16/big-fun-cleveland/) near W. 117, so that is much more out west. I guarantee you will enjoy that place!
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### Author:  [@UncleNito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleNito)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2009, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/19 "2009-06-23T14:11:31Z")
I used to live in Cleveland and I still miss it. Underrated city IMO.
Skip the Flats, except maybe the Powerhouse on the West Bank. Tremont is nice and so is the Warehouse District if you want downtowny bars.
The [Mather Museum](http://wgmather.nhlink.net/) is way cool. It’s a Great Lakes bulk carrier (former Cleveland Cliffs flagship) restored and open for tours. It’s a lot cheaper and less crowded than the Rock Hall but they’re right near each other so you could do both in a day. I think the Rock Hall is a little overrated but I guess it’s worth seeing once.
Coventry and Little Italy are both fun. I’ve lived in both places. The Murray Hill artwalk near Little Italy is also worth checking out – lots of galleries with local/less-known artists. If you do Murray Hill and the Algebra coffee shop is still there it’s worth stopping in.
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### Author:  [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-i-shouldnt-miss-in-cleveland/500587/20 "2009-06-23T14:53:49Z")
Amherst isn’t far from Vermilion, which has the Inland Seas Maritime Museum. Very interesting.
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