CLEVELAND - THE NEW AMERICAN CITY

Cleveland is sometimes referred to as the "Mistake by the Lake", but in reality it has undergone a great  renewal in recent years and is now a very pleasant place to spend a few days. Highlighted by the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, the lakefront is now a trendy tourist area, while the Public Square is nearby and offers a variety of historical sights. 

Cleveland is located on the shores of Lake Erie, about 3 hours east of Detroit and 3 hours west of Buffalo. Two major east-west interstate highways meet up in Cleveland (I-80 and I-90) which make it easily accessible from anywhere. The lakefront is on the edge of the downtown core and provides a scenic backdrop to the city's skyline. The downtown streets are not crowded and are good for walking around but you will probably need a guide book to find the various sights as they are not easy to spot while wandering aimlessly.

Downtown

Just east of the city is Case Western University, and with it comes the University Circle collection of museums. Located in a relaxing park setting, these museums offer any visitor something interesting and different. It would be quite easy to spend two or three days alone at these places. 

Cleveland is home to three major league sports teams: of course, the Indians, who have won AL Central division titles for 5 out of the last 6 years; the Browns, a recent expansion team in the NFL that was created to replace the old Browns who moved to Baltimore; and the Cavaliers, the NBA team with no real distinctive traditions. Cleveland sports fans are noted for their loyalty and are considered among the best in the country.

Browns Stadium

Our impressions: Cleveland is easy to drive in - roads are wide and signs are well-posted. Parking is available on the street in most places, and plenty of garages exist too. There is also a rapid transit system, but it wasn't necessary to use it as the car is much easier. 

The weather in Cleveland was the most variable on our trip. For two days it was a sunny summer weather, but for the other three days, it was a brutal wintry rain. For some reason, fall didn't come to Cleveland in 2001, at least not while we were there. 

However, the city did offer some surprises. Cleveland is not known for its culinary creations, but we enjoyed every meal there - the food was very good, even at the museum cafeteria (a first!) - see our Where to Eat section for details on three recommendations. 

As for the loyal fans, the Browns' fans lived up to their reputation - we saw the game with the largest crowd in the team's short history. Loud and proud describes these fans, but unfortunately we didn't get a good chance to see how the Indians' fans would behave - poor weather limited the turnout at both games. But those that did show were hardy souls and very loud as well - I would like to see a game at Jacobs' Field when it is sold out.

One minor problem was that some of the tourist sights were closed during the week as we were visiting during the off-season. It would be nice if these were made more accessible as they looked very interesting.

The first public lighting in the world!

Having said that, we still believe that Cleveland is a surprisingly good place to visit. Marred by its old and obsolete reputation as an ugly industrial city, it may not be a tourist destination for most people, but we suggest that you give it a shot. Not only do they have the Jake, one of the finest ballyards in the country, but an NFL stadium that is state-of-the-art as well. Make a note to stop in sometime, but try to make it in the summer - there may not be a fall to enjoy!