My Cleveland weekend: West Side Market snacks, Ohio City breweries, free world-class museums in University Circle, and a Lake Erie sunset. These are the spots I send every friend visiting The Land.
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I spend a whole afternoon at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the I.M. Pei glass pyramid on the lakefront is worth the trip on its own.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
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I take visiting friends to the Great Lakes Science Center next door to the Rock Hall for the NASA exhibits and the hands-on science floors.
Great Lakes Science Center
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I catch a Guardians game at Progressive Field and grab a seat on the upper deck for the skyline view.
Progressive Field
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I see a Broadway tour at Playhouse Square and always stop to look up at the giant outdoor chandelier over Euclid Avenue.
Playhouse Square
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I wander through The Arcade, an 1890 Victorian shopping atrium with a five-story glass skylight that still stops me in my tracks.
The Arcade
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I duck into the Cleveland Public Library's main branch for the gorgeous old reading rooms and the reading garden out back.
Cleveland Public Library
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I wander West Side Market under its tiled vaulted ceiling, grabbing a gyro, pierogi, and a crepe as I go.
West Side Market
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I sit in the beer garden at Market Garden Brewery next to West Side Market and order a flight with a soft pretzel.
Market Garden Brewpub & Pizza
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I drink an Edmund Fitzgerald Porter at the Great Lakes Brewing brewpub, the Ohio City spot that kicked off Cleveland's craft beer scene.
Great Lakes Brewing Company
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I get a scoop at Mitchell's Ohio City flagship, where I can watch them churn the ice cream through the kitchen windows.
Mitchell's Ice Cream - Ohio City Shop
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I meet friends for brunch on the big patio at Townhall on West 25th.
TownHall
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I order the guac flight and a margarita at Momocho, a cozy Ohio City spot for modern Mexican food.
Momocho
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I grab the pastrami sandwich and a slice of babka at Larder, a James Beard-nominated deli inside an old Hingetown firehouse.
Larder Delicatessen and Bakery
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I start my Ohio City mornings with a cardamom latte at Rising Star Coffee, in the same old firehouse as Larder.
Rising Star Coffee Roasters
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I tour the actual house from A Christmas Story in Tremont, leg lamp in the window and all.
House from A Christmas Story
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I build my own tacos and order a margarita at Barrio in Tremont, which stays open late.
Barrio Tacos Tremont
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I walk around Lincoln Park in Tremont, a leafy square surrounded by old churches and neighborhood bars.
Lincoln Park
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I watch the sunset over Lake Erie from Edgewater Park and snap a photo with the Cleveland script sign and the skyline behind it.
Edgewater Pier
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I line up for a corned beef sandwich piled ridiculously high at Slyman's, a weekday breakfast and lunch classic.
Slyman's Restaurant and Deli
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I go for weekend dim sum at Li Wah in Asia Plaza, where the carts still roll right up to the table.
Li Wah
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I slurp a big bowl of pho at Superior Pho, a tucked-away AsiaTown favorite that's worth finding.
Superior Phở
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I spend hours at the Cleveland Museum of Art, one of the best art museums in the country, and general admission is free.
The Cleveland Museum of Art
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I hang out on Wade Oval in University Circle, the lawn tying the museums together that hosts free summer concerts.
Wade Oval
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I check out the dinosaur skeletons and the Lucy exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
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I warm up in the rainforest and desert glasshouses at the Cleveland Botanical Garden, especially in the winter.
Cleveland Botanical Garden
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I hear the Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Music Center, a world-class orchestra playing in a stunning 1931 concert hall.
Severance Music Center
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I stroll the Cleveland Cultural Gardens along MLK Drive, where more than 30 nationality gardens line Rockefeller Park.
Serbian Cultural Garden
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I visit the Garfield Memorial and the Tiffany glass in the Wade Chapel at Lake View Cemetery.
Lake View Cemetery
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I grab cannoli and a cup of coffee at Presti's Bakery while walking around Little Italy.
Presti's Bakery
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I always bring home a cassata cake from Corbo's, which has been a Little Italy institution for decades.
Corbo's Bakery In Little Italy
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I visit the elephants and the Rainforest building at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
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I start my Cuyahoga Valley National Park day at the Boston Mill Visitor Center before hiking out to the waterfalls.
