On Euclid Avenue for a Cleveland Weekend
I Visited Public Square, Playhouse Square, and the Ohio City Neighborhood
Playhouse Square is an area of Cleveland that has numerous
theaters. An outdoor chandelier, which
is associated with Playhouse Square, hangs above Euclid Avenue one evening in
March 2024.
Living in the greater Cleveland area, my husband and I sometimes
seek recreation downtown. The first
weekend in March we had our chance to live it up in the city proper, which has
become rather sophisticated on the tourism front. We saw the theater, restaurants, shopping,
and food markets all within a weekend; it was a wonderful time which included a
ride on public transit to the Ohio City neighborhood. I want to share this itinerary we created
because we did enjoy the experience a lot this time – and we splurged on our
budget. Usually more is paid for hotel rooms downtown.
On a Saturday . . .
Select A Hotel on Euclid Avenue Between Playhouse Square
and Public Square
We stayed one overnight at the hotel in The Arcade, one of the most well-known sites in Cleveland. The Arcade, 401 Euclid Ave., has a lot of history, but it is also beautiful inside. An arcade in this sense is an indoor mall with a glass ceiling that lets in plenty of natural light. The Arcade connects Superior Avenue to Euclid Avenue through its entrances on either end, and it is so close to Public Square and the theaters that walking to those places is convenient. For more information, visit https://www.theclevelandarcade.com/.
My husband and I parked the car using the hotel’s valet
parking and relied on our walking feet and public transportation to get around.
Eat Lunch on East Fourth Street
East Fourth Street at the intersection of Euclid Avenue has
been made into a pedestrian-only route that is bordered by restaurants on
either side. Some started opening at 11
a.m. on Saturday. At night, strings of white lights that span above the street
are lit, which I think encourages the nightlife there and creates a
street-party atmosphere that you’ll find on warm nights when dining outside.
Take a Tours of Cleveland, LLC Walking Tour
We reserved our spots on a 2-hour walking tour of downtown
with Tours of Cleveland, LLC. Our tour on that Saturday began at 1 p.m. Given
that March in Cleveland can still be cold, I wore my winter jacket, gloves, and
hat. We were fortunate that on the day
we toured, it was overcast but was not raining and the temperature was in the
low 50s. Our tour guide provided a good
historical overview of the creation of the city, Cleveland’s industries, its
population changes, housing trends, architecture, monuments, and the Cuyahoga
River. We learned about where to find
the best views of the city and Lake Erie – Cleveland is situated right on the
shore. Walking tours almost always make
one of the best highlights of my trips.
I love the fresh air and being led on an organized walk. Given my love of hiking in nature, hiking
through urban areas also gives me a happiness boost. And the perspective of a
tour guide is so interesting. I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed it. We
took the Downtown Highlights Walking Tour. For more information, visit the
website toursofcleveland.com.
Try German Fare at Hofbräuhaus
Hofbräuhaus, 1550 Chester Avenue, is a German
restaurant with a large eating hall.
Long tables fill the space; they are set up in rows. There is lots of German décor and beverages
are served in glasses resembling steins. I tried potato and cheese pierogis
with sausage and left with a satisfied stomach.
We made reservations ahead of time on the same day, and we still had to
have an early dinner because spots filled up.
Eating there made me more eager to learn about German culture. There was
live music, too. We were able to walk
there from our hotel, and we ate there prior to our show in Playhouse Square.
Visit https://www.hofbrauhauscleveland.com/ for more information on the restaurant.
See a Show at Playhouse Square
On Saturday evening we saw a live play performed at the
Hanna Theatre, 2067 E. 14th Street. We saw “Murder on the Orient
Express,” based on the crime fiction novel by Agatha Christie. It was easy to become immersed in the story,
which was portrayed with convincing acting, and had a thought-provoking ending.
The story is so famous that I knew the ending but had never seen the entire
story told. Agatha Christie’s books sell
well; her work is well-known. Seating
for our Saturday evening performance seemed to have been almost full. This
play’s run at Playhouse Square ended this past weekend, but all the shows I
have seen in that district I have enjoyed.
Multiple theaters make up the area called Playhouse Square. You can find
more information about the district at https://www.playhousesquare.org/ . We
were a 15-minute walk away from our hotel room.
On a Sunday . . .
Catch an RTA Train to Ohio City from Tower City Center
This was my first time taking a public transit train in
downtown Cleveland, and it was a success.
I am glad I did it. One of my friends who works downtown recommended we
take the RTA to Ohio City. We walked from our hotel to Tower City Center, which
faces Public Square. There is a mall in
Tower City, as well as the Jack Cleveland Casino, but in the lowest level, you
find where the RTA departs and can buy train fares from a machine. You need to have exact change for the
machines. We bought day passes and took
the Red Line to Ohio City. So, in March
2024, the price for a day pass was $5 per person. Ohio City is the first stop west of Tower
City Center, so we were there within minutes.
The train rumbles along on tracks high above the Cuyahoga River. Cleveland has a very industrial feel in some
parts, a lot of paved areas, and this stretch of train ride showcased this
aspect of the city. Visit https://www.riderta.com/ for more information.
Visit the Ohio City Neighborhood
The Ohio City neighborhood is a fun environment. It is probably still best known for having
the West Side Market, 1979 W. 25th Street, where food vendors
sell bread, meat, jams, baked goods, cheese, prepared foods and produce; this
list of foods is not all-inclusive. Vendors apply to have a booth there and are
selected based on their uniqueness. Architecturally,
the building is historic and beautiful; the city of Cleveland owns it. On Sunday, it opened at 10 a.m. We liked arriving there in the morning. The
West Side Market does have a parking lot adjacent, so you needn’t come by train
necessarily. There is no admission to
enter the market, although the vendors charge for the sale of their goods. You
might need to pay for parking if you stay beyond a certain time limit. Visit https://westsidemarket.org/ for
information.
Ohio City is also interesting in that it has a walkable
geography and shows signs of environmental responsibility. We entered a coffee shop called Edda Coffee
Roasters, 2011 W. 25th Street, where we found water for sale packaged in boxes. This left an impression on me
since I believe the world has too much plastic waste in the environment that is
not recyclable and does not biodegrade well.
I entered expecting to buy water in a plastic bottle and was pleased to
find the water came in what seems to be a more sustainable, and better
biodegradable box derived from paper. See Boxed Water Is Better, LLC. For more
information visit https://boxedwaterisbetter.com/.
Our lunch stop in Ohio City was Great Lakes Brewing
Company, 2516 Market Ave., which is very well-known in the Cleveland area. It
has a good pub and offers tours of its business. My spouse and I tried the West
Side Market Board, an appetizer that includes meats, cheeses, pickled
vegetables, dried fruit, spreads, and crackers.
The crackers on this board were made from “spent grains” and were byproduct of
the company’s beer brewing process, and I enjoyed them a lot. Other items on the board are local foods, and
some of the items are also sold at the nearby West Side Market. For
information, visit https://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/.
Tower City Center houses Jack Cleveland Casino and a mall
and serves as stops for the RTA’s public transit lines. The building also faces Public Square in
downtown Cleveland.
Visiting the West Side Market in the Ohio City neighborhood was a fun experience during the weekend.
Attractions on the
To-See List
There are more sites in Cleveland, Ohio than what we could
fit into two days, but I absolutely loved our weekend!
If you have a long stretch of available time, I recommend
seeing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, https://www.rockhall.com/ or the Great
Lakes Science Center, https://greatscience.com/. Both are situated on the lakefront. I have been to both in the past, although not
recently. The two museums are landmarks
of Cleveland.
I have it on my list to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
coming up soon.
