Mark Bibby Jackson visits Cleveland Ohio an industrial city with its roots most definitely in music.
Serendipity. I’ve said it before, but it is one of the most wonderful aspects of travelling. When one of my best friends announced she was getting married near Washington DC at the beginning of June, I realised I was about to cross the Pond for the first time since Covid.
DC I knew well, but where should I go next. Perversely I decided to go to Niagara Falls for her honeymoon, but this fell through. I had already planned a visit to Buffalo to explore its amazing mill elevators, and had Pittsburgh pencilled in for my return flight but with a couple of days to fill the gap, the question was where. The answer somewhat surprisingly proved to be Cleveland.
Cleveland Guardians
Stepping off my Greyhound bus, I walked a few blocks in the late morning to my hotel the Drury Plaza. This 1931 building used to be the city’s Board of Education building, and was turned into a hotel by Drury Hotels in 2016. It has two wonderful murals by Cora Holden, which date back to the original building.
I had little time to admire its beauty, as I had a ball game to catch. Americans may know little of cricket, although the T20 World Cup was taking place in the country at the time, but I was determined to experience something of the sport that has inspired so many American authors including the great Paul Auster.
The brother of the bride had told me how great Progressive Fields was, and as the Cleveland Guardians were playing the Kansas City Royals, I just had to go. It was a glorious sunny day, the stadium was packed, and the atmosphere was great. I bought myself a beer and tried to look as American as I could. I loved it. The game flowed quickly – well, I love five-day cricket Tests – and in the third innings home favourite Ramirez hit a home run.
I would willingly have stayed to the end of the game, but I had to rush across town to visit the star attraction of Cleveland, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I did stay to the end of the fifth innings at which stage the Cleveland Guardians were leading 3-1, although in my absence they slipped to a 4-3 loss.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
I confess I am more into jazz than rock and roll, so I did not quite know what to expect from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – Meat Loaf and Van Halen perhaps?
The main exhibition on Level 0 starts with the origins of rock and roll. Howlin’ Wolf, Professor Longhair and the Ink Spots, Bessie Smith, the list of great Blues singers featured here is endless. Not only can you listen to their amazing music, but examine some priceless memorabilia such as Howlin’ Wolf’s 1952 electric guitar, or Bill Haley’s 1955 Gibson.
The museum is educational, demonstrating how the roots of rock and roll come from blues, jazz and gospel. Blues music came from African Americans in the Deep South in the early 20th century. Mammie Smith’s ‘Crazy Blues’ 1920 is thought to be the first blues record. As Muddy Waters said, “the blues had a baby, and they called it rock and roll”. Country music which is sometimes called the White Man’s Blues originated from British immigrants. Eventually, it all mixed together to form rock and roll.
The exhibition has displays with memorabilia and sound on some of the greatest singers and bands in the history of rock and roll, divided into sub-genre, cities and bands. So, we walk from Chuck Berry, through Elvis to the Beatles, opposite the Rolling Stones naturally, and punk via Memphis, Detroit and Liverpool. It is an amazing exhibition and well worth the visit.
Upstairs there is a Garage where you can play your guitar as well as a jam room. At the top all the inductees to the Hall of Fame are listed as well as the candidates for the class of 2024 – Iron Maiden is leading the popular vote.
Cleveland Boat Tours along the Cuyahoga River
Just like Buffalo and Pittsburgh, Cleveland is a city that developed with the growth of industry at the turn of the last century. It’s environmental legacy was monumental as I am to discover on my boat trip along the river Cuyahoga, which means crooked or twisted, later that evening on the El Cee 2.
Cleveland has a reputation for being the city where the river caught fire, although in truth there were several fires on rivers throughout the US in the last century. According to our guide, there were 18 fires on the Cuyahoga, although the 1969 fire is the one that caught national headlines even though no one died – five died in the 1912 fire.
Some attribute the public backlash to the 1969 fire as being the reason for the passing of the important Clean Waters Act in 1972. Before that oil up to three feet thick could be found on the Cuyahoga river, and there were no fish. Now, there are 66 species of fish, and people go paddle boarding and row along the Cuyahoga.
Our boat trip starts at Merwin Wharf, where you can get some excellent fish tacos, in the Rivergate park that is run by Cleveland Metroparks and continues up to a still functioning steel plant. Along the way we pass countless bridges as well as oil tankers and a concrete plant in what is still an industrial landscape. The Metroparks is continuing to clean up the area, including developing a riverside walk on the far side of the river – the Irish Town Bend Park. The view of downtown Cleveland as the sun is setting is spectacular.
Cleveland Tours – Tours of Cleveland
The following morning, I join Scott O’Con of Tours of Cleveland at the central Public Square for a tour of Cleveland.
The city owes its name to Moses Cleaveland, who came from New Hampshire to the Western Connecticut Reserve to found the city in 1796. He promptly returned east and never came back. In 1831 the ‘a’ was dropped in the name by the Cleveland Advertiser, Scott suspects most likely for typographical reasons.
Cleveland only started to develop after the opening of the Ohio-Erie canal in 1832, when industry in particular oil, iron and paint, took off. John D Rockefeller established Standard Oil here in 1870. By 1875, Cleveland had the most millionaires in the United States, and Euclid Avenue was nicknamed ‘millionaire alley’.
Falling into decline in the 60s, Cleveland developed a reputation for being a pretty rough place. According to Scott, in one year in the 70s there were 37 bombs. Now, the city is undergoing a regeneration that is not restricted to the Cuyahoga river with many former industrial buildings repurposed. Creatives and start-ups are moving here from cities such as New York, partially due to cheap property prices and rent.
Around Public Square is the Old Stone Church, which dates back to 1855 and has Tiffany windows as well as an interesting sculpture of Christ as a beggar outside it. However, its most striking building is the Terminal Tower, which dominates the skyline and turns different colours at night. Next to this is the May Company department store built in 1915 which has been converted into apartments. The square also has the Soldiers and Sailors Monument from 1894.
Scott leads me to The Mall, which is where the Drury Hotel is situated. This has the truly wonderful Cleveland War Memorial Fountain, as well as the 1922 Public Auditorium, where the Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Elvis have performed. Outside the Drury is a statue to Abraham Lincoln. The former US President’s funeral cortege came to Cleveland attracting a crowd of nearly 100,000.
Scott’s tour includes The Arcade, which was built in 1890, and is apparently the most popular place to get married in Cleveland, and the 1908 Cleveland Trust Company building which in 2015 was turned into a grocery store and has the most amazing Art Nouveau skylight and murals by Francis Millet telling the story of the founding of Cleveland. Eventually, with tired feet we conclude at Playhouse Square where there are 11 theatres, some of which narrowly avoided becoming parking lots, according to Scott.
Ohio City
In reality, Cleveland is two cities. On one side of the Cuyahoga is Cleveland and on the other is Ohio. After my city tour, I cross the river into Ohio City, to visit the old West Side Market and have lunch at microbrewery Market Garden, where the aubergine parmigiana sub is excellent.
Instinctively I feel that Ohio City is a cool area, but I have little time to explore before my next meeting at the Ohio City Farm.
Started in 2010, this is a collaborative project, which has created a five-acre farm employing international newcomers from countries such as Afghanistan, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bhutan. Organised by Re:source Cleveland they pay their farmers relatively high wages which reflect the great agricultural knowledge that many immigrants possess. The aim is to give them a living wage.
The scheme is a Community Supported Agriculture programme where customers purchase the harvest in advance guaranteeing an income for the farm.
I meet Rachel Ramos, who has worked in sales and marketing at the farm for five years. She explains my visit has coincided with the start of the summer season when 280 households come to collect their boxes, which consist of lettuce, kale, radish, etc and generally last a week. Although not certified organic, which is a costly process, they do adopt organic principles. They also supply food to local restaurants and have a community with local hospitals and food banks.
The farm is open to the public, providing a wonderful large urban space for a picnic, with views of downtown Cleveland. Rachel says they hope to open a farm store and small kitchen eventually. They also run tours.
Great Lakes Brewing Company was one of the co-founders of the Ohio City farm. After my tour of the latter, I sample some beers from the Brewery which is located in an old horse stable. Although recognising it is difficult to be fully sustainable within a city, the company tries its best, working with local companies, sourcing goods from local farms and doing zero landfill where possible. They also have some solar panels. Most importantly, the beer is excellent and I highly recommend the Edmund Fitzgerald porter.
A Musical City
After such a lengthy day, in the evening I walk down to The Lakehouse, a lovely restaurant on the river in the Flats East Bank area of town, which used to be heavily industrial and now has become a lively entertainment area with repurposed warehouses turned into bars, restaurants, clubs and accommodation. Here I have an excellent walleye, which is a fish from Lake Eerie served in a buttery clam broth with black eyed peas.
There is so much music in Cleveland. Leaving the bar, I pop into the Collision Bend Brewery where local band The Retractors are celebrating their 30th anniversary. Then I walk along the river to eavesdrop on Orville Peck playing at the Jacobs Pavilion on the far side.
As I stand and watch a boat pulls up with another band playing, but all I can hear is Simple Minds in yet another bar. It might be a Friday night, but this is crazy. And to top it all off we have the most amazing sunset, capping off a wonderful two days in Cleveland a most musical city.
Things To Do in Cleveland Ohio
From renowned cultural institutions to vibrant neighbourhoods, numerous opportunities to enjoy urban outdoor activities, award-winning restaurants, craft beer and musical heritage across all genres, Cleveland has the hustle and bustle of a big city, whilst maintaining a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Located in northeast Ohio, on the southern shore of Lake Erie, its 56,000 acres of parks and nature preserves provide an easy escape from the city while the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Cleveland Museum of Art pay homage to the city’s rich cultural history. For more information go to: www.thisiscleveland.com.
Flights to Cleveland
Travellers can now fly direct to Cleveland from Dublin with Aer Lingus. The flight launched in May 2023 and operates four times a week, with connections from London Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Passengers can carry out their pre-clearance in Dublin so that, on arrival at Cleveland airport, they can avoid immigration queues, quickly collect their luggage and start their Cleveland experience immediately. To book a trip to Cleveland contact Platinum Travel. www.platinumtravel.ie.
Hotels in Cleveland Ohio
Downtown hotels start at around $150 per night. There are so many options for hotels in downtown Ohio, but we really do recommend the Drury Plaza, both for its excellent location and the wonderful murals by Cora Holden. For other hotels Cleveland Ohio, click here.
Live Music Cleveland Ohio
The music scene in Cleveland is amazing. For information on Cleveland music venues and who is playing in town, we suggest you go to Clevescene.
Cleveland Ohio Weather
The weather in Cleveland Ohio is variable. It can be extremely hot in the summer and deep snow in winter. For the latest weather Cleveland Ohio click here.
Tragically, Scott O’Con, who led me on my tour around Cleveland, passed away on 28 July, 2024, aged 52. Scott was a great tour leader who clearly loved his adopted city. I am sure he will be sadly missed by many people in Cleveland including his husband The Reverend Jason Thompson.