Cleveland, Ohio...suggestions?

SurrealistSurrealist 218 Posts
edited March 2009 in Strut Central
Hi there...I'll be in Cleveland week after next and was wondering if anyone familiar with the city could share recommendations on record stores, digging spots/flea markets, coffee houses, great restaurants (including vegetarian), art galleries, other cool places. Thanks in advance!

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  • GrafwritahGrafwritah 4,184 Posts
    Hi there...I'll be in Cleveland week after next and was wondering if anyone familiar with the city could share recommendations on record stores, digging spots/flea markets, coffee houses, great restaurants (including vegetarian), art galleries, other cool places. Thanks in advance!

    Most of this you could probably pull just by searching Google... record stores are kind of ehhh... pick up a phonebook and stop by any "The Exchange" or (different chain) CD/Game Exchange, there are probably 25 or so between the two. There are a few on the west side in Lakewood like My Mind's Eye, in the east there's Music Saves in Collinwood, if you head south there are Square Records in Akron and Spin More Records and Turnup Records in Kent... Half Price Books way out in Mentor... if you go wayyyy south there's Checkered Records in Canton.

    I'm sure there are others I'm neglecting.

    For vegan restaurants and coffee houses I'll simply direct you to Coventry in Cleveland Heights and Tremont/Ohio City. You could probably scout Lakewood and Shaker Heights as well.

    Art galleries I'm no good with. Art MUSEUMS on the other hand, Cleveland Museum of Art is world class.

    There's the usual touristy crap like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Hard Rock Cafe at Tower City, Zoo, tons of other museums, etc.

    Depending on what you like there are multiple theatres in Playhouse Square, you could catch an indie flick at the Cedar Lee, visit a word class dead mall at Randall Park... or bet on the horses at Thistledown, check out the Orchestra, buy a foreclosed house or three...

    on and on. Hopefully that gave you a few ideas.

  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    theres a big ol flea market at the drive in movie theater. i came up there once.

  • Hi there...I'll be in Cleveland week after next and was wondering if anyone familiar with the city could share recommendations on record stores, digging spots/flea markets, coffee houses, great restaurants (including vegetarian), art galleries, other cool places. Thanks in advance!

    Most of this you could probably pull just by searching Google... record stores are kind of ehhh... pick up a phonebook and stop by any "The Exchange" or (different chain) CD/Game Exchange, there are probably 25 or so between the two. There are a few on the west side in Lakewood like My Mind's Eye, in the east there's Music Saves in Collinwood, if you head south there are Square Records in Akron and Spin More Records and Turnup Records in Kent... Half Price Books way out in Mentor... if you go wayyyy south there's Checkered Records in Canton.

    I'm sure there are others I'm neglecting.

    For vegan restaurants and coffee houses I'll simply direct you to Coventry in Cleveland Heights and Tremont/Ohio City. You could probably scout Lakewood and Shaker Heights as well.

    Art galleries I'm no good with. Art MUSEUMS on the other hand, Cleveland Museum of Art is world class.

    There's the usual touristy crap like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Hard Rock Cafe at Tower City, Zoo, tons of other museums, etc.

    Depending on what you like there are multiple theatres in Playhouse Square, you could catch an indie flick at the Cedar Lee, visit a word class dead mall at Randall Park... or bet on the horses at Thistledown, check out the Orchestra, buy a foreclosed house or three...

    on and on. Hopefully that gave you a few ideas.

    Not looking at it from a tourist angle. I was looking for specific recommendations. If a person was going to Chicago, Seattle, Austin, Houston, New Orleans, NYC - I can give them a list of what's good for those places. I already checked out the Cleveland art museums online - was thinking more along the lines of someone who has been to the galleries (or alternative art spaces) there and could recommend one or two. Checking google is fine and I've done that, but you can't really get the pulse or personality of a city from google. And as I'm finding, some of the record stores that would be in the book, like Warped, have already closed. I'm more of a cratedigger than record store shopper, and when I read another thread, people were basically saying there are no serious record stores in Cleveland.

    I saw mention of someone named Mazi, and I also see that there are some possibly promising record store spots in Columbus. But I wasn't planning on making side trips, so I would rather just stay in the city, and as I said I'm interested in digging out there. For cuisine, I guess something along the lines of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" for breakfast on Saturday. For lunch, a good vegan or vegetarian spot that is in the city not the suburbs.. I love ethnic cuisine, and Siam seems like it would be good, but I guess I want to keep it simple for this trip. I'm thinking more along the lines of tried and true places that locals have been to and would recommend wholeheartedly. Thanks anyway!

  • GrafwritahGrafwritah 4,184 Posts
    Most of this you could probably pull just by searching Google... record stores are kind of ehhh... pick up a phonebook and stop by any "The Exchange" or (different chain) CD/Game Exchange, there are probably 25 or so between the two. There are a few on the west side in Lakewood like My Mind's Eye, in the east there's Music Saves in Collinwood, if you head south there are Square Records in Akron and Spin More Records and Turnup Records in Kent... Half Price Books way out in Mentor... if you go wayyyy south there's Checkered Records in Canton.

    I'm sure there are others I'm neglecting.

    For vegan restaurants and coffee houses I'll simply direct you to Coventry in Cleveland Heights and Tremont/Ohio City. You could probably scout Lakewood and Shaker Heights as well.

    Art galleries I'm no good with. Art MUSEUMS on the other hand, Cleveland Museum of Art is world class.

    There's the usual touristy crap like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Hard Rock Cafe at Tower City, Zoo, tons of other museums, etc.

    Depending on what you like there are multiple theatres in Playhouse Square, you could catch an indie flick at the Cedar Lee, visit a word class dead mall at Randall Park... or bet on the horses at Thistledown, check out the Orchestra, buy a foreclosed house or three...

    on and on. Hopefully that gave you a few ideas.

    Not looking at it from a tourist angle. I was looking for specific recommendations. If a person was going to Chicago, Seattle, Austin, Houston, New Orleans, NYC - I can give them a list of what's good for those places. I already checked out the Cleveland art museums online - was thinking more along the lines of someone who has been to the galleries (or alternative art spaces) there and could recommend one or two. Checking google is fine and I've done that, but you can't really get the pulse or personality of a city from google. And as I'm finding, some of the record stores that would be in the book, like Warped, have already closed. I'm more of a cratedigger than record store shopper, and when I read another thread, people were basically saying there are no serious record stores in Cleveland.

    I saw mention of someone named Mazi, and I also see that there are some possibly promising record store spots in Columbus. But I wasn't planning on making side trips, so I would rather just stay in the city, and as I said I'm interested in digging out there. For cuisine, I guess something along the lines of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" for breakfast on Saturday. For lunch, a good vegan or vegetarian spot that is in the city not the suburbs.. I love ethnic cuisine, and Siam seems like it would be good, but I guess I want to keep it simple for this trip. I'm thinking more along the lines of tried and true places that locals have been to and would recommend wholeheartedly. Thanks anyway!

    My take on Cleveland record stores is "ehhh". Not to say you shouldn't look or that you won't find something good, but you'll most likely be wading through mostly crap or run of the mill shit.

    Depending on your take of staying "in the city," if you're looking for records you're more likely going to be "in the inner-ring suburbs."

    Warped was one of the Lakewood bunch I mentioned before. Been there, didn't do much for me. It depends on what you're looking for - that side of town caters more to the white guy rock stuff as opposed to funk or soul.

    Aladdin's in Cleveland Heights (amongst other spots) caters a good bit to those of the non-meat persuasion and I've heard mostly good things about it. Again, inner-ring suburbs.

  • bigchalzbigchalz 220 Posts
    if you haven't tried it, you should get yourself a beer from great lakes brewing(eliot ness amber lager, burning river(named after the cuyahoga which actually caught on fire twice)pale ale, and the edmund fitzgerald porter are really good beers.)

  • GrafwritahGrafwritah 4,184 Posts
    if you haven't tried it, you should get yourself a beer from great lakes brewing(eliot ness amber lager, burning river(named after the cuyahoga which actually caught on fire twice)pale ale, and the edmund fitzgerald porter are really good beers.)

    Good recommendation. If you stop by the actual brewery they have good food and tours of the facility. Hops for all.

  • if you haven't tried it, you should get yourself a beer from great lakes brewing(eliot ness amber lager, burning river(named after the cuyahoga which actually caught on fire twice)pale ale, and the edmund fitzgerald porter are really good beers.)

    thank you! Will check it out...
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