I visited the second-largest city in Ohio for the first time in June. I had heard great things about the food scene and was thrilled to check out the new convention center, but one of my biggest takeaways from the trip was how much pride Clevelanders take in their city, and how happy they are to share it with visitors. I’d never been to a place where the local enthusiasm was as powerful and pervasive as Cleveland.
Upon first impression, it seemed like an accurate embodiment of its geographic location—Midwestern charm with a hint of East Coast industrial edginess. We visited the distinctive Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, spent an afternoon wandering the Westside Market and watched shipping traffic on the Cuyahoga River.
Since no trip to Cleveland is complete without a sporting event or two, we headed to Progressive Field to watch “the Tribe” take on the Washington Nationals. Depending on the season, the Browns, Indians and Cavaliers all play within walking distance of downtown. (They’re not lying when they say how walkable the city is.)
The baseball stadium hosts as many as 200 group events a year, and planners can rent out the batting cages on non-game days, host on-field events or use the conference spaces for meetings or sessions before the first pitch (a great way to boost attendance).
While dining at the 150-person Terrace Club in left field, you can look out the tiered glass windows and watch the game or see fans stream in through the entrance gates below.
After a quick dinner, we adjourned to our seats down the third base line, which thankfully were under the overhang as a bit of springtime rain rolled in for a few innings.
In the summer, the Indians host occasional “dollar hot dog” games, and according to the scoreboard more than 67,000 dogs had been sold the night prior. (The stadium seats around 43,000 people at full capacity.)
Before heading home, I made a pit stop in at the Cleveland Clothing Company, which appeared to be quite popular with Positively Cleveland CVB staff and other locals, wearing T-shirts emblazoned with clever slogans representing the 216 area code, declaring love for local teams and stating the obvious: “Lake Erie is Great!”
The shop is located in the center of downtown Cleveland, just steps from Public Square. The area surrounding the historic square is also home to Pura Vida restaurant, the Renaissance Cleveland hotel and the East Fourth Street entertainment district, where attendees can catch a stand-up comedy act or lounge at Pickwick and Frolick, which accommodates groups for a variety of meals, shows and events.
