Neopolitan Amenities

[The Gipper]

Hear are a few items for those of you who are open minded....or even those who are closed minded:

 

A. The Cleveland Orchestra is ranked in the Top 5 in the nation along with the New York Philharmonic/Boston Symphony/Chicago Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra. One ranking has it #7 in the World behind orchestras from Berlin/Vienna/London

 

 

B. Sharerank.com lists the Cleveland Museum of Art as the #6 Art Museum in the world behind the Prado in Spain, The Louvre, The Hermitage in Russia, MOMA in NYC, and the Uffizi in Florence, Italy.

 

C. The Emerald Necklace: Encircles Cleveland entirely with one of the finest metropolitan park systems in the Nation.

 

D. The Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the only one of the 58 National Parks that sits within the confines of a major US urban area.

 

E. Playhouse Square. One of the most vibrant theater districts outside of NY and LA.

 

F. The Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. The one and only being that Cleveland was the birthplace of Rock n' Roll

 

G. The Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton. The one and only being that Canton was the birthplace of the NFL.

 

H. A Christmas Story House Museum. The only museum commemorating one of America's best loved movies.

 

I. Cleveland Museum of Natural History. High in the rankings of natural history museums in the US.

 

J. West Side Market/Great Lakes Brewery (brew pub). Great places for food and fun.

 

K. Lola and Lolita. Restaurants owned by the one and only Iron Chef, Michael Symon.

 

L. Cleveland Clinic. Rated in top 3 hospitals in the nation with Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins. (not that going to a hospital is a good time or anything)

 

M. The Horseshoe Casino. Include it here only because it is there (but it seems everywhere now has a casino...so, OK, this is no big deal)

 

N. Great Lakes Science Center. Top rated Science center.

 

O. NASA Space Center

 

P. Warehouse District. Most of the night life moved up the Hill and went more upscale.

 

Q. Cleveland Children's Museum. Great place if you have young kids. (I did once and took them there a few times)

 

R. Crawford Automotive Museum. Many examples of classic and antique vehicles.

 

S. Cleveland Opera. If you like Opera. I do, some.

 

T. Cleveland Aquariam. One of the newest attractions in the Powerhouse in the West Bank of the Flats. I have not been to it. Won't be in top rated aquariams as it is small. Biggest complaint was price.

 

U. Terminal Tower/Tower City. Interesting shopping venue, and can go to observation tower for good view of the city.

 

V. Dunham Tavern. Oldest standing building in Cleveland.

 

W. Shaker Lakes Nature Center. Tranquil setting in America's first planned suburb.

 

X. Little Italy. Great ethnic neighborhood and eateries.

 

Y. Lake Erie. Northern Ohio has the highest concentration of recreational boating in the world (per USA Today). This would include boating/fishing from the various marinas in and around Cleveland, and the Erie Islands area.

 

Z. Put-in-Bay. One of the biggest party locales in the US probably. And don't forget the Perry Peace Monument that commemorates the Battle of Lake Erie and the subsequent long term peace between the US/Great Britain and Canada.

 

AA. The Invent Now Museum. Formerly Inventors Hall of Fame. Still commemorates inventors from Thomas Edison to today's inventors. (Just no longer official for some reason)

 

BB. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway. Ride a train through the National park.

 

CC. Mentor Headlands State Beach. Some of the finest windsurfing this side of Maui.

 

DD. Hale Farm and Village. A "mini-Williamsburg" showing 19th century life.

 

EE. Kent State Fashion Museum. Do your own project runway here.

 

FF. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Rainforest. Underrated as a Zoo.

 

GG. Nautica. Live performances of major acts in the summer.

 

HH. Blossom Music Center. Summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra, plus live rock/pop concerts.

 

II. William McKinley Museum and Mausoleum. Canton He and his wife buried here and nearby Museum commemorating his life.

 

JJ. First Ladies National Historic Site.Canton. Commemorates all US First Ladies from Martha Washington to Michelle Obama.

 

KK. James Garfield National Hstoric Site. Home of native Cleveland area president. Mentor.

 

LL. Lakeview Cemetery. Cleveland. Site of Garfield's tomb. Chapel renowned for stain glass window built by Tiffany.

 

MM. Stan Hywet. Home built by Goodyear founder Frank Seiberling. One of the largest and finest examples of Tudor architecture in the USA.

 

NN. The Holden Arboretum. Botanical Gardens. Kirtland. Also site of one of the first geodesic domes built by native Buckminster Fuller

 

OO. Kirtland Mormon Temple. Kirtland. The original Mormon Temple built by LDS founder Joseph Smith.

 

PP. Several smaller art museums in Cleveland, Akron, Canton

 

QQ. Geauga Lake Wildwater Park.

 

RR. Cedar Point. The finest roller coaster amusement park in the nation, perhaps the world.

 

SS. Nautica Queen/Good Times II. Boats that give tours and dinner cruises on Lake Erie and Cuyahoga River.

 

TT. Century Village Museum/Roscoe Village. Two more "historic recreation" museums.

 

UU. Western Reserve Historcal Society Museum. Traces the history of northeast Ohio.

 

VV. Settlers Landing. Site of where Moses Cleveland founde Cleveland. Withing walking distance of Browns Board Tailgate site.

 

WW. MAPS Air Museum. Near Akron-Canton Airport. Dedicated to history of aviation.

 

XX. Goodyear World of Rubber. Located at Goodyear World HQ, Akron. Museum about rubber industy.

 

YY. The Goodyear Blimp at Wingfoot Lake. Brandywine/Boston Mills Ski Resorts/Clay's Park Yankee Peddler Festival, I_X Indoor Amusement Park. Packard Museum. Canton Car Museum. Firestone Country Club.

 

ZZ. Finally: The Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and a slew of minor league team like Lake Erie Monsters/Akron Aeros etc. and College sports at Akron/Kent State and Smaller schools.

 

That should be enough to keep you busy so you don't get cold (unless you want to) and without fear of your hair catching fire. If you couldn't find something fun to do around here every single week of the year, then there is something wrong with you.

[The Gipper]

I will admit that I have not been to every one of the attractions I list. The Opera and the Aquariam are new so I have not been there. I have not been to the Fashion museum, but would like to take my daughter there when she comes back from college. I have not been to Century Village or Roscoe Village (I have been to Hale Farm...and I am going back to Williamsburg in June, so I get my share of that sort of thing.) I haven't been to the World of Rubber (you know how it is, sometimes the things that are closest to you you overlook). I haven't been to the Crawford auto museum because I am not that into cars. Nor the MAPS museum or the Dunham Tavern. I have not been to Lola and Lolita. The expense of those could be an issue.

[Guest]

I am a Neapolitan. Because I live in Naples. Shouldn't these be Clevelander amenities or some such?

 

Or did you mean Metropolitan amenities?

 

Zombo

[Browns57]

I love telling people how great NE Ohio is. Of course most of them laugh at me. No matter what is on your list NE Ohio is definitely no Chicago, NY City or Hollywood. It isn't even Portland. But having lived all over Ohio I can definately say there is no place else in Ohio I would rather be. That area is different than the rest of the state. But not because of the things you listed. What makes NE Ohio different is the people. The people are the kind of people you can hang out and drink a beer with, have a good conversations and listen to AC/DC or some other rock n' roll band. Real authentic people who say what they mean and mean what they say.

 

I would actually argue that other than the people, sports and rock n roll, Columbus has Cleveland beat. There is a ton to do in Columbus. It is a smart and diverse city, with tolerance and more affluence. Really not a bad place.

 

As for SW OHIO; I would give the whole group away to Kentucky for free along with everyone in Toledo.

 

And you forgot that there is a planetarium at the museum next to the McKinley Monument. Loved that museum when I was a kid.

[The Gipper]

I am a Neapolitan. Because I leave in Naples. Shouldn't these be Clevelander amenities or some such?

 

Or did you mean Metropolitan amenities?

 

Zombo

 

NEOpolitan. I made a mistake with my title. A NEOpolitan can be someone who lives in The NEOtropolis, i.e. the NorthEastOhio metropolitan area.

 

Its a fairly new term for the area, like The North Coast used to be.

http://www.facebook.com/NEOtropolisTV

[The Gipper]

http://www.crainscleveland.com/section/neotropolis#

[The Gipper]

I am a Neapolitan. Because I leave in Naples. Shouldn't these be Clevelander amenities or some such?

 

Or did you mean Metropolitan amenities?

 

Zombo

 

Imagine that. You know what one of the most popular places in South Beach is called?

[Guest]

NEOpolitan. I made a mistake with my title. A NEOpolitan can be someone who lives in The NEOtropolis, i.e. the NorthEastOhio metropolitan area.

 

Its a fairly new term for the area, like The North Coast used to be.

http://www.facebook.com/NEOtropolisTV

 

Gotcha ... I like it.

 

Maybe I can turn some Neopolitans into Neapolitans ... there is a marketing idea in there somewhere.

 

Zombo

[Guest]

 

Imagine that. You know what one of the most popular places in South Beach is called?

 

Been there many-a-time sir.

 

The owners, at least 15 years ago, were young guys from Ohio, Dayton area, but they inherited the Clevelander name.

 

Zombo

[The Gipper]

Been there many-a-time sir.

 

The owners, at least 15 years ago, were young guys from Ohio, Dayton area, but they inherited the Clevelander name.

 

Zombo

 

I believe the original owners that gave it that name were from Cleveland.

[The Gipper]

I love telling people how great NE Ohio is. Of course most of them laugh at me. No matter what is on your list NE Ohio is definitely no Chicago, NY City or Hollywood. It isn't even Portland. But having lived all over Ohio I can definately say there is no place else in Ohio I would rather be. That area is different than the rest of the state. But not because of the things you listed. What makes NE Ohio different is the people. The people are the kind of people you can hang out and drink a beer with, have a good conversations and listen to AC/DC or some other rock n' roll band. Real authentic people who say what they mean and mean what they say.

 

I would actually argue that other than the people, sports and rock n roll, Columbus has Cleveland beat. There is a ton to do in Columbus. It is a smart and diverse city, with tolerance and more affluence. Really not a bad place.

 

As for SW OHIO; I would give the whole group away to Kentucky for free along with everyone in Toledo.

 

And you forgot that there is a planetarium at the museum next to the McKinley Monument. Loved that museum when I was a kid.

 

 

To me, Columbus is more like some of those newer plastic cities of the south. It lacks character. \

TC yabbers about the "old industrial look" of Cleveland. I tell you what, that is one of the things I love about it. It has that character, that history. Columbus does not have that.

Pittsburgh and Cincinnati do have that imo. In Cleveland you can drive down through the flatlands and see all the different bridges, sometime two of them crossing over each other, and converted factories and piles of ore, and see huge barges traversing the Crooked River, and go to the Harbor Inn to have a drink with a longshoreman, a biker, a lawyer, a college student. You can go through Tremont to the renovated housing and storefronts and restaurants. See St. Theodosius there and be reminded of the way things were and the movies they made there.

Other older neighborhoods with character include Ohio City and Larchmere, and Coventry and Shaker Square on the East Side, and Slavic Village and Lakewood and Kamm's Corner and others.

That is what a real city is about to me: character. Cleveland has it in spades.

[The Gipper]

[The Gipper]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lybeg6_R-O8

[The Gipper]

A few highlights ( a few years old...since LeQuit is still on here)

 

[The Gipper]

That fire led directly to the Clean Water Act and the American Rivers Heritage Initiative. It actually benefitted the entire country. The Cuyahoga may not have even been the worst. Included on the bad list were the Hudson River, the St. Johns river in Jacksonville and others:

 

[Mark O]

A few highlights ( a few years old...since LeQuit is still on here)

 

 

 

Great video...too bad they don't have the Cleveland Grand Prix anymore either. I always wanted to see it. The first race was the year I moved to California in 1982, always said I was going to go back one year. Maybe it will get a 2nd life at some point.

[slowburn]

Grew up east side of cbus. Not much has changed in 50 years besides a change in demographics. City has no real "feel' to it

 

like more industrial cities of similar size. If you like to shop at malls, eat at restaurants in recently annoited trendy areas and

 

live and die talking endlessly about OSU football and basketball then you will fit in nicely. Unlike Cleveland, for instance, the city

 

has really no ethnic neighborhoods although a lot of Germans and Irish spent time here since cbus was incorportated circa 1830's.

 

The west side consists mainly of 60 year old wood frame homes inhabited by an abundance of second or third generation appalachain hill

 

billies who migrated here for the industrial jobs that have disappeared over the past several decades. The south side is the least respected. This area

 

is much like the west side with the city's sewage treatment plants and landfills mixed in for flavor. The east side, once a bastion for the white

 

middle class, is deteriorating after a massive white flight to the mainly eastern suburbs, i.e Picktown, Canal Winchester and others.

 

The northwest side of town is where the affluent have taken refuge in their drab, flavorless enclaves. The highlight of their existance is The Memorial

 

Golf Tournament. This is one of the few times that Jack Nickalaus visits his hometown.

 

I love Cleveland's downtown area. The massiveness of some of the bldgs blow my mind. The topography with the river and bridges give the place a gritty

 

one-of-a-kind feel. The vibrancy of it's nightlife is heads and shoulders above cbus' drab, vanilla, homogenous mix of boring, plastic waanabe players.

 

I've got a pretty good feel for the city after retiring from it's Fire Department five years ago. I currently live one county north of Cbus and avoid

 

the place like the plague these days.

[ballpeen]

No doubt there is much to do in Cleveland.

 

 

 

I might question some of the rankings.....The Art Museum as an example.....a great place for sure, but I wouldn't rate is 2nd best in the country, but that is just picking.....no doubt it is world class no matter where it rates.

[Browns57]

Grew up east side of cbus. Not much has changed in 50 years besides a change in demographics. City has no real "feel' to it

 

like more industrial cities of similar size. If you like to shop at malls, eat at restaurants in recently annoited trendy areas and

 

live and die talking endlessly about OSU football and basketball then you will fit in nicely. Unlike Cleveland, for instance, the city

 

has really no ethnic neighborhoods although a lot of Germans and Irish spent time here since cbus was incorportated circa 1830's.

 

The west side consists mainly of 60 year old wood frame homes inhabited by an abundance of second or third generation appalachain hill

 

billies who migrated here for the industrial jobs that have disappeared over the past several decades. The south side is the least respected. This area

 

is much like the west side with the city's sewage treatment plants and landfills mixed in for flavor. The east side, once a bastion for the white

 

middle class, is deteriorating after a massive white flight to the mainly eastern suburbs, i.e Picktown, Canal Winchester and others.

 

The northwest side of town is where the affluent have taken refuge in their drab, flavorless enclaves. The highlight of their existance is The Memorial

 

Golf Tournament. This is one of the few times that Jack Nickalaus visits his hometown.

 

I love Cleveland's downtown area. The massiveness of some of the bldgs blow my mind. The topography with the river and bridges give the place a gritty

 

one-of-a-kind feel. The vibrancy of it's nightlife is heads and shoulders above cbus' drab, vanilla, homogenous mix of boring, plastic waanabe players.

 

I've got a pretty good feel for the city after retiring from it's Fire Department five years ago. I currently live one county north of Cbus and avoid

 

the place like the plague these days.

 

Like I said I prefer Cleveland for sure. BUT Columbus is second best in Ohio for sure. I live in the Dublin/Hilliard area and I like it. You also forgot to mention the arena district which is nice with the clippers/Blue Jackets and bars and restaurants. Also german village, Italian Village. Arts and Cultural and a highly diverse population friendly to all types. Again it is no Cleveland, but it is also no Cincitucky.

[Guest]

I believe the original owners that gave it that name were from Cleveland.

 

Yes they were. Hence the name. It is a South Beach institution and an architectural gem.

 

I sang the theme from the Love Boat badly at the top of my lungs while fully clothed in the wading pool there.

 

Z

[The Gipper]

No doubt there is much to do in Cleveland.

 

 

 

I might question some of the rankings.....The Art Museum as an example.....a great place for sure, but I wouldn't rate is 2nd best in the country, but that is just picking.....no doubt it is world class no matter where it rates.

 

Most wouldn't rank the Art Museum that high. But it could definitely be considered top 10. I have a sister and some clients who inhabit the "art world" and from what I hear from them, the focus of art is always changing. What used to be a niche museum like say The Guggenheim or the MOMAs in various cities (NY, SF, LA) are now mainstream art museum.

Cleveland's is an old, staid...but not stale museum. Like some wines, better with age. I mean, the Louvre is always going to be great with its collection, and so is the Cleveland Art Museum.

[ballpeen]

Most wouldn't rank the Art Museum that high. But it could definitely be considered top 10. I have a sister and some clients who inhabit the "art world" and from what I hear from them, the focus of art is always changing. What used to be a niche museum like say The Guggenheim or the MOMAs in various cities (NY, SF, LA) are now mainstream art museum.

Cleveland's is an old, staid...but not stale museum. Like some wines, better with age. I mean, the Louvre is always going to be great with its collection, and so is the Cleveland Art Museum.

 

I intended to make a visit last season to check out the renovations, but never made it.

 

Assuming I go up there this season, I'll have to make it a Saturday afternoon. Seems my wife and I went maybe 3-4 years before the renovations, and it seems like those took 2-3 years, so it's nearing 10 years since my last visit.

[calfoxwc]

There's also the Hartville flea market, and restaurant, and giant hardware store in the same complex....

 

btw, the WW. MAPS Air Museum. Near Akron-Canton Airport. Dedicated to history of aviation..

is excellent. A lot of history, uniforms, equipment, bomb shell casings, artwork made from the large shell casings...

and airplanes and helicopters. Old planes, newer planes.... it's a very cool place to go. And it's just

a little ways down the expressway to the Canton football HOF.

[The Gipper]

And you know, a lot of people come to this basic area to "Amish country". A bit south of the Cleveland/Akron metro area, but withing easy reach. I know that when my sisters have people visit from out of town that is where they head.

(speaking of hardware stores and the Amish, there is Lehman's in Kidron which may be the biggest or most unusual hardware store in the world.)

[cdl15]

Small town living south of clev and north of colum is where it is. Phuch shitty city livin that john rocker speaks of

[Browns57]

Small town living south of clev and north of colum is where it is. Phuch shitty city livin that john rocker speaks of

 

Sometimes it is nice to see other people without having to spend $10 in gas and 30 minutes each way to a real grocery store or watering hole.

[The Gipper]

Small town living south of clev and north of colum is where it is. Phuch shitty city livin that john rocker speaks of

 

Not sure what you are advocating. You could say that I live in a "small town", 25K, between Cleveland and Columbus. More of a suburb of Akron.

[Canton Mike]

And you know, a lot of people come to this basic area to "Amish country". A bit south of the Cleveland/Akron metro area, but withing easy reach. I know that when my sisters have people visit from out of town that is where they head.

(speaking of hardware stores and the Amish, there is Lehman's in Kidron which may be the biggest or most unusual hardware store in the world.)

 

Lehman's is a neat place to visit. Another is Warther's Museum in Dover. To refer to his work as carvings leaves a false impression. His work looks NOTHING like "hand made". Here is a link to the site. The museum tour is a must. http://www.warthers.com/Ernest_Warther.htm

 

Also, check out our State record fish that stack up well nationally & our trophy deer rank high nationally as well.

 

Mike

[cdl15]

Some great golf tracks around this area too