
Last week I was in Cleveland, Ohio for a marketing conference, which meant I had a little bit of time to explore but not a ton. Being the “type A” list maker that I am, I did my Pinterest and Googling research and found a few things to do, places to see, and food to eat while I was there.
It was my first time in Cleveland and I really didn’t have any expectations or preconceived notions about the city. Whenever I told people I was going to Cleveland they looked a little sad for me, so I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting much but I was really impressed by the city when I got there! The architecture downtown is spectacular and there are a lot of things to do and a ton of good restaurants to eat at.
On my way into the city I stopped at Loganberry Books, a must for my fellow bibliophiles. They sell new, used, and rare books and the store itself is every book-lover’s dream. They even have classic rolling library ladders! I could have spent a whole afternoon there.
We had some different evening events for the conference at the House of Blues and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Seeing Michael Jackson’s glove at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and all their Elvis stuff was definitely a highlight of my trip.
I also had a chance to wander around the East 4th Street area and see the Arcade Cleveland, a beautiful indoor shopping center…

…and Heinen’s, a fancy super market that reminds me of Whole Foods if Whole Foods was in an elegant, historic building.
East 4th Street is full of great restaurants – it was difficult to choose where to go! I ended up at Lola Bistro, one of Michael Symon’s restaurants, and it was a superb meal. I also had a chance to eat at Pickwick & Frolic for dinner another night and was again blown away by how good the food was (and if you drink, order the Pickwick Classic – it’s like heaven in a glass). And if you’re in the area you can’t pass up a visit to Colossal Cupcakes; I had the fruity pebble cupcake and all I have to say is yum.
Just walking around the downtown area was fun. Like I said before, the architecture is just wonderful.
My hotel was just down the street from Willard Park and the “Free” stamp so I had to spend at least a few minutes walking around the grassy area.

I also made sure to stop by the Cleveland Public Library.
On my last day in the city I had a bit more time to myself, so I went outside the downtown area to the West Side Market. It was without a doubt one of my favorite places in Cleveland; I felt as though I might have been transported back to a European market and I was in heaven. The outside stalls area was full of gorgeous fresh produce and the inside market was packed with displays of meats, cheese, sweets, and breads galore.
I was also very impressed by the Cleveland Museum of Art. I went on a whim before driving home, just to see what all they had, and was shocked to learn that they have not only Rodin’s The Thinker sculpture but also a Caravaggio and multiple Monets, a few Picassos, a Seurat, a van Gogh, a Renoir, and a Warhol, among many others. And that’s only in one wing! What was originally going to be a quick trip turned into a three-hour visit.
To make things easy, I’ve made a list including my favorites from this trip and the things I didn’t quite get to. Like I mentioned earlier, my hotel for the conference was in the Downtown area so that’s where most of the things on my list are but there are a few outside that bubble too.
This list certainly doesn’t include every attraction/eatery in Cleveland, just my shortlist of cool stuff to do. If you have any suggestions for additions, let me know!
Things to Do + Places to See
- The Arcade Cleveland
- Cleveland Botanic Garden
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Cleveland Museum of Natural History
- Cleveland Public Library
- East 4th Street
- Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
- Gordon Square Arts District
- Heinen’s
- House of Blues
- Little Italy
- Loganberry Books
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
- Terminal Tower
- West Side Market
- Willard Park
Food to Eat
- Barrio
- Blue Point Grill
- Café Bon Appétit Downtown
- Colossal Cupcakes
- The Greenhouse Tavern
- Jack Flaps
- Latitude 41 °N
- Lola Bistro
- Mama Santas
- Momocho
- Presti’s Bakery
- Pickwick & Frolic
- Prosperity Social Club
- Urban Farmer Cleveland’s Steakhouse
You can also see where everything is located on the map below. It always helps me plan my days when I know what’s near each other. Click the arrow icon to the left of “Cleveland, Ohio” and you can scroll through the list.

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