Hi Everyone,

 

I'm looking for a bit of help and I think (hope) that this is the right place to ask. I will be visiting Cleveland early next year, for 2 months. I have opted to stay in Ohio City but to be honest, I didn't know a great deal about the area before booking the trip. Since then I've found loads of great info on the Ohio City website and these forums but I was looking for some more advice. I will be staying on W.28th, could anyone tell me if there are there many bars / restaurants within walking distance and do you think it’s safe to walk around this area at night? Also, I hope to spend quite a lot of time downtown, is it within walking distance or would I be best to use public transport? Your help is appreciated and thanks in advance!

 

Hi Puddles,

First of all, great choice in choosing to stay in Ohio City. I lived there for a year before moving to the other side of downtown, and loved it.

On W. 28th, you'll be within easy walking distance of just about everything. Here's a list of stuff you can walk to in under 10 minutes:

 

RESTAURANTS:

Le Oui Oui (creperie)

Kimo's Sushi

Johnny Mango (world cuisine, funky vibe, juice bar)

Flying Fig (upscale new American)

Parker's Bistro (ditto)

Nate's Deli (Middle Eastern, the BEST hummus in Cleveland)

Kan Zaman (more Middle Eastern)

Phnom Penh (Cambodian and Vietnamese)

Lozada (Puerto Rican)

Lelolai (Cuban, great grilled sandwiches)

Heck's Cafe (burgers and salads)

Halite (trendy comfort food)

Momocho (upscale Mexican)

West Side Market Cafe (diner with great food)

The Souper Market (gourmet soups, mostly carry-out)

Ohio City Deli (diner, breakfast and lunch)

 

BARS:

Market Avenue Wine Bar (my fave)

Great Lakes Brewing Company (local microbrewery, very high quality)

Bier Markt (Belgian beer bar)

Garage Bar (kind of a biker bar)

Touch (also a dance club, attracts an urban hipster crowd)

Bounce (gay)

 

COFFEE SHOP:

Talkies

 

RETAIL:

West Side Market (the granddaddy of food shopping in Cleveland)

Dave's Supermarket (locally owned, with a good selection of organics and natural foods)

Bookstore on W. 25th (great used bookstore)

City Buddha (Asian kitsch)

Something Different (upscale gifts)

Elegansia (women's vintage clothing)

The Grind (urban hipster clothing)

Unique Thrift Store (great thrift clothing, rather derelict building)

Family Dollar (self-explanatory!)

 

There's also a branch of the Cleveland Public Library at Fulton and Bridge.

 

I always felt safe walking around at night, particularly sticking to the area north of Lorain and east of W. 45th (all the stuff above is within this area). You'll probably get panhandled from time to time, but that should be the worst of what you'll encounter.

 

As for getting downtown, you can walk, but it takes about 25 minutes. Biking takes about 10 minutes. Since it sounds like you'll be here in the winter, public transit is probably your best option. You can take either "the Rapid" train, which stops at Lorain near the West Side Market, or a bus. Several bus lines run north on W. 25th toward the Detroit-Superior Bridge and then downtown.

Wow, that's quite a list! It seems like I picked the right place... without knowing it  :clap:

 

Thanks Blinker12!

yes the list is great but B12 forgot the Old Angle irish pub! I cannot think of a better way to enjoy a stay in Cleveland than in OC.  Anyhow it almost sounds like you are staying at/near the Clifford House which I heard is great. In fact, we directed some Swedish business visitors coming to town in a couple weeks to this bed and breakfast over the airport Sheraton (eeks) which was one of the few places that had vacancy this late in the game.  As a female, I may not be quite as casual about safety assessment as Blinker12, however overall I think you will be fine, although things can get a little dicer the later it gets in the evening.  Depending where you are on w.28th, you are so close to everything Blinker mentioned that you do not have to worry about a long walk to and from these places. If you are at the Clifford house, the owner, Jim, I believe,  can tell you everything you need to know about area. And Blinker, I am sorry to say I heard a rumor that the wine bar is not renewing its lease and GLBC will expand into that space.

Everything is mostly concentrated on W.25th Street. In fact when I visit the neighborhood I usually park my car on W.28th and walk over to wherever I am going on W.25th. I've never had a problem walking back to my car there, so I would think living on W.28th would be a great location. It is pretty much in the hub of Ohio City which is really an up-and-coming place with a lot of character. Great choice! It might make you want to stay longer than two months in Cleveland.

 

I cannot say enough about the West Side Market. It is the anchor of the neighborhood and a huge draw. There are only a couple markets like it left in the country. Very Old World style and diverse.  The cafe inside is really good too. http://www.westsidemarket.com/

 

Additions to blinker's list

 

Bars:

ABC Tavern (casual neighborhood watering hole)

Velvet Tango Room (off-the-beaten path swanky bar)

 

Restaurant:

Opa! (tiny upscale contemporary Greek)

 

Coffee Shop:

Near West Coffee

 

Retail:

Hansa Import House (imported specialty German goods)

Pride of Cleveland Scooters (vespas, scooters, etc.)

 

 

Outside of Ohio City there are a couple great walkable neighborhoods within a 5+ minute drive with great restaurants, bars, and galleries:

 

Just over the Detroit-Superior from Ohio City into downtown is the Warehouse District with a lot of trendy clubs and upscale restaurants. It is really cool, but more of a place "to be seen" type atmosphere, whereas Ohio City has more of a "place to hang" out atmosphere.  http://www.warehousedistrict.org

 

Just down Abbey Road from Ohio City is Tremont. Very similar to Ohio City, but a little more artsy in my opinion. Tremont's restaurants and bars aren't quite as concentrated as Ohio City, but are very good. Prosperity Social Club in Tremont is one of my favorite bars in town. Lots of art galleries in Tremont, and the neighborhood has a popular Artwalk event on the second Friday of every month. http://www.restoretremont.com/