The Cleveland streetscape is an eclectic mix of heritage buildings and ultra-modern skyscrapers. The spot where Moses Cleaveland first waded ashore in 1796 is preserved at Settler’s Landing Park. The Romanesque-styled Old Stone Church is a souvenir from 1855, still holding its own on Public Square. Nearby, the five-story Cleveland Arcade was one of the country’s first indoor shopping malls. The heart of Downtown is an open swath of real estate known as the Cleveland Mall, lined with Neoclassical government buildings from one of America’s most successful implementations of the City Beautiful movement.
The Art Deco Terminal Tower was once the highest skyscraper outside of New York City and is still Ohio’s second-tallest building behind the current Cleveland sky king, Key Tower. Euclid Avenue was once called Millionaire’s Row for the extravagant housing market that thrived there – several grand structures still survive. Cleveland has been tapped as a filming location for scores of Hollywood productions but none so beloved as A Christmas Story. The house where the movie was filmed on West 11th Street is now open to the public.
The Cleveland real estate market features 183,233 single-family homes and 32,815 multi-family properties. Downtown dwellers can choose from 8,590 apartments. There are 4,035 Cleveland apartment buildings and 952 other residential properties. Business real estate includes 9,671 commercial opportunities, 3,323 industrial sites and 2,344 mixed-use properties. Vacant lots number 27,360 – The City of Cleveland Land Bank is in charge of managing and marketing them for redevelopment.
Moving Clevelanders about is the responsibility of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, which operates over 1,600 miles of bus routes and 37 miles of light rail tracks. Included in the bus fleet are express, loop, and paratransit options. The Rapid, as locals call the train system, has won national design awards.
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District, with 127 schools, is Ohio’s largest. Each year more than 50,000 students pass through Cleveland schools. Case Western Reserve University is one of the world’s leading research institutions.
The Cleveland Clinic is acclaimed as one of America’s best acute care facilities. In recent years the academic hospital has been ranked as high as America’s second-best hospital by U.S. News & World Report. The MetroHealth System, also highly ranked nationally, and the University Hospitals of Cleveland also serve the city.
According to FBI data, the chances of property crime in Cleveland are less than half of Ohio’s overall 1 in 39. When it comes to violent crime though, Cleveland is far less safe at 1 in 63 chances than the state-wide rate of 1 in 343.
Cleveland is famous as the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but the Polka Hall of Fame is located here too – there’s even a Cleveland-style polka. The Cleveland Orchestra is so renowned it is considered one of America’s “Big Five” ensembles. The Cleveland Museum of Art is just as well regarded with 40,000 items in its vast collection. Playhouse Square Center is the second largest performing arts complex in the United States.
Clevelanders love wrapping up an evening of cheering for baseball’s Indians, basketball’s Cavaliers, and football’s Browns with a Polish Boy, a local delicacy that involves kielbasa, French fries and cole slaw. Another favorite is the corned beef sandwich at Slyman’s on St. Clair Avenue.
The Greater Cleveland Aquarium has the state’s only free-standing public tank and the popular Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is known for its collection of African primates. Cleveland is a paradise for outdoors lovers with water sports on Lake Erie and the “Emerald Necklace” formed by the Cleveland Metroparks system totaling 21,000 acres.
