Our arrival in Cleveland was a little rough. While we were at the gate waiting to board the plane in Philly, our flight, the “crew flight,” was canceled due to weather. The ticket agents couldn’t ensure that everyone would get on another flight that day (probably because one of the later flights was full with the cast), so our fearless and always calm Associate Company Manager quickly arranged for us to get to Cleveland in a bus. We rode in that bus for seven long hours instead of flying for two!
Most Broadway tours, like ours, spend three weeks in Cleveland. In our opinion, three weeks is way too long to be a tourist there. Since we didn’t feel like there was a lot to do, we were able to relax a little bit, which was nice. Plus, it was starting to get rather cold outside, so we didn’t want to be out more than we had to anyways! We have heard that spring and summer may have more to offer, and we did find a few fun things to do and some good food as you can read about below, but mostly, we stayed indoors and drank hot chocolate.
eat
› Mitchell’s Ice Cream – Mitchell’s has the best vegan chocolate ice cream we have ever had. It was truly unbelievable. In addition, all of their flavors are smooth and delicious. Mitchell’s ranks in the top 5 ice cream shops in the US for us. They sell pints in local grocery stores but for the full experience check out the flagship store in Ohio City.
› West Side Market – More of a traditional market, with produce, butchers, and bakeries. We did get some great desserts here, but struggled to find an easy lunch option.
› Balance – They have healthy, plant-based options at this asian-fusion restaurant including rice/noodle bowls with delicious toppings.
› Pizza (216) – A spacious bar with decent Pizza.
› Sitto’s Pita & Salad – A small Mediterranean spot next to the theatre with good plant-based options.
› East 4th Street – A cute street with lots of bars and outdoor seating, which we didn’t use becuase it was so cold! We did, however, have our company holiday party at Pickwick & Frolic which was nice.
› Barrio – This is the original of the Ohio chain Condado’s, which we loved in other cities.
see
› Heinen’s of Downtown Cleveland – So this is a grocery store. We know that sounds weird (and it is), but this grocery store was one of the top recommendations we recieved and now we’re recommending it to you. You just need to check it out.
› The Cleveland Arcade – This cute spot was right by our hotel and was decorated beautifully, so we took our Christmas photos here. Fun fact: it was the first indoor shopping center in the US.
› Greetings From Cleveland Mural – Your standard “Greetings from…” mural located on the corner of W. 25th Street and Chatham.
do
› Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – We spent a nice afternoon here. There were some interesting exhibits and a fun section where we got to play the instruments, but we probably would have preferred to just ride the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney instead!
› A Christmas Story House & Museum – We did not do go here, but some of the cast and crew did. I’m sure if you have an afinity for the film you would enjoy your visit
› Kirtland Nativity Exhibit – If you happen to be in the area around Christmas time there is a beautiful exhibition of nativities from all over the world on display at the Historic Visitors’ Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If this your jam, its a great event. We just googled it ahead of time to check dates and times. It is defiantly a day trip from Cleveland and you will need a car.
souvenir shops
› CLE Clothing Co. – Mostly a Cleveland clothing store, but they also had some stickers and patches.
stay
› Holiday Inn Express Cleveland Downtown – An older hotel with spacious, but also sparse rooms. One interesting element that we have never seen in other hotels is the hardwood floors. Overall, it was a fine place to stay.
getting around
› We mostly walked but also occasionaly used electric scooters which were always at hand.
if we go back...
› Mason’s Creamery – This ice cream shop was recommended, but we didn’t get the chance to try it out. Maybe one day if we’re passing through.
