Drawing from its roots as an industrious, working mans town, Cleveland has worked hard in recent years to prove it rocks. But even as the city wipes the sweat from its brow, it might need more than the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a revitalized riverfront to maintain its precarious comeback.



The Flats area boasts the greatest conglomeration of drinking, live music and dancing venues, although they tend to be cheesier than their counterparts in the Warehouse District and the more bohemian Ohio City across the river.

At first sight, corporate chains seem to dominate Cleveland especially in the Flats but the city has many culinary delights, many of them ethnic. The West Side Market in Ohio City is one of the best places for cheap and unusual picnic food, but there are also some excellent fine dining restaurants downtown.

Despite the city of Cleveland not boasting much of a music heritage, the city has carved out much of its tourist reputation in recent years with the famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where an annual ceremony takes place to induct various artistes into the gallery of stars that includes Buddy Holly and The Beatles. Also well worth visiting, and arguably a more authentic attraction geographically is the fascinating Great Lakes Science Centre, which is more fun than it sounds, honestly.

No traveller to the city should miss out on the chance to take the elevator to he observation deck at the top of Key Tower, the cities tallest building to savour the impressive views out over the Lake and the plains that surround the city. Key Tower is statistically the tallest building between New York and Chicago, and is just under 300m tall.

Like other cities in the Great Lakes region, Cleveland has long winters, often lasting from late November well into April, with freezing temperatures, icy winds and snow. By June, the sun is out and temperatures start to rise, and July and August are hot and sticky. Spring and autumn fit in around the edges, and are wonderful times to visit particularly autumn, when leaves are red and gold.