I still love Hingetown. I think its such a cool little stretch of Cleveland. Some of my favorite…read moreplaces are here including Urban Orchid floral, Cleveland Tea Revival and Beet Jar, though I frequent most of the businesses here and have unique love for them all. They're all owned by passionate, cool locals who believe in what they do. But mostly, this update is just to show appreciation for a few things I often forget about Hingetown- how dog-friendly every business is, the beautifully manicured living wall, and the fact that the Transformer Station (a satellite CMA location) even exists here. I mean, where else can you pet tons of good doggos, see world class art and grab lunch? Since the last time I wrote this, new businesses like Larder Delicatessen, Saucy Brew Works and Title Kickboxing have opened. I can tell the people behind Hingetown are really trying to continuously add and improve. Still 5-stars in 2018!

There are a couple cool businesses here. I go to some of them. I don't like calling it Hingetown…read more It never used to be called Hingetown until about a year ago. It feels unnatural for me to call it that. I guess that is how the Native Americans felt when they turned this land into the United States of America. This area was once Cleveland's Gaytown. It was anchored by Bounce. Other notable establishments were the Tool Shed and Man's World.

Returned to the Akron Art Museum after being in storage, the Eagle Wheel artwork is a painted steel…read moresculpture by artist Mark Di Suvero. It is located in the upper part of the outdoor sculpture garden and is available day or night. This is the Bud and Susie Rogers Garden nestled next the museum on High Street. Eagle Wheel was a fixture in the museum's former sculpture garden from 1981 to 2004 when it was removed and placed in storage as part of a massive expansion and renovation of the space. If you're in downtown Akron whether you visit the museum or not, check out this very interesting piece. [Review 1352 of 2024 - 271 in Ohio - 22375 overall]

This artwork is located in front of the John S. Knight Center on a sidewalk next to a busy…read moreroundabout. It commemorates the 9th Gay Games and the vibrant LGBTQ+ community of Akron. The sculpture is captivating, a three-dimensional sheet of steel, pressed into a cylinder that depicts athletes competing in various sports. It is dynamic and bold and is a reminder of the transformative impact the Gay Games had on Northeast Ohio, fostering collaborations and relationships that continue to benefit the region. There is a marker adjacent that provides some history. "Let us mark this location and always remember in our hearts the incredible opportunity and responsibility we had hosting GG9 in August 2014 and be proud that our community came together to share with the world our kindness, pride and respect for all." It is "signed" by the County Executive and the Mayor of Akron. [Review 2052 of 2024 - 294 in Ohio - 23072 overall]

If you're looking for a fun photo stop, I highly recommend visiting Umbrella Alley. The colorful…read moreumbrellas overhead create a cheerful and unique backdrop, making it a great place for photos with family, friends, or even solo shots. When I visited, the umbrellas were decorated in a patriotic red, white, and blue July 4th theme, and I've heard they change the colors and decorations throughout the year to match different holidays and seasons. It's a creative, charming attraction that adds a little extra fun and color to downtown Louisville. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area and enjoy unique photo opportunities!

A fun public art display in Louisville, Ohio. Was fun to visit and grab some pics while in town…read moreand spent some time walking around enjoying downtown. I would recommend and say a must see!

The center of African-American culture in Akron during the mid-20th century, Howard Street was home…read moreto many of the city's black-owned business and entertainment establishments, and provided an atmosphere in which minority-owned businesses could thrive. Attracted to the vitality of the neighborhood, entrepreneur George Mathews (1887-1982) established a barbershop here in 1920 and in 1925 opened the adjoining Mathews Hotel. The hotel quickly became the anchor of the Howard Street district. George Washington Mathews was the first African American hotel and barber shop owner in Akron.1 His barbershop and hotel were located on North Howard Street at the junction of what is now Howard Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Mathews was one of many successful African American business owners along Howard Street from the1930s to 1960s. Hotel Matthews remained open until 1978. As the rubber industry in Akron declined, so did the Howard Street District. The hotel, along with many other businesses on Howard Street, were bulldozed in the early '80s to make way for the Innerbelt Freeway, a project that was part of Akron's Urban Renewal Movement. The historical marker here reads, "Enthralled by the vitality he witnessed as a visitor to Akron in 1920, George Mathews put his entrepreneurial spirit to work and established a boarding house; soon after a barber shop, then a beauty salon. Over the next half century, The Hotel (spelled "Matthews") was home to a series of shops and businesses including a photo studio and record store. Not the least of its fame was as the Akron home to the greatest "jazz age" entertainers who came here to perform and were guests at The Matthews. George Mathews and his establishment on North Howard Street were the anchors of a rich and glorious district in the lifestyle of Akron's minority community from the mid 1920s through the 1970s." The buildings are long gone but the memories live on. [Review 1354 of 2024 - 273 in Ohio - 22377 overall]

OK! So our gravity hill is a local oddity where if you put your car in neutral (this requires that…read moreyou dead stop on a city road) then you will roll "up" the hill really slowly. then when you get to the "top" you will crest the "hill" and go down the "hill". haha Don't look for the ticket booth, you are on a city/countryish road. It is not a store. They do not have beer. There is nothing there except you and the hill. Turn "north" onto king memorial and it is the first "hill" Try to stop when you get to the black mailbox. but seriously don't be unsafe. The cops will be unhappy, and the whole thing in general is not a good idea, but if you do a search for it online it is a real thing. Much funner as a youth with screaming teenagers. Now 20 years later it's still weird. Why did I give it 5 stars???? IDK cause it's GRAVITY HILL!!!

While the inaugural lighting was held on Friday, December 6, 2013, this display is a work in…read moreprogress and expands every year. You can view the house beginning at 7pm the Friday after Thanksgiving through January 1, from 5-11PM. This display stays true to the movie. The house is covered with 250 stands of lights; 100 bulbs per strand; for a grand total of 25,000 imported Chinese twinkle lights. They also have Santa, the eight tiny reindeer, and the Merry Christmas sign, Uncle Eddie's RV, the pool model and a pile of "trash" with remnants of the Griswold's festivities (the charred chair, the shredded sled, the burnt tree). They even have a radio station (102.3 FM) that plays songs and sound clips from the movie. It is free to view the display but they accept donations. All the donations go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Great Strides Walk in Akron, which they have participate in each May (Team name is: The Griswolds). Visitors can donate at a drop box in their front yard. Or if you don't have any cash, there is a QR code on the sign at the display that you can scan and it will also take you directly to the donation website. It does not take much time to go through the display and contrary to what you may see online, the display is only outdoors. There is no indoor portion. You want spend much time at the house, but it is still an amazing site. I love the "ditto" lights on the neighbors house. We spent about 20 minutes there. We were thorough. Some people just do a drive-by, but since we came all the way from Indianapolis, we made the party last a bit longer. Please keep in mind that their neighbors must be really cool, but be courteous and do not park in, turn around in or block their drive ways. Also turn your lights off when you approach the house. This is a great thing, operated by great people, for a great cause. I highly recommend stopping by and getting some of the Christmas spirit, even if you are not familiar with the movie.

The largest outdoor chandelier in North America, why not? I knew I was in the vicinity of The…read moreChandelier so I went looking for it. There it was, it is indeed a large chandelier. The chandelier is 20 ft tall and has 4,200 crystals and is suspended from a 44 ft structure. It's pretty quirky and fun. It would be best of course to see it at night.

GE Chandelier is a beautiful and massive working outdoor chandelier located in the playhouse square…read moreportion of downtown Cleveland Ohio. From my understanding and from what some locals told us this is the largest outdoor chandelier in the world. Me and my friend and fellow yelper Jeremy J Were here in town in November of 2020 for a Cleveland browns game and we stumbled upon this beauty while walking the surrounding areas and exploring. Very breathtaking and visual stunning piece that will catch the eye of anybody who comes across it. Very well done and cool and unique piece of Cleveland.

Flight is a lovely sculpture designed by Denise Romecki. It is located outside of the Columbus…read moreCultural Arts Center, in the garden space. It depicts a figure that appears to be gazing upwards, while what may be wings or feathery looking clothing wraps around the body. I enjoyed considering the possibilities of what the figure was gazing at and thinking about.

This is a very difficult review to write. I am torn between two extremes…read more On the one hand, Little Italy is the one location in Cleveland I have loved my entire life. I still have fond memories of my dad and I going to the feast when I was just a little boy. I have frequented every establishment in Little Italy and LOVE them all. On the other hand, maneuvering through the traffic, finding parking, or using the valet service has become absolutely intolerable. Even the police officer directing traffic didn't help. After trying to find a way to park for nearly 20 minutes we finally had to call the restaurant and cancel our reservation after explaining we could not park. I don't know how to fix this nightmare, but until they do I believe dinner is out. We'll have to settle for lunches... and keep our fingers crossed.

I traveled down the historic brick streets of Little Italy in Cleveland, Ohio today. It was a…read moreparticularly beautiful scene as I drove down the streets with snow coming down in front of me. Fortunately, the ground was warm enough that it wasn't sticking too much. This made driving quite manageable, and I had no issues. From the stately church on Mayfield Street to the well-worn buildings with character carved in entry ways and window facings, you will enjoy the opportunity to drive or take a stroll through the area and just drink in the ambience of what is Cleveland's little Italy Moreover, if you have the opportunity to stop and take some time, there are great restaurants and fantastic stores to experience, including the flower shops and the mom and pop eateries and stores that line the streets and make the area so endearing. I will be back with my family when I have the opportunity to bring them with me. For now, I enjoyed it tonight alone as much as one can do when traveling for medical reasons and also work. This area is adjacent to the Cleveland Clinic campus downtown on Euclid Street - Which I would add is one of, if not the best healthcare locales in the world, as far as I'm concerned. I'm very grateful for that too.