Cleveland Rocks
Are you coming to Bouchercon 2012?
Come early and stay late in the great city of Cleveland!
Of course we will offer optional events for you to choose from, but Cleveland is a great city to visit. The weather in October is usually lovely, and many of the best attractions are within walking distance of your hotel. Once you've taken the rapid transit train from the airport to Public Square and settled in, we have a few possibilities to suggest.
ShoppingIf you're a shopper, Tower City is accessible from your hotel. There's also a food court and the 11-screen Tower City Cinemas.
Dining
For dining, you can walk to the historic Warehouse District, or stroll over to E. 4th Street, which has Iron Chef Michael Symon's Lola Bistro, as well as several other great restaurants. If you'd like good food along with a terrific view, Pier W is a great choice. It resembles a sophisticated luxury liner cantilevered over Lake Erie. You'll have to take a cab for this one, but it's only about 10 minutes away by car, and you'll love the view of the lake with its sailboats and freighters.
Download a list of local restaurants and Bouchercon discounts (PDF)
Sights Within Walking Distance
Cleveland has some wonderful sights and activities within walking distance. The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is right outside the hotel on Public Square. Go inside for a look at the history of local veterans. The Old Arcade was one of the earliest indoor shopping malls when it opened in 1890. Its architecture is simply spectacular.
The Cleveland Public Main Library is definitely worth a visit. Be sure to look up as you walk through the beautifully restored 1925 building. The library's two buildings, the Eastman Reading Garden between them, take up the entire city block between E. 3rd and E. 6th Streets on Superior Avenue. The garden features a fountain designed by Maya Lin, who is famous for her design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. The Library's Special Collections Department houses many unique and rare items, and has the largest chess collection in the world.
A walk up E. 9th Street toward Lake Erie will take you to the pier where you can catch a Goodtime III cruise up the river or onto the lake, or visit the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (current exhibit: Women Who Rock). Next door is the Great Lakes Science Center, which features hands on exhibits, the Cleveland Clinic OMNIMAX theater, and the unique steamship William G. Mather Museum in a fully restored 618 foot Great Lakes freighter. Or if you're not claustrophobic, tour the USS Cod, a submarine from World War II.
Feel like laughing? Walk over to one of the comedy clubs, including the Cleveland Improv, or Hilarities, inside the Pickwick & Frolic restaurant and club known for its great martinis.
Further Afield: City Sights Worth the Trip
For an overview of the city, take a tour on Lolly the Trolley.
If you're a museum buff, University Circle has the Children's Museum, the Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History, the Botanical Gardens, and the Crawford Auto and Aviation Museum, all abutting the campus of Case Western Reserve University.
While you're there, take a trip up Mayfield Road into Little Italy for lunch or dinner, and visit the spectacular Lakeview Cemetery at the top of the hill. The cemetery features extraordinary architecture, the tomb of President James Garfield, and includes an arboretum.
Don't miss the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, which includes the RainForest exhibit and the brand new African Elephant Crossing, which lets you get right up close to the elephants. Betty White thinks it's a gem. What more could you want?
The West Side Market is well worth a trip if you're a foodie. Established in 1840, it features more than 100 vendors with all kinds of ethnic goodies and fresh local foods.
The theater district in Playhouse Square is about 15 blocks from Public Square, where your hotel is located. Believe it or not, it's the second largest performing arts center in the country, after Lincoln Center in NYC.
There's much more to see and do in the city. Check out the official Visitors Guide for even more choices. CLE is definitely a place worth spending a few extra days.
Welcome to our city!
