Cleveland’s lakefront and river flats sparkle with amenities that attract millions of visitors each year. The renaissance of Downtown Cleveland is the welcome result of careful planning by public officials in concert with private industry.

    Downtown neatly decomposes into seven identifiable districts with a different flavor for touring. The Flats is a distinctive setting where nightlife and dining meet alongside working riverboats and classic bridges. Tower City has a welcome variety of dining and shopping establishments set inside the city’s most beloved skyscraper, Terminal Tower. Gateway District is home to sports venues and several large hotels. Northcoast District features a modern football stadium, Great Lakes Science Center, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the Crawford Museum of Transportation & Industry along its coastline park.

    The Civic Center has a near-lakefront setting and an ample greensward with views extending to the lake. The Theater District anchored along Euclid Avenue, is one of the most distinguished and expansive in America. The Warehouse District between the Flats and the Civic Center is known for its restored brick dwellings, restaurants and galleries. The Gateway District is home to Quicken Loans Arena for NBA basketball and Jacobs Baseball Field hosts major league baseball. Unless you enjoy walking long distances between downtown attractions, consider the RTA Waterfront light rail featuring stops at the Northcoast District, Civic Center, and Warehouse District.

    For NBA fans, catch Cleveland Cavaliers games at Quicken Loans Arena. Jacob’s Field is an outstanding fan-friendly venue for major league baseball. Football fans love Browns Stadium with its commanding lakefront presence. Lastly, all football players want to be seen, the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This temple for great football players, coaches and team owners is a short drive away in Canton, Ohio. Continuing the family attractions, Cedar Point and Geauga Lake theme parks are just a short drive away.

    No trip to Cleveland is complete without a visit to University Circle (map), which circles Wade Park just off Euclid Avenue. Already world renown for hosting the Cleveland Clinic and Case-Western Reserve University, University Circle is also becoming a world-class cultural center and residential district. The distinguished Cleveland Symphony Orchestra plays at Severance Hall. Impressionist works at the magnificent Cleveland Museum of Art are as commanding as those at the Smithsonian. See and hear works by emerging artists at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Cleveland Institute of Art. Families will find no shortage of activities at Cleveland Children’s Museum, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and the Cleveland Botanical Garden’s glasshouse -- a year-round treat. Museum of Contemporary Arts Cleveland and Cleveland Play House have recently come to anchor the eastern edge of University Circle. In fact, University Circle has become such a cultural magnet that the Euclid Avenue transit greenway is under construction downtown headed northeast to this cultural hub.

    Established in 1915, Karamu House was a polished venue long before live Black theatre became commonplace in major cities. The permanent collection and visiting exhibits at Cleveland’s African American Museum will soon enrich with its reopening. The African American Archives at Case-Western University are a must visit for historians and researchers. Magic Johnson Theatres keep it real on the contemporary cultural tip. The nation’s only Jesse Owens statue portrays him in his Olympic Gold Medal-winning style.
 
    Leaving most of its old warts behind, Cleveland is fast becoming a new Athens of cultural attractions, rewarding shops, dining, nightlife, pro sports venues, hotels and airport improvements. A blind man can see that University Circle's best years are ahead.