CLEVELAND – Free days both before and after the Massachusetts men’s basketball team’s elimination from the Mid-American Conference tournament on Friday gave two Collegian men’s basketball beat writers ample time to explore Cleveland.
Famously, former Chicago Bulls center and 2013-14 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah expressed distaste for The Land.
“I never heard anybody say ‘I’m going to Cleveland on vacation’,” Noah had said. “What’s so good about Cleveland?”
As we see it, there’s a lot that’s good about Cleveland. Here’s everything we experienced across our five-day trip that made The Forest City worth a visit:
Sports
There may not be a lot of winning history in Cleveland sports, but there’s a rich history nonetheless. We spent the better part of 20 hours in Rocket Arena, the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Cleveland Monsters (AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets).
This writer (Tym) was impressed with how many people showed up for each round of the MAC tournament. There were consistently large crowds for each Ohio-based school in the tournament, and fans were avidly passionate about their respective teams. Additionally, seeing the 2016 NBA Finals banner hung in the rafters was surreal for a kid who loved everything about the NBA growing up – although maybe traumatizing for a Golden State Warriors fan like Coleman.
Speaking of 2016 Cleveland sports, walking by Progressive Field gave this writer (Tym) flashbacks to what he feels is the greatest World Series game ever played: Game Seven, Cleveland Indians (at the time) versus the Chicago Cubs. Walking past left field brought up memories of the game-tying homer by Rajai Davis, while a stroll past statues of Bob Feller, Jim Thome and Larry Doby was a reminder of the franchise’s historical relevance in America’s pastime. With the streets still lined with pictures of Jose Ramirez and Jhonkensy Noel, it’s clear that Cleveland loves its Guardians like any great baseball city would.
The final major sports team hosted in Cleveland is the Browns. Huntington Bank Field looked as nice as any other modern football stadium, though no beat member could pinpoint a place for pregame tailgating. More importantly, the Jim Brown statue prompted thought about his legacy as an activist in Cleveland, along with arguably being the greatest football player ever pre-merger.
Museums
Cleveland boasts some of the country’s best museums, ranging from highbrow art galleries to extensive collections of pop memorabilia.
First and foremost, the Cleveland Museum of Art is one of the city’s crown jewels, holding a renowned collection of 60,000 paintings, sculptures and artifacts.
Placed in expansive, spacious galleries adjoining a glass-sealed central atrium, the CMA’s collection is drawn from across the world and history. Entry is free, and it’s easy to spend a day enjoying not-too-crowded exhibits which range from medieval arms and armor and Egyptian sarcophagi to the incredible brushstrokes of Cezanne, Picasso, Monet and Van Gogh.
The curators walk the galleries and offer helpful context and commentary on the pieces. For instance, a curator saw this writer (Coleman) admiring the frenetic brutality of George Bellow’s painting Stag at Sharkey’s (1909) and explained that the piece was considered too controversial to be displayed at the Met in New York City, which is how it ended up at the CMA.
On the other side of the spectrum, Cleveland is home to the beloved Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Near the water on East 9th St., the triangular building is an expression of America’s love for music. The Hall of Fame houses more than 100 years of music history, and visitors get to see memorabilia such as Michael Jackson’s jacket in the Thriller music video, handwritten drafts of 2-Pac songs and thousands of other tchotchkes that formerly belonged to famous people.
The building also includes interactive exhibits for all ages. This writer (Coleman) especially enjoyed the make-your-own beat booth, custom band logo machine and the free-to-play band-themed pinball machines.
If you find yourself downtown and in the mood for a mind-bending afternoon, the Museum of Illusions is sure to make you question reality. The museum is smaller than some of the others but makes up for it with a few incredible attractions: the Vortex tunnel and endless prism are both some of the wildest things this writer (Coleman) has seen in a while.
Outdoor Attractions
If the weather permits (which it often does not), Cleveland is a spectacular city to stretch your legs and take a walk in. The city has a beautiful blend of stately, 20th century stone buildings and modern glass-and-steel architecture as well as a wealth of public green spaces and statues that make it a lot of fun to simply hit the curb and explore.
If you’ve just come from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or Huntington Bank Field and have time to kill, walk down to the East 9th St. pier on the shores of Lake Erie. The public park is situated on a man-made island accessed by a foot-bridge, and it has a well-kept lawn, a “Cleveland” sign for pictures and one of the best views of Lake Erie the city has to offer.
Cleveland is a city in which it’s easy to see beautiful things purely by coincidence. When walking around downtown, this writer (Coleman) stumbled upon Cleveland Public Square, a sprawling public park in the center of the city.
The public square is surrounded by the most iconic buildings of the city’s skyline, such as Key Tower, the tallest building in Ohio. The square itself contains an inspiring central monument to fallen Union soldiers in the Civil War, a spire reminiscent of Nelson’s Column in London, as well as statues of Abraham Lincoln and former Cleveland mayor Thomas Johnson.
There’s plenty of opportunities for entertainment that present themselves just by walking down the central streets like Euclid Ave., Chester Ave. and Prospect Ave.. The Arcade is a shopping mall on Euclid with plenty of restaurants and an actual arcade, and continuing down Euclid will get you to Playhouse Square, a lively theater district with a wide selection of performances such as plays, musicals and ballets.
Food
Both writers were pleasantly surprised by the quality of food in Cleveland, suspecting the Midwest wouldn’t have a good selection of cuisines. Thankfully, they were wrong.
Mabel’s BBQ stood out among the many restaurants on East 4th St.. Right above Prospect St., East 4th St. narrows into an alleyway lined with string lights and filled with spots for nightlife. During the daytime, Mabel’s BBQ serves everything from brisket to pulled pork and even kielbasa. They’ve got a sweet sauce named after the city that goes perfectly with everything they put out.
You’ve had your Tex, time for the Mex. Barrio Tacos is open late, and they’ve got a unique way of doing things. This spot has patrons check off what they want on a slip before handing it to the server, who brings out the food in your selected form (taco or bowl). This writer (Tym) got three tacos; they all came with a hard shell wrapped in a soft shell, which is the best of both worlds. All three were hard hitters, but the chicken bacon ranch taco truly knocked it out of the park.
Tym and Coleman also made a trip to The Clevelander one night, a pub near Rocket Arena. As soon as they tore down a double burger and fried pickles, they moseyed over to a mini hoop to get some shots up. It was fun enough playing with the Cleveland locals, but it was even better when three members of the Massachusetts women’s basketball team walked in. We felt good about our respective 60-point scores until Lilly Ferguson put us to shame with 87 points.
Inside Rocket Arena, we tried the Galley Boy, a burger topped with mayo, barbecue sauce, cheese and caramelized onions. With an olive poked through the paper wrapping for presentation, the Swensons staple went down about as well as any other fast-food burger. The potato teezers were an interesting addition, though, a French fry alternative that is essentially a fried ball of potato, cheese and peppers.
Coleman Smith-Rakoff can be reached at [email protected]. Tym Brown can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @tym_brown1.
