Cleveland/East Side

For information on getting to Cleveland, see Cleveland#Get in
The East side has far less access to highways than the West side. The main east-west routes through the East side are the parallel avenues: Carnegie, Euclid, and Chester. North-south travel is more difficult as few of the numbered streets actually continue across the entire city. Main N/S routes include E 55th, E 105th, and Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Transit access is much better however, with the East side served by all 3 Rapid rail lines, a bus rapid transit line called the HealthLine, which connects downtown to University Circle, and numerous conventional bus lines. The Blue and Green lines serve Shaker Square. The Red line serves University Circle and Little Italy via the Cedar Road and Little Italy stations.

Museums & Galleries

University Circle

University Circle is located about east of downtown and can be reached via Euclid Avenue. Its main attractions are the numerous museums, research institutes and schools which surround it. This rich cultural menagerie is surpassed by few places in North America (e.g., perhaps the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.).

• Cleveland Museum of Art

  phone: +1 216 421-7350
  address: 11150 East Blvd
  Internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian art, the museum houses a diverse permanent collection of more than 43,000 works of art from around the world. The crown jewels of the museum, however, are its stunning collections of medieval armor and an original casting of Auguste Rodin's The Thinker.

• Museum of Contemporary Art

  phone: +1 216-421-8671
  address: 11400 Euclid Ave
  Museum with exhibits of contemporary art. The museum particularly highlights artists from northeastern Ohio.

• Western Reserve Historical Society

  phone: +1 216 721-5722
  address: 10825 East Blvd
  Includes two turn of the (20th) century mansions as well as displays about Cleveland history from the days of Moses Cleveland to the present. The buildings also house the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum and an extensive Cleveland historical research library.

• Cleveland Museum of Natural History

  phone: +1 216 231-4600
  address: 1 Wade Oval Dr
  Established in 1920, this museum features collections that include more than four million specimens of paleontology, zoology, archeology, mineralogy, ornithology, and other scientific subjects. Among the collection is a cast of the skeleton of the Australopithecus "Lucy", which was discovered by a museum curator in 1974 and was the most complete hominid fossil found at the time. Other exhibits include a planetarium (additional fee) and a live mammals and birds in an outdoor display area.

• Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum

  phone: +1 216 721-5722
  address: 10825 East Blvd
  Home to an excellent collection of pre-war automobiles, as well as the very first DeLorean DMC-12 to roll off the assembly line.

• Dittrick Museum of Medical History

  phone: +1 216 368-3648
  address: 11000 Euclid Ave
  A collection of rare books, museum artifacts, archives, and images teach visitors about the history of medicine.

Little Italy

• Bockrath GalleryHome to three floors of galleries, artist studios and artsy shops.

• Fiori

  address: 2027 Murray Hill Rd
  Featuring hand-crafted work.

Hough

• Dunham Tavern Museum

  phone: +1 216 431-1060
  address: 6709 Euclid Ave
  Dunham Tavern Museum is a restored inn that served as a resting place and stagecoach stop along "Buffalo-Detroit-Post Road," now Euclid Avenue. This volunteer-run historic site offers a glimpse into the lives of early settlers.

Asiatown

• Children's Museum of Cleveland

  phone: +1 (216) 791-7114
  address: 3813 Euclid Ave
  Museum exhibits specifically designed for children. The Wonder Lab is an exhibit that allows children learn about whirlpools, jets, and rivers. Adventure City allows children to build, work, climb, and explore a model city to inspire design, problem-solving, and collaboration. Making Miniatures is a collection of dollhouses that teaches how miniaturists make tiny objects, design tiny rooms, and build small houses. Arts & Parts is an art studio where children can use their imagination to design and build unique art.

Parks

• Cleveland Cultural GardensIn Rockefeller Park is a picturesque winding road, featuring gardens representative of Cleveland's diverse and rich ethno-cultural mosaic and connecting University Circle to I-90 via MLK Blvd.

• Cleveland Botanical Garden

  phone: +1 216 721-1600
  address: 11030 East Blvd
  Garden with over 350 species of plants and 50 species of animals, including hundreds of butterflies. Includes the Hershey Children's Garden, the Elizabeth and Nona Evans Restorative Garden, the David and Paula Swetland Topiary Garden, the Western Reserve Herb Society Garden, the Japanese Garden, the Sears-Swetland Rose Garden, the Ohio Woodland, the C.K. "Pat" Patrick Perennial Border, and the public Campsey-Stauffer Gateway Garden.

• Lake View Cemetery

  phone: +1 216 421-2665
  address: 12316 Euclid Ave
  A beautiful cemetery where many famous people are buried. Notables include President James A. Garfield, John D. Rockefeller - founder of Standard Oil, Jeptha Wade - founder of Western Union Telegraph, Eliot Ness - head of The Untouchables, John Hay - U.S. Secretary of State under President Lincoln, Newton Baker - U.S. Secretary of War during WWI, Marcus L. Hanna - U.S. Senator and Republican Party Boss.

Architecture

• Peter B. Lewis Building

  address: 11119 Bellflower Rd
  The principal building of Case Western's business school, designed by Frank Gehry with his trademark undulating metal forms.

• The Temple

  address: 1855 Ansel Rd
  The Temple was built in 1924 as the synagogue of the Temple-Tifereth Israel, a Reform Jewish congregation that relocated to Beachwood in 1971; the museum exhibits on Jewish art and religion that were later housed here have also since relocated to the Beachwood campus. CRWU is in the process of transforming this building into a performing arts center.

• Case Western Reserve UniversityA historic university with many unique buildings.

Music and performing arts

• Cleveland Orchestra

  phone: +1 216 231-7300
  address: 11001 Euclid Ave
  One of the nation's Big Five orchestras. In addition to their regular home at Severance Hall, the Cleveland Orchestra also performs at Blossom Amphitheatre in Cuyahoga Falls in the summer months.

• Cleveland Institute of Music

  address: 11021 East Blvd
  A world class music school, regularly has live performances by students. Many are free.

• Cleveland Music School Settlement

• Agora Theater and Ballroom

  address: 5000 Euclid Avenue
  A popular concert venue with a wide variety of bands, DJs, and rap acts.

• Maltz Performing Arts CenterA historic synagogue, now operated jointly with Case Western as a performing arts center. Hosts a portion of the Temple Museum of Religious Art.

Other activities

• Shaker Square Farmer's Market

  address: 13209 Shaker Square
  A producer-only farmers market selling Ohio produce as well as handcrafted items and prepared foods.

• Feast of the AssumptionA 4-day festival in Little Italy. Nominally a religious holiday, but celebrated with copious amounts of Italian food in a huge street festival.

• Cleveland Cinematheque

  address: 11610 Euclid Avenue
  An alternative movie theater run by the Cleveland Institute of Art

• Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve

  address: 8701 Lakeshore Blvd
  An 88-acre peninsula on the Lake Erie shoreline with several miles of walking trails (bicycles not allowed). Excellent location for bird-watching.

• Cleveland Garlic Festival

  address: 13111 Shaker Sq

• Cleveland Asian Festival

• Cleveland Flea

  address: 3615 Superior Ave
  Small businesses selling handmade goods from food to jewelry and art. Second Saturday of the month May-Oct

• Larchmere Blvd1 block north of Shaker Square, Larchmere has a variety of art galleries and antique shops, and the independent Loganberry bookstore.

• Blue Arrow Records and Books

  address: 16001 Waterloo Rd
  Wide selection of vintage vinyl and music memorabilia

• Star Pop

  address: 15813 Waterloo Rd
  Vintage toys, clothing, and other pop culture items

• Shaker Square

  address: 1 Shaker Square
  Shaker Square is an historic shopping center built in 1929 and connected to downtown and the eastern suburbs by two Rapid Transit lines. Shaker Square includes some interesting shops and restaurants and serves as the center of a diverse, lively neighborhood.

Budget

• Presti's Bakery

  phone: +1 216 421-3060
  address: 12101 Mayfield Rd
  A Little Italy institution, Presti's has existed for years and provides homemade baked goods including donuts that are often cited as some of the best in America.

• Mama Santa's Restaurant and Pizzeria

  phone: +1 216 231-9567
  address: 12305 Mayfield Rd
  Another Little Italy institution, Mama Santa's offers inexpensive but tasty Italian fare in a family-run environment.

• Corbo's Bakery

  address: 12210 Mayfield Rd
  Another locally-famous Little Italy bakery, highlights include the Cassata cake and cannoli.

• Superior Pho

  address: 3030 Superior Ave E
  Traditional Vietnamese soup in Asiatown

• Chili Peppers

  address: 869 E 185th St
  Build your own burritos with fresh ingredients

• Piccadilly Artisan Creamery

  address: 11607 Euclid Ave
  Each serving of ice cream is made to order using liquid nitrogen

Mid-range

• Etna Ristorante & Wine Bar

  phone: +1 216 791-7670
  address: 11919 Mayfield Rd
  Original, contemporary Italian cuisine, in a cozy, "old world" atmosphere, featuring fresh seafood specials daily.

• Trattoria

  phone: +1 216 421-2700
  address: 12207 Mayfield Rd
  Italian

• Empress Taytu Ethiopian Restaurant

  phone: +1 216 391-9400
  address: 6125 Saint Clair Ave
  Serves food community style on large, round trays lined with injera (crepe-like bread).

• Slyman's

  address: 3106 Saint Clair Ave NE
  A local icon known for its towering corned beef sandwiches

• Wonton Gourmet & BBQ

  phone: +1 216 875-7000
  address: 3211 Payne Ave
  Authentic Chinese cuisine

• Batuqui

  address: 12706 Larchmere Blvd
  Brazilian food in the Larchmere neighborhood

• Citizen Pie

  address: 15710 Waterloo Rd
  Neapolitan-style pizza from a wood-burning oven

Splurge

• L'Albatros

  address: 11401 Bellflower Rd
  French brasserie in the heart of University Circle

• Fire

  address: 13220 Shaker Sq
  Consistently ranked one of the top restaurants in Cleveland. Also a great spot for weekend brunch.

• EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute

  address: 13101 Shaker Sq
  The French-inspired food is excellent, but EDWINS is also known for its mission of training recently released prisoners for jobs in the hospitality industry.

• The Barking Spider Tavern

  phone: +1 216 421-2863
  address: 11310 Juniper Rd
  Popular college student hangout.

• Beachland Ballroom & Tavern

  phone: +1 216 383-1124
  address: 15711 Waterloo Rd
  Live music venue.

• The Jolly Scholar

  address: 11111 Euclid Ave
  Typical college bar, a popular hangout for CWRU students

Budget

• University Hotel & Suites

  phone: +1 216 361-8969
  address: 3614 Euclid Ave

Mid-range

• Washington Place Bistro & Inn

  phone: +1-800-491-6126
  address: 2203 Cornell Road
  A small inn located in Little Italy

• Courtyard by Marriott Cleveland University Circle

  phone: +1-855-239-9399
  address: 2021 Cornell Rd
  Centrally located in University Circle

• Holiday Inn Cleveland Clinic

  phone: +1-855-239-9227
  address: 8650 Euclid Ave

Splurge

• Glidden House

  phone: +1 216 231-8900
  address: 1901 Ford Dr
  A renovated and expanded mansion in University Circle on the campus of Case Western University. This is one of the most luxurious lodging options in Cleveland.

• InterContinental Suites Hotel

  phone: +1 216 707-4300
  address: 8800 Euclid Ave

• InterContinental Cleveland Clinic

  phone: +1 216 707-4100
  address: 9801 Carnegie Ave

• DoubleTree by Hilton - The Tudor Arms Hotel

  phone: +1-855-239-9478
  address: 10660 Carnegie Ave
  Restored 1933 hotel

Cleveland's East side contains some of both the city's most prosperous neighborhoods as well as some its most poverty and crime-ridden, often in surprising proximity to each other. Certain areas should be avoided at night, others should be avoided entirely. Always be aware of your surroundings when traveling by foot at night. If you see boarded-up buildings and check cashing stores, you're probably in the wrong neighborhood, but crime is possible anywhere.

Religious Services

• The Church of the Covenant

  phone: +1 216 421-0482
  address: 11205 Euclid Ave
  Presbyterian Church.

• Cleveland Friends Meeting

  phone: +1 216 791-2220
  address: 10916 Magnolia Dr
  Quaker church.

• Epworth-Euclid United Methodist Church

  phone: +1 216 421-1200
  address: 1919 East 107th St
  United Methodist services.

• The Temple-Tifereth Israel

  phone: +1 216 831-3233
  address: 1855 Ansel Rd
  Tifereth Israel is a Reform congregation. Is adjacent to the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage

• Cleveland Heights – Home of the eclectic Coventry neighborhood with local restaurants, shops, bars, and music venues.
• Shaker Heights – Streets lined with historic mansions and beautiful nature parks.