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Many thanks once again! Great day in CVNP, Holden, and villages of Hudson, Peninsula, and CF. Holden is indeed spectacular with afternoon light hitting the leaf colors. CF is of course as charming as could be on a Fall day such as this. Just getting started...more to come in the following days with regards to neighborhood explorations. Appreciate all the tips!!
If you go back to Mentor perhaps to check out Mentor Headlands Beach State Park, the great east side Lake Erie beach, and the surrounding natural areas, perhaps get takeout yellow perch dinners from Brennan's Fish House in Grand River, a short drive from Mentor Headlands. You could eat your meals on the beach at Mentor Headlands, especially if you bring a blanket.
If you go back to Mentor perhaps to check out Mentor Headlands Beach State Park, the great east side Lake Erie beach, and the surrounding natural areas, perhaps get takeout yellow perch dinners from Brennan's Fish House in Grand River, a short drive from Mentor Headlands. You could eat your meals on the beach at Mentor Headlands, especially if you bring a blanket.
Did you eat yellow perch growing up in Warren? It was a favorite in Lake County, even at home!
Downtown and University Circle are quick drives from Mentor on Route 2. Shaker Hts. is best reached from Mentor using I-90 and I-271.
Yep we’ll try to make Mentor Headlands for sure. Sounds like a great spot.
Yellow perch was a favorite at fish frys (traditionally on Fri) where I grew up. And also my neighbor’s mom would pan-fry fillets when her husband came back from the lake with a good haul. Great stuff. We’ll try to make it to Brennan’s
Yep we’ll try to make Mentor Headlands for sure. Sounds like a great spot.
Yellow perch was a favorite at fish frys (traditionally on Fri) where I grew up. And also my neighbor’s mom would pan-fry fillets when her husband came back from the lake with a good haul. Great stuff. We’ll try to make it to Brennan’s
Thanks much!
Across from Brennan's, to the left of Pickle Bill's, there is a small park/viewing area where you can see Grand River. Likely not much traffic in mid-October, but in summer, there's a parade of boats, some small yachts, heading to and from the marinas up river. Perhaps visit that park before picking up your take-out order.
If you drive to Shaker Hts. from Mentor, perhaps check out Beachwood Place Mall AND Legacy Village on your way there. You can just drive around both, getting an idea of the offerings of northern Ohio's largest upscale retail center. I guess you could check out the retailers at both centers online, but a drive around both gives you an idea of scale.
Fish frys still are popular in Greater Cleveland during Lent. I don't think they are as prevalent year-round as in the past due to the higher cost of yellow perch; I suspect several of the Lent fish frys don't even use yellow perch any longer. Yellow perch when I was growing was very cheap and bountiful. A neighbor used to catch scores of perch in a single afternoon of fishing and provide my mom with a sizable portion of the catch (my mom was a great baker and reciprocated with very unique pies, such as black cherry/black berry; hadn't thought about that friendly exchange in decades).
We’re approaching the end of our exploration trip to CLE area, and I wanted to thank everyone for the helpful pointers. We wouldn’t have been nearly as productive without your suggestions. Special call-out to WRnative, who provided great play-by-play tips!
You are all very lucky to call this area home. We have a new-found appreciation for the region and what it has to offer. It also made me realize how lucky I was (am) for the NE OH upbringing, although I didn’t realize it at the time.
We could absolutely enjoy living here, and the prospects are good that we will plan a move here by next summer, if you’ll have us . There are still one or two other areas under consideration, but CLE has moved up as top contender.
As for specifics, you folks were spot-on with Lakewood and Cleveland Heights being prime locations with wonderful old-stock homes, and excellent food, drink, and cultural offerings, in addition to metro proximity. Either one would be excellent.
That said...Chagrin Falls has stolen our hearts with its quaint village setting, charming homes, shops, nature and topography, and overall vibe. It’s tops on our list as we think about future house hunting. What an amazing spot (especially at Fall peak)! We would be ecstatic to call it home.
Thanks again for all the help!! Back now to Portland, where we start the planning process. Cheers to all!
We’re approaching the end of our exploration trip to CLE area, and I wanted to thank everyone for the helpful pointers. We wouldn’t have been nearly as productive without your suggestions. Special call-out to WRnative, who provided great play-by-play tips!
It's amazing you enjoyed Greater Cleveland so much during the COVID-19 epidemic. It seems so depressed to me. Visiting during fall colors certainly put the best natural make-up on the region. Assuming Greater Cleveland exits this current funk, you should have much upside to experience. Thanks very much for the report.
When you get back, please provide much more granularity on what you saw and what you enjoyed. E.g., what did you do in University Circle? Did you get to Oberlin, Mentor, and Brennan's? Did you climb the Emergent Tower at Holden? Did you visit Burton and Middlefield, and experience any of the Amish presence there? Where did you dine? Future visitors to Cleveland could benefit greatly from a more detailed trip report, especially with any suggestions.
One comment about Chagrin Falls. Despite its charm and beauty, CF still isn't convenient to the much, much greater number of restaurants and activities that you would have at your doorstep in Cleveland Hts. neighborhoods close to Little Italy and UC, let alone mass transit access to downtown, Ohio City, and the airport. That myriad of restaurants and activities certainly make the winter season much, much more enjoyable. Remembering your original criteria, I wonder if you would be happy in CF after several months or a few years. It will require a conscious weighing of the scales on your part! E.g., if you enjoy music and theater, you could experience some of the best classical music in the nation at Severance Hall and the Cleveland Institute of Music, great film series at the CMA and the Cleveland Cinematheque, the CMA performance series of great international artists, and the great offerings at Playhouse Square, all without longer winter drives. Just being able to walk to Little Italy would be a great joy IMO, but very bad for the waistline.
Thanks for the additional commentary on CF. Yeah, to be clear, we’d probably move out here, rent locally, and test the waters on specific neighborhoods before locking in on a house purchase. Lakewood, CH, and CF are all in play. CF is top contender. If there are risks of a post-honeymoon letdown with CF, I’ll try to get a reading on that as best I can before locking down. Your inputs have been much appreciated.
As for granularity on the visit specifics...here goes. Major caveats: 1) we commuted in from Warren each day, so CLE was a portion of a broader visit to NE OH. 2) COVID kept us away from indoor public spaces such as museums and indoor dining. (This shifted our visit specifics to more distanced and outdoorsy activities.)
In no particular order...
- Driving tour of Hudson and walk around the quaint downtown area. Very appealing New England charm and pretty area.
- Hike on the Ledges Trail in CVNP, at Happy Camp. Gorgeous forest and good exercise.
- Lunch / Picnic break in Peninsula (brown bag), and stroll on historic Towpath.
- Driving tour of Chagrin Falls downtown and surrounding village. Charmed by the whole scene. Sub sandwich at Cosmic Dave’s, fun viewing all the music concert memorabilia in the shop. Walked the downtown area. Ice cream at Jeni’s...honey vanilla...could be best ice cream I’ve ever had.
- Driving tour of University Circle. Stopped for walking tour of Little Italy. Really amazing spot! Thought about the chocolate cannoli at Presti’s but couldn’t afford the extra calories! Impressed by the vibe and buzz here.
- Driving tour of CH neighborhoods, gorgeous old stock homes and leafy streets. We could definitely live here. Walked portions of Cedar-Lee strip. Hip spots for sure! Note...had previously eaten at Zoma (Ethiopian) on Lee. Highly recommend!
- Driving tour of Shaker Lakes and Shaker Heights. Impressive mansions, stately and historic. Loved the leafy neighborhoods and streets.
- Drive through Lakewood neighborhoods and business district. Excellent stock of pre-ww2 homes and charming streets. We could move here also! Stroll through Lakewood Park on the waterfront, most enjoyable. Checked out northern part of Rocky River (near LW). Also very nice!
- Visits to Chardon, Burton, and Middlefield. Stunning leaf color! Walked the town centers in Burton and Chardon. Am I in Vermont? Lol. Beautiful. Many Amish wagons seen while driving south from Burton and through Middlefield area. Cool, cool...
- Visit to the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland. One of the highlights of the trip. Walked the canopy tour and climbed the 12-story Tower to see late afternoon sun illuminating the changing leaves. Amazing arboretum and definitely would be regulars here as I’m sure every season brings new offerings.
- Drive to Headland Dunes State Nature Preserve and hiked the dunes and beach trails. Good bird watching spot. Nice views of the lake in a more “wild” setting, and good exercise.
- Replenished calories with 4-piece perch dinner (take out) at Brennan’s Fish House. Outstanding recommendation! A must do when in Grand River, thanks WRnative for the tip.
- Brandywine Falls viewing in CVNP, also a quick hike of gorge trail. Sunny and crisp Fall day, simply beautiful.
- Drive downtown to see a couple landmarks...R&R HOF, Progressive Field, etc. have been to both, wanted to just show the wife where some of the big city spots lie.
- Misc...scouted Heinen’s and Whole Foods locations to check quality of organic produce. Thumbs up!
I’m sure I missed a few things, but this captures it from memory. We never made it to Oberlin but we’ll probably stop there before heading out of state.
All in all, a most splendid stretch of time in CLE area!! As mentioned, we will probably move here next summer.
Thanks for the additional commentary on CF. Yeah, to be clear, we’d probably move out here, rent locally, and test the waters on specific neighborhoods before locking in on a house purchase. Lakewood, CH, and CF are all in play. CF is top contender. If there are risks of a post-honeymoon letdown with CF, I’ll try to get a reading on that as best I can before locking down. Your inputs have been much appreciated.
As for granularity on the visit specifics...here goes. Major caveats: 1) we commuted in from Warren each day, so CLE was a portion of a broader visit to NE OH. 2) COVID kept us away from indoor public spaces such as museums and indoor dining. (This shifted our visit specifics to more distanced and outdoorsy activities.)
In no particular order...
- Driving tour of Hudson and walk around the quaint downtown area. Very appealing New England charm and pretty area.
- Hike on the Ledges Trail in CVNP, at Happy Camp. Gorgeous forest and good exercise.
- Lunch / Picnic break in Peninsula (brown bag), and stroll on historic Towpath.
- Driving tour of Chagrin Falls downtown and surrounding village. Charmed by the whole scene. Sub sandwich at Cosmic Dave’s, fun viewing all the music concert memorabilia in the shop. Walked the downtown area. Ice cream at Jeni’s...honey vanilla...could be best ice cream I’ve ever had.
- Driving tour of University Circle. Stopped for walking tour of Little Italy. Really amazing spot! Thought about the chocolate cannoli at Presti’s but couldn’t afford the extra calories! Impressed by the vibe and buzz here.
- Driving tour of CH neighborhoods, gorgeous old stock homes and leafy streets. We could definitely live here. Walked portions of Cedar-Lee strip. Hip spots for sure! Note...had previously eaten at Zoma (Ethiopian) on Lee. Highly recommend!
- Driving tour of Shaker Lakes and Shaker Heights. Impressive mansions, stately and historic. Loved the leafy neighborhoods and streets.
- Drive through Lakewood neighborhoods and business district. Excellent stock of pre-ww2 homes and charming streets. We could move here also! Stroll through Lakewood Park on the waterfront, most enjoyable. Checked out northern part of Rocky River (near LW). Also very nice!
- Visits to Chardon, Burton, and Middlefield. Stunning leaf color! Walked the town centers in Burton and Chardon. Am I in Vermont? Lol. Beautiful. Many Amish wagons seen while driving south from Burton and through Middlefield area. Cool, cool...
- Visit to the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland. One of the highlights of the trip. Walked the canopy tour and climbed the 12-story Tower to see late afternoon sun illuminating the changing leaves. Amazing arboretum and definitely would be regulars here as I’m sure every season brings new offerings.
- Drive to Headland Dunes State Nature Preserve and hiked the dunes and beach trails. Good bird watching spot. Nice views of the lake in a more “wild” setting, and good exercise.
- Replenished calories with 4-piece perch dinner (take out) at Brennan’s Fish House. Outstanding recommendation! A must do when in Grand River, thanks WRnative for the tip.
- Brandywine Falls viewing in CVNP, also a quick hike of gorge trail. Sunny and crisp Fall day, simply beautiful.
- Drive downtown to see a couple landmarks...R&R HOF, Progressive Field, etc. have been to both, wanted to just show the wife where some of the big city spots lie.
- Misc...scouted Heinen’s and Whole Foods locations to check quality of organic produce. Thumbs up!
I’m sure I missed a few things, but this captures it from memory. We never made it to Oberlin but we’ll probably stop there before heading out of state.
All in all, a most splendid stretch of time in CLE area!! As mentioned, we will probably move here next summer.
Best regards!
Thanks. You confirmed that what impresses me and what I enjoy also appeals to visitors!
So you didn't get to Oberlin? No big loss IMO, as it offers little compared to the places you did see EXCEPT a very good (VERY) liberal arts college town scene. Oberlin has an excellent music conservatory, and one of the nation's better jazz programs. I haven't visited Oberlin in decades, but I don't think its housing stock compares with Lakewood, CH or CF, having spent much time there at one time.
Were you the only people at Headlands Dunes? When visiting Brennan's, did you check out the Grand River viewing area to the left of Pickle Bill's? If so, any boat traffic?
Cleveland's indoors amenities are the equal of, and likely superior to the outdoors amenities IMO, if that is any comfort to you. The Cleveland Museum of Art and Severance Hall are stunning experiences. And the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been much improved over the years, and, pre-COVID, there were plans to significantly expand the exhibit area.
So you also didn't visit Lake View Cemetery, the Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve, or the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve?
Jeni's (a Columbus chain) has great competition in Greater Cleveland from Graeter's (a famed Cincinnati French Pot ice cream chain, with locations in Pinecrest on the east side and Crocker Park on the west side and sold in several grocery store chains) and Mitchell's, a local premium ice cream manufacturer with several locations, including its multi-story parlor/factory location on West 25 St. where visitors can watch the ice cream making through many viewing windows. Mitchell's also is a decidedly locavore operation that emphasizes its local suppliers.
Great update! Jeni’s Ice Cream is the best I’ve had as well. Pricey- but delicious. We have a Mitchell’s down the street here and it’s our favorite twice weekly spot!!
I would have loved to have chose CF if it was closer commute
Thanks for the additional commentary on CF. Yeah, to be clear, we’d probably move out here, rent locally, and test the waters on specific neighborhoods before locking in on a house purchase. Lakewood, CH, and CF are all in play. CF is top contender. If there are risks of a post-honeymoon letdown with CF, I’ll try to get a reading on that as best I can before locking down. Your inputs have been much appreciated.
As for granularity on the visit specifics...here goes. Major caveats: 1) we commuted in from Warren each day, so CLE was a portion of a broader visit to NE OH. 2) COVID kept us away from indoor public spaces such as museums and indoor dining. (This shifted our visit specifics to more distanced and outdoorsy activities.)
In no particular order...
- Driving tour of Hudson and walk around the quaint downtown area. Very appealing New England charm and pretty area.
- Hike on the Ledges Trail in CVNP, at Happy Camp. Gorgeous forest and good exercise.
- Lunch / Picnic break in Peninsula (brown bag), and stroll on historic Towpath.
- Driving tour of Chagrin Falls downtown and surrounding village. Charmed by the whole scene. Sub sandwich at Cosmic Dave’s, fun viewing all the music concert memorabilia in the shop. Walked the downtown area. Ice cream at Jeni’s...honey vanilla...could be best ice cream I’ve ever had.
- Driving tour of University Circle. Stopped for walking tour of Little Italy. Really amazing spot! Thought about the chocolate cannoli at Presti’s but couldn’t afford the extra calories! Impressed by the vibe and buzz here.
- Driving tour of CH neighborhoods, gorgeous old stock homes and leafy streets. We could definitely live here. Walked portions of Cedar-Lee strip. Hip spots for sure! Note...had previously eaten at Zoma (Ethiopian) on Lee. Highly recommend!
- Driving tour of Shaker Lakes and Shaker Heights. Impressive mansions, stately and historic. Loved the leafy neighborhoods and streets.
- Drive through Lakewood neighborhoods and business district. Excellent stock of pre-ww2 homes and charming streets. We could move here also! Stroll through Lakewood Park on the waterfront, most enjoyable. Checked out northern part of Rocky River (near LW). Also very nice!
- Visits to Chardon, Burton, and Middlefield. Stunning leaf color! Walked the town centers in Burton and Chardon. Am I in Vermont? Lol. Beautiful. Many Amish wagons seen while driving south from Burton and through Middlefield area. Cool, cool...
- Visit to the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland. One of the highlights of the trip. Walked the canopy tour and climbed the 12-story Tower to see late afternoon sun illuminating the changing leaves. Amazing arboretum and definitely would be regulars here as I’m sure every season brings new offerings.
- Drive to Headland Dunes State Nature Preserve and hiked the dunes and beach trails. Good bird watching spot. Nice views of the lake in a more “wild” setting, and good exercise.
- Replenished calories with 4-piece perch dinner (take out) at Brennan’s Fish House. Outstanding recommendation! A must do when in Grand River, thanks WRnative for the tip.
- Brandywine Falls viewing in CVNP, also a quick hike of gorge trail. Sunny and crisp Fall day, simply beautiful.
- Drive downtown to see a couple landmarks...R&R HOF, Progressive Field, etc. have been to both, wanted to just show the wife where some of the big city spots lie.
- Misc...scouted Heinen’s and Whole Foods locations to check quality of organic produce. Thumbs up!
I’m sure I missed a few things, but this captures it from memory. We never made it to Oberlin but we’ll probably stop there before heading out of state.
All in all, a most splendid stretch of time in CLE area!! As mentioned, we will probably move here next summer.
Best regards!
LOL! I lived in Cleveland for almost five months and didn't accomplish nearly so much!! After a couple of years out here in the boonies (well, not actually, but it feels like it!) we are planning to sell here and move back to the city. Also looking at Cleveland Heights, which we liked a lot during the short time we were in Cleveland. Wanting to be back near more cultural/sporting events, an area with public transportation (so I'm not forced to drive everywhere), better health care, etc. etc. The countryside here is lovely, but after a year and a half we are bored with it. Better to visit than to live year round I guess. Also, (not to drag politics into it) but seeing so many Trump signs my head is spinning! I'm a West Coast liberal and guess I just don't fit in here, although the people are generally nice. We had made a few good friends while in Cleveland, and just not connecting that well here....so, who knows? Maybe we'll be neighbors next year! I should look back at the original post...are you from Portland, Ore? We moved out here from Seattle.
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