Rediscovering Cleveland

As a kid, I always lamented on my misfortune… I was born and raised in Cleveland. Oh the horror! Cleveland is cursed: the sports teams, the weather, the economic pit of despair. Surely, I belonged somewhere like California where I could be a beach bunny. Or New York City where I could submerse myself in fashion and culture.

These could have been me.

And then somewhere along the road of life, I realized… Cleveland is actually a great place to live. There is a lot to do and see here, the cost of living is cheap, and the changing of the seasons is refreshing and beautiful! Carrie Bradshaw once said, “If…you only get one great love, New York may just be mine. And I can't have nobody talking shit about my boyfriend.” Well, I may not go quite that far about Cleveland, but I understand the sentiment. And I have found a great appreciation for my city over the years, especially over the last couple of days.

Woahhhh Cleveland!

On Wednesday night, I caught a showing of The Phantom of the Opera at the Allen Theater with eight other lovely ladies, friends and family. It was my second time seeing the show in Cleveland and I still had goosebumps nearly the entire time. I absolutely love the theater. Did you know that Cleveland’s Playhouse Square is the second-largest theater center in the US (second to NYC)? Most of the eight theaters were built in the early 1920s but still maintain their original construction. Many of them closed in the late sixties but thankfully re-opened in the late eighties. Now, in 2010, as you walk down Euclid Avenue’s Theater District, you’re treated to the impressive sight of the bright marquee lights, the delicious smells from the great restaurants and the delightful sounds of some random guy playing the saxophone. It’s quite an experience every single time you visit. Now that I’ve discovered you can get $10 seats to the shows, I’ll be going much more often.

Cleveland's theater district about half a century ago.

Then last night, three friends and I got free tickets to see Back to the Future at the Palace Theater. (Along with free popcorn, free candy, free hot pretzels, and a free drink). How can you beat that? But the absolute best part of the evening, besides for the company and the free perks, was the atmosphere. We walked into the Palace and were immediately transported back in time (very appropriate, considering the movie we were about to see). The architecture and detail to the theater is just jaw-dropping. It’s so elegant and timeless. And there was an organ player! He was playing “Music of the Night” and “Memories” and other Broadway classics for about 15 minutes before the show started. The theater was packed. Then the lights dimmed and there on the screen was a Bugs Bunny cartoon! It was actually hilarious! The whole theater burst into applause when the movie started. It was the first time that I can remember that kind of interaction between an audience and a film: the laughs, the applause, the oohs and ahhs throughout the movie. The happiness of the theater was palpable. At the end of the movie, when the lights came on and we were reverted back to 2010 (not 1985 as I had hoped for), the faces of the people leaving the theater was a sight to see... everyone had a really great time.

"When this baby hits 88 miles per hour... you're gonna see some serious shit."

I’m very grateful to have such wonderful friends and family to experience my city with. Who says there’s nothing to do in Cleveland? There’s a lot to be discovered… and rediscovered. Get out there!

Beth and me awaiting the start of Phantom.