Get friendly with Cleveland celebrities
Wielding our sardonic inner voice, comedian Mike Polk Jr. is unafraid to poke fun at Cleveland’s politics, sports and culture during his stand-up routines at spots such as Hilarities and Cleveland Improv.
Next time you see Maurice Reedus Jr., better known as the Sax Man, outside a ballgame or Playhouse Square show, ask him to play his Beatles medley for a complete downtown Cleveland experience.
Dick Goddard, the longtime Fox 8 meteorologist features Dick Goddard’s Dogs every Thursday and Friday during the 6 p.m. newscast. But he often shows up to help out during the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter’s adoption events so you can score an autograph and a new best friend.
Make a pilgrimage to the Superman house
Leap across town in a single bound to the house in Glenville where Superman was born. Be sure to snap a photo with the logo on the fence out front, built as part of a more than $100,000 project to renovate the former home of co-creator Jerry Siegel in 2009. Bonus: Strike up a conversation with the house’s current occupants, the ever-friendly Grays, who have been known to occasionally give tours of their private property to respectful inquirers. 10622 Kimberly Ave., Cleveland
Pay your respects at Lake View Cemetery
Lake View Cemetery’s 285 acres of parklike rolling hills and winding paths lined with trees is the final resting place of people who shaped Cleveland’s last 100-plus years. Pay tribute by visiting the memorials of Leonard Case Jr. and Charles Franklin Thwing — whose schools would go on to become Case Western Reserve University — Sherwin-Williams Co. founder Henry A. Sherwin and Cleveland Orchestra founder Adella Prentiss Hughes. Bonus: Climb the narrow winding stairs to the top of the James A. Garfield Monument for a view of downtown Cleveland from more than 5 miles away. 12316 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-421-2665, lakeviewcemetery.com
Kayak North Coast Harbor
The 5-mile round-trip paddle from Whiskey Island to North Coast Harbor is worth every drop in our Great Lake. With the breakwall as protection, even beginners on the Sunset Tour are treated to views of the former Coast Guard Station, great blue heron, ore boats and the setting sun against the West Harbor lighthouse. But the real prize comes in North Coast Harbor, where faced with the Rock Hall and Steamship William G. Mather, you and your watercraft become infinitely small, the city’s skyline and bluffs rise up before you, and the possibilities for our waterfront seem endless. 41 North Coastal Kayak Adventures, 866-529-2541, kayak41north.com
Watch a play at Karamu House
The country’s oldest African-American theater is also the first to offer colorblind casting. So it’s no wonder throughout its 100 years, Langston Hughes launched his career here, Martin Luther King Jr. signed the guest book and late Cleveland-born, award-winning actress Ruby Dee often collaborated. Plays, such as the annual holiday rendition of Hughes’ Black Nativity, educate audiences on diverse viewpoints, but also unite them by addressing themes they can identify with — regardless of race. 2355 E. 89th St., Cleveland, 216-795-7070, karamuhouse.org
Ask a question at the City Club
Since the bell first rang in 1912, the City Club of Cleveland, one of the nation’s foremost free speech forums, has hosted oratory from about 7,000 thinkers, leaders and the occasional president. But you’ll want to pay attention to this particular lecture — after the talk, it’s your turn to show off your grasp of civic issues by raising a hand, grabbing the mic and asking a challenging question as part of the traditional unscripted audience Q&A session. 850 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-621-0082, cityclub.org
Play bocce in Little Italy
Sure, you can get a life-changing dish of pasta in Little Italy, but venture to Alta House for a very different kind of bowl. Beginning in the spring and running through October, this Italian social and recreational facility — full of Italian patriarchs puffing away on cigars — provides three bocce courts for your bowling pleasure. Serious competitors can join a league or call ahead to reserve a court for a quick game while killing that bottle of Chianti. 12510 Mayfield Road, Cleveland, 216-421-1536, altahouse.org
See a burlesque show
If you weren’t around when the Roxy Theater was the biggest burlesque house in the Midwest — the Short Vincent location thrived here from 1931 to 1955, so there’s a good chance — let Pickwick & Frolic tease your modern-day senses. The East Fourth Street location’s Friday burlesque nights feature a Las Vegas showgirl-themed performance with feather boas, elaborate headdresses, comedy, a hint of nudity and a live jazz trio. 2035 E. Fourth St., Cleveland, 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com
Eat at Pier W
Built in the mid-’60s to look like a ship, this 50-year-old Lakewood landmark not only offers stunning views of Lake Erie and downtown Cleveland’s skyline framed by 12-foot floor-to-ceiling plate glass windows, but also serves 100 percent sustainable seafood and sits below ground level for a close-as-you-get view over the water. 12700 Lake Ave., Lakewood, 216-228-2250, pierw.com
Embrace our pierogi pride
Start with a classic at Sokolowski’s University Inn in Tremont where these authentic potato-and-cheese pierogies come swimming in butter and onions — just like grandma used to make. 1201 University Road, Cleveland, 216-771-9236, sokolowskis.com
If you’ve got a taste for the less traditional, try one of Pierogies of Cleveland’s 27 varieties of fillings — think taco, sloppy Joes or yam and walnut. 4131 W. Streetsboro Road, Richfield, 330-659-4309, pierogimarket.com
Learn how to make them the old-fashioned way at the Western Reserve School of Cooking. Autumn Johnston, owner of the Pierogi Lady business, shares her grandmother’s secrets for the perfect dough, filling and technique when the Hudson and downtown culinary kitchens host the class four times a year. 330-696-7709, wrsoc.com
