As Cleveland hosts the Republican National Convention, so many people are discovering this jewel along Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River.
Cleveland has many different areas and neighborhoods that have lived and died, flowing along with boom times and recession.
One of those is an area on either side of the Cuyahoga River just before the mouth of Lake Erie called, The Flats.
At the turn-of-the-century, the flats was home to steel mills and factories.
Over time, the Cuyahoga River became so polluted by the runoff from these industries, that it regularly caught fire in the mid to late 60s into the early 70s
When I lived here in the late 70s-early 80s, The Flats was an area of the people point to do with pride. Trendy bars and restaurants begin to spring up in place of abandoned warehouses in factories.
Unfortunately, recession and well publicized untimely deaths, coupled with code violations and crackdowns, stifled development and brought the area to a grinding halt.
Fast forward to today and you’ll discover a shining jewel in the crown that is Cleveland’s Flats. Businesses, residences, and lots of entertainment with fine dining has popped up in just the last couple of years.
An extension of the RTA’s light rail system that connects The Flats with the football stadium, the Science Museum and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame have made this one’s grind me eyesore, a real destination.
Some of us dined at a great new restaurant called The Alleycat Oyster abar. While dining on local walleye and other seafood dishes, we watched mighty ore carriers and pleasure boat ply the Cuyahoga River.
The weather was perfect, The scenery spectacular and the food delicious. Cleveland has truly come into its own and is shining in the spotlight at the perfect moment.
