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"Cleveland" redirects here. For the Cleveland metropolitan area, see Greater Cleveland. For other uses, see Cleveland (disambiguation).
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately 60 miles (100 km) west of the Pennsylvania border. It was founded in 1796 near the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, and became a manufacturing center owing to its location at the head of numerous canals and railroad lines. With the decline of heavy manufacturing, Cleveland\'s businesses have diversified into the service economy, including the financial services, insurance, and healthcare sectors. Cleveland is also noted for its association with rock music; the city is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Visitor Information. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2007-05-14.
As of the 2000 Census, the city proper had a total population of 478,403, making it the 33rd largest city in the nationUnited States Census Bureau (2001-04-02). Census 2000 PHC-T-5. Ranking Tables for Incorporated Places of 100,000 or More: 1990 and 2000. United States Census, 2000. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. and the second largest city in Ohio. It is the center of Greater Cleveland, the largest metropolitan area in Ohio, which spans several counties and is defined in several different ways by the Census Bureau. The Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor Metropolitan Statistical Area has 2,250,871 people and is the 23rd largest in the country, according to the 2000 Census. Cleveland is also part of the larger Cleveland-Akron-Elyria Combined Statistical Area, which is the 14th largest in the country with a population of 2,945,831 according to the 2000 Census.United States and Puerto Rico -- Metropolitan Area GCT-PH1. Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2000, United States Census Bureau, Census 2000. Retrieved on 2007-05-09.
In studies conducted by The Economist in 2005, Cleveland and Pittsburgh were ranked as the most livable cities in the United States,Economist. "Vancouver tops liveability ranking according to a new survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit". Press release. Retrieved on 2005-10-11. and the city was ranked as the best city for business meetings in the continental U.S.Copestake, Jon. "Where business is a pleasure." The Economist. (2005-12-23) The city faces continuing challenges, in particular from concentrated poverty in some neighborhoods and difficulties in the funding and delivery of high-quality public education.Request For Proposals: Finance, Design, Build, Manage, Operate, Maintain, Repair and Upgrade A Citywide Municipal Wireless Broadband Network Infrastructure (PDF) Page 17. City of Cleveland Municipal Wireless Network RFP (April 20 2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
Residents of Cleveland are usually referred to as "Clevelanders". Nicknames used for the city include "The Forest City", "The Cleve," "Metropolis of the Western Reserve",Cleveland. Architect Magazine. January 12007. Accessed October 112007. "The New American City",Living in Cleveland. The Lerner Research Institute. 2007. Accessed October 112007. "America\'s North Coast",Roll to a Final Four in Rockin\' Cleveland. Wood, Terry. ESPN.com. March 292007. Accessed October 112007. "Sixth City",Cleveland Court Winner. The New York Times. August 31919. Accessed October 112007 "Rock \'n\' Roll Capital of the World" (because of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,) http://upress.kent.edu/books/Adams.htm and "C-Town".Of Cleveland, by Cleveland, for Cleveland (and the world), Mountain Xpress. January 242007. Accessed October 112007.
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Map of Cleveland in 1904
Cleveland obtained its name on July 22, 1796 when surveyors of the Connecticut Land Company laid out Connecticut\'s Western Reserve into townships and a capital city they named "Cleaveland" after their leader, General Moses Cleaveland. Cleaveland oversaw the plan for the modern downtown area, centered on the Public Square, before returning home, never again to visit Ohio. The first settler in Cleaveland was Lorenzo Carter, who built a cabin on the banks of the Cuyahoga River. The Village of Cleaveland was incorporated on December 23, 1814. The spelling of the city\'s name was later changed to "Cleveland" when, in 1831, an "a" was dropped so the name could fit a newspaper\'s masthead.Cleveland: A Bicentennial Timeline. The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve University. Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
In spite of the nearby swampy lowlands and harsh winters, its waterfront location proved providential. The area began rapid growth after the 1832 completion of the Ohio and Erie Canal. This key link between the Ohio River and the Great Lakes connected the city to the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River. Growth continued with added railroad links.Ohio and Erie Canal. The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve University. Retrieved on 2007-08-10. Cleveland incorporated as a city in 1836.
In 1836, the city, then located only on the eastern banks of the Cuyahoga River, nearly erupted into open warfare with neighboring Ohio City over a bridge connecting the two.Columbus Street Bridge. The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve University. Retrieved on 2007-08-10. Ohio City remained an independent municipality until it was annexed by Cleveland in 1854. The site flourished as a halfway point for iron ore from Minnesota shipped across the Great Lakes and other raw materials (coal) carried by rail from the south. Cleveland emerged as a major American manufacturing center, home to numerous major steel producers, as well as a number of carmakers, including gasoline car Peerless, steam car builders White and Gaeth and electric car company Baker. By 1920, Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller had made his fortune and Cleveland had become the fifth largest city in the country. The city was a center for the national progressive movement, headed locally by Mayor Tom L. Johnson. Many Clevelanders of this era are buried in the historic Lake View Cemetery, along with James A. Garfield, the twentieth U.S. President.Find A Grave: Lake View Cemetery. Findagrave.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-09.
In commemoration of the centennial of Cleveland\'s incorporation as a city, the Great Lakes Exposition debuted in June 1936 along the Lake Erie shore north of downtown. Conceived as a way to energize a city hit hard by the Great Depression, it drew 4 million visitors in its first season, and 7 million by the end of its second and final season in September 1937.Great Lakes Exposition. The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve University. Retrieved on 2007-08-10. The exposition was housed on grounds that are now used by the Great Lakes Science Center, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Burke Lakefront Airport, among others.Porter, Philip (1976). "Chapter 6", Cleveland: Confused City on a Seesaw. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Press, pp. 106–107. ISBN 0814202640.
Immediately after World War II, the city experienced a brief boom. In sports, the Indians won the 1948 World Series and the Browns dominated professional football in the 1950s. Businesses proclaimed that Cleveland was the "best location in the nation".Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. 1997-06-14. Retrieved on 2007-08-02. The city\'s population reached its peak of 914,808, and in 1949 Cleveland was named an All-America City for the first time.Past Winners of the All-America City Award. National Civic League. Retrieved on 2007-08-02. By the 1960s, however, heavy industries began to slump, and residents sought new housing in the suburbs, reflecting the national trends of white flight and urban sprawl. Like other major American cities, Cleveland also began witnessing racial unrest, culminating in the Hough Riots from July 18, 1966 – July 23, 1966 and the Glenville Shootout on July 23, 1968 – July 25, 1968. The city\'s nadir is often considered to be its default on its loans on December 15 1978, when under Mayor Dennis Kucinich it became the first major American city to enter default since the Great Depression. National media began referring to Cleveland as "the mistake on the lake" around this time, in reference to the city\'s financial difficulties, a notorious 1969 fire on the Cuyahoga River (where industrial waste on the river\'s surface caught on fire), and its struggling professional sports teams.Schlossberg, Dan. Cleveland - Mistake on the Lake no more. Travel World Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-08-10. The city has worked to shed this nickname ever since, though in recent times the national media have been much kinder to the city, using it as an exemplar for public-private partnerships, downtown revitalization, and urban renaissance.Walljasper, Jay. "Town Square." Project for Public Spaces. November 2004. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Cleveland skyline
The metropolitan area began recovery thereafter under Mayors George Voinovich and Michael R. White. Redevelopment within the city limits has been strongest in the downtown area near the Gateway complex—consisting of Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena, and near North Coast Harbor—including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Browns Stadium, and the Great Lakes Science Center. Although Cleveland was hailed by the media as the "Comeback City,"Paynter, Bob; Pledger, Marcia. "Comeback City\' fights old-shoe image", The Plain Dealer, October 14, 2001. Retrieved on 2007-08-10. many of the inner-city residential neighborhoods remain troubled, and the public school system continues to experience serious problems. Economic development, retention of young professionals, and capitalizing upon its waterfront are current municipal priorities.Jackson, Frank, State of the City of Cleveland (PDF). City of Cleveland, Ohio. 2007-03-01. Retrieved on 2007-08-01. In 1999, Cleveland was identified as an emerging global city.GaWC Research Bulletin 5, GaWC, Loughborough University, 28 July 1999
Panorama of Public Square in 1912
Cleveland is located at .US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 82.4 square miles (213.5 km²), of which, 77.6 square miles (201.0 km²) is land and 4.8 square miles (12.5 km²) is water. The total area is 5.87% water.
The shore of Lake Erie is 569 feet (173 m) above sea level; however, the city lies on a series of irregular bluffs lying roughly parallel to the lake. In Cleveland these bluffs are cut principally by the Cuyahoga River, Big Creek, and Euclid Creek. The land rises quickly from the lakeshore. Public Square, less than a mile (2 km) inland, sits at an elevation of 650 feet (198 m), and Hopkins Airport, only five miles (8 km) inland from the lake, is at an elevation of 791 feet (241 m).Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport. AirNav. Retrieved on 2007-05-09.
| Monthly normal and record high and low temperaturesMonthly Averages for Cleveland, OH. The Weather Channel. Retrieved on 2007-07-23. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon. | Avg. High | Avg. Low | Avg. | Rec. High | Rec. Low |
| Jan | 33 °F | 19 °F | 26 °F | 73 °F | -20 °F |
| Feb | 36 °F | 21 °F | 29 °F | 74 °F | -16 °F |
| Mar | 46 °F | 29 °F | 38 °F | 83 °F | -5 °F |
| Apr | 57 °F | 38 °F | 48 °F | 88 °F | 10 °F |
| May | 69 °F | 48 °F | 59 °F | 92 °F | 25 °F |
| Jun | 77 °F | 58 °F | 68 °F | 104 °F | 31 °F |
| Jul | 81 °F | 62 °F | 72 °F | 103 °F | 41 °F |
| Aug | 79 °F | 61 °F | 70 °F | 102 °F | 38 °F |
| Sep | 72 °F | 54 °F | 63 °F | 101 °F | 32 °F |
| Oct | 61 °F | 44 °F | 52 °F | 90 °F | 19 °F |
| Nov | 49 °F | 35 °F | 42 °F | 82 °F | 3 °F |
| Dec | 37 °F | 25 °F | 31 °F | 77 °F | -15 °F |
Cleveland possesses a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfa), typical of much of the central United States, with very warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. The Lake Erie shoreline is very close to due east-west from the mouth of the Cuyahoga west to Sandusky, but at the mouth of the Cuyahoga it turns sharply northeast. This feature is the principal contributor to the lake effect snow that is typical in Cleveland (especially east side) weather from mid-November until the surface of Lake Erie freezes, usually in late January or early February. The lake effect causes snowfall totals to range greatly across the city: while Hopkins Airport has only reached 100 inches (254 cm) of snowfall in a given season three times since 1968,Cleveland Snowfalle (sic) Statistics. National Weather Service. Retrieved on 2005-10-13. seasonal totals approaching or exceeding 100 inches (2,500 mm) are not uncommon in an area known as the "Snow Belt", extending from the east side of Cleveland proper through the eastern suburbs and up the Lake Erie shore as far as Buffalo, New York. Despite its reputation as a cold, snowy place in winter mild spells often break winter\'s grip with temperatures sometimes soaring above 70 °F (21 °C).
The all-time record high in Cleveland of 104 °F (40 °C) was established on June 25 1988, and the all-time record low of −20 °F (−29 °C) was set on January 19 1994. On average, July is the warmest month with a mean temperature of 71.9 °F (22.2 °C), and January, with a mean temperature of 25.7 °F (−3.5 °C), is the coldest. Normal yearly precipitation based on the 30-year average from 1971 to 2000 is 38.7 inches (930 mm).NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data. National Weather Service. Retrieved on 2006-04-05.
The Terminal Tower complex, with the Warehouse District, the Cuyahoga River, and Lake Erie in the background
Cleveland\'s downtown architecture is diverse. Many of the city\'s government and civic buildings, including City Hall, the Cuyahoga County Courthouse, the Cleveland Public Library, and Public Auditorium, are clustered around an open mall and share a common neoclassical architecture. Built in the early 20th century, they are the result of the 1903 Group Plan, and constitute one of the most complete examples of City Beautiful design in the United States.Lawrence, Michael (1980). Make No Little Plans. Cleveland, Ohio: Western Reserve Historical Society, 20-25. ISBN 0-911704-24-8. The Terminal Tower, dedicated in 1930, was the tallest building in the United States between New York City and Chicago until 1967 and the tallest in the city until 1991.Toman, James and Cook, Daniel (2005). "The Tower", Cleveland\'s Towering Treasure. Cleveleand, Ohio: Cleveland Landmarks Press, 76. ISBN 0-936760-20-6. It is a prototypical Beaux-Arts skyscraper. The two newer skyscrapers on Public Square, Key Tower (currently the tallest building in Ohio) and the BP Building, combine elements of Art Deco architecture with postmodern designs. Another of Cleveland\'s architectural treasures is The Arcade (sometimes called the Old Arcade), a five-story arcade built in 1890 and renovated in 2001 as a Hyatt Regency Hotel.The Arcade: A Clevaland Classic. Retrieved on 2007-09-17. Cleveland\'s landmark ecclesiastical architecture includes the historic Old Stone Church in downtown Cleveland and the onion domed St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Tremont.Cleveland Sacred Landmarks. Cleveland State University. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
Running east from Public Square through University Circle is Euclid Avenue, which was known for its prestige and elegance. In the late 1880s, writer Bayard Taylor described it as "the most beautiful street in the world."Upton, Harriet Taylor (1910). History of the Western Reserve. The Lewis Publishing Company, 507. Known as "Millionaire\'s Row", Euclid Avenue was world-renowned as the home of such internationally-known names as Rockefeller, Hanna, and Hay.Cigliano, Jan (1991). Showplace of America. Kent State University Press. ISBN 0-87338-445-8.
Cleveland is home to four parks in the countywide Cleveland Metroparks system, the "Emerald Necklace" of Olmsted-inspired parks that encircles the region. In the Big Creek valley sits the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, which contains the largest collection of primates of any zoo in the United States. The other three parks are Brookside Park and parts of the Rocky River and Washington Reservations. Apart from the Metroparks is Cleveland Lakefront State Park, which provides public access to Lake Erie. Among its six parks are Edgewater Park, located between the Shoreway and Lake Erie just west of downtown, and Euclid Beach Park and Gordon Park on the east side. The City of Cleveland\'s Rockefeller Park, with its many Cultural GardensWelcome to the History of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. Cleveland Cultural Gardens. Retrieved on 2007-04-19. honoring the city\'s ethnic groups, follows Doan Brook across the city\'s east side.
Downtown Cleveland includes mixed-use neighborhoods such as the Flats and the Warehouse District, which are occupied by industrial and office buildings and also by restaurants and bars. The number of downtown housing units in the form of condominiums, lofts, and apartments has increased over the past ten years. This trend looks to continue with the recent revival of the Flats. The apartment and condominium project that was recently completed on the West Bank, Stonebridge Apartments, has been highly successful. The East Bank has its own redevelopment project underway orchestrated by Scott Wolstein of Developers Diversified Realty, Inc that looks only to enhance the Flats recent success.
Cleveland residents often define themselves in terms of whether they live on the east side or the west side of the Cuyahoga River.Neighborhood Link. Cleveland State University. Retrieved on 2005-10-14. The east side comprises the following neighborhoods: Buckeye-Shaker Square, Central, Collinwood, Corlett, Euclid-Green, Fairfax, Forest Hills, Glenville, Payne/Goodrich-Kirtland Park, Hough, Kinsman, Lee Harvard/Seville-Miles, Mount Pleasant, Nottingham, St. Clair-Superior, Union-Miles Park, University Circle, Little Italy, and Woodland Hills. The west side of the city includes the following neighborhoods: Brooklyn Centre, Clark-Fulton, Detroit-Shoreway, Cudell, Edgewater, Ohio City, Old Brooklyn, Stockyards, West Boulevard, and the four neighborhoods colloquially known as West Park: Kamm\'s Corners, Jefferson, Puritas-Longmead, and Riverside. Three neighborhoods in the Cuyahoga Valley are sometimes referred to as the south side: Industrial Valley/Duck Island, Slavic Village (North and South Broadway), and Tremont.
Satellite photograph of Cleveland and its surrounding suburbs
Several inner-city neighborhoods have begun to gentrify in recent years. Areas on both the west side (Ohio City, Tremont, Detroit-Shoreway, and Edgewater) and the east side (Collinwood, Hough, Fairfax, and Little Italy) have been successful in attracting increasing numbers of creative class members, which in turn is spurring new residential development.Kennedy, Maureen and Leonard, Paul. Dealing with Neighborhood Change: A Primer on Gentrification and Policy Choices. Brookings Institution (April 2001). Retrieved on 2007-08-01. Furthermore, a live-work zoning overlay for the city\'s near east side has facilitated the transformation of old industrial buildings into loft spaces for artists.Gill, Michael. "Can the Creative Class Save Cleveland?". Free Times (2003-10-29) Retrieved on 2007-08-01
Cleveland\'s older inner-ring or "first" suburbs include Bedford, Bedford Heights, Brook Park, Brooklyn, Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga Heights, East Cleveland, Euclid, Fairview Park, Garfield Heights, Lakewood, Maple Heights, Parma, Shaker Heights, South Euclid, University Heights, and Warrensville Heights. All are members of the Northeast Ohio First Suburbs Consortium.Northeast Region. Northeast Ohio First Suburbs Consortium. Retrieved on 2007-05-09.
Cleveland is home to Playhouse Square Center, the second largest performing arts center in the United States behind New York\'s Lincoln Center.PSC Volunteer. Playhouse Square Center. Retrieved on 2006-08-14. Playhouse Square includes the State, Palace, Allen, Hanna, and Ohio theaters within what is known as the Theater District of Downtown Cleveland.Playhouse Square: The Theater District. Playhouse Square Center. Retrieved on May 14, 2007. Playhouse Square\'s resident performing arts companies include the Cleveland Opera, the Ohio Ballet, and the Great Lakes Theater Festival.Playhouse Square: About Us. Playhouse Square Center. Retrieved on 2007-05-24. The center also hosts various Broadway musicals, special concerts, speaking engagements, and other events throughout the year. One Playhouse Square, now the headquarters for Cleveland\'s public broadcasters, was originally used as the broadcast studios of WJW Radio, where disc jockey Alan Freed first popularized the term "rock and roll".Alan Freed. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2007-07-03. Located between Playhouse Square and University Circle are the Cleveland Play House and Karamu House, a well-known African American performing and fine arts center, both founded in the 1920s.Mansfield, Herbert. Theater. Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. 1998-03-04. Retrieved on 2007-07-03.
Cleveland is also home to the Cleveland Orchestra, widely considered one of the finest orchestras in the world, and often referred to as the finest in the United States.Walsh, Michael. "The Finest Orchestra? (Surprise!) Cleveland". Time. (1994-01-10) Retrieved on 2007-08-01. It is one of the "Big Five" major orchestras in the United States. The Orchestra plays in Severance Hall during the winter and at Blossom Music Center during the summer.A Brief History of the Cleveland Orchestra. Cleveland Orchestra. Retrieved on 2007-07-22.
There are two main art museums in Cleveland. The Cleveland Museum of Art is a major American art museum,Cleveland Museum of Art. Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. 1997-06-14. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. with a collection that includes more than 40,000 works of art ranging over 6,000 years, from ancient masterpieces to contemporary pieces. Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland showcases established and emerging artists, particularly from the Cleveland area, through hosting and producing temporary exhibitions.Who We Are. Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
Cleveland has served as the filming location for several noteworthy movies, including The Fortune Cookie (1967) with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, the Academy Award-winning Deer Hunter (1978), Antwone Fisher (2002), and the holiday favorite A Christmas Story (1983).Movies made in Cleveland. IMDb. Retrieved on 2006-01-24. Scenes for Spider-Man 3 were filmed in Cleveland in April 2006.\'Spider Man 3\' in Cleveland. Cleveland.com. Retrieved on 2006-05-20. Cleveland is the lifelong home of writer Harvey Pekar and the setting for most of his autobiographical comic books. The city was also the setting for the popular sitcom, The Drew Carey Show which starred Cleveland native Drew Carey.
Cleveland was the home of Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, who created the comic book character Superman in 1932. Both attended Glenville High School, and their early collaborations resulted in the creation of "The Man of Steel".Superman. Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. 1997-07-22. Retrieved on 2007-07-03.
Cleveland is the home of the heavy metal music groups Chimaira and Mushroomhead, alternative rock groups Nine Inch Nails and Filter, rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Eric Carmen and his band, The Raspberries,Eric Carmen Biography. ericcarmen.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-03., singer/songwriter Tracy Chapman, and Benjamin Orr of The Cars. R&B singer Gerald Levert also was a lifelong resident of Cleveland, and it was the hometown of R&B groups the Dazz Band and The Rude Boys, as well as R&B singer Avant. It was also home to protopunk bands Pere Ubu, Rocket From the Tombs, and Electric Eels.The Bands. ClePunk. Retrieved on 2007-05-09.
Cleveland\'s many immigrant groups have long played an important role in defining the regional cuisine. German and Eastern European foods, such as beer, pierogi, and kielbasa are popular in and around the city, as are foods associated with Cleveland\'s Irish and Italian immigrants. Residents like Hector Boiardi (Chef Boyardee) and Michael Ruhlman have been noted for their contributions in the culinary world. The West Side Market is home to vendors selling many kinds of ethnic food, as well as fresh produce, and ethnic restaurants can be found in the Little Italy, Slavic Village, and Tremont neighborhoods, among others.
Beginning in 2007, Cleveland\'s culinary scene began to receive international attention. In early 2008, the Chicago Tribune called Cleveland America\'s "hot new dining city".Cleveland?!? - chicagotribune.com The national food press -- Gourmet, Food & Wine, Esquire and Playboy.com -- heaped praise on several Cleveland spots this year for best new restaurant, best steakhouse, best farm-to-table programs and great new neighborhood eateries.Cleveland?!? - chicagotribune.com
On November 11, 2007, Cleveland chef Michael Symon helped brighten the spotlight on Cleveland\'s culinary scene when he was named "The Next Iron Chef" on the Food Network reality TV show by the same name. Anthony Bourdain highlighted the city\'s food scene on a 2007 episode of his Travel Channel show "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations".
Cleveland\'s Baricelli Inn has long been an internationally recognized restaurant under the direction of world-renowned Cleveland Chef Paul Minnillo.[citation needed]
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the shores of Lake Erie
Five miles (8 km) east of downtown Cleveland is University Circle, a 550-acre (2.2 km²) concentration of cultural, educational, and medical institutions, including the Cleveland Botanical Garden, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals, Severance Hall, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and the Western Reserve Historical Society. Cleveland is also home to the I. M. Pei-designed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, located on the Lake Erie waterfront at North Coast Harbor downtown. Neighboring attractions include Cleveland Browns Stadium, the Great Lakes Science Center, the Steamship Mather Museum, and the USS Cod, a World War II submarine.Travel Cleveland: Cleveland Attractions. Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland. Retrieved on 2007-05-22.
Cleveland is home to many festivals throughout the year. Cultural festivals such as the annual Feast of the Assumption in the Little Italy neighborhood, the Greek Orthodox Festival in the Tremont neighborhood, and the Harvest Festival in the Slavic Village neighborhood are popular events. Vendors at the West Side Market in Ohio City offer many different ethnic foods for sale. Cleveland hosts an annual parade on Saint Patrick\'s Day that brings hundreds of thousands to the streets of downtown.Cleveland\'s Irish Parade. clevelandirishparade.org. Retrieved on 2007-05-09.
Fashion Week Cleveland, the city\'s annual fashion event, is one of the few internationally-recognized fashion industry happenings in North America.COSMOWORLDS | FASHION WEEKS BY COUNTRY - Directory Fashion Weeks Europe, Russia, North America, Canada, Latin-/South America, Australia, Africa, Asia, Middle East The show is considered by many to be the best in the Midwest--perhaps second only to New York for fashion weeks in the US.
In addition to the cultural festivals, Cleveland hosted the CMJ Rock Hall Music Fest, which featured national and local acts, including both established artists and up-and-coming acts, but the festival was discontinued in 2007 due to financial and manpower costs to the Rock Hall.Soeder, John. "CMJ/Rock Hall Music Fest cancelled after two-year run." The Plain Dealer, 2007-04-06. The annual Ingenuity Festival and Notacon conference focus on the combination of art and technology. The Cleveland International Film Festival has been held annually since 1977, and its eleven day run drew a record 52,753 people in 2007.O\'Connor, Cliff. "Another record-setting year for Cleveland film fest." The Plain Dealer, 2007-03-26. Cleveland also hosts an annual holiday display lighting and celebration, dubbed Winterfest, which is held downtown at the city\'s historic hub, Public Square.Winterfest. Cleveland.com. Retrieved on May 14, 2007.
Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland\'s professional sports teams include the Cleveland Indians (Major League Baseball), Cleveland Browns (National Football League), Cleveland Cavaliers (National Basketball Association), Cleveland City Stars (United Soccer Leagues), Lake Erie Monsters (American Hockey League), and the Cleveland Gladiators (Arena Football League). Annual sporting events held in Cleveland include the Champ Car Grand Prix of Cleveland, the Cleveland Marathon, the Mid-American Conference college basketball tournament and the Ohio Classic college football game.Travel Cleveland: Sports + Recreation. Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland. Retrieved on 2007-05-22. The city hosted the Gravity Games, an extreme sports series, from 2002 to 2004, and the Dew Action Sports Tour Right Guard Open in 2007. Local sporting facilities include Progressive Field, Cleveland Browns Stadium, Quicken Loans Arena, and the CSU Wolstein Center.
The Cleveland Browns dominated the NFL from 1950 to 1955. The city\'s franchise is one of the most storied in football, though it last won an NFL championship in 1964 and has never appeared in the Super Bowl. The Cleveland Indians last reached the World Series in 1997, losing to the Florida Marlins, and have not won the series since 1948. Between 1995 and 2001, Jacobs Field sold out 455 consecutive games, a Major League Baseball record.Cleveland IndiansHistory. Major League Baseball. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. The Cleveland Cavaliers are experiencing a renaissance with Cleveland fans due to LeBron James, a native of nearby Akron and the number one overall draft pick of 2003. The Cavaliers won the Eastern Conference in 2007, but were defeated in the NBA Finals by the San Antonio Spurs. The city\'s recent lack of success in sports has earned it a reputation of being a cursed sports city, which ESPN validated by proclaiming Cleveland as its "most tortured sports city" in 2004.Darcy, Kieran. Mistakes by the Lake. ESPN.com: Page 2. (2004-07-13). Retrieved on 2005-10-11.
The tradition of professional hockey in Cleveland started with the original Cleveland Barons in 1937. Cleveland Barons (1976-1978). Sports E-cyclopedia.Cleveland fielded an NHL team, also called the Cleveland Barons, from 1976 to 1978, which was later merged into the Minnesota North Stars. Cleveland\'s current hockey team is the minor-league Lake Erie Monsters, which began play in 2007.Malik, George James. "Griffins take down Lake Erie in opener", Grand Rapids Press. 2007-10-07. The city has had other major and minor-league hockey teams in the past including the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League and the Cleveland Crusaders of the World Hockey Association. Cleveland was also home to the Cleveland Rockers, one of the original eight teams"Rockers divvied up in dispersal draft", USA Today, January 6, 2004. Retrieved on 2007-08-10. in the WNBA in 1997. However, in 2003, the team folded after owner Gordon Gund dropped the team from operation.
In 2005, Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber announced that Cleveland was one of several top areas in contention for an expansion team in 2007.Nierman, Jonathan (October 11, 2005). Commissioner sets Toronto deadline. Major League Soccer. Retrieved on 2007-08-10. Delays in securing a soccer-only stadium have now prevented any such team from beginning play until the 2009 season, but the Cleveland area is still a contender for expansion. The city\'s current soccer team, the Cleveland City Stars, play in the USL Second Division.
Cleveland also fielded two indoor soccer teams, the Cleveland Force of the MISL which folded in 1988 and the Cleveland Crunch of the NPSL which ceased operations in 2005 after having won three league championships in the 90\'s.
Cleveland is served in print by The Plain Dealer, the city\'s sole remaining daily newspaper. The competing Cleveland Press ceased publication on June 17 1982, and the Cleveland News ended its run in 1960. Cleveland also supports several alternative weekly publications, including the Free Times and Cleveland Scene.
Cleveland, combined with nearby Akron, was ranked in 2006–2007 as the 17th largest television market by Nielsen Media Research.Sampling the Population. Nielsen Media Research (2006-09-23). Retrieved on 2007-08-02. The market is served by stations affiliated with major American networks including: WKYC-TV (channel 3, NBC), WEWS (channel 5, ABC), WJW-TV (channel 8, Fox), WOIO (channel 19, CBS), WUAB (channel 43, MNTV), and WBNX (channel 55, The CW). Cleveland is also served by WVPX (channel 23, ION) and Spanish-language channel WQHS-TV (channel 61, Univision). WVIZ (channel 25) and WEAO (channel 49) are members of PBS. A Cleveland first in television was The Morning Exchange program on WEWS, which defined the morning show format, and served as the inspiration for Good Morning America.NewsChannel5\'s First 50 Years. WEWS-TV (2005). Retrieved on
