Solo Getaways: Shopping for Art, Books and Fashion in Cleveland

Who doesn't love a weekend shopping getaway to a city filled with art, fashion and good food? I'm not suggesting New York City or Boston, but Cleveland. The city on Lake Erie is affordable, easy to navigate and home to an interesting array of artists, independent booksellers and fashion designers...if you know where to look.

Friday: Checking In and Exploring Downtown
Flying into Cleveland is easy. Cleveland Hopkins Airport, located nine miles west of downtown, is a hub for Continental Airlines and offers non-stop flights to more than 85 destinations, including New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago and Nashville.

From the airport to downtown, take the RTA rapid train that leaves directly from the airport terminal every 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the time of day you arrive. You don't even have to go outside. You take the train to the end of the line, Tower City Center and the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel, your home base for the weekend. Again, you don't have to leave the building. The grand, 493-room, 1918-circa hotel is connected via marble walkways to the train station. Don't worry about security. Rooms are opened with key cards, a device that also operates the elevators after business hours.

After you settle in your large guest room overlooking Cleveland's Public Square and the Soldiers and Sailors Monument there, it's time to explore Tower City Center, an elegant beaux-arts shopping and dining complex that was once the city's main train station. Among the shops there are Brooks Brothers, Jones of New York, and the Cleveland store (for uniquely Cleveland products and souvenirs.) There's also a Hard Rock Cafe in the complex, a tribute to Cleveland being the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but you're headed elsewhere for dinner.

Dinner is just across Ontario Street at a Cajun blues club called Fat Fish Blue. No need to feel lonesome during dinner. Grab a stool at the bar facing the stage and enjoy savory gumbo and crawfish while listening to some of the region's best blues musicians.

Saturday: University Circle and Little Italy
Get up early on Saturday and don your walking shoes for a full day of shopping and sightseeing in two of Cleveland' most interesting neighborhoods--University Circle and Little Italy. After breakfast at the hotel's coffee shop, Brasserie, head outside to Public Square and take one of the modern, green (ecologically responsible) buses for the 20-minute ride down Euclid Avenue to Stokes Boulevard, just a short walk away from the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Although you could spend a whole weekend exploring the Cleveland Museum of Art's vast collection of Asian, Impressionist and American art, we'll limit ourselves to just a couple of rooms. (Don't worry about wasting money; admission is free.) Must-see exhibits are the new glass-enclosed room full of Rodin sculpture, the exhibit of works by Northeast Ohio artists and the dramatic armor court, filled with tapestries and armored knights on horseback. Don't miss the museum's gift shop on the way out. It's loaded with art books, jewelry and hand-painted silk scarves.

Two blocks away from the museum, and 60 years back in time, is Aunt Elaine's Silver Spartan Diner, an authentic 1950s-style diner. Take a stool at the counter and share your morning's activities with the students, professors and fellow sightseers you'll likely find there. Menu highlights include milkshakes, burgers and loaded fries, just to name a few.

After lunch, take a 15-minute stroll to Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood, once an ethnic enclave, now one of the city's premier arts communities. The walk up Mayfield Road will take you past a Civil War era house, Holy Rosary Church, a host of outdoor cafes and food shops, and an array of art galleries, selling everything from art glass to original oil paintings. Turn right at Murray Hill Road and walk the half block to Murray Hill School, a former elementary school whose classrooms now house a variety of art galleries and studios. Don't miss Juma Gallery and their one-of-a-kind fashions, jewelry and wall art.

Double back to Mayfield Road and snag a table at Mama Santa's, generally regarded as the best pizzeria in town. After dinner, get a cannoli to take back to the room at Corbo's Bakery across the street before calling a taxi to take you back downtown. (You've earned it.)

Sunday: Tremont
There's one more neighborhood to explore before heading back home--Tremont. Located just south of downtown, this bohemian town-within-a-town was one of the first areas settled in Cleveland. Today, it houses some of the city's most popular restaurants, galleries and coffee shops. Take the direct bus from Public Square, outside of the hotel, to Lincoln Park, the de facto center of Tremont. Located at the corner of the park is Civilization, a funky coffee shop and your stop for a muffin and a cup of joe.

After breakfast, head down Kenilworth Avenue to Visible Voice Books, an independent seller of new and used books, magazines and music. Just a block away is Professor Avenue, the center of the neighborhood's commercial district. Explore the more than a dozen galleries and shops on this three-block stretch. Don't miss Pinky's Daily Planner, the fashion boutique of Cleveland-based clothes designer, Stephanie Fralik.

By mid-afternoon, it's time to venture back downtown to grab your gear and purchases and head to the airport for your early evening flight home.

Resources:

Cleveland Renaissance Hotel
24 Public Square in Cleveland
216 696-5600
marriott.com/clevelandrenaissance

Fat Fish Blue
21 Prospect Avenue East in Cleveland
216 875-6000
fatfishblue.com

Cleveland Museum of Art
11150 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland
216 421-7350
clevelandart.org

Aunt Elaine's Silver Spartan Diner
Bellflower and Juniper Avenues in Cleveland
216 368-0634
case.edu/diner

Juma Gallery
2026 Murray Hill Road in Cleveland
216 721-3773
jumagallery.com

Mama Santa's
1235 Mayfield Road in Cleveland
216 231-9567
mamasantas.com

Corbo's Bakery and Cafe
12210 Mayfield Road in Cleveland
216 421-8181

Civilization
11th Street and Kenilworth Avenue in Cleveland
216 621-3838
cityroastcoffee.com/civil.html

Visible Voice Books
1023 Kenilworth Avenue in Cleveland
216 961-0084
visiblevoicebooks.com

Pinky's Daily Planner
2403 Professor Avenue in Cleveland
216 402-2536
pinkysdailyplanner.com

Note to editor: I have worked and lived in northeast Ohio for more than 20 years. In addition, I have written and edited the Cleveland pages for About.com for five years. This fun weekend is based on personal experience.