See What Cleveland Has in Store
Located on the southern shore of Lake Erie, Cleveland was once known as the “Mistake By the Lake,” but Los Angeles Times, Travel & Leisure magazine, and Fodor’s Travel all named our city as one of the hottest places to visit in 2015!
When you’re settled on campus, start your tour of the city with help from Cleveland’s Visitors Center, the resources on this page and, of course, the recommendations of your new friends.
Here you’ll find:
- Dining recommendations
- Entertainment options
- Shopping suggestions
- Places of worship
- Postal/shipping services
Dining
Whether you’re an undergraduate or a graduate student, you have to eat, and there are lots of options both on and off campus.
CWRU’s Dining Services offers your on-campus meals, priding itself on eco-friendly, diverse cuisine, and makes it easy to pay using meal plans, a CaseOneCard loaded with CaseCash, MasterCard or Visa. The preferred payment method on campus is the CaseOneCard, which even can be used at some off-campus vendors.
Dining off campus, you’ll find that Cleveland is home to a wide-ranging, impressive culinary scene! Local neighborhoods within walking distance from CWRU, Little Italy and Uptown, are great places to start exploring the city’s culinary traditions, but it won’t be long before you’re venturing off into other parts of the city in search of more great meals!
Continue your culinary journey in neighborhoods such as:
Entertainment
Still not ready to call it a night after a great meal, or just looking for something to do? Cleveland has lots to offer in entertainment as well!
Attend a musical performance at one of the many venues located throughout Cleveland:
- Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center at Case Western Reserve University
- Severance Hall—home of the Cleveland Orchestra
- House of Blues Cleveland
- The Odeon
- Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica Entertainment Complex
- The Agora Theatre and Ballroom
- Blossom Music Center
Want to see a Broadway show without ever visiting New York City? You’re in luck: Cleveland boasts the largest theater district outside of Broadway! Check out playhousesquare.org for more information about the PlayhouseSquare Theater District and its performances.
Also consider attending a performance at one of the following:
- Cleveland Play House—America’s first regional theater and home to the CWRU/CPH Master of Fine Arts Program
- Cain Park
- Cleveland Public Theater
- The Beck Center for the Performing Arts
- Karamu House
Ready to visit the past, take a trip to the future, or just need a little inspiration to finish that essay? You’ll want to make sure you check out any of the following (and remember: a number of these museums are free to CWRU students with just a swipe of your student ID through the Free Access program):
- Cleveland Botanical Garden
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Cleveland Museum of Natural History
- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
- Western Reserve Historical Society
- Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
- Great Lakes Science Center
- Greater Cleveland Aquarium
Have you experienced America’s “national pastime” yet? If not you’ll want to take in a Cleveland Guardians baseball game at Progressive Field.
Cleveland is also home to several other national and regional sports teams including:
Once you’ve had a chance to explore the university’s Squire Valleevue and Valley Ridge Farm, get ready to explore more: Check out the Cleveland Metroparks website for more information about getting back to nature, regardless of the season!
Try your luck, if you’re 21 or older, at the Cleveland JACK Casino.
Now that you’ve had a chance to take a walk on the wild side you’re ready to get your thrill on by visiting Cedar Point , humbly known as the Roller Coaster Capital of the World!
Don’t leave Northeast Ohio without also checking the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center or the Great Wolf Lodge, both of which are also just as famous for their indoor and outdoor water park rides!
Shopping
In addition to the Barnes & Noble University Bookstore, Constantino’s Market, CLE Clothing and Banyan Tree located in Uptown, there are a number of convenience stores and shopping centers close to campus.
Use the Student Handbook shopping guide to find a local Target or Walmart as well as department stores such as Macy’s, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. (Or, if you’re looking for a few bargains and don’t mind driving to find them, check out this website with a list of outlet malls in every state. Outlet malls carry products from the manufacturer directly to the consumer; you can purchase high-end, name brand items at a fraction of the cost.)
If you’re ready to start shopping for some familiar tastes from home (or anywhere else), below is a list of students’ favorite ethnic markets. But there are many, many more options—more than 100!—in Cleveland; start your search for ethnic grocery stores here.
African
- Kabas African Market (4098 Lee Road)
Asian
- Asian Town Center (3820 Superior Ave. East; Main Entrance on E. 38th St. between Superior and Payne Avenues)
- Kim’s Oriental Food (3700 Superior Ave.)
- Nipa Hut (6775 W. 130th St.)
- Park to Shop Grocery Store (Asia Plaza: 1580 E 30th St.)
- Tink Holl (Tink Holl Plaza: 1735 E. 36th St.)
German
- Hansa Import Haus (2701 Lorain Ave)
Indian
- India Grocer (6855 W. 130th St.)
- Lakshmi Plaza (5888 Mayfield Road)
- Patel Brothers (6876 Pearl Road)
- Rimi’s Indian Bakers ’n Grocers (26531 Center Ridge Road)
Latino
- La Borincana (2127 Fulton Road)
- La Plaza Supermarket (13609 Lakewood Heights Blvd.)
Italian
- Gust Gallucci’s Italian Foods & Market (6610 Euclid Ave.)
International
- West Side Market (1979 W. 25th St.)
Middle Eastern/Mediterranean/Halal
- Rumi’s Market (Halal) (8225 Carnegie Ave.)
- Aladdin’s Baking Company (1301 Carnegie Ave.)
- Assad’s Bakery (2719 Lorain Ave.)
- Al Manar Market (3279 W. 117th St.)
- Almadina Imports (11550 Lorain Ave.)
- Sahara Supermarket (3353 W. 117th St.)
- Holy Lands Imports (11717 Lorain Ave.)
Worship
There are a number of places of worship that service a variety of faiths and beliefs, located both on and around campus.
The Interreligious Council (IRC) is a campus resource that can help you get connected!
Mail/Shipping Services
Thwing Center is home to both a limited-service postal station and the FedEx office, which offers mail and shipping services as well as printing and passport photo services. Visit case.edu/printing/ for more information.
In addition to the on-campus station, the United States Postal Service also operates offices at the following locations close to campus:
- 1859 E 101st St.
- 3 Severance Circle
United Parcel Service (ups.com) also operates a UPS Store in Uptown, just down the street from campus at 11470 Euclid Ave.