Cleveland Plus Presents: Fun Facts about Cleveland and Northeast Ohio

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Arts/Culture
  • Experience the past, present and future of rock music and culture with an amazing array of exhibits, interactive kiosks and the films that explore the power of rock and roll music. Right now, see U23D, the ultimate 3-D music film, showing exclusively at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Visit and discover why the Rock Hall is the best-attended hall of fame in the country.


  • A really great show. The Cavaliers are just one of the great acts in town. A few blocks from The Q is Playhouse Square, the second-largest performing arts center in the nation, which draws more than 1 million theater-goers a year.


  • King of the court. King James would be very much at home in the Armor Court at the Cleveland Museum of Art, one of the world’s premier art museums, visited by more than a half-million people per year – all of whom get in for free.


  • How’s this for a pep band? The Cleveland Orchestra consistently ranks as one of the top 10 orchestras in the world.


  • Stay out late – we’ll leave a leg lamp on for you. You can pay homage to the cult classic holiday film about a young boy’s desperate attempts to get the gift of his dreams at the one-and-only A Christmas Story House and Museum (where much of the movie was shot back in the mid-80s).


  • MVPs everywhere! Several national halls of fame call Northeast Ohio home. In addition to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Northeast Ohio features the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.


    • Health Care
  • Good for the heart? Cleveland sports major players on the court and in the medical field. According to U.S. News and World Report, the Cleveland Clinic is the nation’s No. 1 medical center for heart care. Northeast Ohio hospitals ranked in the top 10 of 11 specialty areas.


  • Bioscience Growth Here Outpaces the Nation. The Cleveland Plus region’s bio sector has grown an average of 7.4% annually, outpacing the U.S. average of 6.8%.


  • Our “HealthLine” (new rapid transit line) not only connects to our hospitals, but it is actually healthier for us and for the planet. The RTA’s HealthLine vehicles are powered by hybrid technology resulting in 97% lower particulate emissions and 75% better fuel economy.


    • Sports
  • We’re proud of our sellouts. Voted MLB’s best ballpark by fans in a 2008 Sports Illustrated fan poll, Progressive Field had a major league record 455 consecutive sellouts between June 12,1995, and April 4, 2001. Demand for tickets was so great that all 81 home games were sold out before opening day on three separate occasions. The Indians "retired" the number 455 in honor of the sellout record. The Boston Red Sox later surpassed this record, when Fenway Park recorded its 456th straight sellout on Sept. 9, 2008.


  • Sellouts at The Q. Cavs fans set two new attendance records during the 2008-09 season, selling out Quicken Loans Arena 38 times (out of 41 home games) for a regular season average attendance of 20,512 (capacity 20,562). With this home-crowd assist, the Cavaliers tied the second-best all-time home record in NBA history by finishing 39-2, earning home court advantage for the entire 2009 NBA Playoffs.


  • We’re always ready for some football. Once a year, gridiron greats gather to honor their own in the Ohio town that is the original home to the National Football League: Canton. The city that's football-crazy year-round throws the best 10-day pigskin party anywhere.


    • Recreation
  • There’s something fishy here. You can skip the fishing trip to Canada because Lake Erie is known as the “Walleye Capital of the World.” And there’s no need to head west, since there’s fly fishing for steelhead trout and coho salmon nearby in the Rocky and Chagrin rivers.


  • It’s summer all year round. You can enjoy summer fun 365 days a year in Sandusky. It’s now home to the nation’s largest indoor waterpark at 173,000 square feet (Kalahari Resort), a Caribbean-themed funhouse with a 1,000-gallon tipping bucket (Castaway Bay) and an exceedingly family-friendly four-story tree house waterfort (Great Wolf Lodge) – not to mention the world-famous Cedar Point from May until October!


    • Oddities
  • We “hang 10” when it’s 10 below. It’s not a Hawaiian swell, but Lake Erie’s winter waves and gusty winds get surfers’ temperatures rising.


  • We’ve made the burning river a good thing. The fire that ignited the Cuyahoga River 40 years ago also kindled the Clean Water Act and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Today the Cuyahoga is one of 14 American Heritage Rivers. And Burning River is the name of one of Great Lakes Brewing Company’s best beers, a hopped-up American Pale Ale.


    • Food
  • Our celebs still hang. Cleveland is the city that Food Network celebrity chef Michael Symon calls home. But culinary fame hasn’t gone to this guy’s head. We still see him and hear his trademark laugh all the time at his two Cleveland bistros – Lola (East 4th Street) and Lolita (Tremont).


  • One market in which it is always worth investing. Cleveland’s West Side Market was recently ranked as one of “10 Great Public Spaces in America.” Its collection of handmade pastas, crusty breads, spicy falafel sandwiches and fresh fruits and veggies makes for a singular Cleveland culinary experience.


    • Industry
  • Rust, what rust? Site Selection magazine just awarded its Governor’s Cup to the State of Ohio for leading the nation in new and expanded corporate facilities in 2008 – that’s the third year in a row!


  • We love our rocket scientists. The only NASA facility north of the Mason-Dixon Line, the NASA Glenn Research Center is Cleveland’s connection to outer space. It’s playing a key role in the development of the nation’s Space Shuttle replacement – the Ares rocket.


    • Living
  • Now that’s living! The Economist listed ranked Cleveland as the 26th most livable city in the world based on factors such as a strong base of skilled workers, a good sense of democracy, community involvement and a connection to the global market. Cleveland tied with Luxembourg and Pittsburgh, sharing the highest ranking of any U.S. city on the list.


  • Spending time in the ’hood. From the antiques shops of Larchmere Boulevard to the decadent pastries of Little Italy or the hipster hangout eateries and pubs of Tremont, Cleveland’s neighborhoods reflect the character and culture of its residents.