You may think of Cleveland, Ohio as a worn-out, dreary steel town with little to praise. Well, locals will tell you that it’s anything but.

Yes, Peter, the polluted Cuyahoga River did catch fire once, but that was four decades ago.

That said, it must be noted that some parts of the city do have a crime problem, as Peter made very clear in his latest book, Don’t Go There!

However, the locus of the criminal activity is in a small area east of the Cuyahoga River, and the more touristy and residential parts of town see relatively low crime.

While many visitors to Ohio’s second-largest city enjoy the predictable but fun trips to the West Side Market, Great Lakes Brewing Company, the house from A Christmas Story, and of course, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, there are plenty of off-the-brochure activities in and around the city.

CITY LIFE

If you want to stay close to the city buzz, areas like Tremont have everything from trendy restaurants to endless art galleries and studios. Tremont, located just south of downtown, is centered around Lincoln Park and is one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.

In a town this historic, it should be no surprise to find that it’s full of old churches and restored Victorian homes. This part of town also has its fair share of celebrity-cred.

Scenes from the 1970s classic film The Deer Hunter, with Robert DeNiro and Meryl Streep, were filmed at Tremont’s Lemko Hall and St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Church.

The popular bistro-style restaurant Lolita is owned by none other than Michael Symon, the Cleveland-based Food Network star. If you happen to be downtown, Chef Symon also owns Lola on E. Fourth Street.

While you’re downtown, definitely catch a show at Cleveland’s Playhouse Square, the nation’s second-largest theater complex (behind New York City’s Lincoln Center). Five of the eight gorgeous, old-school theaters were built in the early 1920s and continue to thrive.

The Allen, Hanna, State, Ohio, and Palace theaters all are home to touring Broadway shows as well as the Ohio Ballet, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Great Lakes Theater Festival (at the Ohio Theater).

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

With plentiful snowfall in the winter and little humidity in the summer, Cleveland’s weather is ideal for outdoor activities, from snowboarding and skiing to hiking and biking.

If winter sports are your thing, Boston Mills and Brandywine, two ski resorts that share opposite sides of a mountain, have slopes of all difficulty levels. Located about 30 minutes from downtown in Peninsula, Ohio, it is easy to get to whether you’re coming from the east or west side of Cleveland. Alpine Valley, a resort located in the midst of the Ohio’s snow belt in Chesterland, Ohio, offers slopes for skiing and snowboarding but also for snow tubing only 45 minutes from downtown. www.skicentral.com/ohio.html

The best way to experience blooming trees and flowers in the spring and the vibrant fall colors is to hike and bike your way through the Cleveland Metroparks, a network of green spaces throughout Greater Cleveland known as the “emerald necklace.”

There are 16 nature reserves and seven golf courses in this network. If you want some history with your exercise, you can run, walk or bike the towpath that follows the Ohio & Erie Canal, 20 miles of which is administered by the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Service. Since the old canal isn’t conducive to swimming, fulfill your aquatic needs at the Headlands Beach State Park in Mentor, Ohio, a mile-long natural sand beach on Lake Erie. www.clemetparks.com

If you’re still lingering at the beach in December, keep your eyes peeled for Clevelanders in black surfing the winter waves of Lake Erie. The wet suit-clad surfers catch Erie’s strongest winds and waves which come right before the lake freezes over. Waves can reach as high as 10 feet with winds over 40 miles an hour. Although it is mesmerizing to watch these surfers in 20-degree weather, don’t be tempted to jump in yourself because your eyes may literally be frozen shut by the icy water.

Headed to Ohio? Don’t miss our Midwestern Travel section.

THE FARM LIFE

Anyone who hasn’t lived in Ohio probably assumes that the entire state is covered in farmland. While this isn’t entirely true, there is a basis for that assumption.

Ohio has a number of farms throughout the state, but each one is very different from the next. In one area, you may find traditional New England-style barns with big pastures and horse-riding arenas, and yet only 30 miles away are Amish farmhouses where the lifestyle takes a 180-degree turn.

A drive down Chagrin River Road will give you an old-world sporting feel as you pass acres of green polo fields. The villages of Hunting Valley (www.huntingvalley.net) and Gates Mills (www.gatesmillsvillage.com) are home to many large, old estates accompanied by horse barns and training rings.

Just a 30-minute drive from the polo fields will take you to Geauga County, home to the nation’s fourth-largest Amish settlement. Buggies abound, and visitors can find handcrafted Amish furniture and cheese, as well as perfectly unpolluted (by light, anyway) skies for some of the best star gazing in Cleveland. And if you’re in the mood for a horse-drawn sleigh ride over the holiday season, you’ll only be able to find one in Geauga County. www.co.geauga.oh.us

If you happen to be in the area during Labor Day weekend, make sure to go to the Geauga County Fair, Ohio’s oldest fair and also one of the most traditional in the country. Around Easter, the Geauga County Maple Festival in Burton, Ohio, is a must-see—it’s one of oldest maple festivals in the nation.

‘NEW ENGLAND’ OHIO

The suburbs of Cleveland include handfuls of small, quaint towns. These villages have the old-world charm of New England without the congestion of tourists. Most spectacular in the fall, counties like Geauga get some of the best foliage colors in the country.

Chagrin Falls, located 30 minutes from downtown, is named for the scenic waterfalls in the heart of the village. The town is known for its historic architecture, great restaurants, art galleries and plentiful shopping.

Roam the shops during the day and be sure to visit Fireside Book Shop for a classic read, and boutique Nola True for vintage and modern clothing. For dinner, check out Gamekeeper’s Taverne, where you can enjoy a cool summer evening on the outdoor patio.

For dessert, the Chagrin Falls Popcorn Shop is the place for locally made ice cream and while there, grab some popcorn and Chardon-made maple syrup to bring home. Finish off the evening by walking down the wooden boardwalk and stairs (located behind the Popcorn Shop) to get a close-up view of the falls. www.chagrin-falls.org

If Chagrin Falls tickled your fancy, you’ll enjoy the towns of Hudson and Aurora just as much. Hudson was founded in 1799 by David Hudson, a shareholder in the Connecticut Western Reserve. About 45 minutes from downtown Cleveland, it’s home to the scenic campus of Western Reserve Academy as well a thriving culinary scene on and around historic Main Street.

Aurora, too, has a lot of history but this town also offers modern recreation and shopping such as Geauga Lake Wildwater Kingdom and Aurora Farms Premium Outlets.

By Susannah Sachdeva for PeterGreenberg.com. Susannah is a native Clevelander, but wasn’t around when the Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969. All photos in this post (c) courtesy of positivelycleveland.com.

Don’t miss our Midwestern Travel section.

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