Ohio City

Last Saturday my wife and I decided to take the motorcycles out to the West Side Market in Cleveland. I always wanted to visit it as I have never been there before. It was a good day for a ride. We took Route 6 to the edge of Rocky River and then cut over to Detroit Road through Lakewood and into the western edge of Cleveland.

Ohio City was created out of Brooklyn Township in 1836 and then annexed by Cleveland in 1854. People still call it Ohio City today. Ohio City is a very culturally diverse area in Cleveland and is an energetic hub of authenticity in a world that is becoming increasingly similar. The central point of Ohio City is the West Side Market. (Wikipedia)

The West Side Market began construction in 1908 to replace the aging Pearl Street Market across the street. Construction finished in 1912 and it quickly became a popular place to get locally grown/made goods at a fraction of the cost the grocer would charge. Now, besides becoming a local tourist attraction, the building and the vendors are mostly unchanged. (West Side Market History)

Construction in 1910. 

Postcard from 1919.

West Side Market 2015.

The inside of the mammoth building.

Every Italian's dream.

...and of course we got some goodies. Jerky, cannoli, and caramel apples being among them.

After we checked out the West Side Market we walked across the street to check out some of the other businesses.

The Great Lakes Brewing Company Restaurant.

The brewery itself.

We walked up and down the street until nature called. Looking for a place to use the lavatory we settled on a small coffee shop called the Koffie Cafe (Check out the inside!). Once inside we realized that to use the restroom we must purchase something. Since my blood is mostly made up of caffeine, it wasn't all bad.

Yours truly.

The Mrs.

After we had our coffee the meter had finally run out on our parking spot and we returned to our bikes and headed out.

On the way home we detoured down the Rocky River Reservation, which is the beginning part of Cleveland's "Emerald Necklace", a Cuyahoga Metropark that encircles the city. The wind began picking up and the temperature dropped, so we decided to call it quits and head home. I will cover the "Emerald Necklace" on another post. I also have some video taken from the motorcycle, but unfortunately my battery in the camera was dead so it didn't last long. I will try to cut it together and post it.

Thanks for reading!