We all get our Spotify Wrapped reports around this time of year, and I usually publish a year-end recap over on my travel site. But I’ve never written a recap of my year around Cleveland… and why the heck not?
So this year, I’m taking time to look back at the last 12 months around Cleveland and all the things I did, saw, and ate. If you’re curious about my favorite spots and finds this year, keep reading!
One caveat: While I do live in northeast Ohio, I am also a full-time travel blogger, and in 2025 I spent 131 days (36%) of the year away from Cleveland. And when I was home, I spent a lot of my time creating content for my other travel sites (follow me on @dangerousbiz for most of that). But here’s what I managed to get up to when I was at home!
My year in Cleveland
First, a quick run-down of my year around Ohio (and where else I traveled):
In January, we kicked the year off with brunch at The Aviator (they have the most insane Ultimate Bloody Mary), visited the Cleveland History Center and rode the Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel for the first time, played mini golf at Birdietown in Lakewood, and I checked out Dahlia Coffee in their new location.
In February, other than doing some coworking at coffee shops like Edda and Roasted in Tremont, I was out of the country (in London, Edinburgh, Paris, Helsinki, and Finnish Lapland!) for most of the month.
In March, I checked out the new Latin food hall CentroVilla 25 for the first time, and celebrated St. Patrick’s Day downtown at The Arcade. I also took a trip to Washington, DC to visit a friend.
In April, Guardians baseball season was back and I traveled to Oregon for a family wedding.
In May, we went to see “The Band” art installation at the Cleveland Public Library downtown, tried out the new Flower on Freeman cocktail bar, shopped at Paradise Galleria for the first time, and went to the new women’s sports-focused The W Sports Bar in Gordon Square. I also took my nephews to the Akron Zoo, and went to Cedar Point for a day!
In June, I was in Europe for nearly the whole month, visiting spots in Germany, Austria, and France. When I got home, the only major thing I did was went to preview the new SNL exhibit at the Rock Hall (it’s so fun!).
In July, I worked on with a campaign with Ford that had me visiting Cuyahoga Valley National Park a few times, including glamping at Valley Overlook. I also went to see the Takashi Murakami exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and went to a book swap event hosted by She’s Company. Elliot and I also did a long weekend trip to Anna Maria Island thanks to the direct flights we have to Bradenton, Florida.
In August, we went to Sand Fest at Edgewater Park, and tried out the new Cleveland Water Taxi for a day of patio-hopping in The Flats. I also took my nephews to Memphis Kiddie Park for the first time (so fun!), and checked out Jolene’s Honky Tonk on E. 4th. Elliot and I also visited friends in Boston for a weekend, and I traveled to Nova Scotia on my own for a little road trip.
In September, we were gone for half the month in Italy. When I got home, I tried brunch at Artis, did a pop-up Turkish lamp making class, went to IngenuityFest, and enjoyed Negroni Week at Cent’Anni cocktail bar in Little Italy.
In October, I celebrated my birthday and the release of the new Taylor Swift album with a “Showgirl”-themed day out, went apple-picking at Brandt’s Orchard, checked out the revamped Society Lounge on E. 4th, watched the illumination show in Public Square, and took ghost photos around Cleveland. I also re-visited Castle Noel in Medina this month.
In November, I was actually in Japan for most of the month! And then I was dealing with jetlag after I got home for more than a week, so the only thing I fit in locally was a quick holiday-focused trip down to Columbus.
In December, we went to the Christkindlmarkt at the fairgrounds, checked out some Christmas bars downtown and in Ohio City, went to the Teddy Bear Toss Cleveland Monsters hockey game, and checked out all the holiday lights in Public Square.
Best of 2025 (according to me)
And now for my own personal “awards” for the things I enjoyed the most around Cleveland in 2025.
Best new spots
(A few of my favorite things that were new in Cleveland in 2025!)
Food/drink
- CentroVilla25 – This new Latin food hall/community center in Clark-Fulton is such a fun space. There are food kiosks selling all sorts of Latin food, plus a shopping area and a patio. They also hosts events! I hope they find great success.
- The W Sports Bar – Over in Gordon Square, Cleveland now has a sports bar dedicated to women’s sports! This spot is women-run, and serves up great food and drinks in a really welcoming space.
- Flower on Freeman – A new cocktail bar in Duck Island with a colorful modern design and great cocktails. We loved the patio and grazing board, too!
- Jolene’s – Cleveland first honky tonk, Jolene’s is a fun addition to E. 4th St. Jolene’s has multiple floors, including a rooftop bar and the “Chicken Strip Club” downstairs where you can order food. They have live country music at least 3 nights per week.
Non-food
- Birdietown – This new indoor mini golf concept in Lakewood is an excellent spot for an indoor day date or date night. Along with two separate mini golf courses, there are also two bars and good food options.
- Cleveland Water Taxi – There’s a new water taxi operating on the Cuyahoga River, connecting spots like Collision Bend to Brewdog. Elliot and I spent a day patio-hopping using the water taxi, and it was so fun! I can’t wait to see how they expand this in 2026.
Favorite experiences
- Riding the Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel – We finally made it to the Cleveland History Center (which is awesome in its own right) to ride the 100+ year-old Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel. Almost all the horses on it are original, and I’m now obsessed.
- St. Patrick’s Day – I’m often traveling over St. Patrick’s Day, but this year I was home and decided to head downtown. I caught some of the annual parade, but spent most of my time inside the Arcade, which is always decked out for the holiday. There are pop-up bars inside, and of course the performance by the Cleveland Firefighters Memorial Pipes & Drums band.
- Memphis Kiddie Park – My two nephews are old enough now to start taking them out on fun day adventures. My favorite one this summer was going to Memphis Kiddie Park, which is a kids-only amusement park with 10+ classic rides. This is an affordable outing, and the boys had so much fun.
- Takashi Murakami exhibit – The Cleveland Museum of Art is a world-class museum, and we always get cool temporary shows. My favorite one this year was Takashi Murakami’s “Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow” show. I’m glad I got to see it!
- IngenuityFest – Every September, this weekend festival celebrates the confluence of art, technology, and innovation, and we finally made it to one day of it this year!
- Teddy Bear Toss – Cleveland Monsters hockey games are fun to begin with, but the Teddy Bear Toss game is arguably the most fun of the season. Held usually in mid-December, during this game everyone brings stuffed animals and throws them onto the ice after the Monsters’ first goal. They’re all donated to children’s charities for the holidays; this year they collected more than 30,000 stuffies!
The best of the rest of Ohio
- Valley Overlook – We always visit Cuyahoga Valley National Park multiple times each year, and this year we finally tried out a glamping tent at Valley Overlook! Despite going during a heat wave, it was still a fun experience that I would happily do again! (And yes, there are clean, real bathrooms available for campers!)
- Brandt’s Apple Orchard – There are lots of great fall farms around northeast Ohio, but I enjoy Brant’s because it’s slightly more low-key. They have a small market (get a cider donut and cider slushie!), and then you can also go pick your own apples. I did this this fall with Niki from Lay of the Land!
- Castle Noel – This Christmas attraction in Medina is so much fun – and it’s open year-round! A 2-hour tour here takes you through Christmas movie props and costumes, elaborate window displays straight from NYC, plus some interactive elements. This wasn’t my first time here, but it’s always such a joy. (I’ve got a Castle Noel guide here.)
- Winter Haus in Columbus – I did a quick overnight trip to Columbus before the holidays, and my favorite thing I did was have food and drinks in a “Winter Haus” chalet on the rooftop of The Junto hotel. So cozy, and so much fun (get the s’mores platter!).
Spots you need to visit in 2026
And lastly, here are all the spots that weren’t new (or new to me) in 2025, but that are some of my favorites around Cleveland. You can’t go wrong checking out any of these in 2026!
- Coffee: My favorites are Ready Set Coffee, Roasted (especially the Tremont location), Dahlia Coffee, and Brewella’s.
- Restaurants: Spots you’ll never have to ask me twice to visit are Cardelia, STEAK, Batuqui Brazilian, Rowley Inn, The Crispy Chick, and Lucky’s Cafe.
- Shopping: Paradise Galleria (super fun vintage spot), Oceanne (for jewlery), West Side Market (a classic)
- Date night spots: We really like Pins Mechanical, Birdietown, Music Box Supper Club, and of course shows at Playhouse Square.
Looking forward to 2026
If you’ve followed me on social media in 2025, you may have noticed that I pulled back a lot on video content this year, and barely covered food at all. I was getting burnt out trying to hit a certain number of videos on platforms that I don’t really make any money on, and I felt like other aspects of my business were suffering. (Because yes, running blogs and creating content is my full-time job!)
In 2026, I want to continue focusing on quality over quantity. And while I love exploring new bars and restaurants around Cleveland, I’m going to mostly leave that to all the great food creators in The Land! It’s just not my thing.
If you have something you think I should cover in the new year, please let me know!
What were some of YOUR Cleveland highlights in 2025?
Amanda was born and raised in northeast Ohio, and has always been a fangirl of her home state. Now, she’s sharing her love of the Cleveland area, highlighting all the best things to do, see, and eat in the CLE. She’s been running Cleveland Traveler since January 2019.
Highlight of the year : AnEvening with Cynthia Erivo & The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom #unforgettable
Ah I’m sure that was amazing!