The Flats have come back to life thanks to a multi-million-dollar makeover to both its east and west banks. This waterfront neighborhood now features restaurants, bars, shops and a boardwalk with complementary green space. (The area's famous water taxis will even take you from one side of the Flats to the other to help you explore.) For decades, the land's proximity to the Cuyahoga River, Lake Erie and railroad tracks have made it the central locale for the manufacturing, coal and shopping industries. If your timing is right, you can still see huge freighters navigating the river's sharp oxbow turn.
3 Must-Do Things
- Make friends with fish and memories with friends at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, located inside the historic Powerhouse on the Flats West Bank. Featuring more than 5,000 underwater sea creatures, visitors are able to discover aquatic life from all over the world.
- See your favorite artist perform at Jacobs Pavilion, the open-air amphitheater on the West Bank of The Flats.
- Round up your ride-or-dies for a night to remember at the reimagined Shooters on the Water, where you can raise a glass to riverfront views, inventive bites and cold cocktails. Enjoy a front-row seat to all the excitement The Flats has to offer with live music, DJ sets and special events on one of Cleveland's most iconic patios.
To learn more about The Flats, take a look here.