Cleveland's Thriving Neighborhood With College Town Vibes Has Diverse Dining And Walkable Streets

Those who seek historic sites and Victorian charm can head to Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood. But for walkable streets with a youthful energy, University Circle is the place to be. Home to the Case Western Reserve University campus, this neighborhood is the ideal place for students looking for a thriving school and social life. With several museums and galleries in the district, it's pretty much impossible to get bored here, especially because visitors can indulge in the neighborhood's diverse cuisine, from French and Vietnamese to Italian and American. And the best part about it is that you can see it all on foot.

University Circle shares its eastern border with Cleveland Heights and East Cleveland. The neighborhood itself is easily navigable, too. Walk Score, a platform that ranks neighborhoods on how pedestrian friendly and car dependent they are, gives University Circle a score of 85. Visitors can hit up multiple museums in a single afternoon, stock up on groceries, and go bar-hopping at night, all without relying on taxis or public transportation. In fact, if you were to walk University Circle end-to-end, it would only take you around 40 minutes. The neighborhood also has a decent bike score of 81, so if you still prefer wheels for transportation, you won't have an issue getting from one place to another.

Case Western Reserve University is a major reason why this neighborhood has such diverse offerings. Art students can find inspiration in the neighborhood's galleries, science majors can work on their research at the library, and biology enthusiasts can document plant species at the nearby botanical garden. All this and more leads to a vibrant lifestyle that students enjoy, while visitors can take advantage of the opportunity to experience more of the most budget-friendly big city in America.

Delicious bites abound in University Circle, no matter what you're craving. When you miss that special meal you had at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant on your France vacation, make your way to L'Albatros to relive those nostalgic flavors. Featuring classic French dishes like onion soup, escargot, duck confit, and bouillabaisse, they also have an extensive wine collection. Most reviews highly praise the restaurant, with one patron on TripAdvisor claiming, "This may possibly be the best restaurant in Cleveland." To taste the other side of the Mediterranean, head to Sittoo's Lebanese Grill. Their menu has all your Middle Eastern favorites — hummus, kibbeh, tabbouleh, and shawarma.

Home Bistro serves up creative Americana dishes like paprikash dumplings and pork belly with honeycrisp apple butter. One TripAdvisor reviewer called it a "magnificent dining experience," detailing that "the clam chowder was some of the best we have ever had." Carnivores, on the other hand, will love dining at Tutto Carne. This steakhouse has everything from roasted bone marrow to Ohio-raised wagyu delmonico and grass-fed Aberdeen angus.

Little Italy calls University Circle home, so there's no shortage of Italian eateries in the area. Etna Ristorante is a top choice for tortellini for dinner and tiramisu for dessert, Angelos Nido Italia Restaurant has a solid pasta selection, and the same goes for Valerio's menu. There are lots of other spots to check out, like Guarino's Restaurant, Trattoria Roman Gardens, and Agostino's Bistro & Pub.

When you're not eating to your heart's content, leave your car behind and get your daily step count up at the many museums in University Circle. First up is the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, which features prized fossils like that of a Haplocanthosaurus dinosaur, displays detailing Earth's 4.6-billion-year-old history, and the Evolving Life Wing. A short walk away is the Cleveland Museum of Art, where you can marvel at over 63,000 artworks spanning paintings, sculptures, ancient objects, and other relics. If contemporary pieces are your cup of tea, simply walk for 10 minutes to arrive at the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland. 

Another 10-minute stroll will bring you to the Sculpture Center, which spotlights up-and-coming artists. You'll encounter works by Joey Quiñones, Timothy Manalo, and Gary Sczerbaniewicz, to name a few. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Botanical Garden is the perfect place to admire natural beauty in one of the city's liveliest neighborhoods. With multiple themed gardens brimming with endemic plants, you can spend an entire day at this attraction. The Costa Rica Glasshouse transports you to Central America, the Madagascar Glasshouse teems with exotic Southern African plantlife, while the Topiary Garden seems like a chapter from a storybook.

After you're done indulging your senses, you can relax at Wade Oval right outside the botanical garden — a green space that often hosts concerts and other outdoor events. Walk south for 10 minutes, and you'll find yourself at the scenic Wade Lagoon, which boasts cherry blossoms in spring. With your stomach full, soul nourished, and art fix quenched, explore the nearby University Heights, a top college town in Ohio known for charming vibes and local shops.