Cleveland

Cleveland wears its Rust Belt badge with honor. While smoke-belching steel mills no longer rule the scene, the city still wafts an evocative industrial look. Railroad tracks, vertical lift bridges and stark warehouses pepper its shores on Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River, only now stylish eateries, breweries and galleries fill the old factories, and bike trails have emerged along the waterways. Star attractions include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum of Art, but the best action is in Cleveland’s walkable neighborhoods. Meander around Ohio City, Tremont, Collinwood or Asiatown and you’ll be among locals in the markets and corner taverns. Sit for a pint and hear about generations-deep businesses started by Slovenian grandparents, about epic sports team grudges and about how the city clawed its way back from financial and environmental ruin. Rust Belt realness is Cleveland's calling card.