10. 78th Street Studios
The 78th Street Studios is a 170,000 square foot hive of artist studios, galleries, recording studios, and performance spaces – defined by the owner and developer, Daniel Bush, as an “eclectic art maze.” He bought the building sixteen years ago and turned it into what is now northeast Ohio’s largest art and design complex. Every third Friday, there’s a Brooklyn-flea event of sorts, mixed with a gallery hop with wine and alcohol mixed in. There’s a black box stage tucked inside, its shows consistently sold out. We can only describe it as a hive, its residents thriving inside the readapted space making fruitful connections within, but heading outside for inspiration. The atmosphere is so communal that visitors accidentally wander into Bush’s office, filled with art, as he talks to us. He welcomes them to look around, but gently lets them know they’re in his office.
78th Street Studios is located at 1300 W. 78th St., Cleveland in the Gordon Square Arts District. This district, along with the Detroit Shoreway, is undergoing an interesting urban redevelopment, with storefronts occupied by small entrepreneurs, many who have come out of Cleveland Hustles, a “Shark Tank”-like program run by LeBron James. The commercial stretch and Italian neighborhood abut a lakeside factory edge that’s being transformed into artist studios, like 78th Street Studios, but also condo housing.
While this is an architectural guide, we know visitors have to eat. Here are the places we highly recommend:
Edwin’s Leadership and Restaurant Institute: This inspiring restaurant features fine French cuisine – some of the best we’ve had in the United States recently – staffed by formerly incarcerated adults who go through a six month training program, living and working in this Shaker Square learning the ins and outs of the culinary industry, working back of house as chefs, front of house as servers, managers and bartenders. The mission is to teach a skilled trade in hospitality to prepare these students for a successful transition into the world of business professionals. Edwin’s is founded by Brandon E. Chrostowski (the name of the institute and restaurant comes from his middle name) who took his brush with the law in Detroit and transformed it into a career in the culinary world that extends from New York’s Le Cirque to Paris’ Lucas Carton.
The Plum Café and Kitchen: Representing the creative freedom available to young chefs in Cleveland, The Plum Café and Kitchen offers an innovative take on locally sourced American cuisine paired with classic drinks and cocktails for lunch and dinner. Chef Brett Sawyer highlights the flavors of the season in his creative small plates that guests can savor in a modern and bright dining space. The former storefront manages to be both warm and minimalist at the same time, with soaring ceilings and brick details.
Provenance: As previously mentioned in the article, this restaurant inside the Cleveland Museum of Art led by Chef Doug Katz s a great spot to take a respite from your visit.
Next, read about the 10 most important architectural sites in downtown Los Angeles.
