As a boy, I spent many nights with my father fishing off the break wall at Edgewater. These experiences – the sights, the smells, the sounds, the feel of the water’s spray as the waves crashed into the stones before us, the sift glow of the Coleman lantern and the smell of the butane, the camaraderie with the other fishermen… these are foundational memories that help keep me in touch with my father even though he passed away many years ago.
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We're listening.
We’ve heard many stories from Clevelanders, reflecting deep connections with Lake Erie, and cherished memories of friends and family.
These stories paint a more detailed picture than traditional histories can. They show the nuance and humanity of our interactions with the lake, and they speak to the heart of our vision for a renewed lakefront.
If you like, please share your own lakefront story. We know it will be a valuable addition to our collection.
Share Your Story
Share your memories of Cleveland’s lakefront. We review submissions before they show up on this page.
Every visit from my hometown of Columbus to Cleveland with my family included a stop at Captain Frank’s Restaurant on the E 9th Street Pier. We would also visit for the annual family reunion on Labor Day weekend when we could also watch the Air Show.
I have gone to the lake for my entire adult life. Lake Erie is my sanctuary, my spot for reflection and relaxing. When out of town guests are visiting, a trip to beautiful Lake Erie is a must.
Ice cream stand behind Captain Frank’s. Watching airplanes take off from E. 9th Street Pier. Walking my dog at Donald Gray Gardens north of old muni stadium. Catching a train to Chicago or Washington at the Amtrak station. Seeing an Indians opener with 80,000 fans.
May seem silly, but my dog absolutely hated water. I think that something traumatic happened to him having to do with water. I went to Lake Erie with a friend and our dogs. Lake Erie was the first time that not only went into the water of his own accord, but actually frolicked in it. There were other dogs who were playing and that helped him to forego his great fear. So amazing for him, but also so cool to see what the power of community can do for us!
My family used to live in Cleveland in the 1970’s, before I was born. I moved here because of school (Case Western Reserve U) but also because of the great stories they would tell about the lake and fishing and hiking. I recently learned how to fish and love it! Following the family tradition.
“Sometimes I ride my electric skateboard starting on the east side of the city near the lakefront nature preserve and travel west during dusk in an effort to “chase the sun” and take in as much as I can of the gorgeous sunsets on display along our lakefront and city skyline. However, the stretch nearest the city can be difficult to traverse and distracts me from my mission! I dream of one day riding this stretch feeling one with the lakefront.”
“going to Captain Franks and also fishing with my uncle”
“I look at places like Toronto with their access to Lake Ontario and think that could be us. With how much me and my family love going to Edgewater and Huntington Beach, I can't emphasize enough how much better access to Lake Erie would be for Cleveland. Our favorite thing to do with out of towners is to take them to see the lake. Every single time they comment on how they can't believe it's in Cleveland. People don't realize what a gem we have and it's because we as Clevelanders don't even have proper access to experience it. Cleveland could become a real destination, a place people want to be, and not just the punchline to a bad joke about our river catching on fire once. The lakefront deserves to be utilized to its fullest and this plan shows the obvious potential it has to be a place for countless memories to be made.”
“fishing with grandpa; cleanliness of the lake is paramount”
“For me it is living there over 35yrs ago and being able to walkout to the end of my parents driveway and be able to see Lake Erie. For me Cleveland will always be my home no matter where I live.”
“Love the Rock Hall music on the plaza...family friendly. A great start to come down and enjoy the area.”
“Night fishing off the break wall with neighbors and friends”
“The park and beauty of the lake.”
“I've been on the Goodtime. Its a lot of fun to dance on a boat.”
“I love the lakefront!”
“When I was 5, I went to the 9th Street Pier with my dad and siblings. I was looking over the edge and fell in. I could not swim, but I made it out alive.”
“Always have grown up interacting with the lake - very special and important natural asset, and so excited to have these new lakefront experiences Downtown as a Downtown resident!”
“I grew up at the beach, swimming, kayaking, paddling boarding, surfing the list goes on. The lake is critical to showcase and protect.”
“As a child we always came to Huntington Beach in the summer for swimming and picnics in the park.”
“We overlook the lake from our apartment and I look out on it every day.”
“I rode the school bus everyday down the Shoreway and would dream of all the amazing things that could happen along the lakefront and in the city so it is exciting to be a part of the process.”
“Growing up near Euclid Beach Park, I went to the lakefront all of the time. A great, fun memory.”
“Like to exercise and the walking.”
“Watching the view at sunset and one night of the lakefront.”
“Going to Edgewater with my family to watch the fireworks every Fourth of July”
“Edgewater. But its hard to get to without a car. Its a long walk from the bus stop to the beach.”
“Always spent time at the lakefront. Missed it when I moved away.”
“sand volleyball, concerts at Edgewater”
“I grew up spending summers on Lake Michigan - walking to the beach and good food right on the lake - we lived outdoors on summer vacation. I would love to give my children the same experiences but on Lake Erie. More restaurants please!”
“A day boating, and trips up the Cuyahoga River.”
“Tailgating has always been one of my fav experiences especially at Burke and muni. I think that should be preserved as much as possible as we are known for that and people look forward to make memories with friends family and football fans.”
“Going down to park.”
“My dog and I walk regularly at the mini park near East 55th Marina. I bike through there and along North Marginal Rd. to MLK. We need safer, well-lit routes on the N-5 roads under bridges. I have seen mink among the rocks at the mini park.”
“Spending the day on the lake and enjoying the 4th of July Fireworks. Kayaking and swimming off of kayaks in the open water.”
“It was nice, I was with my friends and family.”
“Anything that enhances the natural beauty of the lake is a place I like to visit. Just give me a park bench and sunset and I am happy!”
“I love going to the lake to watch the sunsets.”
“Loved going to Huntington Beach when I was young. Thrilled that Edgewater was redone.”
“We release family's ashes into the lake.”
“I live on a beach club street. It's amazing to have access to Lake Erie everyday.”
“Coming to the Air Show with my family when I was a kid. Or going to the lake with my grandpa. Baseball and football games at the old stadium.”
“Went to the rip cookoff in 92 with my old college sweetie. Had not seen her in 21 yrs. Got married 7 months later. Still married (31 yrs)”
“My dad grew up on Lake Erie in the 1920's,30's,40's. Times were tough for his family, but having Lake Erie as your literal front yard...WOW! I loved, and still love his childhood home.”
“Indy car races "Cleveland Budweiser 500" was always great! Cleveland air show longest running national air show. swimming at Edgewater park with picnics. Cleveland ribfest and Cleveland oktoberfest,”
“Boating!”
“As a child, my neighbor took us on Goodtime. Also my late father had a friend who had boat and he took us on Lake Erie.”
“Cherished memories were going down to Edgewater Park on the Fourth of July with my friends when I was in high school & college, hanging out on the breakwall rocks while we waited for the fireworks.”
“love being by the lake - I live nearby and walk there weekly”
“I grew up going to the lake every weekend as a child and young teen. As an adult with typical adult stresses, visiting the lake washes away those stresses and allows me to breathe more deeply and see more clearly. The lake has become part of me.”
“one time I went there and spoke briefly to a guy about fishing”
“Our family spent summers and my grandparents' cottage in Madison, and we learned to swim in Lake Erie. It is a fantastic asset that Cleveland needs to make the most of.”
“I love Edgewater, so having another park and recreational area that Clevelanders can enjoy would be vital to the city.”
“boating and swimming (with my head above water!)”
“When I lived on W 73rd street, each morning I would be greeted by the lake on my drive while headed to the Shoreway. It just had a calming effect on everything for me.”
“the fact you can have easy access to the lake and enjoy it is my favorite memory about the lake.”
“Witnesses my first PowWow ever at edge water and felt transported and transformed. It would be a huge mistake and loss to not incorporate the native people in this design and focus.”
“The working, industrial waterfront was always a place of wonder and entertainment. I can dovetail well with re-imagining plans.”
“Boating, sunsets, dining”
“the best is air show and sailing ship expo”
“I've enjoyed a wonderful brunch on the waterfront.”
“Growing up with the ability to spend the day at the beach no matter what your economic background. Affordable activity that could be enjoyed by all generations.”
“Fishing at Lake Erie at E. 55th Marina”
“I almost drowned when I fell in. What looked like hybrid of a giant porpoise and a manatee with arms saved me by gently nudging me to the surface and pulling me to shore. People who saw it say it was a rescue diver, but I don't believe them. Definitely a manatee with arms.”
“I have always enjoyed riding the good time cruises and spending time in that area. I’ve also enjoyed taking walks down and near the pier on my lunch breaks.”
“memories of tubing with friends on the back of a boat and kayaking with family in the lake”
“Ice cream stand behind captain franks. Watching airplanes take off from E. 9th St. pier. Walking my dog at Donald gray gardens north of old muni stadium. Catching a train to CHI or Washington at the Amtrak station. Seeing a Indians opener with 80,000 fans.”
“Because we live in Euclid next to Lake Erie, my mom and dad made us take swimming lessons every year until we were strong. Now we can enjoy the lake in a safer way. We made our children take lessons every year too. Sunsets in the Cleveland on Lake Erie are far superior to Key West, Florida - you should capitalize on this fact.”
“The lakefront has always been a place for Cambodian Refugees to gather as a community.”
“I've watched the fireworks from the deck of the Mather. I've seen Tom T. Hall perform a concert on the deck of the Mather. Those experiences can't be duplicated. I've ridden on a Tall Ship on the Lake - breathtaking.”
“I live a couple of blocks from Edgewater Park and some of my favorite memories are visiting Lake Erie in winter. It is an extra special place when it's snowing and windy or the lake is frozen - it's quiet, mysterious and magical and like no place else in Cleveland.”
“My wife and I love going to Nuevo (restaurant) and watching the sunset on Voinovich Park. Would love to see more lakeside dining options and walking paths by the lake.”
“Just really love Mentor Headlands State park on Lake Erie many good times and down the road from there is Scooters restaurant and it's the BEST”
“My kids and I love rock climbing, beach walking, playground exploring at Edgewater.”
“Spent some time at this area looking at the lake, watching others, taking in the park, etc. It appears to be popular but there are no places to eat.in the evening or on weekends.”
“Spent summer vacations at GOTL, Cedar point and Cleveland. Love Lake Erie!! have a son who lives in Cleveland now--love to visit. Also gone to very CIFF.”
“It is a good place to walk around.”
“My dad would “take us to the lake” every warm Friday. We would mostly sit in silence and enjoy our surroundings. I would give anything to have a Friday night like that again!”
“Going to Captain Franks”
“As a boy, I spent many nights with my father fishing off the break wall at Edgewater. These experiences - the sights, the smells, the sounds, the feel of the water's spray as the waves crashed into the stones before us, the sift glow of the Coleman lantern and the smell of the butane, the camaraderie with the other fishermen...these are foundational memories that help keep me in touch with my father even though he passed away many years ago.”
“The great lakes are great - I am reminded of this every time I visit.”
“We live on the lake in Eastlake and I love it so much! I grew up boating in Vermillion and now I boat here. I always have appreciated, loved and respected Lady Lake Erie, as I call her. She is a precious jewel, but tough at the same time. So many fun family memories and I love being out on the water!”
“I've fished in Lake Erie many times when I was a wee lad and lived off of Lake Erie in Toledo, where I grew up.”
“We are sailors who love being out on the water.”
“great memories of casting (never catching!), going downtown with parents and seeing the lakefront (which wasn't much back then), but my #1 memory will always be enjoying the air show with my dad - nothing was better than sitting above the train tracks in a gravel parking lot, bringing our lawn chairs and watching the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds roar past us & over Lake Erie!”
“Cleveland Air Show has been integral for us for decades.”
“I've grown up going from Cleveland Heights/ Shaker Heights all the way out to Mentor or Vermillion to enjoy the lake.”
“Euclid Beach Amusement Park”
“Going to Browns games in the fall”
“I enjoy biking along the lakefront. I enjoy going to Edgewater to sit and relax and picnic and swim.”
“The Lake represents freedom, tranquility and beckons exploration and discovery. It also requires respect and understanding of its wonderment.”
“bike rides and sunsets”
“Living downtown I always loved visiting this area but it was always a cold shoulder going north of the stadium. The land bridge would be the best start for this area creating better access and making the Malls useful.”
“Going fishing, cookouts with family and friends at Mentor Headlands Beach”
“Being on the E55th Fishing Pier and Cruising on the Goodtime III with family and friends”
“Edgewater Park on weekends to play volleyball”
“I performed at the Rock Hall and afterwards we walked around the Lake. It was great. I play with my friends on the volleyball courts, too.”
“My fondest memories are fishing from the rocks, watching the airshow from the old aquarium hill and biking along MLK drive to the lake.”
“Rowing, kayaking, SUP. Music festivals.”
“I would go to the east 55th pier with my dad to feed the sea gulls. A place that people in Cleveland can call home where memories are created”
“Every visit from my hometown of Columbus to Cleveland with my family included a stop at Captain Frank's Restaurant on the e9th Street Pier. We would also visit for the annual family reunion at Labor Day weekend when we could also watch the Air Show.”
“I spent most summer weekends at my grandparents cottage near Mentor Headlands playing in and on the lake. My brother had a boat when we were older and we spent lots of time on the lake and Cuyahoga river”
“My husband and I take many romantic day trips to the Lakeshore.”
“All of it as a safe place to be.”
“Watching a beautiful sunset with the skyline in the background is magical”