I think of Cleveland as a place with a lot of modest jewels unnoticed by people who live elsewhere. For instance, we've always been an affordable city. And you can totally miss the Emerald necklace with just a drive-by, though it's such a fantastic asset.
And still, to have the astounding gift of the Playhouse Square theaters, and access to touring Broadway shows – now that is a big, fat diamond of a jewel. I visited the other day to see "Next to Normal," and couldn't stop gazing at the interior of the Palace Theatre. It opened as a vaudeville house in 1922, but like the rest of the theaters got renovation treatment in the late 80s. It's such a place of pure luxury, and yet it's hard to ignore that the city around it is often a harsh environment.
