So here’s the story of how Cleveland will be at the center of the gay universe next year. Yes, THAT Cleveland
It was a three-man race between Boston, Washington DC, and Cleveland. The prize was the honor of being host city for the ninth Gay Games, set for next August. And who’da thunk it? In terms of venues, budget, sponsors, and just plain enthusiasm, the city dubbed the “Mistake on the Lake” blew the competition away. How’d they do that? What is it about Cleveland, one of the most dubious cities in the country, that the rest of us don’t know about?
As it turns out, a lot. This is a real case of putting aside a lot of preconceived notions. How bad can the place be it if has a Ritz-Carlton on top of Betty White’s seal of approval?
It’s not the biggest place in the world, but when I found myself on the wrong end of an airline snafu, I ventured out into what the natives call “C.L.E.” and, lo-and-behold, found one of the most thriving gay communities in the Midwest. While there seems to be just one club serving one segment of the gay population (Mean Bull, for example, is the leather-and-Levi’s crowd; Bounce is all takers), the population is petite compared to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, so it makes sense. The quality of each is actually pretty top-notch, too; no place was really a “dive” unless they were doing it with irony and trying to be. The clubs are big, the attitude isn’t, the crowds are diverse, and the drinks are cheap (And the boys are, too! Ho ho ho. Just kidding—they’re reasonably priced). Throw in the aw-shucks charm that only a Midwesterner can pull off and I can see how the city won the Games.
And that’s just the gay scene. The city is open, airy, and clean, and has a spectacular park where all the ethnic groups of town erected their own little “shrines”: The Irish features a Celtic cross, the Chinese went all out and made a mini-temple. The attractions of Cleveland—the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Great Lakes Science Center (I geeked out. Sue me), Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Cleveland Museum of Art—are actually pretty cool.
This is not a one-note town. I gotta say, I was impressed. There was no “mistake” about it.
For more information about the Games, go to gg9cle.com. For the skinny on Cleveland, hit positivelycleveland.com. Allow Steele Luxury Travel to assist in planning your trip to Cleveland this year! Call 646-688-2274 for your travel planning assistance.
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