Things to do in Tremont: Cleveland’s Most Historic Neighborhood

My first stop while visiting Cleveland over 10 years ago was the historic Tremont neighborhood to tour the famous house from “A Christmas Story.” Mike and I didn’t do much else in the area at the time as we didn’t know anything about it. When we later relocated to the city, this old historic neighborhood became one of our favorite hangouts anytime we weren’t traveling elsewhere.

Although the neighborhood was settled in the early 1800’s, it wasn’t referred to by its’ current name until the 70s. According to the visitor bureau, the area was home to the first higher educational institution (Cleveland University operated from 1851-1853). It is also home to the highest congregation of churches in the country (26 within a square mile). You can learn more on the Tremont visitor site.

We justified a half hour drive from the suburbs nearly every weekend we were not traveling somewhere else to enjoy the wonderful local coffeehouses and restaurants. This section of the city feels very local with a refreshingly authentic vibe. As most areas today become more and more sterile with the same nationwide chains, it feels like a step back in time to visit these quaint, walkable city neighborhoods.

Tremont is very walkable and you won’t see many chain restaurants and stores (which is fine by me!). You will find boutique galleries, local restaurants, breweries, and even a duckpin bowling alley. There is a long lineup of events throughout the year with everything from farmers markets, holiday events, and food festivals to look forward to.

After visiting the neighbourhood many times, I have compiled my list of my most recommended activities.

Tour Ralphie’s house from “A Christmas Story”

Who could visit this city and not at least drive past the famous house from “A Christmas Story?” It was a little known gem until TBS started airing it 24/7 in the late 90’s, and now I am sure almost everyone has at least heard of the movie if not watched it endlessly on Christmas Eve. Personally, I was a big fan in the late 80’s-early 90’s well before it became popular in the mainstream.

The house tour is really fun and entertaining and you will learn a lot of cool quirks about the filming process as you tour each room of the house. For instance, we learned that when the curtains are closed, it’s a movie set. When they are open, they are filming in the house. And, I was sad and shocked to learn that the snow is fake! Honestly, they did a good job making it look real – I would have never guessed! Apparently the normally super snowy city did not get a lot of snow the year of filming.

100% – I recommend taking this tour if you are a fan – it’s worth the 20 bucks. If you have the spare cash, you can rent out the whole house (rates start at 600 per night and go up well over 1000 during the prime holiday season). I checked and many rooms are already booked for this December! Rates to stay in the neighboring Bumpus house are a bit cheaper but then again staying here pretty much defeats the purpose if you are a fan.

Note: Admission to the gift shop next door is free even if you don’t take the tour. Also, you can drive past the house anytime of day to see the lamp (they leave it on all night). I noticed many houses in the neighborhood also leave a lamp in their window all year.

See one of 6 iconic script signs

There are 6 city script signs located throughout the metro. These are basically big eye catching white signs spelling out the city name with a scenic view in the background. They were basically put up the non profit visitor bureau (Destination Cleveland) to increase tourism in different areas.

Behind this sign, you can see 2 iconic bridges in the background plus Key Tower, the tallest building in the state. Check out my article for more info on each sign’s location.

Hang out in local coffeehouses

I love supporting indie coffeeshops. This neighborhood is home to the best coffeeshops in the city, no question – I’ve checked out pretty much all of them (check out my full Cleveland coffee guide for more options).

I have three regulars in this area: Roasted, Civilization, and Rising Star. We frequented all of these at least once per month.

Roasted

Roasted offers the most eclectic colorful setting – I love the low-key vibe and quirky decor. They serve great medium roast coffee, amazing specialty holiday drinks, and the music is usually a fun mix of oldies.

I love their cozy little nooks by the windows with the plants and fireplace (we always try to get here early to score a seat). Also, I love their mosaic lamps (this made me want to get one myself which I did for Christmas).

They typically change up the decor around each holiday which earns them bonus points with me. I also love their Halloween and Christmas artwork – see Grinch in photo below.

Civilization is an old school coffeeshop located in a 19th century pharmacy building. This place has a lot of character and really feels like it is part of the neighborhood. As everything becomes more sterile today, places like this truly are a diamond in the rough. I love the dark, moody ambiance here. I see the same regulars here time and time again which gives it that local touch.

We have tried some great pastries (I like the apple danish) and their dark roast coffee is amazing. They offer refills but it is so strong that I barely ever need another cup. Bonus points for the Christmas Story leg lamp in the window all year!

Rising Star is a wonderful local roaster with numerous locations, my favorite being the cafe inside Tremont Place Lofts. This is hands down the highest quality coffee in town. I also love their delicious bagels and spreads (the seasonal dill pickle is amazing). The coffee is presented nicely in an individual pot. The ambiance at this location is very low-key and I love the historic setting with the brick walls and cozy fireplace.

Eat breakfast at Grumpy’s

We passed this local diner so many times but just kept driving on to Roasted or Civilization instead because the line is always so long. One morning following a snowstorm, we decided it might be a good time to check it out. I am glad we did because we walked right in with no wait.

We were pleasantly surprised with the high quality food and coffee. They offer a number of allergy friendly choices, so this is a good choice if you are a vegetarian. They offer your typical skillets, omelets, and pancakes but also unique selections like breakfast tacos, a gluten-free cinnamon roll pancake, Nutella waffles, and potato pancakes.

On our recent visit, I ordered the Huevos Rancheros and Mike ordered a breakfast burrito. We both loved our entrees and the endless coffee refills. The coffee has a lot of flavor and I give them bonus points for the eclectic mugs. In fact, I give them bonus points for the whole interior which is so eclectic and colorful with unique art pieces in every direction.

Attend the annual Taste of Tremont festival

This neighborhood puts on a variety of interesting festivals all year. Pretty much anytime I drive in I see a sign advertising some type of art or food festival. One of my favorite annual events is the Taste of Tremont where you can enjoy mini samples from local restaurants.

Pricing is affordable so you can mix and match various plates. I love the historic backdrop and there is live music, family entertainment, and other events to make this a half day event. We tried everything from mac and cheese to tacos – it was a fun day out. We saw a bit of everything including pierogies, empanadas, Greek gyros, and desserts at various stands.

On one note, it can be difficult to find parking, so I recommend getting here well in advance of the noon start time (we parked at Lincoln Park).

Run the Santas in Tremont 1 miler

I run a lot of 5ks throughout the spring-fall season but rarely sign up for winter races. I am not a big fan of running when the weather is too cold although I do love a great themed race around the holidays. For a long time, the Christmas Story house hosted a really fun 5k where you would run past movie sites and they would air the movie as you crossed the finish line. I have always wanted to run this race but of course it was cancelled right after I moved here.

Santas in Tremont is another fun race I recently participated in. I love that this race is only a mile so I didn’t have to train too hard over the holiday season. It’s a really festive run that everyone gets super into and you even get a free Santa hat.

You will see all sorts of crazy costumes and everyone has their ugly sweaters of every imaginable variety possible. They have some fun photo opps and give you a free drink at the South Side works pub so it’s a fun way to get a little bit of exercise to burn off some of those holiday calories. For more info on this year’s race taking place in mid December, visit their website.

On a side note, this city is still pretty fun during the winter season. Check out my Cleveland winter fun guide for more ideas on how to stay motivated during this long cold and gloomy season.

Treat yourself to a pierogi omelet at Rowley Inn

I love pierogies and this city metro offers no shortage of places to enjoy authentic Polish food. I love the old school vibe at this historic (it opened in 1906) local bar called the Rowley Inn. It’s right across the street from the Christmas Story house so a good choice after touring.

During our tour, we learned that the cast including the Old Man hung out after filming and the makeup crew also used the space. Historical significance aside, it’s also a great place to eat. They serve awesome apps and drinks and even offer quite a few vegetarian and gluten-free selections.

If you want to try something really interesting, I recommend the Pierogi omelet for breakfast. It’s basically 2 pierogies, cheddar, sauteed onions, and kielbasa inside an omelet served with home fries, sauerkraut, and sour cream. Mike also likes their chicken tenders and I love their latkes and Pierogi dinner. There’s lots of options no matter your diet or what time of the day you visit.

On a side note, this place was featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive In, and Dives. There is a little sign up by the bar. So if you are checking off restaurants that Guy visited, this is just another reason to visit this gem.

Enjoy an authentic Indian dinner at Tandul

I am a big fan of Indian food ever since trying this awesome local restaurant years ago in Flagstaff called Delhi Palace. I haven’t found anything quite as good, but in this city one place I recommend is Tandul. It’s a low key gem serving decent food in a pretty dining room.

Everything we have tried here has been delicious especially the Paneer Tikka Masala. They offer a lot of variety for vegetarians and non vegetarians. I love their Naan bread – they offer so many more varieties than I’ve seen elsewhere including: Garlic cheese, Aloo Paratha (whole wheat with potato and cilantro), and Chole Bhature (deep fried with a chickpea curry). The complimentary basket of Papadum with dipping sauces is a nice touch to start the meal.

This is the best Indian food we have tried in the region and I love the neighborhood location where you can walk to other attractions.

Take a stroll around Lincoln Park

We usually take a stroll around this quaint park before or after enjoying a cup of joe at a local coffeehouse. It’s always super quiet especially during the winter – I love walking here after a storm and seeing the gazebo covered with snow. There is a nice long sidewalk where you can take in views of the gazebo and historic architecture of the neighborhood.

Several events take place here including Arts in August and a farmer market, taking place from May through September. Here is the full event lineup if you are interested.

Pick up fresh homemade bread and a scratch made pastry at Leavened

Leavened is one of the better bakeries I’ve found in this region, although honestly nothing compares to Mediterra, a Pittsburgh gem I used to frequent before relocating here. The ambiance is a bit stiff for my taste, but they bake the best bread and the pastries are so good.

In terms of bread, I recommend the whole wheat sourdough and black bread (a dark German style bread made with local organic rye, local Duck Rabbit Coffee, and nigella seeds). Pastry options include: scones, cruffins, seasonal hand pies, bread pudding, and various croissants. I like their almond croissants.

**I hope I have given you a few ideas on what to do in this historic neighborhood. Obviously, my top pick would be touring the house of the most famous movie filmed in the city. On a side note, this is an underrated city with much to offer including a massive free national park and easy access to beautiful Lake Erie beaches. My Cleveland visitor guide covers some of the top attractions.