35. Polka

Last weekend was a TCP polkstravaganza! I didn't grow up in Cleveland and I didn't grow up around polka, so I've always been a little bemused by this town's fervent devotion to the peppy oompah music that, quite frankly, all sounded the same to me.

After a weekend exploring polka, it still all sounds the same to me -- but boy, is it fun.  Polka isn't profound or angsty or ironic or angry; it's nostalgia set to music.  It's impossible not to think of a simpler, brighter, more technicolor era when you listen to polka, filled with social dancing and wholesome family entertainment.

33. Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage

The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage is a great recent addition to Cleveland's collection of museums.  Opened in 2005, it's one of the spendier museum options in town ($12 adult admission), but well worth it for the depth of Cleveland history that's there.  The Maltz Museum also hosts special exhibits throughout the year -- through 5:00 p.m. today, the topic is the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

34. West Side Market

The West Side Market is the oldest continually operating market in Cleveland, and has been in its current building since 1912.  The building is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the market itself has been getting increased national attention from the Food Network in the past few years.

13. The Cleveland Museum of Art

The art museum is, hands-down, my favorite Cleveland activity.  The galleries are varied, extensive, and well-curated -- you can easily spend the better part of the day exploring.  The best part is, following the mission of "for the benefit of all the people, forever," admission to the permanent collection is always free, making it the classiest cheap date in town.  

2. The Cleveland Orchestra

Saturday's trip to the Cleveland Orchestra guest-starred -- and was courtesy of -- the Official Parents of The Cleveland Project.  I was limited to my point-and-shoot camera because of the venue, but it was still a great evening out with family and a fantastic performance to a full house.

31. Public Square

I made a quick -- and cold -- trip to Public Square on Tuesday afternoon after work.

61. Architecture

Of Cleveland's architecture, the Plain Dealer said, "It's not just one style around town. From the downtown's Federal Reserve Bank and classic churches to the Frank Gehry-designed Peter B. Lewis Building at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland isn't a bad-looking place."
My first venture into The Cleveland Project also brought the project’s first lesson:  if you’re photographing architecture, put something more than a 50mm lens in your camera bag.  Of course, by the time this occurred to me, I was already downtown.  It worked out okay, though, because instead of sweeping panoramas of familiar landmarks, I had to limit myself to the details -- and boy, are there details.  The thing that made the biggest impression is just how much beauty Cleveland has going on above street level, hiding in plain sight.

Believeland

I moved to Cleveland in 2002 for law school.  I stayed because I fell in love with this city, triumph and tragedy and tenacity in one.

After Cleveland got dumped on ESPN last summer, the Plain Dealer published a list of "100 things that make Cleveland the best."  The mission of The Cleveland Project is simple:  armed with a Nikon D90 and a sense of adventure, do each of the awesome things, photograph them, and blog about the experience.  Updates will be posted each Sunday and Wednesday (more or less).

Welcome to my year-long love letter to this city I'm proud to call home.