We stopped by the soft opening of the Metroparks’ new Beach House on Fri 06.02.17 and were blown away by the innovative and contemporary design. Apparently, so were hundreds of others. View the PHOTOSTREAM here.
The open, airy, two-level structure reminds us of the classic wood Lyman boats, started in Cleveland and eventually moved West up Lake Erie to Sandusky. It’s authentic right down to the Clinker-built lapstrake hull construction echoed in the Beach House roof, designed by Bialosky Cleveland Architects, and overseen by Metroparks Chief Planning and Design Officer Sean McDermott, seen in our first PHOTOSTREAM image.
The Beach House is situated perfectly on a 12,000 sf plaza with integrated stage for performances providing concessions (pierogies, nachos, burgers and Honey Hut ice cream), rest rooms and changing rooms. But the top floor draws the attention with it’s generous bar and double-sided fireplace and generous bar serving specialty adult drinks. We enjoyed the Cucumber Mojito and a virgin Blackberry Whiskey Lemonade.
But the real gem is the top level suspended walkway that is already a favorite hangout for beach watching which gives access to the tunnel under the Shoreway that connects to W. 76th Street and into the Gordon Square neighborhood.
Look West from the walkway to catch the sunset, look East for a killer cityscape, and look South at the bike and walking connector paths. The Beach House is already a huge success, and already many people’s favorite spot in the city.
https://clevelandmetroparks.com/parks/visit/parks/lakefront-reservation/edgewater-beach-house
Photos & story by Thomas Mulready
8701 Lake Shore Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44108-1069