Some of my favorite memories are of getting lost in a book. I read Little Women in the crabapple tree of our home in Akron when I was 9 and my first romance paperback the spring before on a family vacation to Englewood, Florida. As I’m writing this, I just came off the beach at Duck, North Carolina, where I was reading What We Become by Arturo Perez-Revererte, a literary beach-book romance. Whatever the topic, the genre or the author, finding a good place to read effects how well we connect with the writing style and the characters’ dilemmas.
You don’t have to go on vacation to find a good place to read a summer sizzler. Especially if you live or work in downtown Cleveland. Here’s my list of top ten places to read in downtown Cleveland. And now, after our RNC redecorating, flowerpots are overflowing bountifully, hanging baskets bloom wildly, and vibrant plots are candy for the eyes and the nose.
Number 10 is the atrium of the Huntington Building at 200 Public Square, where you can read inside when the temperatures are too high outside. Fountain background noise and recent renovations create a garden oasis with white and red furniture. The waterfall fountain drowns out all other noises, which helps with focus. Maybe you can find a good biography to read in this space that drowns out the world of commerce.
Number 9 is the Mall, particularly near the Convention Center, where you’ll find comfortable seating in the shade or can stretch out on a blanket in the grass and get a good dose of Vitamin D. Think about reading a book by a local author, but try not to get distracted by Frisbee throwing.
Number 8 is the triangular park at Playhouse Square where Euclid and Huron come together. Dappled sunlight and theatrical energy provide the backdrop for a lunch hour of eating a great sandwich prepared by Zack Bruell’s crew at Dynomite Burgers and reading a juicy romance.
Number 7 is the Old Arcade. By that I mean the original 1890 arcade on the north side of Euclid Avenue, which is now occupied by the Hyatt. This nostalgic location with potted ferns and Victorian glass ceiling is the place to read a classic by an American novelist of the late 19th or early 20th century, maybe a book by one of the Bronte sisters or Charles Dickens.
Number 6 is the small Penton Media building flower garden at E. 9th and Euclid. It’s a hideaway with the only thing missing being the tree to climb into. Since busy-ness will surround you, find an absorbing mystery to read here at lunchtime. You may not go back to the office.
Number 5 is Ford Huntington Park, which is very shady and not far from the Lake. This site at West 3rd and Lakeside was dedicated in 1937 and has been adorned with statutes of Jesse Owens and Commodore Perry, as well as the Peace Officers Memorial. You’ll want to read a book about people who have changed the world.
Number 4 is Willard Park, the current location of the FREE stamp sculpture. If you find yourself there when the foot trucks are open, you don’t have to stop reading when it’s time to eat. Scoot your back up against a tree and get grounded on the grass. Here you’ll want to read something about freedom.
Number 3 is found in the shady section of Voinovich Park at the terminus of the East 9th Street pier. The western side of the park has views of downtown and the Gold Coast and if you find yourself there at sunset, you’ll be distracted by the view. Choose to live in the moment or live in the book. The sound of the waves lapping against the pier just add to the mood. A travel memoir might be a good choice for a place looking out at boats coming and going from near and afar.
Number 2 is Public Square and the only reason it’s not number 1 on the list is there’s so much going on now. I’ve almost wanted to take pictures of mothers and children walking into the new water feature with its arcing streams. Find yourself sitting on top of Music Hill when local musicians are creating music in the bandstand. There are many flower-filled spaces in the renovated square to sit and read a book, maybe a history of Cleveland.
Number 1 is the Eastman Reading Garden between the two Cleveland Public Library main library buildings. I wait for this park to open in late spring and bemoan its closing every fall. Here you’ll find quiet reading, shade, a quiet poetic fountain, a gentle breeze and fanciful sculpture readers to put you in the mood to read a great historically-sweeping novel.
I’m missing some secret places. Do you have a secret reading garden?
Claudia Taller’s novel, Daffodils and Fireflies, takes the protagonist on walks all over downtown Cleveland, from The Mall to the Flats to great churches to Playhouse Square. Find out more at claudiajtaller.com or at amazon.com/Claudia-J.-Taller/.