5 hidden-gem neighborhoods on Cleveland's west side

Why it matters: These places are popular for a reason, but the city also has a rich tapestry of neighborhoods that seldom get noticed by visitors.

• Let's take a close look at five neighborhoods on the west side and suggest one fun thing to do in each.

Clark-Fulton

🇲🇽 Clark-Fulton, just south of Ohio City, is home to Cleveland's densest population of Hispanic residents and is overflowing with Latin American cuisine.

• It's named for the intersection of Clark Avenue and Fulton Road, the latter named after Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat.

Zoom in: The neighborhood is home to the MetroHealth Medical Center, which reopened to patients in 2022 after a nearly $1 billion campus transformation.

Dig in: If you're craving pupusas, the El Salvadoran stuffed griddle cakes, look no further than Guanaquitas on West 25th Street for the best in town.

1 fun thing: Roll a few frames at Dickey's Lanes.

Stockyards

🧱 The Stockyards neighborhood takes its name from the Cleveland Union Stockyards Company, which was located on West 65th Street just south of Clark until the 1960s.

Flashback: "Comprising more than 60 acres of pens, troughs, brick walkways, and bidding areas, [it] was the 7th largest in the country in the 1920s," per the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.

Zoom in: The area still retains its industrial character, with scrap metal facilities, auto garages and the Ridge Road Transfer Station.

1 fun thing: Grab a liter of German beer at Sachsenheim Hall.

Westown

↖️ Westown is a largely residential neighborhood south of Lorain Avenue, with eccentric historic homes, including the so-called "Dinosaur House" on Bosworth Road.

• It has perhaps the most underrated stretch of dining along Lorain Avenue, including City Slice Pizzeria and Assad's Bakery.

1 fun thing: Hit the trails at Ray's Indoor Bike Park.

Bellaire-Puritas

🌮 Bellaire-Puritas, formerly Puritas-Longmead, forms Cleveland's southern border with the suburbs of Brooklyn and Brook Park.

• Real estate could become a hot commodity if Jimmy and Dee Haslam elect to build a new roofed stadium for the Browns in that neck of the woods.

Zoom in: Originally part of the village of West Park, the neighborhood was annexed by the city of Cleveland in 1923.

• Until 1958, it featured the west side's only amusement park, Puritas Springs, home to the tallest and fiercest roller coaster in Northern Ohio, the Cyclone.

Reality check: Unless you live there, you're probably only passing through Bellaire-Puritas to hop on or off I-480 or I-71.

• You can, however, explore the merits of do-it-yourself auto salvage at Pull-A-Part.

1 fun thing: Grab a Locos street taco on West 130th.

• La Plaza Supermarket and Tapatia's Taqueria are the go-to spots for authentic Mexican street tacos in Cleveland. That's understood.
• But the Locos Street Tacos & Burritos shop doubles as an ice cream stand and makes its birria tacos fresh.

Kamm's Corners

🍻 Kamm's is one of the four neighborhoods of West Park, centered on the eponymous commercial hub at Rocky River Drive and Lorain Avenue.

Zoom in: The neighborhood is practically a city unto itself, with shoulder-to-shoulder restaurants and small businesses along Lorain.

• Kamm's is home to Fairview Hospital, St. Joseph Academy, West Park Animal Hospital and two premium coffee shops (Common Grounds for the night owls, Five Points for the early risers).
• It has direct access to the trails and recreational amenities of the Metroparks' Rocky River Reservation.

1 fun thing: Browse for gifts at Carol & John's Comic Book Shop.

• It's the best in the city, with the widest selection of both new and rare comic books and memorabilia.