The Observer, September 15, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 3
Retail therapy alive and well around Cleveland
There are two ways that students at Case deal with stress: immerse themselves in video games and cartoons, or embark on some serious retail therapy. If you're new to campus, or just feel like getting out and about before the weather gets really nasty, here are a few hot spots to check out:
Beachwood Place a popular shopping venue for students – is in the midst of a facelift that puts even Facebook to shame. Six new stores have already opened, with another store and food court set to open in November. The newly opened retailers include Sony Style, Metropark, Lacoste, Elisabeth, Next, and Lucky Brand Jeans. An H&M store and a food court with seating for 500 will open in November. The existing food court will be renovated into new retail stores and will open in 2007. The new retail options add to the existing choices including Dillard's, Nordstrom, Saks, Gap, Abercrombie, Guess? Jeans, Express, and Sephora.
Beachwood Place is about a half-hour bus ride from the South Residential Village. Take the No. 32 route bus from the University Circle Rapid Transit Station; Beachwood Place will be on your right.
The No.32 bus also leads to two other great shopping centers. Immediately before reaching Beachwood Place, Legacy Village will be on your left. Legacy Village includes various specialty stores like Z Gallerie, the Apple Store, Crate & Barrel, and Dick's Sporting Goods, as well as many smaller, upscale boutiques. There are also great dining options including the Melting Pot, Cheesecake Factory, Claddagh Irish Pub, and Chipotle.
Much closer to campus on the No. 32 route is University Square, which features a Target, Jo-Ann Superstore, TJ Maxx, and Macy's. On the periphery of the shopping center there is a Key Bank, E.B. Games, and Cold Stone Creamery.
If you just need to grab some essentials, head to Severance Town Center; this shopping plaza has a Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Marshall's, Borders, and Radio Shack. It also features the largest movie theater close to campus and International House of Pancakes (one of the few restaurants open past 9 p.m. in Cleveland). The No. 9 bus will take you straight from campus to Severance Town Center.
Downtown's Tower City Center doesn't offer much in the way of shopping anymore, unless you're looking for a dollar store (I only wish I were kidding). Tower City houses a Bath and Body Works, Godiva Chocolate, Gap, and MAC Makeup. There's a movie theatre with $5.50 student tickets. The Hard Rock Café is fun if you enjoy cliché, and there are some other dining options including a Panera Bread Company. There is a Rapid Transit stop right in the basement of Tower City – get on the Red Line from either North or Southside.
If you have a car, Crocker Park in Westlake has a lot to offer. Its offerings and decor show a lot of overlap between Legacy Village and Beachwood Place, but there are plenty of smaller boutique-type stores, as well as Hollister, Express Men, H&M, and Anthropologie. If you're going to be there for a while, stop by Trader Joe's and grab some healthy munchies, or Blake's Seafood, if you feel like something a bit more pricey. Getting to Crocker Park by RTA isn't easy, so you'll probably have to bum a ride from someone.
Of course, often the best way to find a favorite shopping destination is to explore and there are plenty of opportunities around Cleveland.
