The West Side Market area connects today’s visitors with old-time Cleveland. In an era of mega-supermarkets, it’s refreshing to join locals who arrive almost daily for fresh produce, meat and bakery. With its tower jutting proudly into the sky, it stands as a focal point in the Ohio City retail area, which features an evolving culinary, retail and entertainment district with ethnic restaurants, a brewery, apartments and condominiums.

Neighborhood Gem

“The main ingredient is amore,” says Nicholas Frick, West Side Market vendor and owner of Frickaccio’s, as he hands out Italian kiss candies. Ethnic food vendors all over the market greet customers with a warm smile and a story if you have time.

“If you dig being social, this is the place,” says Frick of the market, which boasts more than 100 merchants and thousands of products. People from as far away as Rome have ordered his pizza bagels.

The market is easy to access by public transportation and visible by its large clock tower. It is for the fine-food connoisseur or just the casual grocery shopper. The area surrounding it provides a safe and diverse area to bring the family or shop alone.

Experience firsthand this European-style market right in Cleveland.