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By
Matt Mathrani
Bartender Jeff, owner John, and bartender Russell at Twist
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Click on the link for a handy PDF version of our March 2008 Ohio travel feature!
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Once the smoky center of American industry, this city perched on the bluffs above Lake Erie has a downtown that rivals the centers of London or New York for grand capitalist architecture. Fine
urban sculpture overlooks the now-much-bluer waters of the lake, and glorious mansions sprawl along tree-lined boulevards. Cleveland still boasts a large and serious theater district, a ballet,
and a world-class symphony. And the city's ethnic diversity means that men from every corner of the world grace the dance floors and lounge about the two biggest bath houses in the nation.
Events
CLAW, the Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend, will take place April 24 to 27. A pansexual event for straight, gay, lesbian, men, women, and everyone else into leather, this will
be the sixth annual weekend with over 4,000 people from all over the world.
On the third Saturday of June, Clifton Boulevard in Cleveland's gayest neighborhood shuts down for the Annual Arts Festival and Street Fair. What could be better than to cruise while you shop?
And on the last Sunday in August a couple of blocks of Clifton Boulevard near Twist shut down for Dancing in the Streets. Celebrate the steamy Midwest summer with guys that are both friendly
and gorgeous.
Shopping and accommodations
Body Language (11424 Lorain, at West 115th) is the best first-stop for any gay visitor. You'll find local information and gay and lesbian books, gifts, cards, pride
items, and aromas. They have the area's largest magazine and book selection, erotic videos and DVDs for sale or rent, classic male erotica, an exotic leather department, plus lots of kinky
fetish items including goods from Folsom Electrics, such as tens units and penis sounds (if you don't know, ask!). Body Language, open 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. daily (6 p.m. Sunday), combines
customer service with a contemporary, ever-changing selection of unusual merchandise. Shop anytime at their website.
Dean Rufus House of Fun (1422 West 29th, at Detroit), located within A Man's World complex, is a unique shopping experience. Cleveland DJ Dean Rufus and local fashion designer Tom Bayne
created the space, which carries everything from designer clothing and accessories to DVDs and toys. Minutes from downtown Cleveland in the historic Ohio City area, the shop is open until 11
p.m. during the week and 2:30 a.m. -- just right for late-night shopping and socializing.
Other stores include: Clifton Web (11512 Clifton), for gifts and cards; and Truffles (11122 Clifton), for pastries, coffee, and wi-fi internet.
OUTlines Magazine and Xpose magazines have local maps and listings.
Cifford House (1810 West 28th; 216-589-0121) and Greystone B&B (10405 Lake; 216-939-0405) are area guesthouses.
Nightlife
Bounce and Union Station Cleveland (2814 Detroit Avenue) are open daily from 5 p.m. Union Station has a lively crowd on hand for dinner and to enjoy the mix of music videos and
gay TV. They have pool tables, games, and internet access, too. On Sundays there's brunch and evening Show Tunes. Monday is karaoke night, and Torso Tuesdays sport all-male revues. Bounce is
open for dancing on weekends, with first-Friday Black-Out Party dates, and a third-Thursday Steam Party, with a different adult entertainer in the shower all night. Drag cabaret Divas on Parade
is on Sundays at 11 p.m., while Saturdays are now Girls' Night Out.
On the East Side, Grid (1437 East St. Clair) has four bars, lots of parking, and Orbit, a huge dance club that can boast the biggest Saturday night dance crowd in town (18 and
over). In the front bars there's free pool and drink specials, tournaments, and Thursday Dick Daze strippers. Orbit is open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights for drag shows and dancing.
Sundays feature free pool and karaoke. Guest DJs appear, and there are special parties.
Twist (11633 Clifton) is a sociable cocktail lounge on two levels. In the summer the front opens up to the street, with sidewalk tables -- the perfect place to watch the foot-traffic and
activity at the heart of Clifton Boulevard's gay Village. Good music and conversation dominate the ground level, and they showcase the area's best DJ talent -- one Sunday a month they do ten
DJs in ten hours. The basement is a classy, cozy getaway with big sofas to sprawl. There's Happy Hour daily 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., except Sundays, when it's a noon kick-off with a "build your own"
Bloody Mary bar. Twist is the center of the fun for Dancing in the Streets as well as the arts festival and street fair.
Located within what's called "A Man's World complex," The Shed/Crossover (2901 Detroit) is a premier leather/Levi bar. Tucked downstairs is also a leather bar, called Crossover. There's even a
patio bar in the rear of The Shed. A tent is provided for smokers. The Shed boasts the longest cocktail hours, beginning at 7 a.m. and running through till 9 p.m.!
Other bars include: Apex (11633 Lorain); Cocktails Cleveland (9208 Detroit); Deco Dance (11213 Detroit); the lesbian-oriented Five Cent Decision (4365 State); Hawk (11217 Detroit);
Leather Stallion Saloon (2205 East St. Clair), a long-time men's favorite; Club Argos (2032 West 25th), with male strippers; Man's World (2909 Detroit); and Muggs (3194
West 25th).
Steaming up
How many cities can boast two bathhouses that rival the luxury and sensuous grace of the baths in ancient Rome?
Club Cleveland (3219 Detroit), a pioneer of the genre for over 40 years, has a marvelous building, complete with a fully-equipped gym with state-of-the-art equipment. There's a spacious
steamroom, a cedar dry-sauna, and a lap pool in the beautiful indoor solarium. Two large media rooms for TV and video have the latest electronics. The second floor is packed with rooms and
lockers. Open for warm weather, the private sun-deck overlooks Lake Erie. Lockers and rooms are half-price Tuesdays and Thursdays (11 a.m. to 11 p.m.). On Sensuous Sundays (with 6 p.m. buffet)
lockers are $12 from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday daytime lockers (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) are $10 (except on half-price days). Always open, the Club admits ages 18-plus, and parking is free and secure.
Flex Cleveland (2600 Hamilton; Flexbaths.com) is the most elaborate and lavish flagship facility of the Flex chain, and boasts a new international standard for men's health spas,
continuing a 40-year tradition of service to Cleveland, where it all began. Featuring the world's largest bathhouse hotel, they have 16 quiet rooms with queen sized beds, 18 elegantly appointed
hotel suites from standard Queen to Presidential, each with private bath. There are indoor and outdoor pools, a giant whirlpool, a steamroom maze as large as a house, two saunas, and a
eucalyptus vapor room. They have a 5,000-square-foot gym and cardio area, too. Massage therapy, HIV testing, and a cafe/lounge are all on hand. See their website to reserve hotel and quiet
rooms.
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