Geneva on the Lake, Ohio

What better way to start the summer season this Memorial Day weekend than a trip to Geneva on the Lake. Back in the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s, most Ohioans made the trip up to Lake Erie’s North Coast to spend a week at Geneva on the Lake. Families would rent cottages, and spend the week brushing away the flies and bugs. Teenagers would go there for adolescent trysts, and for the rite of passage “after-prom” binge. It was, and is, a honky-tonk paradise of the old school. As we say here in Mahoning County: “We’re goin’ up the lake!”

But I didn’t discover it until a few years ago. My family was too “genteel” for the fun stuff. But a friend of mine told me he was biking up to Geneva on the Lake, and was going to meet his wife at Eddie’s to drive him home. I had heard of the place, and didn’t know the significance of Eddie’s, so I googled a map, and my wife and I drove there to surprise him. He was a “no show” as he crashed his bike outside of Canfield and broke his arm. Notwithstanding, it started an annual trek up to this "step back in time", old fashioned resort.

Located in Ashtabula County in the heart of Lake Erie wine country, there are actually two Geneva on the Lakes. There is the old fashioned resort filled with cottages, arcades, fast food and amusement rides. You can park your car at your cottage, get out the beer cooler, and forget about the rest of the world for awhile. Any kind of penny arcade game, or miniature golf, or junk souvenir stand you could want is within walking distance. The piece de resistance for food is Eddie’s Diner, a monument to the old fashioned hamburger and hot dog beach joints, blasting tunes from the 1950’s as you chow down on your “resort cuisine” and guzzle your root beer floats. Numerous donut stands to take care of any and all breakfast issues. The city park is at the end of the drag, giving good access to the beach.

Then there is the “limo and latte” Geneva on the Lake. For those yearning for a “Sideways” Sonoma Valley vacation but can’t afford the trip to California, here is an ersatz alternative. Start with the newly constructed Lodge at Geneva on the Lake, which is beautiful. Surrounded by tranquil grounds with stunning views of Lake Erie from its gorgeous restaurant facility, it is a classy way to spend a weekend getaway.

You can shun the “pedestrian” main drag during the day, by turning right out of the lodge parking lot, instead of left, and go to Geneva, Ohio, which has a myriad of antique shops to wile away the day. The hotel folks will also give you numerous brochures as to the locations of several of Ohio’s fine wineries, all within a ½ hour drive. Ferrante’s Winery is one of my favorites, with a California-esque new building that allows you to sit inside or outside to enjoy their tasting samples, as well as their great restaurant serving better than average Italian cuisine.

I will be honest, I am not a big fan of Ohio wines, but I enjoy getting to taste what we can produce in our own backyard. These are serious wineries, and Ferrante’s is known for its dessert “Ice Wine” made from pressed frozen grapes. These are a tad pricey, but a great way to end a meal.

Take the time to check out some of the other wineries that are less ambitious than Ferrante’s, but tend to be a tad more authentic in their approach to experiencing a wine tour. Several times during the year, the wineries band together and offer up joint promotions and specials on tasting both wine samples and appetizers. These are a lot of fun, but make sure you have a designated driver.

With gas at $4.00/gallon, Geneva on the Lake offers an interesting and diverse alternative for those looking to vacation close to home.

Geneva on the Lake Tourist Bureau
The Lodge at Geneva on the Lake
Ferrante’s Winery

Pittsburgh's SouthSide Works

Pittsburgh is one of my favorite cities…and one of my favorite things about my favorite city is the neighborhoods. Anyone who has attempted to get around Pittsburgh knows that the hills make it nearly impossible to get from here to there unless you know exactly where you are going. Add the rivers and bridges to the mix, even those who live there have established enclaves unto themselves, creating neighborhoods that are individual destinations. Pittsburgh’s Southside is one of those neighborhoods.

Pittsburgh’s Southside is geographically located between the Monongahela River to the north and Mount Washington and the Southside Slopes to the south. The main drag is East Carson Street in which there are three main subdivisions. Station Square is the furthest west of the various developments, located at the end of the Smithfield Street Bridge. As you drive to the east, you will encounter a gritty, eclectic neighborhood with second hand bookstores, tattoo parlours, antique stores, head shops, and restaurants to suit every taste and pocketbook, mostly local. This is a fun area, but is rapidly gentrifying as evidenced by increasing property values. Both of these, especially the two lane East Carson corridor, are worth separate trips to explore and enjoy.

At the top of the East Carson Street corridor, where two lanes turn into four, is the brand new SouthSide Works, located along the river. On its face, it resembles Legacy Village in Cleveland, much smaller, and Easton in Columbus, much bigger. Where it differs is that it was actually built into pre-existing buildings associated with a steel mill formerly located on the property. For the most part, it maintains an industrial feel, as do most of the new developments being built the further east you drive along East Carson Street.

For some reason, the developer opened the area in stages. In the beginning, there wasn’t a whole lot there. But progress has been steady, and as new buildings and stores have opened up, it is a pleasant place to walk around and enjoy, especially on a warm summer’s evening. All of these areas are defined as “mixed use”, in which the developer tries to intermingle condo housing, offices, and retail. Some of the efforts succeed, some of them don’t. But the nature of the Southside neighborhood is pushing this to success. If you want to live in the Southside but don’t want to have to put a ton of money into renovating the very old, existing housing stock, and would like to have a place to park your car, this is the place to go.

The SouthSide Works is built around a town square, the center of which boasts a Cheesecake Factory which can be described as nothing less than a Greek temple. When you walk into the square, you feel like you should pray to it. Surrounding the square are various establishments, including a Cineplex, and various other restaurants such as Claddagh Irish Pub, which is one of my favorite places. Upscale restaurants include the Hot Metal Grille (currently closed for renovations) and McCormick and Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant.

There is no major retail anchor such as Macy’s located here. But there is an assortment of smaller retailers, some of which have come to be standard in these types of developments such as the Z Gallerie and Sur la Table Kitchen Store. I really like its version of the Joseph-Beth Booksellers chain, which tends to get some big name people into the establishment to sign books, especially Pittsburgh sports figures.

Big things are in store for the SouthSide Works. Approval and financing have just been granted for a $10.5 million 17 dock project giving river access to the development, as well as a major hotel and spa to be constructed on the opposite side of East Carson Street. When built, this area will become a major hub of Pittsburgh activity and recreation. In the meantime, it’s worth a visit. There is ample parking on the street and several decks. One word of warning, parking is paid for at vending machine type apparatii that can be a bit intimidating and don't always work.

The SouthSide Works
East Carson at 27th Steets
1-877-977-1880