Voinovich Bicentennial Park, Cleveland, Ohio

East Ninth Street, one of the primary north-south business arteries of downtown Cleveland, runs from the incoming expressways at Progressive Field and Erie Cemetery, all the way to Lake Erie’s scenic southern shoreline. On its way, the busy street threads through the many high-rise structures of Cleveland’s storied past and present — The Huntington Bank Building, the former Ameritrust complex, Erieview Tower and The Galleria at Erieview, One Cleveland Center, the Anthony J. Celebreeze Federal Building, and the North Point office complex, among others. Nearing the end of its journey, it passes the final station of the Regional Transit Authoritiy's Waterfront Line linking to the Flats along the Cuyahoga River, and leaps over rail lines and Ohio State Route 2, the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway to reach the Lake.

Within a little over a thousand feet of the water, East Ninth passes between The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and the home of the permanently moored USS Cod submarine/museum. A glance to the west are The Great Lakes Science Center and Museum and Cleveland Browns Stadium. Just east lies Burke Lakefront Airport, home of the annual Cleveland Air Show.

But East Ninth Street continues to jut out toward the Lake, where the vista broadens to encompass Voinovich Bicentennial Park. The public park is named for former City of Cleveland Mayor and U.S. Senator George Voinovich. Docked in the Inner Harbor embraced by the L-shaped park is the Lake cruise ship, The Goodtime III, a favorite of locals and visitors alike. Voinovich Bicentennial Park occupies a portion of the site of the historic 1936 Great Lakes Exposition staged by Cleveland in commemoration of the Centennial of the city’s incorporation.

Having great vistas of the Lake, the downtown city skyline, and its many signature sights and landmark structures, Voinovich Bicentennial Park hosts such events as The Gravity Games and The Pride Festival. The Park also offers citizens a scenic and pastoral setting on a promontory surrounded by water, yet within sight of the bustle of this Midwestern urban core.