dfwoods

Who is planning to attend the Gay Games in Cleveland in August 2014? I have signed up for the triathlon and marathon. In which activities are others competing?

jamesteroh

I'm thinking of going to either the opening or closing ceramony.

Problem is the opening is the same date as Chicago Market Days so not sure which activity I would rather attend.

IPG

Support the Gay Games (I will be). It only takes place once every four years. Market Days is an annual event.

jamesteroh

I wonder if Market Day will be impacted much with the gay games the same weekend by out of town travellers.

Cleveland is a lot closer to me, but I missed market days last year. It depends on who the entertainment is at Market days this year and how hard hotels will be to find in Cleveland. I can always drive to cleveland and back though in the same day since it's only a 2 1/2 hour drive

travel.flier

definitely going. booked a sheraton i think in cleveland. and some other spg brand closer to akron for one night before the marathon. i won't be playing but all my friends are

Fanjet

Cleveland? The games are being held in Cleveland?? What's one of the competition events? Who can run out of the city the fastest? And the first place award is the satisfaction that you're no longer in the city?

dopey!

dgreen12

Perhaps you should visit Cleveland during the Gay Games and help out their local economy instead of making fun of them.

KENNECTED

Not even funny. I lived there for quite a while and it's IMO America's most underrated city.

Good food
Clean city
Interesting ethnic neighborhoods
Easy to navigate

Cleveland is a smaller mix of Chicago and Philly with a Sprinkle of NYC.

KENNECTED

I don't understand why people would make fun of the city. The city has a large gay population although due to redevelopment the "gayborhood" has been destroyed. But I like the fact that there are several areas and suburbs that are gay enclaves.

When I lived there Edgewater was the big gay area. Although there were a lot of bars downtown in the Warehouse District and in Ohio City.

Why would someone think negative of Cleveland vs. DC, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia, Denver, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Detroit? etc.

Is this a case where gay people are looking down there noses at a location and profiling a city but know very little about it. It's a big city, it's not like its in the middle of a corn field.

Don't we, as same gender loving people, hate to stereotyped?

Fanjet

Don't forget that there are bad mixes of Chicago, NYC, and especially Philly. I think that Columbus would have been a better choice if they wanted to hold the games in an underrated midwestern town. Even Cincinnati. Where were the last games held? Köln? Yeah, I see the parallels now.

jamesteroh

I like Cleveland but think the downtown has gone downhill. They do have a casino that I like in the Old Higgby building (I loved the old wood escalators in the building) but the last time I was there the flats basically went bust, I use to love shopping downtown when Higgby's and the May Company had big stores. Also miss the Grid (both the newer one and the old one beside where the Flex use to be).

I was really disappointed to learn that in 2014 CLAW will no longer be downtown and will be by the Sheraton.

KENNECTED

It was Higbee's. A lot Cleveland's downtown was old warehouses, especially in the flats. I moved there at the end of the Flats decline, the party scene was bananas. However, like in many cities, that party area, has no become homes. I met a lot of kids whos parents bought condos down there because they partied hard down there.

When I first moved there people would tell me about the warehouse district and how it was bars, bath houses and book stores, now those have been replaced with condos and apartments.

Columbus is boring, bland, republican and depressing. I did a stint at Ohio State as well. It's just like these sun belt cities that all look similar. Cleveland has a soul.

Cincinnatti, AKA Cinca-tucky. Racist, and homophobic, they would have us open arms.

Cleveland like the cities I mentioned is similar in ethnic makeup and aold school grit. Cleveland to Ohio, is like NYC to New York. Philadelphia to PA. I found the city and people very progressive. Food and culture top notch. The museums kick ...! Good theatre, nation and regional. Spring, Summer and the beginning of fall is beautiful. Great parks and I love exploring all the architecture and ethnic neighborhoods like I would at home in NY.

The people have a east coast feel but a laid back Chicago attitude. Especially the people on the Eastside. Downtown reminds me of a combination of the loop and Center City Philly, but laid out like Downtown Brooklyn. I think this was a great spot to showcase the real america, and how the LGBT community lives in a city not NY, LA or SF.

CLAW 2014 There is no Sheraton in Cleveland, except the airport. But from what I understand it will be at the Wyndham which is in the heart of the Playhouse Square.

jamesteroh

I meant to type the Sheraton by the Airport. That is where claw will be in 2014. The overflow hotels are HoJo and the Airport Crowne plaza.

The past two or three years it has been at the HGI downtown and before that the Wyndham at Playhouse square.

WanderingGent

I will be there... Bowling for sure, possibly soccer as well.