I moved to Cleveland in 2014 and I’ve never looked back. This city has everything I could ever want! I can raise a family here and feel safe, I can always find something to do, I can easily go to a professional sports game, I can take my daughter to the splash pad, or I can go to the zoo!

That’s not even the beginning of my list of reasons why I moved here though.

I came to Cleveland after a vacation in November 2013. Three days downtown and I knew this would be home.

I spent the weekend exploring the city, devouring some of the best food I have ever had, and meeting people who are now some of my best friends.

I spent time finding a lot of places that I now frequent. I highly recommend you check out my top 5.

1. ABC The Tavern: this amazing little bar down on W 25th seriously has the coolest vibe. It’s a total dive bar with some amazing brews and delicious snacks. Every time I go I feel like my group is the only one there, because of how relaxing it is. (They’re always pretty busy though, which is amazing.)
   
2. Winking Lizard: This is a Cleveland staple in my opinion. There are over 100 beers to chose from, and their goldfinger sauce is to die for.
   
3. Rising Star Coffee: This is such a breath of fresh air for the coffee world. I love that they have the roastery right there too!
   
4. Town Hall: This is the perfect place for everyone. They have delicious craft beer and mixed drinks and have food for every diet.
   
5. Pour: They’ve perfected the art of the pour over coffee here at this shop located in the heart of downtown.

All of these places are so unique to our city.

Cleveland —The city that reminded me how much you can fit in and love a city.

Cleveland — The place filled with people who are ultimately dedicated to every single thing they do and commit to.

Honestly, after living in the same small Texas town for my entire life I was surprised to find a place that I knew I belonged in. It’s kind of like when you find that absolutely amazingly perfect dress when you thought you were ready to settle on the one that was sort of okay.

Everything just meshed, so I uprooted my whole life. I took what I could fit in my car and drove (in a blizzard mind you) from Texas to Ohio in three days.

It was the best choice I have ever made. Everything fell into place and my life has never been better.

Here’s to you, Cleveland.