Do you have a friend who is unfamiliar with Parma? Or maybe you have know someone who has a perception of Parma that doesn’t necessarily align with what you know to be true. My coworker is from Virginia and had been living in Cleveland Heights this past May. At the time, she had never been to Parma. So we carved out a Saturday afternoon, and I took her on a tour of some of my favorite spots. I want to recap that day while also challenging you to do the same with your friend or family member who’s unfamiliar with the area or who simply doesn’t know what Parma has to offer.
So on this cold winter’s day in January, let’s take it back to a sunny day in May where we took to the streets to show off a few of our favorite landmarks, restaurants, and more. Please note, this list just barely scratches the surface of the places our city has to offer. We were limited on time and couldn’t stop everywhere I would have liked.
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In my opinion, any good Parma tour needs to start with a home-cooked breakfast at one of Parma’s many family restaurants, so our journey began in a cozy booth at Tony’s Family Restaurant. After delicious potato pancakes and omelettes were enjoyed, we headed down State Road to show her Parma’s most stunning view of the Cleveland skyline.
We looped back up Ridge Road to show her the Shoppes at Parma and of course had to stop at the Parma sign for a few snaps.
Next, we drove down York Road to show her the beautiful Cuyahoga Community College – Western Campus before making a stop at my favorite pierogi/paczki destination: Rudy’s Strudel and Bakery.
Our next destination was Chuppas Marketplace to pick up some snacks.
Next we stopped at newly opened Schnitz Ale Brewery where we got to enjoy an open air experience and a cold glass of Boozendorf Imperial Hazy I.P.A.
We cruised past the “Welcome to Parma” sign and drove through Veteran’s Memorial Park on our way to our next stop. No Parma tour is complete without showing your guest the sparkling “gold domes” of St. Josaphat Cathedral on State Road. We stopped there on our way to Sloppy Bob’s for lunch on their new at-the-time patio.
Our tour of Parma had a sweet ending as we made our final stop at Honey Hut ice cream on the way back to my friend’s car. A tin roof sundae was the perfect cherry on top of our Parma adventure.
I hope my tour of Parma encourages you to take a friend of your own on a tour of your favorite spots in Parma. Show them a whole new world or simply change their mind about what they *think* they know about Parma!
Where would you take your friend on a tour of Parma or wherever you call home? Comment below!
By Jackie Baraona, YPOP President
