Saturday, October 6, 2007

Ponte Vecchio - Different Perspective for this Photographer

I’m not a restaurant critic. But give me a beautiful night out with my wife Jeanne, good food in a fine eatery with great views of the city, and I can be a very happy man.

All of this came together Saturday night. To celebrate Jeanne's birthday, we had a delicious dinner at Ponte Vecchio Restaurant in the Flats, atop the old Superior Viaduct.

I discovered Pont Vecchio by accident while looking for new photography venues. I’m currently building a Flats portfolio and I try to visit familiar as well as new areas of the city under different lighting conditions. The Superior Viaduct provides great views of the skyline as well as areas of the Flats and Cuyahoga River.

To reach the Viaduct from downtown, head west on the Detroit-Superior bridge to W. 25th Street. Turn right when you get to the light. Drive a few hundred feet until you see Superior Viaduct road on the right. Turn right again and drive through the iron gate until you see the restaurant on the left, halfway down what remains of the Viaduct.

It’s hard to say if many know about this area. Condos, apartments and restaurants are now replacing what used to be old warehouses and machine shops.

While some city neighborhoods continue deteriorate, this is one pocket that seems to be staging a comeback.

Unfortunately it’s very easy to drive by this area off W. 25th if you’re not aware of the new construction. You cannont easily see the restaurant from the main road. However, it’s worth the search for both the food and the view.

Jeanne and I had a very pleasant and relaxing evening at Pont Vecchio. It was was fantastic weather for a Saturday night out. We were also fortunate to meet Britanny Smith, charming daughter of Pont Vecchio's owner who told us a little bit about the establishment.

Leaving the restaurant we took a stroll to end of the viaduct to view the city lights and the river below. Who would think we’d still be enjoying 80F+ weather in October here in Cleveland?


Want to see more photographs of the Cleveland skyline? Click HERE. Additional images can also be seen in my Flats Gallery.

Please visit my website at Stuart Pearl Photography.

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