Experience Lorain County

Lorain

Lorain is on an upswing. The Rust Belt city is crafting a new image by revitalizing its downtown and remaking its greatest asset — waterfronts where shipbuilding, auto and steel industries once flourished — into destinations for arts, culture, nature and recreation.

“Lorain is shaking the rust off and acquiring a bit of a patina,” says Tom Brown, executive director of Lorain Port and Finance Authority.

In the protected east basin of Lorain’s active commercial harbor, for example, Oasis Marinas at Port Lorain is charting a new course that includes jet ski rentals and more shops. Annapolis-based Oasis Marinas began managing the 600-slip facility in 2020, and it’s the company’s first Great Lakes operation. “This marina is a natural stopping place halfway between Cleveland and Sandusky,” says Manager Nate Moyer. “Transient boaters can easily pull in from Lake Erie, and they really enjoy the quiet location with no highways nearby.”

Another bonus is the marina’s view of the Lorain Lighthouse and Lake Erie’s famous sunsets. In fact, when the sun descends over the top of the lighthouse on summer evenings, everyone at Oasis seems to pause to behold the spectacle of two Lake Erie icons in one setting. Its on-site restaurant, Erie Steak & Seafood Co., boasts an elevated dining deck where you can watch the sunsets and the ebb and flow of fishermen, photographers, joggers, dog walkers, birders and bicyclists who congregate at the Mile Long Pier that borders Oasis.

On the Black River, the Charles Berry Bridge ranks among the world’s largest bascule bridges and is named for a Lorain native awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism at Iwo Jima. It carries Erie Avenue (U.S. 6) vehicular traffic; while commercial vessels have the right of way, the bridge generally opens for pleasure craft on the hour and half hour. Call ahead at 440-244-2137 or marine Channel 16.

Just past the bridge, colorful flags representing numerous nationalities proudly fly at Black River Landing, a recreation and event site developed on an abandoned rail yard. Immigrants from more than 50 countries came to Lorain for work, and since the 1960s, residents have celebrated their melting pot heritage with an International Festival. Usually held in late June at Black River Landing, the event highlights the cuisine and customs of Italy, Greece, Poland, Vietnam, Puerto Rico and many other homelands.

You can dock at Black River Landing to enjoy the International Festival or Rockin’ on the River, a popular outdoor concert series. The Lorain Lighthouse’s original Fresnel lens is displayed inside the Port Authority’s headquarters at Black River Landing. The century-old lens still works, and the staff demonstrates it for visitors. While you’re there, ask about the Port Authority’s themed waterfront tours (including history and nature) and Jet Express specialty cruises (think wine and craft beer tastings) out of Lorain.

On the east riverbank, Spitzer Riverside Marina and the HarborWalk neighborhood have transformed the area where the American Shipbuilding Company once stood. Between 1888 to 1984, the mighty shipyard built more than 900 vessels, including tankers, ferries, minesweepers, the U.S.S. Lorain and Paul R. Tregurtha, a.k.a. “Queen of the Lakes.” Launched in 1981, the 1013.5-foot freighter still reigns as the longest Great Lakes ship. The company’s only surviving building is a brick warehouse repurposed into The Shipyards, a multi-use waterfront venue that not only houses Monkey Island Coffee, the Boiler Room restaurant and Superior City cocktail lounge, but also has dedicated guest dockage at Spitzer Riverside Marina.

Although boaters use rideshare services like Uber or Lyft to navigate Lorain, many simply walk across the Berry Bridge to reach downtown hotspots like the recently renovated Ariel Broadway Hotel, a 1925 landmark that seamlessly combines old-school architecture with sleek, stylish rooms. Its in-house restaurant, Dodie’s Dockside, serves first-rate seafood and southern Italian fare, and on the hotel’s rooftop, epicurean events like Dodie’s clambakes come with commanding views. Also on Broadway Avenue, Union Town Provisions’ eclectic menu ranges from charcuterie to southern fried chicken sandwiches; Broadway Mary’s serves assorted Angus burgers; and Fligner’s Market is a Lorain institution where you can obtain a world of prepared foods, such as homemade pierogies, Macedonian beans, and Italian beef and peppers.

Vermilion

Vermilion epitomizes a postcard-perfect small town and, fittingly enough, 15 recently unveiled, mural-sized recreations of vintage postcards give a nod to the town’s nautical heritage and reputation as a quintessential pleasure craft harbor. Since the murals are all displayed outside, picking up a Postcard Project guide at Main Street Vermilion and finding the vintage scenes of the lake, Vermilion River and Victorian buildings is an ideal way to explore the town.

Founded by New Englanders in the early 1800s, Vermilion has been a vacation destination for much of its existence and excels at welcoming visitors.

“Our community has a long and strong history that began with commercial fishing and shipbuilding,” says Main Street Vermilion Executive Director Marilou Suszko. “Those industries are gone, but many families that worked in them are still here and involved in running marinas, restaurants and other businesses.”

For boaters, Vermilion provides a windfall of public docks and marinas with transient slips, and Inter-Lake Yachting Association members receive guest privileges at I-LYA facilities, such as Vermilion Yacht Club and Vermilion Boat Club. The Vermilion Port Authority’s Water Works and McGarvey’s Landing dockage put you in the heart of the Harbour Town historic district. McGarvey’s is adjacent to a Quaker Steak & Lube, where you can eat outdoors and enjoy views of the river and the Vermilion Lagoons’ lovely enclave of Cape Cod-style homes. Book a narrated river cruise on the Mystic Belle at Don Parsons Marina and you’ll learn how a Cleveland contractor turned a swamp into the Lagoons.

You can dock and dine at classy Chez Francois, and many locally owned restaurants and shops are easily walkable from the public docks. Grab a hot dog at Big Ed’s Soda Grill and eat it alfresco in the shadow of the Vermilion Lighthouse at the Main Street Beach. Or go to Old Prague for the new twist — a patio with live music — that the Lich family added to their tried-and-true east European dishes. For something sweet, nothing beats the house-made chocolates and buttercrunch toffee at Brummer’s.