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Tower City Center
Category: Shopping Shopping Centers Shopping Centers [Edit]
50 Public SquareCleveland, OH 44113
(216) 241-0523
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 7 pm
Sun 12 pm - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
33 reviews for Tower City Center
Review Highlights
"...of the art movie theater, food court, and all the amenities."
(in 8 reviews)
"J Crew, Banana Republic, Structure, Elements of Surf..."
(in 2 reviews)
"Lots of stores for some Saturday shopping."
(in 20 reviews)
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33 reviews in English
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Review from Ted J.
Cleveland, OH
10/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
i like tower city. Lots of shopping, and convenient to all of cleveland.
i don't like that I have to pay for parking everywhere, but it is free around xmas time.
surrounded by normal big city issues, but there's good security. It's awesome there at xmas...one of the best times to go. -
Review from Ming T.
Brooklyn, NY
11/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Who knew the hotel I was staying at was connected to a mall....awesome right?!?!?
Uh, well not this mall. Where is everyone on this Saturday afternoon???? (10/22/11) I would have thought mall=bustling crowds of people trying to get their shop on. Nope, not at this mall.
But after reading other people's review, I understand why it's so empty.
Although, I did go to Victoria's secret (for lip gloss) and Claire's to get some hair accessories for a wedding. -
Review from Robert T.
Cleveland, OH
Updated - 10/3/2011
I wish we had an option for 0 stars.
Just this week a man was arrested as his gun went off in the food court. They found 2 bags of weed and over 35 bullets on this thug. Do not go to this mall unless you want to be in the middle of gang activity. SHUT IT DOWN.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/27/2011
Tower City shame on you. This used to be the place to go. I can remember the crowds and what a big… Read more »
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Review from Dick S.
8/31/2011
Had Kim Kardashian wanted to add some class to her wedding she would have held it at Tower City. Fortunately for us she did not as The Avengers was being filmed at its front door bringing enough commotion.
What was once a cavernous dull space was beautifully converted into a world-class shopping center. I have seen the marble stairs and lower level in a movie that was supposedly where the characters were shopping in LA. Looking thru skylights I can see the Terminal Tower looming above. If I have a Big Mac attack I can sit by a window overlooking the Flats and the river. I have perched on the marble seats to watch the dancing waters.
There are places to eat, to get coffee and to shop. Many have noted the loss of the upper end stores yet none claimed they bought much at any of them. Not hard to figure why they closed.
With a rapid transit hub and movies I am glad that Tower City is the shopping mall closest to my house. I enjoy the Friday market where I can buy cookies from an Amish bakery or nut rolls from a home baker. I see reviews from younger Cleveland yelpers relating their terror of one more place in our city. Maybe the sight of one thug makes you run away with your hands in the air, some of us seniors do not plan to give away our city that easily.
This splendid structure belongs to me as much as it does to any thug. I intend to enjoy all the best my city has to offer. -
Review from Bryan W.
Oak Harbor, OH
11/30/2011
i came up here with my ex (maybe why I'm a little bitter) to go to dinner at Mortons and she said that she wanted to come a couple hours early to go shopping. I was more than happy to take her up a couple hours early so she could enjoy herself. After about 20 minutes she had seen all there was to see didn't find one store she wanted to go in, and we ended up going to dinner an hour and a half early. I personally would never come back even if I did get to dinner early.
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Review from Jason B.
6/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I remember when Tower City opened up, the super mall full of high end this, that and the other thing. It was complete with a state of the art movie theater, food court, and all the amenities. The family would come to Tower City as an experience, and usually not to shop because everything was pretty expensive. It was great because Higebee's and the May Company were still around during those days so you seriously could spend a full day at Cleveland's biggest landmark, the Terminal Tower!
Now? Thugs, and kids hanging out by the fountain. Horrible store options that may or may not be there the next month. No large department stores. There is no longer a hook to keep this place alive. The only saving grace is the Film Festival that comes but once a year. It is sad to see what Tower City has become. It's not like a war torn 3rd world market or anything but there just is nothing here to bring anyone to the mall itself. You can find most of these stores at the local mall and the ones you can't aren't really worth it.
It's on the bus line. It makes it easy for those with nothing better to do, like maybe go to school or get a job, to congregate and menace. Tower City is a big old black eye of Cleveland, maybe with the Casino things will change but I doubt it. I can imagine being a traveler from out of town staying downtown and coming here. Wow, no wonder they think Cleveland is a dump. -
Review from Wally C.
New York, NY
11/11/2011
I remember going here when I was a lot younger. It's your standard shopping center in the downtown area. Nothing crazy in here. There's a big food court, bathrooms, a/c. That's about it. Nothing too crazy.
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Review from Amy H.
Medina, OH
4/5/2011 1 photo
We attended the CIFF at Tower City last weekend. It was the first visit for me and my husband, and I can't say we were impressed.
As Cara L. mentioned, the architecture and design of the building are truly incredible. Unfortunately, the interior of the place looked dirty and depressed, and felt a bit frantic with all the food court vendors shoving their samples in our faces. We spent the most time walking around, eating and looking for coffee in-between movies, and were sad that every store closed at 7pm. . on a Saturday. What?
It seems to me that this mall was once something special, but has become a sad after-thought. Come on, Cleveland! -
Review from Michael G.
Warren, OH
2/16/2011
What the HELL happened to this place? Back in the 90's I used to drive up from Youngstown to TCC to hang out all the time. The place was nice, and clean, and had mid-level to upscale stores....J Crew, Banana Republic, Structure, Elements of Surf, Warner Brothers Studio Store, Fuddruckers, Discovery Channel.
My wife and I moved to California in 2004 and moved back to the Youngstown area in 2009. We visited TCC at the end of 2010 for the first time in almost 6 years. Where had all the good stores gone? Where was the niceness? There was a freakin' DOLLAR STORE in there.
I don't know what happened while we were gone, but there was a moment in TCC where I was almost in fear for our safety. It's sad to see was this place had become, as I had previously enjoyed shopping and just BEING there. For God sakes, I remember a wedding party getting their wedding pictures taken on the grand stairway in the main concourse back then!!
Letter grade: D - -
Review from Murray R.
Cleveland, OH
Updated - 12/16/2010
Mixed feelings about today's shopping excursion. I am trying to avoid Great Northern, Crocker or even Westgate this week. Not because i am some anti consumerist nerd, but because i can't handle the traffic. I don't even mind standing in lines at the store, but i loathe holiday traffic. So, I had to take the rapid to Tower City with a pal, and decided i could attempt to get all my Xmas purchases downtown. Close, but no cigar. Actually i didn't look for cigars.
The Cleveland Only Store was weaker than the last time i went, the urban fashion stores offered pretty poor service, and some stores i remembered from a year ago were gone. I did find some items at the gaming/ learning store. The vibe of Christmas was definitely all around, and i defy anyone to not have fun just meandering about this place. Sipping coffee, rocking winter coats and reminiscing about childhood holiday fun was a welcome treat in the middle of the day while everyone else was at work. You can try to replicate the experience at Crocker or a mall, but it just rings false with me. This is the real deal, Miracle on 34th, bums asking for cigarettes, gritty, sludgy metropolitan downtown Xmas experience i savor.
I actually found some gifts out on the street level, so downtown overall gets better marks than in the past. E.4th eateries are good for gift cards, Erie Island has some nice gifts, and you could even get House of Blues swag for people you don't really like. I reckon the more stuff that opens on Euclid, the better Tower City will do. Hang in there old friend, you might make it just yet.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/24/2010
All the other reviews proclaiming the death knell of TC were from two or more years ago. Guess what,… Read more »
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Review from Cara L.
9/30/2010 1 photo
Tower City Center gets three stars from me. Why? Well, it's a medium of two major factors, a positive and a negative. Read on and I'll explain.
First of all, Tower City is not a mall anymore. Well, unless you're looking to stock up on personalized graphic tees, light up belt buckles with your name flashing, Bath & Body Works garb, or lots of info from the pro-life kiosk. Other than that, we agree. Tower City WAS a mall, and a cool one at that. But over the years it has dwindled down to chotchy stores, abandoned shop fronts, and an experience that can leave you feeling relatively unsafe if you're alone.
*Le sigh*
Such a shame, I know...
On the brighter side, Tower City brings Cleveland together. It holds and connects many of CLE's biggest companies within its office buildings. The history of the building itself is rich and fascinating beyond what most of us understand or care to know. And the architecture....Please do me a favor. Next time you find yourself in Tower City, look up. Soak in the intricate details taken to make this building so beautiful. Beyond that, it serves as the connector of the city through its easy access to our great public transportation system, the Rapid. Business men and woman utilize this service daily to get to and from work. These people are making amazing things happen in Cleveland and it all comes together in this building. I love that.
Clevelanders don't appreciate how amazing this building actually is--and for good reason too! It's certainly taken a dive in the past years, and that's putting it lightly. But I can't wait to see what progressive movement of Cleveland has in store for Tower City. With all the amazing things coming in the 5-10 years, I think we're in for a great surprise!
...Until then, I wouldn't recommend walking around there alone at night. It get's just a wee-bit dicey.Listed in: Tour de Clevo, Cleveland Institutions, Shopping Malls in CLE
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Review from Tim W.
9/1/2010
Tower City oh how you've let yourself go.
Tower City is like the super hot girlfriend you dated in high school that broke up with you senior year that you run into ten years, 75 lbs heavier and two kids later and you think in your mind WTF happened to you!
I have been coming to Tower City since I was a kid. I've always like the mall. It was clean, fun and had lots of stores we didn't have in Pittsburgh. Now it reminds me of Century III Mall in Pittsburgh. Empty store fronts. Very few people walking around on a Saturday. Morton's and Brook Brothers are surprisingly still there as is FYE and Hard Rock.
Don't get me wrong, the mall isn't bad it just needs some new life and some remodeling done. It is confusing trying to get from floor to floor as you have to take different escalators to get to different levels. The theater is still there as well. Maybe if the mall was upscaled a little like Ross Park Mall in Pittsburgh was. Add some big name designers that aren't in Beachwood Place to draw the shoppers in.
The food court could use some help as well. Get rid of all of the chains and put in food stalls that you can only find in Cleveland like Angie's Soul Cafe, Hot Sauce Williams, Burton's, Corky & Lenny's, Melt and Steve's Gyros!
I love the character and the history of the building. It has so much potential that is just being wasted. -
Review from Annalise P.
Austin, TX
6/10/2011
Tower city used to be a great place. There was a time when this was a decent shopping but over the years it's gone down and it's a reminder that Cleveland isn't as economically well to do as it used to be. There's more to see than Bath & Body Works (how exactly is it still open?) and cell phone case kiosks. The RTA stop through here is good, clean, and beats out any eastern city counterpart and it's a great way to get in the city as it's in a good central location and you can easily walk to the Jake or the Q when you are going to catch a game.
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Review from Karen C.
Chicago, IL
6/21/2011
This is the worst shopping center I've ever visited. It was advertised as three levels of stores but there's no flagship or department store to be had. And there's not a decent clothing or shoe store in the whole place. I walked around for 20 minutes and found no store worth even entering. I then tried to walk outside to find something to salvage the price of parking and only saw workers heading home, and presumably away from downtown, for the day. It made me sad for Cleveland.
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Review from Darren S.
Henderson, NV
8/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
I remember when this place opened years ago and it was great. All it is now is a place for vagrants and garbage to hang around.
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Review from Kevin D.
San Francisco, CA
10/4/2010
I'm going to keep this short and sweet.
This place is ghetto and trashy. The stores are not worth visiting. No! -
Review from Chris M.
7/31/2010
This place needs help. Fast.
In 2005 when I was in high school (SIHS) and had a half day, I thought I would go get cheap food at Tower City before I went back home on the bus (hey, I had 45min. to kill). Unfortunately, I was approached by a security guard and told I was not allowed in the building because I was no 18 and if I had to take the rapid I had to be escorted down there by him. Excuse me? Here I was, dressed in shirt and tie, not allowed in. I promptly left.
I recently visited and, unfortunately, the place has gone down even more. Is the Brooks Brothers still open? I didn't check when I was there. The place is now a downtown Richmond Mall, lots of vacant space and dying. It's sad, because I remember in the early 90s coming down here with my dad and having fun. Stores are dirty and fights from CPS kids getting out of school happens frequently.
This place was great, but not anymore. -
Review from Matthew D.
Washington, DC
7/13/2008
Sad. Sad. Sad. Imagine seeing your favorite MLB baseball player drunk in a bar. Now imagine him about 25 lbs overweight and stinking of cheap cologne. You aren't sure but you think he is about to vomit up the $2.00 rail drinks he's been chugging all night.
Tower City is kind of that baseball player for me so you can imagine my disappointment when I visited my old high school stomping grounds - after 10 years.
The J.Crew was replaced by Charlotte Russe or something of that nature. The Abercrombie was a Rainbow (not sure what that is but it looked scary). Though J.Crew and Abercrombie aren't really on my must-have list these days, seeing far worse stores in their places was sad. Even Au Bon Pain was gone. When the ABP gets the hell out of dodge, you know things are bad.
Sorry Clevelanders! Sorry about the economy. Sorry about the winter weather and sorry about the beautiful, historical railroad station turned shopping gallery . It used to be the heart of the city but its looking pretty rough. I still think Cleveland rocks! Get well soon, Tower City :) -
Review from Jim P.
Cleveland, OH
11/26/2007
Oh, look! The fat lady is getting ready to sing!
THE UP-SIDE: Technically, you can shop here if you try. I mean, the place does have a bunch of stores (albeit, an odd and faltering collection) along with your average mall fast food selection.
THE DOWN-SIDE: Like a reconstructed skeleton of a museum T-Rex, Tower City stands as a loosely held together collection of business that could topple over at any minute; all the while, recalling the days when it stood proud and roared. What used to be shiny, high-end, and way over-priced shopping, has been replaced with all things "lesser." This provides for a less than satisfying shopping experience, and stands as a testament to all the wrong things that have been done to reinvigorate the Cleveland economy.
THE SUM-IT-UP: Tower City is nice looking place with a jumbled identity. It's fighting to stay alive as all the yupsters abandon it for the faux-neighborhood shopping at Legacy Village and Crocker Park. It's a losing battle.
It's too bad it had to end this way, but until Cleveland can find a way to invigorate its citizens on the "low-end," all these "high-end" appeals to the yupsters will continue to fall flat. The city is dying, and right now the only thing that will stop the endless exodus is to rebuild from the bottom up; giving the poor and middle class people here a reason to stay and feel proud.
Steelyard Commons is a good start. Now, the average person doesn't have to vacate the city to tend to their daily needs. And, they don't have to pay for parking - another giant difference. Let's hope there can be more good steps in this direction.
Either way, Tower City's days are numbered, and I couldn't care less. If I wanna see a the bones of a dinosaur, I'll hit the Natural History Museum. It costs less, and is far more satisfying. -
Review from Amy B.
9/30/2007
You can tell the Cleveland is trying SO hard. This mall has lots of effort but it just doesn't quite seem to be making it.
Tower City Center could have lots going for it. A RTA station on the basement floor, several floors of shopping and restaurants, and then an office tower. This complex also connects to several hotels and is in a great part of town with lots of parks and is near the stadiums and museums.
The mall seems to cater towards a young crowd. There doesn't seem to be enough security/police presence to feel really safe, and the stores are not quite high end enough to attract a customer with lots of $ to unload.
Even on weekend nights many of the mainstays tend to close down early. Bummer. -
Review from Craig L.
Great place....if you want an airbrushed t-shirt or anything from the $1.00 store or a scratch off lotto ticket. Sad that this used to house J Crew, Gap, Banana Republic and Express. Before Crocker Park and Legacy Village there was Tower City and the Galleria. I work in the building adjacent so we usually take breaks from the office and take a walk around. There are a few stores left (FYE, Bath & Body Works & a few other mom & pop stores) but it's just kind of a gloomy feel when you walk around. They have done something about the amount of kids that filter in here, but its just sad to see something once great now reduced to almost nothing.
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Review from Rodney W.
Parma, OH
4/16/2009
Needs a makeover. The cars and buses on the street over your head cause huge vibrations while you're sitting upstairs eating. Each time I sit here, I picture the Earthquake ride at Walt Disney World in Orlando. And all those upside down umbrellas catching leaking water and funneling it to a bucket on the floor? Bad design or something. I'm kind of embarrassed of this place thinking of all the tourists who travel through Tower City when Cleveland hosts events like the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies or the International Film Festival.
The Chinese food shops are cheap, most offering daily lunch specials for under five bucks, but obviously those are very unhealthy. The Chinese shop next to McDonald's sells buffalo chicken on Thursdays, which is tasty. McD's is abnormally expensive here. Taco Bell & KFC share a shop and don't offer full menus. Boo!
There are many better places to spend my $5.00 for lunch each day in downtown Cleveland - like Jimmy John's or Teresa's Pizza on Euclid.
http://www.towercityce... -
Review from James P.
Cleveland, OH
2/26/2011 24 Check-ins Here
when it comes to getting quick Japanese or Chinese food,tower city food court is great. Well as far as shopping is concerned, I'm a big&talk fellow. There is no where for me to shop.
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Review from Lisa S.
11/20/2008
Ah yes, Tower City. In Columbus we had something just like you, called City Center. Once the only mall to see and be seen in, it slowly went the way of the dinosaur as mega malls were built closer to the 'burbs. Well, Cleveland's economy doesn't help either.
Nothing truly fantastic stands out at Tower City, unless you count the homeless person taking a bath in the sink. -
Review from Mike P.
Broadview Heights, OH
7/7/2008
Today was my first visit to Tower City. The second mall in Ohio Ive been to.
Maybe my expectations were too high because I expected downtown Cleveland to have it all and all kinds of interesting people contributing to the energy and excitement and overall buzz of the place.
Well...........
There was mostly what I call 'upper middle class' to ' upper class' shops on three to four floors, and one so called 'dollar' store. Hmmm that 'dollar' store must really feel out of place. Don't get me wrong- the stores were nice, but only enough for me to window shop and not enough for me to go inside and browse at things, much less buy something.
Then there's the food. Typical fast food you find in a mall- McDonalds, Auntie Anne's Pretzels (which is IMO the best mall food), coffee places, and even places that specialize in Chinese fast food, Japanese fast food, and Greek fast food.
On this visit there wasn't any high pressure sales shmucks trying to sell me cell phone service or the heat resistant drinking straw, but there was a lady outside the fast-Japanese-food place who on FOUR different occasions tried to get me to eat a sample of some chicken crap. Yes, my fault for walking by that place FOUR times. MY FAULT. I guess it wasn't enough telling this lady "NO" once.
Oh yes and there's also Hard Rock Cafe and Morton's of Chicago Steakhouse.
What I really liked about this place-- the outdoor balconies with chairs and tables, facing the Cuyahoga River, and the indoor water fountains that spit out water and mist to the sound of classical music.
It seemed there were only two kinds of people there- the locals who just sit around, especially at the water fountains, just staring out in space, waiting for things to happen, AND, the white collar professionals who occupy every table and chair during the lunch hours, chatting up dull and tired-sounding conversation.
Nice place, but could be a lot better. Certainly not one of those places I want to go back to. Now if you want to take me out to lunch or dinner at Morton's, then you know where to find me *wink**. -
Review from Justin V.
11/25/2007
Interesting place, but all things considered a little dismal.
Where else can you get a train station, cineplex, Ritz Carlton, and a store where everything is literally a dollar?
I mean, we go from low class to working class to middle class entertainment to bougie as all get out.
As is almost always the case, though, quality in the aggregate regresses to the mean. Hence, 3 stars. -
Review from Allison P.
Akron, OH
11/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
I liked Tower City when it was first built. it was bright and shiny and cheerful- particularly during the winter holidays. After returning to Cleveland after 5 years away, the place still looks good to me. It's clean, has a variety of stores for a range of shoppers, and because the Rapid station has a hub there, all kinds of people come and go. I love that the film festival takes place there and would love to see more cultural events occur at this site.
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Review from Terinee B.
Washington, DC
8/12/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Lots of stores for some Saturday shopping! Plenty of great restaurants too! Although a tad bit congested, it is not so much that it is a turn-off... Would love to visit again!
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Review from Kimberly K.
San Francisco, CA
3/5/2008
i went here today for the first time in years.
a quote keeps circling my head.
"even the mob left vegas"
....yeah. -
Review from TheDancingChef C.
Studio City, CA
12/29/2007
Tower City in Cleveland is not like it used to be when I was younger and it was called terminal tower these days it's more lively and beautiful than ever. From the remodeled food court to the hundreds of new stores they have added. Back in the 70's and 80's it was nothing like this when I was growing up. It basically was this hollow shell of a place that housed offices and janitorial rooms and as kids we used to race our bikes thru the halls for fun. Nothing like today as it has become this major shopping mecca of Downtown Cleveland.
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Review from Herb R.
Morgan Hill, CA
11/7/2008
This reminds me of the San Jose's east ridge mall before it was renovated. As far as the building structure, i will give that a 5 star but, the inside of this mall is just your average town mall with the big chain stores.
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Review from Rosa K.
Westlake, OH
8/18/2009
I heard that most who recently visited this mall aren't happy with what they saw. The last time I have been there the selection there was not that bad.
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Review from jack b.
Atlanta, GA
5/15/2011
there was not a single store i even wanted to walk into. if i was an african american citizen i would have given this more stars but unfortunately i'm not. as a caucasian there are no stores for me here.
