Just as its regulars, Parkview is embedded within the Cleveland neighborhood that surrounds it, a corner plot that looks more like a brick wall than a dive bar at first glance. There are signs of gentrification, to be sure, with new-build apartments nearby, but the character of the area is unmistakable and that’s really a testament to Cleveland itself, an old-soul city if ever there was one, and Parkview Nite Club soaks it up.
It may just be the dive bar romantic in this reviewer, but there’s something about front doors. Of course there are amazing dives that look quite the opposite on the outside, but an amazing front door rarely lies. Parkview’s front door lives at the top of a two-step staircase that looks like it may have been discovered the same time Cleveland was founded, needless to say, a good sign.
Inside, the space is a diner crossed with an Italian restaurant crossed with a turn-of-the-century British tavern. A series of booths line one wall, red and plus and nicely remote in relation to the rest of the bar. Low tables dot the intervening space, but the bar is where the beauty lies, a satisfyingly deep woodgrain drinking tray with a collection of wall art that does nothing if not ignite curiosity. Classic Cleveland sports memorabilia, framed photos in tribute to Cleveland’s urban history and a bird cage, because bird cage.