Ten Great Reasons to Visit the East Side

Toledo Local Features  |  By Michael Pierce  |  11/27/2015

While the smokestacks and gas flares of multiple oil refineries contribute to a desolate appearance of the the east side neighborhoods, those with an aversion to “crossing the river” into East Toledo are missing out. From historic architecture and beautiful parks to locally owned specialty stores, hole-in-the wall restaurants worth a taste, and one of the longest standing music venues in the city, East Toledo is replete with a multitude of valuable assets worthy of celebration.

The High-Level bridge re-opened last month after over a year and a half of being closed for repairs, and although it still needs a fresh coat of paint and some new lights, this is the perfect time to venture over into this oft-neglected part of town to find some of these hidden gems.

So with this in mind, and in no particular order, here’s a list of ten great reasons to do just that:

1. Frankie’s Inner-City and Iggy’s (Going on Hiatus)

Two of the most notable music venues in town, Frankie’s and Iggy’s, both reside in East Toledo - on the only Main Street in the entire city. Unfortunately, at the end of November these venues will go on hiatus from hosting shows. Though, because the owners are adamant that these venues will not permanently close, they deserve a place on the list. 

“I’ve personally been involved with Frankie’s for many years”, says Innovation Concerts owner Broc Curry. Innovation Concerts took over booking at Frankie’s, Iggy’s, and various other venues in the region about four years ago and have “supported all genres and types of music; we’ve tried to make it so there’s something down here for everybody”, Curry explains. Unfortunately the lack of interest and support for the local and regional music scene is forcing Curry and his dedicated crew to take a step back.

The origins of Frankie’s dates all the way back to the 1940’s, when Frank Andriacco and his wife Virginia opened an Italian restaurant there. Their grandson, Robert Croak, turned it into a music venue in the 80’s. Frankie’s became a staple of the Toledo music scene back in those days - bringing in acts like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Goo Goo Dolls, and many others - all before they made it big. Throughout the 90’s and 00’s, Frankie’s continued to hold its own bringing in regional and national acts, as well as giving countless local bands a stage on which to perform.

At the corner of Main and 1st, Iggy’s is only a block away from Frankie’s. For many shows, paying to get into one venue got you in the door at the other as well. “If you got tired of one place you could walk down and check the other place out, and hopefully find something interesting between the two places. We’ve worked to keep it very diverse; one night was maybe a hip hop show at Iggy’s with an indie show at Frankie’s, and then the next night, a metal show at Frankie’s and a jam show at Iggy’s”, says Curry.

The future of these venues is currently up in the air, but both Curry and Croak have made it clear that this is not the end, only a temporary break. According to the Innovation website, “This Isn’t Goodbye”.

2. Michael’s Cafe

Located inside the Weber Block at Front and Main Streets, Michael’s Cafe has served made-from-scratch baked goods since 1992. “We don’t cut costs, we use Guittard chocolate, which is made here in the US, and we go through over 6,000 pounds of it a year”, says owner Michael Armstrong.

Prior to locating in the Weber Block, Michael’s operated as a wholesale outlet in Oregon. With nearly 50 employees, including executing chefs and baking managers, Michael’s Cafe operates as a retail outlet, a cafe, and most prominently as a catering service.

3.International Park and The Docks

Directly underneath the High-Level bridge on the east side of the Maumee river, there’s a bike trail that follows along Boers-Boyer Way and leads to and from International Park. Along the way, visitors will find plenty of green space and open air along the river. This area is also home of the Toledo Beach Volleyball Association and the Toledo Rowing Club. Both of these venues offer low cost training in their respective sports, and add significant value and use to the riverfront.

A Toledo attraction for locals and visitors to the city for nearly 20 years, The Docks restaurants are situated directly in front of International Park.

Visitors looking for an “upscale” dining experience can drive up or pull up in their boat and park at the docks. The nightlife experience here provides a view of downtown Toledo and the Maumee river that is unlike anywhere else in the city.

The current roster of restaurants here includes Zia’s, Real Seafood Company, Forrester’s On The River, and El Vaquero. Also situated in this space is the newly opened 7: The Saturday Experience, which brings a bit of city nightlife to this area.

4. Morrison R. Waite High School

Waite High School is an example of architectural prowess - boasting the same type of design work as the Old West End’s Scott High School on Collingwood Boulevard - which came close to seeing the chopping block back in 2000’s at the height of the TPS "Building For Success" program. Fortunately, Scott was spared by petitioners, and both buildings underwent much needed renovations during that time. At just over a century old, both Scott and Waite are two of the oldest school buildings left in the city.

In 1996, Waite was added to the national register of historic buildings, and in 2014 the school district celebrated 100 years of operation.

5. LeSo Art Gallery

Located at 1527 Starr Avenue, the LeSo Art Gallery is a breath of fresh air for East Toledo. The brainchild of husband and wife Adam and Amber Soboleski, The LeSo features new exhibits nearly every month, and also offers and educational space that is “dedicated to developing and nurturing the creative process in the Toledo urban community”.

They closed out the year with a ceramic sale for the Arts Commission’s 3rd Thursday Loop on November 19th, and “plan to take some time to intricately curate some exciting exhibitions and pick back up with events in early 2016”, says Amber Soboleski.

The LeSo is also a part of the East Toledo Arts Initiative, which works to beautify Main Street and other areas of the east side by creating public art displays.

For a look at some of their more recent exhibitions, check out Overture IV and Variant.

6. Woodville Surplus

Since 1949, Woodville Surplus has offered more than just military bdu’s. From airsoft guns, hunting and fishing supplies, to cold-weather clothes, and much more, this family-owned local store has managed to thrive despite the rise of big-box retail outlets.

“The army-navy business have evolved”, says owner Mike Feldstein. “Back in the 1940’s, the US had an enormous stockpile of military surplus items left over from World War 2, but that’s not so much the case anymore. So today, an army-navy surplus store has to evolve from that, and we’ve been successful in doing that. We probably have the best representation of cold weather gear for people working outside than any other place in Toledo”, he explains.

Those who visit Woodville Surplus might be lucky enough to be greeted by the family dogs. “It’s a family run business, locally owned..so we bring the dogs with us to work”, says Feldstein.

7. National Museum of the Great Lakes

One of the more recent additions to East Toledo, The Great Lakes Historical Society opened the National Museum of the Great Lakes in the spring of 2014. Sitting on the edge of the Maumee river at the end of Riverside Drive, the museum offers a deeper look into the rich history of the world’s largest fresh water supply.

With over 250 artifacts from ships that sailed the great lakes over the past century, the museum is housed in a nearly 10,000 square foot facility that is sure to inspire visitors of all ages and walks of life.

8. Haas Bakery

What started out as Denny’s Doughnook on Superior Street in downtown Toledo, Haas Bakery moved to the east side in the late 1980’s, and has been selling out of Polish coffee cakes ever since. “We’re not cookie-cutter. When you come here you’re getting something unique, and something with really good quality”, says Andy Haas.

The store is so busy right now that “I’ve reached a point where I’m trying to train some people to help me because I can’t keep up with it myself”, Haas explains. The big seller for them is the Polish and Hungarian coffee cakes, which can also be found in The Anderson’s stores around Toledo.

9. Bangkok Cafe

Nestled away in a quiet retail space on Woodville road - aptly dubbed the Woodway Plaza, the Bangkok Cafe serves a Pad Thai dish that rivals any other Asian restaurant in Toledo.

Sitting just beyond the border of east Toledo, in Northwood, the place is hardly noticeable from the street - but the warm and gentle atmosphere on the inside greets a healthy share of patrons. For the past 15 years, those who’ve made their way out to the smallest suburb of Toledo have experienced a slice of truly authentic Thai cuisine.

 10. Tony Packo’s

Established during the early years of the Great Depression, the Original Tony Packo’s is a success story for the ages. A native East Toledoan, Packo was a factory worker who would go on to invent the the Hungarian hot dog, and it was an instant hit in the Birmingham neighborhood at Front and Consaul.

Four decades later, the hot dog was made famous in the 70’s when Jaime Farr, as Corporal Max Klinger of the hit tv show M*A*S*H, made mention of the Toledo dish on the show. Since that time, four other locations have sprung up in and around the Glass City, making this East Toledo creation a city-wide staple with national appeal that dates back over 80 years.

Photos 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 10 by Allison Dow.