The Stalwart

Glass City Riverwalk

BY JADA HARRIS

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: AUGUST 2023

Looking for new outdoor spaces to explore in the city? Toledo’s hottest new spot for the whole family is The Glass City Riverwalk. Thank you to the public and private sectors that helped finance what used to be a large vacant environment in downtown Toledo, along the Maumee River. This space was designed to bring the different communities that make up the heart of downtown together to enjoy new outdoor experiences. Along with the Glass Pavilion created in the first phase of this citywide project, the space includes a 5-mile Riverwalk trail that connect multiple local neighborhoods; the Grosbeak Discovery Play Area, a 41-foot-tall adventure tower created for children and adults, with designs inspired by a local bird native to the Toledo area, the Blue Grosbeak; The Ribbon, an outdoor skate rink available year-round; a kayak cove and boardwalk; rentable cabanas; a rock-climbing wall; and more. Along with all the outside fun is a new indoor space, known as Market Hall. Here visitors are able to rent skates, scooters, and other equipment used for the park, but also enjoy a bite to eat and a nice drink. Toledo’s very own Poco Piatti, a local Mediterranean Tapas Bar serving Toledo for over 50 years, has opened a new miniature restaurant specifically for our newly built Riverwalk, called The Garden. Not only is this project bringing new life into a space that was once a dead zone in our city, but the art around the park reflects on the history that made up that space that is no longer there. The Beacon Tower for example is a beautiful steel and stained-glass smokestack tower created for this space. In remembrance of the former power plant that was once a part of this downtown skyline, Acme Towers. This beautiful piece of art was created to hold space for such an important piece of what makes Toledo, while acknowledging and honoring the beauty of glass manufacturing that is also a big piece of our city’s culture. Go check out this beautiful new space that Toledo has to offer.

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