Even if you're new to Cleveland or don't even live here, I'm sure you've heard that there are several unique neighborhoods, or districts, that make up the downtown area. Think the five boroughs of New York City, only smaller and better smelling. Some only span a couple of blocks, and others encapsulate several streets.

You've got the Flats, which is down by the Cuyahoga River and has been revitalized over the past several years. The Flats is home to several great restaurants, an amazing dueling piano bar, and even a popular concert venue.

There's the Warehouse District, which is one of the most popular areas in Cleveland for bars and nightlife, and the Gateway District, which is filled with several ways to pass the time. In the Gateway District is the 5th street arcades which house many local businesses. It also includes East 4th street, which is an alley-turned-restaurant central. Restaurants and pubs line both sides of East 4th street and it's some of the best food you'll ever taste.

There are a few other districts in or around downtown Cleveland, but by far my favorite is Playhouse Square. Also called the theater district, Playhouse Square is a dream come true for someone who adores theatre and but doesn't have the means to pack up and go live in New York City to see shows on Broadway.

But here in Cleveland, we get our own little slice of Broadway. In fact, it's the largest performing arts center outside of NYC. It hosts over 1000 events annually and receives over 1 million guests a year.

But it's popularity and it's comparison to the Big Apple aren't the only reasons I love this part of the city.

If you know me, you know I'm a city girl through and through. I'd take a concrete jungle over 20 acres of country land any day. I love the feeling of cement sidewalks under my shoes, I love the hustle-bustle of strangers that fill the streets daily. I love looking up and losing buildings in the sun because they're so tall.

Walking by the flashing theater signs and seeing people dressed to the nines coming in and out of the theater truly embodies city life to me. Nothing makes me feel more like a part of the city, a true city girl, than walking under the marquees. The lit up chyrons beneath the signs telling what shows are playing when, the valet men and women waiting for the show to be over, and the bakeries and coffee shops nearby that stay open late to serve those just coming from a performance.

Then there's the added bonus of the breathtaking chandelier that resides above Euclid Avenue in Playhouse Square. It's the largest permanent outdoor chandelier in the world, and it just adds to the feeling of being welcomed into the city when you're crossing the street underneath it.

There's a Starbucks right across the street from the cluster of theaters, and it's often where I go to sit and do my homework. Month after month I never get tired of looking out and seeing the giant chandelier hanging, almost keeping watch, over the area.

Playhouse Square is undoubtedly the best part of downtown Cleveland to me because it's always seemed the warmest and welcoming. No ones ever upset walking out of the theater and the way each theater sign illuminates the street has always made me feel safe and welcomed. Cleveland, or any city really, can seem cold, hard and uninviting at times. But in the Playhouse Square area, it's anything but.