This is how transplants see Cleveland... myself included (Youngstown, Warren: university, live)
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I went to a high school in the exurbs. Its hilarious how people there say they are from "Cleveland" .. nothing made me more annoyed. Seriously? They think living 45 minutes from downtown on 3 acres in a subdivision means they know what its like. I was originally a city boy from Lakewood and my family moved. Now my parents are moving back to the city, and I have taken NUMEROUS friends on tours of Cleveland. Many of my good friends have seen awesome things about the city, and they love it. They would have never done that without my influence, and that makes me very happy. Most of them came from cities too. I have even been asked from them to take THEIR friends and visitors on Cleveland tours.. I've taken people from Sacramento, Chicago, and Hungary!
I lived in Paris for 4 months in school. When I was there, it was a rainy spring day, and one of my colleagues, a native Parisian, said something like "I can't stand this city and its terrible weather!" - I nearly smacked him on the head. If I didn't do that physically, I did it verbally! I couldn't believe that this kid who grew up in Paris (PARIS!!) could be down on his city because of a bit of rain. Then, it all made sense, somehow people are quick to blame a city for their own problems. They just don't have anything else to blame it on, because they won't blame it on themself (for forgetting an umbrella, or whatever else).
Define "worse." In 2011, Chicago was literally shut down for 2 days by a snow storm. Cleveland didn't even have a snow day during the same timeframe. It's all relative. Other than in the far eastern suburbs, we don't see a lot of that "shutdown" severity which Chicago seems to get every few years. We may get more measureable snow, but it rarely falls at a 10-20" per day clip like it does elsewhere. 2-4" at a time is the usual and it's really quite manageable. You put on a coat and some heavier shoes and go about your business.
I was in Downtown Cleveland visiting last night for the first time and was very impressed. Keep up the good work. I loved East 4th street and the Warehouse district.
One of my roomie's friends is from Cleveland and he described it as a nice city, but with nothing to back it up, says it has no "umph". I'll be up to see for myself at the end of the month. I've heard various things, but I believe that most people who have negative things to say want something bigger and were disappointed that Cleveland isn't the major city they want it to be. That's why they come to Atlanta, the big diverse mess of pretending to be something it's not.
Define "worse." In 2011, Chicago was literally shut down for 2 days by a snow storm. Cleveland didn't even have a snow day during the same timeframe. It's all relative. Other than in the far eastern suburbs, we don't see a lot of that "shutdown" severity which Chicago seems to get every few years. We may get more measureable snow, but it rarely falls at a 10-20" per day clip like it does elsewhere. 2-4" at a time is the usual and it's really quite manageable. You put on a coat and some heavier shoes and go about your business.
Sorry, but your post is full of misstatements.
Chicago does not get a "shutdown" every few years. Wherever did you hear that?
For your information, the February 2011 snowstorm was the third worst in the city's history. It was extremely unusual for Chicago, which is why it made news. It was not the norm. The only two worse snowstorms were in 1967 (the granddaddy of Chicago snowstorms -- the one all the old-timers talk about) and 1999. There was also a very bad snowstorm in 1979, but not as bad as 2011's.
I lived in the Cleveland area for 34 years and have now lived in Chicago for 17 years. I saw many, many more 10+ inch snowstorms in Cleveland than I ever have here. Most Chicago snows are in the 2-4 inch range. And many years there are long intervals between such snows, although in the meantime it might be quite cold out.
Also, the city is spared most of the lake-effect snows that the Cleveland area sees. It's due to wind patterns which are most often west to east. That sends the lake effect snow into northwest Indiana and into Michigan. Chicago proper only gets lake effect when there's a good east wind.
One of my roomie's friends is from Cleveland and he described it as a nice city, but with nothing to back it up, says it has no "umph". I'll be up to see for myself at the end of the month. I've heard various things, but I believe that most people who have negative things to say want something bigger and were disappointed that Cleveland isn't the major city they want it to be. That's why they come to Atlanta, the big diverse mess of pretending to be something it's not.
No "umph"... I think that's just another way of saying that Cleveland doesn't quite feel like a "real city"... it feels more like, well, just a town. To people who are used to the energy and stimulation and excitement that true first-tier cities provide, Cleveland might seem like a disappointment -- a big comedown. I can certainly see that. That doesn't mean that Cleveland doesn't have some very fine things to offer, however.
(For the record, I was underwhelmed with Atlanta the one time I was there... although I should add as a disclaimer that I was there only briefly and saw only a little slice of the city... so maybe I didn't have enough to go on.)
1st Disclosure: I have never lived in Cleveland, but I visited it twice and was very impressed. I am going back to visit this fall.
2nd Disclosure: I view these threads as Cleveland metro area, not Cleveland city vs. Cleveland suburbs.
I am living in Miami (for 4+ years), a very well-known, show-off, flashy city, popular with people from all over the world.
This has some advantages, but a lot of diadvantages.
2 themes I have noticed on these Cleveland threads:
1) Cleveland needs to ¨show-off¨ or ¨put itself on a pedestal¨
My question is why?
People who generally want to show off seek validation from society due to their own insecurities.
They seek attention.
People need to be free to see thmselves the way they want, and others should not lament differing viewpoints.
Attitudes can change over time. If you are impatient for that, you need to look within to find the answer.
2) Cleveland residents have a negative attitude
I felt that Cleveland residents had a realistic and down to earth attitude, which is rather welcoming for 2012.
They don´t try to be someone they are not - that is a strength, not a weakness (unlike Miami, where facade/image is very important).
A person who gets discouraged because he/she perceives that a city culture is too negative and wants that city to change needs to start by changing their own attitude.
Again, this can be considered indirect insecurity that the place they live in is ¨lacking¨, when the solution to the problem is not always the city´s itself, it is the inidividual.
Perhaps those who complain about the city´s perceived negativity and modest attitude need to spend time finding themselves and ask why they feel that way.
Finally, a word about Clevelander´s not being proud of their city.
Those critiquing lack of pride, need to understand just what pride is.
I can understand being proud of my personal accomplishments (however small they are, and however human they are).
But how can you be ¨proud¨ of a city that was already built up decades before you were born, where your contribution to it has been minimal?
Why limit that pride to one city? Why not then be proud of the human race?
How can you be proud to have been born in Cleveland, or born in the USA?
Did any of you choose to be born where you were born? How can you proud of that? Proud that your father came inside your mother at that given moment in time?
Pride can be a dangerous thing, look it up, and study the history of pride, and you´ll see what I mean.
Sorry to be preachy, but the few Clevelanders who are pretentious are some of the most insecure of them all.
Chicago does not get a "shutdown" every few years. Wherever did you hear that?
For your information, the February 2011 snowstorm was the third worst in the city's history. It was extremely unusual for Chicago, which is why it made news. It was not the norm. The only two worse snowstorms were in 1967 (the granddaddy of Chicago snowstorms -- the one all the old-timers talk about) and 1999. There was also a very bad snowstorm in 1979, but not as bad as 2011's.
I lived in the Cleveland area for 34 years and have now lived in Chicago for 17 years. I saw many, many more 10+ inch snowstorms in Cleveland than I ever have here. Most Chicago snows are in the 2-4 inch range. And many years there are long intervals between such snows, although in the meantime it might be quite cold out.
Also, the city is spared most of the lake-effect snows that the Cleveland area sees. It's due to wind patterns which are most often west to east. That sends the lake effect snow into northwest Indiana and into Michigan. Chicago proper only gets lake effect when there's a good east wind.
Seconded. Cleveland_Collector is talking out of his ass here.
I like Chicago winters better than Cleveland winters because it's just a couple inches of snow on the ground and numbing cold (which I actually like) for days at a time, not the dump-and-melt roller coaster ride you get in Cleveland, especially in the Snow Belt.
For the other three seasons, I like Cleveland better, though. The ridiculous wind patterns in Chicago annoy me in the spring, and the stagnant humidity annoys me in the summer (why can't it just RAIN and COOL OFF like it did every few days in Cleveland?). Fall is about the same both places but it's a little cooler in Cleveland (which I like) and the fall colors are nicer.
1st Disclosure: I have never lived in Cleveland, but I visited it twice and was very impressed. I am going back to visit this fall.
I was at Cleveland 2010 for surgery at Cleveland Clinic. There are some abandoned buildings in the city but overall I felt safe when I stayed closed to the Cleveland University and a theater. I love it and look forward to visit the place again. The city is not too big but a lot of things to do .... I think it's better than Little Rock.
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