What Cleveland needs (Euclid, Westlake, Medina: real estate, neighborhood, movies)

[gtsurfer05]

Cleveland needs an world class aquarium on the lake. Just something random that would be neat to have. Cheaper museum prices for students would also be nice, ie Natural History Museum. Idiotic Americans don't get that its better for things to be cheaper for students, of course America is not so student traveler friendly.

[complexsimplicity]

As a college student, I agree that things should be a little cheaper for us. As much money that we pay for higher education, we should be able to enjoy things such as the museum at a discounted price. The only things that I came across in the past are a few clubs and the movies that are discounted for students. That's great and all because we do need entertainment every once in a while to break us up from the monotimy of college. But college students should have discounts for museums and bookstores such as Borders or Barnes & Nobles, if there isn't one already.

[twange]

Originally Posted by gtsurfer05

Cleveland needs an world class aquarium on the lake. Just something random that would be neat to have. Cheaper museum prices for students would also be nice, ie Natural History Museum. Idiotic Americans don't get that its better for things to be cheaper for students, of course America is not so student traveler friendly.

Just a few things Cleveland needs before a "world class aquarium":

1.) Better public schools. Until this mess is improved, nobody will want to live in the city except for people w/o children (i.e. singles/empty-nesters). People with kids make up a large part of the population. And that's the only way to get people to stop moving to Twinsburg, Medina, Westlake etc...
2.) Jobs. No explanation needed.
3.) Get the Euclid corridor project finished. I don't understand why the city has to completely shut down while they're working on this thing. It looks like Beirut down towards public square and it's been that way for 2 years.
4.) Better lake front access and development. The Lake is Cleveland's best attribute, but there is very limited opportunities to either live near it or get to it in any meaningful way. GET RID OF BURKE AIRPORT AND BUILD A PARK AND A NEIGHBORHOOD THERE! I don't want to hear arguments about the air show or the car races. That is a colossal waste of prime real estate. Developing that land would transform Cleveland.
5.) Better public transportation. RTA just sucks. It's managed poorly and is inconsistent. It's built for the least common denominator. There needs to be a RAPID line that serves the south/southeast suburbs...BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE MOST OF THE PEOPLE LIVE NOW!!!!!
6.) A mayor with more of a public presence. Cleveland needs a visible mayor who does a better job communicating the city's vision. Making TV ads for Tri-C isn't good enough.

An aquarium would be cute, but that's like installing a high-end audio system into a car with a burned-out engine.

First things first, my friend.

[NewToCA]

I spent a lot of time in Cleveland last year, and believe both poster recommendations are valid. Lakefront in the downtown area is incredibly bad.

I have been going to Cleveland (and lived there for a few years) intermittently for the past 30 years, and I have seen so little overall progress despite a lot of discussion. For everything that is a plus, such as the stadiums, museums, skyscrapers and Warehouse District, there are an equal number of minuses, such as the deterioration of the riverfront area, the huge area of total blight just to the east of central city core, and the vast wasteland south of Detroit Ave about 3 miles from downtown.

What a shame.

[LancasterNative]

Originally Posted by gtsurfer05

Idiotic Americans...

I hope you're using that phrase with the full realization that most Americans are not idiots.

Or are you just spewing the same old "Idiotic Americans" stereotype, in contrast to "Enlightened Europeans"?

Originally Posted by gtsurfer05

America is not so student traveler friendly.

I always got around just fine when I was a student. And «gasp» ...I didn't even have a car then!

[TheProf]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

I spent a lot of time in Cleveland last year, and believe both poster recommendations are valid. Lakefront in the downtown area is incredibly bad.

I have been going to Cleveland (and lived there for a few years) intermittently for the past 30 years, and I have seen so little overall progress despite a lot of discussion. For everything that is a plus, such as the stadiums, museums, skyscrapers and Warehouse District, there are an equal number of minuses, such as the deterioration of the riverfront area, the huge area of total blight just to the east of central city core, and the vast wasteland south of Detroit Ave about 3 miles from downtown.

What a shame.

I think you're a bit harsh. Even Chicago has "vast wastelands" West and South of the Loop... No large American city doesn't have vast slums. And south of Detroit (ave), 3 miles west is experiencing a renaissance. I'm not sure what you mean.

[twange]

Originally Posted by TheProf

I think you're a bit harsh. Even Chicago has "vast wastelands" West and South of the Loop... No large American city doesn't have vast slums. And south of Detroit (ave), 3 miles west is experiencing a renaissance. I'm not sure what you mean.

I think the poster is referring to the Steelyard "wasteland" area south of the Detroit bridge past the Oxbow of the river. Those of us raised in Cleveland know what this was but as a casual observer, it probably looks like a bunch of unused space. It will take a long time for that to change, although that "Steelyards Commons" is a start, I suppose

[ecologito]

I moved to Cleveland 3 weeks ago and what Cleveland needs is people with better attitude towards their City.

Every single person I meet, when I tell them that I moved from South Carolina to Ohio they look at me and then they ask WHY? !

Instead of saying.. Good for you... our City has great things to offer. The Metro Parks have been 3 times in the past 7 years THE BEST PARK SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY... a lot of people enjoy them but nobody seem to take pride.

I think a positive attitude could at least get positive thoughts into the City. That is where everything starts.

[boardmanite]

Originally Posted by twange

3.) Get the Euclid corridor project finished. I don't understand why the city has to completely shut down while they're working on this thing. It looks like Beirut down towards public square and it's been that way for 2 years.

What exactly is the Euclid corridor project going to accomplish? Is it a revitalization of the area? A bus-only route that connects University Circle with downtown? A combination of both? And why is it taking so long to complete?

[twange]

Originally Posted by ecologito

I moved to Cleveland 3 weeks ago and what Cleveland needs is people with better attitude towards their City.

Every single person I meet, when I tell them that I moved from South Carolina to Ohio they look at me and then they ask WHY? !

Instead of saying.. Good for you... our City has great things to offer. The Metro Parks have been 3 times in the past 7 years THE BEST PARK SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY... a lot of people enjoy them but nobody seem to take pride.

I think a positive attitude could at least get positive thoughts into the City. That is where everything starts.

Well, you're right about that. But this is something you need to know about Cleveland. There is a generation(at least) of people who have grown up hearing nothing but negative comments about their city, mostly from outsiders. It's been the butt of jokes,sarcasm and criticism for decades. Burning River jokes, Mistake-On-The-Lake, all the sports curses, etc...It still pisses me off Personally, I grew up during the 70s when hearing jokes about Cleveland was as common as "Git er done" was a few years ago. We didn't go into the city unless there was a game or some function at the old Convention Center. It was a wasteland. The Lake? Forget about it. Unless you owned a boat, there was no real reason to go near the water - although my dad usually always took me down to the old turn-around at the old Captain Frank's Pier, which is now Voinovich Park

I don't care how positive you are, after awhile, that belief starts to set in for a lot of people. That kind of inertia can be overwhelming and suffocating. Cleveland has a huge inferiority complex that frankly, started to wear me down and I've simply had to move away for now. Believe me, I always wave Cleveland's flag, especially when I'm traveling or living somewhere else. There are some damn fine folks there, they work hard and the city deserves better. But it won't happen until the citizens demand and expect more from their leadership and stop accepting the status quo.