Wow, Cleveland, I'm impressed! (Lakewood, Cleveland Heights: how much, house, neighborhoods)

[kcmo]

Seriously, this city is not getting the reputation it deserves. I can't believe all the infill urban redevelopment going on here. So many thriving areas in older urban/industrial areas that seem to be coming back often one house on a block at a time.

I made an error by previously judging Cleveland only by the area around Progressive Field on my last visit. This city has a lot going for it. I really like how down to earth and real the area is.

This city is going to bounce back nicely and downtown is doing pretty well too.

[citymama]

Where did you visit this time?


I was at the Happy Dog in the Detroit Shoreway area last night and was thinking how the old, comfy, edgy, simple vibe is really unique and awesome. Everyone is through and through just themselves without any air o pretense whatsoever. Are they sugary sweet and smiley? No, but friendly, unassuming and cool. Love it.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by citymama

Where did you visit this time?

Pretty much went everywhere and explored. I have never had a negative impression of Cleveland. I have always like parts of downtown, flats, and many of the historic inner rings suburbs like Shaker and Cleveland Heights, Lakewood etc.

My last couple of visits to Cleveland have been only for ballgames etc. So on this visit, I was able to get out more and explore more of the city. It's just a very lively and vibrant city full of thriving and livable neighborhoods that have a lost of charm and you can tell the people are proud and more and more are coming back into areas of the city that were probably nearly vacant a decade ago. And downtown is not doing too bad either. The theater district is pretty amazing and stays busy into the early morning hours. And I can't believe how much the medical district area is building up. There is a lot more urban core investment in Cleveland than people know even if the population stats don't show anything great.

[Cleveland_Collector]

Population is rarely a solid indicator of progress. Chicago has lost nearly a million people since 1950 and I've never met a person who doesn't think Chicago is economically vibrant or world class. Population levels change with economic and generational preferences. In the 60's through the 90's, everyone wanted to dwell in suburbia. It was actually a 'dream' for some. The paradigm began to shift back towards urban living when the cost and hassle of transportation/parking began to rise. More than 100,000 people commute to downtown Cleveland every day for their jobs. It was only a matter of time before many of them began to stick. Initially, that workforce was from or a product of the generation that moved to the suburbs. Today, that same workforce is not nearly as tied to the idea of suburbia as the previous generations were.

[ClevelandskyMan]

Originally Posted by Cleveland_Collector

Population is rarely a solid indicator of progress. Chicago has lost nearly a million people since 1950 and I've never met a person who doesn't think Chicago is economically vibrant or world class. Population levels change with economic and generational preferences. In the 60's through the 90's, everyone wanted to dwell in suburbia. It was actually a 'dream' for some. The paradigm began to shift back towards urban living when the cost and hassle of transportation/parking began to rise. More than 100,000 people commute to downtown Cleveland every day for their jobs. It was only a matter of time before many of them began to stick. Initially, that workforce was from or a product of the generation that moved to the suburbs. Today, that same workforce is not nearly as tied to the idea of suburbia as the previous generations were.

Don't forget that the Baby Boom and European immigration was all part of the 60s.

[Rebek56]

I had been to Cleveland only once for the museums and intermittently to take people to the Cleveland Clinic. Last weekend the spouse and I were there for One World Fest (a great event in a gorgeous park, and the love and thought that have gone into the Cultural Gardens--wow) and really enjoyed our explorations. Rockefeller Park, Shaker Square, Coventry Village, and the Barking Spider Tavern were all hits with us.
We'll be back!