Another string of positive media stories on Cleveland (Lakewood, Oberlin: 2013, hotels)

[Urban Peasant]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Did anybody notice that the Boston Globe wrongfully attributed Andrew Carnegie to Cleveland?

Oh the Boston Globe! Can't seem to get the facts right can it!?

[TPH2]

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate any positive press from a major newspaper in one of our coastal cities, but I'm almost getting tired of reading such superficial stories like this. There have been a lot of great things happening here, but let's not pretend the streets are paved with gold and that it's some type of utopia. People almost always have a positive experience in Cleveland upon visiting the first time, and I think part of that is because their expectations were so low. Sometimes I worry about the opposite happening after people have constantly been reading stories like these. And this line pissed me off a bit: "'We’re not only coming back — we’ve already arrived,' said one 20-something." I do think we're coming back, but to say "we've already arrived" is pretty ignorant. I'll feel better about our come back when our population stabilizes and starts growing again and when our economy recovers to pre-recession levels.

I love Cleveland, and we should celebrate all the great things that we have, but let's also be realistic.

[costello_musicman]

Induction week is a good time to visit Cleveland | TribLIVE

[Urban Peasant]

Originally Posted by TPH2

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate any positive press from a major newspaper in one of our coastal cities, but I'm almost getting tired of reading such superficial stories like this. There have been a lot of great things happening here, but let's not pretend the streets are paved with gold and that it's some type of utopia. People almost always have a positive experience in Cleveland upon visiting the first time, and I think part of that is because their expectations were so low. Sometimes I worry about the opposite happening after people have constantly been reading stories like these. And this line pissed me off a bit: "'We’re not only coming back — we’ve already arrived,' said one 20-something." I do think we're coming back, but to say "we've already arrived" is pretty ignorant. I'll feel better about our come back when our population stabilizes and starts growing again and when our economy recovers to pre-recession levels.

I love Cleveland, and we should celebrate all the great things that we have, but let's also be realistic.

Yes but it wasn't too long ago that hardly anything positive ever got mentioned about Cleveland (or Pittsburgh which was the very next article in the paper - I was reading the paper edition of it this morning) in an East Coast City's newspaper. I agree that the author of this article exaggerated some of Cleveland's greatness and the statement "we've already arrived" is too optimistic too as if Cleveland were New York City. Yet for initial readers, perhaps this exaggeration can actually help entice more people to come and visit. Let them decide then if Cleveland is overrated or not. Remember, there may be someone who will come and visit and then say "Well that Globe article wasn't quite accurate and this place hasn't fully become a boom town yet but y'know it has great potential and so I'd like to relocate and start a living here". Sometimes you have to pretentiously market yourself to attract someone to try your product.

[theurbanfiles]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Did anybody notice that the Boston Globe wrongfully attributed Andrew Carnegie to Cleveland?

This is an unimaginable error. It likely means that the author has never been to Pittsburgh, where the great philanthropist's munificence is widely evidenced in his hometown.

Not mentioned were the likes of the Hanna (Leonard Hanna's monstrous bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art largely lifted the museum to world class status), Severance and Wade families, and most recently the Smith family of Lubrizol wealth who largely funded the resurgence of Case Western.

The Cleveland Museum of Art's transformation required the biggest cash infusion since 1958 Hanna bequest: CMA 2014 | cleveland.com

Also, what's the deal with the free bus trolleys dropping visitors off at Sweet Moses, which is located in Gordon Square, far from the downtown bus trolleys? Does Sweet Moses now have a downtown location of which I'm not aware? In defense of the author, during East 78th St. Third Friday events, which the author apparently attended, free trolleys do operate in the Gordon Square Arts District, obviously very different than the permanent downtown free bus trolley routes.

The author's e-mail address suggests the author is a freelance travel writer based in MD.

Yeah, I agree that it is an awful error to make.

But at the same time, if the fact that some naive/unaware readers thinking that both Carnegie and Rockefeller were from here would cause Bostonians or other readers of the article to either visit or have an overall more positive impression of the region, I say let it be lol.

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by clevelander1991

Yeah, I agree that it is an awful error to make.

But at the same time, if the fact that some naive/unaware readers thinking that both Carnegie and Rockefeller were from here would cause Bostonians or other readers of the article to either visit or have an overall more positive impression of the region, I say let it be lol.

It's not just the author. The Carnegie error also made it past the Boston Globe editor(s)!

I guess Andrew Carnegie has passed into ancient history, even among the educated elite.

[WRnative]

Michael Symon in this interview well explains why the Cleveland foodie scene now is so cool:

Q&A: Cleveland Chef Michael Symon of 'Iron Chef' and 'The Chew' | Fodor's

The reality is that Cleveland's ethnic culinary heritage survived as it was being lost in other cities. The West Side Market survived, likely due to its relatively large free parking lot, even as most public food markets in other cities, and in Cleveland, were closed.

Just by surviving, Cleveland became unique. This is even true of its architecture, beautiful buildings whose peers were demolished in other cities. Cleveland owes a real debt to Forest City for its custodianship of Tower City over the last few difficult decades.

Cleveland entrepreneurs launched ventures such as Great Lakes Brewery and modernized Cleveland's ethnic culinary tradition, all while emphasizing locavore offerings taking advantage of northern Ohio's rich agricultural resources.

Finally, Cleveland's emphasis on its cultural heritage and consolidation of its sports venues created the critical mass of traffic to support the new restaurants and entertainment districts.

[WRnative]

This is an interesting article.

How Cleveland's big bet on convention center is playing out: Success but room for improvement | cleveland.com

It's interesting how small the Cleveland Convention Center is compared to Columbus and Indianapolis. The article failed to address this important issue.

I agree with the article's point about the superior downtown vibe of Cleveland versus these two cities, especially with all three pro sports in Cleveland, PlayhouseSquare and the Healthline link to University Circle.

http://www.cleveland.com/travel/inde..._story_package

[Cleveland_Collector]

The article actually addressed the convention center's differences from that of other cities' CCs quite clearly. What it didn't address is that Cleveland also has one of the biggest convention halls in the country (the IX Center) less than a mile from the region's major airport. It also failed to mention that the current downtown facility was specifically designed to support a 2nd and 3rd floor of convention space, if it was ever deemed necessary. What the article hinted at was that a measured approach is being taken in Cleveland with regards to convention expectations. Anyone looking at the situation objectively would likely understand that this is a wise move because, as many sources will tell you, the convention business isn't what it used to be. Building a 750,000 sq. ft. facility out of the clear blue would not only prove costly but would also likely become a financial albatross without the proper hotel facilities and other infrastructure required -- not to mention, the appropriate amount of advanced bookings.

[ohioaninsc]

Originally Posted by clevelander1991

Clevelanders (finally) hot on their hometown: Survey shows a majority of residents would recommend the city to outsiders | cleveland.com

"If you don't like what people are saying, then change the conversation." Unfortunately, I can't help but think that a decent amount of this 20 percent is coming from the fact that LeBron is back (even still, I'll take it.) I'm doing what I can, and I think that some of the conversations are actually starting to change nationally and locally.

America

Cleveland checking in at Number 7.

Now, obviously, I won't go into per capita stuff and the fact that this is sort of a popularity contest (not sure how NYC, Portland, San Fran and New Orleans wound up behind us on the list, or Houston/Providence as the top 2), but even if you just look at the fact that Cleveland is considered among the best foodie cities in the US (which food being sort of open to your own opinion type of subject, I think is fair). There are very, very few cities that offer more bang for your buck and diversity of quality, than Cleveland as far as food is concerned. I'm not sure I can think of a better eating experience than Sokolowski's with Polka playing, or sitting in the balcony at the Market, and I'm somewhat well traveled.

10 Most Visited National Parks -- National Geographic

Cleveland coming in as 10th most visited National Park, and one of the Top 5 "Urban Escapes in America".

Obviously it doesn't have the jaw-dropping splendor of some of the national parks, although I would say that the Ledges are an exceptionally unique feature, and the amount of trees and waterfalls within the area is high. It really is a people's national park and it has easy user access and allows people to get out into nature without having everything laid out exactly before them (some parks take the hunt out of it to some degree). I would say tourist-wise this might be the best asset for the region (among good assets). Maybe I take for granted that not everyone constantly has wanderlust and then pulls out/reads a National Park book from cover to cover, but (for example) I have to say that I never even would've thought of stopping in Columbia, SC (driving between Ohio and Florida), had I not stumbled upon the somewhat unremarkable (and mosquito filled) Congaree National Park. I have to think that has helped significantly with area tourism (coupled between the HOFs). Also, I believe that CVNP is the only one of the 58 NPs which is within 30 minutes (or an hour for that matter) of a metro area with pop. that exceeds 1 Million (Miami DT is over an hour from there's with traffic, and Tuscon (Saguaro) and Columbia (Congaree) are close but not quite at 1 Million yet.

While I agree Cleveland has a great food scene...that list is garbage...the best foodie city in the country isn't even listed on it, Charleston, SC. Providence, RI as a foodie city? Houston? New Orleans and SF barely in it? While I believe Cleveland is top 10-15, I don't know where that rag is getting its' ratings.