Does Cleveland Have a "Us vs. Them" Attitude? (Columbus: home, neighborhoods)

[gouldnm]

Originally Posted by QCongress83216

I have read on some posts, here and other sites, in the past where some people have said that Cleveland has too much of a "us vs. them" mentality. They also felt that Clevelanders can be too defensive and not welcome insiders. So, is it true what they say or is it all blown out of proposition? Why or why not?

I think a lot of Midwestern cities have a defensive posture, and there are two reasons for this:


#1. The economy has been terrible, especially compared to the Coasts


#2. Even before the economy went downhill, people on the Coasts have always looked down on the Midwest. Why, I can't figure out. Cleveland has cultural amenities that are competitive with many larger cities, and there are many parts of the Midwest that are spectacularly beautiful (and a lot less crowded!).

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by gouldnm

I think a lot of Midwestern cities have a defensive posture, and there are two reasons for this:


#1. The economy has been terrible, especially compared to the Coasts


#2. Even before the economy went downhill, people on the Coasts have always looked down on the Midwest. Why, I can't figure out. Cleveland has cultural amenities that are competitive with many larger cities, and there are many parts of the Midwest that are spectacularly beautiful (and a lot less crowded!).

When I was living in that region I found many people to be ignorant of anything but their little worlds. So many people I met would knock the Midwest and Great Lakes Region without ever knowing anything about them least of all ever having traveled there to see for themselves.

If this part of the country has an inferiority complex, they have a superiority complex.

[Buckeye614]

Originally Posted by Minervah

When I was living in that region I found many people to be ignorant of anything but their little worlds. So many people I met would knock the Midwest and Great Lakes Region without ever knowing anything about them least of all ever having traveled there to see for themselves.

If this part of the country has an inferiority complex, they have a superiority complex.

Actual conversation while visiting D.C. between me and a girl who lives in Northern VA

-Her: so where are you from?

-Me: Originally New Jersey but I've lived in Columbus for about five years.

-Her: Oh my god. How do you live there? I could never survive in Ohio, that sounds terrible.

That fact that she was completely unaware how this was in poor form since we literally just met made the entire situation more laughable.

Honestly the joke is on most coastal people. My friend who lives in New Jersey but works in NYC pays 500 a month just to commute to work on the train.

[gouldnm]

I would have been interested in knowing her reasons for why she thought Ohio was such a horrible place to live.

BTW, I've lived in Columbus, New Jersey, and the greater-D.C. area, and we are planning to retire in Ohio. That's why I am genuinely puzzled.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Buckeye614

Actual conversation while visiting D.C. between me and a girl who lives in Northern VA

-Her: so where are you from?

-Me: Originally New Jersey but I've lived in Columbus for about five years.

-Her: Oh my god. How do you live there? I could never survive in Ohio, that sounds terrible.

That fact that she was completely unaware how this was in poor form since we literally just met made the entire situation more laughable.

Honestly the joke is on most coastal people. My friend who lives in New Jersey but works in NYC pays 500 a month just to commute to work on the train.

Yes, she would be a good example of one of the ignorant people to which I was referring in my previous post. This is someone who just thinks it's okay to throw out insults because she thinks something she has read about but not actually experienced herself is common knowledge.

I would have had some choice words for her.

Originally Posted by gouldnm

I would have been interested in knowing her reasons for why she thought Ohio was such a horrible place to live.

BTW, I've lived in Columbus, New Jersey, and the greater-D.C. area, and we are planning to retire in Ohio. That's why I am genuinely puzzled.

I would have asked her that question. I've actually been in this situation and asked it. Nine times out of ten people can only quote hearsay.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by Buckeye614

Actual conversation while visiting D.C. between me and a girl who lives in Northern VA

-Her: so where are you from?

-Me: Originally New Jersey but I've lived in Columbus for about five years.

-Her: Oh my god. How do you live there? I could never survive in Ohio, that sounds terrible.

That fact that she was completely unaware how this was in poor form since we literally just met made the entire situation more laughable.

Honestly the joke is on most coastal people. My friend who lives in New Jersey but works in NYC pays 500 a month just to commute to work on the train.

It's accepted on the coast to instantly demean people from places they think are low class or boring. Doesn't necessarily mean they don't like you, but just shows how truly ignorant, provincial and close minded the coasts actually are.

I have to say, it's not uncommon and it does annoy me a lot. I don't know- have you EVER heard someone from anywhere in Ohio say something like "oh you live in Philly/Boston/DC/NYC?? How can you possibly do that??" As a result from my time in Boston, I own a lot of t shirts with Boston stuff on them. When I have gone out places in Cleveland, sometimes people will ask "Are you from Boston?" Sometimes for fun I say that I am. People universally respond with "Cool" or "Nice" or "I was there two years ago for x y and z" or something along those lines. Never "ugh Boston is so terrible I can't even fathom how you live there."

[Buckeye614]

Originally Posted by gouldnm

I would have been interested in knowing her reasons for why she thought Ohio was such a horrible place to live.

BTW, I've lived in Columbus, New Jersey, and the greater-D.C. area, and we are planning to retire in Ohio. That's why I am genuinely puzzled.

A lot of people in the BosWash corridor who have never traveled to the Midwest genuinely think that Ohio is all cornfields or crumbling industry.

Originally Posted by Minervah

Yes, she would be a good example of one of the ignorant people to which I was referring in my previous post. This is someone who just thinks it's okay to throw out insults because she thinks something she has read about but not actually experienced herself is common knowledge.

I would have had some choice words for her.



I would have asked her that question. I've actually been in this situation and asked it. Nine times out of ten people can only quote hearsay.

To my knowledge she had never been to Ohio. I didn't feel like starting an argument with someone who who was that ridiculous. Also I had to spend the rest of the night with her because I was my friend's "date" to an office party and the rude girl was part of her friend group.

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

It's accepted on the coast to instantly demean people from places they think are low class or boring. Doesn't necessarily mean they don't like you, but just shows how truly ignorant, provincial and close minded the coasts actually are.

I have to say, it's not uncommon and it does annoy me a lot. I don't know- have you EVER heard someone from anywhere in Ohio say something like "oh you live in Philly/Boston/DC/NYC?? How can you possibly do that??" As a result from my time in Boston, I own a lot of t shirts with Boston stuff on them. When I have gone out places in Cleveland, sometimes people will ask "Are you from Boston?" Sometimes for fun I say that I am. People universally respond with "Cool" or "Nice" or "I was there two years ago for x y and z" or something along those lines. Never "ugh Boston is so terrible I can't even fathom how you live there."

Being from New Jersey sometimes people will say "Oh Joisey" or reference the Jersey Shore television show jokingly but usually people in Ohio are generally curious and seem to find it interesting. People in Ohio are overall noticeably more friendly and polite then metro NYC in my experience.

My friend's mother in New Jersey also kindly informed me that "I would never got a job outside of Ohio with my OSU degree"

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by Buckeye614

My friend's mother in New Jersey also kindly informed me that "I would never got a job outside of Ohio with my OSU degree"

Ha yeah it's not like we have the most alumni of any university in the country or anything.

[Minervah]

To my knowledge she had never been to Ohio. I didn't feel like starting an argument with someone who who was that ridiculous. Also I had to spend the rest of the night with her because I was my friend's "date" to an office party and the rude girl was part of her friend group.

That was wise under the circumstances.

When the situation is right though, I've found people who diss places simply based on anything but firsthand knowledge get embarrassed when they realize their opinions are just a parroting of what they've read or heard.

[goofy328]

If this helps cities like Cleveland, Akron, etc are never respected in the media. Akron in particular was always the butt of jokes. These days those jokes tend to be about Dayton, but in any event there is a very good reason why this region gets the rep that it does.

Not to say that none of it is deserved. It is what it is. I can say that I have come to respect it a lot more, as someone from there, having visited other places.