Why does everyone seem so down on Cleveland? (Lorain, Elyria: 2009, apartment)

[Chareth Cutestory]

I was born in Euclid in 1968 and lived in the Cleveland area until 1998; I've lived in Cincinnati, Minneapolis, NYC and Atlanta since then (and am back in NYC for good). While I'm very disappointed with the way Euclid has ended up (I'll save that for a Euclid thread), I'm still very proud to say that I am from Cleveland, and I always look forward to coming home to visit a few times each year. I left due to work; plus, I was always fascinated from a young age over the fact that I could pick up and move anywhere I wanted to whenever I felt like doing so. I can't see myself moving back to Cleveland because it just would not have the pace that I have become used to by being a NYC resident, but I'll never trash Cleveland.

[Traveler87]

Originally Posted by Chareth Cutestory

I was born in Euclid in 1968 and lived in the Cleveland area until 1998; I've lived in Cincinnati, Minneapolis, NYC and Atlanta since then (and am back in NYC for good). While I'm very disappointed with the way Euclid has ended up (I'll save that for a Euclid thread), I'm still very proud to say that I am from Cleveland, and I always look forward to coming home to visit a few times each year. I left due to work; plus, I was always fascinated from a young age over the fact that I could pick up and move anywhere I wanted to whenever I felt like doing so. I can't see myself moving back to Cleveland because it just would not have the pace that I have become used to by being a NYC resident, but I'll never trash Cleveland.

Glad to hear that! And glad to see you are doing well where you needed to go. Cleveland is really making a comeback. I actually have a lot of friends that moved here from New York, and are looking to stay right here in the Cleveland area.

[ritam2001]

A big problem is that Cleveland needs to be a little more "upscale". I do realize that its fundamentally a working class city but we need to transition to more white collar jobs so as to attract new residents. Otherwise, nobody will come. And why would they? The image of Cleveland around the nation is "gloomy industrial town".

[rhodesk]

I always joke that eeyore is from cleveland...I grew up in the area, left for college in NYC, moved to Seattle, Charleston, SC and now am back. I think it is really a great city and could, with the right leadership in the city government (BIG problem) be a growing, vibrant area. We have incredible cultural offerings, great neighborhoods, great schools (in the suburbs), no real traffic since the infrastructure was built for a bigger city - the lake (and freshwater will definitely be a major deal in about 20 years) - but there is just an inherent pessimism on the part of the residents - BUT say anything bad about cleveland - and they will defend it passionately! Funny town...I kind of like that though - when I lived in the south - everyone was so always up and kind of cocky about their city - not a big deal - but it doesn't lead to much improvement. I think if we had some competent people as mayor once in a while - someone with vision - it would be a completely different city.

[twange]

Originally Posted by rhodesk

I think if we had some competent people as mayor once in a while - someone with vision - it would be a completely different city.

This seems to be easier said than done as this has been a problem for decades. It's not just the mayor either, but the(bloated) City Council and all of the private business sector. There are(and have been) many excellent plans and ideas for downtown revitalization that have died on the vine due to lack of political will(can you say "Burke Lakefront Airport? ). If you ever get a chance, visit the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative at the corner of Prospect and Huron(next to the Winking Lizard). I saw all kinds of great designs for the city that never took the leap from pen to hammer.

There's also a unwillingness on many leader's part to accept that the city is smaller now(it has lost more than 50% of it's population since the 1950s) and should concentrate it's regrowth in strategic, well-connected areas. In other words: downsize in order to stimulate growth. I remember reading an article that suggested tearing out some decrepit, abandoned inner-city neighborhoods and planting huge swaths of fast growing trees. These "urban forests" would not only provide a beautiful natural counterpoint in an overwhelmingly urban setting, but could be managed as a modern, environmentally responsible source of wood materials. But it won't happen because of the perception of "quitting" on some neighborhoods. Unfortunately, people have given up on some of these areas anyways. Why not rezone them and create some green space?

I've always said that Cleveland is small enough to be manipulated(and held down) by a powerful few, but big enough that the general public doesn't notice.

[NewToCA]

Interesting comment about urban parks, it is the kind of thinking that Cleveland needs to consider among many concepts to improve the city.

Leadership has been a problem for quite some time, however it appears that downtown is slowly improving.

[jmargaret]

We are down on Cleveland because that is what we are told over and over to believe. Really, if you take a step back and look at what Cleveland has to offer, it isn't much different from anywhere else. And, it has bargain-basement pricing for housing. A real plus as one gets older and more practical.....

[Clevelander17]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

Interesting comment about urban parks, it is the kind of thinking that Cleveland needs to consider among many concepts to improve the city.

Leadership has been a problem for quite some time, however it appears that downtown is slowly improving.

Agreed on all points. Cleveland once was home to almost a million people. Now there are only 440,000 or so. That means lots of extra room, so there's no reason why they can't be more parks and greenspace. And yes, some of that should be on the waterfront, as well. One of the city's most underutilized resource is the miles of waterfront it has.

[twange]

Originally Posted by jmargaret

We are down on Cleveland because that is what we are told over and over to believe. Really, if you take a step back and look at what Cleveland has to offer, it isn't much different from anywhere else. And, it has bargain-basement pricing for housing. A real plus as one gets older and more practical.....

Yes, I agree that the idea of Cleveland as a second-rate city has been reinforced over the years. But I also think that Clevelanders need to accept some of that blame themselves for ALLOWING the city to be so poorly managed. I think many Clevelanders(not all) have simply become used to a lower standard - or rather, status quo.

Apathy is the foe of progress.

[Clevelander17]

Originally Posted by twange

Yes, I agree that the idea of Cleveland as a second-rate city has been reinforced over the years. But I also think that Clevelanders need to accept some of that blame themselves for ALLOWING the city to be so poorly managed. I think many Clevelanders(not all) have simply become used to a lower standard - or rather, status quo.

Apathy is the foe of progress.

You're absolutely right here. We're partially to blame for the poor local leadership we have. And the bad attitudes are something that we each could change and could make a big difference on a macro level.