Why does everyone seem so down on Cleveland? (Toledo, Youngstown: crimes, unemployment)

[saraperez]

I'm coming in just 13 days so my questions will probably really start to be piling in on this board!

Why does everyone seem so negative about Cleveland? I know these boards can get pretty negative and can kind of scare new residents (like me!) away a little bit. What gives?

From where I'm sitting Cleveland seems like a great place to live. Of course it has its' poorer and more decaying areas . . . every city does.

Anyway, any help would be great. (And yes, I know about urbanohio.com - and I utilize that board too!)

[JR_C]

Good question. I'd like to know the answer, too.

[1watertiger]

its a great city !

[Slash83]

I'd like to know what's wrong with it too. We have the biggest building in Ohio and the prettiest skyline in ohio if you ask me. Plus we have some of the best highways, and nice suburbs. Also have lots of restaurants, shopping, and things to do. Plus we're part of northeast ohio with other cities in their own such as akron, youngstown, and canton. Oh, not to mention the people here are the best. I have been to other cities in ohio such as columbus and cincinnati, and out of state and I can tell you people are totally different - and not in a good way if you ask me.

[orion1778]

Originally Posted by saraperez

Why does everyone seem so negative about Cleveland? I know these boards can get pretty negative and can kind of scare new residents (like me!) away a little bit. What gives?

Whenever a person has lived in the same place for any length of time, they start to take the good aspects for granted and start exacerbating the problems. Sometimes it takes moving away for a while to regain respect for some of the great things a city has to offer.

It is a shame when locals complain so much that it scares of newcomers (something that would probably help improve the city a least a bit).

[Kasey77]

I grew up in Cleveland, left, came back, left again. And spent the summer back their last year.
It is the economy from what I can see and the weather.
The people there are wonderful and it does have its beauty. Their is a sense of community their and stability. When you know some one their, you know them for life. Neighbors know you and help you. Can't say that about a few other places I have lived.
Maybe if the people their would have a different mind set things would turn around. It is like a beautiful woman having no self esteem. Eventually everyone believes her!

[BelieveInCleve]

Where should I start...The economy, unemployment, weather, sports, crime, decay, schools...

Those are reasons why people are so down about Cleveland. I think Cleveland is a great place though, and every place has its problems. Cleveland is constantly getting bashed by all these reports coming out saying that we are the dirtiest, most dangerous cities, highest dropout...and all the rest. All our sports teams get good but we never win the whole thing and that is a big part of it.

I love Cleveland and I always will though. We are just kind of going through bad times right now and hopefully in the near future things will start to improve. Cleveland is still a very livable place though, even in the city of Cleveland and almost all the surrounding suburbs and cities. I just wish Cleveland would start to improve again and we would be the place to be like Miami or LA or some place like that.

[Clevelandgal]

people like you and your family moving to the city with enthusiasm and passion are what makes it better. Just like people that don't care or commit crimes spread decay, those that do care are good medicine for what ails us. The more people that get that, the more improvement that will come.

[Slash83]

Originally Posted by Cle440

I just wish Cleveland would start to improve again and we would be the place to be like Miami or LA or some place like that.

I hope we can improve but I don't want to be like Miami and certainly wouldn't want to be like LA or any place in California. I work for a company that deals mainly with customers in california and it's a blessing when I speak with a customer here in Cleveland. Most polite people if you ask me live here in northeast ohio.

[twange]

Originally Posted by orion1778

Whenever a person has lived in the same place for any length of time, they start to take the good aspects for granted and start exacerbating the problems. Sometimes it takes moving away for a while to regain respect for some of the great things a city has to offer.

It is a shame when locals complain so much that it scares of newcomers (something that would probably help improve the city a least a bit).

I think this is a very accurate post. It's usually the people who've lived there a long time that see things that way. And for good reason I think. Many of us have been fooled several times already into thinking the city is making a comeback, when all it turned out to be was a one night stand It simply isn't productive to ignore the very real problems the city and region are experiencing right now. I'm sorry to say, but many folks who think everything is fine, either aren't paying attention or live away from the city and only go there for the occasional game or air show.

For a moment, let's leave thing's like weather and sports out of the discussion. Weather cannot be altered, and sports, while important to many, shouldn't be considered the only social barometer. And for the sake of this discussion, my references to the "city", is to Cleveland proper, not the suburbs(but of course they are related).

If you look at Cleveland with a long lens - say the last hundred years - you'll see that it's been slowly sliding down since the 50s, with a few peaks and valleys along the way. Consider this 50+ year slide which includes: several river burnings and other environmental issues, the gradual loss of the manufacturing and steel industries, the wholesale abandonment of most of the downtown and its inner ring neighborhoods in favor of excessive suburban sprawl, the complete failure of the public school system, the inability of the city to develop the Lakefront, and of course the city entering default in the late 70s. This unfortunate chain of events have all contributed in some way to what maybe described as "Cleveland's Dark Ages". There are now three generations of Clevelanders (counting the folks around at the start of the slide) who for the most part, have always seen the city as a place struggling for survival and respect. Cleveland isn't alone in this position: Detroit, Buffalo, Toledo, Erie, Youngstown and Pittsburgh are to some extant all going through this together.

Now, add to this the frustrating and repeatedly disappointing history of the city's sports franchises (something that Clevelanders take great pride in), the often gloomy weather and it shouldn't be surprising that there's often a negative, cynical and apathetic attitude prominent amongst the citizens.

All this being said, I personally think that Cleveland's inability or unwillingness to change or make adjustments, and the often low expectations from many of it's people has largely contributed to maintaining it's flawed profile. That statement might anger many, but I spent my whole life there until last year(I just turned 40), and IMHO the place needs a major infusion of un-jaded outsiders, to break the spell.