Pittsburgh VS Cleveland (Erie, Bethlehem: environment, work, middle-class)

[guylocke]

Hi all! Cleveland is sort of like Pittsburgh's evil sister-city (lol, if you know what I mean). I was wondering if anyone could compare and contrast the two cities honestly for me. I actually know very little about Cleveland even though it is our neighbor.

What does Cleveland offer that Pittsburgh doesn't? What does Pittsburgh offer than Cleveland doesn't? It seems so often they are in the same boat, affordable, prominent working- class, strong neighborhoods, bumpy economic times.. etc.

My Jason works a lot in Cleveland to open new stores in that market and he thinks that the actual city and downtown Pittsburgh is more beautiful than Cleveland and that Pittsburgh has more character and uniqueness.

However, he says that Cleveland has much better shopping and way more beautiful suburbs. He goes on and on about this place called Legacy Village.

[Hopes]

Cleveland doesn't have the beautiful treed hillsides!

[guylocke]

Cleveland doesn't have the beautiful treed hillsides!

That's a start!! Thank you, Hopes.

[kpoeppel]

uh oh, this thread could get nasty...

[Katiana]

Well, to play Devil's Advocate I will say: Cleveland does have nice hilly, wooded areas. As we drove to Pgh from Valparaiso, IN last fall, we went through the most gorgeous hardwood forest in full autmun foliage in Ohio. We weren't too far from Cleveland at the time. The first time DH saw either Cleveland or Pittsburgh he thought they were very similar. I had never thought of it that way before.

Cleveland has Lake Erie.

But honestly, I prefer Pittsburgh!

[guylocke]

uh oh, this thread could get nasty...

I anticipate as much!

Well, to play Devil's Advocate I will say

No no! I want all honesty here, thank you for that.

But honestly, I prefer Pittsburgh!

Glad to hear it!

[Agbor]

I would say Cleveland is faster than Pittsburgh...a bit more in tune with what is happening in the rest of the country...more diversity..large black
middle-class..good-sized latin community I think..larger city,just my perception..have only been downtown twice..usually go to Shaker to visit
family...that is what I see as different..

But I do think it has a large population of poor and working people and has had economic problems like Pittsburgh...but again have only been to Shaker and around that area, oh and out to Cleveland Heights..

[SteelersFan09]

haha ironically enough,the Steelers/Browns game in Cleveland is this coming weekend...

[Herodotus]

Ok, from a Pittsburgh native that has been to Cleveland many times, here goes.

Both cities are full of fairly tough down to earth types. (Baltimore is similar in many respects). Pittsburgh was hit harder than Cleveland during the collapse of steel. While the Midwest has been hit hard by the decline in manufacturing, it seems as though the eastern cities (Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Bethlehem etc) have shed nearly all of their heavy industry, while Cleveland, Detroit etc. have been able to hold onto some of theirs. Cleveland does have a larger Black population, and has a substantial Latino one, while Pittsburgh's Latino Community is miniscule. Pittsburgh is a bit isolated over in the Appalachians. Cleveland seems to be less stuck in the past. Cleveland has better suburbs than Pittsburgh, and is not surrounded by dozens of rundown former mill towns the way Pittsburgh is. However, inside the city limits, Pittsburgh has Cleveland beat. Less poverty, more nice neighborhoods, and a much better built environment.

I've taken thousands of photos in both cities. Here are a few you can use to compare the two.

Pittsburgh Photo Gallery by step2me at pbase.com

Cleveland Photo Gallery by step2me at pbase.com

[guylocke]

Less poverty, more nice neighborhoods, and a much better built environment.

More nice neighborhoods in Pittsburgh? Really? Jason said the opposite, LOL. Thank you so much for the insights and pictures! In your personal opinion, which city would you prefer to live in? Maybe Cleveland since you are there?

It's funny, too, because I meet lots of kids from Cleveland who love coming to Pittsburgh to go clubbing and for the night life and they love Pittsburgh (which might really be saying something, lol!) and then I have several friends who love heading to Cleveland to do the same thing. I guess the grass is always greener, eh? Or maybe people just get bored being in the same place.