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I figured this would be an interesting topic. Two cities that have very different backgrounds and are hard to compare, but since the Cavs will hopefully be taking care of business on the hardwood this week, why not. I actually enjoy both, and as such would prefer the discussion remain good natured, and mainly just inform people about the positive qualities in both cities (Cleveland is where I was from, but Atlanta has been a thought of mine, because I like the idea of being a short drive from GSMNP during the summers, and a compromise on where I eventually live). So, here goes.
Weather: Atlanta (I enjoy winter well enough, and I know Cleveland likely has an advantage from Early May to Early October at least, but it seems that a majority of the population has a strong aversion to cold weather). Theme Parks: Even (Atlanta does have a Six Flags 15 minutes from downtown, but Cleveland has the roller coaster capital of the world a little under an hour away.) Museums/Culture: Cleveland (Atlanta certainly doesn't do poorly here with the Carlos, CFB HOF, Georgia Aquarium & Fox Theatre, but Cleveland's collection of museums and access is truly remarkable, perhaps about the best per capita of any city I'm aware of. Parks: Cleveland (Cleveland Metroparks consistently rated among the best in America, & CVNP) Scenery: Even (Atlanta with more terrain, Cleveland with the coastline and valleys and unique geology, and some hills also, as well as stargazing opportunities within 40 minutes of downtown) Sports: Even Economy: Atlanta (but Cleveland is making a comeback, and has some advantages) Location: Even (Both with fantastic locations) History: Cleveland (Atlanta isn't bad though) Higher Education: Atlanta (by a nudge, Oberlin and Case are great schools) K-12 Education (Overall Region): Cleveland "Big City" feel: I'm gonna say Atlanta, because it has double the population and more tall buildings, but in some ways, Cleveland has more East Coast, classic big city amenities. Food: Cleveland (West Side Market, Little Italy, Sokolowski's, Michael Symon, etc.) Interesting Suburbs: Cleveland (laid out like New England, plus has a unique Amish Country, Atlanta's suburbs struck me as more cookie cutter) Public Transit: Even (Both pretty good, connect to airport, major access points) Healthcare: Cleveland (Clinic) Overall Livability: Cleveland (Lower traffic, more affordable, more space to breathe, daily living amenities, sense of community etc. is likely better, not that ATL is bad, and ATL likely has the advantages of being more flashy, nightlife, access to Smokies, etc.) Shopping: Atlanta (I'm fireballing here though. Beachwood near Cleveland does include Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Coach, L'Occitane and a ton of other stores I don't plan on affording ever as well though, LOL.
It's an interesting comparison. Looking forward to hearing all of your thoughts. I took the liberty of attaching pictures of some of the things I think define the City of Cleveland is about though since a picture=1,000 words.
I figured this would be an interesting topic. Two cities that have very different backgrounds and are hard to compare, but since the Cavs will hopefully be taking care of business on the hardwood this week, why not. I actually enjoy both, and as such would prefer the discussion remain good natured, and mainly just inform people about the positive qualities in both cities (Cleveland is where I was from, but Atlanta has been a thought of mine, because I like the idea of being a short drive from GSMNP during the summers, and a compromise on where I eventually live). So, here goes.
Weather: Atlanta (I enjoy winter well enough, and I know Cleveland likely has an advantage from Early May to Early October at least, but it seems that a majority of the population has a strong aversion to cold weather). Theme Parks: Even (Atlanta does have a Six Flags 15 minutes from downtown, but Cleveland has the roller coaster capital of the world a little under an hour away.) Museums/Culture: Cleveland (Atlanta certainly doesn't do poorly here with the Carlos, CFB HOF, Georgia Aquarium & Fox Theatre, but Cleveland's collection of museums and access is truly remarkable, perhaps about the best per capita of any city I'm aware of. Parks: Cleveland (Cleveland Metroparks consistently rated among the best in America, & CVNP) Scenery: Even (Atlanta with more terrain, Cleveland with the coastline and valleys and unique geology, and some hills also, as well as stargazing opportunities within 40 minutes of downtown) Sports: Even Economy: Atlanta (but Cleveland is making a comeback, and has some advantages) Location: Even (Both with fantastic locations) History: Cleveland (Atlanta isn't bad though) Higher Education: Atlanta (by a nudge, Oberlin and Case are great schools) K-12 Education (Overall Region): Cleveland "Big City" feel: I'm gonna say Atlanta, because it has double the population and more tall buildings, but in some ways, Cleveland has more East Coast, classic big city amenities. Food: Cleveland (West Side Market, Little Italy, Sokolowski's, Michael Symon, etc.) Interesting Suburbs: Cleveland (laid out like New England, plus has a unique Amish Country, Atlanta's suburbs struck me as more cookie cutter) Public Transit: Even (Both pretty good, connect to airport, major access points) Healthcare: Cleveland (Clinic) Overall Livability: Cleveland (Lower traffic, more affordable, more space to breathe, daily living amenities, sense of community etc. is likely better, not that ATL is bad, and ATL likely has the advantages of being more flashy, nightlife, access to Smokies, etc.) Shopping: Atlanta (I'm fireballing here though. Beachwood near Cleveland does include Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Coach, L'Occitane and a ton of other stores I don't plan on affording ever as well though, LOL.
It's an interesting comparison. Looking forward to hearing all of your thoughts. I took the liberty of attaching pictures of some of the things I think define the City of Cleveland is about though since a picture=1,000 words.
Let's Go Cavs!
This seems pretty fair, but Atlanta has a variety of suburbs; a few with older downtowns/commercial centers including Decatur (which functions like an intown Atlanta neighborhood with MARTA access), Marietta, Roswell, and Vinings; those with New Urbanist-type downtowns like Suwanee and Woodstock; Peachtree City which has a 90-mile system of golf cart/jogging/pedestrian paths which spider across the town and provide a secondary means of access to almost any destination within city limits; and Serenbe, a sustainable New Urbanist village based on principles of conservation and agricultural land use.
I figured this would be an interesting topic. Two cities that have very different backgrounds and are hard to compare, but since the Cavs will hopefully be taking care of business on the hardwood this week, why not. I actually enjoy both, and as such would prefer the discussion remain good natured, and mainly just inform people about the positive qualities in both cities (Cleveland is where I was from, but Atlanta has been a thought of mine, because I like the idea of being a short drive from GSMNP during the summers, and a compromise on where I eventually live). So, here goes.
Weather: Atlanta (I enjoy winter well enough, and I know Cleveland likely has an advantage from Early May to Early October at least, but it seems that a majority of the population has a strong aversion to cold weather). Theme Parks: Even (Atlanta does have a Six Flags 15 minutes from downtown, but Cleveland has the roller coaster capital of the world a little under an hour away.) Museums/Culture: Cleveland (Atlanta certainly doesn't do poorly here with the Carlos, CFB HOF, Georgia Aquarium & Fox Theatre, but Cleveland's collection of museums and access is truly remarkable, perhaps about the best per capita of any city I'm aware of. Parks: Cleveland (Cleveland Metroparks consistently rated among the best in America, & CVNP) Scenery: Even (Atlanta with more terrain, Cleveland with the coastline and valleys and unique geology, and some hills also, as well as stargazing opportunities within 40 minutes of downtown) Sports: Even Economy: Atlanta (but Cleveland is making a comeback, and has some advantages) Location: Even (Both with fantastic locations) History: Cleveland (Atlanta isn't bad though) Higher Education: Atlanta (by a nudge, Oberlin and Case are great schools) K-12 Education (Overall Region): Cleveland "Big City" feel: I'm gonna say Atlanta, because it has double the population and more tall buildings, but in some ways, Cleveland has more East Coast, classic big city amenities. Food: Cleveland (West Side Market, Little Italy, Sokolowski's, Michael Symon, etc.) Interesting Suburbs: Cleveland (laid out like New England, plus has a unique Amish Country, Atlanta's suburbs struck me as more cookie cutter) Public Transit: Even (Both pretty good, connect to airport, major access points) Healthcare: Cleveland (Clinic) Overall Livability: Cleveland (Lower traffic, more affordable, more space to breathe, daily living amenities, sense of community etc. is likely better, not that ATL is bad, and ATL likely has the advantages of being more flashy, nightlife, access to Smokies, etc.) Shopping: Atlanta (I'm fireballing here though. Beachwood near Cleveland does include Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Coach, L'Occitane and a ton of other stores I don't plan on affording ever as well though, LOL.
It's an interesting comparison. Looking forward to hearing all of your thoughts. I took the liberty of attaching pictures of some of the things I think define the City of Cleveland is about though since a picture=1,000 words.
Let's Go Cavs!
I think this post is about as fair and unbiased as you can be. Lets go Cavs!
This seems pretty fair, but Atlanta has a variety of suburbs; a few with older downtowns/commercial centers including Decatur (which functions like an intown Atlanta neighborhood with MARTA access), Marietta, Roswell, and Vinings; those with New Urbanist-type downtowns like Suwanee and Woodstock; Peachtree City which has a 90-mile system of golf cart/jogging/pedestrian paths which spider across the town and provide a secondary means of access to almost any destination within city limits; and Serenbe, a sustainable New Urbanist village based on principles of conservation and agricultural land use.
Decatur does strike me as being pretty pleasant/walkable. I was there a few months back and thoroughly enjoyed. It seemed like outside of the architecture, it was a little more "new age" and hadn't preserved some of the older stuff there, but at the same time still seemed like an interesting place to spend a night. I wasn't aware that Marietta or Roswell had more of the older style downtown, I'll have to check those out. Sounds like Peachtree City and Serenbe are more along the lines of the "new age" mentality that an Atlanta has vs. a more "old school" Cleveland look.
I have to say, Emory University as a whole package is one of the more beautiful campuses I have seen, and it is especially awesome that students have great parks and a museum without ever having to leave the campus.
Regardless of the size difference of the metros, I think the amenities of these two cities are quite comparable. It's a bit of an apples and oranges situation, though. Do you prefer the Midwest or the Southeast? Can you handle cold/snowy/windy winters? Can you tolerate hot & muggy summers? I have a fondness for Great Lakes cities (it's the region where I grew up), but I currently live in Atlanta. I wouldn't mind moving back to the Great Lakes region some day, and Cleveland is my kind of town. I'm going to refrain from voting, though.
Regardless of the size difference of the metros, I think the amenities of these two cities are quite comparable. It's a bit of an apples and oranges situation, though. Do you prefer the Midwest or the Southeast? Can you handle cold/snowy/windy winters? Can you tolerate hot & muggy summers? I have a fondness for Great Lakes cities (it's the region where I grew up), but I currently live in Atlanta. I wouldn't mind moving back to the Great Lakes region some day, and Cleveland is my kind of town. I'm going to refrain from voting, though.
You are spot on. The amenities are quite similar. If one prefers 4 distinct seasons while being on a major body of water they should pick Cleveland. If one prefers mild climate year round with tough to handle summers, while being closer to mountains while also being a few hours from the water, they should pick ATL
I would say they really have sort of similar assets, but ones that are complimentary to the other. Like, if I were to say the Top 3 in Atlanta, it'd prob be CNN, Coca Cola and CFB HOF (Georgia Aquarium is more local, and R&R HOF is more touristy in Cleveland's case, but as a general trend. Those probably draw in more than say the Cleveland Museum of Art, Western Reserve Historical Society, or Playhouse Square from outside the city, just because those are kind of "unique" things, but at the same time, those assets may be of equal quality and cater more to the local residents. Personally, I prefer the kind of city assets Cleveland seems to offer as opposed to Atlanta on the average, but wouldn't have a bad time living in either city, so long as I was able to find a way to not be stuck in Atlanta's traffic. That's something I wouldn't be able to stand.
Most of this is difficult to assess unless you have first hand experience with both cities. Having never been to Cleveland and only going by what I've heard, I can't answer most of the question honestly. I would obviously pick Atlanta for most of them because I love life here...Sports? Atlanta. Food? Atlanta. History? Atlanta easily. Scenery? Atlanta. Interesting suburbs? Atlanta. Overall livability? Atlanta. Public transit? Atlanta easily. I think many of these have to do with Atlanta's size related to Cleveland's, and they really aren't in the same ballpark in most of these areas. It's nothing against Cleveland and I don't buy into the bad images still associated with that city.
Even in the healthcare category, Emory University Hospital stack up pretty well against the Cleveland Clinic, and I would bet that Atlanta has a much larger number of good hospital choices overall. Cleveland may win in the museums category, but I don't think so when considering overall culture along with it. The live theater and festivals scene in Atlanta outweighs that of Cleveland, and the symphony is ranked just behind Cleveland's.
I would say they really have sort of similar assets, but ones that are complimentary to the other. Like, if I were to say the Top 3 in Atlanta, it'd prob be CNN, Coca Cola and CFB HOF (Georgia Aquarium is more local, and R&R HOF is more touristy in Cleveland's case, but as a general trend. Those probably draw in more than say the Cleveland Museum of Art, Western Reserve Historical Society, or Playhouse Square from outside the city, just because those are kind of "unique" things, but at the same time, those assets may be of equal quality and cater more to the local residents. Personally, I prefer the kind of city assets Cleveland seems to offer as opposed to Atlanta on the average, but wouldn't have a bad time living in either city, so long as I was able to find a way to not be stuck in Atlanta's traffic. That's something I wouldn't be able to stand.
It's very easy to avoid traffic in Atlanta...I've been doing it for years by reverse commute. Using MARTA if possible or living near work are obvious ways to do it, but there are others. Atlanta's traffic isn't even considered top 10 anymore like it was a few years ago.
Last edited by JMT; 05-19-2015 at 05:40 PM..
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