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I've been wanting to move out of Columbia, SC to escape the heat and to experience snowy winters like my friend in Norton, VA. Which metro would be a better pick? Here's what I want (the red is most important):
Cool summers
Plenty of snow
Lots of hills to go sledding on
Near a big lake
Good people
Little traffic for city standards
Plenty of blue-collar jobs (Trucking, steel work, etc.)
Pittsburgh is hillier and is technically part of Appalachia. It's not as cold as Cleveland but it still gets plenty of snow. The actual city is less blue-collar than it used to be but the overall metro still has a blue-collar feel to it.
Cleveland is a Great Lakes city and actually has more in common with Buffalo and Detroit than Pittsburgh. Being on Lake Erie, it's flatter but there are hilly areas outside the city, especially around Gates Mills and Valley View. Cleveland feels like a bigger city (IMO) and it gets a ton of snow.
For sports, the Browns-Steelers rivalry is intense. The Browns are finally good now so the rivalry has heated up over the past few years.
Last edited by costellopresley82; 06-24-2021 at 02:32 PM..
Neither have cool summers but Cleveland seems a bit better in this regard while also on a big lake. That said, I always here good things about Pittsburgh. I know little of Cleveland.
Neither have cool summers but Cleveland seems a bit better in this regard while also on a big lake. That said, I always here good things about Pittsburgh. I know little of Cleveland.
Cleveland actually is a little warmer in the summer months by 1-2 degrees but its a negligible difference. Looking at historical highs and the two are almost identical. Cleveland gets more snow though due to lake effect, but Cleveland also is slightly also more sunny.
Overall, based on criteria. I'll go:
1. Cool summers: Wash. Neither are cool but Pittsburgh i guess fits that if you are concerned about 84 in July in Cleveland vs. 82 in Pittsburgh (the highest average for either).
2. Plenty of snow: Both get snow, but Cleveland would "win" here.
3. Sledding hills: Pittsburgh is definitely hillier, but if you are simply trying to find sledding hills, either should work. The biggest difference is you may have to travel an extra 5-10 minutes to get to one in Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh (which im assuming are all over). So Pittsburgh there, though, maybe Cleveland if you consider the amount of days with snow (can't exactly sled if there is none).
4. Near a big lake: this is the only landslide. Cleveland offers that, Pittsburgh doesn't.
5. Good people: subjective but don't think there is a difference in either.
6. Little traffic for city standards: while overall I don't think either are bad, though Pittsburgh can get tied up in my experiences. Cleveland can too but I don’t think either are bad here (both have public transportation systems that alleviate some congestion) on top of numerous EW and NS highway options. Between the two, I would say Cleveland does have a little better traffic.
7. Blue collar jobs: another wash. While both are diversifying their economies and being less reliant on a blue collar economy (which both are known for), there is plenty of work, especially right now, in either. I'll give the nod to Cleveland because depending on where you live in the metro, could also open up options that are within 30 minutes in the Akron, Canton or Youngstown metros. For Pittsburgh, your pretty much looking within the geographically larger Pittsburgh metro though Youngstown and Steubenville (two very blue collar metros) can also be within 30 minutes depending on where you live.
8. Sports towns: both are rabid NFL cities, obviously the Pittsburgh Steelers have had more recent success than the Browns, but that might be changing. Both have MLB teams, though the Cleveland Indians have had way more success than the Pittsburgh Pirates over the last 25 years. The Indians are a traditional winner (even if they lose their top stars to a big market team). The Pirates have arguably been the worst MLB franchise since Barry Bonds left Pittsburgh 30 years ago. Cleveland has the NBA. Results with LeBron over the past 20 years, very good. Without him, very bad. I can delve into exactly why they have sucked without him (huge NBA fan) but won't bog it down. Pittsburgh has the NHL. I don't follow the sport; but they are usually good. For pro sports its a wash. Now; if you like college, Pittsburgh has University of Pittsburgh which is in the ACC (major conference) where Ohio is centered around Ohio State (Columbus) and everything else is an afterthought.
Last edited by ClevelandBrown; 06-27-2021 at 10:50 PM..
I actually love both metros, but wouldn't want to live in either city. But I like Pittsburgh much better. More to do overall, better food scene, great people, love their downtown, beautiful topography, and its suburban counties are red.
I actually love both metros, but wouldn't want to live in either city. But I like Pittsburgh much better. More to do overall, better food scene, great people, love their downtown, beautiful topography, and its suburban counties are red.
I'm not really sure what "more to do" there is in Pittsburgh than Cleveland. Pittsburgh has topography, which I guess is cool, Cleveland has a lake which you can actually use. Food scene? hmm... suburban counties in northeast Ohio are also red. Not sure if you have much experience in Cleveland.
I like the Pittsburgh metro but disagree with this "by far" thing. Did you read the criteria? Big lake (Cleveland, by far), snow (Cleveland by far), good people (draw), hills (Pittsburgh but for sledding? See: snow), cool summers (neither really "cool" but so far Cleveland has had a cooler summer than Pittsburgh), blue collar (Cleveland, by far, Pittsburgh really isn't that blue collar a place anymore), sports (both are good sports towns).
Neither have cool summers but Cleveland seems a bit better in this regard while also on a big lake. That said, I always here good things about Pittsburgh. I know little of Cleveland.
If you're from Columbia SC, then 84 in July or August is definitely cool.
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