The countdown begins until our return! (Cleveland, Nashville: fit in, transplants, movers)

[citymama]

Just had to share! 26 more days until we return for Cleveland. Movers and packers are booked. Plane flights are next. It's been a bumpy 2 years and 3 months being away and we cannot wait to be back.

[Peregrine]

I would have at least waited til April! hahaha

Where are you now?

[Marshall Gibson LP]

I like to hear your perspective as an outsider who moved in, moved away and couldn't wait to get back. My new wife and I have all but decided to make the jump to the CLE pending me finding a job in Civil Engineering. Seeing your perspective makes the whole proposition a little less frightening.

[citymama]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

I would have at least waited til April! hahaha

Where are you now?

HA! Seriously! My husband starts work in a couple of weeks and we all just don't do well being apart. The snow and weather are still novel in our eyes....we are looking forward to it!


We are in a small town 30 minutes outside of Nashville. Beautiful, beautiful town, but not a good fit.

I like to hear your perspective as an outsider who moved in, moved away and couldn't wait to get back. My new wife and I have all but decided to make the jump to the CLE pending me finding a job in Civil Engineering. Seeing your perspective makes the whole proposition a little less frightening.

We moved to Cleveland in '08 from the Bay Area, CA. I had a head full of worries and stereotypes moving there...thinking I would run into unhealthy, backwards thinking folks. The truth was, that it was a VERY easy transition for us and I met some of the smartest, kindest people living in Cleveland. The restaurants and amenities were really great and I loved the fact that I could live in a safe, walkable town next to the lake. We made friends easily, close friends, friends that embraced us over the holidays like we were family. That was so important having left all our family in CA and just given birth to our second child. I found Crossfit in Cleveland which was such a community of support for healthy living and a great social support as well. My husband and son love sports and really, really enjoyed going to Indians and Browns games. When we moved to Tennessee, we really thought we could find the same things we enjoyed up North.

The suburbs are all relatively new here in Nashville, thus surburban sprawl reigns. There are literally no walkable neighborhoods that we could afford to live in and the predominant culture and lack of political and religious diversity was tough to navigate. There were more transplants down here, so that was nice. Are you from the south? It is a lot different than Cleveland.

[Marshall Gibson LP]

Originally Posted by citymama

We moved to Cleveland in '08 from the Bay Area, CA. I had a head full of worries and stereotypes moving there...thinking I would run into unhealthy, backwards thinking folks. The truth was, that it was a VERY easy transition for us and I met some of the smartest, kindest people living in Cleveland.

From my recent visit and interactions here, I really have no concerns about the people. Everyone I've come across has been great, if only a little TOO deferential about their city. I've started to attribute this to the fact that Cleveland is a region which has not "boomed" in quite awhile, so the majority of folks who live there have been there for generations. So the grass may seem a little greener for some of them. I feel sort of the same way about N. Louisiana where I grew up.

Originally Posted by citymama

We made friends easily, close friends, friends that embraced us over the holidays like we were family.

That's also wonderful to hear. One of my concerns (which may be based on ignorance), has been how much newbies, or "outsiders" would be embraced since it seems so many people there have deep, deep roots in the area. How bad is nepotism, cronyism, etc? Again, these concerns stem from my upbringing in the South.

Originally Posted by citymama

The suburbs are all relatively new here in Nashville, thus surburban sprawl reigns. There are literally no walkable neighborhoods that we could afford to live in and the predominant culture and lack of political and religious diversity was tough to navigate.

It's funny what different people find appealing. To most of my friends and family, the gritty, rust-belt aesthetic is considered "ugly". But I find a certain charm in that aesthetic as well as the gilded-age architecture downtown that is VERY rarely found in the newer areas. I personally find the newer, housebuilder built subdivisions and strip centers full of chains to be "ugly". But that is what people here prefer. I'm a bit of a square peg (always have been).

Originally Posted by citymama

There were more transplants down here, so that was nice. Are you from the south? It is a lot different than Cleveland.

I am. Born and raised and lived my whole life in Louisiana and Texas. And while there are many things I love about the south (friendliness of the people, the food and the natural beauty), I'm kinda over the inferno summers and the religion-on-the-sleeves. I'm ready for 4 seasons, and non bible-belt. Austin's great inside the city limits, but it's getting too damn crowded and expensive. Somebody screwed up and told California about us.

[citymama]

Originally Posted by Marshall Gibson LP

It's funny what different people find appealing. To most of my friends and family, the gritty, rust-belt aesthetic is considered "ugly". But I find a certain charm in that aesthetic as well as the gilded-age architecture downtown that is VERY rarely found in the newer areas. I personally find the newer, housebuilder built subdivisions and strip centers full of chains to be "ugly". But that is what people here prefer. I'm a bit of a square peg (always have been).

You sound a lot like my husband and I. We LOVE the older style and grittiness of Cleveland. THe suburbs around here look like any newish suburb in CA.



I can't speak much to the nepotism. Honestly, I got more of that impression living in the South. I loved the cultural pride of the Irish Catholics, German Cultural Centers, Italian Catholics, Greeks that I interacted with in Cleveland. Again, most of them embraced me and my family as one of their own without holding me to agree with any of their beliefs. Just a rich tradition of family and celebration!

Cleveland's theater/art scene has more of an edge to it than Nashville's in my experience. There was less talking and more doing. Again, this is just in my limited experience living in both places.

We are so ready to be out of the bible-belt as well! I would think you would be able to find a job no problem in Cleveland. Good luck!!

[billmesh]

Originally Posted by Marshall Gibson LP

I like to hear your perspective as an outsider who moved in, moved away and couldn't wait to get back. My new wife and I have all but decided to make the jump to the CLE pending me finding a job in Civil Engineering. Seeing your perspective makes the whole proposition a little less frightening.

I'll tell you, the one thing that you will probably find out immediately is that a lot of us born and bred Clevelanders will go out of our way to show you why this city does not suck. We love to share our city with outsiders moving in.

[no1brownsfan]

Originally Posted by billmesh

I'll tell you, the one thing that you will probably find out immediately is that a lot of us born and bred Clevelanders will go out of our way to show you why this city does not suck. We love to share our city with outsiders moving in.

This is very true. Despite some of the regions issues, and crappy winter weather, it really is a great place. Nowhere is perfect.