Where Does Cleveland's Inferiority Complex Stems From? (Oregon: crime, houses)

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by averysgore

What's sad is that most people under 35 or so have never heard that nickname if they're not from the area

"Mistake on the Lake" also has been used to refer to Buffalo, Erie, Toledo ... People who use it are hardly original.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

"Mistake on the Lake" also has been used to refer to Buffalo, Erie, Toledo ... People who use it are hardly original.

It's also been used to refer to the Soldier Field renovations in Chicago, which many people feel were badly done.

[theunseenguest]

Originally Posted by averysgore

A reason for Cleveland's inferiority complex: I came across the Yahoo Travel page for Cleveland, and this is the first paragraph (and the only one you see on the first page):

Cleveland, Ohio Vacations, Tourism, Guides, Hotels, Things to Do, Restaurants - Yahoo! Travel

Fortunately, Yahoo isn't the first place most people look when they decide where to travel (somehow Y search got changed to my default, need to fix that) but that doesn't make it right.

What's sad is that most people under 35 or so have never heard that nickname if they're not from the area, and don't know about the river catching fire. And it's really not the butt of jokes the way our parents' generation remembers it. Still, the fact that there isn't much positive buzz about Cleveland means most young people still don't have a favorable view of the city.

If this was a city I'd never heard about, and a major travel guide put it down in the first couple sentences...I'd be pretty pissed.

I never heard about that nickname either, had to Google it and even the source was "urban dictionary". Some say it might also refer to Chicago though.

[Charlestondata]

I've never been to Cleveland. Are the boarded up houses I keep hearing about in the national media in your face and all over the place there? I remember an episode of "WKRP (or whatever) in Cincinnati" in which one of the characters mentioned Cleveland in an unflattering way. That was probably 30 years ago.

The media can take a place down. Even on the top level of national media, I am convinced I have detected Brian Williams on NBC News taking any chance he can get to make other major US cities look bad compared to NYC. He recently reported on some bad statistic accompanied by a list of the five worst cities for that stat, and I later found out by seeing a longer list from another source that he very conveniently failed to mention that NYC was number six.

Every city is what you make it. Some people just have wanderlust for trying out other places to live in, while others live where they live simply because it's home. Still others live in a city or metro or move to a city or metro for a job. There is a lot to be said for being a local and just living your life as a local without the "grass is greener" albatross around your neck, whether you're a lifelong resident or a relative newcomer.

Just judging by photos, Cleveland looks as though it has more patina than Columbus, and about the same amount as Cincinnati. If it's a little too gritty in areas, improvements will come from grass-roots efforts through neighborhood involvement and city ordinances.

[TBideon]

In terms of the city proper:

The vast majority of the East side is low income and hopeless, with University Circle at the far east side being really the only functional, growing neighborhood. Asiatown is also seeing some growth with business and stable residents. There are hints of rebirth in St Clair/Superior, Hough and Fairfax as well, but nothing large scale by any means. And there are always talks about Slavic Village (which probably "transitioned" more than any other Cleveland neighborhood since 2000) getting investors, and they're putting in the velodrome, so there's that.

Downtown has quite a bit of momentum, with large scale projects, entertainment districts, a growing population, and Cleveland State University's growth as a conventional university with dorms and ancillary businesses. That said, a number of large businesses have left the area or greatly reduced staff in recent years (well, frankly quite a bit longer than that). While the downtown as a whole as been "beautified" from its grittier early years, it doesn't have the daytime vibrancy of 10, 20, and 30+ year ago.

The once fully stable west side has taken some hits in certain neighborhoods due to aging populations, foreclosures, and increases in crime and subsidized housing, though several neighborhoods - and I'll include the Flats here - are going through rebirths. Ohio City is going through a semi-rennaissance despite nearby Section 8 housing and criminal elements, Tremont is somewhat stabilized, and Detroit Superior is on its way.

In terms of the Metro region as a whole:

The East Side Suburbs have had a much rougher time than the West Side suburbs, at least at the inner ring level. That said, only East Cleveland and Maple Heights are really at catastrophic levels. Perhaps Warrensville Heights too, with Euclid, South Euclid, Garfield Heights, and both Bedfords on a pretty quick downward spiral. Certain chunks of Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights are ghetto as $hit as well. The rest is fine (and I may have been a little too hard on South Euclid now that I think about it). In the West Side Suburbs, some Section 8 housing and criminal types have infiltrated Parma and Lakewood, but really that whole area is in good shape overall.

So there's a snapshot of Cleveland.

[Heidi60]

Civic Revolutionaries Ingiting the Passion for Change in America's Communities,
by Henton, Melville and Walesh was a major inspiration for changes we were able to make in our condo complex. I recommend it to anyone who is above whining and wants to make a difference where you live.

Good post Columbiadata and TBideon!

[Cleverfield]

TBideon: I agree with most of what you said, however you left out North Colinwood in the East Side areas that are gentrifying, and I believe the velodrome has already been built.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by theunseenguest

I never heard about that nickname either, had to Google it and even the source was "urban dictionary". Some say it might also refer to Chicago though.

It does not refer to Chicago. It refers to a particular structure within Chicago.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by TBideon

In terms of the city proper:

The vast majority of the East side is low income and hopeless, with University Circle at the far east side being really the only functional, growing neighborhood. Asiatown is also seeing some growth with business and stable residents. There are hints of rebirth in St Clair/Superior, Hough and Fairfax as well, but nothing large scale by any means. And there are always talks about Slavic Village (which probably "transitioned" more than any other Cleveland neighborhood since 2000) getting investors, and they're putting in the velodrome, so there's that.

Downtown has quite a bit of momentum, with large scale projects, entertainment districts, a growing population, and Cleveland State University's growth as a conventional university with dorms and ancillary businesses. That said, a number of large businesses have left the area or greatly reduced staff in recent years (well, frankly quite a bit longer than that). While the downtown as a whole as been "beautified" from its grittier early years, it doesn't have the daytime vibrancy of 10, 20, and 30+ year ago.

The once fully stable west side has taken some hits in certain neighborhoods due to aging populations, foreclosures, and increases in crime and subsidized housing, though several neighborhoods - and I'll include the Flats here - are going through rebirths. Ohio City is going through a semi-rennaissance despite nearby Section 8 housing and criminal elements, Tremont is somewhat stabilized, and Detroit Superior is on its way.

In terms of the Metro region as a whole:

The East Side Suburbs have had a much rougher time than the West Side suburbs, at least at the inner ring level. That said, only East Cleveland and Maple Heights are really at catastrophic levels. Perhaps Warrensville Heights too, with Euclid, South Euclid, Garfield Heights, and both Bedfords on a pretty quick downward spiral. Certain chunks of Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights are ghetto as $hit as well. The rest is fine (and I may have been a little too hard on South Euclid now that I think about it). In the West Side Suburbs, some Section 8 housing and criminal types have infiltrated Parma and Lakewood, but really that whole area is in good shape overall.

So there's a snapshot of Cleveland.

Excellent post and very balanced, IMO.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by andrew61

It does not refer to Chicago. It refers to a particular structure within Chicago.

I'm pretty sure that's how it started in Cleveland too- about old Municipal Stadium.