Why are we down on Cleveland? Heres the answer (Akron: job market, bankruptcy)

[airics]

WKYC.com | Cleveland, OH | Forbes magazine: Cleveland named a 'fastest dying' city (http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=94259&catid=45 - broken link)

[Kasey77]

Thank You for the info. Saddens me, but helps me make a decision.

[Chef Boyardee]

Originally Posted by airics

WKYC.com | Cleveland, OH | Forbes magazine: Cleveland named a 'fastest dying' city (http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=94259&catid=45 - broken link)

Why are we down? Down = depressed, discouraged, ashamed of, low self-esteem, it's all the same thing. Well, I guess our shrinking-ness is one big fat piece of why!

Of course, there is the low cost of housing and roomy roads

Still, if you don't "wash in The Blood of Christ," then shame is intolerable. Hence, the overwhelming popularity of denial.

[JR_C]

I still don't get it.

If you have a good job, and a nice place to live, (like I do in Youngstown--another "fastest dying city" on the list) why should this make me "down" on my city?

Does it have to do with following crowds? Many other people are moving away, so I need to move away too?

[lifepgh2op]

Just ignore those stupid lists. Of course Cleveland isn't NYC, Miami, or a bunch of other cities but using the term "dying" is a little much, Forbes.

I like how they even take a picture of the most run-down and ghostly looking spot they can find and portray it as if the whole city looks and feels that way.

Clevelanders-you have a great city and a lot to be proud of (coming from your neighbor to the south in Pittsburgh--I lived in Cleveland for 6 years and still have family there and in Akron so I am there at least once a month). It never feels dead when I am there and you know better. As long as you are there and you're happy with the many amenities your city has to offer then that should be all that matters. We have people telling us the same thing in Pittsburgh...but we're happy and we know what we have to offer so who cares? Let others go into bankruptcy trying to afford Phoenix, LA, Miami, etc. so they can have the sun 365 days a year--they can have it.

[Alaskapat528]

Originally Posted by JR_C

I still don't get it.

If you have a good job, and a nice place to live, (like I do in Youngstown--another "fastest dying city" on the list) why should this make me "down" on my city?

Does it have to do with following crowds? Many other people are moving away, so I need to move away too?

JR, you live in Youngstown you stated. Do you see your city dying as reported in Forbes? Have you lost alot of jobs there? I tend to be skeptical of these so-called reports they come out with. I'm not sure there are actual thriving places in the U.S. anywhere right now. Also, they listed Canton. Well when I check employment for Canton it has quite a few jobs there. Just wondering from someone who actually lives there what you are seeing for Youngstown and Canton.

[JR_C]

Originally Posted by Alaskapat528

JR, you live in Youngstown you stated. Do you see your city dying as reported in Forbes? Have you lost alot of jobs there? I tend to be skeptical of these so-called reports they come out with. I'm not sure there are actual thriving places in the U.S. anywhere right now. Also, they listed Canton. Well when I check employment for Canton it has quite a few jobs there. Just wondering from someone who actually lives there what you are seeing for Youngstown and Canton.

I don't really follow the job market in Youngstown. (or Canton) I think manufacturing/blue-collar jobs are probably declining. GE, Packard/Delphi, etc. have had retirement/buyouts. (Cortlandgirl would know more about this) But, there is a growing (although smaller) field of tech jobs being created in downtown Youngstown. I hear a similar story for Cleveland; there are fewer manufacturing jobs, but employers are having a hard time finding people to fill their white-collar positions.

I just want to add that, no, I don't think Youngstown is dying. When I first moved here 8 years ago, I never heard of any movement to make things better. Now, there are a large number of people who are actively trying to make the city better--to actually re-make the city.

[orion1778]

Q: Why are we so down on Cleveland?

A: Because publications like Forbes keep telling us we ought to be.

Great example of the "self-fulfilling prophesy".

[twange]

Those lists are a load of sh*t and anyone who believes them word for word, or relies on them for decision making is being foolish. The same thing is happening here in Austin but on the "best of" lists. Now, Austin is great mind you - I moved here from Cleveland last year - but it isn't the flawless mecca that many of these magazines get folks to believe. It's a 21st century city on the rise...with growing pains. Cleveland is a 19th and early 20th century city going through a long, painful transition from large manufacturing juggernaut to a smaller, healthcare and technology hub(hopefully). It will probably take many years. The transition should have been made sooner and spared the city this humbling moment. But it isn't dying. I know many people who are very happy there. Cleveland has a lot to offer.

I've been in Cleveland visiting for 10 days and have spent a lot of time driving around looking at stuff. The other day I was driving down Euclid looking at the corridor project when I passed Gallucci's. The contrast was beautiful: surrounded by a backdrop of bombed-out, empty, ratty old warehouse buildings, and the almost finished street infrastructure were about 12-15 people sitting outside under umbrella tables eating whatever it was they had just bought at Galluci's. It was a very cool moment. All it takes is a little bit of gumption and motion to make small changes. And small changes lead to bigger changes. Once that corridor gets done, I hope that new businesses start to spring up along there forming "districts". But it will need to happen organically not in some developmental boardroom, otherwise I see nothing but Walmarts, Marshalls, Old Navy, Starbucks etc...then again, I suppose it beats hookers drug dealers(no offense to any hookers or drug dealers reading this forum).

[BelieveInCleve]

What can I say? Its pretty true.

That along with the 1st poorest and 7th most dangerous, and with top 10 dirtiest, gang presence, unemployment, highest dropout rate, along with our sports teams and the weather, we have a lot of things to be down about. I still live over here and love it though, it will always be home.