Favorite Ohio Major City (Columbus, Cleveland: theatres, restaurant, shops)

[motorman]

Originally Posted by kpl1228

Despite the obvious charms of both Columbus and Cincinnati, Cleveland is, and always will be, Ohio's "big city." It exudes it, it acts like it, for better or worse. East Coast swagger, light rail, etc. Big city politics, with a history of both corruption and organized crime. Heavy industry. A population with city neighborhoods as diverse as Chicago's. It is, despite population losses, the big city. Especially to those around the country/world that don't root for Ohio State or work for Proctor & Gamble.
It's all in the design, the amenities, the demographics, and especially the history. Columbus is growing into the cornfields, and has OSU and state government, Cincinnati has some serious beauty, and is downright charming in places, but c'mon. Cleveland is the big city when people think about it in Ohio. The sky gets darker and dirtier as you drive upstate, the traffic and attitude gets nastier, and you go downtown and it just feels LIKE A CITY. An afternoon at the West Side Market or in the Dawg Pound would sum it all up, especially when you get on the train to go across town afterward. It's just the whole vibe. Cinci and Columbus ain't got that. And again, good and bad.

Most certainly an engaging, power-packed vision of Cleveland--just as long as you realize that you're peering at the city through some template of the 1950's rather than one of 2015--wherein, all too much about Cincinnati and Columbus has conveniently been removed in order to create an unrealistic picture of the of the three cities today.

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by motorman

Most certainly an engaging, power-packed vision of Cleveland--just as long as you realize that you're peering at the city through some template of the 1950's rather than one of 2015--wherein, all too much about Cincinnati and Columbus has conveniently been removed in order to create an unrealistic picture of the of the three cities today.

Not quite a 1950s template. Ever been to Cleveland's West Side Market on a Saturday morning? Cleveland's ethnic history trumps Cin & Col simply because these 2 cities lack one. This is why Cleveland can have an eastern flavor to it including its Connecticut roots. The fact that Cleveland was so built-out in the past gives it the best urban vibe in Ohio.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by Kamms

Not quite a 1950s template. Ever been to Cleveland's West Side Market on a Saturday morning? Cleveland's ethnic history trumps Cin & Col simply because these 2 cities lack one. This is why Cleveland can have an eastern flavor to it including its Connecticut roots. The fact that Cleveland was so built-out in the past gives it the best urban vibe in Ohio.

Cleveland certainly has a rich *European* ethnic history, but a lot of that has completely disappeared. Cleveland's foreign-born population peaked in 1920 at over 240,000, or just over 30% of the city's population at the time. In 2013, there was just over 17,000 foreign-born residents.

However, you dismiss current ethnic reality. Can you guess which city has, by far, the most foreign-born residents in the state? And do you think that those people don't provide any cultural influence?

[kpl1228]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

Cleveland certainly has a rich *European* ethnic history, but a lot of that has completely disappeared. Cleveland's foreign-born population peaked in 1920 at over 240,000, or just over 30% of the city's population at the time. In 2013, there was just over 17,000 foreign-born residents.

However, you dismiss current ethnic reality. Can you guess which city has, by far, the most foreign-born residents in the state? And do you think that those people don't provide any cultural influence?

Pull OSU's tens of thousands of transient students, staff, and professors (many of whom don't stay at OSU forever) out of the equation and let's see how "ethnic" and "diverse" Columbus REALLY is, by comparison.
I like Columbus actually (some neat city neighborhoods with terrific housing) but when Nationwide Insurance, or a green Honda plant in a far-away exurb, is the "heavy industry," it speaks volumes.
Once a cowtown, always a cowtown, and still a cowtown compared to Cleveland or even Cincinnati (but now with some refugee Ethiopians and Somalians, and most of those are actually in suburban Whitehall, btw).
Despite Columbus' recent growth into the surrounding soybean fields, the history of the cities is WAY, WAY important. Too many of the stuck-in-the-90's Columbus yuppies that are still boasting about their hockey rink just don't get it.
Look at the metro populations. AND THE HISTORY. Big city swagger and spice versus corn and soybeans (and state fair pig contests).
White collar, vanilla, safe, bland, zzzzzzzzzzzz. Like Indianapolis with a big college. No real "big city" spice.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by kpl1228

Pull OSU's tens of thousands of transient students, staff, and professors (many of whom don't stay at OSU forever) out of the equation and let's see how "ethnic" and "diverse" Columbus REALLY is, by comparison.
I like Columbus actually (some neat city neighborhoods with terrific housing) but when Nationwide Insurance, or a green Honda plant in a far-away exurb, is the "heavy industry," it speaks volumes.
Once a cowtown, always a cowtown, and still a cowtown compared to Cleveland or even Cincinnati (but now with some refugee Ethiopians and Somalians, and most of those are actually in suburban Whitehall, btw).
Despite Columbus' recent growth into the surrounding soybean fields, the history of the cities is WAY, WAY important. Too many of the stuck-in-the-90's Columbus yuppies that are still boasting about their hockey rink just don't get it.
Look at the metro populations. AND THE HISTORY. Big city swagger and spice versus corn and soybeans (and state fair pig contests).
White collar, vanilla, safe, bland, zzzzzzzzzzzz. Like Indianapolis with a big college. No real "big city" spice.

The problem with this is that OSU is not all that diverse in terms of international students. It's maybe 10% of the student body, which would only be about 5% of the total city foreign-born population. So your theory doesn't hold up at all, sorry.

Columbus doesn't rely on heavy industry and never has. Instead, it has a diverse economy, which is far more stable and healthy. This is a positive. Honda is part of the metro, not the city.

The rest of your view seems stuck in 1985. When you decide to update your view in the 21st century, let me know.

[1watertiger]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

The problem with this is that OSU is not all that diverse in terms of international students. It's maybe 10% of the student body, which would only be about 5% of the total city foreign-born population. So your theory doesn't hold up at all, sorry.

Columbus doesn't rely on heavy industry and never has. Instead, it has a diverse economy, which is far more stable and healthy. This is a positive. Honda is part of the metro, not the city.

The rest of your view seems stuck in 1985. When you decide to update your view in the 21st century, let me know.

I bet Mexicans are the large influx.. That's what I see. Probably work in all the corn and soybean fields around cbus..

[1watertiger]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

Cleveland certainly has a rich *European* ethnic history, but a lot of that has completely disappeared. Cleveland's foreign-born population peaked in 1920 at over 240,000, or just over 30% of the city's population at the time. In 2013, there was just over 17,000 foreign-born residents.

However, you dismiss current ethnic reality. Can you guess which city has, by far, the most foreign-born residents in the state? And do you think that those people don't provide any cultural influence?

Jbch81, come visit Cleveland this summer and watch a pro baseball game. Maybe enjoy the lake or beaches or plan on seeing a world class orchestra.. Just a few things to experience in Cleveland that you can never do in cbus.. Seriously , you need to get real and stop trying to make cbus seem like some great city because its not and never was.

[1watertiger]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

The problem with this is that OSU is not all that diverse in terms of international students. It's maybe 10% of the student body, which would only be about 5% of the total city foreign-born population. So your theory doesn't hold up at all, sorry.

Columbus doesn't rely on heavy industry and never has. Instead, it has a diverse economy, which is far more stable and healthy. This is a positive. Honda is part of the metro, not the city.

The rest of your view seems stuck in 1985. When you decide to update your view in the 21st century, let me know.

so start listing things that cbus has that make it better place then Cleveland or Cincinnati. Because my experiences put cbus a distant 3rd behind the other 2c's.

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

Cleveland certainly has a rich *European* ethnic history, but a lot of that has completely disappeared. Cleveland's foreign-born population peaked in 1920 at over 240,000, or just over 30% of the city's population at the time. In 2013, there was just over 17,000 foreign-born residents.

However, you dismiss current ethnic reality. Can you guess which city has, by far, the most foreign-born residents in the state? And do you think that those people don't provide any cultural influence?

You dismiss the current population of Cleveland as well. Most of Cleveland's ethnics live in the suburbs. Columbus has the most because it has the most people living in the largest city in square miles. When I was in Columbus I didn't see any Somalian cultural influence. I did notice lots of standard chain restaurants, retail stores and strip malls.

Let's face it, you want Cleveland out of the picture and you passively-aggressively prove it. All the old industrial cities have seen population declines. Chicago's ethnic neighborhoods are gone as well and its population is down almost 1 million residents.

I have some bad news for you, Cleveland is indeed coming back.

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

The problem with this is that OSU is not all that diverse in terms of international students. It's maybe 10% of the student body, which would only be about 5% of the total city foreign-born population. So your theory doesn't hold up at all, sorry.

Columbus doesn't rely on heavy industry and never has. Instead, it has a diverse economy, which is far more stable and healthy. This is a positive. Honda is part of the metro, not the city.

The rest of your view seems stuck in 1985. When you decide to update your view in the 21st century, let me know.

Sorry but the contrived Arena District is vanilla and the Short North is not the best urban midwest neighborhood, if this is part of what you include as a 21st Century view.