Ohio 2018: more important TODAY-->Cincinnati, Cleveland, or Columbus? (Akron: 2015, apartments)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The title is fairly self explanatory, but ill provide brief clarifications...
The only place I've ever been in Ohio is Cleveland, but my girlfriend and I fell in love with the state, and it is one of our considerations for relocation in 2019-20, though not Cleveland particularly. We have friends in both Columbus and Canton, and I personally have a STRONG pull to visit Columbus within a year, and Cincy to a lesser extent...
So putting aside personal feelings, because I'm able to weigh the pros and cons of a place fairly easily (I've lived in 7 states), I want to focus the thread around which of The Big 3 is more important to Ohioans today, under considerations of economics, popular opinion, politics, and any other criteria. Outside of Ohio, those of us non-locals, may have a different view of these three cities, but online I get so many strong opinions from people of each of why their city is better. I want to have some objectivity here...
I already Cincinnati is the "original" city of Ohio from a historical perspective, and is currently the largest city by metro and GDP. I know that Cleveland is the heavyweight with probably the strongest name brand of the three, and has the largest urban area and maybe national cultural association. I know that Columbus is the state capital, the fastest growing with the healthiest economy and the premier state university, but historically the small town suburbia of the group. So all things considered, how do Ohioans order The Big 3 as the three cities are currently constructed today?
If you're looking for a place to relocate, you should focus on what's important to you -- job prospects given your skills and education, quality of educational experience, recreational desires, spectator sport opportunities, mass transit, cultural opportunities, etc.
E.g., one big difference is that Cleveland is on Lake Erie and not a river. So Cleveland has a much different boating and fishing culture than either Cincinnati or Columbus. Greater Cleveland has many marinas with larger boats, a sail boating culture, lake kayaking, and fresh surf water beaches.
My perception is that the Ohio River offers better boating than the much smaller rivers running through Columbus. A search shows that Cincinnati has a couple recreational boat marinas. I couldn't find one, other than a boat launching dock, for Columbus.
Cincinnati is highly regarded for its neighborhood parks. It is ranked number 10 by parkscore.com, Cleveland is 45 and Columbus 56. Check the profiles for each city.
Keep in mind that these are scores for local parks located in the cities proper, not the suburbs. E.g., much of the acreage of the excellent Cleveland Metroparks system is located in suburbs or even adjacent counties. However, it's possible in Cleveland proper to live near a lakefront park, such as Edgewood, or, on the west side, the superb Rocky River Reservation.
Downtown Cleveland has some spectacular park spaces with Public Square and the Mall.
Ohio is somewhat unique among states in that it has large county park systems, especially in its more urban areas. These systems often were established after the major cities were developed, so major acreage is located in the suburbs. They often were inspired by the national park movement. You can read about them by searching for park systems in counties, such as Cuyahoga (Cleveland; Cleveland Metroparks), Franklin (Columbus; Central Ohio Park System) and Hamilton (Cincinnati; Great Parks of Hamilton County).
In Cleveland and Cincinnati, suburban counties often have significant and excellent separate county park systems (such as Lake Metroparks, Geauga Park District, Lorain County Metroparks, Medina County Parks, etc.) that are independent of the core county park system. Counties adjacent to Cincinnati's Hamilton County also have metro parks, but I'm not as familiar with them. Checking out county park systems is a very worthwhile task before deciding where to live in Ohio; living close to a good county park can be a great joy.
Here's the metro park system with which I'm most familiar and it greatly enriches my life.
Also, check out state parks, which can be significant recreational assets within the MSAs. E.g., Mentor Headlands State Beach near me, with adjacent nature preserves.
Living near a national natural landmark, such (ones with which I have familiarity) as Highbanks in Columbus or Holden Arboretum (28 miles east of downtown Cleveland), also is not a bad idea IMO.
Cleveland uniquely has a national park within half an hour from downtown, and it's even possible to bike from downtown to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and trails are under development to connect Cleveland's lakefront directly to the CVNP, with its great Towpath Trail.
If you provided more information about your field of employment and what you're looking for in a place to live, we could provide better input. E.g., do you want to live close to downtown or are you looking for a suburb or even a smaller college town near a major city? There are actually several useful threads in the Ohio forum covering these and similar topics.
This post just covers some topics which you might not have considered in the past (I know you're active in the city vs. city forum and likely have read many threads in the Ohio forum).
If you're from one of the C's, you will say your C is the most important. They are all more or less the same size too, so there really is no consensus there. Though I think probably more people would say Cleveland or Cincinnati once you factor in the populations of Akron and Canton associating more with Cleveland and Dayton with Cincinnati.
At the present, all three C's are on the same level. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses compared to the other but I would consider them all equal. The key is to figure out what strengths you like and what weaknesses you can live with.
Cleveland and Cincinnati will have the strongest local culture Cbus is more transiat.
Cbus and Cincy have a more vibrant economy compared to Cleveland.
Cleveland has the bigger urban feel with the best public transportation.
Cbus has an up and coming downtown core but still lags behind the others. Cbus neighborhoods surrounding downtown are top notch and I feel the core is easier to fix than the the surrounding areas like Cleveland.
In the end I would recommend any of the three and would recommend visiting each one to see which one you like.
Cbus and Cincy have a more vibrant economy compared to Cleveland.
When you are comparing metro areas, the flaw in this argument is that per capita incomes in Cleveland ($48,968) are higher than in either Cincinnati ($48,668) or Columbus ($47,725).
Cbus has an up and coming downtown core but still lags behind the others. Cbus neighborhoods surrounding downtown are top notch and I feel the core is easier to fix than the the surrounding areas like Cleveland.
It's very difficult to duplicate the quality of the legacy assets that Cleveland and Cincinnati possess compared to Columbus -- major pro sports, museums, orchestras, theater, etc.
Downtown Cleveland residential growth is mushrooming powered by pro sports and the PlayhouseSquare theater complex and is expected to reach 18,000 by the end of 2018. Specialized and well-performing public schools are even attracting families.
What is the downtown residential population in Columbus and Cincinnati?
Downtown Cleveland still has a large shopping mall in its massive Tower City, one sitting on top of a rail transit center, and it likely will gain more vibrancy as the downtown population continues to grow. Current tenants, however, do include Brooks Brothers and a Morton's Steak House. The iconic Terminal Terminal, part of Tower City, will soon begin the conversion of some office space to apartments.
The Avenue mall at Tower City was purchased by Quicken Loans CEO and NBA Cavaliers franchise owner Dan Gilbert, who plans to revitalize the mall. Tower City also houses a casino and the Ritz and Renaissance downtown Cleveland hotels.
Cleveland also has a supermarket in the heart of its downtown in the iconic Cleveland Trust Rotunda, actually becoming a tourist attraction as a result.
Cleveland is different than Columbus in that its cultural center is located in University Circle, home to several cultural institutions, including the renown Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Orchestra. There's nothing like University Circle in Columbus, and it's connected to downtown by both rail transit and one of the nation's best 24/7 bus rapid lines, as well as to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport by rail rapid service. It also is rapidly growing residential neighborhood.
Ohio City and Tremont, both adjacent to Cleveland's downtown, are rapidly following the gentrification pattern that lifted German Village in Columbus from a distressed neighborhood to one of the state's premier residential districts over the past half century. Wealthy individuals are beginning to flock to Ohio City, most notably the northeastern Ohio art patrons Fred and Laura Bidwell.
The Bidwell's activities in Ohio City remind me of the conversion of St. Mary's School in German Village into a private residence by Robert Walter, the founder of Cardinal Health and his wife, Peggy.
When you are comparing metro areas, the flaw in this argument is that per capita incomes in Cleveland ($48,968) are higher than in either Cincinnati ($48,668) or Columbus ($47,725).
It's very difficult to duplicate the quality of the legacy assets that Cleveland and Cincinnati possess compared to Columbus -- major pro sports, museums, orchestras, theater, etc.
Downtown Cleveland residential growth is mushrooming powered by pro sports and the PlayhouseSquare theater complex and is expected to reach 18,000 by the end of 2018. Specialized and well-performing public schools are even attracting families.
What is the downtown residential population in Columbus and Cincinnati?
Downtown Cleveland still has a large shopping mall in its massive Tower City, one sitting on top of a rail transit center, and it likely will gain more vibrancy as the downtown population continues to grow. Current tenants, however, do include Brooks Brothers and a Morton's Steak House. The iconic Terminal Terminal, part of Tower City, will soon begin the conversion of some office space to apartments.
The Avenue mall at Tower City was purchased by Quicken Loans CEO and NBA Cavaliers franchise owner Dan Gilbert, who plans to revitalize the mall. Tower City also houses a casino and the Ritz and Renaissance downtown Cleveland hotels.
Cleveland also has a supermarket in the heart of its downtown in the iconic Cleveland Trust Rotunda, actually becoming a tourist attraction as a result.
Cleveland is different than Columbus in that its cultural center is located in University Circle, home to several cultural institutions, including the renown Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Orchestra. There's nothing like University Circle in Columbus, and it's connected to downtown by both rail transit and one of the nation's best 24/7 bus rapid lines, as well as to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport by rail rapid service. It also is rapidly growing residential neighborhood.
Ohio City and Tremont, both adjacent to Cleveland's downtown, are rapidly following the gentrification pattern that lifted German Village in Columbus from a distressed neighborhood to one of the state's premier residential districts over the past half century. Wealthy individuals are beginning to flock to Ohio City, most notably the northeastern Ohio art patrons Fred and Laura Bidwell.
The Bidwell's activities in Ohio City remind me of the conversion of St. Mary's School in German Village into a private residence by Robert Walter, the founder of Cardinal Health and his wife, Peggy.
All great points, I still stand by Cbus and Cincy having the more vibrant economies though. This is based on personal opinion and what area I choose when looking a for a career. All three C's match very well with one another and there is even crossover of industries between them
Cleveland- the most history, culture and the biggest city feel of the three. The only caveats to this would be it's downward trajectory over the past 50 years, which gives a bit of a depressed feeling to the city. It was once the ninth biggest city in the US and the undisputed largest city in the state back in 1960. Now it has fallen to an equal status with Cincinnati and even Columbus. The other thing that does not get mentioned is the weather. Cleveland's weather is a deal breaker to me, with the extra snow it gets and the cloud cover. It's like living in London or Seattle, if those cities also got a real winter.
Cincinnati- also lots of history and culture, with the caveat that it is conservative with both a large and small c, a bit moribund, but also with a touch of German culture and southern culture if that is your thing. Amenities almost as good as Cleveland, and like Cleveland has been a big city for a long time.
Columbus, the most up and coming of the three cities in both a good and a bad way. The good is that it has a lot of energy of a Sunbelt type city, with lots of new growth and vibrancy. The bad is like many cities in the sunbelt, it can seem like a giant suburb, and it lacks many big city amenities, like a national class museum/city park. Urban infrastructure is limited to a small downtown and a few older neighborhoods, and only an NHL team for major league sports.
Of the three, I would probably choose Cincinnati due to it having big city amenities, and the best weather of the three.
If you're from one of the C's, you will say your C is the most important. They are all more or less the same size too, so there really is no consensus there. Though I think probably more people would say Cleveland or Cincinnati once you factor in the populations of Akron and Canton associating more with Cleveland and Dayton with Cincinnati.
More people will say Cincinnati and Cleveland because more people from there post here and homerism is virulent. There really is no other reason. I think people in/from Ohio far overestimate the relative perceptions of their cities. From everything I have seen/heard/read, Cleveland has the worst reputation outside of the state, followed by Cincinnati and then Columbus. No one talks about Akron or Dayton at all, certainly not in association with Cleveland or Cincinnati. That's entirely an Ohio thing to inflate their populations/importance when making 3-C comparisons.
Here's how these threads always go:
1. Cleveland people talk about their museums and how nationally important their symphony is. "Have you seen Playhouse Square!?"
2. Cincinnati people will talk about their riverfront, OTR and how development means Cin-Day is a reality despite what the Census says.
3. Both with crap all over Columbus for being too "suburban" or "lacking character" or something along those lines.
4. The thread will turn into another ****-measuring contest.
5. The thread will be locked by a moderator.
More people will say Cincinnati and Cleveland because more people from there post here and homerism is virulent. There really is no other reason. I think people in/from Ohio far overestimate the relative perceptions of their cities. From everything I have seen/heard/read, Cleveland has the worst reputation outside of the state, followed by Cincinnati and then Columbus. No one talks about Akron or Dayton at all, certainly not in association with Cleveland or Cincinnati. That's entirely an Ohio thing to inflate their populations/importance when making 3-C comparisons.
I was thinking about people at large in Ohio not forum posters. The question was about how Ohioans view the three C's and only those cities. I'm saying that if you ask someone from Akron which C is more important, they will probably say Cleveland. Someone from Dayton would probably say Cincinnati. You are not reading what is actually there my man. I am not "inflating populations" at all. It's a straight answer of the question as I see it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
