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Mistake on the Lake. “The Cleve.” Burning River.
Over the past few decades, the second largest city in Ohio has caught a lot of flack. As a blue collar town, Cleveland had a rough go of it when the steel and automotive industries shipped out, and the recovery has been slowed by the housing collapse and recession.
But you know what? Much like the teen moms from our high school days who managed to get their kids through Kindergarten, Cleveland might be worth a second look.
Over the past decade, almost $6 billion has been invested in the city – from new roads to gorgeous waterfront apartments to lively bars and entertainment, there is a lot to bring postgrads back towards downtown.
WE HAVE JOBS HERE. Between the 10 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the area, the Cleveland Clinic, and the focus on bringing startups to the Midwest, there are opportunities aplenty for our generation, as long as you’re not a pretentious douche. And with the cost of living well below the national average, you can actually afford to pay your rent and your student loans while still having enough to check out the new exhibits at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
As most folks are aware, the Golden State Warriors blew a 3-1 lead – and the Cleveland Cavaliers are NBA Champions. The RNC was held here, shit show that it was, and the city didn’t burn down. The Indians are in the ALCS, despite having one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. The Cuyahoga River hasn’t caught fire in the past 47 years.
But what does all this mean for those of you on the outside looking in (with apathetic distaste I’m sure)? It means that Cleveland is a city of hope. Hope can be hard to come by these days, with our crappy desk jobs, our bleak relationship prospects, and the election looming next month. But despite all the gloom and doom, and the Browns being the laughing stock of the NFL, the city is alive with energy and excitement. 2016 has been good to the 216, and there is a feeling of hope here that is unlike anywhere else in the country.
So if you need a fresh start, a good beer, or access to the best medical care/cost of living/sports renaissance you can find, give Believeland a shot. At least we’re not Detroit..
Image via Shutterstock
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mjg_12
Never a great sign when your tagline is potentially, “At least we’re not Detroit,” but hey, props.
See: Hastily made Cleveland tourism video part 2
Markedly better than the Grandex HQ right about now, that’s for sure.
I’m not following these references, care to elaborate?
Your bro JD got axed. He’s definitely going to ask his ex if he can move in and leave his bougie apartment for another Chicago dump. However, this sliver of a bright future for our hero will fail to pass because his generic Chevy sedan will break down in the Ozarks, and not in a part where people vacation but in the part that makes the inbreds of Kentucky look genetically diverse by comparison. This will spell the end for Johnny, like a thud and a splash, but not before an inbred religious cult forces him to replenish their washed up gene pool by procreating with the female equivalent of Golem. In their brief sorrow for their wayward son, the Duda’s will sue Grandex for violating federal employee protection laws, alleging that Johnny was discriminated against for his wardrobe and chopstick legs, and ultimately win an undisclosed amount in a settlement that will shutter Grandex’s doors. However, this branch of the story has a happy ending, using their newfound fortune, the Duda’s will be able to afford in vetro fertilization and raise a daughter that will become a successful environmental engineer.
Nived? Is that you?
This will happen when his mom gets wind. It won’t be pretty
I found a nice spot to settle down in Cleveland, OH.
The first thing you see on the highway driving into Cleveland is a massive collection of abandoned factories. Hard pass.
Who the fuck are you?
This is the view from my office building. I’m never leaving San Francisco.
Charles, is that you?
Didn’t read the column, didn’t have to, the answer is no.
I stopped caring what people thought of Cleveland. People who have never been here have outdated assumptions driven by the national media who love taking shots at Cleveland any chance they get (see TBS postgame coverage last night). Growing up in Cleveland, I know how great the city is and what it has to offer. Downtown has all three sports stadiums, plenty of bars and restaurants, theaters, museums, concert halls, casino, etc. That doesn’t include the neighborhoods like Ohio City, Lakewood, Tremont, Coventry.
Like the author said, Cleveland has gone under major renovations recently. It’s not even close to the same as it was 10-15 years ago. But if people don’t want to have an open mind about the city, fine, don’t come here. We’ll keep the city to ourselves.
Keeps the rent low for the rest of us so I’m fine with it
I have mixed feelings. I’d love for more people and businesses to come in and improve my (underwater) property value, but I’d hate for the traffic and crazy prices of much larger cities. I’d be happy with a city size level somewhere between “cartoonish ghost town” and “NYC.”
TBS commentators are a reason I thought of writing this piece – just a total lack of understanding when it comes to how the city has changed the past decade. I moved back less than 2 years after college because nowhere else I’d been to was as fun for more than 3 days.
GO BOBCATS.
It’s definitely a city on the rise. Downtown is thriving. Ohio City and Tremont are becoming great spots just outside of the downtown area. New apartments and nightlife are going up every year. Cost of living compared to most other major cities is pretty damn good. It still has a lot of its grit and blue collar roots. Who doesn’t love an underdog with a comeback story?
Roll Tribe
Crime? Check. Brutal winters? Check. In Ohio? Check. Yeah, I’m gonna pass on Thieveland
Crime: In general, stay out of East Cleveland and you’ll be fine. Every major city has it’s blight spots. Downtown is safer than ever. I’ve never felt uneasy going downtown for a game or hitting east 4th street bars.
Brutal winters: Outside of the lake effect snowbelt (east side) it’s not terrible. Certainly no worse than Chicago. Depends on your definition of brutal. If below freezing with snow in the winter is “brutal”, than yeah, I guess. But anywhere with better weather will likely have a higher cost of living as well, since most people prefer warmer temps all else being equal. It’s a trade off and a personal preference. Some people enjoy cold weather. I (willingly) moved to Cleveland from upstate NY. Buffalo/Syracuse/Watertown have what I would call “Brutal” winters. Parts of upstate NY disappear under snow in late November and aren’t found until they thaw in April. Cleveland was a notable improvement in terms of weather for me. Perspective I guess. Makes you appreciate the warm sunny days in summer more.
In Ohio: I get it. Running joke and all that. But it’s home to a lot of big companies and some of the nicest people I’ve met in my almost 3 decades on this rock. I’m not here to put anyone else’s favorite state down, but there’s a lot of good things and good people that have come out of Ohio. The state and Cleveland in particular have had some tough stretches, but I truly believe they’ve come out stronger on the other side. I just feel like the constant Ohio bashing is mostly unjustified, particularly nowadays.
I’m better than you.
You left upstate NY… Anywhere is better.