Best city in Ohio-A great place to raise kids, but
-
5/29/2007
Cleveland is a tragic city. Once one of the greatest metropolises in the United States, Cleveland has now sadly decayed to a shadow of its former self. Example: my grandparents lived in Cleveland as young people and moved to Los Angeles in middle age. When they come back to visit they always comment on how the place has lost so much of its former glory.
Regardless, Cleveland has retained much of its glorious past in its cultural institutions, including the Cleveland Orchestra (one of the best in the world), Playhouse Square (productions could be better but are still great, especially for a city this size), Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, and many wonderful museums.
The suburbs around the city are good for raising kids due to a low cost of living and top-notch public schools. What makes the Cleveland area so great for a middle-class family is that it can take advantage of the cheap housing and good schools in the suburbs while still enjoying the cultural benefits associated with the city itself.
Cleveland has a New England feel to it rather than a Midwest feel because it is part of land formerly owned by Connecticut hundreds of years ago. Its downtown resembles the "classic American big city," which is why the Spiderman movies used Cleveland as a stand-in for New York.
Cleveland is not great for young professionals because the place is hands down not as exciting as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, or Los Angeles.
The lake is a great asset to the city-beaches are not something typically associated with Ohio but they do exist in Cleveland.
The weather is horrific-the lake-effect snow dumps more snow than you could of thought possible and winter lasts very, very long...usually the first snow is in November and the last snow in April, with occasional 60 degree days in December or January or a week of sun in late November. Wintry weather is sporadic in November/early December and March, but basically constant from about Dec. 15 to March 5
The terrible humidity of summer can start as early as May and last into September. Spring and Fall are beautiful but short, especially spring.
Recommended for: upper middle/middle class/poor families raising kids.
Julian | Beverly Hills, CA