A Little Defense
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7/12/2010
I have only lived here for a little less than a year and plan to move when I am done with grad school, but only because the plan was always come here for Case Western and move back home. Reading some of these posts makes me think Cleveland needs a little defending because, it isn't nearly that bad (maybe because I have only lived here for a year).
First, for the repeated culture bashing I saw below, this area is actually quite rich in that area. There are unique ethnic neighborhoods abound; plenty of museums including the rock hall of fame (the Cleveland Museum of Art is currently going through a major renovation that will essentially double its already impressive size--for a city this size), the Museum of Contemporary Art is getting a brand new home designed by a world renowned architect; the Museum of Natural History is about to begin a complete remodel and expansion, etc. (the list of museums/gardens is actually quite long); Playhouse square is the home of the second largest live theater complex in the country (right behind Broadway); and the Cleveland Orchestra is actually world renowned--known as one of the "Big Five." Those are just some of the items I have learned and I have only been here a year. There are plenty of “cultural” aspects to find if one chooses to look for them, heck there is even a rain forest in the botanical garden at University Circle.
As for the health care and schools and active life deal...I know Cleveland is home to some of the best hospitals and doctors in the country and in the Cleveland Clinic's case--the world. Cleveland city schools = not good, but there are plenty of highly touted private schools and some very good suburban school systems. As for active lifestyle, I don't get out much being a grad student, but I do know that there is a ring of metroparks that surround the city called the “Emerald Necklace” and a surprisingly clean lake (the water is not what it was 40 years ago when the river caught on fire). The pollution is not nearly as bad as it is in other metro areas and is getting better. The weather can be an issue, but the winter is much shorter than it actually seems and if you are on the west side it is more moderate than on the east. From what I have come across it is also cheaper to live on the east side than the west and the weather may have something to do with that.
I have looked at several cities on this site and it seems like mostly people come on here to speak negatively about the cities (not just Cleveland, but most of the cities I looked at). I can only assume that is due to the premise that if one has a negative experience they will tell ten people and if one has a positive experience they will tell three. There is no way that every city in this country is an awful place to live. Don't get me wrong there is plenty to complain about, but on the other hand there is plenty to enjoy in Cleveland if people take the time to look. Again, I have only been here for a year so I know there is more to enjoy if people want to find them. I didn’t take the time to pick out the negatives because there plenty of people have already done so.
BOJ | Cleveland, OH