Reviews & Comments
Cleveland, OH
Cleveland is a hidden gem -
5/6/2021I am originally from New Jersey. lived in Pittsburgh for 10 years and have now lived in Cleveland for about 10. I feel like I can give a pretty good comparison of both cities.
While in Pittsburgh I lived all over the city; in Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, South Side and then out in Monroeville. I worked in downtown Pittsburgh and the Strip District for several years. While in Cleveland I have lived in Ohio City, Strongsville, Independence, Chagrin Falls and now in Lakewood.
There are a few similarities between the cities, but just a few. The cities have their own personalities and dialects. Pittsburgh says it is midwest, but it is not. Cleveland is. Both cities are crazy about their sports teams. Pittsburgh I find is more rabid about the Steelers and Pens than Cleveland is about the Browns or Indians or Cavs. But then again Pittsburgh has won a lot of championships, so I get it, sort of. But in Pittsburgh it seems there is just too much talk of sports. I'm not a huge sports fan, so it became really annoying to me.
Outdoors. The Metro park surrounding Cleveland is amazing. Nothing like it in Pittsburgh. A few parks like Shenley and North Park, but no massive metro park like Cleveland. It's stunning really. But I did see more activity on the rivers surrounding Pittsburgh. Lots of rowers and boaters. Cleveland has the lake, but I don't know too many people with boats. But lake front homes near Cleveland are really gorgeous and you can feel like you are at the ocean. Downtown living seems to be more active in Pittsburgh if you include Lawrenceville. That's kind of downtown living. But then again if you include Tremont and Ohio City in Cleveland, then Cleveland seems to have more downtown livers. Young new explosive business goes to Pittsburgh at this point in 2021. Amazing growth has happened in Pittsburgh with Google and others. With the help of Carnegie Mellon, it is red hot in the Steel City. But Cleveland may be catching up. Slowly but surely. It will take some new leadership with vision but it could happen. The Cleveland Clinic is a massive glowing gem in Cleveland and I see them starting to dump money into new business. If you are in the medical field, Cleveland is your spot. Come now. But with so much new business and housing development in Pittsburgh there comes a downside; expensive rents and homes and bad traffic. Pittsburgh housing pricing is through the roof right now. Cleveland is a cheaper place to live overall. Traffic is also better getting in and around Cleveland. Safety? I think Pittsburgh feels like a safer town. That said, I've been in Cleveland for 10 years and have zero issues downtown. Some surrounding areas may be sketchy, you just learn to stay out of certain areas late at night. That's true with most cities. People are great in both cities. Just salt of the earth wonderful hard working people in both Pittsburgh and Cleveland. I can't speak on dating, I've been married for too long. The arts? I think pretty close, but I do see a ton of music and art happening in Cleveland. Before Covid hit, I was going to art shows weekly. I have two friends who are artists and they both have beautiful big art studios. There seems to be big support for art makers in Cleveland. If I were a visual artist in New York City, I'd consider moving to Cleveland. I'm sure the same is happening in Pittsburgh, but with rents being so high, not sure any art spaces or music rehearsal spaces in old buildings exist in Pittsburgh any longer. Surrounding suburbs. I think the nod goes to Cleveland. Most of the small suburbs and towns surrounding Cleveland are beautiful and safe and some pretty cool. Chagrin Fall is cute and quaint, Rocky River is great, Independence close and great. One of the best suburb towns near Cleveland is Lakewood. I live there now and love it. Lots of shops, bars, restaurants and affordable housing. Once you get out of Pittsburgh, some of the suburbs lose all character in my opinion. Mt Lebanon is nice, but pricey and a bit snobby. Squirrel Hill I liked, but expensive and congested at times. Mt Washington above the city is cool, but again pricey and congested.
Cleveland is also a much more diverse city. A really good thing.
So after spending much time in both cities, I do prefer Cleveland at this point. Not by a land slide, but enough. Besides some bad winter action, it is a great place to live and super affordable. If I were starting a new business venture, I would seriously consider moving it to Cleveland. This is a city on the rise.