TMH

I hope this isn't off topic, but given all this discussion about Cleveland and Akron, I had a thought. Wouldn't it be great if we used some the the money set aside to build the rail system connecting the three Cs (and Dayton) to build a commuter rail system connecting the two downtowns of Akron and Cleveland? Think how this would unite the region. :clap:

Just when I think the PD is getting more balanced in its reporting, I find myself yelling at the paper again. This article has been bothering me for sometime now. "Northeast Ohio's slow recovery took a break in June, report says" http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/08/northeast_ohios_slow_recovery.html Let me start by saying that the article is factual. My problem with it is that they focus on all of NEO and never mention that the Cleveland region is a relatively bright spot in Ohio. According to the June unemployment numbers: Cleveland = 9.3% Columbus = 9.2% Cincinnati = 10.0% Akron = 10.3% Dayton = 11.3% Toledo = 11.6% http://www.bls.gov/web/metro/laummtrk.htm The unemployment for the Greater Cleveland area is less than the national average. Would it kill the PD to at least mention this? Why is it that the local (and national to some extent) media shifts between the city of Cleveland, Greater Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and Northeast Ohio depending on which provides the most depressing results? One more rant, Sunday the Warehouse District held its annual street festival. It was fantastic - one of the best we have had. A family friendly event with music, food, magicians, face painting, games, etc. As of Tuesday I still have seen no report of this in the PD. With all of the negative reporting regarding the WD, wouldn't it have been nice for the PD to print an article about our festival?

Why demolish a three-story parking garage to build a surface parking lot?

I am not gay, but I think that you would be very comfortable in Cleveland. I won't give the cliche about "I have some gay friends", but it has been my experience that Cleveland is very friendly and accepting of all people. Welcome to Cleveland.

I am not sure what C-Dawg meant by "don't forget Columbus and Cincinnati have been pretty solid through this whole thing". Based on the following link: http://www.bls.gov/web/metro/laummtrk.htm Cincinnati's unemployment rate actually went up in April. I know that this is a month behind, but as I have been tracking this for the last 6 months, the surprise is that Cleveland has had the lowest unemployment rate (or tied with Columbus) throughout this period. As of April, Cleveland had an unemployment rate of 8.9% and Cincinnati was at 10.2%, which was up from 10.1% in March.

The Warehouse District is very different from the old Flats. The WD is a neighborhood. Thousands of people live there, myself included. It will not become the Wild West atmosphere of the old Flats.

Cleveland has had the lowest unemployment rate (or lowest tied with Columbus) for as long as I have been tracking this (about 6 months). Of course the Plain Dealer would never report this.

I was pleasantly surprised when the April unemployment rates came out. http://www.bls.gov/web/metro/laummtrk.htm The Cleveland metropolitan area has an unemployment rate of 8.9. This is the lowest of any major area in the state. It looks like things are starting to turn around for us. I was also surprised that Cincinnati's unemployment rate has actually gone up to 10.2.

I would make a distinction between locating a restaurant on the Cuyahoga (The Flats) vs. Lake Erie. There is a reason that very few restaurants are located on the Lake Erie shoreline all across Ohio. We have the only unobstructed northern shoreline in the US. Even Buffalo and Toledo are inland along a river. I cannot overstate the impact of a northern shoreline. People talk about Seattle, San Fransisco, Baltimore, (Inner Harbor), etc. They are all located in inlets or straits. Chicago has an eastern shoreline. When the winter winds come blowing, in Chicago, they are not coming across the water. I never fully understood the impact a northern shoreline has until I bought a cottage on the shore of Lake Erie. I love it, it is beautiful, but Nature is extremely powerful and unpredictable. Winds kick up at the most unpredictable times with a power that most people would not understand!! An unobstructed 25 mph wind is devastating to tables, chairs, table clothes, food, etc., while further inland (1/4 mile) it is barely noticeable. During the summer months, this results in an extreme inconvenience when dinning, oftentimes resulting in the restaurateur have to pay the check for the patrons. In the late Fall, Winter, and early Spring, it creates a very unpleasant environment which discourages patrons. There is a reason that very few people can maintain a successful restaurant on Lake Erie. However, having said that, we have successful places in the Flats that have been around for years. I think the Harbor Inn has been in continuous operation for over 100 years! But Hornblowers could not survive, nor have many other places along Lake Erie from Toledo to Buffalo.

I agree that this is an interesting area. I am not sure I would live there, but I know several artists that love it.

When my wife and I moved here from Chicago we had younger children and decided to move to Cleveland Heights for the schools?!. We loved living there. Six years ago (as empty nesters) we moved downtown. We were surprised at how much we would love it! We live in the Warehouse District and it is great. My wife feels safe walking around downtown by herself at all times. At East 9th and Prospect, you will be nestled between Playhouse Square and Gateway neighborhoods. From 9th and Prospect it is a continuous stream of bars and restaurants to East 4th. There is a constant stream of activity and when the Indians, Cavaliers, and Monsters are playing at home it borders on being "crazy". There is a new apartment building development mid-way (Residences at 668) and it is filling quickly. New places are continually opening up and the area is certainly becoming a Hot Spot of activity. You have to remember that Downtown Cleveland is very small compared to NYC. In comparison, many would say that our downtown is "quaint". When you are sitting on Public Square during the Cleveland Orchestra performances for 4th of July and the Lighting of the Lights (Thanksgiving) you will think you are in the Town Square of some small town. Cleveland really grows on you! Before you know it, you fall in love with Cleveland. Coming from NYC area you can appreciate public transportation. The Health Line will take you from 9th and Euclid (one block from Prospect) to the Cleveland Clinic in 15 - 20 minutes.

When media becomes dependent on government funding, it is a very small step for the media to become a voice of the government. Threats to cut off funding can sway the editors to stop certain articles and not pursue investigations. I think the newspapers and media in general are essential to a functioning democracy, but only if they are free of government involvement. On a slightly different note, I think that newspapers and other media have a responsibility to report the news in a a balanced fashion. Unfortunately, when a large market is supported by only one newspaper, that paper may begin to sensationalize the news in order to increase circulation. I believe that in the 12 years I have lived in Cleveland, the PD has specifically exaggerated the bad news in Cleveland for at least the last 6 years. When we first arrived, I did not notice the constant fear of downtown. I can not think of any calamity that occurred downtown in that time, but most people now think it is extremely unsafe to come downtown. They get ALL of their news from the PD and other local media outlets trying to increase their presence.

I thought recently that the PD had modified its position regarding the continual bashing of Cleveland and then I read Larkin. Once again I am reminded of the old school PD. Is he the new Dick Feagler? I thought Larkin retired? Why can't institutions like the PD break with the past and start functioning in the present with an eye to the future? Wouldn't that be refreshing?

Several people have jumped on my comments and focused on the homeless/panhandler aspect. As a downtown resident I cannot ignore the safety issues surrounding any park. Let's remember, the shootings at Perk Park occurred behind one of the mounds in the old design. It provided a perfect secluded/hidden area for the crime. As for public square, removing the tall shrubbery surrounding the two northern quadrants has greatly improved the area in terms of the "safety" perception. There are no more spaces hidden from public view. It is a more inviting space for everyone. Before everyone jumps on me again, come downtown after dark and take a walk around the various parks. You will begin to understand my point. The parks that "feel" the safest are those in clear view of the street.

I have noticed that also. Has there been a change on the editorial board or have they finally started listening to us. For a while, the PD was becoming a joke, but now I can see modest signs of change away from the constant negativity.

We have to remember the unique characteristics of downtown Cleveland when designing any park. We do not have the pedestrian street traffic that other major cities have. That means that many of the park designs that work in Chicago & NYC only become deserted havens for panhandlers and drifters. I worry about hidden areas behind mounds, benches suitable for overnight sleeping, etc. We have to be practicle in any design.

I think that all lists of cities are comparing apples to oranges.

One thing that bothers me most about these lists is the random use of the metropolitan area vs. the specific city limits. The city of Cleveland (based on the CLE airport records) does not average 5ft of snow each year! Given our proximity to Lake Erie, we actually have more temperate high's and low's. However it does appear that these stats pertain more to NEO and the snow belt in particular. If we were talking poverty and Forbes included NEO we would be one of the wealthier areas in the country, but for those comparisons, Forbes stays within the city limits. I can't explain their agenda, but I have learned to treat all lists comparing cities with suspicion.

Help me with my memory, but didn't the current influx of people from India basically begin when the Cleveland school system went to India to hire teachers. I think they hired about 50 teachers 7 or 8 years ago. Since then it seems that the influx of Indian immigrants has be exploding! This is great for Cleveland and the surrounding area. By population, India is the second largest country in the world and is doing everything right to improve its economic position in the world. To have a strong link with India can only positive for the area.

I would also suggest Berea. It has a bit of a college town feel with Baldwin-Wallace College located in the center of town. Wallace Lake in the Metroparks is within walking distance of much of Berea and the downtown is charming. The schools are good and you should be able to find housing fitting your tastes.

This shows how important citizen involvement is in a free democracy. Crime is only one area, but for a democracy to be successful, the citizens must be actively involved in the issues of the community. I am not talking vigilante, which is outside the bounds of the law, but I am talking about the active participation of common citizens in keeping the peace. It is important for a community to survive that its citizens actively participate in the day to day activities of the community. This includes people watching out for neighbors and reporting crime or the possibility of a crime being committed to the police. I commend the parents of the Cleveland Arts School for proposing watching and patrolling the bus stops in response to several students being injured in the neighborhood. This is the kind of action needed to stop local crime. It takes courage and commitment from the citizens. The police are essentially a support system.

My wife and I have lived downtown for almost 6 years and we have never experienced any crime. There are some panhandlers, but actually the problem of aggressive panhandling has been greatly reduced in recent years. It is much worse in other cities. Regarding crime, we have not experienced it possibly because we do not try to by drugs from strangers in abandoned parks late at night or roam through crime filled inner-city neighborhoods looking for trouble. We do not belong to a gang, so we do not need to protect our turf or prove how tough we are. And one more thing, we do not get drunk in bars and start fights. If you like to do any of the things listed above, then you may experience crime in downtown Cleveland. All joking aside, downtown is a great neighborhood with very friendly people. We love it and feel right at home here.

The funny thing about the perception Clevelanders have about downtown is that I think the city has never been better. I grew up in Cleveland in the 50s through early 70s, left, and returned 12 years ago. It is amazing how people have this glorified memory of what Cleveland used to be. In the 60s and early 70s, Playhouse Square was an abandoned, run down area. All of the theaters were close and slated for demolition. Look at Playhouse Square now with all of the theaters and restaurants, etc. Never better. We complain about Tower City (although as downtown residents my wife and I shop there all the time). In the 60s and early 70s, TC was an abandoned train station. At one time it actually contained indoor tennis courts, to try to utilize the space! The only decent hotel downtown at that time was the site of the current Renaissance hotel. I remember the Beatles staying there. Now there are many great hotels downtown. The Ritz Carlton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Renaissance to name a few. At that time the Flats consisted of a couple of dive bars and one great rock club (I can't remember the name). I remember going down there and it was deserted. After a night of drinking the big event was trying to climb one of the huge piles of gravel that lined the river. I know the Flats took off for a while, and now it is not as "great", but there is still the Power House, Shooters, and Flat Iron cafe to name only a few of the places. More importantly there are the Stonebridge apartments bringing residents to downtown. On East 9th there was the Agora. That was great. However we forget it was next door to the Roxie! The Roxie was a very old burlesque/strip club. Most of the area around there was not particularly attractive. Where The Q and Progressive Field are stood the abandoned Central market surrounded by many abandoned buildings. East. 4th was not a street you wanted to walk down after dark and look at it now. The Warehouse District consisted of many abandoned warehouses which were a constant fire hazard. There were no bars or restaurants and no one lived there. As a matter of fact, in the 60s and 70s no one lived downtown, which meant for the most part, the downtown closed after 5:00 pm. Now the brightest part about downtown Cleveland is all of the new residents. In the 60s and 70s there was no Rock Hall, Science Center, or Voinavich Park which meant there was even less access to Lake Erie than now. And Cleveland State was a small commuter school. I apologize for rambling, but I am trying to illustrate how perceptions can differ. While most Clevelanders talk about the good old days, I think Cleveland was never better than it is now. The problem is that perceptions are hard to alter - it borders on prejudice.

Don't assume that every person asking for money is homeless. The vast majority are simply panhandlers. Actually, it has been my experience that the truly homeless rarely ask for money. They can oftentimes be found in the "cracks" - under bridges, etc. These are not places that lend themselves to panhandling. Panhandlers and homeless people have different problems and issues which require different solutions.

The Cosgrove Center provides breakfast and lunch to anyone that enters. It also provides special dinners on Holidays, etc. It is located at East 17th and Superior. This is supported by the Catholic Church and is in conjunction with The Cathedral downtown. Those interested please explore their web page. http://www.clevelandcatholiccharities.org/ccpcm/cosgrove.htm I give money to this charity because it does FEED people who are hungry and tries to help them in meaningful ways. Every time a panhandler asks me for money "for food" I tell them that they can go to the Cosgrove center for food. It is the only place I know that is within easy walking distance for any panhandler downtown who is hungry. Unfortunately many of them refuse the offer.