make living in Cleveland better, and 5 things that make living in the suburbs better. I think it will be intersting to see peoples responses, and to say 5 things nice about something they dislike.

 

 

Cleveland

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

Suburbs

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Suburbs: schools, schools, schools, schools, and schools.

 

I've never lived in the City proper, so I will leave that to someone who has.

When i say burbs, i am excluding Lakewood/Heights, they are exceptions.

 

Burbs:1. Schools 2. lower crime 3. quiet at night 4.newer big homes that look exactly like the rest of the neighborhood. 5. everyone looks the same

 

City: 1. Better food x 1000 2. Walkability/bikability 3. excitement: leave the house without a plan and go enjoy the amazing facets the city offers (unlike burbs, where you leave the house and go to staples and if hungry go to chipotle, then back home) 4.) Tax abatement for new homeowners 5.) You are helping build the city back up-so much opportunity for leadership/progress

In Cleveland, there is virtually no traffic in the places I'm trying to get around to.  Detroit Shoreway, Ohio City, Tremont, etc.  I find parking easily and get where I need to go quickly.  Try navigating Strongsville or Aurora or Mentor around 5:30 to get a drink after work.  Gag.

Suburbs: Police response.  I've heard some suburbs can respond to calls in less than 5 mins.

 

Cleveland:  Police resonse.  "Is anyone in danger?  No?  We'll have a car there in the next 2 - 4 hrs"

Cleveland

1. Access to public transportation.

2. Attractive walkable neighborhoods.

3. Nightlife...if you're in to that sort of thing. 

 

Suburbs

1. Safer, usually.

2. Better public schools, usually (again).

3. Peace and quiet.

I wrote this from my perspective being a single male in his late 20's.  The suburbs have very little to offer me and even the ones I listed I don't really envy but I tried my best to think of what I would like out there.

 

Cleveland

1.  Nightlife/minimal money spent on cabs and no chance of a DUI

2.  Sporting events/concerts/museums/festivals within bike riding (or walking) distance

3.  Impossible to get bored unless you're a hermit

4.  History & Architecture - makes bike riding/walking/anything more interesting

5.  interact with many different people on a daily basis

 

Suburbs

1.  big yards/patios - the main thing that I don't like about apt living(even the houses in the city don't have big yards/patios though)

2.  schools for when/if I have kids

3.  safety (or at least perceived safety)

4.  "cleaner" - although I do like me some grittiness of a city

5.  near shopping malls?

 

^I was surprised that no one had mentioned shopping as a current "pro" for the suburbs.  Hopefully that will change soon.

^^Your Suburbs #5 really points to how different these lists might be in other cities.  Hopefully "shorter trip to shopping" will be an urban pro someday again in Cleveland.

 

EDIT: Mind meld with Hts there.

 

People have pretty much covered all the bases already, but for me I'll frame it this way:

 

City

1. More conducive to car-free or car-light day-to-day lifestyle (and resulting $ savings and forced exercise)

 

Suburbs

1. Quieter at night and cleaner air

Why are we doing this? To generate arguments and anger on the board? I mean, I am a suburban resident, but everything people say in response to this thread is going to be subjective, a personal opinion, and something that's just going to start arguments. This is urban ohio and we should stick to topics related to it.

 

If there is some other point to the topic besides generating argument or trying to one-up each other, perhaps that should be re-definied in the original question.

Cleveland

1. Walkability (I HATE driving)

2. Architecture (I love looking at buildings while walking and driving)

3. Streetlife (I like walking down a street full of people sitting at patios and just walking around. Little Italy)

4. Interesting places to go. (West side market, Little Italy, festivals, downtown, etc.)

5. Access to public transit.

6. Being excited about all the new urban developments!

 

Suburbs

1. Better public schools

2. Less crime in most places

3. Less abandonment and decay (but growing)

 

Why are we doing this? To generate arguments and anger on the board? I mean, I am a suburban resident, but everything people say in response to this thread is going to be subjective, a personal opinion, and something that's just going to start arguments. This is urban ohio and we should stick to topics related to it.

 

If there is some other point to the topic besides generating argument or trying to one-up each other, perhaps that should be re-definied in the original question.

 

Let's stay on topic, please ;)

 

Burbs:5. everyone looks the same

 

 

I dont believe this to be true in my experiences. Growing up in the northeast suburbs along the lake, you really see everything. Whites, blacks, hispanics, thugs, hillbillys, people of walmart etc. All different income levels too. Im not familiar with the west side suburbs, or the extremely far out ones like Chardon, but where I grew up this was not the case.

 

Also someone mentioned Mentors traffic. I agree, I cant stand driving there! Besides visiting my girlfriends aunt and grandma, I never want to step foot in that city again! Ha!

Why are we doing this? To generate arguments and anger on the board? I mean, I am a suburban resident, but everything people say in response to this thread is going to be subjective, a personal opinion, and something that's just going to start arguments. This is urban ohio and we should stick to topics related to it.

 

If there is some other point to the topic besides generating argument or trying to one-up each other, perhaps that should be re-definied in the original question.

 

Let's stay on topic, please ;)

 

Cute but rockandroller has a point. This thread is superfluous.

 

Burbs:5. everyone looks the same

 

 

I dont believe this to be true in my experiences. Growing up in the northeast suburbs along the lake, you really see everything. Whites, blacks, hispanics, thugs, hillbillys, people of walmart etc. All different income levels too. Im not familiar with the west side suburbs, or the extremely far out ones like Chardon, but where I grew up this was not the case.

 

Also someone mentioned Mentors traffic. I agree, I cant stand driving there! Besides visiting my girlfriends aunt and grandma, I never want to step foot in that city again! Ha!

 

Save some of the older suburbs.  Lets looks at the prototypical suburb that is seen all over the nation.  They look alot like Solon, Westlake, Medina, Twinsburg Avon, Strongsville. etc. 

Why are we doing this? To generate arguments and anger on the board? I mean, I am a suburban resident, but everything people say in response to this thread is going to be subjective, a personal opinion, and something that's just going to start arguments. This is urban ohio and we should stick to topics related to it.

 

If there is some other point to the topic besides generating argument or trying to one-up each other, perhaps that should be re-definied in the original question.

 

Agreed. 

 

Burbs:5. everyone looks the same

 

 

I dont believe this to be true in my experiences. Growing up in the northeast suburbs along the lake, you really see everything. Whites, blacks, hispanics, thugs, hillbillys, people of walmart etc. All different income levels too. Im not familiar with the west side suburbs, or the extremely far out ones like Chardon, but where I grew up this was not the case.

 

Also someone mentioned Mentors traffic. I agree, I cant stand driving there! Besides visiting my girlfriends aunt and grandma, I never want to step foot in that city again! Ha!

 

Save some of the older suburbs.  Lets looks at the prototypical suburb that is seen all over the nation.  They look alot EXACTLY like Solon, Westlake, Medina, Twinsburg Avon, Strongsville. etc. 

 

I fixed the above for you

Big plus for City life is not just night life & dining/drinking, but also pro-sports, museums, major attractions like the aquarium, Rock & Roll HOF, etc.  I love taking advantage of these things and would really miss not being a 5-10 min ride from them.  Get outside the inner ring suburbs and it's amazing how "far" these things become...

Cleveland

1. Affordability (my 80k house on a relatively nice street)

2. Proximity (less than 15 miles from pretty much everything in the county)

3. Restaurants

4. Night life/Social life

5. Unique/interesting people

 

I've never had a problem getting the police to show up when needed. It's not like out in the burbs where most are too busy running speed traps to be bothered.

 

Suburbs

1. Schools

2. Privacy

3. Variety of shopping

4. Stargazing

5. Cleanliness

 

The things that made the burbs attractive in the 1950's are pretty much the same today. It's a list of the negatives that would be more interesting.