I think the reason you may feel that way is that the east side "rough spots" are closer to main east-west routes and a little more visible, whereas on the west side they're a little more off the beaten path. Areas along the major arteries have been affected by gentrification so when you drive through, you don't see the side streets where things get a tad dicey.

 

Here's a map that shows the areas on the west side that have are gentrifying or have been stable for as long as I can remember. The arrows show the areas where the people who have been displaced are moving to.

 

You make a good point. From downtown, if you take the shoreway, Detroit bridge, or Lorain bridge, you get to nice neighborhoods. While driving down cedar or Carnegie east of midtown, I have seen Houses with boarded windows and empty lots.

I am not trying to bash the east side though. Just sharing my impressions.

 

I can appreciate that, however, this is the point I'm trying to make.  You're not spending anytime in the area, therefore, your "view" still implies that that those areas are "bad".

 

 

 

I understand where you are coming from. It is true that I know the west side nieghborhoods well, while I have mainly passed by East side ones. I agree that it probably does skew perceptions.

 

Oh well, All my west side friends have accused me of selling out because E4 is "technically" the East side :-D

Yow, poor dan.  Is it really controversial to say that the east side is generally rougher and crappier than the west side?  MTS, boosterism is noble but even with all the great progress, the east side of Cleveland is one of the poorest and most decrepit urban areas of the country- it's not just a myth or groundless perception.  Loving a place doesn't mean you have to come unglued every time someone points out something like this.

Yow, poor dan.  Is it really controversial to say that the east side is generally rougher and crappier than the west side?  MTS, boosterism is noble but even with all the great progress, the east side of Cleveland is one of the poorest and most decrepit urban areas of the country- it's not just a myth or groundless perception.  Loving a place doesn't mean you have to come unglued every time someone points out something like this.

 

Backup and hold your horses, don't put words in my mouth or make assumptions about my intentions.

 

I live on the eastside and my neighborhood is far from decaying.  Its "views" like this that continue perpetuate myths.

 

Trust...there is much room for improvement, but when people make "statements" about areas without spending ANY SIGNIFICANT time in those areas...I will say something.

I am obviously biased as I lived about 55 miles WEST of downtown Cleveland (and about 15 miles west of the metro) my whole life..........so Cleveland to me is downtown AND Elyria, Westlake, North Olmsted, the Airport, and environs.  I have been to the east side on two occasions.........Geauga Lake (if even count that as the East Side) and Rock Creek (Ashtabula County, not a Cleveland suburb at all).

 

But my perspective of Cleveland is the west side! 

westside is totally better

i like the east side and the near west side of cleveland