^ Ah, I see, you're being very specific. Nothing wrong with that, but I now understand the difficulty you're having. Are you willing to work for any city in the state? It seems like there'd have to be some opportunities out there! I don't know if you'd want to work in a small town in the middle of nowhere, though. I wouldn't, haha.

 

Good luck!

^^C'mon Dan....I live in the DC area too. We have nothing like Cuyahoga Valley. Shenendoah is the closest thing to it at it's an 1 or 1-1/2 hour drive there on a good day. ;)

 

Well, I believe I read somewhere that CVNP is the only "big" national park in an urban area. There are National Park "sites" in urban areas, of course, but those are more like historic sites, I thought.

^well, we might as well start debating the theater seats while we are at it

^well, we might as well start debating the theater seats while we are at it

 

i think the line is pretty clearly defined.

huh?

This dialogue is pretty interesting. A year ago I moved from Cleveland to Chicago for work so it kind of applies to my situation. I found a job and made the transition relatively easily. I love leaving in a big city like Chicago and having all the world class amenities right at my door step, but I miss Cleveland and Ohio everyday. There isnt a day that goes by that I dont think about how great Cleveland is. People truly dont know how good they have it there. I would be willing to bet that in the next 10-15 years the city of Cleveland and likely much of Ohio will be on the up and up. Its going to take jobs though for the area and state to develop further. It starts with government luring big corporations with benefits such as tax cuts, etc. I will likely move back to Ohio at some point because I cant think of a better place to raise a family, but realistically at this juncture I cant afford to live there now and not work on my career. Its not a coincidence Ohio has one of the highest unemployment rates and most defectors.

Young professionals looking for cool cities to call home

Ohio must invest in communities to attract, keep YPs

BY REBECCA RYAN | [email protected]

April 20, 2007

 

Blame it on air conditioning. Because of air conditioning, "we've come to expect levels of comfort that our grandparents weren't accustomed to," remarked a historian at the Henry Ford Museum, which named air conditioning the top invention in the last 75 years.

 

Heightened expectations about creature comforts are critical to understanding what Ohio must do to attract and retain young talent. In surveys with more than 20,000 college-educated young professionals ages 20-40, living in a "cool community" is considered "as important" or "more important" than a good job. As one Gen X'er quipped, "I can find a job anywhere, so I might as well choose a cool city."

 

Ryan is the founder of Next Generation Consulting, a research firm that specializes in strategies to attract and engage young talent. Ryan will join other experts at the Leadership Ohio Think Tank on April 23, at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati.

The only reason a city is "cool" is because there are jobs there.  Most of your "cool" cities are growing cities.  They are growing cities because there are opportunities (jobs) there.  They are growing because people are moving there for the jobs.  In turn, retailers and developers look at the growing cities where they can also capitalize and make money.  The main thing behind this website is "how do we attract more jobs."  Without that, you don't have cool urban cities.  Also, it shouldn't be how do we attract yp's rather how do we attract people period.  I am not a yp, but I would like to see Cleveland in the list of "cool" cities. 

mass transit is the single most important component by an wide margin

I'd say to create more vibrant urban neighborhoods in the inner cities. Places where they can walk to the corner store, clothing store or restaurant without having to jump in a car. The main thing with this is IT HAS TO BE A 24 HOUR CITY PERIOD. Places that seem dead after 6 don't seem cool to anybody. Also, for a lot of my friends they seem to equate a "cool" or "alive" or "trendy" city as one with lots of celebrities.

 

I wouldn't say transit is THE most important factor some of my friends from Cleveland want to stay in Columbus which doesn't have as good a public transit system

I'd say to create more vibrant urban neighborhoods in the inner cities. Places where they can walk to the corner store, clothing store or restaurant without having to jump in a car. The main thing with this is IT HAS TO BE A 24 HOUR CITY PERIOD. Places that seem dead after 6 don't seem cool to anybody. Also, for a lot of my friends they seem to equate a "cool" or "alive" or "trendy" city as one with lots of celebrities.

 

I wouldn't say transit is THE most important factor some of my friends from Cleveland want to stay in Columbus which doesn't have as good a public transit system

 

Cbus also would not be considered a 24 hour city by many people.  My cousin just moved there; she graduated college (as did her bf) from OU.  Currently is without a job, but wanted to move to Cbus...they have an attraction to Ohio State Athletics and aspirations to be a part of it.  So with no other reason than that...two YPs packed up and moved to "booming" Cbus.

 

I just don't get it sometimes...I would clearly consider Cleveland and Cincy for both having more 24 hour cities than Cbus, but whatever.

Columbus is defiantely more of a "24 hour" city than Cleveland or Cincinnati, simply due to the large university in the heart of it.  That isn't to say Columbus is actually "24 hours" but you get the idea.

errr....I guess University Heights doesn't count as center/inner city?!?!  That argument is a wash...I was looking more at downtowns/greater downtowns.  Now I haven't been to Cleveland, but I'm assuming from what I've seen and that entertainment area looks quite nice...along with some other places.  Cbus has the Arena District/Short North, but Cincy has NOTL (gotta count it, people do walk from NOTL to downtown Cincy and vice versa), Fountain Square District, Backstage District and soon to be W. 4th St Entertainment District.

 

I just don't see the comparisons...are there any real draws into 'downtown' Cbus??

To be completely honest, no Ohio downtown is 24-hour in terms of continuous activity, unless you count bums. The issue with Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus is that our respective downtowns still primarily exist as centers of commerce, and close down with the closing of business at around 5PM. Walk along 3rd and Long in Columbus, 6th and Race in Cincinnati, or 6th and St. Clair in Cleveland at 9PM on a weekday and one will be hard-pressed to find any kind of street activity.

 

I'm still not completely sure whether this is really all that bad. The majority of people I know do like a little seperation between their work environment and their home environment. Cincinnati and Columbus have some incrediblely active and thriving areas immediately surrounding downtown that do have activity nearly 24-7. We just need to tie them to our downtown areas better (re: better public transportation).

 

All 3 C's seem to have little pockets of activity in the actual downtown, but nothing that can truly be considered on the level of places like Chicago or NYC. But our cities can still provide an urban lifestyle without some of the headaches of the aforementioned places. Granted, as many have said, we still have some catching-up to do as far as better transportation and providing easy access to everyday needs and goods.

 

 

Cbus has the Arena District/Short North, but Cincy has NOTL (gotta count it, people do walk from NOTL to downtown Cincy and vice versa), Fountain Square District, Backstage District and soon to be W. 4th St Entertainment District.

 

I just don't see the comparisons...are there any real draws into 'downtown' Cbus??

 

Well, like I said, neither downtown really has many draws that bring people in every night to fill in for the vacated office crowd. For Cincinnati's Backstage District, Columbus has Theater Row (the area bounded by the Palace Theatre to the North and stretches along High to the Southern Theater to the South). For the 4th Street Entertainment District, Columbus has had Front Street Live for several years. Fountain Square as it existed before I would have considered no more of a draw than Statehouse Square in Columbus, however now it's definitely in a different league with the high class restaurants and entertainment being established in and around the square. Maybe Campus Martius in scope and style, eh Chris? ;-)

You can find places in NYC's and Chicago's CBD that are dead at 9PM on a weekday as well.  But doesn't it seem silly to compare the three C's to a city bigger than all three of them combined, let alone a city bigger than all three of them combined x2?

^I'd say no. Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati are competing for people who want that 24 hour lifestyle with NYC and the like. They are competing against cities of all sizes all across the globe. While I admit it may be hard to create as many 24 hour vibrant communites as the larger cities, we have to look at whats going on in NYC and The Chi and LA in addition to the Austin's, Charlotte's and Las Vegas'.

I also think the sidewalks, street lighting, seating, and the emphasis on botanicals play a huge role in how our downtowns feel.

 

I also think the sidewalks, street lighting, seating, and the emphasis on botanicals play a huge role in how our downtowns feel.

 

 

That's why I am pretty excited about the Euclid Corridor's effect on downtown Cleveland. The brick sidewalks look fantastic and the landscaped medians look very promising on paper. Also, the DCA has hired ParkWorks to come up with some exceptional plantings for Euclid that will go way beyond what RTA was going to do.

 

I know that's not going to turn Cleveland into a 24-7 kind of place, but its a good step in the right direction.

 

Oh, don't forget about Perk Park..

delete

portland demographics from wikipedia:

 

The racial makeup of the city is 77.91% White, 6.64% African American, 6.33% Asian, 1.06% Native American, 0.38% Pacific Islander, 3.55% from other races, and 4.15% from two or more races. 6.81% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

 

 

 

Thank you so friggin much!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

 

Im sick of people saying Cincinnati needs to be more like Portland or even Chicago. Jesus. Lets be honest, Portland is almost entirely white. It doesn't have the amount of poverty and it doesn't have the crime rate we do. People in Portland can afford to ride light rail because they WANT TO. You think that doesn't make a difference? Kiss my ass.  Of course everyone is going to get excited at the thought of mass transit when they get to ride next to people exactly like them. Cincinnati isn't a 24 hour city but guess what. I'd rather live here than Boston where the average income is 40k and the average home value is 400k.

 

David, I agree, Ohio's cities need to concetrate on being the best Cleveland, Columbus or whatever.  Portland does have crime and sky high drug usesage and homeless teen problem, so its not some utopia.

I also think the sidewalks, street lighting, seating, and the emphasis on botanicals play a huge role in how our downtowns feel.

 

 

That's why I am pretty excited about the Euclid Corridor's effect on downtown Cleveland. The brick sidewalks look fantastic and the landscaped medians look very promising on paper. Also, the DCA has hired ParkWorks to come up with some exceptional plantings for Euclid that will go way beyond what RTA was going to do.

 

I know that's not going to turn Cleveland into a 24-7 kind of place, but its a good step in the right direction.

 

Oh, don't forget about Perk Park..

 

Oh neat, is there a place I can read more about Perk Park and the stuff Parkworks might do on Euclid? I'm specifically interested in the Euclid Avenue stuff as this street is downer central, and I think showing people how nice it'll look will lift spirits.

 

On the topic of brain drain in Ohio, specifically Cleveland because it's the only city I've lived in so far :). Honestly, I think Cleveland is perfectly fine for being young in terms of stuff to do and places to live -- although I personally feel it can be hard to crack the social scene. I work with a lot of young people, but they have their core group of friends, and for some reason it's hard to get them to go out. I went to school here, left, came back and now most of the people I hung out with are gone. I think there are PLENTY of amenities to chose from, but there's some sort of invisible wall that makes it hard to make those personal connections.

 

Personally, I think "young professional" groups should be refocused toward the individual over the group, such as by having networking events in a game setting rather than at a bar...Maybe like youth group! ;) . For example, if you go to these events as they are, it's normally a bunch of people clumped into little groups of people they know. I think this is intimidating to newbies, especially newbies from out of town. One really easy way to fix this would be to have a "networking game" night in addition to the bar nights where people would come, be split from the people they already know and teamed up with people they don't know.

 

I don't know if you all remember that newbie PD reporter who left town and then wrote how she had to leave Cleveland in the Wall Street Journal several years ago? I think this is because she came to town and just wasn't able to meet people with like interests. They are obviously here, but there needs to be a better way for people to connect with each other.

Thank you so friggin much!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

 

Im sick of people saying Cincinnati needs to be more like Portland or even Chicago. Jesus. Lets be honest, Portland is almost entirely white. It doesn't have the amount of poverty and it doesn't have the crime rate we do. People in Portland can afford to ride light rail because they WANT TO. You think that doesn't make a difference? Kiss my ass.  Of course everyone is going to get excited at the thought of mass transit when they get to ride next to people exactly like them. Cincinnati isn't a 24 hour city but guess what. I'd rather live here than Boston where the average income is 40k and the average home value is 400k.

 

David, I agree, Ohio's cities need to concetrate on being the best Cleveland, Columbus or whatever.   Portland does have crime and sky high drug usesage and homeless teen problem, so its not some utopia.

 

yeah, they have a few local issues sure, but overall he's right its an upwardly mobile urban haven. racial blandness aside, it's pretty precious. it is possible for a whole city to be a refuge just like many suburbs are. not to say we cant learn a lot from it and i like to visit pdx, but i would never consider living there. smug places like that just bug me (ie., seattle, sf, billyburg - lol!).

 

I don't know if you all remember that newbie PD reporter who left town and then wrote how she had to leave Cleveland in the Wall Street Journal several years ago? I think this is because she came to town and just wasn't able to meet people with like interests. They are obviously here, but there needs to be a better way for people to connect with each other.

 

I think there is a huge problem that young people here don't see other people with similar interests or lifestyles. I really believe it stems from disconnect caused by suburban sprawl. I consider myself to be very "regionally-oriented". I feel more connected with metropolitan area, because I am aware of its diversity in terms of people and things to do. I think what's happening is that most educated young people from the area are from those homogeneous suburban communities where they develop their view of "Cleveland", which is far from accurate.

 

They go to college, expose themselves to diversity, become a little more sophisticated, and want to live in an area that can sustain their intellectual and cultural needs. With our variety of multicultural neighborhoods, amenities and quality cultural institutions, educated young people should have no trouble being satisfied in Greater Cleveland. However, these assets exist collectively on a regional level. It is this regional level of existence that is not realized or appreciated.

 

Its sad, but if you sit down and talk to college educated people from Cleveland not returning, you will find out they don't know about all the great things to do or be a part of that would have made them stay.

a part of this goes to public transportation.  I ohio, the most popular mode of transporation is via car.  When you're in your car you cut off from the rest of the world, driving from place to place ALONE.

 

When you live in a city where you can walk from place to place of convieniently get there via train you more of an opportunity to meet more people, regardless of race, age, color, sexuality etc.

 

This is just a small piece of the puzzle

 

They go to college, expose themselves to diversity, become a little more sophisticated, and want to live in an area that can sustain their intellectual and cultural needs. With our variety of multicultural neighborhoods, amenities and quality cultural institutions, educated young people should have no trouble being satisfied in Greater Cleveland. However, these assets exist collectively on a regional level. It is this regional level of existence that is not realized or appreciated.

 

Its sad, but if you sit down and talk to college educated people from Cleveland not returning, you will find out they don't know about all the great things to do or be a part of that would have made them stay.

 

Vulp, you are so right about this.  Little Johnny goes off to college, has sushi, sees artsy movies and drinks belgian beer, and then assumes he can't get that back in his home city because he didn't see it on his cul-de-sac in Twinsburg. 

"I personally feel it can be hard to crack the social scene. I work with a lot of young people, but they have their core group of friends, and for some reason it's hard to get them to go out."

 

So true for Cincinnati as well.  I grew up 40 miles north of downtown in the '70s with only a few trips each year to 'the big city' each year.  When I graduated college (mid 80s) and went to work in downtown Cincy, it was new and exciting to me with lots of neat things to see and do.  But the people I worked with were mostly from tight city neighborhoods.  They went to high school and college together and head little interest in including 'outsiders'.  To top it off, they seemed to go to work and then go home.  They didn't know half of what was in the city, and practically nothing outside of 275.

 

I then moved out of state for 15 years, to a place with a lot of non-locals. The non-locals had a refreshing view of that area, full of exploration. Now I'm back in the area and while the place has changed for the better (as far as the close-knit attitude toward people), there is still a long ways to go.

a part of this goes to public transportation.  I ohio, the most popular mode of transporation is via car.  When you're in your car you cut off from the rest of the world, driving from place to place ALONE.

 

When you live in a city where you can walk from place to place of convieniently get there via train you more of an opportunity to meet more people, regardless of race, age, color, sexuality etc.

 

This is just a small piece of the puzzle

Hell is other people.

Ohio trying to plug brain drain

BY JOHN MCCARTHY | ASSOCIATED PRESS

July 9, 2007

 

COLUMBUS - While Ohio is trying to shake off its rust belt, it must compete with other states trying to attract and keep their brightest students in the science and math disciplines.

 

The state's new budget includes $100 million for scholarships to students who choose to study science, technology, engineering or math at Ohio colleges. Millions more will be spent to prepare high schoolers to study those topics in college and to train teachers to instruct advanced courses in those areas.

 

Ohio is hardly alone:

 

 

They're noticing states with the most economic growth have a large technology presence. Im not sure if I'm for providing incentives to teachers with students that perform well.. That's proven to not be effective since teachers don't make much as it is and it gives them an incentive to cheat by curving grades.

^I think the students will have to score well on their proficiency tests that are state mandated and graded versus their standard school tests. 

Ahh.

They're noticing states with the most economic growth have a large technology presence.

 

I've thought about this - a lot ... and I wonder why Ohio and the 3C's ... have such a hard time attracting better companies to the area?

Georgia Tech (atl) Texas at Austin, MIT (Boston) Berkley, Stanford (near Bay Area) have the top Engineering schools. Schools are increasingly becoming corporations, they do research and patent their technology. The number of patents that universities hold is growing exponentially. All these research triangles and such work as incubators for creativity and innovation becuase they help firms produce more efficiently. There's a good book called Cities and the Creative Class that has charts and stuff supporting it. Those cities, SanFran, Boston, Atl, and Austin also have a high percentage of educated talented workers that can produce. Companies chase talent, talent goes to places with cultural amenities IMO. I think Columbus probably has more technology growth, especially with the incubator they're starting in Dublin.

>That's always been my thought.

 

It absolutely does happen, I've seen it with my own eyes since I've worked pt at a place (there are actually about three different companies in Columbus that do this kind of work) that does the Ohio standardized test scoring, including the essay portions.  You'll be going through a stack of essays by foreign-born 4th or 6th graders and then all the sudden someone has perfect handwriting and grammar.  On some of the tests students are allowed to dictate their answers if their writing skills are poor but still there are absolutely cases where the teachers write the answers.  Remember, some of these teachers are only 22 or 23 so they might be naive enough to think that their efforts won't get caught or they could have even been sabotaged by veteran teachers into thinking the place never catches that.     

 

I don't believe the focus should be on retaining talent.  Rather, the focus should be on attracting it. There's a big difference.  As Morton Marcus at the Indiana Business Research Center pointed out, Indiana's brain drain problem isn't a question of too much outflow, it's a result of too much inflow.  While I'll admit freely this is my own value set here, I think it is a good thing for people to grow up and move away from the old home town.  Some can return, some won't.  But a city full of people who've never lived anywhere else isn't a recipe for progress.

 

But a city full of people who've never lived anywhere else isn't a recipe for progress.

 

You've summed up Cincinnati's main problem for the past 50 or so years.

pd:

 

Summer on the Cuyahoga internships bringing graduates back to live

Friday, August 03, 2007

Amanda Teuscher

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Sarah Kostick never thought she'd live in Cleveland - until she spent some time here.

 

The 24-year-old Berkeley, Calif., native participated in the Summer on the Cuyahoga internship program in 2005. And a year after graduating from Smith College, Kostick has come back for law school and is thrilled about it.

 

"I had thought it was a pretty rundown, working-class town, but I was really thrilled to find great music, great food and great art," she said Wednesday as she moved into her new Shaker Heights apartment.

Marianne Crosley, the program's director, said that about 30 of the program's 303 graduates have returned to the area. But many past participants are still in school. Crosley said changed attitudes, not numbers, illustrate the program's success.

 

HELLO!  Somebody get it!  The problem isn't the new transplants to the area its the old tired uninformed a-holes!

 

Dan Hurwitz, president and chief operating officer of Developers Diversified Realty, brought Colgate University into the fold and is on the program's board. He believes that Cleveland is one of the best-kept secrets in the United States. He added that the internship program is so important because the city's growth depends on reversing negative impressions.

 

Cleveland shouldn't be a secret!!!  Where is the Marketing and PR Strategy to capitalize on this???  Do I need to say it again???  Target high school seniors, Women, African Americans, Latinos & GLSB audiences! 

 

"These are kids with choices, who are in high demand, and they choose Cleveland," he said. "The only thing we need to bring are people with open minds, and Cleveland sells itself."

 

Ahh Hello!  NO it doesn't!  You've got to spend some money to make some money.  agh!!!

MTS, sitting there and complaining about Cleveland marketing itself is all well and good, but what are you doing about it?  Call local officials, send emails and letters...

 

Sense my sarcasm.

I'm always interested to know what people think of Cleveland outside of Cleveland. I think there's a negative self-image that Cleveland has carried about itself for years now .. I mean, the friggin river burned about 40 years ago, and people are still friggin bringing it up!

 

Why can't we let this stuff go?? I think that this mentality has a part to play in Cleveland's greater progress. I love what Anthony Bourdain had to say when he was here .. he said something to the effect of, people name all the problems the city has, then they say how much they love it. I think we need to just love the city and stop focusing so much on the problems. Every city has its problems (i know, that sounds really squishy and touchy feely. but i think it's true).

 

I guess just in terms of this whole brain drain (or PEOPLE drain, for that matter) problem, we all individually have a part to play in changing the self-image of the city as well, and that's where I can relate to what MTS is trying to say. I don't think we should simply rely on the politicians or the powers-that-be to do this. I think it's up to every one of us to stop thinking negatively as well.

"I mean, the friggin river burned about 40 years ago, and people are still friggin bringing it up!"

 

That's not necessarily a bad thing, I bring up the burning river quite often  ;-)

 

Seriously though - when CBS was in town, they even brought up the river fire and said "now, if people say burning river, they're talking about a beer." Most people I know who have visited Cleveland love it; the most negative thing I've heard is "it'd be nice if there were more stores downtown", but hell, even I say that sometimes. In general the usual feedback I hear is 1. the people are friendly and down to earth, 2. downtown is nice and clean, 3. the neighborhoods have a lot of character.

I think Europeanizing our cities' would do wonders for cities' growth and healthiness.

MTS, sitting there and complaining about Cleveland marketing itself is all well and good, but what are you doing about it?  Call local officials, send emails and letters...

 

Sense my sarcasm.

 

(virtual backhand 70's pimp slap) to W28th.  :wink:

 

Actually I've written the GCP, the County, all of my contacts in the mayors office, my councilperson (hand delivered), the other councilperson that lives in Shaker Square, every one of my state/federal elected officials and offered my (and friends) services pro bono to come up with a multi tiered marketing & strategy concept and plan.

 

We're all in PR & Marketing and live in Cleveland.  I'm a firm believer in not just complaining but coming up with an action plan.

 

This is one of the reasons I want to open up my own shop and bring down the old, majority male, white, straight, boring GCP.  I want to do something like NY&Company for Cleveland.

I'm always interested to know what people think of Cleveland outside of Cleveland. I think there's a negative self-image that Cleveland has carried about itself for years now .. I mean, the friggin river burned about 40 years ago, and people are still friggin bringing it up!

 

Why can't we let this stuff go?? I think that this mentality has a part to play in Cleveland's greater progress. I love what Anthony Bourdain had to say when he was here .. he said something to the effect of, people name all the problems the city has, then they say how much they love it. I think we need to just love the city and stop focusing so much on the problems. Every city has its problems (i know, that sounds really squishy and touchy feely. but i think it's true).

 

I guess just in terms of this whole brain drain (or PEOPLE drain, for that matter) problem, we all individually have a part to play in changing the self-image of the city as well, and that's where I can relate to what MTS is trying to say. I don't think we should simply rely on the politicians or the powers-that-be to do this. I think it's up to every one of us to stop thinking negatively as well.

 

The majority of white people outside the region have a favorable opinion about the city.  Unfortunately people of color feel left out and neighborhoods of color are RARELY covered.  Many Blacks/Latins I know feel that the black latin network, neighborhood and marketing of our ethnic neighborhood pales in comparison to counterparts in Atlanta, Chicago and DC often and feel second class to those cities.  When those cities black or latin communities have the same issues as Clevelands.

 

When people in the city talk about neighborhoods, what neighborhoods do they speak of?  Downtown (WestBank, WHD or E. 4th), Ohio City, Tremont.  You might hear then say University Circle.  Strong neighborhoods with unique attractions like Edgewater, Shaker Square, Little Italy/Murray Hill & St. Clair - Superiors Asian Village rarely get the love the of the aforementioned.

 

Beautiful areas like Hough, Forest Hills or decent neighborhoods that are trying to hold it together like Collinwood, Glenville, Mt. Pleasant, Riverside are absent from any "place to see/visit" list.

 

Neighborhoods who are on the fence to either implode or prosper like Central or until just recent Detriot-Shoreway don't even make the media unless its related to violence.

 

I think Europeanizing our cities' would do wonders for cities' growth and healthiness.

 

Then we would have need to build a rail network yesterday!  No city is "great" without a strong public transportation system.

 

 

Sorry for the rant kids....I'm just a major bitch/critic when it comes to marketing the city!  and i've only have 3 cups of coffee so far

 

 

Time to torture my assistants & terrify the interns!!

Thats all.......

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  The problem with Cleveland isn't Cleveland, it's the majority of people here.  I was talking the other night with a woman who moved here for an optional residency after dental school at Marquette.  She loves Cleveland (and, like me, isn't from here, either)... but can't understand why the people in the program from here don't.  They whine and moan about how there's "nothing to do."  She said, though, that when she invites them out, they always decline.  Typical. 

 

The GCP should not be in charge of marketing this area.  I don't believe that Cleveland+ is going to prove effective at whatever its amorphous goals are.  We need something better, something more grassroots.  We need UrbanOhio on a larger scale.

I'm not calling him out, but CityLiving posted this shortly before the Cleveland+ campaign was unveiled... I think it's rather revealing:

 

"I'm on the committee that the GCP (actually the GCMA... same people) recruited to create feedback on this stuff... Its a lot of young professionals with regional diversity, but no racial/ethnic/sexual diversity. Mostly white males varying in age from around the region as a whole."

 

What I see in this city, particularly in groups like GCP and others - is an aversion to 1. asking and 2. "sharing the glory". God knows people from GCP, DCA, and other organizations lurk on this forum*, and we hear all the time "what a wonderful resource!", "you guys really know your stuff!", etc. However, when was the last time someone from any of these groups directly approached us to tap into our know-how, skills, and talents? God knows we couldn't possibly get compensated - but they can't even approach us on this "wonderful resource" for volunteer work! They have to go and ask the only people they know (younger versions of themselves) and then wonder why the general public feels ho-hum. Going back to CityLiving's quote - it's pretty pathetic that the stodgy/conservative bank I used to work for realizes and understands the value of diversity more than the GCP does. :roll:

 

*To those who do contribute and participate, thank you - but could you get the others in your organization to reveal themselves and join in? What are they afraid of?

 

 

MTS, hire me to your hypothetical Cleveland & Co. agency! (Actually, I sort of love that more than Cleveland+.)

 

I think the GCP is in charge by default. Nothing against them, I just think that everyone with money (wealthy, white decision makers) defer to them for this sort of thing. I agree with both of the above posts, especially MTS' point about diversity and I'll add a point about age. In Cleveland, our culture is so top-down, we can't compete at all with a world that exists and blossoms on the Internet. That CBS morning show hit was great, but lets be honest, how many people between the ages of 21 and 40 were watching that and got the Cleveland fever?

 

Also, in my opinion, marketing has to go hand-in-hand with quality of life initiatives and improvements. You can't tell Black America that Cleveland is great and then they come here and feel like it sucks.

 

OK, maybe you should move this to the marketing thread :)

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  The problem with Cleveland isn't Cleveland, it's the majority of people here.  I was talking the other night with a woman who moved here for an optional residency after dental school at Marquette.  She loves Cleveland (and, like me, isn't from here, either)... but can't understand why the people in the program from here don't.  They whine and moan about how there's "nothing to do."  She said, though, that when she invites them out, they always decline.  Typical. 

 

The GCP should not be in charge of marketing this area.  I don't believe that Cleveland+ is going to prove effective at whatever its amorphous goals are.  We need something better, something more grassroots.  We need UrbanOhio on a larger scale.

 

I couldn't agree more!!!

 

MayDay...good points.  Why do you think Blacks, Latins, Gays/Lesbians/Bi/Transgendered feel oppressed?!   Why do t black, latins, G/L/B/T perceive our metro area as being unkind & non progressive?

 

Cleveland is no more racially polarized as Chicago or San Diego, DC.   We're no less sophisticated than Atlanta or Washington, DC.  We  have great ethnic neighborhoods like Philadelphia and NYC.

 

So what is hold us back other than a rail transportation system?

MTS, hire me to your hypothetical Cleveland & Co. agency! (Actually, I sort of love that more

 

I got you dawg!!  You'll now be know as Darren Stevens!

This is an interesting, complex problem with no really easy solutions, and that's why I love it! :) I think it's great that there are people out there who are passionate about Cleveland and want to do something to grow the city. I think it takes decisive leadership with a vision big enough to move this city beyond what it is now. That's not to say that Cleveland is terrible where it is now at all, I love Cleveland very much. But where are we going in the future?? What is the city's vision to make it stand out in the global marketplace?? What is going to attract people to this city and keep the ones that are already here?? It's not going to happen with a bunch of pretty new developments and condo buildings. If people think that, they are sorely mistaken, and if a city's growth is based solely on new construction projects, that growth will be very short-lived because STRONG FOUNDATIONS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY and a willingness to change things beyond the superficial level aren't there.  I think this city needs to stop having an identity crisis, stop dwelling on the past so much, stop comparing itself to other cities and market itself as CLEVELAND! LOL. I think that's happening already, but I want to see more! What are the things that make Cleveland individual and unique?? What are the things that make CLEVELAND wonderful? I think that if we as a city grasp that well enough and allow 1. pride in our city to well up and 2. a desire to continue to grow this city into the future, people will see that Cleveland is a progressive city and they will be attracted to it. Without a citywide willingness to change, though, I think it will be difficult work for sure.