Hello everyone. I am now living in Portland Oregon and am seriously thinking of moving back East. I'm originally from Chicago.

 

Cleveland is on my list of possibles. I would love to get your opinions on Cleveland such as job opprtunities, neighborhoods, public transportation etc. Do you like living in Cleveland? What do you like and dislike?

 

I'd appreciate any input anyone may give. Thanks!

Welcome to UO.

 

Check out the recent responses we have given to people who have decided to relocate to Cleveland and let us know more specifics about your relocation.

 

 

Hi, and welcome to the forum!  :wave:  Glad to hear you're considering the best location in the nation!

 

To answer your specific questions, the overall job market is a little weak, although job opportunities vary widely depending on your field.  If you happen to be in banking, medicine, or law, I don't think you'll have any trouble at all finding employment, but you can forget about manufacturing.  Cleveland was really hit hard by the last recession, but there are signs that the economy is improving, such as falling office vacancy rates and unemployment.  There seem to be quite a few biotech start ups, and there is currently an effort to develop a design district (industrial, etc.) along Euclid avenue.  Our cost of living is among the lowest in the country- for example, I believe the average price for a home in the city of Cleveland is around $86,000.

 

Cleveland's neighborhoods are probably the city's greatest asset.  Downtown and the adjacent Warehouse District are going through a large building boom, mostly consisting of new condos and warehouse conversions.  Historically, not many people have lived downtown, but I believe there it's supposed to reach something like 20,000 residents by 2010.  On the west side of town, Ohio City and Tremont are considered to be very trendy, and there are a lot of bars, clubs, and cool shops.  West Park and Old Brooklyn are very family-oriented, and there are mansions along Lake Road in Edgewater.  On the east side, University Circle is where most of the museums are, as well as Case Western Reserve University, and Shaker Square is a very dense and urban neighborhood.  Throughout the city you can find unique dining and shopping.  You should take a look at the neighborhood photos on the Urbanohio mainpage, as well as other more specific threads in the forums.

 

There are three rail lines in town, a bus network, trolleys downtown, and a bus rapid transit project that's under construction on Euclid Avenue.    The Rapid (the rail network) is not as extensive as the NYC subway, the El, or the T in Boston, but it's still fairly convenient to use, especially on the east side of town, and has a direct connection to the airport. 

 

I very much like living in Cleveland.  For all its economic problems, I see a city that's on the rebound, even if it's starting with baby steps.  There's a tremendous amount of culture- Playhouse Square (the second largest performing arts center in the country,) the Cleveland Orchestra (one of the Big Five,) the Cleveland Museum of Art, MoCA, and the Rock Hall, as well as professional sports:  Browns football, Indians baseball, Cavaliers basketball, and soon to be the Lake Erie Monsters hockey.  There's literally a ton of stuff to do. 

 

As for my dislikes, Cleveland has a high poverty rate, crime is a problem (although it tends to be concentrated in certain areas,) the public school system is underperforming (although the gifted and talented program, Major Work, is considered to be one of the best in the country,) and the economy is still sluggish.  Clevelanders also tend to be very harsh on the city and pessimistic, but I'm hoping that the new citywide improvement plan and all of the developments around town will help change this.  I also think that none of these problems are unique to Cleveland, although a lot of people act like they are.

 

If you have any more specific questions, please post them, and I sincerely hope you decide to move to our city!

IMO, Cleveland is definitely no different from many other midwestern cities in terms of job growth and that kind of stuff.  But Cleveland is quite progressive in many things which overall make it a cool place.

 

It is a diverse city with some good nightlife...great architecture...great arts/culture...and a re-emerging downtown/inner-city.  Cleveland also has rail transit, as well as, rapid bus transit...they are also a major player in the Ohio Hub regional rail project.  The thing that Cleveland needs to work on is shedding the industrial label that they have carried for soo many years.  This is no different from any other rust-belt city, but it must be done to improve the job/economic situation in Cleveland.

 

If this can be improved coupled with the resurgence of Clevelands inner-city and transit options...then I think Cleveland could be wonderful.  I would definitley recommend Cleveland if you are looking to relocate!

This probably isn't helpful, but the one thing I can say about Cleveland is that it's just a really comfortable city I think.  Even though I've only been a few times, I've always felt very relaxed and at home.

Thank you all for your responses. I have lived in Portland for 30 something years and I am pretty tired of it all. Jobs are difficult to come by, pay is low and the city has long lost the individualism I loved so much when I first moved here. It's a city of ever widening haves-and-have-nots with the haves taking over.

I have had many friends leave this town these past 5 years or so because they lost a job and could not find another. The cost of living is extremely high but salaries do not keep up.

Oregon is a beautiful place but it isn't easy to make a living here.

I met some people from Cleveland awhile back and they just raved about their town. It sounded like a good place to live. So I researched it and it seems to be true. I'm originally from the Midwest and have worked in health insurance, contract development and courthouse clerking. I have a BA and a paralegal degree.

The only barrier, not for me, but for some potential employers is that I am 61 years old and although I want, like and need to work many employers do not like to hire older people.

But I am willing to give it a try. Confiteordeo's description sounds great. One of my other possibilities is Minneapolis. Both cities have the things I like: museums, theater, libraries, symphonies etc. I also like a thriving downtown area where housing nearby is fairly safe and not overly expensive.

I'm going to make my decision my the end of the year and then I'm going to pack up the cat and move on.

You might also want to check out the website for the State of Ohio government.... it has links to jobs as well.

 

http://ohio.gov/index.stm

Ohio, "where money is worth more".  this should be our state motto.