Cincinnati's perception problems are not national at all.  The biggest national public image problem has more than anything is that people just don't really care about it (like most of the Midwest).  I would say that Cincinnati has more local image problems than most cities and it is a constant struggle trying to change the minds of people who were born/raised in an area that they feel like they're experts on even though they never leave their suburban enclaves.

Cincinnati's perception problems are not national at all.  The biggest national public image problem has more than anything is that people just don't really care about it (like most of the Midwest).  I would say that Cincinnati has more local image problems than most cities and it is a constant struggle trying to change the minds of people who were born/raised in an area that they feel like they're experts on even though they never leave their suburban enclaves.

 

I understand what you're saying, but I think the problem is far wider than" suburban enclaves" as people outside of the state think of the region.

 

So we have to look at the "problems" from a regional level and remind people that if the major city your closest to has issues, (real or perceived) then your suburb/adjacent county will be perceived in the same manner.

 

So saying, "I live in (insert suburb/exurb)" means little to someone outside of the region.  Nice suburbs are everywhere.  Progressive and functioning cities.....not so much.

 

 

 

So saying, "I live in (insert suburb/exurb)" means little to someone outside of the region.

 

 

Thats the funny/sad thing about the Dayton suburban thing, the resolute-to-the-point-of-absurdity refusal to identify in the city...even when on vacation. 

Right this moment, AOL is showing on its front page a picture of Cleveland with the heading "Unhappiest American Cities."

LOL! I'd be unhappy too, if I had AOL! That is Forbes garbage.

I surf pretty wildly, and I find about one negative list featuring Cleveland (usually Forbes) per week on mainstream sites.  It's all out assault.  The sun belt and coastal cities in their lists always rotate, but Cleveland and Detroit are stalwarts.

Right this moment, AOL is showing on its front page a picture of Cleveland with the heading "Unhappiest American Cities."

 

You're taking this out of proportion!  It's not an AOL story - this is a business week story - and Cleveland is NOT the unhappiest city.  It's just a stock photo.

 

I'm not saying you are stating we're the worst city.  Now, having said that, why bring it up and single out Cleveland as if it's the unhappiest city?  We should be too busy to care considering a) the source and b) it's not news worthy.

 

Part of our STATES problem is our inferiority complex!

LOL! I'd be unhappy too, if I had AOL! That is Forbes garbage.

 

You don't need to have an AOL account to access www.aol.com  :wink:

I surf pretty wildly, and I find about one negative list featuring Cleveland (usually Forbes) per week on mainstream sites.  It's all out assault.  The sun belt and coastal cities in their lists always rotate, but Cleveland and Detroit are stalwarts.

Yes, that is called an agenda.

Are you implying that this bad press is....planned?

I surf pretty wildly, and I find about one negative list featuring Cleveland (usually Forbes) per week on mainstream sites.  It's all out assault.  The sun belt and coastal cities in their lists always rotate, but Cleveland and Detroit are stalwarts.

Yes, that is called an agenda.

 

Not always true.  If you've noticed, Vegas, Phoenix, Miami &/or Lauderdale, ATL, MEM, BOS & OAK have been seen more negatively on list, now that the foreclosure rate has affected those cities more than us and because of fore closures, crime has risen in those areas.  Suicides are higher in "sun belt" cities than rust belt. 

 

PHX/Scottsdale and S. Florida (Miami-Palm Beach) are respectfully know as God's waiting room East and West.  If that's not depressing I don't know what is!

You're taking this out of proportion! It's not an AOL story - this is a business week story - and Cleveland is NOT the unhappiest city. It's just a stock photo.

 

I'm not saying you are stating we're the worst city. Now, having said that, why bring it up and single out Cleveland as if it's the unhappiest city? We should be too busy to care considering a) the source and b) it's not news worthy.

 

Part of our STATES problem is our inferiority complex!

 

If I see as many things out of proportion as you think I do, we must be in different dimensions.  I'm measuring the flow of mainstream information.  It's anti-Ohio.  How has blowing that off worked out for us so far?  We're here talking about being tired of defending our state individually. 

 

AOL has the audience it does, and wherever else that was published has more.  There's a reason I didn't post any text or a link, the same reason you didn't demand it.  We both know it's BS.  I'm just saying it's out there in a big way.  Most inferiority complex people I've known let anything get said about them, right in front of their face.  It's an overt symptom. 

 

NYC and Texas, for example, are known for not taking any guff about their homes.  This trait seems to be respected worldwide, but there I'm speculating.  What do you think?  I think the answer to the question of this thread is yes, and we shouldn't take any crap from anyone. 

Are you implying that this bad press is....planned?

 

At time, when cities, people, corporations don't have a PR/Communications strategy to combat such articles, the outlets continue paint those cities, people & corporations as they see fit.  Most, like Forbes, do no in town research, so if called on it, they would change the way they wrote their articles.  hint..hint folks!!

I surf pretty wildly, and I find about one negative list featuring Cleveland (usually Forbes) per week on mainstream sites.  It's all out assault.  The sun belt and coastal cities in their lists always rotate, but Cleveland and Detroit are stalwarts.

Yes, that is called an agenda.

 

Not always true.  If you've noticed, Vegas, Phoenix, Miami &/or Lauderdale, ATL, MEM, BOS & OAK have been seen more negatively on list, now that the foreclosure rate has affected those cities more than us and because of fore closures, crime has risen in those areas.  Suicides are higher in "sun belt" cities than rust belt. 

 

PHX/Scottsdale and S. Florida (Miami-Palm Beach) are respectfully know as God's waiting room East and West.  If that's not depressing I don't know what is!

True but those recent "research lists" just reflect housing market. Look at quality of life, happiness, and just about all other of their useless lists and see "agenda."

 

I think both Cleveland And Ciny get the worst of it in Ohio. Usually when one of those cities are on a list the other follows close by or simply trade off in lists. Like Cleveland with the poverty rankings the one week then the next week there was a story with Cincy being in the top 10 most polluted cities.

 

More recently there was the stupid emptiest cities which listed Dayton and Cincy in the top 15, which was also shown in the UD paper, and people on campus made a big deal and started talking badly about Dayton and Cincinnati and that it wasn't a shock all over some BS study which people didn't even realize what it was truly measuring. I can honestly find as many bad articles or lists for any major city if I was looking out for them and it just depends on how much press those lists get.

 

I for one though have not had to defend Cleveland as much here in Dayton and I have been here for 4 years going to UD. Actually most of the people I talk to who are natives of Dayton have visited Cleveland for a trip and love it along with a ton of my professors who go there to watch a game or take a mini vacation.

 

I think once people actual realize or research an area they can see what it has to offer. My friends in Strongsville use to never do anything in Downtown other then catch a game and didn't even realize half the stuff there is to do. We made a deal last summer though to do something at least once a week in Downtown and they were up for it and now they continue to go down there and love it and are actually getting more involved in whats going on. It is hard convincing people to change an image in there head simply by telling them about certain things without actually showing them the way but I never get sick of defending my city because I love my city too much to give up on it or its people.

 

there are good cities and great cities... the haters are in the good...

When someone starts bashing the Mahoning Valley, Northeast Ohio or Ohio in general I speak up and make it known that i like it here and I don't plan on moving. Usually if i say that someone else will speak up and say they like it too.

 

One of my favorite things...telling someone I don't plan on moving...ever.  Particularly fun when speaking to my wife's family (Floridians) who can't fathom why someone would prefer Ohio to Florida.  Of course, we only visit November-April when the weather in Florida is great as opposed to May-October when there's a thunderstorm every afternoon from 2-4pm, you can cut the humidity with a knife, and you might get pelted with the occasional hurricane.

When someone starts bashing the Mahoning Valley, Northeast Ohio or Ohio in general I speak up and make it known that i like it here and I don't plan on moving. Usually if i say that someone else will speak up and say they like it too.

 

One of my favorite things...telling someone I don't plan on moving...ever. Particularly fun when speaking to my wife's family (Floridians) who can't fathom why someone would prefer Ohio to Florida. Of course, we only visit November-April when the weather in Florida is great as opposed to May-October when there's a thunderstorm every afternoon from 2-4pm, you can cut the humidity with a knife, and you might get pelted with the occasional hurricane.

 

I love that too. People look at you like you're on something! haha! Whatever, i like it here.

So saying, "I live in (insert suburb/exurb)" means little to someone outside of the region.

 

 

Thats the funny/sad thing about the Dayton suburban thing, the resolute-to-the-point-of-absurdity refusal to identify in the city...even when on vacation. 

 

I don't know about that one.  I find that MANY people from the Dayton area out of town say "Oh, I'm from Dayton" when infact, they're from Anna, Botkins, Piqua, or even Springfield.  If anything, I'm frustrated that these people claim Dayton when infact they probably don't even know how to get to JJ's Fish & Shrimp.

So saying, "I live in (insert suburb/exurb)" means little to someone outside of the region.

 

 

Thats the funny/sad thing about the Dayton suburban thing, the resolute-to-the-point-of-absurdity refusal to identify in the city...even when on vacation. 

 

I don't know about that one.  I find that MANY people from the Dayton area out of town say "Oh, I'm from Dayton" when infact, they're from Anna, Botkins, Piqua, or even Springfield.  If anything, I'm frustrated that these people claim Dayton when infact they probably don't even know how to get to JJ's Fish & Shrimp.

 

Agreed. I live in the north hinterlands and I'm here, aren't I?

 

(also used to live in a little area now known as northern West Chester, as well, and I still thought of myself as living in the Dayton area)