May be moving to Cleveland for a job. What's Cleveland like these days?

[stopbush]

I'm a native Ohioan who moved to NYC in 1977, then out to SoCal a few years ago. Lost my job here and unemployment is really high. I'm flying to Cleveland around 4/1 to interview with a major arts institution.

What is Cleveland like these days? What is there to do there for kids and families? We'd be locating to Shaker Heights or some other area near University Circle.

Hate to leave CA but may not have a choice. Is this a move I'll regret, or are things not so bad there these days?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[cmd]

1. I think it depends on your attitude

My daughter lives in Cleveland and loves it. You definitely have to deal with winter weather, but you also have some very neat activities going on all year long.
A plus for you is that Melt will be opening a new restaurant on the east side. You won't have to travel to Lakewood for the best grilled cheese sandwiches around.
Welcome back to Ohio.:hi:

[Kolesar]

2. Shaker Heights works hard to keep the community attractive

The schools are good and the housing stock is well kept. The architecture of the homes in Shaker Heights is stunning. You are taking an arts job, so you must know about all the museums and entertainment at University Circle.

It is cloudy in the winter all the way south to Akron. Cleveland and Shaker are snowy, but not nearly as snowy as Highland Heights and Lake and Geauga county. Our climate makes for a very pretty countryside: valleys of snow covered white pine and hemlocks, thick tree canopies in the summer, a long gardening season, etc. Hope you get the job!

[Cirque du So-What]

3. I've been traveling to the area for many years now

I consider Cleveland a second home - one of my favorite major metro areas, certainly my favorite large city in Ohio.

I don't know how old your children are, nor do I know their interests, but everyone seems to like the Great Lakes Science Center, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and there's a very good zoo as well. I'll just post this link, which has quite a few things children would enjoy (the Great Lakes Brew pub on the first page may be of interest to the grown-ups; I sure like it!):

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g50207-Activities-Cleveland_Ohio.html

In defiance of the naysayers, I will defend Cleveland to the death. Consider these examples:

* Playhouse Square has the second biggest amount of Broadway theaters outside of NYC
* Cleveland Orchesta generally ranks 4th in the world
* Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals/Rainbow Babies are world-renowned (as evidenced by royalty and celebrities flying in on a regular basis)
* Consistently makes lists for affordability and sustainibility
* Downtown population has been increasing every year for the past decade (and has been increasing at a higher rate the last two years)
* A rich history that has been preserved in many, many regards

There are truly great people, places & things to do in the city. At the end of the day, any city - and your experience in it - is what you make of it.

[Sara Bradi]

4. Ohio taxes are negligible compared to Calif

No matter how big or small your income is, you can find affordable housing in a decent neighborhood.

Greater Cleveland is an excellent area to start a small biz, labor pool is pretty decent depending on your biz.

I read somewhere that North East Ohio is also very competitively positioned on the internet backbone for the next broadband revolution.

Hope that helps.

[WCGreen]

5. I've lived here for almost my whole life...

I am a West-sider but travel to the other side of the Country at least a dozen times a year...

It's almost as if the Cuyahoga River is the separation between the east coast and the mid west.

The east side of town is more like a New England area than something you would find in the midwest.

The west side, pure midwest bucolic stuff.