Cincinnati VS Columbus VS Cleveland (Lorain, Elyria: find a job, neighborhoods, best school)

[DANNYY]

I've been very curious to see how all three Big C's of Ohio stack up against one another. I've really been interested because I actually do plan on relocating to this region along with the consideration of Pittsburgh and Louisville.

I would like a comparison of these cities based off of the following criteria;

- Public Transportation
- Airport
- Education
- Economy
- Good neighborhoods
- Affordability
- Skyline (*PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT A SKYLINE THREAD, Please limit the discussion of skylines to the same amount as the other topics)
- New Developments
- Food (Major category)
- Cultural diversity
- Population growth/decline
- Parks
- Professional sports teams

And anything else you can think of.

Cincinnati:


Cleveland:


Columbus:

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^^ I don't know if it's just me, but the three definitely seem to look more common than different.

Also which of them would have a younger population? (Younger people)
And what are some things to do in each of these places?

[west336]

Cleveland

I've been to all three and lived in Columbus and I find Cleveland the most applicable to my tastes.

[5Lakes]

I'm originally from Ohio, so here is my take on the three. They actually have unique vibes and looks to them. Cleveland is a Great Lakes city similar to Buffalo or Milwaukee, Columbus is more like a typical Midwest city like Indianapolis or Minneapolis, and Cincinnati is an Ohio River city similar to Pittsburgh or Louisville.

- Public Transportation
Cleveland easily wins this one.

- Airport
No idea.

- Education
Depends on how you look at it. Columbus or Cincinnati have the most options overall because they have big state schools. Cleveland lacks a major university presence, but has the best school in the state (Case Western Reserve). However, there are a couple of larger state schools about 45 minutes from Cleveland.

- Economy
Probably Columbus

- Good neighborhoods
Depends on what you are looking for. I think Cleveland or Cincinnati have a bit more options though.

- Affordability
About the same

- Skyline
Cleveland or Cincinnati. Cleveland has the best marquee buildings, but Cincinnati has more density.

- New Developments
Columbus, but most of it is sprawl.

- Food (Major category)
Cleveland

- Cultural diversity
Cleveland

- Population growth/decline
Columbus has grown the most in recent years.

- Parks
Cleveland (surrounding the city) or Cincinnati (urban)

- Professional sports teams
Cleveland

- Also which of them would have a younger population? (Younger people)
Columbus, because Ohio State is there and it's the largest university in the country

- And what are some things to do in each of these places?

Columbus - Typically focused around Ohio State, although it is much more than a college town. Most of the action is on High Street, which connects downtown, Ohio State, and the city's more interesting neighborhoods. It has a couple of really cool neighborhoods near downtown, but outside of that is pretty suburban. Probably has the weakest downtown of the three despite the fact that there are some interesting neighborhoods near it. If you ask me it's kind of a boring city unless you're an Ohio State student.

Cleveland - Has the best "big city" amenities and culture of the three cities. Has a lot of character and unique neighborhoods, but also has the most run down sections. Cultural amenities are great, along with the local park systems and having access to Lake Erie. Is very dedicated to its pro sports teams. In the summer many people like to go to Cedar Point and the Lake Erie Islands.

Cincinnati - The most physically interesting of the three. Many neighborhoods have great architecture and are set against nice hills. Is a bit more vanilla than Cleveland, but it has more old school charm than Columbus. German culture there is big and you will also notice an Appalachian influence being so close to Kentucky.

[BelieveInCleve]

I agree with 5lakes post.

I prefer Cleveland over Columbus and Cincinnati. I currently live between Cleveland and Lorain, and have live in Cleveland (city) for about 11 years of my life so far, lived in Cleveland metro (mainly Lorain and Elyria) for another 12 years. I lived in Cincinnati for nearly a year combined, and Columbus for around 8 months. This is not counting short visits.

- Public Transportation - Cleveland by far. Columbus probably gets the edge over Cincinnati.
- Airport - Almost even but Cleveland Hopkins gets the edge for me.
- Education - Almost even again...I can't choose.
- Economy - Columbus definitely, Cincinnati is doing okay Cleveland's still far behind.
- Good neighborhoods - In the city maybe Columbus or Cincinnati but metro probably Cleveland.
- Affordability - Cleveland.
- Skyline (*PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT A SKYLINE THREAD, Please limit the discussion of skylines to the same amount as the other topics) - Cleveland, then Cincinnati. Columbus skyline is decent though.
- New Developments - Columbus then a tie between Cleveland and Cincinnati.
- Food (Major category) - Definitely Cleveland (a top chef winner is from here as well).
- Cultural diversity - Definitely Cleveland, Columbus is a distant 2nd.
- Population growth/decline - Columbus had the most growth, Cincinnati metro is growing, Cleveland is still shrinking at a high rate.
- Parks - Cleveland for metroparks. Cincinnati and Columbus are both decent though.
- Professional sports teams - Definitely Cleveland. 3 major sports teams that all play downtown, all have their good years where they're championship contenders.

[Billiam]

Been to all three and definenlty think Cincinnati is the most beautiful city, with the coolest vibe to it. Second comes Cleveland, and lastly Columbus, which is too bland for my taste.

[PITTSTON2SARASOTA]

Columbus IMHO....great diversity and state capital.

[gobucks86]

Columbus!

[WeSoHood]

Originally Posted by PITTSTON2SARASOTA

Columbus IMHO....great diversity and state capital.

Just an FYI, Cleveland is the most diverse in the state.

[Townes Van Zandt]

If you can find a job in Cleveland it is hands down the best of the three. I love Cincinnati as well. Can't stand Columbus. If you are looking for nice urban living and you aren't attending OSU then you will probably hate Columbus. A huge portion of Columbus is just sprawl. They are experiencing growth now because of OSU and the state government being located there but much of that growth has not been sustainable.

IMO, you can't go wrong with Cleveland or Cincinnati. Do you want the Great Lakes/Rust Belt toughness of Cleveland or the Southern Charm or Cincy?

Good Luck!

[Townes Van Zandt]

Originally Posted by WeSoHood

Just an FYI, Cleveland is the most diverse in the state.

LOL, seriously. Columbus and Cincinnati are both significantly more conservative than Cleveland. Cleveland is by far the most diverse of the three.