Is Cleveland bad or is it just perception? (Columbus, Cincinnati: apartment, car insurance)

[1watertiger]

airics, can you really tell us how you feel about N.E.ohio? and besides you have no facts to back up all that @rap you are throwing down.. but i do have facts. just look at all the fun we had around cleveland on new years ! >>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyEX5RVPNOY.. more fun ! >>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXG7DQ1DvPc.

[airics]

no facts about what? and you watched tv on new years... oh and not putting Big Chuck down at all..Have known Charles "Big Chuck" Schodowski and John Rinaldi for years. READ THE FIRST POST OF THIS THREAD AGAIN!

[airics]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8kn1oIqh6I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRkn6zckr6U

[airics]

Hey, Cleveland's a great town... but it is NOT cheap to live in. Thats the point!

[BelieveInCleve]

Originally Posted by Buckeye 89

Everybody over exaggerates the bad in Cleveland including it's own born and raised residents. It's kind of like they hear outsiders talk down about their city and they say eff it and only talk about crime and problems so at least they'll be known for one thing. Cleveland is no worse than any other city, Downtown is just fine. I've lived downtown for about a year and a half now at the Reserve Square and the only hassle is the air show that comes in the summer

Nobody is exaggerating the bad in Cleveland besides the people who come to these forums just to bash it so they make up things. You live in Downtown, are from Columbus, and obviously haven't been many places. Stick to Columbus kid.

We're not exaggerating when these things are true:
2nd poorest major city in the country, is regularly either 1-4.
8th most dangerous city in the country, is regularly in the top 12.
Lowest graduation rate of any major city, worst/lowest rated city school district of the 25 largest cities in Ohio.
Regularly in the top 10 most polluted/dirtiest cities.
45,000+ residents lost in the past 10 years (nearly 10%, most of any major city except New Orleans because of Katrina).
50,000+ vacant houses/residences in the city.
5th most gang presence and delinquent youth of any major city in the country.

I'm from Cleveland/Lorain/Elyria and have had over 10 family members and close friends murdered in the city over the years. I lived off Superior and saw crimes occur daily, little kids playing next to pools of blood where some guy had gotten stabbed. I saw Storer turn even more into a ghetto and 1/2 of the buildings on the ave boarded up or torn down with nothing to replace them. I just got back from being gone over 3 months in Chicago/Milwaukee, Detroit, and Central/Upstate NY, so yes I know what bad is I've been all over. Cleveland is bad and it has a lot to work on as far as major urban problems. Cleveland does have a lot going for it, but as far as the industrial, inner city, and several communities outside the city, that all needs a lot of help. We do have the lake, beaches, infrastructure, some attractions, ethnic communities, major and minor sports, etc and throughout NE Ohio which we have to capitalize on.

[WeSoHood]

Cleveland might have crime, but most of the metro doesn't. In the South and Sunbelt, the entire metros have crime problems.

[techsavey]

Originally Posted by CortlandGirl79

Ok, i know that this isn't about Indians tickets, but i've been going to games for years and i remember Upper Outfield Reserve seats being $6! Bleachers used to be $14, whaaa whaaa! That's cheaper than going to the movies! For s**ts and giggles i looked it up.........



Pack a lunch, or eat before the game, get some upper outfield reserve tickets, get some coupons, take a pepsi can to the game whatever, you can go to a tribe game with a family of 4 for less than $50.

TY my friend for the back up! Obviously our other friend is not a Indians fan) To each his own.

[techsavey]

Originally Posted by airics

sorry but I feel that techsavey is correct... Take out NYC, Chicago, or Cali altogether (which Cleveland doesnt hold a candle too anyway) and you will find that it is very expensive in Cleveland.. I still have my rental house and family in Cleveland...But now I pay 1/4 the property taxes for a much larger home, my utilities are cheap, my car insurance went down, food is cheaper, etc... and I am not typing right now when its 10 degrees out. We were swimming in our pool on New Years. As for sports, sorry I dont care for them. But I will tell you that the 3rd base coach for the California Angels lives on our street. How many people were downtown for New Years? We had over a half mil. And lastly, I pay no state tax, no city tax, no regional tax...And the salary here is 30-40% higher for the same position in Cleveland. Leaving was the smartest thing i've done... I do miss some friends though, but everyone wants to visit Here!

I wish I could leave Cleveland too. If I could get my family to move with me I would be out of here asap. Where did you move too?

[Peregrine]

The grass is not always greener. Yes some of our taxes are higher then some states but those states make up for it in other ways.

My buddy lives in Maryland. He pays a VIEW TAX. This is an extra tax that he has to pay every year of nearly $600 because he has a "pleasing view" from his home. I wish I was making that up. Google "View Tax" (include the quotes) if you don't believe me.

Friends in California (and it is not the only state to do so) pay a percentage of the car's value when they have to renew plates every year. Not that standard $47.50 that all Ohioans pay regardless of the car. My buddy there paid $450 last year for his Acura.

We are all nickel and dimed one way or another....

[THE C]

Many whine moan complain and ***** about the city but as a born and raised Clevelander who left thinking the grass is greener on the other side let me spit some 'wisdom'.

As a basis of my comparison I'm going to use South Florida (Miami) which is where I've resided for the last 3 years.

Cost of living is less expensive in Cleveland. Across the board most items are less. Food, housing. The only thing extra there is taxes since you pay city and state in Cleveland and not here. But the difference in taxes for me 30-35k salary range was a 2.5%. However according to salary.com if I were to move back to Cleveland, while I'd make less, according to their stats due to the cost of living change I'd gain $7,000+ in disposable income (money for me to spend)

Things to do: the only thing Miami wins in here is year round weather. Recreation is roughly even. Although Cleveland has better parks. Both have beaches however both beaches are relatively dirty. South Beach = Edgewater Park (at least what I remember of Edgewater) Miami fails horribly when it comes to Museums and Art. Not to mention sports which are a pain to get to at all

Transportation: Taxis are more abundant in downtown Miami and South Beach than in Cleveland, but the concept of mass transit is lacking here. They create and cancel bus routes based on politician corruption (normal in most major cities) but the worst part is most of the transit goes from no where to no where! Just cuts through the city. Doesnt effectively serve many! I used to spend 90 minutes to go from the county line bus stop (cuyahoga/summit on broadway) to my ex's apt in westpark. And could do it in an hour if I took my car just a couple mins up the road to Solon and parked and took the bus over to the blue line (i think it was the blue). Not in Miami. Going the 14 miles from my house took the same hour or more! I think I've proved my point.

Sports: Sports are equal. Cleveland has Indians, Cavs, Browns and Miami has Heat, Marlins, and Dolphins. Both cities have been roughly as successful as another in winning during the last 15 years, however Miami fans are extreme fairweather fans and wont sellout an arena even when the team is in the postseason, UNHEARD OF IN CLEVELAND!

Convenience of needed places: Grocery stores and banks are the only things usually convenient in Miami. Due to their locations and the highways (I'll touch on later) the 3 Walmarts and 3 target stores are a pain in the ass to reach. Not my experience in Cleveland and I've lived westside and east. Maybe I'm wrong but I dont remember having to go out of my way to reach Walmart or Target at any point that I lived in Cleveland.

Finally Transportation Infrastructure: Commuting is such an ease in Cleveland not just because of having a smaller poplulation. But because the highway system is a dream for many other cities. Cleveland's highway system (minus its potholes and construction) is the equivelent for other highway systems of the NYC subway to everyone elses rapid transit. It just works the way its supposed to. The most densely populated places have multiple highways to transverse and even in some places bypass to when accidents occur. Not the case in Miami, as 112 runs parallel to 836 but 112 only goes as far as the airport, 826 goes further but turns south at a point instead, then as a resident you have to pay taxes for half of the highway. 836 eastbound to the beaches and the FL turnpike are all toll roads so anyone going to work from Broward Cty (Ft Lauderdale) either sits in massive traffic or pays out the ass for the Turnpike which is sometimes still not moving and anyone living east of downtown pays to drive 836 which is massively backed up or drives the streets (even worse) for free. Hows that for driving. In Cleveland what highway do you pay for? Last time I was in town it was only for I-80, the Ohio Turnpike!

In addition Miami drivers are mostly completely incompetent of the concept of driving. And driving on a drizzle results in a massive delay equivelent to our driving during partial whiteout conditions. Even people from here are ready to go. I know people from here and also people from NY and MI, who think Miami sucks compared to other places. So here is a place on the coast that supposedly Cleveland shouldnt hold a candle to, and not only does it hold a candle to it, Cleveland lights it on fire.

As another note, many people cite danger and crime. Cleveland may be worse statistically than others but live in other cities for more than a year and you'll learn just because a city doesnt win in statistics doesnt mean its not as bad!

***As One additional note: Health Services are top notch in Cleveland ranked #4 in the country (Cleveland Clinic) as compared to Miami's #25 (University of Miami's Jackson Medical Center)

And Rush hour here is 7-10 and 2-7, I dont remember it being that bad back home