Gay couple finally moving to PA!

[Moby Hick]

I did seven years in Ohio. There's no way I'm going back, but if I had to, I'd take Cleveland over Columbus by a mile.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer

Pittsburgh's historic housing stock is much, much more impressive than Cleveland's. Pittsburgh also has more intact neighborhood business districts.

Honestly, though, one city is not necessarily better than the other. They both have similar population size, amenities, COL, problems, and strengths. Which one you prefer has more to do with personal preference than other factors.

Personally, I think Pittsburgh has more character than Cleveland. I feel like Cleveland has no personality. It is like most other cities in Ohio in that sense, not having much of a distinct identity. The only thing that really makes Cleveland stand out from other cities is Lake Erie.

In terms of rust-belt cities, Cleveland is low on charm. Pittsburgh and Buffalo are just overflowing with charm and character in comparison.

Some things that make Pittsburgh unique and charming: the crazy landscapes with house perched on the side of mountains overlooking rivers, the beautiful bridges, the rustic mill towns, the row houses, the weird little streets and crazy layout..

One could be dropped off in Cleveland or Columbus and feel like you were anywhere. Pittsburgh at its best is a weird little Appalachian city with lots of history. Of course, the powers that be are turning Pgh into a mini Seattle or Charlotte clone, but at its heart, it is a unique place.

I don't think this is entirely fair to the other cities in Ohio. Cincinnati has a unique vibe in the surviving historic neighborhoods (particularly Over-The-Rhine) and has many handsome examples of Greek Revival, Italianate, and Queen Anne architecture. Columbus is very generic feeling overall, but German Village has a unique vibe which is unlike anywhere else I've seen in the United States.

There is basically nothing interesting in terms of architecture in Cleveland's surviving neighborhoods though. The best-kept historic buildings are of a type that you can find in greater frequency (and better preserved) in cities like Buffalo and Milwaukee. And the biggest intact neighborhood business districts in Cleveland are perhaps four blocks long.

Great Lakes cities in general were just not built as well as the river cities, both because of the vernacular not being as urban, and also because (with the exception of Chicago) they boomed later, when architectural vernaculars were rapidly becoming more plain.

[Knepper3]

Yeah outside Cleveland I dont know of another Ohio city I would want to live in if I had to move. Most are small town or just not nice like Akron (my daughter went to school there for 1 year). I've only been through Cinci but it might also be an option from what I saw. I've been through a lot of Ohio

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Knepper3

Yeah outside Cleveland I dont know of another Ohio city I would want to live in if I had to move. Most are small town or just not nice like Akron (my daughter went to school there for 1 year). I've only been through Cinci but it might also be an option from what I saw. I've been through a lot of Ohio

I also think the Oregon District in Dayton is quite charming - but it's basically the only neighborhood in a second-tier Ohio City I like. Cities like Toledo, Akron, Youngstown, etc just do nothing for me - at least outside of the immediate downtown areas.

[PreservationPioneer]

Well, I certainly wouldn't include Cincy in the "no personality" category. I like Youngstown and Toledo, too. Those cities have a lot of character, but they are smaller cities. Overall, though, Ohio doesn't have as much unique character as Pennsylvania, but I suppose that is my subjective opinion. When I think of Ohio, I think of those endless stretches of open farmland. I also stand by my opinion that Ohio cities are low on charm, aside from the odd historic district here or there.