I never bought into the claims of Ohio being forgettable. I can attribute this to having lived in Cleveland for the entirety of my life. Cleveland is stitched together by highways, construction, and beautiful views. But what makes Cleveland special to me is the mix of suburban and city life that Cleveland has allowed me to enjoy.
I’ve lived next to part of the Cleveland Metroparks for the last eighteen years. It is a constant reminder of one of Cleveland's nicknames, The Forest City. The Forest City refers to the Metroparks scattered throughout Cleveland that allow for a little hideaway from the more “hustle and bustle” parts of the city. Many areas within Cleveland feel quite suburban without being considered suburbs. This allows many Clevelanders to live within the city without being directly in the craziness of it. Without the more suburban sprawl that many Clevelanders live in, the city could be overbearing.
For me sometimes the overbearingness of the city is comforting. Downtown Cleveland is home to some of my favorite places, from the science center to the aquarium to the multitude of concert venues and restaurants, there is always something happening. Downtown and the surrounding areas are where the city truly comes alive.
But I’ve never been able to appreciate this till moving away to Ithaca. While the more residential areas of Ithaca often remind me of the little corner of Cleveland my house resides in, I miss how fast the streets of downtown are. Many of my peers from back home feel the same way. If you live in Cleveland your whole life, especially in one of the little areas that feel so suburban, you never truly realize how city the city that we grew up in is. It’s a silly phrase but it makes so much sense, Cleveland has no comparison to the big cities people often talk about, like NYC or Chicago. But when you live in Cleveland for so long you can tell how sometimes the atmosphere feels like walking in the streets of those cities.
Even in my little corner of Cleveland it sometimes feels like I’m in the center of the city. For me it is the center, it’s where I grew up and where I learned who I am. The city truly lends itself to whoever is there. If you want small communities with tiny coffee shops, Cleveland has it. If you want loud conversations and concerts that accompany restaurants open at 2 am, Cleveland has that for you as well.
The duality of Cleveland is truly something special that holds the city together.
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