Three years ago, my job offered an opportunity to move from Philadelphia to Cleveland. At first, I wasn’t going to go. I had family and friends in the Philly area and loved living there. Then I was invited to visit Cleveland, and my song quickly changed.
My husband Scott and I were immediately hooked. That initial visit showed us there was not only a lot to do in Cleveland, but we could actually afford to do it (we were floored when parking for a night on the town didn’t equal what we spent on dinner). Plus, the city provided us the amenities we had grown to love in Philly, without overwhelming us in the ‘hustle and bustle.’
Of course, we also had a healthy sense of trepidation. We knew that Cleveland winters could be harsh, and we were moving to a place where we would be complete strangers — 8-10 hours away from our family and friends. Subsequently, when we drove our UHaul here on a snowy weekend in March 2007, we went with the notion that we weren’t tied down and could move back to Philly in a year or so.
Three years later, here I am writing a blog – my love letter, if you will – to the city I’ve now planted firm roots in. Scott and I enjoy working in downtown Cleveland, married at St. Ann’s Church in Cleveland Heights last year, and just purchased our first home in Avon Lake. We’ve built a network of friends and don’t plan on leaving anytime soon. Like it or not, Cleveland, we’re here to stay.
Which brings me to this blog. From the first moment we decided to move to Cleveland, we often found ourselves defending our choice. Not everyone, of course, was against the idea. But we’ve had to stick up for Cleveland’s reputation more than a few times. And those friends and family who have visited us in Cleveland now understand why we vehemently defend it.
Like all loyal Clevelanders, I was pretty confused by the Forbes article rating Cleveland the #1 Most Miserable City. I’ve lived here for 3 years, and that time hasn’t held a hint of misery. You can’t rate an emotion such as misery by comparing stats like ‘lousy weather’ (which I wouldn’t call that bad compared to the “Snowpocalypse” the east coast had to bear this winter).
So I decided to take to the web with my Cleveland-comrades-in-arms and write about it. With Clue Into Cleveland I hope to share with you the places, people and events I love about Cleveland. The places I’d share with you if you visited the city. The things that make me far from miserable.
I hope you stay awhile and enjoy the trip.
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