what is there to do in cleveland?

It's an adage probably as old as Ohio itself: There's nothing to do here!! This was a popular phrase when I was a kid, and it always made me wonder if the kids in Sandusky were just as bored as us, what with Cedar Point being right in their hometown. Do kids in Manhattan gripe about their ennui-filled weekends even though they live in the largest city in the U.S.? (And besides, I thought Kids Today™ just watched TV all the time; at least, that's what the baby boomers say.)

I don't hear this as much now as an adult, but maybe that's just because we have busier schedules. We have spouses and friends and can drive to go out with them, unlike kids. College students in Bowling Green sometimes opined about the lack of entertainment value the city held, but those feelings quickly disappeared once they realized they could get just as drunk with their friends in their dorm room and wouldn't have to worry about driving.

I like many things about the Cleveland area, and it's not just the comfort of familiarity. My view is that, while I can't rattle off a list of things that would necessarily spur someone to pack up their bags and move here (like I could New York City), that doesn't mean there aren't places to go or things to do. Rolling hills and hiking trails and state parks are by no means unique to Ohio, but the point is, we do have them. I'm sure lots of cities have their specialty shops and locally-renowned restaurants, but guess what! So do we! Besides, how much free time does a person really have anyway? Do some laundry, for crying out loud. Or post to a blog twice in one day. :)

And good luck finding a closet-sized studio apartment for over $1,000 around here.

Don't get me wrong: NYC is great, and the difference is that you can just walk down the streets of Manhattan and discover new restaurants, shops, coffeehouses, etc.; you don't necessarily have to seek them out like you might here. But on the other hand, while NYC was fun to visit, living there would about drive me batty, and that's assuming I didn't collapse from an anxiety attack first.

On that note, today I discovered an old blog maintained by one "Mrs. H": Cleveland Love Letter. Mrs. H and her husband moved from Los Angeles ("LA LA land") to Cleveland, and this blog chronicles the various eateries and activities they've found in the metropolitan area. Unfortunately, she's no longer updating it, but the archive is worth reading.

The "Mistake on the Lake" is no more a mistake than Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, or Casper, Wyoming. Cleveland doesn't have to be New York or LA, nor do I think it needs to emulate them in every respect. We should focus on what we do have and work to preserve and improve them, rather than just throwing our hands in the air and saying, There's nothing to do here!! Our reputation as a meaningless, jobless city whose state is only notable every four years in the presidential election is bad enough, without its own residents being self-loathing sadsacks to make it worse. :)