🚀 go-pugleaf

Tim,
Cleveland has all of the things it seems you are looking for in a city.
There are many bars, not only in the Flats but in the outer neighborhoods
and suburbs, also.  There's quite a variety, also.  Many dance clubs, some
sports bars, and some old fashioned pub-style bars.  There's also many many
live concerts in all kinds of venues.  From the local bands playing at small
bars, to Bruce Springsteen at Gund Arena, and everything in between.
There's also so much more to the entertainment factor of Cleveland.  There's
the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the many professional sports teams, the
Science Center (with an IMaxx theater), Festivals, nearby amusement parks
(Geauga Lake, Sea World, Cedar Point), the Lake Erie Islands, and the
wonderful Metroparks system (a string of large, clean parks throughout the
city and suburbs, including a zoo).
The public transportation is good (not the best I've seen, though).  It is
reliable, clean and fairly inexpensive.  The suburbs are not well served,
yet, but that is changing.  There are several Rapid Transit lines that run
downtown (where many of the bars are).  If people think they are going to
have a few too many drinks, they will often park at the nearing Rapid stop,
and take the Rapid downtown.  Then, at the end of the evening, they will
take the Rapid back to their cars, giving them time to sober up before
driving home.  There are some taxis trolling the bar areas, but not like
some large cities.  Of course, you'll make some great friends in Cleveland,
and there's usually someone willing to be a designated driver.
As far as being safe, like any major city, it depends a lot on where you
choose to live and visit.  There are some areas in the city of Cleveland
that you definitely would not want to live, some that are so-so, and some
that are quite safe.  Also, within some of the not-so-safe areas are pockets
of neighborhoods that are safe (usually ethnic groups that have stuck
together and look out for each other, like in the Slavic Village).  Some
neighborhoods are also being revamped to make them a better place to live,
such as Tremont and Ohio City.  If you are looking to buy a home, definitely
go through a real estate agent who will be able to give you statistics on
different areas of the city and suburbs such as crime rates, taxes, number
apartments vs. houses, and others.

I may be biased, since I've lived in the Cleveland area all of my life, but
I've had opportunities to move to other places and have taken extended
vacations in several other large cities, and I keep coming back to
Cleveland.  Yes,  the winters are harsh, the summers are humid, there is
smog and crime (and all those jokes!), but it's a really great city, and I
think you would be lucky to live here!

To get some more info on Cleveland, here are some good web sites you might
want to check out:

www.cleveland.com
www.freetimes.com
www.cleveland.oh.us
www.clevelandscene.com

Tim Porton wrote:

> I'm looking to relocate from Memphis and my employer has so far come up
> with 3 options, one of which is Cleveland.  I know nothing about the
> city and when I ask around, noone here seems to have actually been
> there.
>
> So anyone want to tell me whether it's going to be my kinda place given
> that I'm looking for somewhere that has good nightlife (ie live bands,
> dance clubs, bars etc), has public transportation (so I can have a few
> beers and get home safely) and is reasonably safe.
>
> I know a visit is probably the only way for me to find out, but I'd just
> thought I'd ask here first.
>
> Cheers, Tim
> PS I'm told that Cleveland was voted No.2 fun city in the US.  Anyone
> know the source of this vote?
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.