Cleveland, Ohio. I've lived half an hour outside it my entire life, but I feel like it is my home. It can be a complicated city for those that come from out of the city to understand it. It might look like there is nothing, but there is a lot more than what people see in the news.
So with the help of someone I know that has lived in the city their entire life (hi, dad), here are 11 reasons why Cleveland, Ohio is such an amazing city.
1. A diversified ethnic culture
An example would be the large number of Irish immigrants that arrived in the 1830s.
2. Professional sports
Cleveland Browns for football, Cleveland Cavaliers for basketball, and Cleveland Indians for baseball. We also still love our teams even if they are not the best.
3. Lake Erie
The city is by one of the Great Lakes. Great Lakes Brewing Company. Need I say anything else?
4. The West Side Market
The heart of Cleveland's west side. Offers a variety of fresh products like meats, bread, and cheese. Plus there's an outside market for fresh produces!
5. It went from thriving to nothing then thriving again
It's plainly stated. There are still some run-down buildings around the city, but at a time it was nothing but a laughing stock. But since the Cavs winning the NBA championship and the RNC in 2016, it's becoming a household name.
6. The celebrities from Cleveland
Michael Symon, Machine Gun Kelly, Halle Berry, Stipe Miocic, and those are just to name a few.
7. The neighborhoods
In my dad's email, he told me of how when he was growing up he could ride his bike or walk to the grocery store, playground, or school. The houses were built close together and he really got to know his neighbors and he hung out with his friends a lot.
8. LeBron James
Hailed from Akron, won the city its first championship since 1964, I could say more.
9. Many movies were filmed there
There are still marks on the street and sidewalk outside my dad's office from when they shot part of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Parts of the city has been closed many times for filming different films.
10. The arts
There is a great arts culture in the Cleveland Museum of Arts.
11. We keep our heads held high
When the Cavs lost the championship in 2015 and 2017, when the Indians lost the World Series, when the Browns got sold in 1999 (screw you Art Model), we stayed positive and kept moving forward.