Cleveland: The Best Things In Life Really Are Here!

So Forbes Magazine has recently rated Cleveland, Ohio as 'America's Most Miserable City' . But anyone who has lived in Cleveland knows that The Best Things In Life Are Here!

Cleveland, Ohio is certainly not a city for wimps. Yes, it does have very hard winters. It's located on what is often called 'The North Coast' of the US. Situated on Lake Erie, the weather is indeed harsh. Icy winds blow down nearly unobstructed from the Arctic. But people bundle up, the streets are cleared as soon as possible and life goes on.

The summers are what one would expect on the Great Lakes: hot, humid and grey. Plenty of thunderstorms and the occasional tornado watch or alert. Shops do a brisk trade in air conditioners, raincoats and umbrellas. It's good for business.

A valid complaint is the high crime rate. Cleveland has a population running just under 500,000 (down from a 1950 high of about 900,000). What city of that size in the US doesn't have a high crime rate? New Orleans, Louisiana (about 300,000) and Camden, New Jersey (about 80,000) both have higer crime rates at last count. It's not ideal of course. People and the public safety agencies do their best.

There is high unemployment in Cleveland; just under 9 percent. Formerly an industrial powerhouse (steel and manufacturing) it is now part of the American 'Rust Belt'. Those jobs have moved to the Third World. They are gradually being replaced by jobs in the service and high tech sectors, such as manufacture of medical equipment and biomedical research.

The professional sports teams are considered 'lackluster'. Fair enough, really. The Browns, Indians and Cavaliers (football, baseball, basketball) aren't at the top of their respective leagues. But games are well attended; 2009 attendance for Browns football games totalled over 500,000. That's more than the population of Cleveland and higher than for many other NFL teams. Similarly, attendance at Indians baseball games totalled over 1.5 million and attendance at Cavs basketball games (the season isn't over yet) stands at over 500,000, which is *second* in the NBA.

So why would anyone want to live in Cleveland (as people still do)? Simple: a lot of world-class facililties. There is world-class healthcare and research at the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals and many more. Music? The Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Chamber Music Society, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra and numerous clubs and music groups. Art? The Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Institute of Art and plenty of galleries. Not forgetting the other museums and gardens in the University Circle area. And the glorious West Side Market, a foodie's delight!

Cleveland is often referred to as the 'Mistake On The Lake'. After all, how many cities have their river (the Cuyahoga) catch on fire? Really. Happened in 1969. The phrase 'The Best Things In Life Are Here' was coined in 1975 after Cleveland was emerging from one of those 'bad phases'.This of course was offset by 'Cleveland: You've Got To Be Tough', also from the 1970s. They are both still true. That's one of Cleveland's charms to those who know and love it.

As a city, Cleveland has its share of problems. However it's not a bad place in which to be miserable.

http://www.positivelycleveland.com/

http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/

http://www.plaindealer.com/

http://www.westsidemarket.org/

The Land of Enchantment: 2

This being a desert, it doesn't rain much. Otherwise it wouldn't be a desert, would it? Most years about 11 inches/28 centimetres descend upon Our locality. However, that rainfall comes during the monsoon season in the summer. It is a true monsoon pattern, something We've always associated with tropical settings. The anvil-shaped thunderclouds (cumulonimbus anybody?) form over the mountains every afternoon after a day of blazing heat. Eventually they let go with a lot of noise and enough rain to cause flooding. Despite the fact this has been happening every summer for centuries, local government hasn't caught on yet. Storm drainage in town is still inadequate. We are fortunate though. Our street slopes down to a large arroyo which used to be a river bed anyway. All that water just rushes past the front garden (why yes, it does happen to be gravel, thank you for asking) and ends up right where it feels at home. We will only start to worry when the arroyo fills up. The people who live at the *bottom* of the arroyo will worry sooner than that.

It also frequently gets windy in the Land of Enchantment. Wind speeds can range from a gentle breeze right up to hurricane level. Any wind that doesn't blow small dogs or children off their feet is considered a gentle breeze.There are actually two specific windy seasons. The Spring Winds last from March until September. The Autumn Winds go from September through March.

People are often surprised to find that it also snows here in the Land of Enchantment. The Rocky Mountains (and various offshoots) run through the state; no mystery there. Not to mention it is also the home of the Continental Divide. Those of you who aren't smarter than a 5th-grader can look that one up. There are several good ski areas whose snowfall can be measured in metres. It's usually dry enough for decent powder and there's plenty of sun. Unfortunately, a certain number of tourist skiiers from the Nether Regions (the flat parts of the country) end up needing medical attention due to the altitude. People don't seem to associate mountains with heights. Strange, isn't it?

www.skinewmexico.com/

Budget recipes of the day:

http://notecook.com/soup/southwestern-cooking-posole/
http://notecook.com/bread/southwestern-cooking-sopaipillas-fried-bread/