Cleveland Rocks: Difference between revisions
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{{quote|''"We're Not Detroit!"''|'''Mike Polk'''}}
Also known as "The Forest City," and – along with the collective region – referred to as "The North Coast."
Known in some circles as "The Mistake By The Lake" or "The/Tha Land", Cleveland has the largest urban area in Ohio. It's often considered a [[Wretched Hive]] and a [[Place Worse Than Death]], a joke that's been ongoing for years. Many recent polls and news articles only reinforce this image, as it was once rated the [http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/11/americas-most-miserable-cities-business-beltway-miserable-cities.html most miserable city in America]. It was also the original [[Trope Namer]] for [[Aliens in Cleveland]], as the city is considered by many the image of mundane mediocrity (at best).▼
▲Known in some circles as "The Mistake By The Lake" or "The/Tha Land", Cleveland
Possibly the biggest reason why this goes unchallenged is because all but the most anal-retentive Clevelanders have a sense of humor about it; they'll tell you ''themselves'' how Cleveland is America's [[Butt Monkey]]. With the brutal winters, massive [[Dying Town|urban decay]], a river that was once [[Never Live It Down|so polluted that it]] [[Beyond the Impossible|caught on fire]] [[wikipedia:Cuyahoga River#Environmental concerns|thirteen times]]<ref>[[It Got Worse|It got worse]] a [[The Seventies|few years later]] when, in a failed photo-op with a welding instrument, the city's then-mayor, Ralph Perk, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgGv9JwKeCY ''set his hair on fire'']. Then his wife [[Turned Up to Eleven|upped the ante]] by turning down a visit at the White House because it interfered with her regular '''bowling night'''.</ref>, several political scandals leading to multiple FBI raids, and the fact that road construction is ''never'' finished (also a staple of Ohio in general), most residents have no illusions of being in paradise, and rely often on [[Gallows Humor]]. Heck, the city resides on [[wikipedia: Lake Erie|a lake that is Eerie]] and divided by [[wikipedia: Cuyahoga River|a river that is Crooked]]. Its most recognizable building is [[wikipedia: Terminal Tower|Terminal]], the only daily newspaper is ''literally'' [[wikipedia: Cleveland Plain Dealer|a plain dealer]], and has [[wikipedia: WMMS|a radio station]] whose mascot is '''a buzzard'''. Oh, and [[wikipedia: Cleveland Public Power|Muny Light is '''not''' a beer]].
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Some choose to stay, however, as the city has a low cost of living, a growing healthcare industry (the world-renown Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals), and decent nightlife. It can even be called a mini-[[The Windy City|Chicago]], due to its patchwork of ethnic neighborhoods, midwestern atmosphere, public rail that's both elevated and underground<ref>Although a subway system was proposed, planned out, and [[wikipedia: Detroit-Superior Bridge|partially built]]... but [[What Could Have Been|never completed]].</ref>, and division by a major river (east and west in this case, with people on either side almost never going further than downtown).
The West Side Market, in the Ohio City neighborhood, is a historic indoor/outdoor marketplace with family-run stands specializing in ethnic fare and imported foods. The Tremont neighborhood, directly south of downtown, is a thriving art and cultural community that was also used to film ''[[A Christmas Story]]'' (Ralphie Parker's home in the film has [[wikipedia: A Christmas Story House|since been restored and turned into a museum]]). Inner-city suburb Lakewood has a [[Gayborhood|strong gay community]] often compared favorably to San Francisco; the city even hosted the 2014 Gay Games in recognition of this.
The term "[[Rock and Roll]]" was coined in Cleveland, and the city has a proud musical heritage<ref>To wit, Cleveland was the first city where Elvis, David Bowie, Rush and Bruce Springsteen took off in popularity beyond their respective hometowns.</ref> and is home to both the [[Rock and Roll]] Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Orchestra, one of America's "Big Five" symphonies. Also, Playhouse Square in downtown – spared the wrecking ball during [[The Seventies]] by a group of volunteers and benefactors – is the second-largest theatre complex in the United States, behind [[New York City]]'s Lincoln Center. The city is also sometimes used as a stand-in for NYC or Chicago in film, due to lower filming costs, since it has similar architecture<ref>Many a local has [[Squee|squeed]] upon seeing the Trust Company Rotunda in ''[[Spider-Man]] 3''... which also makes an appearance in ''Captain America: The Winter Soldier'', where Cleveland serves as a stand-in for Washington, DC (eagle-eyed observers will note Cleveland-centric signage on specific bridge spans that weren't digitally altered or edited out). ''Captain America: The Winter Soldier'' and ''[[The Avengers (film)|The Avengers]]'' are the highest-profile films thus far that have had significant production take place in Cleveland.</ref>. It possesses a surprising number of truly beautiful churches, more museums than a city thrice its size generally has, and two of the best library systems in the country. Cleveland's the home of Case Western Reserve University, one of the more bizarrely named colleges in the country<ref>The Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University used to be two separate institutions until 1967. "Western Reserve" itself refers to an old name for northeast Ohio, the Connecticut Western Reserve, claimed by the state of Connecticut for its veterans to settle in following the American Revolution until the state agreed to give it up to the newly-formed state of Ohio.</ref>, and Cleveland State University. An hour southeast is Kent State University, a [[Strawman U|Berzerkley]] known for an infamous shootout in 1970.▼
▲The term "[[Rock and Roll]]" was coined in Cleveland, and the city has a proud musical heritage<ref>To wit, Cleveland was the first city where [[Elvis]], [[David Bowie]], [[Rush]] and [[Bruce Springsteen]] took off in popularity beyond their respective hometowns.</ref> and is home to both the [[Rock and Roll]] Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Orchestra, one of America's "Big Five" symphonies. Also, Playhouse Square in downtown – spared the wrecking ball during [[The Seventies]] by a group of volunteers and benefactors – is the second-largest theatre complex in the United States, behind [[New York City]]'s Lincoln Center. The city is also sometimes used as a stand-in for NYC or Chicago in film, due to lower filming costs, since it has similar architecture<ref>Many a local has [[Squee|squeed]] upon seeing the Trust Company Rotunda in ''[[Spider-Man]] 3''... which also makes an appearance in ''Captain America: The Winter Soldier'', where Cleveland serves as a stand-in for Washington, DC (eagle-eyed observers will note Cleveland-centric signage on specific bridge spans that weren't digitally altered or edited out). ''Captain America: The Winter Soldier'' and ''[[The Avengers (film)|The Avengers]]'' are the highest-profile films thus far that have had significant production take place in Cleveland.</ref>
It possesses a surprising number of truly beautiful churches, more museums than a city thrice its size generally has, and two of the best library systems in the country. Cleveland's the home of Case Western Reserve University, one of the more bizarrely named colleges in the country<ref>The Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University used to be two separate institutions until 1967. "Western Reserve" itself refers to an old name for northeast Ohio, the Connecticut Western Reserve, claimed by the state of Connecticut for its veterans to settle in following the American Revolution until the state agreed to give it up to the newly-formed state of Ohio.</ref>, and Cleveland State University. An hour southeast is Kent State University, a [[Strawman U|Berzerkley]] known for an infamous shootout in 1970.
The [[wikipedia: American Greetings|American Greetings]] greeting card company has been based in the city for well over a century. During the 1960s, American Greetings employed a group of young artists, some of which became pioneers in the underground comic genre, most notably [[Robert Crumb]] ([[Fritz the Cat (comics)|Fritz the Cat]]) and [[wikipedia: Harvey Pekar|Harvey Pekar]] ([[American Splendor]]). In contrast, the company would develop greeting card characters [[Ziggy]], [[Strawberry Shortcake]] and the [[Care Bears]] in the late 1970s and early 1980s, all three of which would become licensing powerhouses.
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* Lady Akashia ([[Drag Queen]] who appeared in the first season of ''[[Ru Paul's Drag Race]]'')
* [[Kid Cudi]]
* Charles Ramsey (one of two people who helped rescue the [[wikipedia: Ariel Castro kidnappings|kidnapping victims of Ariel Castro]]; his plainspoken demeanor [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axCn04iXkBg in interviews shortly after news of the rescue breaking] made him an international celebrity)
{{reflist}}
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